Disclaimer: I do not own Harry Potter or Fullmetal Alchemist.
This is a challenge from Luna-tic4590. (I sincerely hope you'll find this more than satisfactory.)
For the record, there're some sites which says 'Hoenheim' and others say 'Hohenheim'. I'm going with 'Hohenheim'.
Enjoy!
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BAM!
Harry flopped gracelessly onto the plush cushioned armchair and rubbed his aching temples, groaning. The incredibly thick tome he slammed close sat innocently on the cypress desk. He glared at it, fingers itching to set it alight to vent his frustrations.
Damn it all to hell! How hard can it be to find one reliable teaching source on such a wide-spread subject?
"This is the reason I put forward my suggestion, Master. If only you were less stubborn, you wouldn't have found yourself in this state."
"Oh shut up you." Harry sighed. "Of all the things in the world…remind me again…why is learning Alchemy necessary to continue my job? One would hardly think being Master of Death requires Alchemy knowledge. Isn't the new powers I've learned enough?"
"But it is important, Master. The Laws of Alchemy is very close to the Laws of Death. You know, equivalent exchange and all that. Plus, it'll give you an edge over whoever is stupid enough to cross you…"
Harry sat, silently pondering and weighing the pros and cons of following Death's suggestion. A few moments passed before he spoke.
"Amestris…was it?"
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Van Hohenheim tilted his head back and observed the clear night sky as he strolled along the road leading from Angren to Resembool. He was in no hurry to return, seeing as it was well into the night and Trisha would not be expecting him home until the next morning.
A small smile touched his lips as he thought of his wife of a year. Amber hair that blazed like fire under the sun and a heart just as warm. She was hardly the first woman to catch his attention in his four hundred something years of existence, but she was the only one who managed to hold his heart five years later. Van knew his work as a renowned state alchemist was more than demanding. Often, he found himself separated from his girlfriend-turned-lover-turned-wife for months on end. However, she stayed loyal and did not pester him about his job even after their marriage. He had struck gold when he found love in one Trisha Elric, and he did not plan to let anything get in the way of their peaceful life.
Not even the rising conflict with Ishval.
Golden eyes narrowed behind his oval glasses as he walked pass an abandoned cottage sitting forlornly atop the small hill. The hut itself was not the cause of his concern. It had been there for the past decade since its last inhabitants succumbed to lung infection. No, the noises coming from the shabby house was what drew his attention. Thumps and muffled yells were audible as Hohenheim stepped closer. Red arcs of lightning flared to life around his right hand as he reached to push open the rotting door with his left.
It was his honed centuries old reflexes that saved him from being used as a cushion. Even before his fingers brushed the door, it blew off its hinges. A man – ragged clothes and unkempt hair – smashed down the door and sailed through the air, landing painfully on the hard earth several metres away from the house. In spite of himself, Van openly admired the strength it must have taken to punt the heavily-built man out the door. The ragged stranger heaved himself up, face twisting as he gingerly held his ribs.
"Tha' bloo'y brat. Teach 'im a less'n, I 'ill."
A knife appeared in his hands and the stranger charged into the hut once more. Van followed swiftly. If what he heard was right, there was a kid in there – or a teen – and the state alchemist was not one to let an innocent be harmed if he was in a position to prevent it.
A yell, more muffled noises, a startlingly familiar tingle danced along his skin and Van's entire world descended into darkness. Hohenheim tapped a little into his Philosopher's power that earned him the moniker 'Hohenheim of the Light' in hopes of dissipating the shadows. His entire body lit up like a beacon, and the darkness receded slightly. He was now able to see a little in front of his nose. To his right, he could sense two beings. One unconscious and the other merely observing.
"Are you here with this guy?"
Van blinked at how young the voice was. But he laughed lightly and rubbed the back of his neck.
"Ahh…no. I'm just a passer-by. I heard noises coming from this house and thought it strange. So I decided to investigate and help if I could…but obviously, you did not need assistance."
He could almost hear the gears in the child's head turning. It was a while before the voice spoke again.
"Oh, ok. Just be careful, mister. Don't go poking into everything that peaks your interest. You might end up biting off more than you can chew one of these days."
The darkness vanished and golden eyes locked onto the incredibly small child wrapped in a black cloak before him, a large raven perched majestically on his right shoulder. Flat emerald eyes gazed out from behind long, messy black hair. The boy barely reached his waist and couldn't be more than six at most. A few seconds more silent staring contest between the two and the kid rolled his eyes and turned away. The action snapped Van out of his thoughts.
"Wait. What's your name?"
