Fullmetal Alchemist and the Crimson Stone Chapter 7: Alchemy Page 1, a fullmetal alchemist fanfic

Disclaimer: I do not own the copyrights to Fullmetal Alchemist and Harry Potter, as well as any other songs or other character references made in this story.

Fullmetal Alchemist

And the

Crimson Stone

A Fan Fiction Fusion

Tattoo Alchemist

Chapter 7: Alchemy Page 1

It was the day after the trip to Hogsmeade, as Edward Elric continued his search in the library, he was still giggling to himself about the setup on Draco Malfoy. Yet, that was only the beginning of it, with Collin Creevy there to take a picture of it all, the photograph was not only produced but copied several dozen times and given out to the other students. So, everyone knew how Malfoy and his gang ran from the Shrieking Shack like frightened first years. Needless to say, Malfoy did leave Harry, Ed, and their friends alone for a while, but Harry wasn't so sure about Malfoy.

"Because," He explained, "its Quidditch tomorrow."

Ed didn't bother to ask what Quidditch was in the first place, nor did he care, because he needed to get back to his search for Flamel's Journal. That particular Saturday was a good one for Ed since the library was completely empty except for him and the librarian. At first, he wanted to know what happened to everyone, but then he thought that it didn't matter since he could search uninterrupted.

He yawned for a moment thinking once again about what to write to his brother, Al, he wanted to know about Harry, Ron, and Hermione, but what was there to say after just one day with them? The call of nature came upon Ed and he headed into the hall and for the nearest bathroom when a familiar bushy hair girl had bumped into him.

"I'm sorry…" she quickly said but then asked in surprise, "Ed? What are you doing here?"

Ed looked at Hermione and answered, "I was in the library."

"And Ron calls me a bookworm," Hermione rolled her eyes but then said, "Quidditch is about to start, its Gryffindor verses Slytherin."

Ed thought that he was going to regret asking the question, but his curiosity had gotten the better hold of him once again.

"What's quidditch?" He asked, "And why is it so important?"

"Good thing Ron isn't here to hear that," Hermione raised her eyebrows, "but it's important because Harry's on the Gryffindor team, and Malfoy is on the Slytherin team."

"Okay," Ed said feeling confused, "but what is Quidditch?"

"Come," Hermione said as she grabbed Ed's wrist and dragged him down the hall. Ed had managed to find his pace to keep up with Hermione as they came outside and he was led to a very odd looking field. It looked like any other sports field but it was oval shaped like a football with stands of roaring fans on either side. Ed could already tell who was who, the Gryffindors proudly wearing their colors of red and gold, while the Slytherins were in green and silver.

His mind had already pieced that the Slytherin's were jeering Harry Potter for they wore mocking round framed glasses and each face had a pained letter "L" on their foreheads in place of Harry's lightning bolt scar.

On the other side, that Hermione led Edward to, the mood was downright electric. There was even a harmonious song going on amongst some of the Gryffindors. The words of the song being sun only by the few who knew it, but the beat itself had spread through the Gryffindor crowd like a joyous infection. They stomped their feet and clapped their hands.

THUMP-THUMP-CLAP

The entire seating where the Gryffindors were shook proudly with the spirit lifiting song:

Buddy you're a boy make a big noise

Playing in the street, gonna be a big man some day

You got mud on your face, you big disgrace

Kickin' your can all over the place

Singin'

We will…we will…rock you!

Ed could feel his own spirits start to sear as the beat moved through him as Hermione led him along and the two of them sat down next to Ron Weasley who was joining in on the beat of the song.

"It's just about to start!" Ron shouted, bringing his voice above the uproarious crowd.

Ed interjected as he sat down, "So it's a game!" He shouted hoping that he'd be heard, "How's it played?"

Ron heard this and was eager to explain, "There are seven players to each team. Three chasers, two beaters, a keeper, and a seeker. The chasers take the Quaffle and try to put it into one of the other teams hoops."

Ed looked at the enormously high hoops and wondered how were they going ot get the ball (The Quaffle as he assumed) into the hoops.

