Hidden Inhumanity

by ShadowedAuthor

Sequel to Silent Humanity – Into his second year in a strange world, Gaara struggles more than ever to maintain his sanity and wellbeing. The dangers are mounting all around, both to and from the displaced Jinchūriki.

4. Chapter 4: Same Old Rough Starts

Disclaimer: I do not own either Harry Potter (rightfully owned by J.K Rowling) or Naruto (rightfully owned by Masashi Kishimoto) nor do I make any money out of this fiction. I will also add that any sections or phrases in this chapter that bear resemblance to works by either author or from movies based on works of said authors is recreated in the same spirit of free usage and is not for profit.

A/N: Sorry for the delay in this chapter. I have just completed Masters degree so my time (not otherwise spent job hunting) is freed up for writing again.

Ironically, the way I know I have become a semi-dependable updater lately is the renewal of people surprised or upset by my lack of new chapters for a couple months. It's nice really. Been mentioned once or twice in reviews but I never actually stopped writing Silent Humanity, I just took a year to finish writing a chapter. Amounts to the same thing materially for the readers but I never lost interest fully.

More art has been uploaded, including an extraordinary one of Moony, Padfoot and Bandit in the forest together from last chapter, by my generous artistic benefactor, Spiral of Destiny. Follow the second link on my profile to see it.

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(Last Time)

Sirius sat in his chair and dropped his car keys on the table next to him. Remus was due back tomorrow morning after he had settled some unspecified business, but until then Sirius would have to sit in his silent house alone.

Reaching over to the same side table, he picked up a new photo that had been delivered while he was out, already set in an ornate silver frame. He would send Gaara and Harry copies tomorrow in the morning post. For now, he simply wanted to appreciate the picture.

Harry was stood in front of him and Gaara was in front of Remus, nearly five inches shorter than Harry next to him. It was a moving/wizarding picture and it showed Sirius running into the frame, them all trying to stay still, and then Sirius' hand darting behind Gaara's head to give him bunny ears. Everyone but Gaara smiling as the flash went off, the light reflecting off the three pairs of damp eyes.

Sirius lost track of time as he admired the scene playing out on repeat.

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Gaara might not have liked most forms of magical transportation but when they took inspiration from their more sensible muggle cousins, there was the possibility they might actually make something safe to use. Case in point: the train that he was currently riding in that was showing him the entire length of Great Britain and did not necessitate him flying the entire, exhausting, five-hundred mile journey under his own power.

Luna watched Gaara as he watched the scenery pass by; he had not changed at all this summer, as far as she could see. Whereas Draco, on the other hand, who was sat next to her, looked tired and thin and he had been limping.

"Draco, why were you limping?" She asked out of nowhere.

Draco panicked suddenly, looking at both Luna and Gaara across from him, and tried to come up with a convincing excuse. "I, um, well, I ate my breakfast too quickly and it's given me a terrible stitch in my side."

He intently observed their faces, Gaara's especially, and took the stoic, non-expression on the redhead's as a good sign that he found it uninteresting and thus true. Luna did not have much of an expression either, which could have meant anything. Draco didn't much care what she thought so long as she didn't go sharing any theories with Gaara.

At that moment, as had happened a dozen times since they sat down together, Gaara jumped to his feet to hold the compartment door shut when someone tried to open it and join them. It was selfish but most of the teens in the compartment were indeed rather selfish, at least to the extent that they didn't want their reunion to be interrupted by a stranger. Gaara was particularly opposed to their entrances since he had been on the receiving end of so much attention on the platform and in the train already.

When the attempted intruder gave up and walked further down the train, Gaara returned to his seat and continued watching the scenery. Across the roaming fields and rivers, Gaara really did quite like the countryside here. It was just a shame about the weather, changing between sunshine and downpours four or five times between London and the Scottish Highlands.

They had all seen each other multiple times over the holidays and yet they were not entirely lacking in topics on which to catch up. Of course, Draco cared little about Luna's comings and goings and Luna was much more interested in Gaara's activities, as dry and dull as they were, than Draco's comparatively busy schedule. Gaara would have been happy to sit in companionable silence and enjoy the view.

"I am looking forward to seeing your progress." Luna said.

"I still can't believe you managed it so quickly. Honestly, I half expected it to all go horribly wrong and you to end up stuck halfway between forms. Animagus magic is rather tricky, I've heard." Draco smirked.

"I think Gaara would look dashing with a big bushy tail." Luna said, retreating into her daydreams briefly.

"You would." Draco snarked. Really, couldn't Gaara have found a more normal friend, even from the (thus far) mysterious (to him) opposite sex?

"So when can you show us your transformation?" Luna asked, checking that the compartment blinds were still drawn in case the demonstration was to come immediately.

"Not yet. I am still finishing my training." Gaara said.

Neither Draco nor Luna were able to determine with any surety whether Gaara was lying or not when he said he was not able to show them. They both suspected, as they often did, that Gaara was lying to them.

They all lapsed into a pleasant peace for a precious few minutes before Draco nervously broke the silence again, "Something's happening at the school this year…" He started.

"Things do tend to happen at school." Luna agreed.

Draco scowled at her interruption, or her manner, never sure if she was mocking him or not. "Not just anything. My father told me he has been hearing things recently. Whispers in the Ministry; secrets and the like." When Luna's eye shot wide and she looked like she was about to say something, he cut back in, "No, none of your ridiculous theories. He couldn't find out what's going on exactly but he said that the Minister himself is planning something."

"Your father doesn't know?" Gaara asked.

Draco blushed a little, very much unused to saying a word against his father's omnipotence. He knew his father and the Minister had not been seeing eye to eye lately and that it was causing his parents a great deal of stress, but sharing such private details was beyond the confidence he shared with Luna and it was still best left unsaid with Gaara too. Airing dirty laundry was unbecoming.

Gaara knew he should be concerned about whatever craziness the leader of this country's magical government had in store, considering the only previous plan he knew of was posting a thousand dementors around a castle of children; however, all he wanted to do right now was watch the view and worry about Sirius and Remus. Grown men they may be but Gaara was still more concerned about their wellbeing in his absence. All the stupidity that Sirius might get himself into, all the stupidity that Sirius might drag Remus into…

Down the train in a more boisterous compartment sat the Golden Trio and the Weasley Twins, two of Hogwarts most troublesome Gryffindor groups (currently).

"Did you try asking Sirius or Professor Lupin about it?" Ron asked.

"No, I told Gaara I would leave him alone for a while, at least until I catch him up to something and I meant it." Harry said.

"But at least we know there is something to find out now." Hermione added. "I'm with Harry, I think we should wait and see."

"He's definitely up to no good, I can tell you that much, but we might as well wait until he slips up. Not like we've managed to find much out this past year anyway." Ron said.

"We both think you're obsessed with him, don't we, Fred?" Said Fred.

"That we do, George. Gaara is an upstanding gentleman or impeccable taste." Said George.

"We're not obsessed, we're just being vigilant." Ron muttered back at his older brothers.

"I think we all need to focus on our schoolwork this year. No more distractions." Hermione said.

"Distractions like you being petrified or being attacked by dementors, you mean?" Ron jibed. Hermione huffed and Harry laughed.

While the three fourth-years began to fret over the coming academic challenges of the year, Fred and George began to quietly plan their own activities for the year. They had every intention of starting a new pranking contest with Gaara and retaking their uncontested supremacy of the school. It was a 'contest' since neither of them felt safe calling it a prank 'war'.

"I overheard my dad telling my mum about a raid this morning." Ron said after Fred and George went to find their friends, and they could talk in peace.

"This eaves-dropping is becoming a habit." Harry smirked.

Ron blushed but continued. "Some old Auror got attacked in his home."

"And your father was called? Why?" Hermione asked.

Ron had been so excited to hear that his father had been involved in something so exciting at work he didn't think to question why he had been sent with the Aurors to investigate something that had nothing whatsoever to do with the Misuse of Muggle Artefacts. "I'm not sure. Dad seemed like he knew him, the Auror bloke, so maybe he asked to go with them."

"So who attacked him? A dark wizard?" Harry asked.

"I don't think so. I'm not sure, really. I had to stop listening because Ginny was coming and she always tells on me. Whoever it was, they got away."

"Hold on, I remember reading about a supposed attack in the Prophet this morning. Apparently it was false alarm."

"Dad definitely said it happened. Had to call the Healers in for the bloke who got attacked."

"The Prophet lied?" Hermione was indignant that a trusted source of information would mislead the public like that.

"I doubt it's the first time." Harry said, thinking back to what he had read about himself in the few Wizarding History books that mentioned the end of the war and his role in it. A great many stories had been told about that night and Harry's life after it and none of them had been close.

Hermione considered this for a moment before deciding to move the conversation on. "My mother and father bought a new dental drill..."

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The train slowed to a halt in the station and already the corridor was cluttered with teens and preteens, all hustling and bustling to disembark the train. As previously, Gaara had no interest in pushing through the crowds, but clearly he was missing out on some vital factor that enthused all the other students around him. He simply didn't see the fuss.

"It's a home away from home." Luna chimed in, responding to some subtle facial expression she had apparently interpreted. Draco wondered if her ability to work out what Gaara was thinking with even more unerring accuracy than him, who spent a great deal more time with Gaara, was because of her Ravenclaw intellect or her infamous strangeness making itself known.

"Only for people who have no home worth going back." Draco said haughtily with a smirk. As usual, his snark failed to solicit a response.

When the initial bulk of the student body had pushed and shoved their way off of the train, Gaara opened the compartment door and joined the last trickle of trepidatious first years and unimpressed seventh years. Back within sight of his schoolmates, Gaara again had to endure their well-meaning thanks and flattery until Draco and Luna kindly provided interference and blocked their attempts to engage or pat him on the back.

On the heaving platform, Draco had a terrible flashback to last year when he spotted a disparate few people amongst the crowd wearing thick eyeliner, mimicking Gaara's naturally ringed eyes. They reminded him of those fanatical weirdoes last year who had been obsessed with Gaara briefly before they found a new object to harass, or maybe they had taken up a hobby. These people seemed to be wearing the makeup as a fashion statement instead, though still likely inspired by the newly celebrated Defender of Hogwarts. Luckily the wearers mostly seemed to be from Hufflepuff so there was a chance Gaara might not notice them until they had a chance to rethink their ridiculous attempts at trendsetting.

When would these Hufflepuffs learn that they were not leaders?

Draco and Gaara pushed through the crowd, ruing the day that Gaara had mysteriously become a celebrity after months of suspicion and fear (also known as the good old days), while Luna followed after them. Despite being around the same height now, Gaara was still able to force his way past people easier than her slight physique could manage.

It irked Gaara more than he would admit, more than his recent popularity, that the only group on the platform that were entirely shorter than him were the first years, though this might have been because the second years were largely dispersed.

They all took an empty carriage but had to wait for a fourth to join them for it to set off; meanwhile Draco asked about the thestrals hitched to the vehicle, curious about the invisible beasts. He was still surprised by the fact that Luna Lovegood could see them but had no polite means of finding out why that was, or rather who it had been.

An unfamiliar seventh-year Hufflepuff climbed into the carriage and they promptly set off, first having to endure his attempts to thank the miniscule hero.

