Disclamer: I do not own HP or FMA.

Chapter 6

First of all brother, the bird you have brought is very good.

It waits very patiently till I write a reply, and its very sight is imposing.

Things here are going fine. I have recovered the use of most of my muscles, and Granny has come to Central to take me back to Central. She doesn't like it here a single bit. Things here are quieting down, and I keep on receiving more gifts day by day. Half of them are addressed to you.

Moreover, I will most likely visit this 'Hogwarts' of yours to see it somewhere around Christmas. General Mustang has approved it, even your Headmaster has said yes, so you can't stop me brother! I will come over there no matter what. You mentioned about this Triwizard tournament earlier. I think you should try it out. I know that you told me there is an age restriction on the competition, but since when such a thing has stopped you? Whatever happens, you have my full support brother.

I hope that Dumbledore allows me to join this year!

Your loving brother,

Al.

Edward managed a small smile before opening the next letter. By seeing the seal, he quickly transmuted it to dust. Thankfully no one noticed it.

Fullmetal.

Firstly, don't worry, your brother is fine. I don't want you ranting about the fact that I forgot to mention about your brother in your next letter.

Then, I want to thank you for one thing. YES. I AM COMPLIMENTING YOU. This is for the first and the last time I will do it. I want to thank you for your selection of such a wonderful bird. It simply sort of 'flamed' into existence on my desk, burning a week's worth of paperwork. I can't thank you enough for that. Expect a bonus for this month.

And finally, and the most important thing, the Fuhrer and myself has decided to order you to participate in the tournament. If you get selected, do what you do best.

Also, your assessment is coming up. It would be held by Christmas.

Regards,

Brig. Gen. Roy Mustang.

'Flame Alchemist'

The reaction to the letter was a mixed one. Ed was happy about the bonus, but angry about the order. But still the images of an irate Hawkeye terrorizing the Col- General with a gun made his day. He wasn't worried about his assessment, he would pass it anyways.

Looking back at the letter, he gave it a small smile. To a normal person, wizard or not, it would look like that someone was ranting about his new girlfriend. Edward was easily able to break Roy's codes, no matter how complicated they were. However, on one had managed to break HIS codes, not even Al.

He carefully folded both of his letters and kept it inside his bag. Looking around, he found that Harry and Ron were discussing how the DADA lesson would go. He tapped Winry's shoulder.

"What's the schedule for today?"

Winry spared the schedule a moment before turning back to Edward.

"Double Divination and Care of Magical Creatures. Then Charms, DADA and Transfiguration."

Edward groaned. He missed his old days where he would get to use alchemy freely.

Divination was a fun sort of class. Ed blatantly told Harry that Professor Trelawney was a phony. Harry found this quite amusing, causing the professor to come over to their table and predicting Harry's death. However, she stopped when she saw Edward.

"And you must be Edward Elric, I presume?"

Edward grimaced

"Yes Professor."

Trelawney gave a small smile.

"Aah, I knew that it was you, child. Those golden eyes. The long golden hair-"

"Well professor, it seems that you read the student register quite well."

The class exploded into laughter. But however, Trelawney ignored it.

"The inner eye sees everything, child."

"When the inner eye shows something, it is in the forms of trances, not normal predictions of appearances of students."

Harry turned his laughter into a hackling cough. Besides his table, Lavender and Parvati were glaring at Edward.

"Do not mock the powers of the inner eye, child."

"I am not mocking the inner eye. I am mocking you."

Trelawney looked certainly disturbed now.

"Well, if you say so, I will prove it to you by correctly guessing you month of birth!"

"Take your best shot."

"Your fiery personality tells clearly that you are a Leo, thus born mostly in august."

Edward was shocked.

"No professor, I was born in February."

The rest of class passed with Trelawney staying away from their table.

The path to Hagrid's was slippery as ever, making the group go slowly. However, Ron was at the end of the party, along with slightly tattered robes.

Flashback

All of them were descending down the steps where they were met with Neville. He was, once again struggling with his copy of Monster book of Monsters, who was trying to shred his clothes. Harry rushed forward, but was unable to pry out the book from its current task. Edward gave out a sigh and brought his metal fist down on the book, shutting it up immediately.

"Th-thanks Edward." Neville managed to speak out, only that his voice was a little squeaky.

Meanwhile, Ron had silently removed his own book. Unlocking its latch he threw it on Edward from behind. Ed gave out a cry of surprise when the book caught him, snapping away. He immediately clapped his hands, but then remembered that there were many other students in the halls. Meanwhile Ron was roaring with laughter, and Winry was shooting murderous glares at him. Edward thought about using the Impedimenta charm on the book, but decided against it. Then finally, he slammed his right arm into the book, caught it and then rushed over to Ron who was too busy laughing to notice him.

Smirking, he shoved the book down his front.

By then, they had reached Hagrid's. The class was already assembled, and Hagrid was busy arranging crate down on the ground. Every now and then a small 'phut' would sound and a small explosion would rock each of the cages.

"Damm, no…." Ed groaned.

"What?"

"Blast-Ended-Skwerts."

By then Hagrid's booming voice took over. He explained to the class about the creatures, and their abilities. The class was not too enthusiastic when Hagrid told them to take the creatures for a walk.