"The Beaters," Ron continued, "the ones with bats knock around a ball called the bludger and stop it from knocking their teammates out. The keeper, is the one who guards the hoops and stops the opposite team from scoring. And the seeker, that's Harry's job, he's going after the golden snitch which is fast and bloody hard to see. When Harry or Malfoy catch it, then the game is over. Get it?"

Ed scratched his head. Quaffle? Beater? Bludger? Golden Snitch?

"No, not at all." Ed answered

"Oh just watch and you'll see." Hermione had finished.

Ed looked out to the Quidditch field where the seven team members for each team were coming out. Each one of them were carrying a broom at their side as they took different positions. Ed was once again scratching his head at this wondering what the brooms were for, but that was soon answered when each player mounted their broom and took flight. The very second that Edward saw the Quidditch players in flight; he understood why the goal hoops were at that height. Coupled with that was a bubbling in Ed's stomach that came out bursting out of his mouth and he was on his back laughing. He was laughing so hard that he didn't see the nearby Gryffindors staring at him wondering what he found so funny.

"You've got to be kidding me!" Ed shrieked in his laughter.

Ron and Hermione looked at each other very confused by Ed's reaction.

"What the bloody hell is so funny?" Ron demanded

"Playing…" Ed tried to say but kept breaking into laughter when the words formulated in his mind, "Playing…a sport…on flying broomsticks!"

"What about it?" Hermione asked as she noticed the increasing number of Gryffindors who were staring in their direction.

"This has to be the funniest sight I've ever seen!" Ed cried out not knowing how important Quidditch was to the other students.

He finally calmed down as the game had gotten started. He watched the game for a few minutes as the players had passed the ball (The Quaffle) back and forth trying to score through the other teams hoops. It didn't take too long for Ed to figure out the game at that point. He understood the chasers, then watched the Beaters whack around the bludgers keeping them away from their respective teammates, and the keeper who was just a goalie. Yet, Ed wondered about Malfoy and Harry since they were floating stationary for a moment until Harry started to zoom across the field like a falcon soaring down on a mouse.

"He sees the snitch!" Ron cheered as the Gryffindor supporters got back into the rhythm of their spirit lifting song.

THUMP-THUMP-CLAP

Ed had watched Malfoy and Harry zoom, zip, and fly over the field like a couple of flies trapped in a room. Then again at the distance that they were at they did look like flies. He remembered Ron telling about a ball called the Golden Snitch, that it was fast and hard to see. Then Ed had to laugh a little that Harry must have great glasses if he can see the Snitch.

As he continued to watch the game Ed saw how truly chaotic it was, the chasers with the Quaffle, the Keepers at the goals, the Beaters with the Bludgers, and the Seekers looking for the Snitch. It came to the point where Ed started to wonder how the teams coordinated their actions. That much was especially true with the chasers who kept flying back and forth around the field. Ed had become amazed by the way the game went that he asked over the roar of the crowd:

"Who's winning?"

"Gryffindor!" Ron answered, "If Harry gets the Snitch, then we'll win the game!"

In light of that information, Ed then turned his eye onto Harry who was still being chased by Malfoy. Had Ed been there the previous years, he'd know that this was the most fierce that Malfoy has ever played. Perhaps it was the humiliation inflicted upon him by the Gryffindor's that he decided that his retaliation would be exacted on the Quidditch field. Malfoy came up on Harry's tail, until Harry made a sharp turn to keep his sight on the Golden Snitch. Through attentive watching, Ed saw Harry reach out to grab something that was in mid-air. Malfoy was coming up on his side and doing the same. Both players reaching out with all their might until Harry's fingers had clasped upon something and he retracted his hand keeping it close to his body while his other hand steered his broom. He floated in mid-air for only half a moment before he raised his hand up in a triumphant display. He had it.

"Harry Potter has caught the snitch!" The announcer blared, "Gryffindor wins!"

The entire Gryffindor stand started to cheer in one great wave as Harry held the snitch above his head and his teammates took a victory lap around the field. All the while, the Slytherin players and supporters sulked in their great defeat. Back in the stands, Ed had stood up to see, but because of his height, he had to stand on the stadium bench to see the victorious players.