"It was not a problem." Gaara told him dismissively.

They then sat in silence for the rest of the way since they didn't want to speak casually in front of a stranger, except for Luna who tried once or twice to pull one of them into a conversation, even the Hufflepuff boy. He was either too intimidated to speak candidly in front of Gaara who was definitely glaring at him, or he simply had no interest in talking with the spacey little Ravenclaw.

When they arrived and disembarked, Gaara had to skirt around the thestral bound to the carriage as he walked to the castle since his animal magnetism was still transmitting in full force. Draco watched the area that Gaara avoided and continued to ponder thestrals, especially after Luna approached the space but flinched back and followed closely after Gaara, presumably after the horse-like creature snapped at her or something. He traced the same path that Gaara had walked and they all finished their journey back to school.

"Looks like they finally decided to tidy this place up a little." Draco said cooly upon stepping into the Entry Hall.

The stones looked like they had been polished, he spotted a couple of fresh tapestries that had been taken out of storage, the suits of armour were shining like they never had before, and similarly the Great Hall was looking improved. The stones had been polished to a high shine like the Entry Hall, the banners along the walls had been replaced by fine silk versions, and it even looked like the ancient tables and benches had been replaced by new furniture. The old, heavily worn tables that bore hundreds of carved initials and thousands of marks and dents had been swapped for pristine new ones.

For all the trouble it would be for a witch or wizard to magically repair or replace such simple items, those tables had been around for hundreds of years. The benches had been cast aside in favour of individual high-backed chairs, presumably precisely enough for the number of incoming students.

Gaara could hear people marvelling at how expensive all of this must have been, but reactions to the new seats divided opinion. The Ravenclaws and the Slytherins mostly liked them because they were more dignified and offered greater personal space, whereas the Gryffindors and particularly the Hufflepuffs weren't such fans, having always enjoyed the informality and closeness the benches allowed.

Ron summed up his entire House's opinion when he said, "Looks a bit pompous to me."

The Slytherins promptly began vying for the best seats, collectively believing that the possibility that these would remain their assigned seats for the coming year was too important to leave up to chance. Draco pulled Gaara along with the eager Slytherins, not bothering to bid Luna adieu as she wandered over to her own more orderly House. She was less a pariah than in previous years, she observed, likely because of her apparent association with Gaara, Defender of Hogwarts. This reduced hostility did not extend itself to talking or friendliness, but fewer people were snickering at her and she had not 'tripped' once this evening.

McGonagall, who was waiting for the first years to arrive, believed this was the most prolonged seating the school had seen in all of her years working there. She could still hear squabbles breaking out and the scraping of chairs on stone through the door after it was closed and the new students were entering the castle with Hagrid.

Gaara was definitely in favour of the new arrangement, having always had difficulties with the benches and how close they necessitated sitting to another person. Here there were armrests to maintain correct distance.

The cutlery had also been replaced with silverware, which Draco loudly suspected would last a lot longer on their table than any other that sat a Weasley. Gaara picked up the heavy, ornate knife and wished chopsticks were more prevalent here.

The student body continued to chatter away about the aesthetic improvements to the school and about the opening of the school year. The professors entered from the back entrance and took their places by the head table and Draco observed that some of the staff were sporting new robes, presumably to match the renovated décor, though it was notable that Snape had failed to change for the occasion, his hair just as greasy and his robes just as moth-ridden.

While Draco was preoccupied with the teachers' fashions and Gaara was wondering if he could get away with leaving if he did it before the year's commencement ceremony started, a number of other (more observant) people noticed the range of expressions on the typically excited staff members' faces.

Most of them appeared to be solemn, at best, with McGonagall enjoying the privacy in the Entry Hall to showcase her more openly murderous expression while her colleagues in view of the children had to keep theirs trained. Snape was looking less contemptuous than usual and more concerned or thoughtful, and even Hagrid and Dumbledore were struggling to smile.

When word spread and everyone took notice, minus a couple oblivious exceptions, talking lulled and in the silence Dumbledore stood to start proceedings while Minerva prepared the newest students.

"Good evening and welcome, one and all, to another year at Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry. As many of you will have noticed, the castle has seen a few small changes since you last saw it. While most will celebrate the improvements, please know this: Hogwarts has stood a thousand years against the tests of time and conquest, and it has always held true the tenets of its illustrious founders. No matter what may outwardly change, nor what troubles might present themselves to its attendees, as surely as the stones hold strong, so do the beliefs that make this school thrive."

The students had watched this grim speech silently and did not know what to do when it appeared to be over. It certainly did not seem to call for applause or cheers, instead it felt like they should stay very quiet and look scared.

"As fond as I am of dramatic speeches, I am afraid there is not time for more. It is time for the next year to join us here, into each of their and your Houses. Please, in the trials to come, help those younger and less powerful than yourselves to learn and grow."

With those yet more ominous words, he waved his wand and the giant wooden doors creaked open, admitting McGonagall with her procession of eleven-year olds in tow. They could instinctually gauge the atmosphere in the Hall and were appropriately intimidated, beyond what was normally experienced by the incoming year as they were faced with hundreds of older students.

Harry blocked out Hermione's muttering regarding Dumbledore's warning and gazed at the new students, wondering if there would be anyone interesting joining Gryffindor this year. He did notice that one of the new boys was soaking wet, drenched from head to toe, and he overheard Colin Creevey bemoaning his idiot little brother who must have fallen in the lake.

"Watch out for that one." Ron said, gesturing towards one of the girls straggling at the back of the queue. She looked rather unremarkable but Ron said, "She's my second-cousin, I think, maybe once removed? On mum's side. Anyway, she's horrible. Think of a little girly Malfoy and that's her. Completely rotten, Mafalda is."

Harry resisted the urge to assert that Malfoy was already girly as McGonagall had gone to retrieve the Sorting Hat and he, like everybody else in the Hall that had witnessed last year's Sorting, was very interested to see the state it was in.

"The Hat is looking rather well considering what happened last year." Professor Sinistra said, leaning over to Dumbledore's side.

"Such reactions aren't entirely unheard of. I confess, I spent a little of my precious free time researching similar Sortings after last year's eventful opening. It is rare, but young Gaara's unusual reaction was nothing to be truly concerned over." Albus whispered back.

Truth be told, his research had indicated the opposite of what he had just told his trusted colleague. The only two records he could find in his predecessors' journals that detailed anything similar to what had transpired with Gaara had been caused by two wizards one should not like to be grouped with: Morgaine le Fay and Mercurious the Dark, from the 16th Century. It was likely that it had happened at other times and had simply not been written down or the records had been destroyed. Albus tried not to read too deeply into the fact that two of the worst Dark Lords in Britain's history had elicited the same reaction as whatever was inside of Gaara's mind. Talking to the Hat had achieved nothing, nor had re-examining his memories of Tom's unremarkable Sorting.

"Have any of you seen the House ghosts or Peeves since we arrived?" Hermione asked.

"They're probably off somewhere celebrating one of their deaths or something." Ron said.

"Shh, they're about to start the Sorting." Harry said. He loved listening to the Sorting Hat's song every year, though he could rarely make heads or tails of what it was talking about. Maybe he should consult a Ravenclaw or Hermione about it later.

Colin looked mortified when his brother squelched up to the stool and left it soaking wet after being swiftly sorted into Gryffindor. Ron was the only Gryffindor to cheer for a Slytherin's Sorting when his reviled cousin was sent away from his House.

"The night is wearing on and there is still much to be done and said. Before we may enjoy our wonderful feast, I must make a few short announcements. Firstly, following the departure of Professor Lupin for personal reasons, a new Defence Against the Dark Arts teacher will be joining us. He seems to be running a bit late but do not let that fool any of you. Alastor Moody is not a man to be trifled with, he is perhaps the most qualified man in the country to further the education of some and commence the educations of others."

Draco had turned so pale that his skin was closing in on Gaara's porcelain complexion, and while the headmaster reiterated the standard warnings and updated rules, Draco explained to Gaara what had him so spooked. He told him of the paranoid, persecutory, prejudiced, crazy old man who fought in the last war and seemed to still be fighting, especially against families like Draco's. Gaara was interested to meet such a hardened warrior in this world.

The third announcement was given with a delay of reluctance that became clear once the headmaster began speaking again. "And lastly, I am saddened to inform you that this year there will be no inter-house Quidditch season."

Before he could continue, the student body were up in arms, shouting their complaints and gesticulating wildly as if Dumbledore had instead announced the creation of a class on Torturing Muggles (which probably would not have caused such uproar with the Slytherins as the lack of Quidditch did). The main question shouted was why it was being cancelled, but Dumbledore quietly waited until the children settled down before he continued.

"I understand many of you are upset, and I share much of your disappointment, but I assure you the reason for this temporary change will become clear after we have all had our dinner."

"I don't think they will be satisfied with just those words." Minerva muttered behind her hand.

"I imagine not, but beyond all of our many other duties, our first priority should be to impart the truth to our pupils. Despite beliefs to the contrary, I have never been much one for subtle words. Better one fretful meal than allowing one in my position to spread lies."Albus replied before signalling the start of the meal.

As the feast appeared and the chatter started up again, Minerva smiled and picked up her cutlery, continuing to talk under her breath, "A century after your Sorting and you're every bit the Gryffindor you ever were."

Gaara enjoyed his meal in silence, ignoring the angry and fearful whispers about how last time the Quidditch was cancelled was because of the opening of Chamber of Secrets, and how the siege by Sirius Black had not put a stop to their cherished sport. So either it shouldn't have been cancelled, or if it had to be, then whatever reason there was had to be serious. Deadly serious.

Gaara was quietly glad that he wouldn't be forced to sit through any more of Draco's games this year.

Midway through the meal, just as Draco was spooning a few extra potatoes onto his and Gaara's plates, the main doors burst open, allowing entry for a crippled, scarred old man who caused Draco's appetite to disappear entirely. Gaara watched the one-legged, one-eyed man hobble through the Great Hall to the head table and tried to work out whether he should be impressed by the battle-scars or disappointed by the remnants of one of the only warriors he had found in this world.

He was surely knowledgeable but Gaara doubted the man would be able to teach them much in the way of practical combat. Certainly would not be able to demonstrate much beyond stationary spellcasting.

All in all, rather disappointing.

That said, when the crippled man wobbled close to where Draco and he were sitting, he spotted a few fresh scars on the already heavily damaged face. Draco had totally frozen by the time the false eye span around to stare at him and Gaara for a few seconds.

Moody approached the staff table at the head of the room and greeted Dumbledore and McGonagall shortly before hobbling over to the empty seat and sloppily eating whatever was in reach, spilling almost as much Butterbeer as he consumed. Clearly the students were all interested in their new DADA professor but Dumbledore made no move to re-introduce him and Moody didn't appear to be paying the Hall any attention at all, unless one looked closely enough to see his fake eye darting around and watching them all.

As far away as he way, even Gaara did not realise he was being intently observed for the most part, although he did get a cold shiver every now and then.

Once dinner had been done and the last of the deserts had been licked out of bowls, Dumbledore stood again, this time walking around the table to stand at the podium once more. He nodded to Hagrid and Snape and they sullenly rose to their feet and walked down the Hall to the doors.

