Disclaimer: Do not own Harry Potter or Fullmetal Alchemist not even The Avengers, just this piece of creative writing. Possible spoilers, you are hereby informed.
Review Rejoinder:
Thank you for your R&R, I will to answer to some of the Reviews.
Writer's Note:
This chapter has NOT been beta yet, please excuse the bad grammar and spelling you happened onto; or better yet please highlight to me. With all said and done, I do thank you for pointing out the blunders which I would never have realized without your insight.
Review Rejoinder:
For 'Decision That Pave The Path' ... Would you, like a Western style straight forward ending to the story or Readers' Choice? Please vote at my Profile Page. Currently traditional ending is in the lead, there is few more chapters to go, so you still have time to vote.
Thank you everyone who has Review, they are most precious to me.
All the missing chapters have been reposted. Thank you for re-reading them, now on to the new chapters. Hope you have enjoy reading as much as I have writing them.
Glossary:
"Blah blah." Spoken words.
~Blah blah.~ Thoughts.
*Blah blah.* Spoken words in other language.
CHAPTER XXV – The Limit of Patience
.
.
Edward stayed by his father's bed until he was forcefully ordered out of the hospital wing by Matron Pomfrey.
"Which f**king part of 'I'm not hungry.' do you f**king don't understand! I want to stay with To'nee and I WILL stay with my dad! Now get the f**k out of my way!" The gold headed boy snarled; he was not going to take this easy.
"Mr. Elric-Stark, mind your language!" The slivering hair nurse scolded as she stood blocking the hospital wing front doors. "Or I'll give you detention."
"Well f**k you! You are f**king NOT my parent; my only parent is currently f**king frozen and lying in that bed. You have no f**king authority over me, leave me -the f**k alone!"
Sitting opposite of Edward between Tony and Hermione's bed, Harry and Draco winced. On one hand Harry was amused as he watched Draco blush and rub his ear, on the other hand he was amazed at how many times Edward used that bad word on a single breath.
"Edward Elric-Stark! You should be more respectful of your betters." The gold headed alchemy professor thundered.
"My better is my father, Tony Stark; and him only. I will no f**king way respect anyone else until they proven themselves. I demand they f**king get off their f**king arses ad cure my dad -"
A sharp sound of flesh hitting flesh resound cutting off Edward's rant and the air, in the stunned silence that followed the little gold headed boy was engulfed in a tight hug and the sweet scent of lily and musk.
"Edo, Edo; calm yourself. Cussing is not the way to get a faster cure for Tony." Luka's soft voice said calmly into Edward's ear.
"Kindly recall that there is a cure, Elric-Stark; there is no need to use such foul language." The potion professor sniffed before adding with an ever so slight smirk. "Although … I must say that was a remarkable effort of multiple usages of a single word."
"Too right, there is no need to worry, I Gilderoy Lockhart will brew the potion for you, I am far more experience than our good potions professor here. Why, I've brewed that potion so many times I could probably brew it in my sleep."
Lockhart reached out to pat Edward on the shoulder; in all appearance he was the image of a concerned teacher, if he was not looking down Luka's cleavages.
"Dieu ait pitie et pardonnez-moi pour qui veut tuer cet imbecile(1)." Flammel muttered as he pinches his nose bridge.
"You shall in no way what so ever make anything for Mr. Stark; you shall not cause any more mischief for anyone or you will answer to me." Thor rumbled, stepping forward and forcing Lockhart away.
"Elric-Stark, go … eat dinner. Eat for Mr. Stark's sake; I doubt he wants to wake up only to learn that his son has starved himself." Snape drawled.
"No, my research -" Edward started to object.
"Yes, you will go and eat with the other students. What does Tony say when facing your opponent?" Luka pulled away to look into those gold eyes.
"To never show any weakness." Edward whispered, fighting tears.
"That's right. Now go, show this so call heir of Slytherin that he or she has mess with the wrong person." Luka kissed Edward on the cheek she hit earlier before giving him a gentle shove to the door. "Go, I will stay with Tony and your girlfriend."
