Chapter Two
When the train arrived at the castle, Harry, Hermione, and Ron disembarked the train, and it wasn't until they were on the carriages to the castle that Harry Realized something. "Hey, guys, I didn't see that boy, Ed, get on the boats with the first-years."
Hermione just sat quietly. She appeared deep in thought. Ron and Harry talked all the way up to the gates. They speculated on many things, like weather, and Quidditch, and Professor Snape the Potions teacher's choice of hair care products.
When they were inside, sitting at the Gryffindor table, Hermione was still very quiet. Ron glanced at the Staff table. "Hey Harry, looks like they got a new suit of armor. Look." Sure enough, a previously unseen suit of hulking armor stood behind the table, behind the only vacant seat. Dumbledore stood. The room got very quiet all at once.
"Students and faculty, before we begin this new year at Hogwarts, I would like to make some announcements. First, the list of contraband items has been expanded, and will be posted outside Mr. Filch's office. Please read it. Second, the staff has, unfortunately, been unable to procure a teacher to fill Professor Moody's vacated Defence Against the Dark Arts position. Thus, we will not have that class. Instead, I have called an expert on the subject of Alchemy, and he has graciously agreed to instruct you in this science. Please welcome our newest teacher, Mister Edward Elric." Harry and Ron's jaws dropped simultaneously. The short blond kid from the train walked out of the shadows and bowed. Dumbledore spoke again. "And please also allow me to welcome Professor Elric's assistant and younger brother, Alphonse Elric. The new suit of armor stepped forward, bowed, and in a high, squeaky voice, said, "Pleased to meet you." They then took up their original positions. Ed sat at the table, and Al stood behind him. Talk immediately erupted across all the tables, from the Slytherin table most of all. Harry was pleased to see Malfoy rubbing his chin gingerly. The meal passed quickly, with little being eaten and much being said.
"Hey, Harry, why do you reckon Dumbledore got a kid to be a teacher? I mean, he can't be much older than us, can he?"
"I suppose that expertise knows no age, Ron. But did you see the way he layed Malfoy out on the train?"
At this point Ron's brothers, Fred and George, got in on it. "He decked Malfoy? For what?" Harry told them. "For calling him short? Whoa! I like him already," declared Fred.
Meanwhile, Hermione said little, but seemed engrossed in her alchemy text. The longest sentence she uttered all meal was, "I think he'll do fine." Harry and Ron were getting worried. Usually Hermione was a little more talkative than that.
They went up to the tower, and after an argument with the Fat Lady, they managed to get in. She said the password was "to-may-to," but the prefects said "to-mah-to," and it just degraded and raged for a few minutes, until finally, the Fat Lady relented. Harry went straight to bed.
The next day dawned warm and sunny. Harry rolled out of bed, donned his robes, and checked his schedule. "Blast it! Double Alchemy with the Slytherins!" He grabbed his books, and rushed off to breakfast. He couldn't find Ron or Hermione at breakfast, and ate alone. They showed up toward the end of breakfast, looking rather tired and disheveled. "Where were you? You look like you just played fetch with Fluffy."
Ron said, "Fluffy would be tame compared to this. I can't talk about it, because I don't know what it was. Hagrid got Hermione and me to help muscle some crates to the back of his hut. And I mean, actually muscle. What ever was in there wasn't happy with magic. What's first class?" He wolfed down a slice of bacon.
"Double Alchemy. With the Slytherins."
Ron looked hopeful. "Cool, maybe Malfoy will get nailed again. You have to admit, though Harry. What happened on the train sure beats the bouncing ferret thing from last year." Harry agreed, and they left.
The classroom looked almost normal, with small vials and bottles on shelves along the walls, and pictures of what looked like family and friends. There was a picture of tow kids who must have been Ed and his brother, and other pictures. After a certain one, Ed just seemed to abruptly quit smiling. Many students commented on the pictures, which unlike wizarding photos did not move. Harry, Ron, and Hermione sat down near the middle of the room. Ed and Al walked in. The whole class, save a few Slytherins, said, "Good morning, Professor."
Ed looked a little ill. "Don't call me Professor. Ed will do. Before we begin, I feel I should introduce myself. My name's Ed Elric, and I suppose you already knew that. My brother and I are from the east, in a little town called Rizembul. I am an alchemist, and I hope to turn all of you into alchemists. Any questions?"
Hermione's hand went up. "Ed, I have a question, if it's not too rude to ask? How long have you been a State Alchemist?"
Ed sort of smiled. "It's not too rude. I've been a State Alchemist for two or three years now. How could you tell?"
"The silver watch, and I knew about it because the text book mentioned it."
"Ah, I see. By the way, class. I was never told who wrote the text. I just came to teach and they provided the books. What book were you issued?"
Harry raised his hand. "Sir, the book is Transmutiational Alchemy by a man named Shau Tucker." Ed's face momentarily twisted into a scowl, and then returned to a look of slight amusement.
"Well, class. First lesson. Put the books away, and get out something to write with. One of the first things about my class, is you will take some notes. Can anyone tell me what is alchemy?"
Hermione's hand yet again shot up. "Sir, alchemy is the process of taking one thing, breaking it down, and making something else out of it."
"Good job, Miss, uh, what is your name, anyway?"
"Granger, Sir. Hermione Granger."
"Well, Hermione, you just earned your house ten points. And don't call me Sir. Can you tell me what the three steps to an alchemic reaction are?"
"Analysis, Deconstruction, Reconstruction, Si- I mean Ed."
"Very good. Ten more points." The lesson continued for a while, and everything was cool, until the peace was shattered by a voice. Everyone looked to the back of the class, to see Draco Malfoy standing up, making his way to the door.
"See, you, Professor Shorty. I don't need alchemy. Never will. Useless garbage."
Ed spoke. "Okay, then, Blondie. I'll make a deal with you. How about you and me step outside, and duel. Your magic against my alchemy. If you win, I'll pass you. You can sleep and throw spitwads and play cards in my class, and I'll pass you for the year. But when I win, you sit down, and you pay attention, and you learn. My job is to teach you, and I will teach you, if I have to tie you down and shove the textbook down your pasty throat. Do we have a deal?"
Malfoy grinned. "We have a deal."