"Now that we have all eaten, I have been asked to allow a special presentation to be held here tonight." With that short prelude, he stood back from the podium and signalled for Hagrid and Snape to open the doors again, this time admitting two dozen reporters from various British wizarding papers as well as international outlets, all clamouring to stand at the front of the Hall, with a few exceptions running over to harass students. One or two ran straight for Harry Potter, resident celebrity student, to ask if he knew what was happening, what he thought about it, how he was coping, et cetera.

He response was, "Uhh…"

Dumbledore noticed the number of reporters trying to bother the children so he clapped his hands loudly enough to gather everyone's attention. "If you would all please gather around the front."

The back door opened after the impatient reporters were huddled around the podium, revealing the Minister for Magic, Cornelius Fudge, along with two other Ministry notables, Bartemius Crouch and Ludo Bagman, and a handful of Aurors and assistants. The Ministry officials swarmed out of the back entrance and gathered loosely behind the Minister as he took his position at the podium, waiting as a terrified secretary affixed a microphone to the school furniture all while the reporters went wild over the surprise press conference, having expected this to be a simple school affair they were ordered to attend.

When the task was done, Fudge cleared his throat and began to speak. "Good evening to all the students and professors of our fine Hogwarts, and to everyone listening in across Great Britain. I am interrupting your regularly scheduled programmes to bring you an important announcement from your Ministry of Magic which concerns every man woman and child within our society. Our school, the crowning jewel of European magical education, is to play host to an event that will strengthen our international ties and reaffirm Britain's position within the magical world as a beacon of power and stability.

"This celebration of the next generation of witches and wizards was first dreamt up by our esteemed Heads of the Departments of Magical Games and Sports, and of International Magical Cooperation, here. Their idea inspired what I, as your Minister, have designed for this coming year. Starting this October, Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry will be hosting the newly restarted Triwizard Tournament!"

The press immediately started in on their questioning, frenzied and desperate to be the one to ask the most vital questions. Similarly the students had all but forgotten the disappointment of the cancelled Quidditch, instead now mentally linking this announcement with the obviously displeased countenance of the teachers. Clearly this was not the harmless diplomatic exercise the Minister was implying.

"Please, hold all of your questions until the end. Some of you may remember from your history books the long and glorious legacy of the Triwizard Tournament in centuries gone by, when young wizards and witches would compete from Europe's three greatest magical schools for the prize and honour that accompanied the coveted Triwizard Cup. Like those times, three students, one from Hogwarts, one from Beauxbatons Academy of Magic in France, and one from the Durmstrang Institute of Scandinavia. Right now their Ministers and headmasters are giving this same announcement, but I am the only one who has the privilege of hosting this celebration in my own country.

"The tournament will consist of three Tasks, each more dangerous and challenging than the last, designed to test the entrant in their strength, their compassion, and their courage. Groups from both of the visiting schools will arrive on the thirtieth of October for the official opening ceremony of the Tournament, for which the fine young men and women of Hogwarts will provide a presentation of their magical prowess and our cultural heritage."

It occurred to Harry and a number of muggleborn students that this opening ceremony sounded remarkably similar to the start of the Olympics and suspected that Ludo Bagman, who along with Crouch was looking rather peeved to have been sidelined on a project they obviously spearheaded, had been made aware of the grand muggle sporting event and had taken inspiration from it. Those same students then felt a pit of fear of settle in their stomachs when they realised they might be expected to perform in such a spectacle.

"For the twenty-four hours following the showcase, students will be able to submit their names to the Goblet of Fire and from them, the most worthy will be selected as their school's Champion. By the request of the three headmasters, only students of fourteen years or above will be eligible to enter."

In reality, Dumbledore had demanded such an age limit be placed since this dangerous publicity stunt was too perilous to allow just anyone to enter. As it was, he felt wretched that the limit wasn't higher. If he had his way, and they were still holding this tournament, he would have seen no one under the age of seventeen or eighteen enter. It was unforgiveable for adults to force children to die, especially for no reason like this.

"On November the twenty-first, there will be the traditional Wand Weighing Ceremony, followed by the first Task on the twenty-sixth. The second Task will follow on the twenty-fourth of January, and the Third on June the twenty-fourth. The day after that will have the award ceremony, the parade and the closing ceremony at the Ministry of Magic."

The pushy reporters tried interjecting with questions regarding the specific nature of the challenges but Fudge would offer no insight into them. They would remain a strict mystery until the events themselves.

"Between the Tasks, Hogwarts will also be host to a number of ancillary events to further promote the cooperation we are striving for. On the ninth of December, following the First Task, there will be a friendly duelling tourney for those seventeen and older, including professors of the schools, not including the headmasters or headmistress, which any interested student or staff may enter at their own discretion. Later that month, on the twenty-fifth, there will be the Yule Ball, for which all eligible students of fourteen and over and accompanying guests of all ages may also attend. As a further token of the Ministry's esteem, we will be outfitting every attending student with a fresh set of dress robes at our own expense.

"And lastly there will be a two-day inter-school Quidditch tournament on March the twenty-sixth and -seventh, into which teams made from each school's best players will be entered. As with the duelling tourney, Champions will not be permitted to enter, although I suspect they would have greater priorities at those times."

Fudge chuckled, no one else did.

"These events, both the tasks and the extra events, will be entirely open to the public who wish to come and see firsthand. Tickets going on sale before each Task and event. Furthermore, each student staying at Hogwarts will be allotted one ticket for a random Task so everyone might get a chance to see the pride of our magical communities compete for riches and glory."

It was immediately assumed by many, and asked by a number of reporters, whether the tickets would be exorbitantly expensive, but such questions were deferred for subsequent press conferences which would communicate the finer details.

"This Triwizard Tournament will be the start of a renewed era of cooperation between our Ministries and between our young witches and wizards. Now, I have time for a few questions… yes, you in the back…"

A 'few questions' turned into the better part of two hours on subjects ranging from the number of tickets Champions would be allocated (a maximum of two family members and two friends) to fabrics used to make the students' uniform dress robes. Still all mention of the Tasks was steadfastly withheld no matter how circumspect the questioner tried to be.

Meanwhile, Draco was excitedly chatting Gaara's ear off despite his depressed surety that he would not be selected for the school Quidditch team, speculating on what the Tasks might be, on who the Champion might be ("It better not be Potter!"), what the Yule Ball would be like, and on…

Still, at least he and Gaara were agreed on one point: neither boy had any intention of entering the Tournament. Regardless, no matter what his father would do, his mother would declare war on all three of the Ministries of Magic personally if they tried to compel him to compete. Not that he harboured any personal desire. He continued his talking even after berating Gaara for carving at his wand again.

In the aftermath of the announcement, the initial pervading shock had faded relatively quickly and the student body had switched to exaltation, all excited to be able watch the Tasks and for most to attend the Yule Ball.

The reporters followed suit, no one thinking to ask the obvious question of why Fudge and Dumbledore were clearly at odds, nor about the reason why the Triwizard Tournaments had been cancelled in the first place all those years ago, nor about the exploitative nature of this obviously political move and dangerous imposition on the students to shift blame for the dementor attack on Hogwarts. Instead they just continued to ask positive questions about the logistics and the Ministers' individual hopes for the outcome of the event.

After Fudge finally stopped taking questions and his aides were able to drag him out of the limelight and into the Trophy Room in the back, Dumbledore rose back to his unsteady feet and thanked all of the journalists for coming before signalling his put-upon professors to begin corralling the intrusive men and women of the media out of the Hall.

True to form, one particularly tenacious reporter slipped by Hagrid and stayed low, behind the high-backs of the chairs, intending to grab a quick few moments with the Boy-Who-Lived to gain an impression of his reactions to the announcement. Since the reporter happened to be Rita Skeeter, all she needed was the vaguest reaction to work with and she would have her next two or three articles written by the end of the night. Unfortunately, she found herself trapped on the wrong side of the Hall with only a few moments before one of the upper-year Slytherins noticed her and alerted a teacher. The trouble she was going to be in for having snuck around to talk to a student would not be worth it for just any student, she decided, looking along the backs of partially obscured heads and tried to work out who to pounce on for a quote.

The backs of children's heads were totally indistinct for her so she shuffled along to where she saw the only distinguishable trait: short platinum-blond hair on a Slytherin could only mean the son of Lucius Malfoy, suspected former Death Eater and Ministry hotshot, on the decline apparently. That was good for two articles, at least, one on the reaction and one on the decline and fall of a once prominent power within the Ministry.

She crawled along, preparing her most incendiary question to prompt the best response when she spotted the brightest red hair she ever recalled seeing, spiked on a head well below the Slytherins sat next to him. She felt a flutter of excitement, reminiscent of the prospect of covering Fudge's PR stunt later this year, when she realised sat next to Malfoy's son was Gaara, Defender of Hogwarts!

She had been trying to get a statement from him and his guardian, Sirius Black, all summer and here he was ripe for the picking.

She stopped behind the Malfoy boy's chair and started, "Psst, hey." She whispered to get his attention. Gaara turned to her, his eyes narrow and suspicious. "Rita Skeeter, Daily Prophet. What can you tell me about the rumours that you and Sirius Black, notorious mass-murderer, were behind the attack at the Quidditch World Cup? What do you have to say about the Minister's announcement?" Her fumbling hands reached into her pocket and tried to grab her Quick Quill for his response but before it could start up making lies and exaggerations of his reaction or lack thereof, her upper arm was yanked around to see Severus Snape, Potions Master and Head of Slytherin House, glaring at her and keeping a firm grip on her arm.

He knew better than to say a single word to her, instead he simply unceremoniously dragged her out of the Hall and threw her out of the castle entrance. It was only her years of experience being thrown out of places that kept her on her feet. She sadly had nowhere near enough to do a whole column on Gaara and by extension Sirius Black, but she could at least reference the redhead in a scathing indictment of Hogwarts staff hiring policies. If Albus Dumbledore, who was no longer being solicited for advice from the Minister's office, according to a close source, was hiring dangerous and otherwise shady wizards and witches to teach at the school, the public should be duly alarmed.

She climbed into a lingering carriage and was ferried back to Hogsmeade where she would floo straight to London. She had better get writing since she needed to send her copy in less than three hours for it be published in the morning. Maybe she would grab a bite to eat first. That would still leave her plenty of time to jot down something the readers would lap up.

As she travelled, her mind wandered back to her interaction with the so-called Defender of Hogwarts, and a story did indeed come to mind. It would have to remain a column since her opinions would far outweigh any actual content she had to put in, but it would certainly garner a little interest.

Back in the Great Hall, since the reporters left, the students had resumed loudly talking of the impending visit by two other prominent schools, including one that housed a famous young Quidditch star, as well as the Tasks themselves and the other supplementary events they had to look forward to. In the heat of the moment, with excitement running high, the professors dreaded to think of the number of children intending to apply to take part in the Tournament.

Dumbledore once more stood and took his place at the forefront of the room, his face showing none of the warmth and joy that many of his guileless pupils were beaming at one another. Sadly this was exactly the effect Cornelius wished to have when he announced this plan, and it would likely be felt by a great many magical folk across the world, except for those parents who would now have to worry about their endangered children entering.

