Chapter Text

The Gods

Working on Halloween was always a risky business in the magical world. Magical forces were stronger on that day than any other Wiccan holiday. Poltergeists grew more powerful. Dark rituals were more potent. Most establishments in the Wizarding World remained closed on Halloween. Keeping one’s door open was a sure-fire way to invite all kinds of magical troubles into one’s life on All Hallows’ Eve. 

For an Unspeakable, Halloween was the ultimate holiday. It was a rule of thumb for any Unspeakable to not even enter the Department of Mysteries on such a magically powerful day. Whereas most would assume that Unspeakables would like to take advantage of such magical potency in the air for whatever magical experiments they seemed to concoct on an average day, a seasoned Unspeakable knew that the magic at work on Halloween was too powerful to be properly harnessed in ritual. On Halloween, magical gods took charge once again. 

It was never smart to gain the attention of the gods.

A tall, willowy woman glided across the floor as she exited out of the Hall of Time and into the atrium of the Department of Mysteries. Her long, white hair touched her heels as she floated across the room in nearly translucent fabrics. She was the Goddess of the Stars and Moon, Vega. “I’m bored,” she complained.

“There’s a party three worlds over,” a little girl with pigtails suggested. She had straight black bangs and a pale face. She popped a blood-red lollipop into her mouth. 

Vega shot the little goddess a baleful glare. “That’s a mass sacrifice of virgins.”

The little girl was Hel, Goddess of Hell Dimensions. Her black eyes brightened with a flash of red as she smiled. “You say that like it’s a bad thing.” Her voice was sugary sweet. 

A broad-shouldered man with shoulder-length black hair smirked at Hel. “You’re adorable,” Cernunnos, the God of the Hunt, told her. Hel giggled sweetly. The tall god turned back to Vega and said, “You are welcome to leave, sweet Vega. But I have yet to complete my mission and time dwindles.”

Vega’s shoulders fell as a breathy sigh left her. She studied Cernunnos with her pale eyes surrounded by black, as bright as stars in the night sky. Cernunnos was an earthly god made from the worship of humans, a fact she thought was obvious in his actions. 

He looked like a man, but from his head protruded the antlers of the beasts his worshipers had once hunted for food. His eyes were large and round like that of a buck. Around his neck, he wore a wooden torc and around his waist was a thin cloth. He stood before Vega and the others, proud and strong. As a god of people, rather than the multiverse like Vega and Hel, he had a symbiotic relationship with the humans. Vega thought it was exhausting, but Cernunnos seemed to vibrate with energy when on a mission for one of his worshipers and there was none that the God of the Hunt loved more than the Stag. 

Vega turned to Morai in the hope that the young woman would agree with her. The brunette floated in the air as if sitting on a chair with one knee crossed delicately over the other. Her hair was pulled back into a messy ponytail and a pair of massive glasses sat on the bridge of her nose. Morai, the Goddess of Fate, pushed the glasses up as her eyes flickered across the magical tablet in her hands. “I’m just an observer,” she said without looking up from her tablet. Vega sighed loudly.

They’d each felt the magical draw in the Department of Mysteries that night. There were moments in time where magic drew together, ready to swell and burst. Magical potential. Sometimes that potential came from a being and other times it was from an environment. In this case, it was certainly in part to All Hallows’ Eve. Cernunnos could feel in his magic that it was here and now that he would find the perfect mate for his Stag. All that was left to do was wait for magic to do her work.

Just as Vega was ready to complain again, the lift dinged. All four deities turned to the lift and watched as a witch stepped out into the atrium of the Department of Mysteries. 

“Well…” Cernunnos said at length. His eyes dragged up and down the petite witch’s form with interest. Her wild curls were pulled up off her neck and pretty, simple makeup accentuated the line of her eyes and the fullness of her lips. She wore a strapless black dress made in layers of tulle that fell to just below her knees. “Aren’t you a pretty thing?”

