Harry Potter and the Law of Equivalent Trade – Chapter 4

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When all three agreed Hagrid produced a soggy looking hat and held it out.

"Go on, touch it, you'll see. Harry, do not go near Knockturn Alley, you hear? Go straigh' to Fred and George's shop. See you later!" Hagrid quickly turned around and blocked Harry's view. Harry had a suspicion that the hat was a portkey but wasn't quite sure. As soon as Hagrid and the others started to be sucked into the hat Harry's suspicions were confirmed. As Harry stood, alone in the street dumbly looking at the place where they left, he came to a realization on how strange this was, and how he couldn't wait to tell Hermione and Ron.

Were those people truly from another world? Or was this confuse the shit out of Harry day? Shaking his head he finally remembered the meeting with Ron and Hermione. That exchange must have taken at least 15 minutes… so that meant he was late! He finally decided upon not thinking about this incident for the time being, that would save his sanity.

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Ed felt a slight pulling sensation at the base of his neck. Alarmed he started yelling for Al. What was he thinking!? This must be a trap! Why the hell did they agree to this!? God dammit Alchemists were supposed to be very smart people. Usually. Ed was on the verge of ripping everything up when the pulling suddenly stopped. He stood up unsteadily and looked around. It seemed he was in an office of sorts. It was decorated with paintings of rather stern looking people and the tables and chairs all seemed to be gilded in gold. On the table there were trinkets that looked rather valuable many of which glittered with the refracted light from the burning fire levitated from a centerpiece on the table. The Fire actually floated there in midair. Ed looked at Mustang; and he pointedly looked at the fire. Mustang shook his head indicating that it wasn't fake fire or a illusionary tricks and it wasn't alchemy for sure.

"Ah, welcome to my office. Allow me to introduce myself, I am Headmaster of this school, Albus Dumbledore, Hagrid, you may go," an old man suddenly appeared, coming through a door that at first seemed like a part of the wall. He had twinkling half moon glasses and a long beard. Hagrid left the way Dumbledore came.

'Geez, this old geezer looks like a nut!' Ed thought to himself, studying this, Dumbledore man. He had robes on, like the people they saw at that dragon alley or something or other, and his beard seemed a mile long to Ed. On his head he wore a cone shape hat but what was most disconcerting was the shock of bright purple fabric with gold stars that adorned this old geezer. Oh and that myth about old people getting short? Ed confirmed that was a half-assed lie. Ed's thoughts were interrupted when Mustang stepped towards the old man.

"Pleased to meet you, my name is Roy Mustang and we would like your help," Mustang bowed to Dumbledore sensing he was someone of importance, years in the military had truly fashioned Mustang in the ways of kissing ass or other wise known as etiquette "Please, we'd like to know where we are."

"You're currently in Scotland, where this school is located," Dumbledore said, eyes twinkling with a little smile.

"And where is this Scotland?"

"Why, it's in Europe!"

"'Europe? May I ask, how far is Central from this place?"

"Central? My apologies, I have no knowledge of a place called Central."

"I thought so," Ed commented breaking into the conversation.

"Who might you be, child?" Dumbledore asked not unkindly peering on the rather short boy who had the most amazing eyes he'd ever seen. A vein popped on Ed's head.

"WHO'S CALLING ME SO YOUNG THAT I LOOK LIKE A BABY BEAN THAT CAN'T BE SEEN WHEN –"

"Nii-san! Stop!" Using one armored hand he clutched Ed's metal arm pulling him back from the rather shocked Dumbledore.

"I apologized for the stunted one there," Roy remarked, grinning slightly at Ed, "It seems what he lacks in height he more than makes up for in insolence." It seemed that Ed's face was pockmarked with bulging veins. You could almost see the smoke coming from his ears. Ed grunted, muttering under his breath.

"I'm sorry Mr. Dumbledore. My name's Alphonse Elric. And this is my brother, Edward Elric," Dumbledore looked up slightly because of surprise. Sure the armor in the Hogwarts hallways did have some minor intelligence but this piece, this piece thought it had a name and family! It seemed almost… sentient. That and it might be helped along the fact that there was a girl placed between his shoulder spikes and crook of the neck.

"Pleased to meet you Misters Elric and Mr. Mustang. Now, shall we get down to business?" Dumbledore proclaimed, motioning toward the big squashy sofas in front of his desk, "First order of business. Shall we get the young lady to the infirmary?"