There was nothing anyone could do to stop them, regrettably.

It was in times like these he envied Aberforth for spending his later years running a pub instead of being involved in international politics and running a world-renowned educational facility.

"The hour is late and I for one would dearly like to get some sleep, so I will say only these last few words: for those of you who are old enough to submit your names for the Triwizard Tournament, know that eternal glory and riches may be yours but over the coming months you must weigh this hope with the very real dangers involved with competing. And most of all, do not neglect your schoolwork dwelling on distractions. Some happenstances are inevitable but it is your foremost priority to focus on your schooling, as it is ours, and all of the chaos and excitement beyond that must be kept in our peripheral.

"Now, I hope you all sleep soundly in spite of this news. It is the start of a new year and with it will come the greatest forms of magic, which I assure you have little to do with battling or questing, but instead are the simplest of phenomena: music, learning and friendship. If you can enjoy one of these things, no matter the tribulations ahead, you have little to fear. Good night."

With that, Dumbledore stood back and waved for the Heads of House to coordinate their prefects to empty the Hall. With the press conference running long, this welcoming feast was finishing a full hour later than usual, meaning that there were going to be a great many very tired teenagers in the morning.

Albus told all of the professors who covertly tried to get his attention and ask him perfectly valid questions, that they would all have to wait until the annual start of term staff meeting the night after tomorrow. They would discuss what had been said tonight then. They understandably were less than pleased to be dismissed for the night but he was too old to be staying up all hours of the night and they would be just as upset in two days time, so there was no real harm in waiting.

On the way down to the Dungeons, one of the current Slytherin prefects tried to hold Gaara up, to have a word with him, but without physically impeding him he couldn't seem to stop Gaara from continuing down to the dormitory. Instead, the considerably taller and older boy had to walk next to the disrespectful fourth-year and tried to command him to surrender his small gourd, as per the new school guidelines. Gaara told him no, not privately as the prefect expected him to do, but instead in earshot of most of their House.

Gaara believed he had been more than reasonable in downsizing his gourd already, and asking him to further disarm was not a request to be taken seriously.

The prefect who had been so openly defied had no delusions of forcing the fourteen-year old to comply with his order, not after the show of power he and so many had witnessed at the end of last year. Nonetheless, Professor Snape had ordered him to reiterate the rules to Gaara and he had. It was entirely the redhead's fault if he failed to follow that relayed order.

Draco scoffed when their prefect retreated to the back of the procession of Slytherins, keeping track of any firsties who might get left behind.

In the Common Room Gaara found himself surrounded by his housemates who had decided now would be the time to flock toward him and showcase their admiration or gratitude, which they had tried to resist before in public. Now in private they continued to do what the other Houses had been doing, annoying their new saviour, with even Crabbe and Goyle failing to adhere to the customary boundaries of terror. Consequently he snuck off into the boys' dorms to rest in his and Draco's room.

Gaara left just as Snape had shown up, ready to give his annual welcome speech to the new Slytherins, which the foreigner had inadvertently also skipped last year. He found different names on his room from last year which meant he and Draco had been allocated a new one which he would have to search for.

He search down the long hallway until he found his name, underneath Blaise Zabini's…

He immediately removed his name from the door and walked onwards to find Draco's, which he did, sat above Theodore Nott's. He switched his name for Nott's and walked into the room, picking up the things the he didn't recognise as belonging to Draco and swiftly carried them back to where he was originally supposed to be staying. Rooms were probably supposed to be randomly allocated but Gaara was confident Snape had a hand in trying to separate him from his best friend in this school.

He swapped out his things for Nott's and carried them back to where he intended to live this year, ignoring Nott who was stood in the passageway, watching impassively as he was moved into a different room.

Gaara attached his name to the door, finally, and entered with his trunk of possessions and settled on his bed, which he ensured was on the same side of the room as last year.

Not long after Gaara had changed into his night clothes, intending to enjoy a night's sleep for a change, Draco showed up, ecstatic to find that he and Gaara would be rooming together again by some miracle. What luck!

Draco immediately unpacked the bare necessities for the night and tomorrow, too tired to bother hanging all of his robes and unpacking the rest of his school supplies. As he changed, feeling the lateness of the hour, he idly chatted with his again-roommate.

"I can't believe father didn't know about all of this. Fudge must have been keeping it a secret from him. I can't wait until he gets thrown out of office. Pulling a stunt like this! There is no way I'm going anywhere near this Tournament. I hope you feel the same. I suppose you do. You dislike attention, don't you, so entering something like that would be pointless, wouldn't it. Of course, Dumbledore probably came up with this ridiculous idea first. Anything to redeem himself for last year's debacle."

As Draco had been talking, largely to himself, and changing, Gaara's eyes had been drawn to the prominent bruise on Draco's side, at the bottom of his ribs. It looked painful but most likely no breakages.

Draco pulled his nightshirt over his head and off and only then did he notice Gaara's eyes on his sizable bruise. Knowing Gaara's tendency towards melodramatics, he quickly spoke, "Oh, this? This is from when I... when I fell over this morning getting out of the bath. It's not nearly as painful as it looks."

"You fell in the bath. This was because of the stitch in your side?" Gaara asked.

"Yes! That's it. The stitch I said I had earlier was… that was why I fell…" Draco avoided eye contact and broadcasted with every sign of typical body language that he was lying.

Gaara said nothing more on the subject, simply pulling out a book from the top of his expanded trunk and began reading. He had planned on sleeping tonight but suddenly he didn't feel so close to sleep anymore. After Draco had turned in for the night, Gaara entered into his gargantuan trunk and read in there by wand-light without the fear of waking Draco up.

OXOXOXOXOXOXOXOXO

The next morning at breakfast, the school was still so abuzz that students almost ignored their new schedules as they continued to make boasts about their chances of selection or predictions for the Tasks. When Snape came to give the timetables to his House, he bundled Gaara's with Draco's and ignored the redhead entirely; Gaara was perfectly happy with ignoring the man for another year.

He glanced at his schedule and went straight back to his breakfast. He was in the same class as Draco for the first period of the day so he didn't need to commit the classroom to memory.

Along with the continued excitement from last night, a few noticed that the ghosts had reappeared this morning, frightening the first years worse than they had in years.

Gaara was briefly distracted by Granger making a scene over by the Gryffindor table, something to do with House Elves, but he tuned her out since the morning post was arriving and it was quite the scene to behold.

Dumbledore could not be certain, but he thought it might be a record number of owls that flew into the Great Hall that morning, with almost every student receiving at least one each. In minutes, all four tables were covered in thick carpets of various coloured feathers, and Albus sighed at the wasted breakfast foods the elves had prepared.

Parents had almost unanimously decided to write to their offspring after Fudge's radio address last night, most telling their children not to even consider entering the Triwizard Tournament under any circumstances. However, that was the extent of their control, as the letters Fudge had sent to every Hogwarts parent last night to coincide with the announcement had informed them. They would not be allowed to actually impede their children from entering, beyond missives like this morning's, and no child could be removed from school until after the selection took place.

Parents' reactions were not moderate. The Ministry also received a new record number of owls and personal complaints, with one or two legal challenges being raised and promptly quashed later in the day. However, reactions from non-parental magical people had been overwhelmingly positive, according to his reports, so Fudge set his extra staff to work reading through his hate-mail and removing the handful of pertinent or useful letters from amongst them and spent his day basking in the positive media attention and publically meeting with his French and Scandinavian counterparts.

As he had heard it, his counterpart Ministers, Francois Entrempe and Woulter Andersen, had both given speeches similar to his own at the same time, with both pretending that it had been their own idea to begin with. Still, what those countries thought of it didn't matter, just so long as Britain knew it was all his work.

Back in the less glamorous sphere of Hogwarts, Draco was surprised to find two of his family's owls standing before him, both holding letters and looking strangely antagonistic towards each other regarding which letter Draco should take first. In the end, to avoid a pecked finger or a bird fight, he gingerly took both simultaneously and then offered two pieces of bacon. Luckily neither had been ordered to await a reply so they squawked loudly at each other and took flight, exiting through separate windows despite heading in exactly the same direction.

Draco watched them go and marvelled at the parallels between the owls and his parents, who had sent the letters and were clearly still fighting. That his mother had seen fit to send her own owl to carry her separate letter meant that she had likely listened to Fudge's radio address on her own last night.

The contents of the letters were largely the same to start with, both sternly warning him to ignore Fudge's vanity project and stay at least twenty feet from the Goblet of Fire during the selection process. His mother went on to ask him a few personal questions like how the train ride had gone and who he was rooming with, saying she hoped he was with a friend again this year. His father's letter was shorter, giving him his command and taciturnly apologising for accidentally pushing him against the side table yesterday morning. He did not elaborate on the apology, nor did he ask if Draco was indeed okay, simply signing off after reiterating the reason for the letter and reminding him to rebuild some of his broken social bridges from last year.

With the sudden popularity Gaara was enduring, Draco figured half of his social issues would evaporate this year. Of more concern was the schism between his parents, having developed probably out of their differing opinions of how to approach Draco's enduring friendship with Gaara despite it placing him at odds with certain circles. The final nail had obviously been the knock Draco had gotten in the ribs from that table which his mother had decided to blame father for.

Loudly!

He would reply to them tonight after dinner. He needed to consult his old etiquette book on how to deal with sending separate replies, especially since he only had one owl to use and he would not deign use one of the mangy school owls.

To his right, Gaara had gotten his own letter and was casually opening it, which Draco envied. It was probably from Sirius Black and would cause Gaara none of the anxiety Draco received every time he got a letter from his father. Maybe it was because of the inherent stress of the father-son relationship rather than because of the blatant differences in then men's characters.

Gaara broke the wax seal and pulled out the letter, deciphering Sirius' elaborate calligraphy:

'Bandit,

I know this was in no way your fault but I cannot help but marvel at your inexhaustible ability to attract trouble. Between Prongslet and you, I worry for Hogwarts. I got a letter from the Ministry saying that I can't stop you from entering that tournament and you aren't allowed to switch schools until they've picked a champion, but I hope you would know better than to enter into something like that anyway. It's a fool's errand.

Of course, I'm going to be purchasing tickets for all four of us for all of the events as soon as they go on sale. I'm not supposed to spend money on things like this anymore but what Remus and my accountant don't know won't hurt me.

Please write back soon and tell me how the train was and who you're rooming with this year. I heard that Slytherins change rooms every year. Probably to reduce the possibility of emotional attachments…

Only joking.

Don't forget to write to me again, and don't forget to do some school stuff as well, while you're there.

Your loving guardian,

Padfoot

P.s. Hello Gaara,

I hope you got to school okay. No dementor attacks on the train this year? Sirius and I are furious about what Fudge has pulled but there is nothing we can do about it now. Make sure you do not accidentally enter yourself into that silly contest of his.

Try to have some fun this year and don't forget about your lessons. I know they might not seem as important to you but consider them as a challenge.

Best of luck,

Remus'

Gaara sighed. Clearly everybody thought he was stupid enough to get himself wrapped up in this bizarre event, apparently reminiscent of the Chunin exams but with civilians taking part. Barbaric and entirely outside of his interests.

