Aiden followed the gnome's memories deep into the mountains, where a settlement of more than sixty gnomes had gathered. They had built a crude altar, placing a giant, moss-covered stone in the center as an object of worship. This, apparently, was their so-called god, Gnomeregan.
The memory of the Kingsport incident was still fresh in Aiden's mind, and he worried that this budding cult could become another ticking time bomb. Suddenly, an idea—a mischievous, brilliant idea—struck him.
He walked among the gnomes, his presence unnoticed, and planted a seed of hypnosis in each of their minds.
'Since they're so keen on having a religion,' Aiden thought, a smirk playing on his lips, 'why not make it a bit grander?'
He used his power to blur the image of the stone in their collective consciousness, replacing it and its name with a new deity and a new prayer. In unison, the gnomes knelt before their altar and began to chant strange, new words:
"The outsider not of this world... the great master of the sea of consciousness... the gray-white Dragon who controls minds..."
The atmosphere became eerie and unsettlingly devout.
A voice, frantic and full of static, suddenly screamed in Aiden's head.
[Ding. Damn it, you stinking—! What did you do?! Why are so many prayers suddenly flowing to me?!]
"Wow, it really works," Aiden exclaimed, marveling at his handiwork. "And System, you seem much more human-like now. This is the first time I've heard you curse."
[Ding. The System has discovered that the host is truly a talent for trouble. Have you become so indiscriminate already? The host's future does not require faith. The prayers of these gnomes are completely useless to you.]
Aiden was stunned. "I don't need it? Why? Didn't you say I would need anchors to stabilize my humanity in the future?"
[Ding. The host is different. Has the host ever truly faced loss of control, madness, or a significant loss of humanity?]
"Well, no, but what's going on? Explain it more clearly," Aiden pressed.
[Ding. The System can inform the host that this is not that world. As for the rest...]
"Insufficient data, right?" Aiden rolled his eyes.
[Ding. You're getting smarter.]
"Hmph."
As Aiden was chatting with the System, a gnome wearing a long robe made of tree bark approached him. It knelt before Aiden, muttering something in the guttural gnomish tongue. Using his ability, Aiden understood: this was the Gnome King, now the High Pope, and he was begging his new god to grant him vengeance.
'No way,' Aiden thought, shaking his head. 'You're asking me to help you kill my own Aunt? That's taking things a bit far.'
He casually cast a hypnotic suggestion on the Pope's nearby attendant, amplifying the smaller gnome's ambition. Then, as quietly as he had arrived, Aiden vanished from the mountainside. No gnome remembered that their god had ever descended among them.
Aiden hurried back to The Burrow. Ron and Harry were walking back from the garden, their arms full of fresh fruits and vegetables. Aiden walked up and casually plucked an apple from the pile. With a flick of his wrist, a ball of pure water formed around it, washing it clean. He took a bite, the crisp sound echoing pleasantly in the quiet yard.
"Wow, this is quite fresh," he said with a smile.
"Oh, Aiden, you're back," George said. "Did you drive the gnomes away?"
"Mum said they can use weapons now, so she wouldn't let us go near them," Fred added.
"Too bad," Ron lamented. "It was quite fun to grab them by the feet and play 'Flying Gnome.' A shame you never got to try it, Harry."
"It's all Dad's fault," George said, hooking an arm around Ron's shoulder. "He wouldn't let us kill the gnomes."
"And now they dare to pick up weapons to fight us," Fred finished, hooking Ron's other shoulder.
The group walked into the house, chatting and laughing.
After lunch, Molly turned to Harry. "Harry, dear, you'll have to squeeze in with Aiden for now. Oh, if you want to take a nap, you can go on up. The room is the second door on the third floor."
"Come on," Aiden said. "I'll take you up and help you get settled."
He led Harry to his room. The decor was simple, with many blank scrolls tacked to the walls and stacks of large, imposing books piled on the desk and floor. A simple cat bed sat on the windowsill, where Lada was lounging lazily.
"Yo, kid, you're here," Lada said, raising a paw in greeting.
"Hello, Lada," Harry replied. "Thank you for your help the other day."
"You're welcome," she said with a dismissive flick of her tail. "It was my oversight, really. If any other animals bully you at Hogwarts, just mention my name." She puffed out her chest proudly.
"Alright, stop teasing him," Aiden cut in, unable to watch any longer. "He might actually believe you and run into the Forbidden Forest."
He stretched out his hand, and a silver light coalesced into his exquisite staff. He tapped it lightly on the floor, and with a faint groaning of wood, the space in the room slowly began to expand. Aiden then took a small bottle from his pocket and tossed it to the ground. Where it shattered, a full-sized bed, complete with a pillow and quilt, appeared.
Harry stared, completely awestruck. 'Aiden, your magic is like something from a fairy tale. I want to learn this.'
"Alright, you can stay here for now," Aiden said. "It's not long until school starts anyway." He waved his staff again, and Harry's suitcase opened. His luggage floated out and arranged itself neatly around the room.
That afternoon, a bored Harry accepted Ron's invitation to his room for a game of Wizard's Chess. Ron's room was a chaotic explosion of orange, covered in posters for the Chudley Cannons. Comic books were piled on the floor, and a fish tank full of frogspawn sat on the windowsill.
"Sorry, it's a bit shabby, isn't it?" Ron said.
"No," Harry said honestly. "It's the most wonderful room I've ever seen."
"My room is probably the most normal one," Ron said confidently. "George and Fred's room is full of all sorts of prank items. Aiden's room is just books and more books. Percy's room has a giant desk and looks like a professor's office. And Ginny… well, she's a girl, so she doesn't count."
They set up the chessboard and began to play.
"Queen to E5," Harry commanded.
The stone queen, however, seemed to have its own ideas. It stubbornly moved to C5 instead.
"What?" Harry said, confused. "Why won't the piece listen to me?"
"Of course it won't. You're using Ginny's set," Ron explained, as if it were the most obvious thing in the world. "Wizard's Chess pieces have their own ideas when they're not with their owner. Didn't you know that?" He looked at Harry strangely. For someone so famous, he had surprising gaps in his common knowledge.
Harry just shook his head. 'Perhaps this isn't the common sense I was supposed to have.'
Life at The Burrow was pleasant. Everyone liked Harry, and for the first time in his life, he truly felt like he had a home. The happy time flew by, and soon, the start of school was just around the corner.
***********
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