This chapter takes place during the 9th chapter of Harry Potter and the Sorcerer's/Philosopher's Stone book. Again, there are a few parts that were taken from the book, but there are some movie influences here this time too so there isn't as much word-for-word-from-the-book stuff in here as the last chapter. Hope you enjoy it and don't forget to review! Reviews make me even more excited to write!
I DO NOT OWN HARRY POTTER OR FULLMETAL ALCHEMIST!
(Edited October 19, 2017)
Chapter 3: Alchemy Classes, Broomsticks and Three Headed Dogs
As the first week of school at Hogwarts ended Edward found himself busy preparing for his own classes. Only forty students had signed up for his Alchemy class during the first week and after comparing all forty schedules to each other he'd decided to divide the group into three class sections. He also had to work around the classes that he was already assisting Quirrell with however so it took him a while to create a schedule that he felt was acceptable for both himself and the students enrolled in his class. The plan was that each class section would meet up twice a week and then on Friday all three groups would meet for a combined class session either in the great lecture hall down in the dungeons just down the corridor from his classroom or out on the school grounds by the lake whenever he had permission from Dumbledore – which was surprisingly easy to get since Dumbledore was all for the high interactive learning curriculum he'd devised for his classes.
Monday morning of the second week, Edward sent out the times of his classes during breakfast to his students and a little before ten o'clock he was finally ready to hold his first class. In this class group there were three Gryffindors: two girls and one boy all sixth years, one Slytherin girl in her fifth year, two Hufflepuffs: a fourth year girl and a sixth year boy, and seven Ravenclaws: one third year girl, two fourth year boys, one fifth year girl, one boy and one girl in their sixth year, and one seventh year girl. His other two classes were pretty much the same. Edward had expected Ravenclaws to make up the bulk of his classes but he was a little surprised to find that at least two-thirds of his students were female.
He wasn't sure what to make of that. In his world women interested in alchemy were few and far between. Though to be fair he'd probably only known a handful of them and none of the other State Alchemists had been female. Maybe that was sexist of him, but it didn't take him long to discover that over half of the girls enrolled in his class – non-Ravenclaw students especially – had signed up for his class because they thought he was… cute. Ick! He may be a seventeen-year-old teenager and liked that girls here seemed to find him attractive in spite of his… vertical problem, but he'd never liked being called cute. It was just as demeaning as being called short or small or any of those other offending references to his height.
Of course a lot of his students had signed up for his class nearer to the end of the first week. Snape's comments on his genius status had spread like wildfire through Hogwarts' student population. Now there were awed, admiring, and some looks of downright contempt (these mostly from older Slytherin students) mixed in with the curious ones he was used to at the beginning of the term.
All of his classes were introductory courses in alchemy so he started his first classes with the three groups discussing the theory of alchemy. But he also demonstrated how practical alchemy was performed with drawing transmutation circles to "transfigure" things into other things as well as turn rocks into gold. That had certainly gotten his students' attention. It was taking a while to hammer in the more scientific aspects of alchemy into his students, however, since this was a magical world that had hardly any use for the practical "muggle" sciences. There were those few in his classes who were muggle born and were at least familiar with the periodic table though. They were quick to catch on and able to help the others.
Edward found the second week flying by due to the fact that he hardly had any spare time in between his classes and the ones he aided Quirrell in. It wasn't until Thursday that Edward found himself with a free mid-afternoon and decided to take a walk around the grounds before he had to teach his six o'clock class with his third section group of students. It was around three-thirty when he spotted the first year Gryffindor students making their way onto the sloping grounds where the Slytherin first years were already gathered on the flat lawn standing around rows of standard school-issued broomsticks. Edward looked on in interest, almost instantly spotting Potter's messy mop of black and Weasley's flaming bright red hair. Taking a seat on the hill he was currently on, he observed the great view he had of what would soon take place down below.
Looking up at the sky Edward mused on how it was a nice clear day with perfect wind conditions for learning how to fly on a broom. Edward recalled the first time he'd ever attempted to ride a broom during some of his few free hours over the summer. It hadn't been pleasant for him at first because he just hadn't been able to wrap his head around being able to fly on some stupid flimsy cleaning tool, but like everything else that involved magic Edward learned to accept it and adjusted to the concept. He wasn't half bad, but he hadn't picked up a broom since he'd been approved to be a student teacher by the ministry.
He spotted Madam Rolanda Hooch stalking across the lawn to join her students. Her short grey hair rustling along with her robes like feathers in the light wind and her sharp yellow hawk-like eyes were piercing even from where Edward sat. Her strict and crisp voice carried easily on the wind making it easy for Edward to listen in on the class.