From between the two pieces of parchment fell a photo that Sirius had forewarned him he would be sending. Gaara covertly glanced at the scene that played out on the animated paper and deemed it worthless, carefully stashing it in his robes to discard into his trunk tonight. Harry had received on too, by the looks of things at the Gryffindor table, but fortunately he did not pass it around as Gaara feared he might; but his two compatriots would surely see it soon.

Along with the hundreds of letters, including more than a few complaints sent directly to Dumbledore and the Heads of Houses, there came the usual morning delivery of the Daily Prophet. Draco received one every day and Gaara often ended up stealing it from him before he had a chance to finish it. Draco was a frustratingly slow reader.

This morning, Draco voluntarily surrendered the paper halfway through, eyes wide, mouth parted a fraction of an inch. Gaara wondered what in the rag might be so shocking for him but started reading anyway. The front pages were filled with the Triwizard Tournament, analysis, and commentary. Gaara skimmed through the articles, wondering what about this would have been cause for any measure of surprise.

It was, however, cause for concern that the number of negative impressions or speculations was almost nonexistent compared to the acclaim being heaped upon Fudge and the Ministry. Still, none of this was of interest so Gaara read onwards, conscious of Draco watching him as he went.

Until a column title in the middle of the paper caught his eye, 'Hogwarts' Students' Reactions to Minister Fudge's Announcement' by Rita Skeeter. A glance up at Draco's face showed that he was at the right section at last.

'Following last night's earth shattering announcement of the Triwizard Tournament by Minister for Magic, Cornelius Fudge, this reporter was able to personally gauge the reactions of the young and impressionable student body of Hogwarts School for Wizardry and Witchcraft. I approached two young Slytherins, and was able to speak with the boy hailed as the Defender of Hogwarts, Gaara (no last name known) – age 12.

He was a small thing, even for a second year student, and looked upon my approach with the wide, cautious eyes of a child who is instinctively fears authority figures. His close attachment to the son of a notable Ministry official and public figure has raised eyebrows in the past, but his more recent connection to the attack at the Quidditch World Cup Finals last month is what has drawn attention for the public, as well as his involvement in the infamous Attack on Hogwarts in March.

Belying his parts in these catastrophic events, what sat before me was not a hardened fighter but a small boy who wears eyeliner and dyes his hair scarlet, who could not bring himself to answer a single question posed to him, his eyes glistening with unshed tears and quiet desperation. Clearly whatever role he has played in these climactic events, he has been forced into.

He could not give any coherent reaction to this newest upheaval when I approached him, beyond the clear emotional outpouring that he dearly wished to give. And it may well warrant it, this latest move by our Minister for Magic to restore his credibility, which may well lead to the injury or death of one of Gaara's brave schoolmates.'

The column went on to give some wider context of the other student's reactions and gave promises of her next article exploring the fall of Lucius Malfoy, but Gaara stopped reading after his name's final mention, utterly shocked. Draco's initial gormless expression was likely perfectly replicated on Gaara's typically stoic face right now.

Gaara had to look back at the paper tightly clutched in his hands repeatedly to make sure that he wasn't imagining this total affront to him and his precious dignity, but sure enough it was still there staring right back at him. Looking around the Great Hall, he spotted copies of the same paper in the hands of dozens of other students and one or two professors. There were too many papers and too many people to rob quickly enough to avoid being hexed or avoided. There was no way for him to stop this heinous and libellous story from getting out. He was doomed.

Whether it was his imagination or truth, Gaara was convinced people were beginning to look up from their newspapers and look towards him in that moment.

Draco watched Gaara blush, stand and march out of the Hall without allowing his eyes to deviate from the exit. He did not think he had ever seen Gaara so mortified, which was saying something considering his low tolerance for embarrassment and his lunar cycle's regular inducement of it.

OXOXOXOXOXOXOXOXO

Draco was surprised to find Gaara waiting in the Charms classroom for the first period of the day, sure that he would ditch class as he so often and so easily did following his humiliation.

Gaara nodded his greeting to Draco as he entered the room and kept the incredulity off of his face when he noticed how out of breath his classmates were after climbing a few flights of stairs. How anyone got tired moving that slowly was anybody's guess. Of course, the worst of these unfit students happened to be in this class, the Slytherins and the Ravenclaws, who both seemed to believe unless it was sitting on a broom, there was no worthwhile excuse to exercise.

In the lesson itself, Gaara again demonstrated his total ineptitude for magic. Draco would have liked to spend the lesson helping Gaara with the relatively easy spell, probably chosen to reintroduce the students to the subject after months of lounging around at home, but all the help he could offer would likely do little good and he didn't want to fall behind as well.

After Charms came Care of Magical Creatures with Professor Hagrid alongside the Gryffindors. The Slytherins, Gaara noticed, were much more accepting of Draco this year following his being outcast last year, and by extension (or perhaps the other way around) Gaara was included too. No one tried to talk to him but they did not maintain the old exclusion zone.

During the class, when the other students were observing (with disgust) the Blast-Ended Skrewts which Gaara considered strange so he steered clear, he wandered over to where Hagrid was watching the class and asked, "How is the dog?" It hadn't been that long since he had snuck over to check in on the overgrown puppy but he still wanted to be sure.

"He's perfectly well." Hagrid said shortly, wary of indulging the miniscule redhead's bizarre and continued claim of ownership of the hellhound.

Rubeus was also in the midst of a rare argument with Professor Dumbledore since the Headmaster had found out that Fluffy was out in the woods and was now insisting that Hagrid relocate him to an 'appropriate home', somewhere in Greece. This disagreement was confounded by the dangerous Tournament Fudge was forcing on the school, which Hagrid was supposed to be helping with.

As happy as he was being a professor, Hagrid sometimes dearly missed being a simple groundskeeper.

Looking down at the flair of red that was slowly moving back over top the group of Slytherins who could not bring themselves to approach his Skrewts, Hagrid decided not to tell Gaara about the threat of sending Fluffy away. The last thing anybody needed was Gaara trying to sneak the giant three-headed dog home or into the castle.

After Care of Magical Creatures was over, Gaara said farewell to Draco and went on to his first Arithmancy class. His acceptance to the course was still contingent on his passing the introductory test but he was not too worried since he had spent so long on his independent studies focussing on magical numerology and linguistics. He still had no clues on how to get home but perhaps learning some of these disciplines with the help of a teacher might help him reach the requisite level to find some manner by which to travel between worlds and dimensions.

The only person he was at all familiar with in the class was Hermione Granger who smiled and waved, for some reason, when he entered the class, as if they were friends…

Fortunately, his entrance test was to last the full two hours of the class so he was guaranteed not to have to interact with the intrusive Gryffindor girl, instead sitting apart from the others at the back of the class. The written test was easy to start with but grew progressively more difficult, actually extending beyond the limits of his self-learned knowledge by the end, presumably designed to examine the full range of his abilities.

After the lesson let out and Gaara had given his test to Professor Vector, he rushed out the door, trying to avoid what he knew was inevitable-

"Gaara, wait a second!" Hermione called out behind him.

Damn, he knew he should have run or shunshined.

Since he did not want to start his feud with Harry and his friends anew, he did not rudely ignore her but slowed so that she could catch up, several oversized books held in her arms. She fell into step with him and continued to smile at him as if they were well-acquainted.

"How do you think you've done on the test?" She asked. "Professor Vector's tests are really hard but she's a fair marker, I think."

Gaara nodded, agreeing about the difficulty of the exam he just took but not wanting to encourage a conversation. Regardless of his continuing disinterest, Hermione ploughed on, starting up on her latest passionate cause: House Elf rights. She was flabbergasted to hear that Gaara had known for so long that Hogwarts employed House Elf labour and did not care about the prospect of slavery. It wasn't that he didn't care about forced labour, it was just that it did not seem all that forced with the elves.

There was a comparable debate in his world about the use of summons as, beside the few able to converse and test their summoners, most contracts were forced on the varyingly sentient animals, but like the elves they couldn't be summoned and commanded unless they allowed themselves to be. Trying to explain this to Hermione without mentioning his world or summoning proved yet again that conversations with Gryffindors were wasted breaths.

Glad to move away from Hermione's exaggerated indignation and over-familiarity, Gaara power-walked to the Slytherin table as soon as they entered the Great Hall, sitting alone and enjoying the brief return to peace and quiet before someone would inevitably seat themselves next to him. Nowadays, he would be lucky if that person happened to be Draco, rather than the shallow sycophants who were suddenly so eager to be seen in his company. The worst part was knowing that Draco almost certainly would have been amongst them had he and Gaara not become friends last year.

As luck would have it, Draco did manage to get to the Hall in time to snag the seat next to Gaara before one of the braver Slytherins took the liberty.

"What's Granger mouthing off about now?" Draco asked, helping himself to a sandwich.

Gaara looked over to where she was giving her latest speech. He was surprised she hadn't transfigured her seat into a soapbox. "I don't know." He lied.

"Honestly, some people come to into our world and try to change everything." He groused, taking an angry bite.

"Like how Voldemort did?" Gaara said.

Draco stopped his emotional eating and gave Gaara a look. Gaara resisted the urge to smirk, and continued eating lunch.

"It's not like I ever actually served the Dark Lord myself." Draco whispered, not wishing to be heard defaming the man many of his housemates still lauded.

Gaara continued with his lunch, ignoring Draco's fluster.

At the end of lunch, they were approached by Professor Vector who was smiling widely as she walked up.

"I'm pleased to tell you that you can continue in my class from next week onwards. You did very well on the test earlier, you should be very proud." She continued to smile despite Gaara's lack of outward reaction. "I wanted to come and tell you personally."

Gaara continued to stare at her, unsure of a polite response; should he thank her? Was he supposed to respond to her gratitude? Would saying "good bye" work?

Eventually, while he deliberated over the correct answer, she looked to Draco to work out why Gaara was staying totally silent and looking thoughtful, to which Draco could only shrug. She nervously said her farewells and went to have a quick, late lunch. By the time Gaara looked up having decided to thank her for using her lunch break to mark his test, she was nowhere to be seen and Draco had gone back to eating. Gaara silently wondered what had happened but decided it was probably unimportant, otherwise Draco would catch him up.

The rest of the first day of classes went swimmingly, though Gaara was eagle-eyed in his search for any reactions to Skeeters fraudulent article. The entire school enjoyed the immediate weekend after only that single day's return to schooling, nobody more so than the teachers.

OXOXOXOXOXOXOXOXO

On Saturday morning, Draco beat Gaara to breakfast for a change, owing to the redhead being focussed on an interesting chapter of a book Draco had recommended to him from the Malfoy library. It recounted the life and exploits of Jean Malvoris, a notable wizard from the tenth century who might have been the forefather of the Malfoy family and who was said to have appeared out of nowhere. Sadly, as Gaara turned into the Great Hall, he came to the section that clarified that Jean did not come to England from another world so much as from the Kingdom of Italy.

They were early to the Hall so the only member of staff present at the head table was Professor Flitwick, who was quite clearly asleep after having had to go on patrol last night when Professor Sinistra claimed she couldn't possibly miss an 'important celestial event' and needed someone to cover for her.

