Alchemical Lane

Part 4 – Enter Professor Severus Snape

It always started out like this; he decided as he popped into the most boring neighborhood he had ever seen. For one, he had a dreadful feeling that he would become soft and take the Potter boy away from the Dursley family and raise him as his own son. Wherever the hell that feeling had come from, he didn't know, but he didn't like it at all.

So, when he knocked on the door and it was opened by none other than Petunia Dursley, Severus almost lost his voice. He hadn't talked to the little sister of Lily in ages and even when he had…he found that he had little patience for her. Though, on one level or another, he had wished that she'd be nice to Lily, his dearest friend.

"Severus," Petunia said softly, "Whatever has brought you here?" she asked.

"You're nephew, the Potter boy, apparently has a penchant for picking up strays," Severus replied, he didn't sneer at Petunia. Lily had always hated it when he had done so.

"Well, do come in," Petunia let the Wizard enter. He hadn't bothered to blend in with his surroundings, he wore dark green robes but his hair had been pulled back. She could smell the musty scent of a cellar on him.

"Harry Potter! Come down here and bring your friend!" Petunia called up the stairs. Two pairs of footsteps hurried about the room before a boy with black hair and glasses stomped down the stairs, rather surprised when he caught site of Severus Snape. Next came a boy who was hurriedly pulling on a red coat, he had blond hair pulled back in a lose braid.

"Who is that, boy?" Petunia growled. Harry just blinked as the blond kid pushed past him.

"My name is Edward Elric, Miss…?" Edward held out his non-metal hand, he also had a rather nervous smile on his face.

"Dursley," the woman replied but she didn't take his hand.

"Petunia, mind if I take these boys into the kitchen?" Severus asked politely, though he did sneer at Harry.

"Go ahead, Severus," Petunia replied with a tight nod of her head.

Severus walked past the boys, his robes fluttering about as if he was playing at being Vlad Dracula. Harry shook his head and followed, Edward behind him. Edward figured that this man must be Snape, not only by Petunia addressing him by his first name of Severus, but also the fact that the man had a rather large, hooked now and greasy hair.

Snape pointed to two chairs and silently the boys took them. Edward folded his arms behind his head and took on a boring position. By the annoyance that flashed through Snape, Edward had a pretty good idea that he didn't like him much.

"So, Potter, bringing home stray's I see," Snape sneered.

"Yeah," Harry replied indignantly. Edward yawned and stared up at the ceiling.

"Did it occur to you that this kid could be a Death Eater?" Snape asked, he propped an eyebrow at both boys.

"Now, hold on one moment," Edward deemed to look up at Snape, "I am not a Death Eater, whatever the hell that is, I'm a State Alchemist,"

"A what?" Harry asked.

"I told you about Alchemy, remember? Well, in my world the Army Employ's Alchemist's for jobs that normal soldier's can't do," Edward dug into his left pocket and held up a pocket watch on a silver chain, it had what looked like a lion as a symbol on the front.

"This is our status," Edward grinned happily.

"Needless to say, Potter, it was irresponsible of you," Snape admonished, not that it had any affect on the boys.

"He fell through a hole in the sky, what was I supposed to do?" Harry rolled his eyes.

"Send a letter to the Order?" Snape suggested.

"Right, that would have gone well," Harry snorted in derision.

"Maybe better than having someone see us out there and tell them on you," Edward hypothesized, he didn't know what this Order was, but he had a feeling that it had to be some sort of Government thing.

"So, what now?" Harry asked. Snape sneered at the both of them.

"I'm supposed to take you and Elric here to Professor Dumbledore. He'll make sure that whatever Elric say's is the truth," Snape explained.

"Great," Edward rolled his eyes, why did these sorts of things had to happen to him?

--

Down Town Lior, Amestris

The rouge Alchemist was looking rather too full of himself for Al's comfort. Around the two of them stood huge mirrors, five in all. From a distance, or so it seemed to Al, he could hear the screaming of the innocents. Why was it always Lior that got crushed by Alchemy? It didn't make sense, but Al figured that there were a lot of things that didn't make sense.

Like that missing part of him, his lost memories weren't the only thing he was missing. Whatever it was though, everyone seemed to know, everyone except himself.

"I have no clue what you're talking about," El smiled, "But, I have to stop you now. It would be easier if you'd just give up and turn yourself over to the army," he shrugged.

"Why should I?" the Aqua Alchemist, aka, Joey Hartz, replied with a sinister grin (well, he looked more like he had eaten a bug and spat it out. But hey, a bad-guy has to try!)

"It was only a suggestion, but I must warn you…I don't need chalk for the sort of Transmutation I do," Al said, he was too fair sometimes, at least, someone had told him so. A flash of blond hair and yellow eyes, a grin and red…the vision was gone before Al could solidify it in his head. Who was that boy…?

Due to such distraction, Aqua had a full tow second lead on his alchemy. A huge pillar of water blew from the earth, before it took on the looks of a spear and headed straight towards Al's head. Al dodged to the side, a clap of his hands he was surrounded by a ring of blue fire. The water headed for him again but sizzled as it touched the Alchemical fire.

"GRRRRR! DAMN YOU ALPHONSE ELRIC!" the man yelled, "DAMN YOU AND YOUR BORTHER, ALWAYS GETTING IN MY WAAAAAYYYY!!" Aqua yelled.

Al blinked at the man; "What? What did you say? I have a brother?"

--

Hogwarts, School of Witchcraft and Wizardry, someplace in Scotland

Edward and Harry sat in the brightly lit office of one Albus Dumbledore. Harry stared off into the fire, wondering as to why Dumbledore would leave them alone in his office for such a long time. Edward was looking over the books. Dumbledore seemed to be interested in lots of things, especially Alchemy.

One book caught his interest; The Magic of Alchemy: the Philosopher's Stone. Edward was going to reach for it when a man in deep purple robes and a funnily pointed hat arrived. Edward and Harry followed the man with their eyes till he sat down behind his desk.

"Well then, would anyone like a lemon drop?" Professor Dumbledore asked with a smile. Edward and Harry both shook their heads as they took seats in front of the desk.

"So, Harry, this is your friend I have heard about?" Dumbledore asked.

"Yes, I am Edward Elric," Edward answered for Harry.

"And how did you get here?" Dumbledore asked.

"Broom," Edward joked.

"Ah, I see, funny thing broom's," Dumbledore said.

"Yeah," Edward agreed. Harry had no clue what Edward was doing but waited to see what would happen next.

"Anyway, I'm trying to get back to my brother," Edward explained, "We've been separated for a about a year now and I need to find him,"

"Brother?" Dumbledore's blue eyes twinkled. This gave Edward a bad feeling. Armstrong twinkled as well, but at least the man had a heart of gold, this twinkling just gave Edward a bad feeling deep within his gut. He couldn't tell this man a thing if he were to get back to his brother.

"Yeah, his name is Al," Edward gave up that much.

"Ah, well maybe I can help you with that," Dumbledore replied.

"Probably not," Edward muttered under his breath.

Dumbledore stood, "Well, I've determined that you are no Death Eater. But, I cannot send you or Harry back to the Dursley's since they obviously don't want neither of you there," Dumbledore said.

"They didn't want me in the first place," Harry put in, glaring.

"So, you shall spend the summer with the Weasely's," Dumbledore announced.

--

A/N – Okay, this may seem a bit short. And it might get weirder from here on out. But, I do hope that you shall stay with me. Oh, and there will be Severitus but with a twist. If you think you can guess, let me know and I shall donate a chapter to you! lol

Ta,

Professor Know-It-All