Just as Ed was taking in the atmosphere of true victory it was soon short lived for above the roar of the crowd came an even louder roar, but this one wasn't human. It came over the Quidditch players and attendees like a cold wind and robbed them of their joyous celebration. Everyone looked in the direction where the roar came from and there descending from one of the clouds above the field was a great beast. It was serpent-like with a long body, four legs like those of a lizard, but all along its body were spikes that stretched along its back from the head to the tip of the tail. The body, at first one would think that there were scales, but instead there were bright colored feathers like a parrot or some manner of tropical bird. Its head was definitely lizard-like with its long head and horns that came out around its face. The thing was like that of a dragon, but even then such a comparison would fail with the way the beast looked.

It came down onto the Quidditch field in the way that a snake would glide across sand, swishing its body all around as its great head reached the panicked students and faculty below. The great head, that was nearly the size of a mid-sized car came down upon Harry Potter, instantly knocking him off his broom with its great claws that slashed at the air only hitting the Firebolt broom and smashing it to pieces.

As Harry fell to the ground only two people drew their wands; Hermione Granger and Headmaster Dumbledore. Hermione swished and flicked her wand in the direction of the falling Harry:

"Wingardium Leviosa!" She cried

Instantly, Harry stopped in mid-air, but did not move as he hovered a few inches from the grass covered Quidditch field. At the same time, Dumbledore drew his wand and took aim at the dragon-thing.

"Petrificus totalus!" he called out and the dragon-thing froze solid in mid-air and softly tumbled to the field below with a solid thump that could have been felt as far away as the depths of the Forbidden Forest itself.

As the students fled the field, Hermione, Ron, Ed, and the other Gryffindor team members went to the unconscious Harry Potter who was gently set down into Hermione's waiting arms.

Edward Elric stood beside the hospital wing bed where Harry Potter slept, waiting with him were Harry's teammates, as well as, Ron Weasley, Hermione Granger, and Sandra Locke. They must have been waiting for at least two hours after the match wondering when Harry was going to wake up. Had Ed been there the previous year he'd know that this wasn't the first time Harry had come to the hospital wing after a Quidditch match. Yet, at the same time, there were those who dreaded Harry waking up because of the heart wrenching news that they'd have to deliver. Harry Potter began to stir in his bed, while the other Gryffindors smiled knowing that he was alright, even Ed felt a great relief that the beast hadn't killed him.

"How are you feeling Harry?" Hermione quickly asked sounding as if she wanted to know it more than anyone else there.

"I've had better days," Harry answered as he sat up, "What was that thing anyway? It was…like a dragon, but…at the same time…it wasn't."

"No one knows, Harry," Hermione had answered, "Dumbledore and the rest of the staff are trying to solve that mystery."

"Well," Harry shrugged as he lay back in his bed, "at least we won the match."

"Yes…" Ron agreed nervously as he held Harry's Quidditch robe that contained the news that he really didn't want to deliver, "about your broom, Harry."

Ron unfurled the robe showing the Firebolt room in its broken shame. Harry sat upon once again, his face already on the brink of heartbreak as he took in the devastation of his wrecked broom.

Ed watched all this unfold and knew how important the broom was to Harry simply by how he looked at it. For the first time in a very long time, Ed felt true empathy for what Harry was feeling. He looked down at his gloved hands and formulated a plan.

"Does anyone have chalk?" Ed asked

"What the bloody hell do you need chalk for?" Ron asked in a tone that suggested that Ed was asking something very inappropriate.

"Trust me," Ed demanded, "Where can I get some chalk?"

"Here," Sandra said as she held out her hand to Ed that had a piece of writing chalk.

Ed took it with a great grin on his face and got down on his hands and knees to the stone floor of the hospital wing. There he started to draw furiously fast, he drew a circle, then another, and then he stared to add a set of triangles to the outer edge of the circle. Placing the chalk aside he saw that it was done.

"Ron," Ed called, "Bring the pieces of Harry's broom."

Ron still held the pieces of the Firebolt, he looked to Harry and Hermione, his expression asking what should be done. Harry and Hermione silently told Ron that Ed could be trusted after all; there was nothing else that could be lost. Ron took the pieces to Ed where he drew that circle on the floor.

"Are you sure all the pieces are there?" Ed asked Ron as he lay out the broken pieces of the Firebolt within the circle.

