The Philosopher's Stone

Chapter Three

Yuery's Eleventh Birthday

Amestris

Fuhrer's Mansion

After they returned from England, the Blacks and Severus had gone straight home. They returned to the mansion the next day to celebrate Yuery's birthday however, before Severus would be returning to Hogwarts. Narcissa, it seemed, had decided during their trip that Draco would be attending Hogwarts. Yuery and Draco were huddled in the corner or the ballroom talking about it, along with Elisha Hughes.

Aside from a couple of strange adults, no one had really seemed to notice Yuery or his Dad while they had been out shopping. He had thought about it afterward, and with the addition of this news he was now on the fence on which school he actually would like to attend so decided to talk it over with his friends before bringing it up to his parents. "I hate to be the one to tell you Yuery," Draco said with a frown, "You are famous in England. Not as Yuery, but that other name. Every kid knows about you, you're practically a legend."

"Yeah but, Harry Potter won't be going to school. Yuery Elric will." Yuery argued. "I just want to give it a chance you know. It might be nice to not be immediately known."

"I do know." Draco said, nodding. "When I was younger, I was Malfoy first. I think it will probably be like that again when I get there. I'm not sure though. Everyone still knows you there, just differently than here."

"Still, I can at least ask." Yuery said.

"Ask what?" Hiro said as he joined them along with Anya, Huan and Clara.

"He's thinking about asking his parents if he can try a different school for a year in hopes of getting away from being 'Son of the Lt. Fuhrer'." Draco supplied with a shrug.

"You really think it would take a whole year for someone to find out about that and pass it around?" Huan asked with a frown. He had cousins who had tried that in schools in Europe and Asia. It didn't work for long. Magic Schools were full of gossip. Especially when it came to the hidden continent.

"Hey, it's worth a try." Yuery protested. "It's not like Dad's going to agree anyway. He's always talking about how crazy they are over in England."

"We aren't that crazy." Draco frowned.

"Didn't your father go completely insane and end up in prison?" Clara asked.

"My father isn't everyone in England. Look at my mother and Sev. They aren't crazy." Draco crossed his arms with a scowl.

"Hey, no fighting at my party. Besides, Draco can't help his father's going insane. It isn't a happy subject and shouldn't be thrown at him like that." Yuery said

"Yuery's right. One of my relatives went so crazy he tried to start a war when we were all little, but he isn't a good example of our family." Huan defended as well.

"My family is full of crazy things happening. Nothing crazy has happened to me." Anya added, and Elisha nodded in agreement as Clara muttered an apology.

"Okay. I'm going to go bring it up to my Dad, wish me luck." Yuery said, and all of his friends looked at him like he was crazy, which he probably was to bring it up at his party, but he was feeling brave.

He made his way over to the adults in question as his Dad stood with Severus Snape both men looked tense, as if they were arguing. "-like this plan, it's essentially using him as bait." He heard his Dad say as he came closer.

"It's giving the boy what he wants, and at the same time giving us a chance to correct this issue." Snape hissed back.

"I won't let these people sink their claws into my son." Dad growled, his face turning red with anger. "No, if I agree to this, and that's a big if, I want to be assured he will be as safe as if he were home."

"I cannot promise that. I can promise I will watch him carefully, and that I will update you daily on anything and everything that occurs."

"Not good enough. Find a way to get someone in there to watch over him directly." Dad frowned. "You already have a mission, and you can't seem to familiar with him or it will ruin your other plans."

"I do not think he would allow for it."

"Then this plan is off, which is better for us anyway. I will not risk his safety."

"Hogwarts, for all it's problems, is still the safest location in all of Europe. We cannot guarantee that loyalists of Takeshi cannot gain access to Xerxes, so the two seem equally safe- "Yuery backed away then, deciding that the conversation with his father could wait. It sounded like his Dad was already debating the idea of letting him go and if he pushed the answer might swing to no.

He returned to his friends instead with a shrug, letting them know his Dad was busy as Huan's Dad, Ling came up to the crowd of children. "Why in the world are you hiding in a corner at your own party?" Ling asked cheerfully. "Someone is bound to think you're plotting something like this."

"We were simply planning our beginning of the year strategy." Huan supplied with a smile.

"Mhmm. Off with you now. Enjoy your party. No more lurking in corners. Huan find your brother and keep him occupied." Ling said with a knowing smile.

They knew better than to argue further, though they had spotted Ping wandering around with William and Ana Hughes not long before they decided it would be best to track them down. Yuery saw his Dad and Severus separate and walk in opposite directions as Ling caught up to his Dad.

Yuery and Huan joined their brothers then, as Ping looked around the room with a frown. "Nearly everything has changed, but this room is the same as the ones in my dreams."

"Ping, Father said that you should speak carefully of your dreams." Huan said before William could say anything.

