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.

Writer's Note:

This chapter has 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.

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.

On with the story.

Glossary:

"Blah blah." Spoken words.

~Blah blah.~ Thoughts.

*Blah blah.* Spoken words in other language.

CHAPTER XXVI – Growing Fear

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Harry could not believe that this was happening.

Professor Snape took them into the Restricted Section of the library, where the information he and Edward needed was just in reach, practically under his finger tips. But how was Harry to get the information that Edward needed without the potion master catching him at it?

Harry could tell that Edward was beside himself with desperation, the answer was within their reach; so close Harry was sure that Edward could almost taste it. But where in the many rolls of books in all many shelves was that book about mythical, magical, and mysterious creatures of the Wizarding World?

"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 skiving off and reading books you ought not to. I trust I have made myself… clear?" Professor Snape had drawled.

Now the man was seated at a table with several books on potions and potion ingredients reference and in spite of those books stacked up in a neat thick pile he could clearly see the three boys. And the potion professor made sure to convey that by looking over at them from time to time to make sure that they do their assign work, and to let them know that he was very aware of their movements.

"I know the answer to the monster identity is here, I can just about taste it; but where? I need to get a book that has a record of all creatures in the wizarding world?" Edward growled, Harry sighed in agreement.

The answer came in the form of Draco Malfoy.

"It will be in the book called 'Mythical, Magical, and Mysterious Creatures of the Wizarding World', that book will be in the next shelf. Ed, Harry distract professor Snape, I'll need 5 minutes. Just 5 minutes, guys." He whispered to Edward and Harry.

"Just how do you expect us to – Ed!" Harry hissed after the golden blond as he walked up to Professor Snape.

"Okay, it is confirmed; Edward is a Gryffindor. Longbottom now owes me 3 galleons." Draco whispered as he peeked around the book shelf. Even though he was the godson of Severus Snape, Draco was more than a little leery of the black cladded man and his sharp tongue.

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If Draco could get him the answer, then Edward will get the platinum blond the 5 minutes he needs.

On the outside Edward was all calm and confident as he marched up to the potion profressor, but on the inside Edward was a frightened quivering mess. He must have that book, or rather the answer written in that book which Draco will find for him. So with a deep breath, Edward walked around the table purposefully stood where Professor Snape will have to turn his back to the other boys.

"Yes~" The potion professor drawled without looking up.

"Sir… I told To'nee –my dad about the detention you gave." Edward blurted out the first thing in his mind.

"And .. let .. me .. guess, your father objects such treatment of his be-loved son." The professor looked up and leveled a glare at Edward.

Edward blinked as he lock eyes with those hard dark eyes of the older man, there was something familiar. Eyes that had seen pain and death; Edward has seen them before, instate of black they were seen in dark blue eyes. Dark blue eyes on a stern face of a young man in a blue uniform…

"Well~?" The soft spoken voice demanded.

Edward shook his head both to get his thoughts back on track and answer the potion professor. "No, he stated if I did the crime, I should do the time."

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"Smart man." Professor Snape bookmarked the page with an owl feather before studying the child before him.

Severus could easily see why the rumors of this boy Edward ran so wild, how could it not? With that glinting golden hair and those gold eyes.

"Yeah. There's nobody as smart as Tony Stark." The pride was unmistakable. Even a blind man could see it in the golden blond's lopsided grin and in those gold eyes that change in tone according to the boy's mood.

Then doubt and fear darkened his gold eyes enough to make the potion master shift uncomfortably in his seat.

"Will the mandrake root potion work on my father? He is a muggle after all." Edward asked softly, his gold eyes begging, pinning professor Snape through his chest.

"The mandrake potion was formulated to counter the effects of being magically petrified. As yet I have not come across any record of problem with the potion." Severus reminded the gold headed boy, before mock glared down his hooked nose. "If in the unlikely chance that this current formula fails … Do remember that I am a Potion Master, I will find the right potion for your muggle father."

The potion master looked intently into Edward's eyes as he vowed - "I'll promise you this."

"Thank you sir. …" The golden head boy whispered in gratitude, then a thought struck him and Edward frowned. "But how does a person become petrified? A sudden freezing? Like in a cryogen chamber? Is the freezing from inside out or outside in?" He voiced his thoughts aloud.

"A cry-o-gen chamber? What … in Merlin's name are you talking about?" Snape sneered with an arch a brow.

"Cryogenics is the study in physics of the production of very low temperature, I think below −150 °C, −238 °F or 123 K and the behavior of materials at those is taken from a Greek word which means icy cold is the low-temperature preservation of humans and animals that cannot be sustained by contemporary medicine, with the hope that healing and resuscitation may be possible in the future. Well, truth be known, Cryonics is not cryogenics.(1) … …"

Professor Snape's brows climbed higher and higher up his forehead, as Edward warmed up to the topic. Just who is this kid? His wealth of knowledge was definitely not of a mere eleven year old. In fact, the boy reminds the potion master of a certain alchemist professor he used to and still idolizes.

