I changed some things in the third to last chapter, so u may want to read that again, if you haven't already that is…
xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx
Okay so here's the story… thought Ed as he again went through the made up story he would be telling Harry, Hermione and Ron. It was eight a.m. the next morning after the battle with Malfoy and Ed was still confused and in a panic. It was too early for his cover to be blown. He did not even have an inkling who the murderer was, besides a few possible suspects. And there's no way he would tell the truth to Harry and the others. That was just out of the question, and for numerous reasons. Ed was not sure whether he could trust them to keep their mouths shut for one. True, he had began to trust them and see them as true friends, but having them carry all his secrets was just too much. No, absolutely not! If Ed had learned anything from these last few years, it's that he should be careful with whom he would trust. Why was he even considering the idea?
So I won't tell them my secrets. I will lie to them…thought Ed as he turned the corner and walked down the corridor to the library where Harry and the others were spending their time before classes started. So let's see… It happened when I was eleven. My family was caught in a civil war and only my brother and I survived. When we were fleeing from our home, there was a blast nearby and rubble went flying everywhere. I was pinned by a gigantic boulder while my arm was torn to pieces. Luckily, a friend was nearby and I was saved. This friend was also an ingenious automail mechanic and she was able to fit me with an automail arm and leg after the accident… Yeah, that sounds reasonable enough. Now I just need to convince them… thought Ed.
Ed reached the entrance to the library. He pushed open the doors then casually walked over to the bookshelves to grab a book to read. If he was going to pull this off, he had to make it look like he didn't come here just to explain himself to Harry and the others.
Ed went over to his favorite bookshelf in the library. It was a narrow shelf that contained only a few books, books about alchemy from the wizard's point of view. He had only discovered this shelf recently and was currently trying to read all the books on the shelf. He found the books to be slightly interesting, though almost entirely nonsense. It turns out the authors knew very little about real alchemy and made up most of the trash they put in these books, but it was still amusing to read them. They occasionally got some stuff right.
Ed hastily ran his finger over the titles then found one he had not seen before. It was a narrow leather bound research journal and it looked very old. Some of the pages were already rotting away but it still was readable. Ed read out the title, "Magic and Alchemy: the Realms of Modern Theory." It looked interesting enough. Ed shrugged then decided to take it. He then walked to the tables and looked to see where Harry and the others were sitting.
Ed scanned over the tabletops then spotted Ron's red head to the far right. Harry and Hermione were sitting right by him. Ed started to become a bit nervous but he quickly shook it off, cursing himself for worrying about such a trifling thing. He then casually walked over to the table.
Xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx
"Hey Ed, how's your morning?" asked Harry sounding a little bored.
"Not too terrible. I was planning to read this book before heading to the Great Hall to get some breakfast. How about you guys?" asked Ed as he sat next to Hermione.
"We just thought we should finish our homework before classes started. Who needs food anyway?" said Ron angrily as he scrambled to finish his charms essay.
"Hermione's helping us," said Harry as he quickly scanned the chapter they were supposed to read for Defense Against the Dark Arts.
Ed took a deep breath… Well, might as well get it over with… "Listen guys, about last night…"
"What about last night Edward?" asked Hermione.
"Yeah, what are you talking about?" said Harry.
Ed was confused, "About what happened after the fight, when we got back to the common room..." Ed was hoping he hadn't imagined everything, though it would be to his advantage.
Harry, Hermione, and Ron glanced at each other then a huge grin spread over Harry's face, "Nothing happened after we got back Ed. Don't worry about it. It never happened."
For a second more, Ed was still confused and then a smirked came to his face, "It never happened you say?"
"It never happened," said Harry slowly still grinning.
"Now what were you talking about Edward? What is all this nonsense?" asked Hermione, trying to sound genuinely confused.
"Nothing. Nothing at all," said Ed as he also grinned. They are good friends, aren't they? Maybe one day I will tell them everything...
xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx
So Ed still had an hour to go before classes started. He wasn't feeling hungry so he decided to stay in the library and read his book, Magic and Alchemy: the Realms of Modern Theory. Ed took out the research journal, opened to the first page and saw, "Printed 1450." So it was an old book! Ed was surprised that it was still intact even if it was starting to crumble away.
Very gently, Ed then turned to the first page of the book then read: "Alchemy is the science of changing the shape and make-up of an object. Although similar to transfiguration, alchemy is a different area of expertise since it relies on fixed laws and allowances instead of the magical power of the wizard. Above all else, it relies on one fundamental principle called the Theory of Equivalent Exchange…"
Wow, they actually got that right. It seems this author is a little more knowledgeable then the others… thought Ed as he continued to read.
"The Theory of Equivalent Exchange states that through a transmutation reaction, or a spell in alchemy, the object created must be of equal mass and similar likeness as the object decomposed. Therefore…"
"Oh Edward, that looks like quite an old book," said Hermione.