"It's okay. I know about strange things." William said. "My brother can be strange himself and not because of dreams."

"Hey!" Yuery protested, then shrugged. He had enough strange dreams of his own over the years he wasn't going to think Ping was weird because of a random dream. "Your Dad said to come find you."

"Our Dad is busy arguing with our tutor. Otherwise, he would have sent you to find me as well, it is nearly time to open gifts and eat." William nodded.

"I'm the weird one." Yuery rolled his eyes as he nodded at William and Huan nodded.

It was apparent all four boys agreed their brothers were the strange one, despite that notion meaning that all four of them were assumed to be odd. "How am I strange?" William asked ass they walked toward the food tables where the rest of the family was gathered.

"I'm sorry to tell you this Will but wanting to be an automail mechanic is just as strange as being a wizard." Yuery said.

"Mom's an automail mechanic."

"That doesn't mean she isn't weird. So's Dad. We're just used to them." Yuery shrugged. "It doesn't really matter since Dad is one of the most important people in Amestris and he saved us all at least once that everyone knows about, so they just ignore that he's weird… I think he might let me go to Hogwarts."

"Why do you want to go to Hogwarts?"

"No one knows my Dad is one of the most important men in the country there. It might be nice. TO be treated like I'm normal." Yuery shrugged.

"You aren't normal Brother. I'm sorry you hadn't noticed." William said then ran off with a laugh before Yuery could respond, Ping trailing behind him.

Later that Evening

Fuhrer's Apartment

After the party, and when all the guests were settled into guest rooms, Dad pulled Yuery into his private study with a frown. Yuery was worried he had done something wrong because his Dad rarely looked this annoyed, and it was usually when something was wrong or Yuery had done something like the time he and Will had disappeared into the woods.

Dad sighed and asked him to sit down. Yuery hesitantly sat on the edge of the chair opposite of his father. "I don't know how to begin, and that is not a problem I find often." Dad said after a moment.

"What did I do?" Yuery asked.

"Nothing. It isn't you." Dad ran his hair through his ponytail, like he always did when he was nervous. "It is about you, however. Hogwarts invited you to attend, as you know. Mr. Snape believes that should I allow you to attend he will be able to keep you safe at this school. I have my doubts. The man who runs the school is not someone I trust. He has also brought some very questionable objects inside the walls of his school."

"So, you don't want me to go?" Yuery tried to hide his disappointment.

"No, I don't. That doesn't mean I won't consider it, should I be able to make acceptable arrangements. Would you like to attend is the important question moving forward?" Dad looked pained, but Yuery nodded anyway. He really did want to go, especially after Draco told him his mom was sending him this fall. "Very well. I will see what I can arrange. I can't promise you will be going, but that doesn't mean it's an absolute no either. Now head to bed, you have had a busy day and I have letters to write."

Yuery jumped up happily and wished his father goodnight, before rushing up to his room to tell his brothers what Dad had said. William and Maes were both still up waiting to hear what it was their father had to say. It was uncommon for one of them to be pulled into his private study like that, and Yuery had been very careful with his magic experiments. Dad couldn't possibly know that Yuery had used magic instead of alchemy when he made those flowers bloom early last week, could he? Even if he did know, because Dad always found out everything, Yuery could probably convince him it was an accident.

Yuery came in smiling, and the other two assumed that meant Dad hadn't found out about the flowers yet. "I might get to go to Hogwarts. If they agree to Dad's terms." Yuery announced happily.

"What? What were Dad's terms?" Will asked as Maes clapped happily.

"He didn't say, but probably the same kind of stuff as with Xerxes. It might make me stick out a little, but not as much as there I think." Yuery said then frowned. Would they agree to let him be a day student? Would the other kids notice and ask questions? He didn't really want to stick out at his new school. He shrugged it off, even if he did at least people wouldn't recognize him on sight as soon as he arrived. It might even take them a while to catch on and by then people will have gotten to know him. Draco would be there too, which helped. He'd have at least one friend.

Edward, meanwhile, sighed once again begore he pulled out his parchment and a pen. He refused to use a quill, even if he was willing to bend on the matter of paper. He would agree to make a deal with Dumbledore, for the sake of retrieving the Stone, finding the horcrux, and allowing his son a glimpse at the world one day he was expected to save. There was absolutely no way he would be trusting Dumbledore with the safety of his child though. He had already spoken to his wife and his father. Had he not felt the stone on Hagrid...he had suspected one was in Gringotts once, years ago but had half-forgotten when he hadn't noticed it again. He had really hoped it was a red stone that the Bastard had left the Asshole, but now he had another complication to deal with that he didn't need.

It wasn't an ideal situation. The possibility of failure was high, the risks were high, and it managed to break several dozen promises he had made to himself over the years. It was still the only viable plan they had found, and they were out of time.