"Cryonics is an emerging medical technology of cryopreserving humans and animals with the intention of future revival. Researchers in the field seek to apply the results of many sciences, including cryobiology, cryogenics, rheology, emergency medicine, etc. "Cryogenics" is sometimes erroneously used to mean "Cryonics" in popular culture and the press. There are several ongoing studies on this. Firstly; Cryogenics, the branches of physics and engineering that involve the study of very low temperatures, how to produce them, and how materials behave at those temperatures. Most often for the purpose of achieving cryopreservation, Cryobiology is the branch of biology involving the study of the effects of low temperatures on organisms. Next is a study I'm interested in, Cryosurgery which is a type of surgery that apply very low temperatures (down to -196 °C) to destroy malignant tissue, example cancer cells…

"…. Cryoelectronics, To 'née current intellectual interest and pursue is a field of research regarding superconductivity at low temperatures. My father is also looking into Cryotronics, the practical application of cryoelectronics. … And that's all on that subject at the moment. So is the act of petrifying anything like cryogen freezing if so … if I can duplicate the petrifying effect … then … I can reverse engineer the effect … since the act of cryopreserving is …"

In spite of professor Snape's hard glare, Edward pulled one of potion professor's blank parchments over uncapped his fountain pen and started to pen out a long string of formula symbols and numbers. Lost in his calculations, Edward missed the black cladded man sneering at the sight of his fountain pen. His muggle writing device was allowed only because the quills tend to disintegrate into dust within seconds of being in Edward's hands. However the sight of Edward using a pen that did not spits ink that has a smooth steady flow of ink has cause a sensation and many pureblood students were demanding for such wondrous pens and even some professors were asking if it was time to face out quills and ink well.

The long string of symbols and numbers looked a lot like a mix of Arithmancy and Runes, much to Snape's bemusement. And as the single strand multiple and modify when Edward, mumbling under his breath as he started to add and remove symbols and numbers. His bemusement changed to amazement as Snape realized that Edward Elric-Stark was actually working out the cost and effects of cytogenetic freezing on living organisms.

And then amazement became sharp alarm when realization hit him. Severus Snape blanched and his already pale complexion went chalk white.

Snape was actually watching an inner workings of a petrifying curse being taken apart, formulate by a mere child working with a mix of Arithmancy and Runes.

With the ease this child could taken apart a curse, then he could just as easily put together new curses, jinxes and charms like Merlin a Master Spell Crafter.

If the Dark Lord ever get his hands on this child or worse if ever this child decide to join the Dark Lord. … …

But thank Merlin, the potion professor was not able to complete that thought as a red head Gryffindor student stormed into the library.

"What in the name-" His growl was cut off by…

Ronald Weasley who cried out. "What have you done with Ginny, you know-it-all prat!?"

"Wh-" Edward stuttered as his concentration broke and mind was roughly jerked back.

"My sister you git! Where have you taken her? You state that her bone will forever be in the Chamber of Secrets, release her or ... or-"

"Or what, Mr. Weasley?" Snape drawled, standing up ready to separate the boys if needed. "Minus 30 points for falsely accusing a fellow student. For your information, Messer Malfoy, Lokison, and Elric-Stark were here with me and Ms. Weasley was never here."

"What! But-"

"I strongly suggest that you explain yourself … now." The dark potion professor cut the red head off.

"Slytherin monster has taken Ginny, the message from the Heir of Slytherin said that she will die and her bone will forever be lost in the Chamber of Secrets."

"Enough. We will go to the Grand Hall now. Malfoy, Lokison come out, we will complete your detention later."

Only Harry stepped out from between the book shelves.

Snape sighed and pinched his nose bridge, he should have know that this would happened; his godson and that petrified mudblood Granger share a weakness, the passion for books.

"Where is Draco?" The potion professor growled, having neither the time nor the patience.

A quick search found the platinum blond stiffly standing several book shelves away. Hugged tightly to his chest in one arm was the opened book on mythical, magical, and mysterious creatures of the wizarding world, Draco's other arm was thrown up as if to block his eyes. His sightless silver/grey eyes stared in shock at the window.

"No… " Snape whispered in shock.

Draco Malfoy has become human victim number three.

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Edward stared at the platinum blond's petrified form, dismay and a darker emotion fought for acknowledgement in Edward's heart.

"Is this how you treat your friends? Now we see your true colors, you are nothing but a murdering, selfish git." Ron raged as he waves an accusing finger at Edward.

Edward paled and then his brows draw together in a scowl, his eyes lightened to a molten hot gold. That darker emotion won.

What happened next was almost too fast for the naked eye to follow.

One moment Ron waving and pointing his finger at the gold headed boy and in the next moment his finger was turned back over his arm and he was forced into an unusual posture to ease the pain and pressure on his whole arm.

"OW … ow … ow … let go you bloody git." Ron started ranting.

"SHUT UP!" Edward shouted right into the red head's ear.

"I have had enough of your belly aching." The golden blond said softly into the stun silence that followed. "I'm gonna find that Slytherin Monster and I'm gonna kill it, then I'm gonna find this Slytherin Heir and beat the living day lights outta him."

"Bold ambition … but how are you going to accomplish that, Elric-Stark?" Professor Snape asked softly.

*Like this! -* Edward growled in Parseltongue. Clapping his hands together Edward slapped them onto the floor, a flash of blue/white energy and a circle appears on the floor just then his familiar appears and landed in the circle.

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Reference & Foot Notes:

(1) Cryogenics – info taken from Wikipedia, more info can be found there too.

So, ladies and gents, what do you think?

Is my friend alone in finding Ron annoying and that snarky potion professor seemed to be warmer than what he protray?

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