Chapter 6

Albus Dumbledore appeared outside Number Seven Grimmauld Place with a puzzled mind. The message Arthur sent him moments before worried him for many reasons unknown. There was just something off about the message. He knew it wasn't out of character for a Weasley to help a child in need, he just couldn't shake the feeling that something was off. Nonetheless, he walks to the front door and gives two solid knocks against the worn wood.

Mrs. Weasley opened the door with relief shining in her eyes.

"Oh thank Merlin you are here Albus! I'm just not sure what to do with that poor boy. Is Poppy not with you?" Molly asked while letting Dumbledore inside.

"She will be by shortly, Molly. Where is the boy?" Albus asked, cutting to the point.

"He is still sleeping in one of the spare bedrooms. I'm afraid it wasn't a particularly clean room, but it will do for now. Would you like some tea, Albus? Dinner will be ready in a few hours, would you be joining us?"

"Tea would be lovely, Molly. Thank you. I do not believe I will be staying for dinner. I suppose we will have to see when our guest wakes up."

Dumbledore joins Arthur at the kitchen table, while Molly fusses with the kettle.

"Hello Arthur. Would you mind telling me what happened earlier?" Dumbledore asked. Clearly wanting to get to the bottom of this mystery.

"Of course Dumbledore. Well you see, I was just leaving the store after picking some things up for breakfast tomorrow, When I saw the boy across the street. He seemed upset and frustrated. I yelled to him asking if he was alright. Then out of nowhere a bright purple light flashed violently, followed by a loud bang. After my vision cleared, I saw the child on the ground. I rushed over to him and checked to see if he was still breathing. After that, I looked around for any Death Eaters. When I didn't I asked the crowd if they knew him. No one did. He woke up for a brief moment. He seemed really out of it. I only caught a few words. That he didn't want to see a healer and that he wanted to go to an inn. I couldn't just leave him Albus. I was afraid to take him to St. Mungos. His eyes, Albus. They are gold. They don't seem natural. Even though he was out of it, they seemed to see through me. I don't know, Albus. There is something different about this kid. I thought you would want to see him."

"No worries, Arthur. I'm sure you made the right call. Perhaps I should send for Moody. It sounds like we might need to question him. Would you fetch Sirius and Remus, Arthur? I'll send an owl for Moody." Arthur nodded and left.

"No! No! you will not! He is a child! I don't care about the color of his eyes! He is just a child!" Molly, forever the advocate of the children, drew the line. It just didn't sit right with her, interrogating children.

"Molly, we do not know who is. Child or not, these are troubled times."

"I don't care! He is a child! He needs a healer! Not an interrogation!"

"It will just be a few questions. Not an interrogation, Molly." Dumbledore assured her with little effect.

"He is an injured child, Albus! Not a criminal!"

"I assure you I will treat him the same as any of my students, but in troubled times we must be cautious of everyone, no matter the age, Molly." Dumbledore said in a tone that left no room for argument. Evidently Molly didn't seem to agree.

"He is a child, Albus! An innocent bystander! If we treat everyone we see as a Death Eater then we are no better than the Death Eaters thinking muggleborns are inferior than purebloods! I will not stand for this! He is injured and needs rest and food! No, you are not having Moody interrogate him!"

"Molly, please. You know I care for children just as much as you do. After all, I am the Headmaster of Hogwarts. I must ensure the safety of us all, as well. I will question him myself and you can be in the room to ensure I don't upset him, if you wish." Dumbledore bargained, ever the diplomat.

"I suppose that will have to do. But please keep in mind that he is an injured child. Let him rest and eat first." Mrs. Weasley threw in a few of her own conditions, but was still wary of the idea.


Edward regained consciousness with a set of sneezes. He sat up panicked, in a strange, dusty room.

"Where the fuck am I?" Ed groaned, holding his pounding head. It seemed that Truth decided he needed more information. carelessly dumping more into his head at random times. Ed looked around in the dim room. He took note of the torn, faded wallpaper and the dusty, gray carpet. It seemed to him that no one has been in this room for at least a decade. When Edward stood up, a gust of dust joined him. Triggering a small coughing fit. Once he could properly breathe again, Edward walked towards the door with all intent of leaving wherever he was but froze with his hand on the silver knob with the door slightly open. Loud voices carried up the staircases. He couldn't catch the words, so he moved to the lower landing, where he could hear them better.

Turning the corner, Ed froze. He saw five teens huddled at the top of the stairs. Two of which looked awfully familiar.

"Hey! You're the brats that almost knocked me down at the bookstore!" Edward declared while pointing a finger at the two red headed twins. They all jumped in fright. Four of the five swearing.

"Bloody hell! warn a guy next time!" The red haired boy without a double exclaimed, clutching his chest. Edward ignored him and marched up to the twins. He stopped and glared at them with his hands clenched into fists.

"You two nearly killed me earlier! Mind explaining what that was about?" He growled at them. To be fair to the twins they only took two small steps back before glancing at each other. Luckily for them, someone came to their rescue.

"Is there a problem, young one?" a voice asked out of nowhere, scaring the shit out of the Fullmetal Alchemist. When he turned he saw an elderly man with a ridiculously long snow white beard coming up the stairs.

"Who the hell are you old man? Do you get a kick scaring the hell out of unsuspecting people?" Edward asked while clutching his heart. The group of five looked at each other with wary amusement.