Hermione Granger stepped out of the lift with a stack of files in her arms. She didn’t see the deities watching her with interest as she stepped into the atrium. She paused as a chill passed over her. Hermione looked up and revealed a pair of doe eyes that had the God of the Hunt growling with pleasure. Those brown eyes scanned the atrium, but Hermione didn’t see anyone else. 

She shook her head. “It’s Halloween,” she reminded herself. Of course, no one else was there. She made to move towards the door that led to the departmental rooms where she would find the Head Unspeakable office. She felt someone brush her cheek. Hermione jumped and gasped. Her head whipped around. 

Cernunnos smiled darkly and lowered his hand. “She’s perfect.”

Vega laughed. The high, tinkling sound echoed eerily around them. “Please tell me you’re joking.”

“Why not?” he questioned, eyes never leaving the pretty mortal witch.

Vega waved her hand at the witch and time slowed down. She strode across the atrium and gestured to the girl with her hand. “She’s a child.”

“Mortals don’t live long in general,” Cernunnos argued. He crossed his arms and stood tall with his feet apart. 

“She’s an idiot. What witch comes here on All Hallows’ Eve?” 

The God of the Hunt pursed his lips. He didn’t have a response to that. “But look at her. Those big brown eyes and pretty lips. Like a little bunny.” 

“I like her,” Hel pronounced with a bright smile. She popped her lollipop back in her mouth and skipped to Hermione’s side. Vega and Cernunnos both stilled at the little goddess’ words. Clearly there was more to this witch than a pretty face if Hel liked her.

Moirai sighed heavily. The Goddess of Fate looked up from her tablet finally. “You can’t make mortals fall in love.” She waved her hand and time sped back to its normal pace.

Thoroughly spooked, Hermione turned on her heel and raced towards the lift. Cernunnos nodded his chin at the lift and the doors slammed shut. Hermione pulled up short with a small cry of surprise. She spun back around, wand drawn in one hand and the other clutching the collection of files to her chest. 

“Mortals have a tendency of falling in love with whoever they’re with. I’m more concerned about getting her where she needs to be.” He eyed Hermione as she surveyed the room with obvious fear and caution. 

Vega scoffed. “She’s from this world.”

Cernunnos smirked. “The Door was created for a reason,” he arrogantly stated.

Moirai’s eyes bugged open. “Not that reason!” The Goddess of Fate jumped to her feet. “You’re messing with things that are not within your domain.”

Cernunnos turned to Moirai, ignoring Hermione who dashed towards a door that would lead out of the atrium, only to find it locked. “Well, what would her fate be here ?”

“More than a simple wife of one of your favourites!” Moirai gestured wildly. “She’s a genius, despite what Vega might think. This witch was born with a purpose .”

“Only one?” he asked. Hermione tried another door, only to find it locked as well. “Because I see the mark of Gaia on her.” Hel and Vega both turned their attention to the slightly frantic witch. There was a glow of fertility magic around. A natural mother in both personality and magic. It was a rare gift that Mother Gaia rarely bestowed upon mortals. 

Moirai narrowed her eyes. “Yes,” she admitted through clenched teeth. “She will have children. At least three no matter who she ends up with.”

Cernunnos smirked triumphantly. “You mean her spouse is not a fated match?”

Moirai opened her mouth. She closed it with a huff and a roll of her eyes. “She’s matched with a number of potential people. Her intelligence and magic make her highly compatible with many.”

“The Stag?” he asked with a raised eyebrow.

Moirai looked at the god incredulously. “You think I’ve run the numbers on that ? Are you insane?”

Hermione slammed her hand against the closed doors of the lift. “You’ve got to be kidding me!” she shouted. She dropped the files she’d brought with her on the ground. “I’m already late for the Halloween Ball and now I’m stuck here.” Her hands balled into fists with her wand sticking out of the right one. 

“Well?” Cernunnos questioned. 