Closing the ancient book and putting it under his arm, Gaara was concerned to find Draco missing from their usual seats despite having left for breakfast only a couple minutes before him. In spite of the hope that his platinum-blond friend was just visiting the loo, he looked around the Hall, especially at the Gryffindor table. Unsurprisingly, he found Draco stood across from the usual suspects from the lion House. Slumping his shoulders in defeat, Gaara wearily approached to hear the middle of the latest argument between the sons of the Malfoy and Weasley families.

Gaara had clearly missed a lot but right then and there he heard Draco mocking Weasley's family over another recent Rita Skeeter article. Apparently, instead of laying blame on the Ministry, which was golden in the eyes of the press at the moment, it was blaming Arthur Weasley for failing to capture the wizards or witches who attacked Professor Moody's home. If there was one thing Gaara could be sure of, following his own experience with Ms Skeeter's brand of journalism, it was that Mr Weasley was entirely blameless in the situation.

It was just as he was nearing the antagonised group that he had to hear Draco say some very unbecoming things about Mrs Weasley's weight, to which Ron fired back an insult about Narcissa's face being 'pinched'. Gaara stepped right into the middle of the closing group, which would have likely led to blows between the blond and ginger had he not, and effortlessly knocked both of the disparaging boys to the ground. He liked both women and would not suffer to hear them insulted like this for no good reason.

Gaara ignored Granger and Potter's protective stance over their downed friend and waited for Draco to climb back onto his feet unaided, before shoving him back to their side of the Hall.

The rest of their morning meal was silent as Draco fumed over the words said about his sainted mother and Gaara's failure to side with him, all while they both had to endure the harsh glares of Ron and then the other Weasley children all through their eating, though it was clearly pointed more towards Draco than Gaara.

Worse than the feeble looks directed at them from angry teenagers was the fact that the entire first-year cohort had evidently been informed by the upperclassmen in their Houses of Gaara's role at the end of last year and his other exploits during his first year in the school. They were all now looking at him like the pureblood children looked at Harry Potter when he first arrived, as some sort of local celebrity. Fortunately, they had not had the time to build any resistance to his exclusionary glares and temperament so they maintained their distances. Draco thought it was hilarious.

The blond spent his Saturday morning catching up with his Slytherin Quidditch teammates, strategising on how best to get the most people onto the school team for the Triwizard inter-school tournament. Meanwhile, Gaara decided to take the time alone to visit his pet in the Forbidden Forest for the first time in about a month.

Fluffy was… excitable.

By the time Gaara returned to the castle, he had to make a beeline for the Dungeons so that he could take a shower. He was lucky he hadn't brought any food out for the over-enthusiastic dog otherwise he might well have drowned in all of the slobber. Stupid mutt. At least he had not forgotten the tricks Gaara had taught him.

After he had freshened up, the smallest fourth year headed up to the library, hoping that Madam Pince might have added a few new and pertinent books to the school's legendary collection. He was almost there when he noticed the older boy coming in the opposite direction was looking directly at him. Back in Suna, that was a good indicator that this boy was a poorly-trained assassin but here it could mean a fan, a simple well-wisher, or some sort of schoolyard enemy. The latter was less likely since the boy approaching, definitely heading straight for him, was wearing a green tie.

"Professor Dumbledore wants to see you." The older boy said. Suddenly he seemed more familiar but Gaara could not place the face.

"When?" He replied, wanting to visit the library first.

"At your earliest convenience, he said." The boy informed him. He was the prefect who had told Gaara to remove his mini-gourd the night before last! No wonder he seemed less than pleased to talk to Gaara and kept glancing down at the gourd, which had not left his hip once outside of his room.

"Understood." Gaara nodded and turned on his heel. The Headmaster was too polite to demand Gaara appear immediately but nonetheless the trained soldier had no desire to put off the meeting. With any (non-existent) luck, this would be a clerical meeting, or one about his living situation with Sirius.

The spiral staircase was ready for him when he came upon it, and Dumbledore called for him to enter before he even had the chance to knock.

"Good morning, Gaara. I hope I haven't disturbed your Saturday too grievously. Would you like some tea? I have some delicious Hojicha tea a friend sent to me from abroad which I think you might like. Sadly, it means we will have to make it ourselves. The elves here can make the most sumptuous feasts and brew almost any drink, but I have never had the time to devote to teaching them how to make perfect cup of herbal tea."

Gaara nodded, trying not to sound overly eager for the first cup of potentially well-brewed tea he had encountered in this world.

"Wonderful. I must say, I am pleased to host a student who appreciates a proper cup of tea for a change, although a stiff Irish coffee is an equally enjoyable rarity." He chuckled and clicked his fingers, summoning the house elf with the tea tray. "Thank you. If you could set it down over there…" He pointed to a small side table between two stuffed chairs.

"If you would bear with me for a moment, I just need to finish these last two papers." Dumbledore continued scratching away with his quill and Gaara continued his survey of the room, filled with any number of fascinating gadgets. After only a few minutes, Dumbledore set down his quill, blew the ink dry on his papers and set them aside. He groaned and creaked as he climbed to his feet, before gesturing for Gaara to join him in the more comfortable seats away from his desk.

"I hope you don't mind but I think this talk is best done away from my desk. It is not, strictly speaking, within the purview of a headmaster to ask what I am about to ask."

Gaara sat across from him and tried to work out what the elderly man was about to push him for now, or if he was just going to ask the same old questions about Gaara's origins. He carefully watched the headmaster make the tea, wary of any potions the man might slip in to help draw out answers to questions Gaara had no desire to divulge.

"I suppose I might take the opportunity to personally welcome you back to Hogwarts. I'm sorry that you will not get to experience a more typical school year, after the troubles last year; but if I am truthful, I'm not sure I have experienced such a thing myself either. Have you settled in comfortable?"

"I do not like small talk." Gaara said, watching the man evenly, "What do you want?"

"Yes, I expect you see the value of directness after your vocal difficulties last year. I will cut to the point, then, as they say." He poured out two cups and allowed Gaara to pick which one he would like, having noticed Gaara's careful observation. Gaara took a cup and enjoyed the scent but only after the old man took a sip did Gaara allow himself to enjoy it. "I know that you come from another world or dimension." He took a sip and gave the boy a moment to unfreeze.

Gaara was glad he had not had a mouthful of tea when he heard the elderly man announce this otherwise he might have spurted it out. Looking the old man in the eye again, he tried to work out whether this was a guess or a threat.

"I have seen a great many things in my life, as old as I have become, but I don't think I have ever met someone not from this world. I confess, I worked out your origins a little while ago but decided to let you keep your secret until you proved yourself to be a threat to the other children here. Far from that, you have protected them. When I last asked you to tell me about yourself, I had hoped you might feel enough trust in me to freely share your past."

"What evidence do you have that I am from another world?" Gaara finally asked, eliciting a sigh from his fellow tea-appreciator.

"Precious little, evidence or proof, that is, but I have seen enough of your abilities and behaviours over your time here that I felt confident in my assessment. Then when I saw what happened on the night of the attack, through the eyes of one or two of my colleagues, I was sure."

Gaara spent a few moments processing what this might mean and decided not to try and deny it since that would only forestall whatever the headmaster desired by bringing this up now. "You mentioned keeping my secret; why are you bringing it up now?"

"Very astute." Albus said. "I don't imagine I was at all subtle in my disapproval of the Triwizard Tournament after Minister Fudge's announcement on Thursday. The plans were sprung on me only a week before with a threat of removal as headmaster should I refuse to accommodate it. I decided I could do more good in place than resigning in protest. Only time will tell if I was correct in doing so. Make no mistake, this tournament is a selfish stunt by the Minister for Magic because he wishes to regain his popularity. Cornelius has always been afraid but until now he has always put stock in my council. Now others are advising him to control the country like a Roman emperor holding gladiatorial matches to pacify the people.

"I couldn't stop him from running the Tournament and now my primary concern is to stop any of my students from being killed, as did happen in the Tournaments of centuries gone by. It was for this reason that I insisted on an age-line, but contrary to my desire to allow only the most experienced and trained students from taking part, I asked that it be set at fourteen so that you might participate. I have no doubt that the Goblet of Fire will select you, and you posses the skills and the mindset to survive the Tasks, whatever they might be. This is why I asked you here this morning, to ask you to enter your name for the Tournament, and should you be selected you will act as Hogwarts' champion."

"And if I do not enter, you will reveal my origins?" Gaara asked, beginning to feel hostile.

"No, no, certainly not. No, I ask that you enter and if you're selected, you will win the Triwizard Cup, and if you do, I will offer my not-inconsiderable knowledge and help in getting you home."

"How do you know I want to go home? I might want to stay here, I might be hiding from something."

"I know for the same reason I am aware that you are not from this world: I know what books you have taken out of the library. Your reading has been so varied, it took me longer than I might like to admit to put it together."

Gaara smiled at that. He had not considered that anybody would think to look at his reading and much less that they would be able to work out what it all meant, considering how broad his search had been.

"If I say no?" Gaara asked.

"I will be very disappointed." Dumbledore said, "Not in you. I will be disappointed that I misjudged the situation so, and that I have allowed children your age, without whatever training you have undergone, to enter freely. I do not think any of them would be selected as the Champion but it would haunt me if they were. But this is not to be taken as coercion, this is entirely up to you. I will do whatever I have to, to protect the children."

"You believe I would be chosen, from all of the Gryffindors and older students?" Gaara asked.

"Yes, I do. Of all of the boys and girls in the school, I believe that you are the strongest, the most worldly, and possibly one of the bravest. Your facing the boggart, your killing of countless dementors. Do you know why the killing of dementors is so rare? It is not a wizard's lack of offensive magic, it is because he is affected too strongly by the dementors aura that he cannot think to fight, only to run and hide. Only the exceptionally brave can even summon a Patronus to revitalise their spirits and fend off the dementor. To try and fight them would usually lead only to a Kiss. You, however, have proven yourself to be courageous and powerful.

"If you are selected, you will follow the guidelines and will fairly win the Tournament and along with the prize you will receive all the help I can offer. Allow me a moment of ego when I tell you that I might be your best chance of returning to your home soon."

Dumbledore felt retched lying to the boy. He had every intention of helping Gaara go home, regardless of his decision here, and should he elect to enter and lose the tournament he would still be helped. However, sadly, this motivation was required even if it was the worst type of manipulation, preying on a child's hope. Beyond that, he did not want Gaara entering and not participating, spurning Fudge and potentially leading to further trouble down the road.

Gaara took a while to decide. Dumbledore's contingent help would be an immense help in his search, and it would be a small bonus to know that no one else would be able enter from the school. Even if their death or dismemberment would be their own fault for entering. Still, it was a steep price to pay. He knew very little about the Tasks so it may well be dangerous even to him, and the notoriety it would foist upon him would be even worse than he suffered until now. It would also lead to difficulties with Sirius, Remus and Draco since they would never let him live down his entrance, and he could not reveal the nature of this accord since that would possibly endanger the deal.

Sirius would lay siege to Hogwarts (again) if he found out Dumbledore put him in the line of fire.

Gaara sighed heavily, set his teacup down and said, "I will enter."

