Hello again. Sorry this took long than expected. I actually had half of this written when I posted the first chapter, but shortly afterward, my computer crashed. I spent 3 days trying to fix it, reinstalled windows xp twice, and then the drivers weren't working. I took it in to get looked at, but it was going to be way too expensive to fix it. So, I spent all the money I had earned from my job I had here to buy a new laptop. *dies* I was hoping to save that money for quite some time, but I also really needed a laptop. My husband has one, but I don't like using it much, and usually when he's home from work, he wants to use it.

I do like my new one though. It's nice. And I find that I also like Windows 7 better than XP.

So yea, I had to rewrite the entire chapter....all 10 pages of it. But, I've done all I can on it for now, and unless I choose to edit parts of it later, chapter 2 is done, and chapter 3 is in the planning stages.

Updates on ALL stories that I am writing are going to be slow for a while. We are moving in roughly 35 days, and we have A LOT to do, and very little time to do it in.

I would like to thank those who reviewed, and enjoy it so far. And to answer a few questions, Yes, Roy and Ed are already in a relationship. A few things will be explained either in chapter 3 or 4, depending on how far i get. Also, a thanks for the one who corrected one of my spelling errors. Word had spelled it incorrectly, but it didn't appear with a red line under it, so when I edited, I didn't notice. I will be more aware from now on. For those who don't care for the pairing, it's really my decision, and you don't have to read it. There won't be anything explicit because, like i said before, I have no confidence in doing so (even though i'm married...haha!). Foul language is present, as it just wouldn't be complete without it.

I think that's it.

As a reminder, I do now own anything, just this story.

Enjoy.

Of Alchemy and Magic

Chapter 2


"Excellent. Now that introductions have been made, how about we tell you how we found you, and maybe you can help us understand how you arrived here." Dumbledore said.

"Would you like us to start first? Or would you like to?" Roy asked carefully.

Things were about to get complicated, he could tell.

"How about we answer your questions first." Dumbledore suggested. "Though, may I suggest you have something to eat first? Molly has made this wonderful stew that I'm sure shouldn't go to waste.

"Uhh, sure, I guess." Roy scratched his head. He looked down at Edward briefly to confirm. His eyes betrayed nothing, so he figured it was an okay. "Where to start…first, where are we exactly?" Mrs. Weasley handed them both a bowl of steaming soup. "Thank you."

"Of course."

"You are in London, England." Dumbledore replied. "Actually, if you want to know exactly where you are, you are in a house in Grimmauld Place, located in one of the suburbs of London."

Roy paused for a moment. 'I don't recall any place called London in Amestris…unless…'

"SHIT! THAT SON OF A- ugh…" Edward started yelling, almost spilling his soup, before clutching his head.

"What?" Roy looked down at the blond, before sitting down again.

"That bastard of a Gate…" Ed glared slightly. "It sent us to the other side. Stupid, fucking bastard…"

"Gate?" Remus asked.

"Nevermind." Edward answered. "So, we're in a place called London. What else should we know?"

"Well," Dumbledore sat in the other vacant seat in the room, "what would you say if I told you we were wizards?"

Roy grimaced as Edward scoffed. "Bullshit, old man. Magic doesn't exist."

"On the contrary, Mr. Elric, it does." Dumbledore replied calmly.

"I'm going to have to agree with Edward." Roy stated. "There is simply no way magic exists."

"Would it help if we prove it to you?"

"Unlikely, but go ahead." Edward leaned against the pillow behind him, eating a spoonful of stew. "This is good, thank you." He said to Mrs. Weasley.

"I'm glad you like it, dear." She smiled. "There's plenty more if you're still hungry."

Nodding to himself, Dumbledore stood up and pulled out what appeared to be a stick to the two alchemists. Pointing it at the second bed, he waved it once, turning it into a sheep, pausing for a moment before turning it back into a bed. "Is that acceptable?" he asked, smiling slightly at their shocked faces. "I could levitate you both, but with you having been recently severely injured, it wouldn't be the wisest choice."

Edward stared open mouthed at the bed that had been turned into a sheep. "How…" he stared, eyes widening. "Where's the equivalence…? It's not possible…"

"I assure you, it is indeed possible. I could just as easily turn the water in that basin next to you into your favorite beverage."

"But, nothing was given up." Edward's eyes were hidden. "All we fought for, everything Al suffered, all those lives that were lost…"

Roy put a comforting hand on Edward's back. "I'm sorry, sir. Where we come from, magic is simply a fairy tale told to children. Ed has led a fairly rough life." He explained carefully.

