Chapter 3: A New Scar 1/4

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 from this fiction.

A/N: First off, you guys kick ass. I love reading your reviews and I can't really thank you enough so I hope you will enjoy this latest chapter or at least I hope you pretend you do when you all review it…

Also, I want to say that I don't have a fixed schedule for release, nor do I have a fixed schedule for writing. I apologize for the uncertainty of my continuation and the ambiguity of my release dates but there isn't much I can do about it considering I have a short attention span and a relatively busy schedule. Still, I'll continue to write as quickly as possible and I hope you continue to read.

On one final note, due to the long gap between updates, which will be a continuing trend I assure you, I have decided to add a 'Last time' section so you don't need to remind yourselves where I left off in the previous chapter. I've seen others do it and I liked it.

Now, enough with the boring A/N, and on with the show!

Oh, and Merry Christmas!

Updated 10 February 2014: My Beta, RisingNight has been here and done his/her thing. All hail the Beta's of the world, self-sacrificing people that they are.

(Last Time)

He used the sand to morph into new words, simple enough to conserve chakra and his precious time, time which was quickly running out before he would pass out 'I fell.' All of the students' expressions, minus some of the more composed Slytherins, but including the ever optimistic teacher's shifted to more embarrassed and surprised.

It was at this point that Gaara decided that he was safe enough so he slipped out of consciousness to the sounds of startled shouts and the feeling of being picked up. His last act was to command the sand to protect him.

"Headmaster, I want that abomination thrown out of the school at once!"

"I'm afraid I will have to agree with Severus on this; it doesn't seem safe for him to be around the students when we know so little about the boy."

"Severus, please, we cannot remove the boy whilst he is still unconscious. And from what Hagrid has been telling me, Gaara saved young Mr. Malfoy's life earlier today."

"But Albus, that weapon on his back-"

"I will talk to Mr. Gaara about his origins and see if I can't get him to leave his…" At this, Dumbledore paused, "-personal belongings in his room during classes from now on."

"Why can't we leave Gaara alone?" Hagrid boomed, "'E really saved Draco Malfoy today… though 'e also ruffled up Snaggleclaw's feathers, but 'e seemed nice enough." Hagrid stated, having taken a shine to the terrifying teen whom he had carried to the infirmary several hours prior to the staff meeting that was held annually on the evening of the first day back, usually for discussing all of the initial problems around the school and so on, though this year seemed to be greatly focused on the mystery student who was fast becoming even more famous that their resident saviour-in-glasses.

"But what of this prophecy that all of the students have been nattering on about since this morning?" Snape questioned, fully believing it to be a fake prediction, though still an irritant and an issue to be removed as soon as possible.

"I will need absolute secrecy from here-on-out," Albus said with all of the usual mirth disappearing from his voice, "as what I am about to tell you must not reach outside ears. From what Sybil has been telling me, this morning's prophecy made about Mister Gaara was real." This garnered mutters around the room, all stating that almost all of her 'sights into the future' were false despite her heavy defence of their credibility.

Dumbledore waited for quiet to reign once more before he continued, "And I believe she is telling the truth. It wouldn't be the first time she has made an accurate prediction." Dumbledore looked over his half-moon spectacles towards Minerva, Severus and Remus, giving them a knowing look to convey the hidden meaning, regarding the last true prophecy she had made about Harry Potter all those years ago.

Gasps circulated the room at the revelation, causing many to turn towards the shaky little woman in the corner who looked about as surprised as the rest of the staff, although she and the three other staff members in the know were shocked by the apparent similarity to the prophecy that led to the Potter's death and subsequently Harry Potter's destiny.

Lupin, who had remained silent until this point to hide his secret/illegal connection to Gaara, had heard about the foresight when he arrived back that morning after his monthly late night run, and was more shocked than anyone to say the least. Like most, he could only speculate about the exact meaning as he knew little more than most about the red-head other than his foreign background and his past as a ninja, which was strange enough. "Sir, do you have any idea what it might have meant?" He broke the tense silence, needing to know who his best living friend had aligned himself with.

"I fear the only person who can decipher the meaning behind Sybil's prediction is the boy himself," Albus replied before turning towards Mrs. Pomfrey and following up his statement, "How is Gaara, Poppy?"

Like Trelawney, who was still slumped in the corner whimpering ever so slightly, Poppy Pomfrey was also sitting away from the others, looking nervous and uncertain. She glanced up when she heard her name, seemingly coming out of a trance before taking a moment longer to process the question she was faced with. "The boy… he's still unconscious but he had a dislocated arm, broken right leg and sprained left ankle as well as heavy bruising all over his body from what I could see."