"Welcome to your first flying class. Well, what are you all waiting for?" she barked. "Everyone stand by a broomstick. Come on, hurry up."
The students were quick to do as she said and Edward snickered at how some of them were eyeing the brooms apprehensively as if they'd bite.
"Stick out your right hand over your broom," called out Madam Hooch at the front, "and say 'Up!'"
"UP!" came the course of voices as the students tried to summon their brooms up into their outstretched hands.
Edward was surprised to see that Potter's broom had jumped right into his hand at once. Only two other students had achieved that – one of them, unfortunately, being the smug Malfoy brat. It took a few minutes but soon the students managed to call on their brooms. They were then shown how to mount their brooms without sliding off the end and had some of their grips corrected. Edward couldn't contain his glee when he saw Madam Hooch spend a good minute or two correcting the Malfoy boy. When everyone was settled onto their brooms Madam Hooch stepped back to address the class as a whole again.
"Now, when I blow my whistle, you kick off from the ground, hard," Madam Hooch said sternly. "Keep your brooms steady, rise a few feet, and then come straight back down by leaning forward slightly. On my whistle – three – two –!"
Edward noticed that the poor Longbottom boy had jumped the gun before the countdown was finished and had launched himself into the air before the whistle had even touched Madam Hooch's lips.
"Come back, boy!" she shouted, but poor Longbottom was rising straight up like a cork shot out of a bottle – twelve feet – twenty feet – and higher still. Even from a distance Edward could see the scared boy's white face look down at the ground. As he got further away from the ground his mouth gaped open in terror before he finally limply slid off the broom in shock.
The moment that he was off the broom Edward was up, dashing down the hill and across the field. His eyes never left Longbottom as the boy plummeted towards the unforgiving ground. Clapping his hands together Edward halted his run and slapped his hands onto the earth and used his alchemy to bend the ground to his whim. The earth roiled around him for a moment as the ground in front of him sank before gathering and reforming into a mass of grass and dirt that rushed up to reach the falling boy, dipping under him to form a slide meant to ease his fall. However, halfway down Longbottom must have hit a bump of some kind in the hastily made earth-slide because he began tumbling end over end the rest of the way down before landing in a heap at the bottom. For a moment everything was utterly still and quiet – everyone in shock with what had happened. Madam Hooch snapped out of it first and marched over to join Edward by a shaking Longbottom. Her face was as white as the boy's when she examined him.
"Broken wrist," she muttered. "But it could have been a lot worse if you hadn't… done that," she said to Edward while gesturing at his twisted earth slide. "Come on boy – it's all right, up you get."
Then she turned to the rest of the class.
"None of you is to move while I take this boy to the hospital wing! You leave those brooms where they are or you'll be out of Hogwarts before you can say 'Quidditch.' Will you keep an eye on them for me, Professor Elric?"
Edward opened his mouth to answer but she'd already turned away with an arm around a tearful Longbottom as she started to lead him back to the castle saying, "Come on, dear."
Edward huffed as he watched her leave but with a shrug he returned to his task and with a clap of his hands he began to set the ground right again, smoothing it out until it looked just as it had before it had been transfigured into a slide. He ignored a lot of the students who were staring at him in awe for what he'd just done. Instead he chose to focus on the rising confrontation unfolding before him.
"Did you see his face, the great lump?" the Malfoy boy was laughing with some of his fellow Slytherins.
"Shut up, Malfoy," a Gryffindor girl snapped – Miss Parvati Patil if Edward remembered her name right.
"Ooh, sticking up for Longbottom?" said a rather unpleasant looking Slytherin girl named Pansy Parkinson. "Never thought you'd like fat little cry-babies, Parvati."
"Look!" Malfoy cried, darting forward and snatched something out of the grass near where he was standing. "It's that stupid thing Longbottom's gran sent him."
Edward frowned as Malfoy held up a glittering glass sphere. He was about to step forward and use his authority as a teacher, but to his surprise Potter marched up to confront the other boy.
"Give that here, Malfoy," he said quietly. Everyone had stopped talking and turned to watch, some of them now eyeing Edward nervously, wondering what he was going to do if and when he finally stepped in.
"I think I'll leave it somewhere for Longbottom to find – how about – up a tree?"
"Give it here!" Harry yelled, but Malfoy had leapt onto his broomstick and had taken off before Edward could even try to stop him. Hovering level with the topmost branches of a nearby oak, Malfoy called, "Come and get it, Potter!"
Harry grabbed his broom.
"No!" the Granger girl cried rushing forward to stop him. "Madam Hooch told us not to move – you'll get us all into trouble."