"Yeah…" Ron answered, "But what's all this about?"

"It's a transmutation circle," Sandra answered as she watched Ed work.

"A trans-what-circle?" Hermione asked.

"Just watch and you'll see," Sandra answered.

Everyone in the hospital wing peered down at Ed with the pieces of the Firebolt and the transmutation circle. Sitting back, Ed brought his hands to the edge of the circle and the lines that were once white began to glow an irredescent blue that started to overpower the light in the room. Then in the center of the circle, there was a puff of smoke that encompassed the pieces of the Firebolt. With that puff of smoke, the iridescent blue light was gone and the smoke started to clear, and in the circle, instead of the Firebolt pieces, it was whole once again.

"Incredible!" Hermione uttered with her jaw open.

"How did you do that?" Harry asked as Ed brought the newly transmuted Firebolt to him.

"This is what we learn back in my homeland; alchemy," Ed answered with a grin knowing that it was a job well done.

"It not only looks fixed," Hermione observed, "but it looks brand new is if it was just made."

Everyone in the hospital wing was amazed by what they had just witnessed; because they knew that not even magic could repair the kind of damage it was in. Harry remembered when his Nimbus 2000 was shattered and there was no amount of magic to fix it, and here's Ed who drew a simple circle and viola it was complete again.

"Can you teach this?" Harry asked Ed.

"You want to learn alchemy?" Ed asked with a cocked eyebrow.

"Yes," Harry answered

"Me too," Hermione added.

"Count me in too," Ron smiled.

"Hey!" Sandra objected, "I asked him first and he turned me down."

"You make it sound like you wanted to date him," Hermione answered back.

Sandra quickly blushed, "I…" she stammered, "I just wanted to…learn alchemy from him."

Ed felt embarrassed by the sudden adoration from them only because he displayed something that he was truly good at.

"So, Edward Elric," Sandra said to him delivering an ultimatum, "Are you going to teach us alchemy or not?"

Ed could feel the pressure as the eyes of the eager minds had looked to him wanting and hungry for the knowledge that only he could give them. He already could feel the memory of Armony's death coming back over him, yet at the same tie the old antonym came to mind. Those who don't learn from the past are doomed to repeat it. Looking at the prospective new students, Ed suddenly smiled and thought that his might be his second chance.

"Alright," he said to his alchemy students, "meet in the library on Monday after classes and we'll start."

Sandra started jumping up and down shrieking like she won the greatest prize in the world, but she never seemed happier when Edward Elric, Fourth Year Gryffindor, had become the unofficial professor of alchemy.

That night, while everyone in Gryffindor Tower had gone to bed, Ed stayed up in the common room and in the light of the roaring fire he began writing out his letter to Al:

Dear Al,

You wanted to know more about this place I'm in, HogwartsSchool of Witchcraft and Wizardry, there is so much to tell, but I don't think that telling it to you in this letter will compare to how I had experienced it.

First, there are the people that you wanted to know about, the first one that I want to tell you about is Hermione Granger, I swear to you Al, this girl is just like Sheska. I'd be willing to bet that if you'd left those two alone together they'd get along like paper and ink. Hermione is just as mousey and just as knowledgeable as Sheska, in fact it wouldn't surprise me if Hermione has a photographic memory like her.

Then there's Ron Weasley, I think that you'd like him Al, in fact, now that I think about it, he is a little like you though Ron is a little more…goofy than you, Al.

Finally, there's Harry Potter, I don't know it for sure Al, but I have a pretty good feeling that Harry's past is similar to our own, that he too has met, faced, and gone through tragedies like ours. When I first met him, I noticed a scar on in the shape of a lightning bolt on his forehead and I instantly felt some kind of connection to him. I don't know if I'm right about it, but maybe I'll find out.

Al, you won't believe the crazy things that I see in this place, ghosts walking around casually as if they were actual people, paintings that move within their frames, but the latest tops them all. I had watched a game called Quidditch, which is played entirely on flying broomstick. I know it sounds ridiculous, but you do get into the game after a while, I'll tell more in the next letter.

As for the search, there's still nothing to be found, but I'll find that book.