Al looked up ad nodded eagerly, "Yes sir, the sooner the be-…."

"Wait, Al! We don't know if we can trust him!" Ed rapped Al's back and hissed out his warning. Ed scowled at his beloved yet utterly naïve little brother, "We don't know if we can trust him!" Mustang sat quietly aside. He wasn't sure what to think. The old man held power he was quite sure. But he didn't feel evil, powerful yes, but certainly not evil. Mustang prided himself with being able to read people quite accurately, and it wasn't the fact that the old man was 10 times his age that lead Mustang to believe he wasn't dangerous. No, it all came down to the eyes. He had eyes of one with power. Piercing blue with glitter of mirth shadowing dark secrets. Eyes that have seen much more than anyone could claim and eyes who feel great pain and great joy.

"Ed, we can't do anything now. Trust the man and do what's best for Winry. Besides, if Winry's in trouble, we'll save her," Mustang glanced at the old man and the old man in turn smiled slightly toward him.

Al nodded and looked up in surprise, there a beautiful bird with red gold feathers flew right above his head singing a soft song. Al had seen nothing as beautiful this bird.

"Fawkes here will lead you and your brother to a room, there you can rest and wash up, I will stay here and talk more with Mr. Mustang."

Ed glanced at Al and nodded only slightly as they marched out.

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"Arrghhh! I can't stand that damned Mustang! I bet he's telling Dumbledore to kill us in our sleep!"

"Come on nii-san, he can't be that bad!"

"Yes he is! He'll say stuff like 'Ed is so short like a little bean that can be squashed with a piece of paper and should be THROWN out and KILLED by RABID DOGS because he is so small the dogs will think he is a DAMNED BONE!!!!' And then he'll laugh at my misfortune."

Al sweatdropped and looked at his brother, "Er, riiiight. Ok nii-san…"

The pair walked in silence as Fawkes continued to fly ahead. The passed a myriad of hallways and stairs and finally they reached a portrait of a handsome man reading a book. He looked vaguely like Mustang with his supremely confident smirk. Well, to Ed at least.

"Password?" Fawkes trilled a song and the portrait nodded, it swung open and Ed stepped cautiously in. The room was decorated much like Dumbledore's room and Ed soon found he couldn't help but be pleased by the comfy room.

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"Thank you for your hospitality, Professor Dumbledore."

"That's quite alright, though I'm still a little puzzled. How is it that 3 magic-less individuals were able to travel through worlds with a suit of armor? I assumed your world did not have magic but it doesn't seem possible…"

"Yes, er, well, we opened a book and were, er, sucked in." Mustang didn't' think it would convince the old man that easily but to his surprise, the professor nodded quite enthusiastically.

"Yes, we have a few very troublesome books ourselves." Obviously, Mustang decided to keep their Alchemy skills on the need to know basis.

"Now, shall we get you a job? How about Assistant Librarian?"

"That's the only position that won't arouse too much suspicion…"

"Alright."

"Now to take care of the children's school supplies," Mustang grinned, Ed would scream bloody murder if he had been here, " I do believe that the Elric brothers have potential in magic as well as you, the girl, I don't feel much magic from her."

"No, she believes in machinery overall an is an expert on prosthetic limbs."

"Ahh, I see, I think she should be better suited as a muggle specialist on Healing. Madame Pomfrey can train her in the non-magical care of wizards."

"I don't think she's much of a doctor… but I believe her knowledge of human functions are unparalleled. "

"Good, now, about Alphonse Elric, I'm very interested on how a suit of armor has an almost sentient personality. How was this accomplished? An artificial brain?"

Mustang felt a pang of anger on the professor's choice of words. Al wasn't almost sentient, he was a human being.

"I don't know what you mean. Al is full sentient and is a human being not a piece of armor and his personality and feelings weren't created, they belong to him."

Dumbledore looked quite shocked, "There is a person inside?"

"Yeah, he just has to wear the armor."

"I see, I automatically assumed he was empty, I apologize…"

"It's a commonly made mistake. Now, why don't I get the Elrics? I'll go with them to get school supplies."

Dumbledore smiled as Mustang left. It seemed to Dumbledore Mustang was truly very close to the brothers, and he would protect them for as long as he could. What he didn't know was that Mustang believed that those boys were going to change the world in more ways than he could imagine, and he hoped, for the better.

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