Moirai sighed. She lifted her tablet and her fingers flickered across the glass screen. “She’s career-driven and ambitious. She won’t like what you have in store for her,” the goddess warned. “And there are no guarantees it would even work out the way you’re hoping.”

“I’ll guide them together,” Cernunnos declared. “I know my Stag will figure the rest out. He is the most devout of all my followers.” Moirai continued her calculations. The God of the Hunt waved his hand and a click sounded from across the atrium.

Hermione froze in her frantic pacing. She turned wide eyes towards a door she hadn’t tried to open yet. She’d never been into the Rem Room before. Slowly, the witch crossed the atrium and passed through a door she knew very well she had no access to. The deities followed closely behind her. 

Inside was a square room made up of dark walls and flooring. There was nothing inside except for a set of marble double doors of an elaborate design. They stood tall in the centre of the room, supported by nothing on either side.

The door to the room closed quietly behind Hermione. The witch didn’t seem to notice. Her entire focus was on the Door at the centre of the room.

“It won’t work,” Moirai stated as she lowered her tablet, calculations complete. She looked back and forth between Hermione and Cernunnos. 

The God of the Hunt was not so easily swayed. With his dark eyes still on the witch, he prodded, “Unless?”

Moirai hesitated. Hel reached up and snatched the tablet from the goddess’ hands. A brief study of the contents and she announced, “You need to mark the witch.”

“Hel!” Moirai grabbed her tablet. The room grew thick with magic as the Goddess of Fate’s anger rose. 

“Make it known that you chose her,” Hel continued, completely ignoring Moirai’s rage. 

Vega shook her head. “Gaia will be furious if you mark her child.” Mother Gaia was possessive of the few that she claimed as her own. No gods or goddesses dared mess with her chosen children.

Cernunnos ignored Vega’s warning. “ Witch ,” he intoned. His voice echoed around them. Hermione spun around with a gasp. She stumbled back a step when she saw the tall, horned god before her. She raised her wand and the hand was immediately caught by Cernunnos in a firm grasp. His other hand cupped her cheek. 

Hermione stood frozen in both shock and terror. His thumb delicately stroked the edge of her lips. His power hummed in the air around her, pushing down on her. She wasn’t sure if it was the shock that had her paralyzed or if his magic was making it so.

“ Good luck ,” he said and his voice echoed throughout the room. Hermione’s mouth opened but before she could speak, Cernunnos pressed his lips to her forehead. The magic around the room swelled before suddenly rocketing inward. Hermione gasped as the god’s magic funnelled into her body. His power lit her magical core on fire. Her chest expanded with the sudden onslaught of power. 

A cry tore from the witch’s lips. The god’s magic spread through her veins like a wildfire. It set everything it touched ablaze and left her feeling hot and electric. The burning concentrated on her forehead until it felt like someone had pressed a hot iron to it. Just as it became too much, Cernunnos let go of her. 

The Door opened behind her. A gust of wind swept through the room and threw Hermione back. She screamed as she fell through the Door. Her body landed on the other side with a loud thump .

Hermione looked up from her position on the floor of an alternate reality. Cernunnos nodded to her once. His hand raised and his hand closed into a fist. As he pulled his arm into the side of his body, the Door slammed shut. Hermione was left sealed on the other side.

“I can’t believe you just did that,” Moirai stated blandly. 

Cernunnos smiled broadly. “She’s perfect. And the injection of my own magic will add to her fertility.” He winked at Moirai. “My Stag wants more than three children.” Cernunnos turned and confidently strode from the room.

“She was going to help fight the remaining darkness in this world! She would have been a paragon of good!” Moirai complained as she followed the god. “This world needed her.”

Hel giggled and sucked on her lollipop. She looked up at Vega. “Told you this world was still mine. Pay up, Blondie.”

Vega crossed her arms and sighed. “The poor souls of this dimension. You’re a wicked goddess. Will the witch even end up happy?”

Hel’s eyes burned blood red. “Who cares?” She turned to leave the room as she giggled childishly.