She looked worriedly at Edward who was trying his best to look impassive, curious to see what Potter would do. Potter looked right at him, looking nervous now that he remembered that there was a professor present and realized that he really could get everyone in trouble. But then he suddenly set his shoulders in a determined fashion, mounted his broom, and kicked off hard against the ground sailing up into the air. Granger and many others were now looking worriedly at Edward as he watched Potter soar higher and higher, the boy obviously feeling very much at home in the sky. Potter then pulled his broomstick sharply to face Malfoy in midair. Edward noticed how stunned the blond boy looked.
"Give it here," Potter called, "or I'll knock you off that broom!"
"Oh yeah?" Malfoy called back.
Potter leaned forward on his broom and shot forward toward Malfoy. The blond only just made it out of the way in time. Potter made a sharp about-face and maintained a steady balance on his broom.
"Well, what do you know?" Edward smirked, clapping along with the students, most of whom were so engrossed in the confrontation above that they'd forgotten he was even there. "Potter's a natural."
"Professor!" Granger cried. "Shouldn't you stop them? You're a teacher."
"Only a student teacher," Edward said evenly, much to the enjoyment of the other students. "I have no right to butt in on the goings-on happening during another Professor's class as Professor Snape so kindly reminded me on the first day. I have no authority here unless things go too far or unless I choose to get involved. I am – at the moment – choosing not to, seeing as this is an issue that obviously needs to be resolved between Mr. Potter and Mr. Malfoy."
Granger looked scandalized at what he'd said, obviously thinking that things had indeed gone too far and that he should intervene, but most of the other students had no such problems with Edward's decision and were cheering freely now.
"No Crabbe and Goyle up here to save your neck, Malfoy," Potter called out.
"Catch it if you can, then!" Malfoy shouted, throwing the glass ball high into the air and streaked back down toward the ground.
Potter, meanwhile, leaned forward and pointed his broom in the direction of the falling ball racing after it. Edward watched with a growing sense of exhilaration as Potter flew across the field while the students around him screamed in a mixture of excitement, terror and worry. Potter stretched out his hand and when he was about a foot off the ground he snatched up the ball just in time to pull up and spin his broom back around to race back to the class. When he landed the boy was greeted with cheers and was crowded by his fellow Gryffindors.
"That was some very impressive flying, Potter," Edward said, grinning. "Was that your first time on a broom?"
Potter went stock-still before whirling around to face him looking sheepish, proud, and exhilarated at the same time – obviously coming down from the adrenaline high that flying had given him. He nodded.
"HARRY POTTER!"
The smile and pride vanished from Potter's face in an instant and Edward grimaced as they and everyone else saw Professor McGonagall running towards them. Potter was trembling now.
"Never – in all my time at Hogwarts–!"
Professor McGonagall was almost speechless with shock, her glasses flashing furiously in the bright sunlight. "– how dare you – might have broken your neck–!"
"It wasn't his fault, Professor-!" Edward interjected, but she cut him off.
"Be quiet Mr. Elric," McGonagall barked, looking surprised to see him there.
"But Professor-!" Edward tried again, but McGonagall wasn't having it.
"That's enough, Elric," she stated firmly. "I'm surprised that you allowed this sort of thing. I want you and Potter to follow me. Now!"
Edward raised his eyebrows at her but complied. He saw that Malfoy, Crabbe and Goyle looked positively thrilled. Beside him Potter looked miserable, obviously fearing the worst as they returned to the castle and walked up the front steps. They ascended the marble staircase inside and all the while McGonagall hadn't said a word since they'd left the field. As they transversed the many corridors and passageways of Hogwarts Edward noticed that they were headed towards neither Dumbledore's nor McGonagall's offices. Maybe Potter wasn't in as much trouble as Edward thought, but Potter was obviously not familiar enough with Hogwarts yet to notice this. Edward was a little surprised though when McGonagall had them come to a stop in front of Flitwick's classroom before she poked her head in.
"Excuse me, Professor Flitwick, could I borrow Wood for a moment?"
Wood? Edward and Potter exchanged a bewildered look before a burly fifth-year boy came out of the classroom looking just as confused as they were.
"Follow me, you three," McGonagall said as she led them up the corridor and into an empty classroom – or at least it would have been empty if it weren't for the poltergeist, Peeves, who was busy writing rude words on the blackboard.
"Out, Peeves!" McGonagall barked.
Peeves threw the chalk into a bin, which clanged loudly as he swooped out cursing rather colorfully. McGonagall slammed the door shut behind the poltergeist with a wave of her wand before she turned to face the two boys and gestured at Edward to wait. Apparently she was going to deal with him after she was finished with whatever it was that she wanted to discuss with the boys, because it was obvious now to Edward that McGonagall was no longer cross with Potter. If anything she looked positively excited.