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Harry was torn between giving the guy a name or telling him to screw off. On one hand, the man was obviously an alchemist but on the other, he wanted a little more freedom to explore this new and exciting world before deciding on learning alchemy from someone. Once again he inwardly despaired over his small seven year old body. Damn Death for persuading him to use his newfound power and sending himself to this world as a kid.
It is advantageous, Master. Death – the raven currently digging its talons into his thin shoulder – cawed. Humans are weak against the sheer adorableness of little kids. Use that to your advantage. Besides, kids learn and absorb things faster. Don't you want to master alchemy quickly? That way, you can get out of Amestris as soon as possible.
Sparing a second to mentally give Death the finger, Harry returned to warring with himself. To give or not to give? He spun around suddenly, levelling his creepiest stare at the man, taking in his kind face and unique features. To the alchemist's credit, he merely smiled and waited patiently, equally intense gold eyes shining in sincerity and amusement.
Well, he doesn't look like a paedophile, and no criminals would feel so bright…so…
Is that really how you judge someone, Master?A sharp beak pecked his head. I'm so glad I decided to stick around.
"…Heinrich. You can call me Heinrich."
"Pleasure. I'm Van Hohenheim. Call me whatever you will. And your…pet?"
"Not a pet. He's a companion. His name is Cypress."
Really? Cypress…really? How unoriginal can you get?
Shut up! It was the first thing that came to mind.
A silent staring competition commenced again.
"…So…Heinrich, what are you doing out here?"
A shrug.
"Looking for a place to stay."
"Ahh…well, I have a proposition for you. Would you like to hear me out?"
"…Go on."
"That absolute darkness technique of yours…do you have any idea what you did?" A frown. "No, let me rephrase that. Have you heard about Alchemy?"
Death – Cypress – gave a loud squawk.
Tell him you're from Lali. You read up on Alchemy from the State's Library.
"Yes, Mr Hohenheim. Lali's State Library provided a lot of reading materials on Alchemy."
Hohenheim's eyes widened, then turned sorrowful.
"Lali, eh? I am truly sorry for your loss, lad. However, I see that you have done more than simply reading up on the subject. Tell me, do you wish to become a state alchemist, Heinrich?"
Say yes. This guy may not look like it, but he is the best teacher you can hope to find in this world. Take the opportunity. Oh, and in case he asks, draw runes.
Ask? What will he ask?
How you did a transmutation, of course. Just show him some runes and you'll be on your way to becoming a state alchemist. Well, an apprentice first, pass a test, then become a state alchemist. Goodness, you are damn slow when it comes to alchemy.
Well if you are oh so knowledgeable, Cypress, why didn't you try teaching me?
…
Sorry, what was that? I'm afraid I did not catch any of it.
…I said I only know the theories, okay?
The raven took revenge by pulling out a few strands of hair and pecking his head twice.
"Ow! What was that for you – "
Soft chuckles rumbled from Hohenheim and Harry flushed as he realised he had yet to answer the man's question.
"…Ahem…my apologies, Mr Hohenheim. A state alchemist?"
"Well, we are alchemists employed by the Amestris government as part of an elite government mandated program. Of course, there are some alchemists who prefer to remain as a freelance, but are then required to report in every year…just in case something occurs, you know. As a state alchemist, we are answerable only to the Fuhrer himself and immediate superiors and we have unrestricted access to all libraries around the state."
"What's the catch?"
"Every one of us is required to submit a research report every two years in order to retain the license. Also, there are three restrictions: Obey the Military, don't create gold and don't create humans."
"That sounds simple enough."
"Breaking any of the three rules, depending how severe your offence, can result in anything from stripping of title to the death sentence."
"…ok…is there a test of some sort I am required to pass in order to obtain a licence?"
"Yes, there is. The test is held annually before the Fuhrer and those of colonel rank or above. The participant's names must be submitted under that of their teacher or sponsor's. It consists of both written and practical. Anything other than that, Heinrich, I am afraid I cannot divulge as it would be considered cheating."
"Hmm…"
Stop 'Hmm'-ing and accept. Another golden opportunity like this wouldn't come so easily again!
Geez, what the heck is wrong with you?
What wrong with me? I should be the one asking that! Don't you want to master Alchemy as soon as possible? Or was that all an excuse to whine?
Oh for the love of – All right! Fine, you cranky old bastard!
You brat! I'm not cranky! I just want some food, dammit! Is that too much to ask?
…You're dead. You can't eat.
I'm currently a raven. Of course I can eat. Now go shake his hand or something and we can get out of here.
For the record, I blame this entirely on you. Who else besides you can make up all those stupid rules and regulations required to fully become Master of Death?
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Van watched curiously as little Heinrich glared adorably at his raven companion, the bird snipped its own beak back. It was a fascinating scene to observe, and raised up the question of exactly what kind of transmutation the boy could perform. With the way he kept staring at the raven, it was as though the two were having a conversation. So maybe, besides the darkness transmutation, he could somehow communicate with avian? The gears in his mind stirred at the thought.