"I am glad to hear that, and very sorry to have asked it. I will add one more caveat before we conclude our deal. I want you to return to Potions this year."

Gaara turned sharp eyes on the old man, feeling conned with the goal posts changing like this.

"I have talked to Professor Snape about this and we have come to an understanding about the acceptable behaviour of teachers towards their students. I fear he may never come to warm to you but he should no longer discriminate against you so harshly."

"If he treats me as he did-"

"Then I ask that you come to me about it and I will correct the issue. We cannot have a repeat of what transpired in your last Potions lesson."

Gaara was less than happy about this addendum to the deal but decided it was a good opportunity to make demands of his own. "Agreed, as long as I can use the Restricted Section of the Library as I wish, total access. Furthermore, I will no longer be bound by the school curfew."

"I can give you permission to access the Restricted Section as long as you are responsible with your research. Your readings in there will be recorded and checked by me. If I feel you are straying too far into ill-advised territory, I will contact you about it. The curfew is another matter. I cannot give a single student special permission to break the rules without raising eyebrows, you understand." Dumbledore hoped the eyebrow analogy would not raise a sore subject.

"I am an insomniac. Tell anyone who asks that I need to walk at night."

"That may suffice. I will consider that request, but if I do grant it, I will have to stipulate that any latitude you are granted in roaming after hours will not extend to trespassing into areas you should not venture as you have last year. I understand a number of Ravenclaws still refuse to allow their windows to be opened at night for fear of you walking along the walls into their rooms."

"Understood." Gaara said, trying to avoid eye contact without broadcasting his discomfort.

"Now, I think that is all of the unpleasantness dealt with. Would you mind telling me a little more about your world and how you came here? I am ever so curious about what another world, similar to our own, might be like."

"Not now." Gaara said.

"I understand, this has all been a lot to take in. As I have offered before, if you ever have any problems or anything I can help with, I hope you will not hesitate to come and speak with me, even if all you want is to talk to someone and share a nice cup of tea."

Gaara could not bring himself to thank the man who was essentially blackmailing him, so he settled for nodding and leaving.

"Thank you, Gaara. I really mean that. I hope you can forgive me my inadequacies in time."

Gaara did not turn to address the man again, simply walking out of the office and trying not to let the shock show on his face as he went to find Draco. He couldn't share what had just been said but he did not wish to be alone with his thoughts right now. Draco was a good distraction at times like these, or else he could track down Luna.

It did not take long to locate Draco, his being one of the most recognisable faces in their House so receiving directions was simple. Gaara, still overcoming his stupor, was starting to get tired of the sight before him: Draco and a number of Slytherin backers squaring off against Weasley and his friends. He thought Draco had outgrown these childish squabbles but every time Gaara turned around lately his blond friend seemed to be trying to start a fight.

"Everyone knows you don't even really care about blood purity anymore, so why are you still always such an arse, Malfoy?" Ron baited him. This might have caused a stir with Draco's Slytherin compatriots but Draco's change of heart was widely believed these days and those Slytherins with him happened to be his moderate friends.

"Regardless of purity, you're still a dirt-poor pleb who doesn't understand his place."

"You're a ponce who cries to daddy every time he stubs his toe!"

"At least my parents don't make me wear hand-me-down robes or need lottery money to go on holiday."

"Git!"

"Squib!"

And then the spells started flying.

Gaara was in no rush at this point to stop the fight, calmly walking across the courtyard to collect his stupid friend. He watched the two groups stop the fight after only a couple of poorly-aimed spells had been cast, with the Slytherins pulling Draco back and the other two-thirds of the Golden Trio standing between Ron and his quarry.

The two combatants seemed to calm immediately but where Ron followed his friends' advice and began to walk away, Draco waited until his fellow Slytherins released him and then sneekily re-raised his wand and cast a last spell at Weasley's back.

This brightly coloured light was deflected by none other than Professor Moody, who looked furious and immediately sent a spell back at the deathly pale Malfoy standing gormless in front of him. "Curse someone behind their back, will you?!"

This spell, whatever it was, was blocked by Gaara's sand which had sped out just in time, while Gaara continued his steady approach, not wishing to start another fight and feud with a teacher.

"I'm sorry for my friend." Gaara said humbly, now standing in front of Draco, his sand still floating loosely in the air.

"I've known people like him, cowards through and through. Mark my words, if I see him trying anything like that again, I'll treat him like I did his father during the war!" Moody shouted. "Malfoy, detention with me all next week!"

With that, Moody limped away and Draco looked about ready to collapse with the prospect of spending a week in detentions with Alastor Moody. The Gryffindors had already vacated and the Slytherins were beginning to disperse so Gaara dragged Draco away to give him a scolding, despite being the younger of the two.

OXOXOXOXOXOXOXOXO

Albus listened to the mix of angry complaints and waited until a few of them ran out of steam. Clearly every one of his staff members had axes to grind and had been storing up their frustrations until the start of term meeting so they could all scream their grievances at him simultaneously. He could hardly make heads or tails of what they were saying at him. So here he waited for a lull.

The complaints were mostly split between outrage over the implementation of the Triwizard Tournament, and the lack of warning they received before the big unveiling, only being told moments before the feast. He had explained earlier in the meeting and after the announcement that he had no choice in the matter, but still he had to listen to the irate professors remind him of the mortal peril he was allowing the children to be put in.

When everyone stopped for breath, Albus pounced on the opportunity, "Please, everyone, calm for a moment. I understand your anger, I assure you I feel the same. However, we must now decide how best to deal with the problem we have been presented with. There is nothing we can do to stop the Tournament now and we have been expressly forbidden from telling the children not to enter, so I must ask that all of you do so quietly."

"Surely you understand there will nothing we can say that will stop every pupil from entering, Albus!" Minerva argued.

"Regrettably that is true, so any words you speak on the subject should focus on discouraging those who would be most at risk from entering, particularly the younger years."

"Fourteen-year-olds participating in the Triwizard Tournament! I've a good mind to march down to the Ministry right now!" Madam Pomfrey huffed from her chair. She needed to sit after being the most vocal dissenter moments ago.

"That is why we must inform the students of the dangers that these Tasks will present and trust that they will understand the folly of seeking glory and gold when they might die." Dumbledore said.

"I know that my House can be trusted to exercise a modicum of self-preservation but I'm not so certain about others." Snape quipped, causing McGonagall to bristle.

"I didn't see much common sense when I caught Malfoy trying to hex that Weasley boy behind his back earlier." Moody spoke for the first time in the meeting.

"That I blame on bad influences." Severus said, settling back against the wall. He was sulking about being forced to take Gaara back into his class.

"I will do what I can to ensure the safety of the children as best I can, but I can only do so much. We must all exert whatever influence we hold in the coming weeks, and after that we will have to help the unfortunate Champion to prepare for the Tasks ahead." Dumbledore said.

"Before that, we have to begin work on this foolish Opening Ceremony…" Pomona chirped.

"Yes, I would like to see if there are any volunteers for organising the presentation…?" Albus asked.

No one raised their hands so Albus sighed, "Pomona, would you be willing to take the burden? Each task will need to be overseen by a member of staff so try to consider it as getting your turn out of the way, as it were."

"Very well, I will accept." Sprout said.

"Thank you. I have been given a list of instructions for how Minister Fudge wishes the ceremony to proceed, I will give it to you later and we can discuss what you will need to get started."

"Wonderful…" Pomona said.

From there they continued spending most of the session discussing the Tournament and the upcoming events. They all divided up the other supplementary events, with Pomona handling the opening, Flitwick in charge of the duelling tourney (after Severus refused to be a part of any of it), Minerva reluctantly agreed to prepare the Yule Ball, Madam Hooch was to take care of the inter-school Quidditch matches, and Albus would work with the Ministry as Fudge wanted his people to handle the closing ceremony.

No one was happy with the situation, especially those who resented Snape's exemption.

The rest of the meeting went simply enough, with each professor discussing any major changes they were making to their curriculum this year, and any students they had particular concerns about. To the relief of few, Gaara's name was mentioned only once or twice, which was less than Luna Lovegood's and Mafalda Lavado's name were raised as concerns.

"Lavado, isn't she an offshoot of the Weasley clan?" McGonagall said.

"She acts about as far from it as could be imagined, by the grace of Merlin." Severus said.

In the back of the room, Sinistra was trying to set up another little betting pool to commemorate the start of the year, giving odds on which notable students might be selected and who would rack up the most detentions, and who would earn the most points for their House.

The meeting ended with Albus trying to slip his allowance of Gaara's nightly wandering under everyone's notice and having to spend five minutes defusing Severus' temper to everyone's amusement.

OXOXOXOXOXOXOXOXO

On Monday, as Gaara and Draco approached their first Defence Against the Dark Arts class of the year, Draco's teeth were practically chattering and his skin reverting back to the paleness it had taken when he last encountered Moody. Evidently his near-cursing at the hands of their professor and the knowledge that he would be spending a week of detention with him was causing him to have something approaching a panic attack.

Gaara had assured Draco, when it became clear how frightened he was of the prejudiced Dark wizard hunter yesterday, that should any harm come to him by Professor Moody's hands, there would be no body to find.

Draco failed to properly appreciate the death threat.

The lesson was informative enough, Gaara thought, if a tad aggressive. Moody spent half of their first session together espousing his dogma of 'constant vigilance' and how to deal with the 'wrong sorts' of wizards in the most punishing manner. He clearly disliked the Slytherins, but he displayed a special level of snark for Draco and Gaara throughout the lesson.

The second part of the lesson moved on from the identification and treatment of Dark wizards to the basics of duelling, particularly mobility. Already Gaara was begrudgingly liking the man. Remus had been a good enough teacher but he clearly lacked Moody's wealth of experience and skill in combat.

It was a shame Draco was so terrified as he might have learned a few valuable lessons from the man.

The lesson was concluded with what Gaara was beginning to suspect was the retired Auror's catchphrase, "And remember all of you… constant vigilance!" The students all packed up their things and exited the classroom, already speaking favourably about their latest DADA professor.

"And Malfoy, I'll be seeing you this evening." Moody shouted over the crowd, making Draco flinch.

Potions followed Defence Against the Dark Arts that day and true to the headmaster's word, Snape was no longer as openly hostile to Gaara. He had resumed ignoring the redhead, to the extent that he had to work in a three with Draco and Theodore Nott as he had been excluded from the pairings. Still, spending his time in a Potions lesson would likely help him learn the material easier.

Later in the week in Transfiguration, Professor McGonagall warned her class that they would sit their O.W.L.s next year and that they should not let themselves be distracted by 'extra-curricular frivolities'. They were there to learn so any activities beyond that should be disregarded.

Other teachers were more subtle about their warnings and commands, though Snape went the other way, gathering groups of Slytherins in their common room and telling them outright not to enter under any circumstances. By some strange coincidence, the meeting that was to include his year group came at a time when Gaara was in the Library, meaning he had to be caught up by Draco later.

The absolute forbidding of the Tournament to Slytherins did not bode well for Gaara's relationship with his Head of House after he did in fact enter, not that there was much chance of an improvement in their interactions anyway. Dumbledore had presumably told the staff of Gaara's had special dispensation to roam the hallways at night due to his insomnia and Snape did not care for special treatment at all.

