207) Arrival, Selection and... Maximum Surprise

The rest of the journey was quiet, at least until...

"What is that in the sky?" Lavender asked, with a confused expression.

Some girls leaned closer to the window to see what she was talking about, and murmurs filled with curiosity arose. Inside our compartment, some were able to make out something in the sky, while others could not. My vision was better than the others, so I managed to see my father's flying car. Ginny almost recognized it too, but soon the conversation returned to its course, forgetting that incident.

The train was about to reach its destination, and it was time for us to change. As the only male in the compartment, I stepped out to let the girls change in peace, like a true gentleman. Penelope and Gemma, however, had to go to the prefects' compartment, where they had left their luggage.

As I waited in the hallway, I began to reflect. No one seemed to have noticed Harry and Ron's absence on the train. Hermione had spent more time with me than with them, and Ginny no longer saw Harry as her 'hero.' My brothers... maybe no one cared too much about not seeing them.

Once we had all put on our robes, we just had to wait a few more minutes until the train arrived at Hogsmeade station. Upon disembarking, we once again saw Hagrid with his lantern, calling for the first years. I said goodbye to Ginny and Luna before heading to the carriages with the other students. As expected, the carriages could not carry everyone, so our group had to split up. During the ride, I watched the Thestrals and wondered if anyone else in the group could see them, although no one mentioned anything about it.

Upon arriving at the castle, we gathered in the Great Hall, watching as the tables gradually filled up, unlike the previous year when the place was already completely full upon entering. I took my seat in a position that allowed me to see the Sorting well. Pansy sat next to me discreetly, followed by Millicent, and soon after, Daphne and Tracey sat across from us.

We had to wait a little while, during which the students chatted among themselves. Pansy tried to look serious and ignored the glances from the others at the Slytherin table. She was taking her role seriously, trying to appear mature, perhaps wanting to project more class than before. We talked a little, and I wondered how much more her attitude had changed since my visit to her in the summer; if she had taken etiquette classes or something to be a better "Lady Parkinson."

Finally, we saw Professor McGonagall walk toward the big door, and we all focused on what was about to happen.

The door opened, and the strict professor entered, followed by the first-year students. They moved to the front of the teachers' table, where the Sorting Hat began its traditional song, just as loud as the previous year.

The Sorting began. Professor McGonagall explained the process, although my sister Ginny already knew there was no great mystery, as some of the younger kids probably thought. Still, she was somewhat nervous, although confident. After all, I had trained her to be superior to many of her classmates.

The names were called out one by one, but I didn't pay much attention until they got to the ones I cared about.

"Luna Lovegood," the professor announced.

Luna sat on the stool, and the hat didn't take long to give its verdict.

"RAVENCLAW!"

The Ravenclaw table erupted in applause, and I applauded too. Seeing my enthusiasm, the others in our compartment did the same, and some girls from "The Nest" or "The Lair" joined in the congratulations. It was a curious moment because even some professors seemed surprised to see so many different tables celebrating a new student.

Next came the Sorting that really intrigued me. My presence and actions would have changed the house she would go to.

"Ginny Weasley," McGonagall said.

My sister sat down, and the hat fell over her head. Unlike Luna, Ginny took much longer. From my spot, I saw her frown and murmur something, as if she were arguing with the hat. The tension mounted until finally, the hat seemed to make a decision.

"GRIFF—!" it began to shout, but before it could finish, Ginny, with fury in her eyes, yanked the hat off her head and threw it to the ground. Without a second thought, she stomped on it repeatedly with her foot, as if trying to squash a cockroach.

The whole hall was stunned. No one reacted, not even McGonagall, who took a few seconds to recover from her shock before taking my sister by the arm and pulling her away from the hat.

"SLYTHERIN! SLYTHERIN!" the hat shouted as soon as it had the chance, its voice trembling with fear and dissatisfaction.

Ginny, ignoring any reprimand from the professor, walked with her head held high to our table, heading straight for me. No one could believe what had just happened. Even without the hat speaking, everyone thought the same thing: my sister was a true Gryffindor... because no one else would have had the courage to do something like that.

Although she didn't receive applause, Ginny caused a commotion that left many in silence. In our house, some might despise the idea of having another Weasley among them, but no one dared to say it at that moment. They only watched in disbelief.

McGonagall cleaned the hat and continued with the ceremony, although her expression showed how upset she was; inside, she was clearly grateful that someone with Ginny's temperament hadn't ended up in Gryffindor.

After the Sorting of the Hogwarts kids, there was a very interesting particular announcement, but since my interest was on Ginny and Luna, I completely ignored it.