Imagine all the possibilities! We currently do not have anyone who is able to pull it off, but if this boy can…Avian can be used as scouts and informants! Spies, even! And research! The wealth of information on the hindsight of bird species around the world! It'll be gold!
A small cough brought him out of his trance and Heinrich's face settled in a surprisingly mature serious expression.
"I would like to take up your offer of becoming a state alchemist, Mr Hohenheim."
"Excellent!" He held out his hand. "I, Van Hohenheim, hereby accept the role of teacher and sponsor in the tutorage of one Heinrich…"
"No last name, Sir."
"…Heinrich Hohenheim, for as long as it takes him to achieve a state alchemist license."
"…No conditions attached, Sir?"
Van blinked in bewilderment, hand still outstretched.
"Conditions? Well, giving you my last name is obligatory as your teacher. Of course, you have the freedom to get rid of it once you are officially a state alchemist. As for during your time as my apprentice, I don't believe in tying anyone down with conditions but…now that you've mentioned it, I do have a couple."
He grinned at the flickered of apprehension that crossed his student's – first apprentice ever, and such a loveable one at that (Trisha would adore him) – face.
"First, as long as you remain my student, you are to stay with me whenever we return to Resembool. I travel quite frequently and I'll be bringing you along. If I deem the place I'm going is too dangerous, I will leave you at Central Headquarters…North, East or wherever…and you'll stay in the barracks there. Understood?"
"Yes, Sir."
"Secondly…I know you're mature for your age, but you are now my responsibility. That means while I encourage you to voice your opinions and act when you think is right, I expect you to come to me if the problem is beyond you. And when I order you to do something, I expect you to obey. I don't usually generally order people around but when I do, know that it is urgent and I will explain my actions – of necessary – whenever possible."
A nod.
"And…I can't think of anything else at the moment."
Heinrich reached forward and shook his hand once, Cypress giving a caw and a sharp nod.
Van beamed at the two of them before a huge yawn threatened to break his jaw. With the excitement ebbing, he began to realise how late it had become.
"Ah…now that's settled, we'd better head back to my home. Trisha would want to know about this development as soon as possible." He crouched down to the boy's height, taking in the drooping eyes and slumped shoulders. "Would you mind terribly if I carried you? I doubt you would be able to walk all the way to Resembool in this state."
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Harry rubbed sleepiness out of his eyes and stretched a little. The sun was just starting to rise, casting an orange hue. Cypress was still sleeping, talons digging into his shoulder and beak tucked under one wing. Running a finger down the raven's body, Harry stared at the relatively large and pretty cottage drawing nearer. He wiggled to be let down, jostling Cypress awake in the process, who began to grumble. His new alchemy teacher paused in his stride to set Harry down on the gravel. Five minutes later, Hohenheim was knocking on the steel-reinforced wooden door.
"Trisha love, it's me!"
A sound of running feet and the door flung open. A petite auburn haired woman threw herself in the man's arms.
"Van! You're back!" Warm brown eyes drifted down to Harry. "Ara, and who might you be, dear?"
"Ah, Trisha, allow me to introduce my new student, Heinrich. And his companion, Cypress. He would be staying with us for the duration of his apprenticeship. Umm…if that's all right with you, love?"
Hohenheim's wife beamed, sunflowers framing her in the background.
"Oh, of course! They're both so adorable! A pleasure to meet you, Heinrich and Cypress. You may call me whatever you wish. Now, come in, please. I've just started making breakfast."
This woman takes 'mothering' to the next level.
At least she's not as pushy as Mrs Weasley.
Eh…could be worst. Now, feed me.
No, you lazy bird. Come down from my shoulder and feed yourself.
Cypress hoped onto the table and began devouring strips of bacon from Harry's plate. Trisha gave a small smile, and loaded more delicious sausages and eggs onto his plate. Harry grinned cutely and thanked her, a mischievous spark growing in him.
I know that look, Master. What mischief are you planning now?
Oh, nothing too bad…Alchemists all have a speciality, right?
Generally, yes. That's because each alchemist spends their entire life researching a certain transmutation, seeking to enhance their skills, finding ways to better the world with it and the like.
Well then, I guess it's high time this world has an all-rounder alchemist. What do you think, Death?
I think…I'm never going to leave your shoulder. It is the best seat, after all.
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Haha...ha... Maybe I should've spent all this time working on completing my other half-finished chapters before writing this. I almost didn't want to put this out, but it's a challenge and I'll see how this goes.
Complains? Comments?
Later!
Kagetsuki-taicho