.
.
And as if there was not enough trouble for Edward, Dumbledore decided to make an announcement during dinner.
"I am very sad to confirm that the rumor you have heard is true; there was another attack yesterday. The victims are Hermione Granger and Tony Stark. From now on, you will go to each of your classes in your own House and be accompanied by a professor during the transition."
Harry winced and Edward scowled, as the Grand Hall exploded.
Because now it was a student and a parent who were attacked, all students were moved to the Grand Hall so the professors can both protect and keep an eye on them. The ceiling was charmed to show the night sky with stars and a scattering of clouds. Sleeping bags were laid out where the House long tables once stood.
Students in their night clothes sat on or lay in their sleeping bags whispering anxiously to whomever who would listen. The current hot subjects were about Edward and Harry. Is Edward or Harry really the heir of Slytherin? Is Edward is he a prince of the royal veela? Are Luka Ladifaerie and Locke Nomansson dark veelas?
Even with the rest of the students giving the two boys a wide berth, they could still hear the whispered gossips.
"See I told you. He is the heir of Slytherin."
"Have you gone mental? Elric-Stark declared war on Slytherin, haven't you heard? How can he be the heir of Slytherin and still declare war on Slytherin?"
"No you got it wrong; you see he can speak to snakes, only the heir of Slytherin can speak to snakes, so he must be the heir of Slytherin."
"Haven't you seen his familiar? It's a snake; he has to be the heir of Slytherin! Then why would he attack his own?"
"Well I think he is a veela from the Royal veela clan."
"Can't be; if he really is veela, where are his wings?"
"He can hide his wings, duh! Didn't the myth say that the royal blood veela's trademark is that their hair and eyes are of the exact same color?"
"How can you be so sure?"
"I read it in 'Mythical, Magical, and Mysterious Creatures of the Wizarding World'."
"Bloody hell, where did you get that book?"
"In Hogwarts library."
Harry sighed and turned over onto his stomach to bury his head into his pillow. He wandered how Edward was handling it all, being gossiped of and pointed at when his back was turn.
"What a bunch of gits. Don't listen to them."
Harry looked over that Draco, his face was earnest even if his pale blue/grey held slight fear whenever they rest on Edward who was currently lying on Harry's other side. Then again who could blame Draco? The other blond's gold eyes had such a cold and hard glint that other student and even professors flinching away when he looked their way.
"How's Ed?" Draco whispered and flinched when Edward answered for himself. "You can just ask me, you know."
"Sorry, I thought you'd be asleep. So how are you holding up?"
Already lying on his stomach, Edward opened his glinting gold eyes and looked at Harry and Draco.
"So so, it's annoying. I've cross reference all known libraries for what creature that could petrify the living. Even with Jarvis' processing ability and internet connection, the only known reference was the mythical creature call Medusa. According to the Greek myth, Medusa turns flesh to stone; but dad and Hermione were not turned to stone. They are just frozen, like time just stopped for them. What creature can do that? Even Thor doesn't know, he has gone back to ask Mr. Fury. It's a waiting game now. I hate waiting."
Harry sighed and turn to Draco, the pale blond frowned thoughtfully for a bit before replying.
"What about Hogwarts library? It is the most comprehensive library after all Hogwarts is the one of the best wizarding school in the whole world. But the book we need might be in the Restricted Section. We need-"
"Detention … is what you will get. I would have expected better of you, Mr. Malfoy."
The three boys winced at the soft cool voice that breathed down at their backs, rolling over they looked up to the towering black form of professor Snape standing at the foot of their sleeping bags, glaring down at them. Harry was starting to suspect that the potion professor was not all human to be able to move that silently. The potion professor has managed to walk right up to the foot of their sleeping bags without making any noise. Still with how loudly Ron snores beside them, a whole herd of hippogriffs could stomp through the Grand Hall and not be heard.
"Since classes are cancelled, Mr. Potter, Mr. Elric-Stark and Mr. Malfoy, you three will start your detention with me from tomorrow morning right after breakfast. Now for the last time. Sleep."