"So he should be fine by now, am I correct?" Albus said with a smile making him look like the perfect grandfatherly figure.

"Well… that's where there was a problem. My spells worked in diagnosing the boy fine but when it came time to heal him, they were blocked."

"Blocked?" Flitwick asked.

"Well… they didn't seem to affect him at all. Even my most powerful spells didn't heal the boy," she said looking as perturbed as a witch whose magic had been proven ineffectual should. "At first I assumed it was because he was covered in coating of sand, which I was able to chip off somewhat, but even after that I still couldn't heal him."

Dumbledore looked thoughtful for a few moments, the influx of information was a lot for his old mind, before he turned back to his trusted medical witch, "Poppy, please return to the infirmary and inform me when he wakes up, as I think there are a few questions that need to be answered," Albus said.

"Headmaster, why didn't you investigate this boy before you admitted him to the school?"

"I was distracted; I ran out of lemon drops and I was planning to visit Hogsmeade to pick up some more that day," Dumbledore said, making every last teacher either smile good naturedly or face palm and storm off. Of course, it had been a complete lie on Dumbledore's part, as he never ran out of lemon drops. He didn't want everyone there to know his real reasons for allowing the increasingly mysterious mute teen into Hogwarts. "I think if there isn't any other pressing business to attend to, we should all retire and enjoy an early night's sleep." Albus ushered the remaining teachers and Hogwarts staff out of his office before returning to his desk and writing a letter to the Ministry of Magic. He needed more information about this boy and despite his dislike for the Ministry, he couldn't leave things to chance any longer, though that wasn't to say that he was going to tell them the whole truth either.

OXOXOXOXOXOXOXOXOXOXO

Professors Snape and Lupin both left the meeting feeling anxious from the startling information garnered from the previous discussion about their enigmatic charge and, that, in the entirety of the two and a half hour assembly, they hadn't talked about anything other than Gaara.

Snape pointedly ignored Remus as they descended the staircase, the former hoping not to have to speak to his old school-yard 'chum.' He reached the hallway at the bottom of the narrow winding stairway and briskly walked onwards, trying, in earnest, to lose Lupin lest he start up another irritating conversation that would be sure to make his blood boil, intentionally or not.

He looked up ahead at the oncoming passages whereupon he would travel to the left whilst his peer would be forced to walk in the opposite direction if said peer wanted to make it back to his office before midnight. He was counting down the steps until he was safe from further aggravation but as luck would have it, just as he thought he was free from annoyance, he heard: "By the way Severus," Lupin said walking just as fast as the potions master at this point, "-I don't suppose you've noticed how closely Gaara resembles Lily Potter, have you?" Remus finished the rhetorical question innocently before veering off in the direction of his office with the sadistic satisfaction that only came when he toyed with 'Snivelus.'

He was never one to antagonize anyone, and he had never fully supported the bullying of Severus when they were all at school together, but he couldn't resist mentioning the one thing he knew would drive Snape insane. It was an impulse more than a vendetta, but he still couldn't help himself, despite how guilty he would feel in the morning. As Lupin continued walking down the hall, silently chuckling to himself, he mused that he still had a month until he needed the senior potion expert's help again. Besides, it was not as if it wasn't true; Gaara did look a lot like his deceased friend's wife, startlingly so.

Snape, on the other hand, wasn't in such high spirits about the verbal jab, having felt every taunt laced within it. Especially the addition of 'Potter' instead of Evans, which made him spend an extra hour that night roaming the halls to torture punish wayward students. He managed to find three wanderers but even that didn't satisfy him. By the time he made it back to his personal chambers that night, he was still angry enough to revise his lesson plans for the next week to include a pop quiz for every class.

There would be blood.

OXOXOXOXOXOXOXOXOXOXO

It was late. Most people can usually gauge this simple fact for themselves after a long and tiring day of classes, ending with an eventful Care of Magical Creatures, including a greatly injured student and an angry hippogriff. However, the fact that Ronald Weasley kept bringing the irksome subject of the time and his minor sleep deprivation to the attention of his two closest friends was not helping anyone.