"Yeah, it was printed in 1450," said Ed.
"1450!" gasped Hermione.
"Did they even have books back then?" asked Ron.
Ed shrugged. He then wondered what else would be in this old book. Ed then picked up the book and skipped a couple of pages ahead, carefully turning the pages. Ed could tell that the book could fall apart any moment, but he was still curious to see what else this old book had to offer…
"Alchemy involves the destruction then creation of matter…" Ed skipped a couple more pages… "Alchemy can be as useful in the kitchen as magic…" He turned a couple more pages… "Although alchemy must abide by the Theory of Equivalent Exchange, there is but one instance when the alchemist may bypass this principle, and that is when the philosopher's stone is in the alchemist's possession…"
Ed stopped. That subject interested him though he doubted that this book would have any new information to offer. Still, Ed continued to read, "The philosopher's stone is a mysterious object that's very existence is debatable. No one alchemist has ever found or created such a stone, though there has been one such recorded attempt to create it to date…"
Now this was starting to get interesting. Besides the experiments at the fifth laboratory and the rumors of a philosopher's stone being created in Ishbal, Ed had never heard of another attempt to create the philosopher's stone. Ed certainly wasn't expecting to stumble upon such things here in Hogwarts. Ed then eagerly continued reading…
"This attempt involved two brothers in an isolated town in southern Wales, the Brothers of Sathersbury. Both brothers were considered great geniuses in their respective fields since the days that they were young, the older being a genius in magic and the younger in alchemy. According to local rumor, it is said that a mysterious illness overcame the older brother turning him into a terrible monster, though no one is truly certain of this. This attempt to create the philosopher's stone is thought to have been a way to cure the older brother of his disease.
Said to have involved the usage of both magic and alchemy, it was thought that the two brothers would truly succeed in this attempt, until tragedy befell them…"
Ed was staring at the book, wide-eyed, and not believing what he was reading. Here, right here, was another lead to the philosopher's stone, in the unlikeliest place of all! Who would have known that both a wizard and an alchemist had attempted to create the philosopher's stone! Using both magic and alchemy! But maybe it was no different from the attempt at the fifth laboratory. Maybe live humans were also used in this experiment. In that case, information on this new attempt would be no use for me…
Ed then continued to think… But then magic was used. So maybe the use of such sacrifices wasn't needed. Though it wouldn't make sense in alchemy, it would be possible using magic. After all, magic does not follow the same rules that alchemy does. In fact, magic seems to not follow any rules at all… All one would need is some magical power, a nice incantation, and a good flick of a wand… But then I wonder if they succeeded…
Ed then continued to read, "It happened one stormy night in the middle of September. Screams and yells were heard throughout the small town as…" then the page crumbled before Ed's eyes.
Ed stared at the pile of dust that was the page he was reading, blinked, and then feeling very annoyed, he read the next page hoping to read more of the brothers who tried to create that philosopher's stone. A couple of veins were already popping out on his forehead.
Ed read: "Due to the tragedy of that night, deemed the Sathersbury Horror…" Crack, crumble, and then poof! That page also fell apart along with the rest of the book. There was nothing left of the old research journal but the leather covering and a small pile of dust…
"Edward? Edward, are you okay?" asked Hermione. Ed was shaking in anger, his face completely red, and a bazillion veins popping out on his forehead. He looked like he was about to explode… and he did…
"AAAAAAAAARGHHHHHHH! THAT WAS A LEAD! THAT WAS MY ONLY LEAD YOU D#N, STUPID, IDIOTIC BOOK!" Ed then grabbed the book, threw it on the floor, and then started stomping on it.
"Uh Ed, I don't think you should… uh…" said Ron.
"Excuse me! Excuse me young sir, but what are you doing!" A very angry looking librarian was now standing by Ed's side looking like she herself was about to go into a tantrum.
"I um… uh…" stammered Ed. He looked around him. Every single student in the library was now staring at him. Harry, Hermione, and Ron were staring in shock with their mouths wide open.
"Not only were you making such noises in the library but you are also destroying one of our precious books! Unthinkable! That is Hogwarts property young man! You will have to pay for that and then leave immediately!" yelled the librarian.
Already shaking, Ed nervously tried his best to make his nicest smile and said, "Sorry… but… uh… I d-d-d-d-don't have any wizard money…"
Xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx
"Well that sure was rude!" whispered Hermione. She, Harry, and Ed were now sitting in their Advance Transfiguration Class talking about what had happened in the library. "And we had to pitch in five hundred and forty galleons to pay for that book!" she said.
"You owe us one Ed," said Harry.