All was quiet after that, soft rustling of clothe on clothe or the snores and other sleep induced noises and professors soft footfalls as they made their rounds.
.
.
The Grand Hall was changed back for breakfast the next day, Ron sat opposite of Harry, since both sides of the brunette were taken up by a pale platinum blond and gold headed. And was given the update of what had happened the night before.
"What?!" Ron exclaimed even though his mouth was full.
"How could you get detention for not sleeping?" Edward heard Ron demanded.
Edward rolled his eyes before bringing his book up to block off the nasty sight of the redhead talking with his mouth full.
Glaring had no effect on Edward who was engrossed with a thick book and Draco who would only turn up his nose at the redhead.
"Well? Tell me!"
"Oi!" Harry yelped in disgust.
Edward concluded that while talking with his mouth full Ron had spewed out some of his partly chewed food, and some had landed too near or worse on Harry's plate.
"Disgusting." Draco muttered. A quick peek over the book told Edward that the platinum blond's face going slightly green as he shifted his plate further away from the redhead.
"Who asked you, you albino git with a ruler up his ass!"
"What did you-" Draco started to growl when Edward slammed his thick Advance Potions book shut.
"Shut up! Just shut up, I'm trying to read here." The gold-headed glared at the bickering boys; his voice was loud enough to draw the attention of the students around them and several professors.
At his side, Harry ducked down his head to avoid any eye contact, Draco on the other hand haughtily stared down any curious onlookers; the student on the receiving end will quickly get the message and turn his or her attention back to breakfast.
"Trying to kiss up to professor Snape, teacher's pet?" Ron sneered.
Although Edward's face did not change in expression, his eyes went from cold hard to molten hot gold.
"Well, I now know what kind of person you are –not fit for friendship." With that the gold-headed boy stood his Advance Potion book up with a jerk, walling out the redhead.
"Who does he think he is? Bloody 'know-it-all'."
Harry and Draco glared at Ron, not noticing that two professors were making their way to them.
"I guess you have forgotten.-" Harry said very dryly. "-His father, you know Tony Stark the billionaire was and still is petrified, right?"
Harry's remark was so thick with sarcasm; Edward could almost feel it solidifying the air. Unfortunately, the art of irony was lost on the redhead.
"So?" Ron asked. Edward sighed.
Thus proven, the redhead was really thick.
"If you had been any kind of friend, you would have realized that Edward is looking for a faster cure than waiting for the mandrake to mature."
"His father is a muggle. No lose. The Daily Prophet said he is all but a squib.-" Ron jerked his chin at Edward, not noticing the growling noise coming from be behind the book. "-Can't even use a wand for the simplest spells; what kind of wizard is that?"
"An alchemist who can do this to shut you up!" Edward yelled finally losing his temper.
Blue/white alchemic energies flashed and a wooden hand sprouted from the table; it shoved Ron's plate up into his face, dumping the food onto the redhead.
"Bloody hell! You git!" Ron jumped onto his feet, pointing his wand at Edward.
"Bring it." Edward slammed his book down as he too surged onto his feet.
Ron flicker his wand and a jug of juice flew at Edward.
"FOOD FIGHT!" Someone yelled and all hell broke loose.
Students screamed. Professors leapt onto their feet hollering orders to cease and behave. Lockhart fled.
Fists full of food and even whole dishes flew and hit with little or no regards to friend or foe, over the tables. It was every student for themselves.
It was senseless free-for-all at the Gryffindor table; anyone whose uniform was clean was a target no matter if the student was a prefect or not. Not even the other tables were spared. That meant the Hufflepuff House who had the misfortune to locate next to the Gryffindor table.
There were screams of outrage of being targeted and hollered war cries from the Hufflepuff table revenge. A few students and most of Ravenclaw House shrieked in fear for their precious tomes and notes, using their bags and bodies to protect the tomes and notes.