They had been up for the past few hours after lights-out for a few reasons: first was the topic of Harry's prophecy and the possibly related big scary black dog he met towards the end of his stay with the Dursleys; second was the ongoing mystery of Gaara, which seemed to be on everyone's minds for one reason or another. The final reason they were up was because they had a nagging suspicion regarding both Crabbe & Goyle; Malfoy's loyal lackeys, had been hospitalized the night before and had yet to wake up from the brutal assault that had been carried out. Most had dismissed this event as two oafish boys fighting for some trivial reason or another, and so it was ignored. The so-called 'Golden Trio' were not so unquestioning. They had the crazy notion that the strange and violent looking new student was involved somehow, though it was only a suspicion.

On top of the attack, Gaara was still just an enigma, which, according to Hermione, was better off solved for everyone's sake. They resolved to go and sneak into the infirmary and try to discover something, anything, about the unconscious anomaly. There was just one problem to deal with…

"Just get under the cloak Ron." Harry said for the third time, trying to persuade the reluctant friend to join Hermione and him in their 'justified' quest to snoop into another person's personal life, to sate their curiosity.

"Aren't we being a bit, you know… nosy?" The ginger third-year questioned looking doubtful and afraid.

"No." Hermione answered simply, looking as self righteous as she often did in these situations, before ducking back under the invisibility cloak.

Soon enough the older male gave into the selfish logic, too tired to argue any further, and joined the other two under the fabric as they made their way out of the Gryffindor common room and down the hallway towards the sick bay. On the way they had a close call with an irate looking Professor Snape, who seemed to be on the war path earlier this year, but managed to steer clear.

OXOXOXOXOXOXOXOXOXOXO

"I've always hated it in here," Gaara grumbled to himself as he walked through the tempestuous desert plane, using his own influence over the flying debris to deflect the endless sandstorm that had plagued his mindscape since his first trip there all those years ago. He could scarcely see five feet in front of his nose, which, he had to admit, did seem a little worse than usual. He had realised, not too long after his first few visits there, that the intensity of the storm depended upon his emotional state. Right now he was still angry at his troubling situation and the earlier events that day that had led to his impromptu lesson in skydiving and, subsequent, spur of the moment nap.

Despite the low visibility in the messy mind, Gaara knew exactly where he was walking, and where he was heading. Just as he expected, he reached the red rock of the cave that led him underground, deeper into his mind. Eventually he reached an enormous cavern, lit by hundreds of eerie hovering spheres of fire that seemed to float around the cave freely, illuminating the solid sand pillars, as wide as Gaara was tall, that bisected the gigantic space from floor to ceiling. Behind the bars of the cage stood the fittingly large one-tailed demon, Shukaku. The monster was on his back two legs, as per usual, and had the same sadistic smile he often wore when speaking with his host. The Jinchuriki couldn't help but reminisce about all of the years he had been convinced that his prisoner was actually the woman who gave both gave birth to him, the same woman who gave him his cursed name.

"Hello mother," Gaara sarcastically greeted his tenant through the large scowl on his face, with as much sincerity as he was likely to receive in return.

"Hello sonny-boy! It's been too long since you visited!" Shukaku roared with laughter, the deep and menacing chuckles rumbled along the cave's floor causing Gaara to shiver imperceptibly in disgust at his vulgar sealed-demon. "Have you made any new friends? You haven't killed anyone interesting in months," Shukaku continued, looking down at his container with little more than contempt and patronising amusement.

"I need you to answer my question." The red-head glared back at his captive, before turning his head and taking note of the cracks in the sand pillars that kept the tanuki in the secluded cave. The ichibi was bound with both the original seal from before Gaara was born, the one that led to his mother's death; and the newer barrier that he himself had created after fighting him. The original procedure that forcibly injected the demon of the sand into him, took the form of shackles that affixed said demon to the furthest wall of the cave. The bars that restrained the beast further and shielded the rest of Gaara's mind from its malicious influence were an addition that he had been building since he got the head-butt of a lifetime. It was what allowed him to spend his nights asleep instead of killing people, which, he had to admit was a great deal more peaceful.

"What happened on the full moon?" Demanded Gaara, asking his most pressing question first, mindful of his tenant's rapidly changing moods. He needed to know what had happened that could have damaged his mental blocks so extensively. He couldn't risk letting them dissolve, they were the only things that allowed the red-haired teen to live without the fear of losing his mind further.

"Well well well, and here I thought my good little host would be tellin' me." The great monster chortled with what seemed like genuine amusement at his captor's ignorance. "Never mind, it'll be even more fun next month when I finally get to take a peek outside."