"Potter, this is Oliver Wood. Wood – I've found you a Seeker."
The Wood boy's expression changed from puzzlement to delight in an instant. Edward was confused though. What was a Seeker?
"Are you serious, Professor?"
"Absolutely." McGonagall smiled. "The boy's a natural. I've never seen anything like it. Was that your first time on a broomstick, Potter?"
Harry nodded silently, obviously stunned and confused by this turn of events.
"He caught that thing in his hand after a fifty-foot dive," McGonagall told Wood. "Didn't even scratch himself. Charlie Weasley couldn't have done it."
"He wasn't too shabby on tight turns either," Edward added thinking back to how well Potter had handled flying his broom. "Kept his balance well enough without even the slightest wobble."
Wood looked positively thrilled.
"Ever seen a game of Quidditch, Potter?" the older boy asked excitedly.
"Wood's captain of the Gryffindor team," McGonagall explained.
Oh. So that's what this was about. Edward shook his head. He really needed to learn more about this Wizard sport that everyone was apparently obsessed with.
"He's just the build for a Seeker, too," Wood said as he circled around Potter, staring at him. "Light – speedy – we'll have to get him a decent broom, Professor – a Nimbus Two Thousand or a Cleansweep Seven, I'd say."
"I shall speak to Professor Dumbledore and see if we can't bend the first-year rule. Heaven knows, we need a better team than last year. Flattened in that last match by Slytherin, I couldn't look Severus Snape in the face for weeks…" McGonagall then peered sternly over her glasses at Potter. "I want to hear you're training hard, Potter, or I may change my mind about punishing you."
Then she smiled one of her rare genuine smiles.
"Your father would have been proud," she said. "He was an excellent Quidditch player himself."
Potter looked shocked by the news but managed to nod.
"Now off you two go," McGonagall sighed, "Wood, why don't you inform Potter about the rules and help him get sorted. I need to talk to Professor Elric here."
Wood nodded enthusiastically, wheeling a still baffled looking Potter out of the room leaving Edward and McGonagall alone.
"Now I don't know what you were thinking letting Potter and Malfoy carry on like that, Edward," McGonagall frowned, "but since nothing serious happened I'll spare you a lecture and leave that to Rolanda. The reason I was out on the field is because Dumbledore sent me to find you. He wants to talk to you."
"About what?" Edward asked.
"I don't know." McGonagall shrugged. "I assume to ask you how your classes have been going so far. I suggest that you don't keep him waiting any longer."
Edward nodded and hurried off to Dumbledore's office. When he got there he was admitted by a cheerful, "Come in!"
Dumbledore was seated behind his desk stroking a lovely old red bird that he recognized as Fawkes, Dumbledore's phoenix.
"You wanted to see me?" Edward asked as he took a seat.
"Ah, yes," Dumbledore nodded. "I would like your help with a small matter."
Edward raised an eyebrow and waited for the headmaster to elaborate, only Dumbledore didn't speak again. He got up from his desk and went over to an old portrait. After speaking softly with the occupant, the painting swung forward to reveal a safe. Dumbledore waved his wand and muttered the incantations for a few complex spells to open it and retrieved something from within. After he shut the safe and came back to his desk he handed Edward a small grubby looking package. Seeing it struck a chord with Edward thinking back to what Potter had told him in relation to the Gringotts break in. This had to be what the boy had seen Hagrid remove from that vault.
Curious as to what was inside Edward took it, but the moment it made contact with his gloved hand an indescribable energy coursed through him. He didn't need to look inside the package to know what it was, but he opened it anyway and dumped the blood-red stone into his hand. A Philosopher's Stone. This was the reason why Hagrid wouldn't answer any of the boy's questions about the Gringotts news article. Edward pursed his lips and rolled the stone over in the palm of his gloved flesh-and-blood hand before putting it back in it's package and handed it back. He didn't say a word, not even when Dumbledore returned the stone back behind the sealed enchanted safe and portrait.
"Edward, you know better than anyone what this is and what it is capable of," Dumbledore sighed. "As I told you a few weeks back, Nicolas Flamel entrusted me with this stone to keep it safe."
He had and while Edward remembered that conversation he also remembered the one he had with Potter about the Gringotts article. Many things began to click into place and he didn't like the picture that was taking shape.
"You're endangering everyone in this school by having the stone here," Edward said softly, but his eyes flashed dangerously. "This is what the thief that broke into Gringotts wanted isn't it? You're lucky that Hagrid got there first, but that doesn't make the situation any less dangerous. That thing should be destroyed."
"So you know about the break in… but if the stone is destroyed, Nickolas will die," Dumbledore pointed out.