And Ed sure did owe them. After Ed said he didn't have any wizard money, the librarian went into a frenzy. It turns out that the old research journal was one of Hogwarts library's oldest and most prized books, worth more than two thousand galleons! Since it was over five hundred years old, it was supposed to be kept under lock and key in a special vault under the library. Only authorized personnel with permission from the school were allowed to view those books. The librarian could not believe that Ed had found the research journal just lying outside in plain view.
"Unthinkable! A loss to the wizarding community! A loss to Western literature!" said the librarian.
Hermione then offered to fix the book with reparo, but oddly enough, the spell would not work on the book. Hermione then tried every spell in her memory that could have fixed the research journal, but none worked. The book stubbornly remained a miserable pile of dust and leather.
Since there was no other way out of it, Harry, Hermione, and Ron agreed to contribute money to pay for the book. Already, Ed would have to spend the rest of the school year working part time in the library in order to pay off the rest of his debt. Ed now owed one thousand six hundred and thirty galleons to the Hogwarts library along with the five hundred and so galleons to Harry, Hermione, and Ron. Then after paying the librarian, the foursome was promptly and embarrassingly thrown out of the library.
"I had suspected something was out of place. Why else would a book that old be lying around in plain view?" asked Hermione, "But what bothers me most is that there should have been a protective spell cast on the journal to keep it from falling apart."
"Ed, now that I think of it, why didn't you use alchemy to fix the book?" asked Harry.
"I couldn't."
Harry was confused, "Why not?"
"I don't know what else the book had written in it," said Ed. Seeing that Harry was still confused, Ed explained, "I have a brother back home in my country. Can you draw him for me?"
Harry blinked at Ed still confused, "I'll try if you tell me how he looks like."
"I won't tell you."
"Then I can't do it."
"There you go," said Ed with a grin.
"I still don't under…"
"You can't recreate something unless you know how it looked like to begin with," said Hermione.
"Oh," said Harry. He understood. "But anyway, you're going to have to pay us back Ed," he said.
"Heh… Yeah, I know…" said Ed. Along with the Hogwarts library… I wonder if the Colonel can send me some wizard money. I should have more than enough to cover that d#n book in my research fu…
"Mr. Elric, will you please pay attention!" yelled McGonagall from the front of the room, "You are supposed to be transfiguring your fork into a mouse!"
"Yeah sorry," said Ed as he faked a smile.
"You too Mr. Potter. Look, Mrs. Granger is already five steps ahead of the rest of the class," said McGonagall and true enough, Hermione seemed to be having no problems turning the forks in front of her into tiny mice.
Once McGonagall turned around, Ed stuck his tongue out at her then went to work. Lazily, Ed then picked up his wand, waved it at the fork, and then said the magic incantation. As usual nothing happened. Harry was having a little more luck. His forks were at least moving and growing fur.
"I don't understand what you're doing wrong Edward," said Hermione as she watched Ed, "You do the correct movement and you pronounce the spell accurately."
"Yeah well, I just don't go well with magic," grumbled Ed. He was so close, so close to finding another lead to the philosopher's stone. But as usual, his good luck was not with him.
Why is it that every time I get so close to the philosopher's stone, it always eludes me? Why? WHY!
Ed then prodded the fork again with his wand. He said the spell but only a few sparks came out of the wand tip. "D$#N!" he yelled as he banged on the table.
"MR. ELRIC! Will you please watch your language!" yelled McGonagall.
"Shut up you old hag," said Ed under his breath.
"Pardon me?"
Ed looked up at the ceiling trying to calm himself, "It's nothing. Sorry I just had a rough morning is all." McGonagall glared at him then stomped away.
"Edward, what is with you today!" asked Hermione.
Ed sighed, "Nothing. Absolutely nothing." Hermione glance over at Harry. They both had worried looks in their eyes.
Ed threw his wand down on the table. He sighed, closed his eyes, and tried to clear his mind. Once he was calmer, he then continued thinking… Anyway, it probably isn't a total loss. There might be another book down in the library archives about the philosopher's stone, but then I would need special permission to see those books. Maybe I could sneak in and take a peek at their collection…
"Okay class. That would be all for today. Tonight, I want everyone to practice today's spell then work on their essays due on Monday," said McGonagall who then peered across the room to Ed's table, "I would also like Mr. Elric to stay behind."
"Wha?" said Ed. He then glanced at Hermione and Harry. They looked worried.
Xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx
"Well good luck Ed…" said Harry with a pat on the shoulder, "I'll tell Luzhin that you'll be a bit late." He and Hermione then left to go to Defense Against the Dark Arts. Once the room was empty, Mrs. McGonagall walked up to Ed's table at the back of the room then sat beside him.
"So what is it that's bothering you today Mr. Elric?" asked McGonagall quite calmly.
Ed looked away, crossed his arms, and said, "Nothing." He did NOT want to be talking to this old hag. He was frustrated enough as it is.
