Chapter 4

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"YOU MIGHT AS WELL ASK HIM NOW," Shukaku said. They were in another one of Gaara's training sessions.

"Ask me what?" Gaara asked. Harry sighed. He had been fighting himself with how to approach this.

"I want to know if you would," Harry paused for a moment, "allow me to adopt you?"

"Really?" Gaara's eyes were wide.

"Really. Hell already thinks of you as a drakeling anyway," Harry smiled.

"WHO THE HELL IS HELL?"

"Way to ruin a Kodak Moment," Harry said.

"I HEARD THAT!"

"I never whispered it!"

"WHO THE HELL IS HELL ALREADY?"

"Hell is what I call the Death Dragon I got from the ritual. I assume you saw that memory as well."

"OF COURSE. I'M ONE OF THE MAIN DEFENSES OF HIS MIND AFTER ALL."

"Of course. Well, Gaara? What'd ya say? Would you like to be my son?"

"For real? You won't ever leave me alone and try to kill me like my real dad?"

"For real. And I will never try to kill you Gaara. Ever."

"Promise?"

"Promise."

"Okay, then. You'll be my daddy and I'll be your son." Gaara ran into Harry's arms and hugged him as tight as he could.

"Okay. We'll do an adoption ritual later this year. During Christmas break when all the students have left. Is that alright with you?" Gaara nodded his head and smiled.

"YOU'D BETTER TAKE CARE OF HIM!" Shukaku threatened.

"I will."

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"Morning all," Harry said as he put Gaara in his regular seat between him and Severus. He got several 'Morning's in return, along with a glare from Hermione and being ignored by Remus and Sirius. Not five minutes later:

"Harry's gonna be my new daddy," Gaara said, causing Severus and Sirius both to spit out their drinks. Hermione, Sprout, and Vector started to choke a little on their breakfast.

"Perfect timing Gaara," Harry chuckled, reaching over Gaara's chair to smack Severus on the back, "You be more careful when you drink around little kids. You never know when they're gonna getcha."

"Shut up Harry," Severus said, "So when is this going to happen?"

"We're doing the ritual over Christmas break," Harry said, not missing the way Remus flinched when he said the word 'ritual'. 'Oh well,' Harry thought, 'If he's going to be that way, it's fine with me.'

Gaara turned to Severus and asked when they would be brewing potions again. Severus told him it would have to wait for a while, as the sorting feast was tonight.

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"Arrow, Casey." "GRYFFINDOR."

"Benjamin, Arnold." "RAVENCLAW."

"Ceno, Erica." "SLYTHERIN."

"Delani, Caitlyn." "SLYTHERIN."

"Elig, Leigh." "HUFFLEPUFF."

"Farbor, Nicholas." "RAVENCLAW."

"Gryfyn, Gregory." "GRYFFINDOR."

"Huffs, Horace." "HUFFLEPUFF."

"Ilene, Josephine." "RAVENCLAW."

"Longbottom, Jennifer." "HUFFLEPUFF."

"Malfoy, Jeremy." "GRYFFINDOR." 'Bet Draco's gonna love that,' Harry thought, as he watched Draco's younger cousin and current heir to the Malfoy fortune sit down at the Gryffindor table.

"Quentin, Karl." "GRYFFINDOR."

"Ravyn, Rachael." "RAVENCLAW."

"Slyn, Serena." "SLYTHERIN."

"Vega, Marianne." "SLYTHERIN."

"Weasley, Russell." "GRYFFINDOR." 'I didn't know Bill and Fleur had a kid,' Harry thought as the blonde Weasley sat down right next to Jeremy Malfoy.

"Xan, Rian" "SLYTHERIN."

"Yates, William." "HUFFLEPUFF."

"Zabini, Carol." "SLYTHERIN."

"Five Gryffindors, four Ravenclaws, four Hufflepuffs, and seven Slytherins," Harry said to Severus, "Looks like you're going to have fun this year."

"Do me a favor, and keep an eye on Mr. Malfoy, will you?" Severus asked, "I doubt Black will do it."

"It'll be my pleasure." Gaara pulled on Harry's robe sleeve a bit. Harry leaned down to hear him.

"What are Gryffindor, Ravenclaw, Hufflepuff, and Slytherin?"