As was becoming an unwelcome tradition following his Arithmancy classes, Hermione struck up yet another conversation with him as he tried to subtly walk faster and faster away. This week she had progressed her new pet project regarding House Elf rights to form a new organisation called S.P.E.W. (an unfortunate acronym if ever there was one), standing for the Society for the Promotion of Elfish Welfare.

She tried indoctrinating him into her group, whose only members were her and her two best friends it seemed, but while Gaara appreciated the virtue of ensuring the welfare of sentient creatures, he did not feel a vested interest in making those changes himself. Of course, this apathy together with his repeated argument that the elves seemed content in their roles swiftly led to a one-sided argument on the necessity of liberty and self-determination for all living creatures.

Hermione cooled off relatively quickly when she realised Gaara was not passionately involved in the debate nor would anything she said be likely to change his mind since he was not a bleeding heart, clearly. After that, she tried to move back to safe ground and lighten the topic by discussing the Weasley Twins' latest insanity.

"Of course they insist that at least one of them has to be chosen as Hogwarts' Champion and then it's inevitable they'll win the prize money. Honestly, they must be the only people silly enough to actually consider entering anymore. It's not as if they've been preparing to take part, either! They just keep coming up with new practical joke ideas for their shop.

"Of course, their mother has told them they can't enter, and she's even got Ron and Ginny spying on them. I think she blames Mr Black and Professor Lupin for corrupting them, but if you ask me they were always reckless like that. Oh, we're here. Do you want to eat lunch at the Gryffindor table today? There isn't any rule that says you can't-"

"No, thank you." Gaara said, walking away to the comparably quiet Slytherin table.

OXOXOXOXOXOXOXOXO

Draco set aside the second Saturday of the term to force Gaara to spend time with Lovegood, since as far as he could understand those two were friends but Luna had cripplingly low self-esteem and Gaara was rubbish at reaching out. With the two introverts being utterly incapable of maintaining a healthy social life, it was up to Draco to make sure that Gaara did not…

Why did he care if Gaara had other friends? More to the point, why was he encouraging an acquaintance with a girl he openly disliked?

Regardless of why he was doing it, he had organised the 'play-date' for the two boring swots to take place in the Library. He ditched them as Gaara showed Luna into the Restricted Section with his pass (which was almost certainly not supposed to extend to his friends).

Maybe he was selflessly trying to encourage Gaara to build more close bonds, or perhaps he was just trying to quash the last of those absurd rumours of an improperly close friendship between Gaara and he. Maybe he wanted an afternoon to himself in his room to have a nap because Gaara had mentioned resuming their ill-fated exercise routine and he was determined to put off that horror for as long as he could.

In any case, he was free to sleep, or talk with his non-Gaara friends, for an entire morning while the nerds discussed some esoteric magical theory so obscure even the title escaped his memory.

Gaara did not seem to mind being told what to do or where to go and Luna seemed thrilled that she had been invited to spend time with Gaara, even if it had not been by Gaara himself.

In the evening at dinner, Professor McGonagall stood to make an announcement and she was granted complete silence as the student body waited to hear of the Triwizard Tournament, which they assumed this would be about. If the deputy headmistress had tried speaking of a revision of the school rules or gave some lesser proclamation, she would have heard herself drowned out by the collective noise of disappointed groans and renewed conversations.

"Good evening. As the Minister for Magic announced at the start of term, preceding the start of the Triwizard Tournament there is to be an opening ceremony and display held by the students of the host school. From tomorrow until the arrival of the two guest schools, Professor Sprout will hold practices for all students who have been selected to participate by their Head of House on Sundays and after classes on Tuesdays and Thursdays. Those students, from years two to six, will be notified by a parchment being left on their beds for when you return after dinner. Attendance is mandatory."

Whispers broke out and besides the few who were excited at the prospect of showing off, the majority were apprehensive at the thought of the added workload and being forced to do it. Draco was chief among the latter groups, indignant at the presumption to disrupt his life for such a trifle.

Upon returning to their room, Draco came the close to swearing outright. On his pillow lay a neatly folded note with the Hogwarts seal on it and his name elegantly scrawled on top. Gaara was glad the note had not been on his pillow as it would have tricky to sneak it on to Draco's bed without him seeing, much less changing the name.

Draco was furious at being asked to give a display for the entertainment of the visiting schools and doubtless the press like a thespian. He wished he could write to his father and sort the mess out but for various reasons he refrained.

He read through the short note, seeing where and when he was supposed to arrive tomorrow and then crumpled it up and threw it onto the floor. Gaara suspected it was already bugging the fastidious boy but Draco probably needed to keep the note and could not resist the urge to throw it somewhere other than the bin.

Gaara sat back in his bed and continued his homework, annotating a copy of the assigned DADA book of the year. Draco's first week back at Hogwarts had been a difficult one, with his detentions with Moody leaving him shaking most nights as he had been forced to scrub the classroom floor and mark first year essays all while the Auror recounted tales of his dealing with Death Eaters in the last war and since.

Gaara had been tempted to keep Draco out of the detentions and deal with the man personally but he was still wary of starting off on the wrong foot with the combat-wizard. Plus, Draco had tried to curse a schoolmate behind his back (and gotten caught doing it) and perhaps stories about what happened to Dark wizards who crossed the paths of Aurors and Light wizards like Moody would keep Draco on the straight and narrow path.

OXOXOXOXOXOXOXOXO

"I'm going to have to completely rebuild the engine at this rate!" Sirius complained, wiping his grease-covered hands on his grimy jeans. He been stripping his bike for a while now, trying to remember what little he ever knew about mechanics. He decided to take a short break and stretch his aching back, and maybe bother Remus a little.

Remus had no interest in his bike whatsoever and was hiding downstairs. Sirius cleaned up his hands a little more and went to find him.

The unemployed werewolf was sat at the kitchen table penning a letter with a harsh look upon his face.

"Are you sending another complaint about the Tournament?" Sirius asked, washing his hands off properly in the sink.

"No, same recipient though. I'm writing a letter of protest against one of the Minister's other brilliant ideas"

"What? He's already having children compete in a deadly contest after nearly allowing their souls to be sucked out by dementors last year, what else can he do?"

"He's got some undersecretary to propose a new anti-werewolf bill to further restrict our rights, especially trying to find work."

"It's probably because of those idiots complaining after they found out a big bad werewolf had been working in a school for a whole year without a single child being bitten."

"So, you're saying it's all my fault?" Remus said.

"I'm saying this is all Snivellus' fault. He's the prick who told everyone, I'd bloody put money on it. Anyway, we can fight this. I'll hire a couple extra lawyers and get them started on blocking this. I bet Fudge won't want to fight both this and the people still contesting the Tournament."

"Thank you for offering, but before you put more lawyers on retainer, did you go to the appointment I set up for you at Gringotts?"

"Of course I did." Sirius said.

"And what did the accountant say?"

"He said something along the lines of I would go broke if I don't start raising funds. My father's debts, my inaction over the past decade and a few sour investments have left the Black accounts in a dire state, apparently. Plus my recent spending… Well, anyway, he said if I don't bolster the family fortune I will run out of gold in about a decade. Maybe less if I keep starting fights with the Ministry."

"You'd best listen to him. Myself and a few other werewolves are writing to the Ministry and then to individual members of the Wizengamot to try and influence them against this bill."

"I'll start writing as well, then, if you won't accept a lawyer or two." Sirius said, falling into the chair opposite Remus. "I have to go back to Gringotts tomorrow to discuss creating a new portfolio with the accountant."

"With enthusiasm like that, have you considered just getting a job?" Remus said.

"None of the fun jobs will hire me. And I'm not sure I would like doing all of that…work. I'm more of a man of leisure, it turns out."

"A lazy bugger, you mean."

"Precisely. I need to make some money, though. I have to be able to support the boys, and a layabout werewolf too."

"…Speaking of dislikeable personality traits, we can add forgettable to Gaara." Remus sighed.

"I never would have pegged Gaara as the forgetful sort. He didn't forget your birthday, did he?"

"My birthday is not for months and you know that, Sirius. No, in fact, it's the opposite. I gave him an expanded bag for Christmas last year and as far I saw, he used it for about a week before he started wearing his gourd again. He said at the time that having to call the sand out of the bag took longer than his gourd, but I found it upstairs in one of his drawers earlier. The little bugger forgot to take it to school with him."

"Well, does he really need it when he's got my magnificent trunk to put all of his things in?"

"Yes, and I greatly appreciated your giving him a gift almost identical to the one I had to scrimp and save to give him for Christmas."

"I'm sure he really did just forget it. Why don't you send it to him?"

"I suppose I will, and I can take another stab at convincing Gaara to steer clear of the Tournament."

"You don't really think Bandit would be crazy enough to enter do you. I've been taking comfort in the thought that both he and Prongslet would think it was all ridiculous and not want to take part."

"They might shy away from trouble but we both know trouble will find then anyway." Remus said.

"It finds all of us." Sirius said, scratching out one swear word and penning another on his letter to the Minister for Magic.

"You say that, but you've been positively dormant since your acquittal."

"I was looking after Gaara and Harry." Sirius fired back.

"Not all the time. I remember when you were supposed to be babysitting Harry, back in the day, and you had girls coming over to your flat at all hours."

"Until someone told on me and Lily said I wasn't allowed to anymore!"

"It wasn't me. Do you think Lily never noticed the girls' underwear all over your place when they came to pick Harry up, or that self-satisfied smirk you always had after a fun night?"

Sirius smirked at the memory before wiping his face. "I just haven't been feeling up to it. Chalk it up to the dementors if you like but I just don't have any energy for that sort of thing right now."

"I suppose it's left its marks, hasn't it."

"I'm just lucky I didn't end up stark-raving mad like Bellatrix. I practically heard her mind snap when I was in there. I've got more important things to worry about now, anyhow."

"The boys."

"The boys. They both grew up too much and too fast so I've got to do what I can so they can experience just a bit of a childhood."

"It's hard to imagine Gaara ever being a child." Remus said.

"I'm not sure he ever got the chance. What with… everything, you know."

"I suppose not. I know my burden made life harder, and that was a secret from almost everybody. The way Gaara tells it, everyone knew he was a monster and his problems did not revolve around the full moon."

"I think we're straying into overly depressing territory and it's too early in the day for a responsible adult to start the heavy drinking." Sirius said.

"Responsible adult?"

"Shut up, Moony."

"You had your first meeting with your solicitor the other day, as well, didn't you? How'd that go?"

"Well, the first with that solicitor, yeah. She said as long as we can keep it quiet, until the last minute, we might get away with it. It's the only way we can hope to manage it, if Fudge doesn't get a chance to prepare any impediments."

"Really?" Remus said.

Sirius smiled, "Yes. If we can sneak it in under the radar while Fudge and his lackeys are busy with that Tournament of his, she says I should have no problems with formally adopting Harry and Gaara in the next six months."

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A/N: I have received some very nice reviews over the past couple of months and of course the continued support of my friends on this site has helped me overcome writers block and the trials of the real world.

Next to be updated is Suna Suna no Naruto, but in the meantime, please take a moment to write a review.