" I am Albus Dumbledore, and you are?" Was his calm response, not fazed at all by Ed's outburst. Edward started silently freaking out as he gazed stupidly at Dumbledore.

What an amazing first impression, Ed. Way to go.

"I'm Edward Elric. I have actually been wanting to speak with you. I would like to join your school as a fifth year." He decided to get straight to the point, no sense of beating around the bushes. He stood taller and used what Ed believed to be more of a diplomatic voice, as if he didn't just scream at the headmaster.

"Is that so? May I ask why you decided to wait so long? Your accent is English, am I right to assume you did not go to a foreign school?"

"Yes I am English, I have been homeschooled up until recently. Unforeseen circumstances have left me to seek education elsewhere." Edward replied with a thought out response, trying to make himself seem more educated and mature. Which baffled all those present, for they all just witnessed the boy ready to fight all of them; he seemed to have flipped his personality like a switch. The children all glanced at each other and had about five silent conversations between them. All agreeing that this strange boy with his strange coloring was to be watched and to be cautious of. especially if he joined Harry's year. it was too much of a coincidence, and none of them believed in coincidences.

"I see, may I ask where your parents are? I would need to speak to them in any case if you wish to transfer."

"They died." Edward replied bluntly. Dumbledore actually seemed shocked at how calause Edward proclaimed his parents dead. Ed mentally chastised himself, forgetting momentarily that he was supposed to be a grieving teen, and not a battle hardened soldier. He sighed and made himself appear more worn out and sad. Then he had a stroke of genius, "Well that is what was told to me, I'm not too sure on that however. My home was destroyed when I came back from playing in the woods. The whole house and everything in it was completely burned to the ground. A strange symbol happened to have manafest above where the house was. But my parents may not have been there, right?" Ed said the last part with hope begging not to be crushed. Albus seemed stunned and conflicted.

"Perhaps it would be best to continue this conversation in the living room." Edward nodded and gestured for him to lead the way. The baffled teens stood there confused and with more questions than when they first started to eavesdrop.

"Fred, George have you finished your latest experiment?" Ginny asked with a determined look on her face.

"Not yet, we are still in the testing phase." George answered.

"Care to test them now?" Ginny asked with a mischievous smile.

"Sure but we only have the one." Fred said with a devious grin. With a crack he was gone. With another he was back with the end of a pale string in one hand and the other end in his ear. Fred walked down a few steps and lowered the string to the ground. They watched as the end wiggled across the floor and slipped under the door Dumbledore and the strange boy walked in.

"We just need to work on the sound. It is all fuzzy like a radio that needs it's charms updated." George said.

"Have you tried using the charms that you use to update the radio?" Hermione asked.

"Yeah we have but we are still missing something."

"Shush, I can't hear." Fred whispered.

"What are they saying?" Ron asked Fred.

"It's all really muffled, and cuts out something about his parents. I'm only getting a few words every few seconds. We might as well cut our losses. Why don't we work on this some more Forge." With that the twins disappeared with a crack.


Edward followed Albus Dumbledore into a slightly less dusty room. The furniture looked like it would have been impressive if it wasn't covered in mold and the threads weren't unraveling. The wood also looks as if small animals have been gnawing on them. Ed cautiously sat on the chair that was offered to him by the plump red headed lady. He recognised her from the shop when she yelled at the twins.

"Are you sure you are up for this, dear? How about we save this for the morning after you have properly rested and ate. Madame Pomfrey should be here soon." Mrs. Weasley looked at him with such worry and love that Edward didn't know what to say at first.

"I'm fine. I would just like to know if I can go to Hogwarts."

"My dear, if I may ask where your parents are? How come you have not been attending Hogwarts as of yet?"

"I was homeschooled until my parents went missing following an attack at my home a few weeks ago." Mrs. Weasley gasped.

"You poor thing! Where have you been staying? I'm sure Dumbledore will let you stay!" SHe reached over to embrace Edward but he moved away.

"'I'm fine, really. I just wish to attend Hogwarts. I need to finish my education. I believe I would be a fifth year"


Albus Dumbledore watched the exchange between Edward and Molly. He was unnerved greatly. The boy's eyes were unlike any he had seen. Even his hair and skin were a shade off. Most would not notice because his eyes drew most of the attention. He was not sure what the boy was. Surely, he isn't fully human. That is probably why his parents didn't send him to Hogwarts. Dumbledore thought about using Legilimency on him but something held him back.

He let Molly and Edward continue their conversation to bid himself time. Albus hadn't yet decided if he should allow this mysterious boy into Hogwarts. Something told him that the kid is important and should be kept close. How close was the question.

"Mr. Elric, why did your parents decide to homeschool you?" Dumbledore asked, interrupting their conversation.

"Umm, I'm honestly not too sure. Whenever I asked they avoided the question. I know they always said that they could give me a better education than a teacher with twenty other children to teach." Edward stuttered through his response that Albus was positive wasn't completely true.

"Can I go to Hogwarts, Professor Dumbledore?" He stared straight into Dumbledore's eyes. Albus quickly looked away. Either the boy was the most talented legilimency or his eyes could really see straight through him, like Arthur said. How much did the boy know just with that one glance? This boy is dangerous, Albus decided. But to whom? That would be the answer that would decide this boy's fate.