Your brother,

There was a great amount of unrest at Hogwarts as talk about the creatures that attack the students had spread. There was curiosity about what they were, where they came from, and most of all, why they kept coming to Hogwarts at all. There was also suspicions and conspiracy theories (mainly around the Slytherin table) that Hagrid is the one setting loose these monsters. Even after hearing Malfoy retell his "horrific encounter" with Hagrid's beasts. Then again, the other Slytherin's were the only ones that would isten to him after his humiliation in, what was known as, "The Shrieking Shot".

Even with all the talk that was going around, Harry, Hermione, Ron, and Sandra waited in anticipation for classes to be over so that they may learn the subject known as alchemy.

After their last class, the four of them headed straight for the library where they were already students who were working on their homework assignment. More than likely they were mostly from Snape since he did have a tendency for rather excessive homework giving. The four Gryffindors then set out to look for their unofficial professor, Edward Elric who had taken a seat in a far and distant corner of the library where the books on alchemy were shelved. They each took seats around the table where Ed was looking at them with an anticipated look that seemed to convey the message of "let's get this over with".

As they sat down, Ed had "surveyed" his eager students and he began the lesson by saying:

"I'm not going to be as bad as the other teachers," He explained, "But once we get the basics down, I'd like to ask that all of you practice. Agreed?"

Edward's students had all nodded in their agreement to his first class rule.

"To begin alchemy," Ed began the lesson, "you must first understand this: to obtain, something of equal value must be lost, this is alchemy's first law of equivalent exchange or equivalent trade. If you fail to understand this, then alchemy will not function for you, does everyone understand?"

"So, what you're saying," Hermione interjected, "is that the output must be equal to its input, such as sand into glass."

"That's exactly what I mean," Ed answered sounding slightly annoyed that Hermione understood this right away, "But does everyone else understand this?"

The others nodded, Sandra leaning forward and listening intently, while Harry looked like he was running the principle over and over in his head, and Ron just vacantly smiled and nodded at Edward's question.

"If there are no other questions," Ed continued, "then, let's get started with drawing transmutation circles."

It was like that every Monday from that September month all the way through November when nature itself was starting to close up on itself to allow the snow to fall in thick powdery layers. For most of the week, Ed kept up with his homework, and continued his search for Flamel's journal, until the Mondays when he would be teaching alchemy to his eager students. They seemed to take to it quite easily, that is, Hermione and Sandra, but Harry needed help in sharpening his transmutation circle, while Ron need the most help in getting them down at all.

It was the last Monday of the month of November when during "Defense against the Dark Arts class, that Professor Edward Blackadder had mentioned alchemy in class. The moment that Ed heard the Tattoo Alchemist talk of their craft, he suddenly paid sharper attention than what he did before.

"The science of alchemy," Professor Blackadder began, "started in the roots of philosophy, thus the reason why one of the most sought after artifacts is called The Philosopher's Stone. However, in the beginning, alchemy was more of a spiritual science, it was never meant to change anything on a literal level. Even the idea of lead into gold was a metaphor that a person would change from the lead of their ignorance to the gold of enlightenment.

"Even though alchemy has one root of origin, it took two different paths. Here in England, alchemy was replaced with magic, while in the homeland of our classmate, Edward Elric, it became more commonplace."

The lecture had struck a very deep chord with Ed, because for the longest time, he always thought that the science of alchemy was born in the kitchen. At least that's what they always say, but the idea that alchemy was not meant to change anything seemed absolutely ludicrous to Ed, how could alchemy not be meant to change anything? The question was set aside when he came to the library and saw that his eager students had all brought their materials to test their transmutation abilities.

Ed sat down at their usual table; Hermione was the first to start. She had set down her paper that had the transmutation circle drawn upon it and like the others, Hermione's circle had taken its own unique configuration. It was a combination of a circle with a square and four triangles within it in the position like the corners of a book. She set down upon her circle a stack of papers, a large scrap of leather, and a vile of blue that she uncorked and poured over the leather and paper. As soon as the glue was poured over the pile, she placed her hands upon the circle that began to glow in a slightly yellowish light, like candlelight, there was a puff of smoke and in place of the raw materials was a thick leather-bound journal.

Ed smiled, "Very good, Hermione."