"Sad but tough," Edward replied gruffly. "There are people in my world who have killed for a Philosopher's Stone. Hell! The stones were the secret reasons that wars were started up. Do you not realize just how many lives are sacrificed just to make one of those?! How many lives are ruined? ENDED?!"
Dumbledore looked at Edward sadly and looked as old as he really was. Oh he knew all right.
"I know, Edward," Dumbledore said softly. "Believe me, I know. Your father was very vocal about it, like you, but you'll have to forgive Nicolas. He's old and perhaps finally going senile, but I must respect his wishes."
"Fine," Edward growled.
It was quiet for a moment before he sighed and deflated in his chair.
"So what is this "matter" that you wanted me to help you with?" he grunted.
"I want you to help me add one final measure to the defenses that the other teachers are putting in place where I'll be permanently placing the stone while it's at Hogwarts," Dumbledore stated, rising to his feet.
Knowing that it was pointless to argue further, Edward followed the old headmaster out of the office and to the third floor corridor without a word. Well now he knew why this wing was out of bounds to the students, but it was a rather stupid thing to announce if this was where the Philosopher's Stone was going to be kept. Dumbledore might as well be informing any thieves that something worth stealing was being kept hidden there. Dumbledore finally stopped outside a door at the end of the corridor and opened it, whistling a merry tune as he went. At first Edward thought Dumbledore was going all loopy on him again (Nickolas Flamel wasn't the only ancient man going senile after all) but when he caught sight of the massive dog behind the door he gaped. The bloody beast nearly filled the entire space and had three heads!
Edward was about to tell Dumbledore to stop whistling because it had attracted the dog's (or was it plural: dogs'?) attention, but he soon figured out that Dumbledore's whistling was putting the beast at ease. A few minutes later the massive dog(s) was asleep and Dumbledore was opening a trapdoor that Edward hadn't noticed until now. Dumbledore kept whistling even after he started to descend. Edward quickly scrambled after him and quietly shut the door behind him as he climbed down some sort of ladder that seemed to go on for miles. At the bottom Dumbledore had his wand lit so Edward did the same (though how the old man had managed to reach the bottom so quickly was a mystery to Edward). It was pitch black down there and there wasn't much to see until Edward cast his wand upwards to a nearly demolished ceiling, which was a lot closer than he'd expected. He hadn't realized that he'd passed through the middle of a floor with a massive hole in it on the way down. Then he thought he saw movement and cast his wand light upwards. A vine was curling in on itself even deeper into the shadows over the lip of the huge hole in what little that remained of the floor above.
"…Is that Devil Snare?" Edward asked.
"It is," Dumbledore nodded. "Pomona tells me that in a few weeks they will have grown enough to carpet the entire floor above us and over the hole."
"One of the Stone's defenses?" Edward asked.
"The first of many," Dumbledore sighed. "This way please."
Edward then followed the old headmaster down a long sloping corridor until they came upon a large empty high ceilinged room.
"What's this space supposed to be?" Edward asked.
"Not sure yet. Filius is in charge of this room and has yet to put up whatever enchantments he has decided to use," Dumbledore mused.
"Alright…" Edward nodded, following Dumbledore through the door at the other end. The next room was twice the size of the last one, but it was tiled like a checkerboard with stone statues lined up against the walls with rejects scrapped in what looked like pits. After a quick examination of the statues while they continued towards the door at the other end, he realized that they looked like chess pieces. He jumped when one of the statue chess pieces (a knight if the horse was any indication) drew its sword and made them halt. It was then that Edward realized that the stone statues scattered around the chamber weren't in the process of being built, but had been demolished. These were wizard chess pieces and Edward had quickly learned over the first two weeks at Hogwarts which of his fellow teachers loved chess.
"Minerva?" he asked dryly thinking back to the few games he'd played in the staff rooms with her during some of their lunch breaks over the last two weeks.
"Of course," Dumbledore chuckled. "She does love a good game of chess. She's still experimenting with their transfiguration though. The process is a little skewed since the pieces are already enchanted when she enlarges them. She's getting close though. She'll most likely have worked out all the kinks by the end of the week."
With a wave of his wand the knight statue stood down and let them pass into the next chamber, which was another huge empty room like the one Filius Flitwick, was supposed to be working on only this one looked like one of those rooms used for underground fighting rings that Edward had seen in Amestris.
"Quirrel will be putting some creature in here for any intruders to face," Dumbledore added absently before Edward could ask. "And Severus is working on a potion's puzzle of some kind for this next room."
"Alright…" Edward mused as they walked through another empty room and entered what appeared to be the last chamber, which was also empty.
"This is the chamber where I'll put the stone and it's final defense," Dumbledore stated.