"Oh really, because I thought otherwise," she said, "Normally you are very quiet in class while you patiently practice your spells, though you do seem to be having a bit of trouble."
Ed smirked a little, "I'm not usually quiet or patient."
"Oh is that so? I usually think of you as a quiet, well-mannered young man," said Mrs. McGonagall as she smiled a little.
"Believe me. I am nothing of the like."
There was then a pause.
McGonagall sighed then got right to business, "Mr. Elric, you were very rude today, both to me and to the rest of the class."
"And I already apologized."
McGonagall regarded Ed with a look of concern, "I won't punish you for that Mr. Elric, though it seems taking a few points from Gryffindor is in order. Twenty points should be enough."
Ed sat quietly. He did not care about taking points from Gryffindor. He cared only that this meeting was becoming more bothersome by the second and he was very eager to leave.
"And I would ask that you refrain from such behavior in the future. Next time I wouldn't be as forgiving," McGonagall then paused for a second, "That was not the only reason I wanted to meet with you, Mr. Elric. I was also very concerned about your wand-work."
Oh here we go again…
"Though you receive top marks on all your essays as well as your exams, you always fail to meet the same standards with your wand-work. And since the practical use of spells is much more meaningful then exams or essays, I am particularly concerned. After all, the world isn't about tests and essays, a wizard's skill with his wand is the most important thing he will take with him from this class," said McGonagall as she regarded Ed with genuine concern and worry.
"Well I'm sorry about that Professor, but I can't do anything about it. Like Hermione says, I know the movement and I pronounce the incantation correctly, but yet my spells never seem to work. If you have a solution, then I would be happy to hear it. Otherwise, could I please leave?"
McGonagall looked away from Ed. It looked like she was a little hurt by his words, "Well I do have a theory. You, Mr. Elric, are an alchemist from Amestris, am I correct?"
Ed looked at her, "How did you know that?"
"Rumors. I occasionally hear things from the students. I also heard of your little teaching exploit in Professor Luzhin's class."
"Then you understand don't you, how I feel about magic?" Ed got up then started pacing around the room, "To me, a scientist who believes in and who has given his life to the pursuit of knowledge based on true facts. Not this magic gibberish taught at this school. I don't even know if I belong here…"
"If you are here, happily practicing magic and making friends with your fellow wizards, then you do belong here."
Ed glared at McGonagall, "But I am NOT a wizard! How do you know I belong here! Ever since coming here, I've felt… like such a stranger… like an outsider…" Ed then realized something. The reason he had felt so lonely during his time at Hogwarts and probably the reason why he would not give magic a chance: he felt like an outsider. But he WAS an outsider. He was from another country, another culture, and most importantly he wasn't a wizard. Ed knew the worst and most evil things that happened in this world. Ed had seen it all; things that would make most students in this school fall into madness when faced with the same evils.
What these teachers taught here in Hogwarts seemed so… so naïve, so idealistic that he could not stomach it being real. How could it all be so simple? Just a flick of the wand and everything was fixed, and just say a tiny little spell then all problems are gone. So how could it be real?
But yet it was real. He had seen it over and over again, magic working and magic fixing problems. He could not understand it but it worked. Maybe it was just his pride and his firm belief in alchemy that kept him from acknowledging the usefulness of magic? Maybe his stubbornness was keeping him from seeing the truth?
So should he trust in this magic, this power that he could not understand and that should not work but did? Should he give magic a chance? After all, it would be the logical conclusion: magic works and magic does solve problems so therefore it isn't worthless and is deserving of at least some recognition ( Ha, it's logical to trust in magic). So should he trust in this thing called magic? Ed did not know…
"You are a wizard, Edward Elric."
"How do you know that? None of my family is wizards. And so with anyone else I know, so how could I be a wizard?"
"Your father was a wizard, or at least he had the gift. Long ago, he was sent an invitation to attend Hogwarts every year since he turned eleven, but he never came. He never believed we were a legitimate school I supposed."
"My father… MY FATHER!" Ed balled his hands into fists, "He never did anything, anything for me or for my brother!"
"But he was still a wizard, just like you. Since the moment you were born, you have been accepted to Hogwarts as a student. And though you never acknowledged it, you do have magical power."
"How do you know I have magical power?" yelled Ed. By this point of the conversation, he had become frantic. He could not believe what this old woman was saying to him.
"Tell me Mr. Elric, has anything unexplained ever happened to you? Anything strange that you might have had control over?"
"Of course not, everything…" Ed then remembered something… Back at Central, when he was waiting outside of Mustang's office, the windows broke for seemingly no reason when he was mad (Ref. Ch. 2 of this fanfic). He told Al it was because of the weather, but that couldn't be true. So was he the one who did it…
McGonagall smiled unexpectedly, "You are a wizard, Mr. Elric, whether you would believe it or not. And because you ARE a wizard, then you DO belong here."