"Would you tell us your story?" Remus asked uncertainly. "Perhaps we could help you."

"What do you think, Ed?" Roy looked at the blond, who seemed to have a slightly far off look, his soup forgotten. "Should we tell them everything? Including what we know of the homunculi?"

"Equivalent Exchange, Mustang." Ed replied shortly, raising his eyes to meet Roy's. "They saved us, and showed us proof that magic," he spat the word bitterly, "does indeed exist."

Roy sighed. "Where do we start then?"

"How about with how I got my arm and leg? I'm sure they're curious."

"Indeed we are." Dumbledore sat down once again. "This kind of thing is something we've never seen or heard of before."

Edward nodded. "Then what I am about to tell you must never leave this room. Not many people are fortunate enough to know this much about me. Do I have your word that you will not tell anyone else?" Everyone in the room nodded. "Good."

Mrs. Weasley conjured up three more chairs, two for herself and her husband, and one for Remus, who was slightly intrigued.

"First," Ed began, "what do you know of Alchemy?"

"Not much." Remus confessed. "It's a dead art that turned metal into gold, correct?"

"That is where you are wrong. We're from a country called Amestris, which is located on the other side of the Gate. A parallel world, so to speak. Where we come from, Alchemy is a science, and creating gold is illegal." Ed told them seriously. "Now let me ask you another question. What do you know of the Philosopher's Stone?" Ed's face was serious, not a trace of humor found, as nervous glances were cast about the room.

"The Philosopher's Stone was created several years ago by Nicolas Flamel and created the Elixir of Life." Dumbledore said gravely. "It was destroyed four years ago."

Ed's face darkened considerably. "The Philosopher's Stone isn't something you can simply destroy. It is the purest of all substances. If it was indeed destroyed, as you claim, it must not have been a complete stone."

"What do you mean?" Dumbledore asked.

"I'll get to that." Ed held up his hand. "It ties into how this," he indicated his arm and leg, "happened." He gulped down the last of the stew. "Alchemy, being a science, has many rules and laws, one of these being the conservation of mass. The two biggest rules are, Thou shalt not create gold, and thou shalt not interfere with the circle of life. These two things are illegal, and punishment could include death. The first thing you learn when studying alchemy is this: Human kind cannot gain anything without giving something in return. To obtain, something of equal value must be lost. This is alchemy's law of Equivalent Exchange. My brother Al and I hold this as our greatest value in life. Equivalency."

The looks of confusion were apparent. "Say you were to tell me to transmute water, to give an easy example." Roy stated. "What would you be able to create? What are the properties of water?"

Remus and Dumbledore seemed to be the first to understand.

"You would only be able to create ice, and vapor, correct?" Remus answered.

"Correct." Edward replied. "However, this also depends on how much water you have. You have to follow conservation of mass. Therefore, I can't create a ten food ice sculpture with only one cup of water."

"So…how did you…um…lose your limbs?" Mr. Weasley asked uncertainly.

Ed's face turned grave. "My brother and I made a mistake. We broke the biggest taboo in alchemy. It cost me my arm and leg, and Al lost his whole body. We tried to bring our mother back to life." A collective gasp was heard throughout the room. "There is nothing equal to a human life. My brother and I paid the price. Our friend Winry and her grandmother run an automail shop. It's what these are." He lifted his arm. "Prosthetic limbs that attach directly to the nerves."

"That must have been painful." Mrs. Weasley shook her head. "To think someone as young as you having to go through such an ordeal…"

"I'm simply paying for my mistake. The pain of getting these was nothing compared to what my brother had to go through. He spent four years as a soul attached to a suit of armor while I became a State Alchemist to try and find a way to get his body back."

"Did you succeed?" Dumbledore asked.

"Yes. But at a heavy price." Ed looked at Roy briefly, who nodded. "There was a conspiracy in the military. There were seven homunculi, each being named after the seven sins, Greed, Lust, Gluttony, Wrath, Pride, Sloth, and Envy, who were after the Philosopher's Stone. They are immortal beings, created from failed human transmutations. The Fuhrer was one of them. The Philosopher's Stone allows you to bypass all the laws of alchemy. We searched for it, and we found it."

"So you used the Philosopher's Stone to bring back your brother's body." Dumbledore mused. "Interesting."