Oddly enough the calmest of the four tables was the Slytherin table, in spite of being targeted by all the other tables. Older students were quick to cast Protego to shield the younger students from getting splattered by food. Prefects swiftly started to move the students out of the Grand Hall.
Seconds into the food fight before it could evolve into total mayhem a voice boomed throughout the Grand Hall, cutting through the noise of students' screams and war cries.
"CEASSARE MOTUS(2)!" Dumbledore's voice thundered across the Grand Hall.
And all motion cease.
Edward blinked even as Harry and Draco gaped, everything and every person just stopped, it was like someone pressed the pause button.
Between the boys a plate of scrambled eggs hung in mid air, frozen in motion of being flung, there was still bits of egg falling off behind the plate. It was surreal.
"This is unacceptable behavior!" Professor McGonagall scolded from the teacher's table.
"Who. Started. It?" Professor Snape's soft voice hissed coldly as he stormed over with his robes billowing behind him.
"Professor Snape, Mr. Weasley rudely insulted my upbringing after we object to his lack of table manners. He went on to insult Mr. Elric-Stark's intelligence and parentage, to Mr. Elric-Stark object very strongly. I would seek justice if it were me." Draco stepped forward.
The pale blond got juice splash across his chest, bits of scrambled egg, chopped tomato, onion and cucumber decorating his left arm and yet somehow he still managed to keep his hair untouched.
"Indeed. As for you, Mr. Weasley… and the rest of you who so gleefully took part in this madness, you will all clean up the Grand Hall to Mr. Filch's satisfaction … without the benefit of using the Scourgify spell."
"What?!" Ron's protest was almost drowned out by the objection of the other students.
"Minus 50 points, Mr. Weasley. Do I hear any more objections?" Snape hissed.
Dumbledore's voice boomed. "I agree with Professor Snape, 50 points from all Houses. Since classes are cancelled, you will all go clean up and return to clean up the Grand Hall for your detention."
.
.
.
"Lokison and Malfoy, since you are so… energetic; I do think you can join Mr. Elric-Stark in detention … now. Come along."
Edward could not believe that this was happening to him.
Professor Snape had taken them into the Restricted Section of the library, where the information Edward needed was just in reach, practically under his finger tips. But how was Edward to get the information he needed without the potion master catching him at it?
"You will check every book in this section and make sure they are in alphabetical order. I will be here and I will be watching you … all three of you. I expect you to finish by noon… today. Don't … let me catch you skive off and reading books you ought not to. I trust I have made myself clear?"
With that the man pulled down several books on potions and potion ingredients to read at a table where he could clearly see the three boys.
Edward was beside himself with desperation, the answer was within his reach; so close Edward could almost taste it. But where in the many rolls of book shelves was that book on mythical, magical, and mysterious creatures of the Wizarding World?
"I know the answer to the monster identity is here, but how can I get a book that has a record of all creatures in the wizarding world?" Edward growled.
The answer came in the form of Draco Malfoy.
"Ed, Harry distract professor Snape, I'll need 5 minutes. I think I know which book has the information you are looking for. It's the 'Mythical, Magical, and Mysterious Creatures of the Wizarding World' and it's a Restricted book and kept in the next shelf. Just 5 minutes." He whispered to Edward and Harry.
However, the answer was taken out of Edward and Harry's hands when the platinum blond became human victim number three.
.
.
.
Reference & Foot Notes:
(1) Translate as 'God have mercy and forgive me for desiring to kill this fool'
(2) Translate as 'cease motion' in Latin. I am using Latin for the spells because it is one of the oldest languages in the West.
Foot note:
For 'Decision That Pave The Path' ... Would you, like a Western style straight forward ending to the story or Readers' Choice? Please vote at my Profile Page.
So, ladies and gents, what do you think?
Silence is a story-teller's worst critic. Please, please do post your thoughts of this story in the Reviews; your questions, opinions and reviews are my creativity Gatorade. The frame of this story is not finalised and is subject to change with your ideas and thoughts, you may never know when your idea or thought will be included … so why are you not reviewing?
Sincerely
SinoPrisca