Hello, my fellow human beings! I am back with another chapter. I once again hope you enjoy it! Remember to leave a review if you have anything you want to say about the story. I hope everyone stays healthy and happy!
Disclaimer: No. I am not the owner of Fullmetal Alchemist (or Fullmetal Alchemist: Brotherhood, or the manga) or Harry Potter (both the books and movies). Thank you for your time.
Now, I present to you... Chapter 7!
Chapter 7: Bonding Time or This Is Kinda-Sorta a Filler? Maybe? I Don't Know!
The day of the Second Task was approaching quickly. Harry's luck with cracking the secret of the screaming egg (and boy did that sound like the title of a children's mystery book) remained unfruitful.
Mysteries aside, though, Harry was currently in the library with Hermione, Ron, and some other members of the study group, working on a potions essay about the properties of some ingredient or another. His charms essay was drying beside him.
Hermione was racing through the homework as if her life depended on it, as usual. The essays for Potions, Charms, Herbology, and Muggle Studies were all finished and drying while she worked through the Alchemy assignments for the week. Her essays appeared much shorter now than Harry remembered, and when he'd asked, she only said that Professor Elric had spoken with her about her assignments and left it at that.
Neville was receiving tutoring from Malfoy in Potions, and the two were actually getting along somewhat civilly ever since Neville started improving in the subject. The Gryffindor was doing much better in the class, now, especially in the practical portions; his grade was a solid Exceeds Expectations, but he still struggled with the homework and theory, so he had basically begged Malfoy to help him, and the platinum blond had accepted, to the surprise of a lot of people.
He still hadn't mentioned why he had changed his behavior, but Harry would leave that alone for now. What mattered was that the guy was trying to be a better person, and that was good.
Ron, who had recently started joining the study group, was toiling away at the same essay Harry was on, simultaneously discussing ideas for his Divination assignment because there wasn't much that one could do if they didn't have "The Sight" beyond getting creative.
Harry was stuck on a specific spot in the essay. His mind wasn't working, and words were not forming. Even when he thinks he found a piece of inspiration, he'd put his quill to the parchment and he is suddenly blanking again.
He had no clue what to do, and he didn't want to break his streak of good potion grades when he was at an Exceeds Expectations for the semester. He had worked his butt off for that EE, and he was not about to get a D after so long!
He never thought he'd say this, but Potions was starting to become a decent subject in his eyes. Snape had gone silent in his insults, and would just pass his cauldron without comment because his potions were actually successful, now. Hermione's advice about reading the instructions multiple times before acting was actually quite helpful. He had taken to copying the directions down and using that as a reference.
Now, however, his brain refused to process words. Maybe he needed some fresh air.
He closed the book that lay open in front of him and stood, "I need a break." he declared quietly, "I'm going to take a walk. Maybe it'll help clear my head."
There were a few sounds of acknowledgment from the group, and Blaise Zabini, who was explaining something to Theodore Nott and Susan Bones, said, "Don't get hurt saving a random cat from the moving stairs."
"I thought I had a 'Saving People Thing', Zabini. What changed?" Harry pouted jokingly.
"You never know, Potter." the Slytherin boy looked up with a hint of mischief in his eyes, "With your luck, you might just start saving animals, too."
Harry eloquently stuck out his tongue, which Blaise returned just as eloquently with a funny face of his own, something that caught his seatmate off guard as the boy rarely resorted to such childish acts, before the Second Champion of Hogwarts finally left to take the walk he had originally stood up for.
He made it down to the courtyard where he had first spoken to Hughes over his sketchbook, only to find the bench he usually frequented occupied by a certain two figures.
One was Professor Elric. She knelt in front of the bench with a look of concentration on her face. A ballpoint pen rested in her left hand, and she tapped it rhythmically against her temple.
Next to her, actually sitting on the bench, was the man Harry had run into the night of the Yule Ball. He was pretty sure the man's name was Mustang. He was currently watching the Alchemy Professor do... whatever she was doing. Harry couldn't see what it was from where he stood. For all he knew, she was doing a Sudoku puzzle!
He was about to move on and find another place when the man spoke, "You know, you can join us, kid. We don't bite."
The man looked up and made eye contact with Harry to show he was talking to him. Harry blushed sheepishly, a bit embarrassed at being caught staring. The man gestured for Harry to come over, and the younger male did so, not sure how to act around the military man.