"Ok," Edward nodded slowly, "so what did you want my help with?"
"Edward, there are very few people out there who know much about alchemy," Dumbledore sighed. "I was hoping that you could place one final defense in this room."
Edward was quiet for a moment as he looked around. The room was a long rectangle and looked like a stadium of some sort with stairs around the edges that led down to the floor half a story down. He thought back to the defenses that were going to be put in place but paused when he recalled McGonagall's living wizard chess set. The knight… That gave him an idea.
Edward darted back into the chess room and headed to one of the pits where scraps of the ruined and discarded experiment chess pieces were. With a clap of his hands he transmutated all of the discarded rubble.
"Impressive," Dumbledore mused with a small smile when he caught up with the young Alchemist and saw what he'd made. "What will they be able to do?"
"Protect the stone," Edward said simply, but a smirk was working itself into place. "And beat the crap out of anyone stupid enough to try and take it."
There were twelve stone suits that resembled Al's armor. All they needed was a few spells to get them moving and alchemic seals placed on them to make them impervious to spells cast by anyone other than himself who didn't know alchemy.
Edward had almost been late to his class that afternoon, but he'd managed to at least get the twelve stone Als into the last chamber. He'd work on getting them moving over the weekend when he had more free time.
When Edward arrived in the Great Hall for dinner he sat by Flitwick and Sprout as usual and dug into his meal heartily. While he chatted openly with his fellow staff members he couldn't help but look over at the Gryffindor table where he spotted Potter with the younger three of the four Weasley boys talking excitedly. When the twins left leaving Potter and the youngest redhead alone, the Malfoy boy and his two cronies approached.
Edward frowned as the boys exchanged quick and probably heated words before the three Slytherins headed back to their own table. When they were gone, Weasley and Potter talked to each other briefly before getting up to leave. The Granger girl looked worried and was talking to Potter in what looked like an urgent manner, but the two boys shrugged her off and left the Great Hall. Edward was tempted to ask Granger what was going on, but knew that she wouldn't tell him. Not if it could mean getting her fellow housemates in trouble and lose house points over it. Besides, who was he to get involved in a student's personal matters? Deciding to let the matter go (for now) he returned his thoughts to the conversation he was supposed to be having with Flitwick and Sprout who thankfully hadn't noticed his inattention.
After dinner Edward was cornered by Madam Hooch and given a scolding for what he'd allowed to happen in her class during her absence. McGonagall had obviously mentioned something to her about it during dinner. Out of both guilt and to get her off his back, he agreed to help coach and oversee Potter's Quidditch training and practice. He confessed that he didn't know a thing about the sport, but she'd obviously assumed as much and had unloaded a heavy book into his arms while telling him to study up. Grumbling, he stalked off to his chambers and ran into an amused looking Snape who'd apparently witnessed the entire conversation.
"Shut it, Severus," he grumbled, but that only seemed to amuse the Potion's Master even more.
"I heard that Dumbledore has asked you to help with our little project," Snape mused, skillfully changing the subject.
"Project?" Edward frowned for a moment before he realized what Snape was implying. "Oh! Yeah."
Scowling even more, Edward opened the door to his office and set the heavy Quidditch text down with a loud THUMP while Snape soundlessly shut the door behind them.
"That thing should be destroyed, not guarded," he huffed, plopping down into his chair.
Snape raised an eyebrow and noticed that Al in the portrait over Edward's personal chamber's door was shuffling about nervously within his frame.
"What's so dangerous about this stone other than the fact that it grants immortality?" he finally asked because Dumbledore had never really explained to him what the stone was and it was obvious that Edward knew more about it than he'd been told.
"Do you know how a stone like that is created, Severus?" Edward asked darkly with a slightly haunted look in his eyes. The expression unnerved Snape a little but he remained silent and waited for him to continue. "The Philosopher's Stone is created using hundreds and sometimes thousands of human lives. It is comprised of it's victims' souls and holds nearly unlimited power. It's uses in creating an elixir for eternal life and turning objects into gold are nothing compared to the amplifying power it contains when put in the hands of someone that can tap into that power and use it. Where I'm from, cities were destroyed in the creation of one of these stones and whole nations were brought to ruin in war efforts put into effect to secretly make and obtain one. I've known good men who were killed and innocent people whose lives were brought to ruin all because of the extent someone was willing to go to, to possess a Philosopher's Stone."
Snape was quiet for a moment before nodding.
"I see," was all he said.
Edward nodded before letting out a sigh and sunk even lower into his seat.
"And Dumbledore knows all of this, but he won't betray the confidence of Flamel," he said softly. "Severus, that stone is nothing but trouble and is too dangerous to be kept within the walls of a school no matter how well protected it is. Someone is going to get hurt. Nothing good happens when a Philosopher's Stone is involved."
