Hogwarts no Gaara-sensei

ホグワーツの我愛羅先生

Chapter Three:

Professor Gaara of Hogwarts

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Gaara stood in front of the High Table, populated by the professors of Hogwarts, with Dumbledore beside him.

"My name is Sabaku no Gaara. It is a pleasure to make your acquaintance." Afterward, he enunciated his words with a short, polite bow.

"Polite, isn't he?" commented Professor Sprout, leaning over to Professor Flitwick beside her.

"Bit young though, isn't he?" whispered Prof. Flitwick back, turning to face her.

Professor McGonagall however, was having a bit of a different reaction. "Just how old is he," she demanded, positively appalled.

"I believe he can speak for himself." Dumbledore simply replied, turning towards Gaara, "Mr. Gaara?"

Gaara stared her down. "I am nineteen years old."

"Nineteen?!" McGonagall shrieked, "He could practically be a student!"

"Now, now, Minerva," Dumbledore hushed, "He is more than competent enough for this job, I assure you."

"But, but—he is just a child, Albus!"

"In my country," Gaara interrupted quietly, "I am legally an adult, and have been so for many years now. As Dumbledore-sensei said, I can handle myself."

"Well, that does not exactly reassure me," she lectured. "And just where is it that you are from, where—apparently—children are considered to be adults?!"

"I think that is enough for now, Minerva," Dumbledore quickly intercepted, "We can discuss this in more detail later on. For now, I give you my word that you have nothing to worry about. Mr. Gaara here," he said, gesturing to said redhead, "is very mature for his age, and has even had experience in teaching. Not to mention that he is completely fluent in the language that he will be teaching."

This seemed to appease her for now, at least. Nevertheless, with his age now out of the way, the professors were free to further take in his appearance. He was rather on the short side, they noted, only about five and a half feet tall, maybe less, and he didn't look like he weighed more than eight stones*! He had on a dark burgundy button-down with matching trousers and wore black sandals, and attached to a belt on his hips was what looked to be a small canteen.

His skin was rather on the pale side—even more so than Severus—and he had red hair—not Weasley red, but actual red. Charmed, perhaps? Or maybe he was a metamorphmagus? No, charmed was much more likely. Or transfigured, maybe? No matter...

It was hard to tell from where the new professor was standing away from them all, but he appeared to have light blue-green eyes that were framed by slightly-heavier-than-could-be-considered-appropriate eyeliner. Some of them reserved judgment on this...fashion choice of his, but others sneered at the idea of this boy—this boy who was going to be teaching at their school—wearing flashy-looking makeup. The most alarming thing, however, was the glaringly large tattoo that he blatantly displayed on his forehead.

This made-up, tattooed child was going to be teaching at their school, at the greatest wizarding school in the world?

Suddenly, they thought, his age wasn't their only concern.

"Now," Dumbledore continued, "the students will all be arriving tomorrow evening. Let us tuck in, and then we shall retire to bed. Is everyone alright with this?"