...
Roy Mustang watched as the boy approached, observing his actions.
The kid was very jumpy like he was waiting for the other shoe to drop. He could just be shy, but while Mustang noted the boy could be quite introverted outside of his friend group, he wasn't exactly uncomfortable in his own skin like he seemed to be right now. Did he have something against new people? Or was it just adults?
"You can relax, you know." Roy begins, "We're just here for some fresh air. I'm going to guess you are, too? Alloy Eye mentioned you had a free period."
Juna looked up at the mention of her nickname before returning to her work, deciphering a strange circle that had been found in various parts of Central, as Harry's look turned inquisitive, "Alloy Eye?... That's Professor Elric's State Alchemist name... right?"
Mustang nodded, "Correct. When an Alchemist earns the title of State Alchemist, they also gain a nickname that usually gives an idea of where their specialty lies. Juna is particularly skilled with metals and alloys." he smirked slightly, "You could say she has an eye for the- OW!"
Professor Elric had whacked him in the leg. She hadn't even looked up from her work. The boy looked like he was wondering if he missed some sort of inside joke somewhere, which he had.
"Anyway," Mustang cleared his throat, "She specializes in metals, particularly alloys, but she is also knowledgeable in a few other fields of Alchemy, which is why she was requested for the teaching position."
Harry looked like he remembered something, perhaps Alloy Eye had mentioned her specialty at a previous time? The boy turned his attention to the Alchemy Professor, "Umm... what are you doing?" he blushed awkwardly, likely realizing that his question came out blunt, "If it's... not too much to ask?" he ended uncertainly.
"I am trying to decipher the purpose of this circle." Juna responded, finally looking up to meet the boy's curious gaze with her own blank gold, "You recall my lesson on Transmutation Circles, correct?"
The boy nodded. Mustang recalled in one of her letters that she'd held a class right before Christmas Break which served as an introduction to real Transmutation.
(Flashback Start, Harry's POV)
"Class, please put your books away." Professor Elric clapped, making the jumpier kids startle in their seats, "Today, we will begin with a practical demonstration on exactly how Alchemy works. Push the desks against the wall and gather around. Leave me some space to work."
The students rushed to do as they were told, and not even five minutes later, the demonstration began. Some of the foreign students were also there, as Professor Elric had divided them among the different classes for the sake of not making one class much larger than the others.
"Now, before I begin, who can tell me the three steps to transmutation?" she asked. A Hufflepuff in the back raised his hand and she called on him.
"Comprehension, Deconstruction, and Reconstruction." the student responded.
"Five points to Hufflepuff. Miss Decalour, could you explain to me what happens during Comprehension?"
The part-Veela's french accent fills the room, "It is the part where you understand the makeup of what you transmute."
"Correct. Ms. Patil," the Ravenclaw perks up, "could you explain the process of Deconstruction?"
The girl straightens up, "It is the process of deconstructing the materials to their base forms."
"Five points for Ravenclaw. Mr. Volkov*, could you finish this off with an explanation of Reconstruction?"
The guy was one of the Durmstrang students that had signed up for the class. He responded in a strong Slavic accent Harry wasn't able to place, "Reconstruction is the process of putting together the deconstructed materials, resulting in something new."
"Correct." the Professor states again, and Harry vaguely notes she's pacing with her hands clasped behind her back, "These three steps are the three steps that go into a transmutation, but what does that mean? What does each step look like?" she stops abruptly and turns to the circle of students, causing a few to jump.
She holds up a block of wood, "Can anyone tell me what this is?"
"A block of wood?" came a voice from the back.
"Yes. A block of wood. It's oak wood to be specific. Now, do you recall the riddle I gave you all to solve? All is One and One is All?"
There were nods.
"As you have all managed to get the answer to the riddle right by now, including those who took a few tries to do so, I have decided you are ready to learn how to do a basic transmutation, and that is what we will do after the Christmas Break."
There were excited murmurs going around, now. Harry, himself, felt anticipation rising in his chest when the professor said those words.
"Before I begin, I would like to say this." her expression was more serious than Harry had thought possible, "If you are going to attempt a transmutation, it must be done in this classroom, under my supervision, and nowhere else. You lot may be bright students, but you are still inexperienced and are more at risk of having a rebound due to a silly mistake that could have been avoided. Am I clear?"