"Yes. But like I said, it came at a heavy price. The Philosopher's Stone is created by using thousands of human lives." Ed stated coldly, watching as horror struck the faces in the room. "We did not kill anyone to create the stone." He assured them. "It had been created already using the lives of an entire city. In a weird twist of fate, Al was turned into the stone itself, and we used it to get his body back. Now, how we got here, I'm not very sure. I remember fighting the homunculus Envy, and I remember him stabbing me through with a spear, and vaguely remember using a transmutation to destroy him. But that's it. Next I know, I'm here in this room."

"I don't have much to add." Roy said after a short uncomfortable silence filled the room. "I think Ed summed it up. We would very much like to find a way back, if possible. Our country was in a bit of a chaos when we left, and I'm sure Ed would like to get back to his brother. Is there any way you would be able to help us?"

The other occupants of the room looked at each other for a few moments, silently communicating it seemed, before looking back at the two alchemists. Dumbledore was the first to speak.

"There just might be a way to return you to your home." He said with a smile. "It might take a while, but if you are willing, you may come to our magic school, Hogwarts, and use the library and any other resources you can find."

"The library really is impressive." Remus added. "You may even learn a few things about magic that could be useful in your search."

Molly nodded excitedly. "You could stay here until term starts. We have plenty of room, and it would be no trouble."

Ed and Roy smiled. "We thank you for your hospitality. Being in an unfamiliar place on our own might not be a wise choice."

"Though, we can't stay here for nothing. And we certainly can't just go through your school's library without doing something in return." Ed said thoughtfully. "Equivalent exchange, after all."

There as a brief pause as the wizards thought. Mrs. Weasley was the first to say something. "We still haven't finished cleaning this place yet, as it hasn't been inhabited in quite some time." She said with a smile. "You could help around the house; cleaning, helping with the cooking, those types of things. In return, you get free room and board and three meals a day."

"That sounds good." Ed nodded. "I wouldn't trust me with cooking, though. I haven't cooked for myself in many years, seeing as how Al and I never stayed in one place for very long. Roy is an excellent cook though." He pointed at Roy, who just waved him off.

"I'm not that good of a cook." He denied. "You're exaggerating."

"What about that alfredo you made for me a week ago?" Ed pointed out. "That was fantastic. I don't even like alfredo."

"Well, I guess you have a point…"

"Excellent." Dumbledore clapped. "As for the school, how about becoming teachers? You could teach our students alchemy, while having the library at your fingertips. You would also have access to the other lessons being taught, should you choose to venture into them. We may have forgotten to mention it, but currently the wizarding society is in the middle of a war of sorts. A dark wizard has returned, and is after one our students. I have no doubt that alchemy would benefit our students greatly, should they ever be without a wand."

The two alchemists glanced at each other with thoughtful glances before turning back to Dumbledore. "Let us think on it for a day or two." Roy said after a moment, a thoughtful look gracing his features. "Alchemy is not to be taken lightly, and if we do agree to teach, the lessons would be grueling and punishments for not following our rules would be severe."

"I understand." Dumbledore nodded. "Well, we're about to have a meeting with the Order down in the kitchen. You are more than welcome to be a part of it if you wish. It might help you gain some more understanding of the magical world." He turned to Remus. "Do you remember what we were supposed to be discussing tonight? My memory seems to have flown away temporarily" he said airily.

"Er…I believe we were going to discuss Edward and Mr. Mustang, and of course the latest raids going on." Remus replied casually.

Ed and Roy looked at each other. "Seems like we're top news, bastard." Ed grinned.

"It appears so, shorty." Roy grinned as Ed glared.

Mr. Weasley coughed, getting their attention. "Shall we, gentleman? I'm sure the others have already arrived."

"Of course. Lead the way." Dumbledore turned toward the alchemists. "Molly shall assist you and bring you to the kitchen."

Remus, Mr. Weasley, and Dumbledore all turned out of the room, leaving the two confused alchemists with Mrs. Weasley. They briefly looked at each other, communicating silently with their eyes, obviously coming to a mutual agreement before turning to Mrs. Weasley. "You wouldn't happen to have any spare clothes around that we could use, would you?" Roy asked. "We can't very well go down in what we have on."

"Of course!"She bustled toward the cabinet in the far corner of the room and looked through the drawers and shelves, pulling two button-down shirts and some dark colored slacks and setting them on the second bed. "I hope these work for you. I don't know how well they'll fit, but you're free to use them. I'll wait outside the door, and you can come out when you're done changing."

"Thank you."