Finally, the ceremony ended, and although Ginny would probably receive a reprimand for her behavior, that would not happen immediately. Harry and Ron, true to form, would create a chaos that would divert everyone's attention. Snape was no longer in the hall, and after Dumbledore announced the feast, both he and McGonagall also left. I toasted to the fallen who had sacrificed themselves.

During dinner, the girls chatted with my sister and little Astoria, who had also been sorted into Slytherin. Although they asked her about what happened during the Sorting, my sister didn't respond. Some students tried to harass her, just as they had done to me in my first year, but they were deterred for two reasons: the fear of me, as I shot murderous glances at anyone who approached or said anything out of line to my sister, and the protection of the girls, who looked after the newcomers as if they were mother birds defending their chicks.

My sister, for her part, kept somewhat distant from me during dinner. She mainly spoke with the girls from our compartment and those from her year, casting furtive glances at me from time to time, which made me nervous. She made sure to speak in whispers, clearly so that I couldn't hear what they were saying.

Finally, dinner concluded, and we all headed to our respective houses. On the way, I ran into Gemma. She was very careful and attentive to my sister, but with me, she still showed that guilty attitude. I decided to do something about it.

[Tonight, when everyone is asleep, come to my room]. That was the message I sent her.

I said goodbye to my sister, who was heading to the girls' dormitories while I made my way to the room I had used the previous year. It wasn't really a room per se, so now it was an empty space. Upon arriving, I had to take out my own bed and other furniture from my [inventory]. Luckily, I had stored my luggage; otherwise, I would have ended up in the shared room with Malfoy. Speaking of which, I forgot to give Ginny and Luna their luggage. I'll send their things little by little using [Gift] while I wait for Gemma.

...

After midnight.

I was sitting on the bed when I saw the door open. There was Gemma, looking down. She entered quietly, closing the door behind her without even looking back. Then, with a slow movement, she loosened her robe, letting it fall to the floor and revealing her naked body.

I had wanted to first talk about her attitude, but the scene before me made me change my priorities. Gemma approached with a seductive smile and began to undress me. I wasn't going to refuse her body, that perfect pair of breasts, or that tempting ass, so I responded with passion.

Before we knew it, we had been tangled up in wild sex for an hour. When she finally couldn't take it anymore, I let her lie there, gasping beside me, while I drank some juice to replenish fluids. Once I saw her calmer and able to produce coherent words, I decided it was time to talk.

"What's wrong with you?" I asked, observing how Gemma reacted by gripping the sheets tightly in her hands. "You're hiding something from me," I added, narrowing my eyes in annoyance, waiting to find out how she had betrayed me and what punishment I would give her.

Gemma got up from the bed, still naked, and took a few steps back. For a moment, I thought she would try to escape, and I was ready to magically close the door if necessary. But that wasn't it. Her nervousness made her waver between the courage to speak and the fear consuming her. She moved forward with determination only to retreat immediately, as if she were unable to face what she had to say.

"Just say it," I demanded, in an even colder tone.

Gemma began to cry, hugging herself as she fell to her knees in front of me, who was still sitting on the edge of the bed, impassive.

"I'm sorry!" she sobbed between tears, almost choking on her own cries.

"WHAT DID YOU DO?" I demanded, shouting, my voice terrifying as it echoed in the room. Luckily, I had cast soundproofing spells before we started to have sex.

"I... I... I'm pregnant!" she shouted with the little courage she could muster, the words bursting into the air like thunder.

My eyes widened in surprise, something that rarely happened to me. I couldn't fully process what I had just heard. I couldn't believe it; I didn't want to accept it. Gemma and I had always used contraceptive spells, so there was no possibility at all. However, before anger took over me, before I began to suspect that she had betrayed me, she continued speaking.

"I saw you with Granger... who was your girlfriend..." she continued crying, her voice broken by sobs. "I was scared, scared that you would leave me at any moment. The last night of last year, before we left Hogwarts, I pretended to do the contraceptive spell... but really... I just didn't want you to leave me! I didn't want to lose you!" she screamed, every word filled with anguish as she spat tears and saliva onto the floor, hugging her belly as if that could protect her.

"WHAT DID YOU DO?!" I roared, jumping up with an unrecognizable expression, my emotions overflowing.

"I'M SORRY!" she apologized again, lifting her gaze so her red, tear-filled eyes met mine.

"IDIOT!" I yelled in fury, slapping her.

The turmoil of my emotions had unleashed my dark alignment, and my claws appeared. The blow was not only brutal but also left red marks on her face due to the cuts my claws had caused.

"Sorry, sorry," she kept pleading through sobs, her face bloodied. "Please, just don't leave me… I… please… I don't want to get rid of my baby," she implored, sprawled on the floor, clutching her belly in desperation, begging for mercy for the life of her child, expecting the worst from me, completely ignoring the pain in her face.

"SHUT UP!" I shouted at her, pacing back and forth, trying to calm the whirlwind of emotions inside me.