Ed stared at McGonagall, at a loss for words.
"My theory why you have problems with your wand-work is that you do not have enough confidence in your magical power. You believe that magic does not exist and you believe that you can't do magic, so then you won't do magic."
Ed stared at McGonagall and then shrugged a little.
"Well then, that would be all I believe. Please do think about what we discussed here today. And also, I believe you will be serving detention this evening on account of your little midnight adventure a few weeks ago. That one detention should be enough, so there'll be no need for you to stay for two more weeks," said McGonagall.
"Uh, yeah… whatever…" said Ed. He then gathered his things and walked to the door. He was about to leave, then Ed turned around to face McGonagall and smiled. "Thank you," he said and McGonagall nodded back.
Xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx
So am I a wizard? thought Ed as he entered the DADA classroom. Ed was still a little shocked from what happened with Mrs. McGonagall. He could not believe that all this time, and all his life, he had been an actual wizard. And more shocking still, he could not believe that his father was also a wizard.
"Che," said Ed… Who cares if HE is a wizard. Why would I care about a good-for-nothing b#stard like him? But more importantly…
"Oh Edward, over here," said Hermione as she waved from a desk in the back. Harry was sitting right by her, along with someone else that Ed didn't particularly want to see at the moment. Vincent Sederway was sitting very uncomfortably by Hermione's side. Harry looked just as displeased about the situation as Ed. Ed glared at Vincent, walked over to the table, and then sat by Harry.
"What is he doing here?" whispered Ed to Harry.
"No idea," whispered Harry, "She wanted him here."
"Will you two stop that! You are being very rude!" said Hermione.
Ed rolled his eyes then looked around the classroom. As usual, the DADA classroom was so dark that Ed couldn't see three tables ahead of him. The curtains were closed shut and only a few candles were lit around the room. He then noticed what he should have noticed first thing when he entered the room. Professor Luzhin wasn't in the classroom yet!
Ed poked Harry, "Uh, where's the professor?"
"No idea, but it seems he had some other business more important than teaching class. The bloke's already ten minutes late."
"How could he show up this late! At this rate we will be behind in our studies!" said Hermione.
Ed and Harry stared at Hermione. "Uh Hermione, you're the only one who cares about that," said Harry.
"Well he better come soon! Otherwise I'll complain to the headmaster," said Hermione.
There was then a pause.
"Oh Ed, Vincent has something for you," said Hermione as she handed him a brightly wrapped Christmas present.
Ed blinked at the box in front of him and looked questioningly at Harry, who shrugged in return. "Uh, thanks," Ed said.
"It's only the proper thing to do since I received Christmas presents from the four of you," said Vincent with a small smile.
Ed smiled nervously while the side of his mouth twitched… Those presents were from Hermione… "So Hermione, Harry, and Ron got presents too?" Ed asked.
"Of course," said Hermione as she held up her present. Harry's was a red and gold present equally as large as Hermione's and Ed's.
"I have one for Ron as well, but I'll give it to him later since he isn't here," said Vincent.
"Oh Ed, how did the meeting with McGonagall go? Did you get detention again?" asked Harry.
Ed smiled a little, "Uh, not exactly. I got a warning and our punishment for the 'exploring' a few weeks ago got cut to one detention."
"Oh really, Mrs. McGonagall must be having an especially good day today," said Harry.
"She is usually a lot stricter," said Hermione.
Ed shrugged.
Just then, the door burst open and in came Professor Luzhin. He rushed over to his desk at the front of the room, dropped down his briefcase, and then, with a wave of his wand, lighted a few more candles on the overhead chandelier. He then greeted the class. "I'm truly sorry. I had some important business that I couldn't avoid. We'll have to start right away if we don't want to be left behind. Everyone, turn to chapter fifteen of their textbooks," he said.
There was some grumbling around the room as students opened their bags to pull out their textbooks. Hermione already had her book on the table and was turning to chapter fifteen. Once she reached the chapter, she gawked at the page then jabbed Vincent really hard in the ribs.
"Today we'll be discussing vampires," said Luzhin.
Hermione's hand shot straight up into the air.
"Yes Ms. Granger," said Luzhin.
"I'm sorry Professor, but I thought we would be discussing chapter thirteen instead. That is what you assigned to us the previous day," said Hermione.
"Plans have changed Ms. Granger," said Luzhin with a kind smile, "I don't think I have enough time to cover chapter thirteen and fourteen, so we'll be moving on to chapter fifteen since I believe this subject is much more important than banshees and mountain gnomes."
Hermione looked a little worried. She then glanced at Vincent and started whispering to him. Ed looked at Harry with a confused look on his face. "What's up with them?" he asked as he opened his textbook to chapter fifteen.