Snape nodded again in understanding.
"Then it would appear that all we can do at the moment is do our best to prevent that," he said. "Maybe Dumbledore can arrange it so that you can talk to Flamel yourself. Since you know so much about this stone maybe you could convince him to destroy his."
Edward nodded absently as he stared up at his portrait of Al who was trying to give him a comforting smile.
"Maybe," he mused.
Later that night Edward had patrol duty to make sure that students weren't up and out of bed outside of their house common rooms. He had just passed through the Charms Wing when he heard the sound of running footsteps. On instinct, Edward ducked around the corner and peeked around to see who it was. He was surprised to see Potter, Weasley, Granger and Longbottom all doubled over panting in the middle of the hall.
"I think we've lost him," Potter panted, wiping his forehead.
Poor Longbottom was wheezing and spluttering, his arm still wrapped in bandaging. He'd obviously left the hospital wing recently.
"I – told – you," Granger gasped, clutching at her chest, "I – told – you."
"We've got to get back to Gryffindor tower," Weasley said, voice almost an octave higher than usual. "As quickly as possible."
"Malfoy tricked you," Granger said to Potter. "You realize that, don't you? He was never going to meet you – Filch knew someone was going to be in the trophy room. Malfoy must have tipped him off."
Edward wasn't sure what was going on, but he was sure that it had something to do with the conversation he'd witnessed during dinner. And it appeared that poor Longbottom had gotten caught up in the middle of it.
"Let's go," Potter finally sighed, but the quartet hadn't gone more than a dozen paces when a doorknob rattled and something came shooting out of a classroom at the students. It was Peeves and when the poltergeist caught sight of them he gave a squeal of delight.
"Shut up, Peeves – please," Potter hissed. "You'll get us thrown out."
"Wandering around at midnight, Ickle Firsties? Tut, tut, tut. Naughty, naughty, you'll get caughty."
"Not if you don't give us away, Peeves, please!" Potter begged sounding a little desperate since Peeves was hardly being quiet.
"Should tell Filch, I should," Peeves said in a saintly voice, but Edward could see the ghost's eyes glitter wickedly. "It's for your own good, you know."
"Get out of the way," Ron snapped, taking a swipe at Peeves, which was a big mistake.
"STUDENTS OUT OF BED!" Peeves bellowed, "STUDENTS OUT OF BED DOWN THE CHARMS CORRIDOR!"
Ducking under Peeves, the four students ran for their lives, right to the end of the corridor where they disappeared up a staircase.
Edward decided that he'd had enough and to put a stop to Peeves' shouting before he woke up the whole castle.
"Shut it, Peeves," he barked as he made himself turn back into the Charms Wing.
"But there are students out of bed, Professor," the ghost cackled with delight. "Shouldn't the little-!"
"I'M NOT LITTLE! DON'T CALL ME MIDGET! OR SHORTY! OR SHRIMP OR SO HELP ME YOU WILL SEE EXACTLY WHAT THIS ALCHEMIST CAN DO!" Edward shouted, knowing full well that he was overreacting, but it was kind of a knee-jerk reflex whenever he heard the word. He knew that Peeves had probably been referring to Potter and the others, but the shocked look on the poltergeist's face was so priceless Edward kept up the rant, shouting at the ghost until he flew away looking startled. Especially when Edward started flinging spells that actually affected the poltergeist. The alchemist hadn't spent the summer in the castle putting up with the ghosts without learning how to deal with the annoying ones.
Almost a second after Peeves was gone Filch finally arrived on the scene looking bewildered.
"Professor Elric? What's this all about?" he asked with his cat at his heels. "I heard Peeves shouting something about students being out of bed."
"DO I LOOK LIKE A STUDENT TO YOU?!" Edward snapped. "You know what? Never mind. DON'T ANSWER THAT! Goodnight, Mr. Filch."
With that said he stormed off down the corridor in a huff leaving a confused Filch behind him. Once he turned the corner and hurried up the staircase though, he allowed himself a small chuckle. Well that had been fun. Now it was time to find Potter and make sure that the boy and his companions made it back to Gryffindor Tower without any further problems. He stepped off on the next landing, finding fibers from a pink fuzzy slipper in the middle of the hall, which meant that they were hiding on this floor. He froze though when he realized where he was. This was the third floor corridor and there was only one room that they could have gone in. Now normally he wouldn't have worried because he'd been told that the door was locked. The door was charmed to lock automatically to keep students out and any intruders stupid enough to enter in… but the Granger girl was smart. She probably knew the unlocking spell… and in a hurry to hide not one of the four panicked fleeing eleven-year-old students would have checked the room before entering first which meant-!