"Please, forgive my baby. You won't know anything about him; it won't affect your life… you won't know anything about me," she murmured, resigned to disappear from my life if it meant she could keep the child in her womb.

"I told you to shut up!" I yelled, pointing at her with a reproachful gesture. "Listen to me carefully, Gemma. Never, in this life, would I try to get rid of an unborn child that carries my blood. Do you understand?" I said, looking directly into her eyes.

Glup. She swallowed hard with fear, though in her eyes, I could see a hint of relief. "I'm sorry… I'll leave your life," she whispered in anguish.

"Don't you dare mention that either!" I responded, in an even harsher tone. "If before you had no escape, now you will practically be locked by my side if you try to distance yourself even a little from me or take my child away," I declared, sitting back down on the bed while trying to control my breathing and calm the frantic rhythm of my heart. "I didn't hit you for the child or because I hate you and want you away," I added, taking a deep breath, trying to maintain my composure. "I hit you because you were foolish."

Gemma remained on the floor, her face covered in blood, not knowing how to react. Although she had imagined many times how this conversation would go since she found out, she wasn't prepared for the reality of what had just occurred.

"Do you have any idea what you've done?" I asked, reaching out my hand toward her face to begin healing the marks my claws had left on her skin.

"Sorry…" she murmured, her voice broken.

"Just shut up…" I replied, still with rage bubbling beneath the surface. "If only you had waited a few more years, at least until your last year. Why did it have to be now? Did you think I would force you to get rid of the child? Think for a moment. What do you think will happen when the Farleys discover that their daughter, who hasn't even finished Hogwarts, is pregnant by a Weasley? What do you think they will do? How could you hide something like that?" I said harshly. "Do you think it's easy to hide a pregnancy? A baby? I'm in my second year, for god's sake…"

Gemma trembled on the floor, now more frightened. She had hidden her situation from her family because I was her top priority, but now that she thought about it, she knew them well enough to realize what they were capable of. She realized that maybe her family was the real threat, not me.

"Please, help me… I can't let them take my baby away," she said, crawling toward me, grabbing one of my legs, and resting her face on my knee.

"This is so complicated," I complained as I stood up, sighing, but not without gently stroking her head.

I began to pace back and forth, frowning as I tried to find a way out of this situation. My mind spun frantically, evaluating every possibility, every consequence. I could feel how the worries that had once overwhelmed me began to fade in importance, while new fears and responsibilities emerged, hitting me with unexpected force.

Gemma watched me anxiously, her eyes fixed on me as I walked back and forth in the room, waiting for my decision with her heart in her throat.

After what felt like an eternity, I stopped. I had gone through a sort of catharsis. Something inside me had resolved, and although the situation remained complicated, I felt I had made some important decisions. I knew there would be sacrifices to make, but there was no turning back now.

I approached the bed once more and sat on the edge, my hands clasped in front of me.

"Don't worry," I finally said, my voice somewhat calmer. "I'll make sure we're okay. Even if we have to make some sacrifices along the way."

"I'll do whatever it takes to have you and him," she replied, whispering as she tenderly stroked her belly.

"Come closer," I said, exhausted. Not physically, but mentally drained by everything that was happening.

Gemma moved closer to me, still naked, but now I didn't look at her with desire as I had moments ago. My gaze was no longer fixed on her pussy, but on her belly. When she stood before me, I extended my hand, touching her abdomen gently, caressing it with my fingers as my thoughts drifted to everything that was there. This baby would change everything.

But then, something unexpected happened.

[Auxiliary Skill: "Edit Children" acquired]

"What!?"

[---Editing Screen---]

[---Physical---]

Full Name: [Set]

Sex: [Male] [Female] [Asexual] [Hermaphrodite] [Other (Create/Customize)]

Race: [Human] [Wizard] [Blood Spirit] [Undead/Specter] [Alchemical Elemental/Golem] [Other (Create/Customize)]

Appearance: {[Similar to mother ?%] [Similar to father ?%]} [Other/Customize]

Additional Characteristics: [Set]

[---Mental---]

Personality: {[Similar to mother ?%] [Similar to father ?%]} [Other/Customize]

Likes/Hobbies: [Set]

Phobias/Fears: [Set]

Sexual Preference/Fetishes: [Set]

Additional Characteristics: [Set]

[---Talent---]

Talents: [Set]

Additional Characteristics: [Set]

[---Other---]

Others: [Set]

[---|||---]

----------------------------------------------------------------------

There you have it, guys. I give you the opportunity to create Red's first child. You choose what you want; comment on your options in the corresponding section, and the most voted ones will win. If there's a tie, I'll choose at my discretion.

---///---

4th Additional Chapter

patreon.com/Lunariuz