"You think I would know?" said Harry.
"Now, what do you know about vampires? Please, raise your hands and tell me," said Luzhin.
A short kid in the front raised his hand, "They're blood-sucking corpses that feed on people and are vulnerable to sunlight, crosses, and garlic."
Then a kid to Ed's left raised her hand, "Vampires can't cross running water and they can turn into bats, mist, and wolves. They can also fly and walk on walls."
"I heard they can hypnotize people and read minds," said a kid up front.
"Everyone knows what vampires are," said Malfoy. Ed had forgotten that he was in this class. He then wondered what had happened to him after last night.
"Much of what you suggested is true, but with all the tales and myths about, it is hard to differentiate fact from fiction. From our understanding of vampires, they are vulnerable to sunlight but they will not crumble to dust under the rays of the sun. Rather, sunlight is too bright for the sensitive eyes of a vampire and will only make them uncomfortable.
Vampires do feed on human blood. It is said most feed on five to ten humans a night, some as much as twenty, and they always kill. There are no romantic notions about this and there are no good or bad vampires. There is only one kind and they are all evil, monstrous killers and gluttons for blood.
Vampires are far stronger than us, faster than us, and they never age. They also never change. If a child is 'made' into a vampire at age five, then that vampire will remain a child forever or as long as it 'lives.' Vampires are immortal, meaning that they can live forever. But they can 'die' too, only when they choose to die and only by not drinking human blood. There is no other way to kill a vampire. So there is no stake through the heart, no beheading a vampire and stuffing its head with garlic. Vampires are invulnerable to every man-made weapon and spell except for one. So there is but one spell to defend oneself against a vampire, and I daresay that it won't be of much use unless you have the vampire's consent," said Professor Luzhin.
There were some horrified looks around the classroom. "There is only one spell to defend against a vampire?" said one boy. "You need the vampire's consent?" said one girl, "But what about crosses?"
"Crosses will do nothing against a vampire," said Luzhin.
Ed was already starting to doze off. Vampires? What vampires? First Cornish pixies then water nymphs and now vampires. Ed rolled his eyes. The next day, they would be saying that big-foot and aliens are real. Ed then put his boots on the table, put his arms behind his head, and then tried to sleep amidst all the noise in the classroom.
"Does anyone know about this one spell I am talking about? Anyone?" asked Luzhin.
Hermione raised her hand after glancing over at Vincent, who looked like he was trying to block out all the noise in the classroom. Luzhin took a casual glance around the classroom; no one else was raising their hand but Hermione.
"Mr. Sederway! I believe you know about this spell. Please enlighten the rest of the class."
Vincent glared at Luzhin, and Luzhin returned the look with a grin. For some reason, he seemed pleased with himself. Ed didn't know what in the world was going on, and it looked like the rest of the class was just as clueless.
Vincent broke first then continued hesitantly:"It is called the Seal of Imaris. The vampire and the wizard must form a powerful magical contract with one another in which the vampire agrees to become the wizard's servant or slave. The wizard then solidifies the contract with magic and binds the vampire's power leaving him little better than human. This spell was made not as a way to defend against vampires but to allow vampires to re-enter human society even if they would become servants to humans. Regretfully, there has never been a successful case in which this spell was used, but it is the only magic humankind has against vampires."
"Very well said," said Luzhin with a slight grin on his face, "This seal limits a vampire's abilities rendering it unable to use many of its powers. The vampire becomes weaker in strength, slower in speed, and unable to fly or use any of its telepathic powers. Like what Mr. Sederway said, the vampire becomes "little better than human," but despite what this spell does to limit the vampire's power, the vampire is still immortal, still invulnerable to man-made weapons. And most importantly, this spell does nothing to lessen the vampire's hunger and lust for blood meaning that it would still remain a dangerous killer."
Ed looked around the room. There was a kid to his right shaking from fright. Most of the other students in the classroom were just as scared. Che, stupid wizards. Even if vampires existed, there are much more frightening creatures that exist in the world.
"In all the hundreds of years that the Seal of Imaris has existed, there have only been three known cases in which it was used. In the first case, one witch's husband unexpectedly became a vampire. Despite this fact, the couple still wanted to remain together and the witch cast this spell on her husband so she could control him in case he became violent. A couple of weeks later, the witch was found dead in her kitchen with two puncture wounds on her neck and the husband was never seen again.
In the second case, a group of wizards found and captured one particularly dangerous vampire who was terrorizing a small town in Germany. After much effort, they managed to get the vampire to accept having this spell placed on him. Then two days later, the entire group of wizards was found dead along with the rest of the small town.
And now the third case…" he said looking at Vincent "…I cannot speak of. Fortunately, there are only a handful of vampires existing in the world today, and most of which haven't been spotted for hundreds of years. Now Ms. Evans, please read from the first paragraph of the second page of chapter fifteen. It retells the tale of one vampire child who killed her entire family..."
Xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx
"AAaaaaaahhh," yawned Ed. Geez it's been a frickin' terrible day… Fined and kicked out of the library, yelled at by McGonagall, found out my dad's a wizard (Now where the hell did that come from!), then there was that weird lecture by Luzhin about vampires… thought Ed while gritting his teeth. Hermione also got kind of weird after that lecture saying that Luzhin had it out to get Vincent for some reason… 'Have no idea why… Ed scratched his head… and now I have this stupid detention to go to… thought Ed as he stalked down the corridor to Luzhin's office.
Ed had been unlucky with his placement for detention, or at least according to Hermione. Personally Ed would take time with Luzhin any day rather than being with Hagrid and his big hulking, slobbering mutt, but still the idea of detention irritated Ed. Detention? Him? Ed was beyond detention! Detention was for little brats in kindergarten class and Ed was a very important person! Ed scoffed at the idea of detention. Yet here he was. God has his position been downgraded since he got here – first wizarding school, then tiny owls and puny wands, and now detention…
So now Ed considered his options – go to detention or skip? Skip sounded very nice right now. Ed wouldn't need to see that idiot Luzhin tonight and he would be saved the disgrace of detention. Very nice indeed, but yet his skipping would warrant more punishment and the detentions would add up. Or he could get kicked out… Now however much that idea attracted him, Ed remembered he still had a mission to accomplish and Ed was a man of his duty. And so Ed continued to walk down that long corridor to Luzhin's office however much he resented the idea of detention.
Luzhin's office at last… thought Ed with a sigh. He then raised his hand to knock.
KNOCK. KNOCK.
"Come in," called a voice from within. Ed then turned the brass knob and pushed open the heavy oak door. At first sight, Luzhin's office perplexed Ed. There were all kinds of strange contraptions hanging from the walls and ceiling. Sharp metal instruments and what looked like torture devices crowded one corner of the office… I wonder what Luzhin does on the weekends… thought Ed. Then there were a couple of metal cages with small growling creatures, some dusty glass jars containing various specimens, and a couple of large filing cabinets and books. Luzhin sat at his desk making some entries into a large ledger.
"Good evening Mr. Elric. Now, please take a seat somewhere and close the door. I'll get to your duties after I finish with this," said Luzhin over the ledger.
Ed then shut the door and found a seat close to one of the cabinets. One of the creatures growled and clawed at Ed as he sat down. Ed hoped he wouldn't be needing to feed the things for detention.
As Luzhin continued to scribble on in his ledger, Ed casually glanced around the cramped office. Luzhin didn't seem to be much of a neat guy. There was dust and papers everywhere and books stacked rather haphazardly wherever there appeared to be space. Ed glanced over at the glass jars – one contained a mound of floating eyeballs, another what looked like a giant worm in some kind of liquid, Ed didn't want to know what was in the largest jar.
Just when Ed was getting rather bored and irritated, Luzhin closed the ledger and replaced his quill in the ink well. "Sorry about that, I seem to be rather busy these days," said Luzhin as he sat back and rubbed his eyes. "So Mr. Elric, you're here for detention. As you can see, my office is rather disorganized, so for the next few hours, I ask that you tidy up the place. And please stay far away from the cages; I have yet been able to control the creatures," he said with a smile.
"So why do you keep them?" asked Ed. But he didn't expect an answer and, sure enough, Luzhin didn't give him one. He got right back to scribbling stuff in his ledger.
Ed rolled his eyes… Fine, whatever then. Guess I'll get started on these books. He then bent over to pick up a large, leather-bound volume.
Two and a half hours later, or at least what felt like two and a half hours, Ed had organized the books on the bookshelves; dusted the various metal contraptions, glass jars, and wooden shelves; picked up any loose papers; and swept the floor. Leaning on the broom and wiping the sweat off his brow, Ed surveyed the now reasonably clean office. It looked like he was finished. Now he just needed permission from the professor to leave.
"Excuse me, um, Professor?" asked Ed.
Luzhin looked up from the book he was reading and glanced around. He seemed mildly impressed: "Oh my, you really are a hard worker. In little less than an hour and a half, you cleaned up the entire office…"
Oh d#4n, that's not nearly enough time for detention. He's going to give me something else to do… thought Ed with a groan.
"… though I should be keeping you here for at least three hours, I think you've worked hard enough to deserve an early release. So could you please just tidy up the files in those cabinets? After that you could leave," said Luzhin. He then settled back to reading his book.
Ed grumbled under his breath. He then slumped down and opened the bottom cabinet drawer. Frickin' b#stard, doesn't he know how to alphabetize his own junk!... thought Ed as he eyed the pile of loose papers that now flowed out of the cabinet.