Mrs. Weasley nodded before walking out, closing the door softly behind her. "Well, it looks like these are going to be a bit big on you." Roy said as he looked through the laid out clothing. "I can always shrink it down to size."

"Better let me do that, Roy." Ed eased himself out of the bed and walked over. "Remember last time? You ended up with a hole in your pants." He grabbed a white button down dress shirt and a brown vest. "I can probably do something with these. They do look a bit big, but I can just use alchemy to make them smaller." He clapped his hands. Pressing them to the fabric, the familiar blue alchemic light surrounded it for a moment before leaving behind the same shirt and vest and a small pile of left over fabric. Removing the pajama top, he pulled on the new shirt and vest before turning to the selection of pants. He grabbed a fitted pair of pressed brown slacks. These he didn't have to change, as they were the correct size. Pulling them on, he finished by pulling his hair in a ponytail. "Well?"

Roy eyed him carefully. "Not bad." He nodded. "You actually look more mature."

Ed's eye twitched slightly. "You're not calling me short, are you?"

"Course not. Can't take a compliment?" Roy glanced quickly at the shirts before grabbing a white one similar to the one Ed wore. He grabbed the remaining pair of pants, a pair of black pressed slacks, and slipped the clothes on quickly. Placing his previous clothes on the bed, he grabbed his boots, which he noticed were placed at the foot of the bed, along with Ed's.

"Think we should tell them about our relationship?" Ed asked curiously as he waited for Roy to finish.

"I don't see why not. It's not like it's going to affect our teaching should we accept the old man's offer. Besides," he walked up to the blond and kissed him, leaving Ed a little flustered, "I don't want to miss out on any opportunities for doing that."

"You're such a horny bastard." Ed chuckled.

"Yes, but you love me anyway." Roy responded matter-of-factly.

"Let's go." Ed shook his head and grabbed his lover's hand, leading them out of the room.

Mrs. Weasley was talking to Sirius when they exited the room. He appeared to be slightly frazzled, his voice sounding slightly gruff as he talked to the motherly woman in a hushed voice. From what they could gather, someone in the Order had just pissed him off and he wanted to do something about it. Catching sight of them, he ended the conversation and nodded in greeting before heading back down to the kitchen.

"What's his problem?" Ed asked, pointing after the man.

"Oh, nothing." Mrs. Weasley brushed it off. "Him and Professor Snape just don't see eye to eye, and it usually ends up in an argument. Let's head down, shall we? Do the clothes fit okay?"

"Yes, thank you." Roy nodded, acknowledging his thanks as they walked down the stairs. "What can you tell us about this…Order?"

"It's a small group of witches and wizards who are determined to see He-Who-Must-Not-Be-Named fall once again. That would be the short way of describing it I suppose." Mrs. Weasley said thoughtfully. "Ah, here we are." Pushing a door open, she led them into a rather large kitchen and dining area with a large wooden table. There were already several people sitting down, and sending curious looks toward the newcomers. Dumbledore, who sat at the head of the table, stood up in greeting and gestured to two empty chairs.

"I see our two guests have arrived." He smiled and introduced them to the rest of the group. "May I introduce Mr. Edward Elric and Mr. Roy Mustang. They are from a small country town in Germany, and have offered us their services here."

The two looked at each other at the mention of their supposed country of origin. "That must be our story we should tell people if they ask." Roy whispered in Ed's ear. "Might help keep the questions away for a while."

Ed nodded in agreement. "Old man certainly knows what he's doing, that's for sure."

When they had taken the two offered seats at the table, the meeting was able to begin. Mostly, Ed and Roy stayed silent, preferring to listen rather than participate, giving them a better idea about the magic of this world. Dumbledore started off with discussing the latest attacks made by the so-called followers of the dark wizard they had heard about, Death Eaters they were called. A few members made suggestions on tracking these wizards, but were instantly put down by a scoff from Edward. The wizard who made the suggestion, Kingsley, raised an eyebrow at the young alchemist.

"You don't think it would work?" He asked mockingly.

Ed leaned back in his chair, hands placed comfortably behind his head. "No. I don't."

Kingsley frowned. "What would a kid know of these matters? You're not even old enough to understand what we're talking about. This is much more complicated magic than you've ever seen."