The next one for this unofficial alchemy exam was Harry, who set down his transmutation circle which was a configuration of one circle six triangles on the outer edge that had smaller triangles within it, while inside the circle was a six-point star with an additional small triangle in each point. Finally capping off the circle was a small line drawing in the center that was like a thin lightning bolt. Upon his circle, Harry had poured out a small bag of sand, he placed his hands onto the circle, the yellow light came, so did the puff of smoke, and there in the center was a very finely carved and polished chalice.

"He's been practicing," Sandra complemented.

That was when Ron Weasley stepped up and set out his transmutation circle which was basically the same one that Edward and Al had used for whatever use they wanted. In it Ron set a loaf of bread and poured a bowl of sugar onto it. He set his hands on the edge of the circle, the yellow light flashed, and the loaf of bread was there but the sugar was gone.

Ed reached over, tore off a piece of the bread and took a small nibble of it, allowing it to set on his tongue for a few moments to notice any difference in it.

"It's sweet," Ed observed.

Ron shrugged, "I was trying to make a cake."

"Remember for next time, that there's more to a cake then just bread and sugar," Ed told Ron, "But still a good start, and now that leaves you Sandra, let's see what you can do."

Sandra smiled and set down her circle, which looked like a flower drawn as a transmutation circle; an outer circle, a small inner one for the nectar center, and triangles spreading out as the petals. Upon her flower circle, she piled on loose dirt, and setting her hands upon the circle itself, the yellow light shinned, the puff of smoke rose and from the dirt rose a patch of wild flowers of red, yellow, blue, orange, white, and pink.

"Beautiful," Hermione uttered.

"You've all done quite well as beginning alchemists," Ed smiled and then got quite the idea, "you know, perhaps all of you should have second names."

"Second names?" Ron asked

"Yeah," Ed answered, "I had told you that where I come from when an alchemist is accepted, they're given a symbolic second name. Mine being Fullmetal, I think I'll assign each of you unofficial second names."

"Wicked," Ron smiled, "What's mine?"

"Calm down, Ron," Ed laughed, "Give me a second, and I'll think of them."

Ed cupped his chin as he thought about the names of the other alchemists that have come before him and the names that they had; Roy Mustang the Flame Alchemist; Doctor Tim Marco the Crystal Alchemist; Major Alex Louis Armstrong the Strong-arm Alchemist; Brigadier General Basque Graun the Iron-Blood Alchemist; and Shou Tucker the Sewing Life Alchemist. Thinking about the names of all those alchemists, he suddenly had the names at the very tip of his tongue.

"Harry Potter," Ed stated to Harry sounding official about his designation, "I give you the name, Scar Alchemist."

Harry had smirked at the name given to him as if he knew that his scar would somehow come up in his alchemist name.

"Hermione Granger," Ed stated, "I give you the name, Paper Alchemist."

Hermione nodded at the name already feeling accustomed to it as if she had the name for as long as she could remember.

"Ron Weasley," Ed continued, "I give you the name, Luck Alchemist."

Ron smiled, "Ron Weasley the Luck Alchemist…I like the sound of that."

"What about me, Ed?" Sandra had asked, "What'll be my name?"

Ed looked at Sandra trying with all his might to push the memory of Armony aside like he had for the past few months, but each time Sandra Locke had transmuted flowers, the memory came back like pain that was outlasting the pain killer. He had already thought of a name, one that he wanted to recommend if Armony became a State Alchemist.

"Sandra Locke," Ed stated convincingly covering up the sadness that was in him, "I give you the name…Floral Alchemist."

"I love it," Sandra said with elation and glee at her newly assigned name.

As soon as the joy of their newly given names had subsided, Harry had a question that had been on his mind for a long time since they had started practicing alchemy under the tutelage of Edward Elric.

"Ed?" Harry asked, "There's something about alchemy that I'm curious about."

"What's that?" Ed asked not giving what Harry was about to ask a single second thought.

"Can a human being be made through alchemy?"

Ed could feel himself gasp at that very question, but at the same time he was wondering when one of his eager students would ask that question about one of the most forbidden of subjects. He didn't want to answer that question.

"I think that concludes our lesson for today," Ed stated as he quickly gathered up his books and exited the library without even a second glance back at his students.

To Be Continued…