Feeling very irritated, Ed sat down and started to organize the papers. What is he talking about "early release," I'll be here forever filing this junk… Okay, so that's the "A" pile, that's the "S" pile… Wait a sec… At the bottom of the drawer, Ed spotted a pile of old papers tied together by a string. Curious as he is, Ed cautiously picked up the bundle of old papers and examined them. They looked old… very old… almost as old as the research journal he wrecked this morning. Ed winced remembering. He would have to send a letter to the Colonel asking for some wizard money; otherwise, he would spend the rest of the school year paying off the book. Geez, wizarding school, puny wand, detention, and now part time job… How much worse could it possibly get!
Ed sighed then started turning over the aged papers in his hand. Yeah, they do look old. They look just as old as the research journal from this morning… Ed then flipped a page over and saw the title: "Precept to Create the Philosopher's Stone" by Daniel of Sathersbury, 1446! For a second, Ed sat still unable to comprehend what he was reading. Could this really be it? The original research papers concerning the first ever attempt to create the philosopher's stone! It couldn't be... What are the chances that this report would just, suddenly and out of nowhere, land in his lap ready for him to read? Well it wasn't exactly ready to read…
Looking over his shoulder, Ed saw that Luzhin was preoccupied with reading his book, as he was throughout the whole time Ed was cleaning. He didn't look like he would notice. Feeling relatively secure, Ed took the bundle of old papers and slipped them within his robes. Ed would be careful with the papers; after all, Ed always learns from his mistakes, he thought with a very evil grin…
xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx
Around an hour later, Ed had finished organizing the DADA professor's papers and had waved farewell for the night. Once the door was closed and Ed was safely on his way back to the Gryffindor dormitories, he took out the pile of aged papers and examined them more closely…
"'Precept to Create the Philosopher's Stone' by Daniel of Sathersbury, this really is the original research report," said Ed quite enthusiastically. "However, I do wonder how this ended up at the bottom of Prof. Luzhin's filing cabinet…" The thought stopped Ed mid-step. "He did express an interest in alchemy and being a teacher at a prestigious school, he would have access to old research papers, but still the coincidence of it all bothers me…." Ed stopped for a second in deep thought, but then a grin spread across his face, "Oh well, his loss and my gain. Now I just need to get back to the common room so I can examine these papers more closely…"
Once at the common room, Ed shut the door and glanced around to see if he was alone. He was. Ed then got on the floor and spread out the papers before him. There were thirteen pages of the report and everything seemed to be intact. Ed was positively brimming with anticipation. He then snatched the first page and started to read:
"On the one thousand four hundred and forty-second year of our Lord, the experiment was commenced in order to exterminate the demon. The experiment involved the use of the black art as well as the presence of an immortal sacrifice…"
Ed blinked at the page in confusion and read it again. Even the second time around he did not understand a word of what the thing was saying. "'The experiment was commenced in order to exterminate the demon...' What the hell does that mean! 'The black art?' 'Immortal sacrifice?'..." Ed stood up and scratched his head. "It's in code just like every respectable alchemy report, and I need to break the code. Heh, with a genius like me, this should be a cinch. Nothing to it…" Ed proclaimed with a smirk. "Okay, it looks like something religious… 'One thousand four hundred and forty-second year of our Lord'… So the guy did the experiment in the year 1442. I knew that. Now the rest of the stuff…"
AN HOUR LATER…
"Aaaaaaaaaaaaaah! Stupid, frickin' papers!" yelled Ed as he kicked the research report across the room. After counting to ten, he forced himself to sit in the nearby couch and calm down. "Geez, I spent all that time with just the first paragraph of the paper…" Ed then glanced wearily at the clock over the fireplace. It read two a.m. Ed was feeling a bit tired. It had been a long day after all…
"Maybe I'll just continue this tomorrow. I might find some things with a fresher mind…" said Ed. He then got up and started collecting the scattered pages of the report… "Lucky me that I was able to lay my hands on this… It was so easily… Almost too easy…" Ed said but then a darker expression came to his face. "Perhaps I have been too casual in my investigation, concentrating on one suspicious character instead of the other…" Ed then stood and started walking towards the bedrooms, "He almost fooled me with his flattering comments and his welcoming gestures. Perhaps I shall keep a closer eye on you…" said Ed as he switched off the lights and turned to go to bed.
"Things will start to get a little more interesting at this school…"
xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx
And that's how this chapter was supposed to end! God, after half a year, all I ended up writing was two measly scenes! And it was just finishing the previous chapter! Honto ni, Gomenasai. bows I'll try to write more, try… But with how things are looking, I probably won't update again 'til the end of June… ;; But at least I didn't stop with this fic… If u see that as a good thing… Anyway, please be patient! It is the advent of the end… About five more chapters left for this fic!