The anger that showed on Ed's face was a clear indicator he said something wrong, but if he noticed, he didn't say anything, choosing to sit smugly in his chair. "I am by no means a child." Ed glared, restraining himself. "I may not know any of this magic, but I can tell you I've probably seen more battlefields and ways of torture than your little group has ever seen. I stopped being a child long ago." He leaned onto the table slightly. "If someone knows what to look for, and knows what they're doing, they can avoid being found if they wish. From what I understand, your magic spells can be traced to a certain extent, leaving traces behind. When you are trying to track someone, you do not leave any traces of what you are using. That would be a sure way of getting yourself killed." Ed grinned smugly at the now frowning wizard.

"You act as if you know nothing of magic." Another spoke.

"We don't." Roy said simply. "We're alchemists."

While most of the room's occupants looked doubtful, Kingsley scoffed. "Alchemy is a dead art. And even if you were, all you can do with it is create gold."

Ed looked over at Roy with a slightly feral grin. "Shall we give them a demonstration?"

"Might make them understand a bit more." Roy agreed. "Keep it simple though."

"Yeah, yeah." Ed stood up and rubbed his mismatched hands together. "You say alchemy is dead, but I beg to differ." Clapping his hands, he placed them on the floor, blue light flashing from the reaction, and created a life-size replica of Alphonse's armor, with a few added details of course. "Where we come from, alchemy is how we live. It's also quite useful in battle. An individual can have a specific specialty as well. Roy here is known as the Flame Alchemist, while I was called the Fullmetal Alchemist." He clapped again and replaced the statue of Al back into the floor.

The ones who had already heard their story nodded their heads in approval, while those who hadn't were still a little skeptical, though impressed as well. Ed sat back down quickly, not liking attention drawn to him for very long. In his mind, he presented his views well, albeit, he could have done better. One person, however, was not yet ready to accept their presence so easily.

"You said your alchemy was useful in battle. Care to give us a demonstration?" asked a man with dark and slightly greasy hair. He had his arms crossed in defiance and wore a large frown on his face.

"While we would love to give a demonstration of our abilities, I doubt now would be an appropriate time." Roy said casually. "I highly doubt the owner of this house wants it turned into charred ruins. Perhaps another time in a more suitable environment, Mr…uh…"

"Snape."

"Right. Alchemy can be highly destructive in battle. It would be better to do so in a much wider and open field."

Dumbledore chuckled, his blue eyes shining. "We wouldn't want to destroy this lovely house. After all, Molly put so much effort into making it presentable for us. Let us move on."

The rest of the meeting went by quickly. Nothing had changed over the last twenty-four hours; there had been no new Death Eater attacks lately, and not even a whisper of their whereabouts were known. Ed and Roy listened intently for a short period, trying to gather a bit of an understanding of the magical world, but soon they were talking quietly to themselves. Nobody paid much mind to them, so they were free to discuss different methods of returning home. They spoke mostly in code, not trusting a few in the room enough to speak openly. To most, it would look like they were having a simple conversation about a restaurant, or possibly books, which is exactly what they wanted them to think. Within an hour, most of the Order members had left, leaving those who stayed at the house and Dumbledore.

"I thank you Molly, for putting up with all this." He said. "I know it's difficult, especially with all the youngsters about and everything else."

Mrs. Weasley waved it off with a smile. "It's really nothing. You needed a secure place to hold meetings, and this is the perfect place."

"Again, I thank you." Just as he was about to leave, Ed walked up to him with a determined look on his face. "Ah, I trust you had no trouble understanding the things we were discussing."

Ed shrugged. "We'll take your offer, old man."

Dumbledore smiled. "Really? That makes my job of convincing you much easier."

"We do have one condition though."

"Oh?"

Roy went to go stand beside Ed. "Edward and I are in a relationship. We want to make sure we are able to have a room together, and also make sure that this won't be a problem."

Mrs. Weasley's eyes went wide. "But he's just a child!"

Ed smiled stiffly at the term 'child'. "I am seventeen, Mrs. Weasley, and Roy is only 26. Where we come from, it is perfectly legal to have this kind of relationship."

Mrs. Weasley was about to respond, but Dumbledore beat her to it. "That will not be an issue. I will be sure to have your room prepared for you. Should there be any problem with it, you may change it as you wish." He turned to Mrs. Weasley. "Molly, you know as well as I do that they are both adults. And besides," he chuckled, as if to silent joke, "there is nothing wrong with being gay. Goodnight."

With that, he was gone. Ed and Roy chuckled slightly at Mrs. Weasley's confused expression, but chose not to comment. They were both silently thinking, however, what they had just gotten themselves into.

While I am aware things are still a bit slow, I'm working on it, but I have very little time on my hands to do so. Please read my explanation above for more details.

Next chapter hopefully up soon.