Later, more than half of the class was supporting messy robes, and minor burns.

Except Edward. He had received burns, but his robes were not messy. Nor muddy. When his skwert launched off for the first time, he was taken aback, nut the next time he almost chocked the poor creature when it tried to go off again.

Charms was a fun class, where Winry outdid everyone, including Hermione and Edward which surprised the latter and infuriated the former to no end. Ed was ecstatic as it is, because having someone extremely shorter than him was amusing for him.

DADA was a much awaited class. The stories of Prof. Moody's teaching technique were spread in all the houses, and the class was unnaturally quiet before the professor entered. Winry was busy sketching an automail design while Moody entered.

Everyone was silent as he went up to his desk. Miraculously, everyone was still quiet when he took the roll call.

"Now, your previous professor has told me that you all are amateurs in dealing with magical creatures. That is good. But I see that you all have none to next knowledge on curses. Which, in fact so to say; that you don't know what can be waiting for you out there! I have to do that right. CONSTANT VIGILANCE!"

The entire class almost jumped out of their skin.

"Now, who will tell me which are the curses most punished by wizarding law."

Edward raised an eyebrow as most of the class raised their hands.

'Surely he's not going to teach that?'

Moody confirmed Ed's suspicion as he cast the Imperious curse on a spider. The class was roaring with laughter at its antics as Moody made it bounce around the room. However Edward scoffed at them.

'Huh. They will be crapping their pants when something like that happens to them.'

Moody then went forward to demonstrate the Crutiatics curse on an enlarged spider right in front of Neville. Ed felt its apparent pain. What shook him even further was the fact that Neville was certainly disturbed by its pain.

"Stop it! " Three voices resonated together at once, all directed towards Professor Moody. Edward was amazed to find that Winry also had shouted out, her wrench at the ready.

Unnerved, he went on forward to demonstrate the killing curse, which effectively silenced out all protests.

The chatter which burst at the moment when the class finished was enormous.

"Did you see that? He snuffed it just like that-"

"Ron." Hermione reprimanded him, seeing the deadpanned look on Harry's face.

Edward and Winry were silent, with Winry still fuming over the class.

"What an ass! Did you see the look on Neville's face Ed? The vision of the curse was so-"

Harry nudged her. As she turned her furious eyes at him, she saw what he was pointing at.

Neville was slumped against a column, eyes emotionless. Just Hermione moved to aid him, heavy clunking sounded from the path behind them, signaling Moody's entrance.

"Come with me kid. It was a hard lesson. Come on. I'll drop a not to Minerva later. Let's have a drop of tea. "

Neville looked pleadingly at the group, expecting them to say something. But there too surprised to say anything. Turning towards them, Moody began in a grave voice," It's not pleasant you know. You have to accept it as it is. There is no denying that." With that, he marched off with Neville.

A pregnant silence followed him.

"Blimey, man. That guy's nutters." Ron was the first to react.

"Yeah. How come he is all-"Hermione began another lecture.

"But he is right. It is unpleasant. You have to accept it. There is no denying that."

Three surprised heads turned in his direction.

"Who the heck you think you are?" Ron said, with venom dripping from every syllable.

"Who am I? I'm just a measly human who couldn't save a little girl."

Transfiguration was hell for Edward. He couldn't even face the idea that they were transfiguring animals. Even more, they were transfiguring cats. If Al would see this now, there would be hell to pay. Visions of a talking chimera continued to haunt his mind. Finally, McGonagall noticed his hesitation and came over.

"Is there a problem, Mr. Elric?"

"Err…... Professor, I am not comfortable with the idea of transfiguring animals."

She shot Ed an incredulous look.

"I assure you, Elric, that these animals are-"

"I know all the bullshit that they are not harmed in any way! I just can't stomach it!"

McGonagall looked as if someone had slapped her. This was the first time she was at a loss of words. Edward saw her face and relented. She somehow reminded him of his own teacher. Immediately, he went on to explain.

"You are the Headmistress, right professor?"

"I don't think that is relevant."

"Then, Dumbledore should have told you about me. Who I really am, for instance."

McGonagall strained to hear him, for the volume had dropped to whispers.

"In alchemy, when we do transmutation on any living being, the result is permanent. That is why-"

"This is not alchemy Elric."

"I know what this is! I am telling that once you see the result of an animal transmutation, you will also lose the will to transfigure anymore!"

McGonagall waited for a long time, digesting his words. The fierce whisper made it clear that Ed had faced a horrible past. There was only one option available to her now.

"Very well, Mr. Elric. I see that you are unable to fathom the idea. So, in order to change your lookout on this I have to do something I have never done before."

Ed shot her a questioning look.

"I will allow you to perform transfiguration on my animagus form. If I come out unhurt, will you continue with the subject?"

Ed immediately burst into an argument. However, he was silenced when he saw the serious look on the Professor's face.

"Don't worry; there won't be any permanent effects. I won't die. Nor I will be disfigured. Just trust yourself and Transfigure. Not Transmute. "

At the time when the lecture had ended, Edward was in a better mood. However, he immediately dashed off towards the library when he found out that Winry was enraptured by her own flawless transfiguration.

Not much to say here. Just review for me ok? It does make me fell better.