"AHHHH!"
Edward pelted towards the door at the end of the corridor and whipped his wand out, unlocking the door and allowed the four students to tumble out before shutting it in the three snapping faces of the monstrous dog.
"Are you all alright?" Edward asked, kneeling down to check on poor Longbottom who looked like he was hyperventilating.
"I think so," Weasley said with wide eyes.
"Thank you, Professor," Granger gasped, leaning against the stone wall.
"No problem," Edward sighed. "But now you know why this corridor is off limits."
"What do they think they're doing, keeping a thing like that locked up in a school?" Weasley groused. "If any dog needs exercise, that one does."
"You don't use your eyes, any of you, do you?" Granger snapped, "Didn't you see what it was standing on?"
Edward frowned. Damn. Granger really was a sharp one that was for sure. He had a feeling that it wouldn't just be Potter that he'd have to keep an eye on during the school year.
"The floor?" Weasley cried incredulously. "I wasn't looking at it's feet! I was a bit preoccupied with it's heads! Or maybe you didn't notice. There were three!"
"It was standing on a trapdoor," Granger stated as if talking to a slow child, "which means it's guarding something."
"Guarding something?" Potter repeated looking confused.
"Yes, now if you all don't mind, I'd like to go to bed before any of you come up with another clever idea to get us killed, or worse expelled!"
"She needs to sort out her priorities," Edward heard Weasley mutter to Longbottom and Potter who both nodded in agreement.
"I agree, Miss Granger," Edward sighed. "Let's get you lot to bed. I've made enough of a fool of myself for one night in distracting both Peeves and Filch to get them off your backs so let's get going before I regret not turning you in."
"You mean you aren't going to do anything?" Granger asked, surprised.
"Of course I'm going to do something." Edward rolled his eyes with a smirk. "I'm going to get you four back to Gryffindor Tower, now come on."
"Thank you, Professor," Potter said tiredly as he and the other three followed Edward.
"No problem." Edward shrugged. "Though I would like to know why four first year students are up and out of bed in the middle of the night."
Potter looked sheepish.
"Malfoy challenged Harry to a duel in the trophy room, Professor," Weasley stated slowly. "I was going along to be his second. Hermione ended up coming because she followed us out of the common room but couldn't get back in because the Fat Lady was missing from her portrait. Then we ran into Neville who was asleep in the hall because he couldn't remember the password to get in when he left the hospital wing, so he came along too."
Edward frowned. He wasn't well practiced in wizard dueling, but he'd had a few mock duels with Snape. Hearing that a couple of students – first years especially – were going to duel though made him a little angry. Someone could have gotten hurt.
"But Malfoy tricked them, Professor," Granger stated quietly in the boys' defense when she saw his angry expression. "I tried to tell them it was a bad idea, but they wouldn't listen."
"Boys hardly ever do," Edward sighed, then chuckled, shaking his head. "I know I hardly ever listen."
Granger looked up at him wide-eyed.
"What?" Edward chuckled. "I'm hardly one to follow the rules myself, Miss Granger, and please remember that I'm not that much older than you. At your age I got into quite a bit trouble and was very reckless. Still am actually. Though I can't say that I would have locked myself in a room with a three-headed dog. That's just suicidal. You're lucky I got to you when I did."
"Yeah, thanks for that, Professor." Weasley smiled.
"But how did you find us?" Potter asked. "Like you said, that corridor is forbidden. Why would you be there?"
"Simple," Edward stated. "I followed you after dispatching Peeves."
"You followed us?" Granger asked.
"I was patrolling the corridors," Edward explained and then told them how he got rid of the poltergeist and Filch and how he came to find them. His short story earned him not only a few laughs but their trust and respect as well.
They didn't run into any other obstacles on their way to the Gryffindor common room and Edward easily smoothed things over with the Fat Lady to ensure that no one would know of their little adventure. He made sure that all four were headed up to bed before heading back to his own quarters and fell back into his own bed with an annoyed sigh. He had seen Potter's contemplative look on his way up to bed and just knew that the boy was connecting the dots. He had a feeling that Potter knew what would soon be placed beneath the trapdoor that the three-headed monster dog was guarding.
"Great," Edward growled aloud before flopping over onto his back to glare up at the ceiling. "Just great."
He was going to have to keep an even closer eye on Potter than he thought.
So what didja think? I hope you enjoyed it because I had a blast writing that last part. Edward finally got to use his alchemy and have one of his rants! I wasn't really sure how to write the rant though so I hope I did a good job and that the characters weren't too OC. :P
If you have any questions I would be more than happy to answer! ^_^
Pretty please review! :D