Everyone responds with a "Yes, Professor."
"Good. Now, the thing about Alchemy is that it does not need a wand. However, it requires another medium to channel the energy of transmutation. That is where this" she holds up a piece of chalk, "comes in. In Alchemy, we use what is called a transmutation circle. These circles channel the energy of transmutation and allow you to create your desired outcome from the provided input. The circle is like a code for a computer program or like the runes in a magical ward. In this case, the input is this piece of oak wood." she gestures to the wood piece in her hand, "And the circle will be designed with the purpose of manipulating this piece of oak wood."
She moves to the center of the room and kneels on the ground, "As you can guess, the base component of the Transmutation Circle is a circle." she draws the most perfect circle Harry has ever seen and the boy vaguely recalls her advising him to work on drawing geometric shapes.
So this was why...
"Each Circle is unique, and alchemists are known to make their own Circles that can become a trademark of theirs. There are different components that go into different Circles, but no matter how complicated or basic, there will always be a circle."
As she explains this, she adds other shapes and symbols to the design, and when she finishes, she places the piece of wood in the circle's center.
"In order to make the correct circle, you must know what you are transmuting, and have it in contact with the circle. That is the Comprehension portion. You must know what you are using, how much of it is available, and how much you will use. This all happens before the actual Transmutation occurs, but it is arguably the most important step of all."
She kneels beside the circle, "Deconstruction and reconstruction happen one after another, the process is very quick, so you need to watch carefully. I will try to slow the process as much as I can so you can see the deconstruction step."
Her gloved fingers touch the circle's edge, and blue light fills the room. The students watch in awe as the wood in the center changes shape before their eyes. Harry barely catches the wood's shape breaking down before it begins to build up into a new design.
The light fades, and Professor Elric removes her hands from the edge of the circle and removes her creation from the center of the circle, holding it up for the class to see.
Harry gasps.
It's a scale model of the Hogwarts castle. He can see each individual window, and there's even a tiny owl on the window to the owlry, it's wings spread to take flight.
The Professor gives the model to the student closest to her, Blaise Zabini, who takes the item with care, like it's a fragile family heirloom, and looks down at it in awe that Harry rarely sees on the composed Slytherin's face.
She instructs him to pass it around so everyone can get a proper look before she turns her attention to the rest of the class again, "That was an example of transmutation. The creation I made was more complicated than I expect any of you to make on your first try. Most people when they are beginning make something more simple, like a bird or a toy horse. We will start with wood, as that is the most basic transmutation, and if I think you are ready, we will transition to some of the more common metals. Afterward, and I don't expect this to happen by the end of this year, but by next year, if I remain here, you might begin to choose and develop a specialty."
There were murmurs of excitement. One of the louder ones that Harry caught was, "I sure hope she comes back next year!"
Professor Elric clapped to get their attention, "Quiet, please. As I said, there is a chance I will not be back next year, so do not get your hopes too high, yet. Are there any questions?"
Hermione's hand raised into the air, and Professor Elric called on her, "Is it possible to do Alchemy without the circle, Professor? It's possible to use wandless magic, though with great difficulty, so does this also apply to Alchemy?"
The Professor looked to the girl for a long moment. She suddenly looked very tired. She took a deep breath and began, "Under normal circumstances, no. It is not possible to do so. However, there are people who are able to perform Alchemy without a circle, myself included. I will not tell you how it is possible, because it is dangerous and you all do not have the experience or skill in alchemy to even be thinking of doing such a thing yet."
As she said this, the Hogwarts model was passed to Harry, and he got the chance to really see how detailed the model was.
Alchemy really was amazing.
He stared at it for a little longer before he snapped out of his awe and passed the model on.
"Are there any other questions?" the professor asked.
No hands went up.
Her visible eye closed in acceptance, "Very well. Move the desks back into place and I will begin the lecture. Begin!" she clapped and the students were all off faster than Harry's Firebolt, including Harry.
The rest of the class was a review of Alchemical rules and concepts, and they'd been assigned a lot of homework to complete over the course of the break. Most of it involved drawing geometric shapes without the use of stencils or other such items. She had passed out non-lined paper notebooks and pens, citing that they would be easier to write with due to them not requiring refills every five seconds.
She had to give a tutorial in the use of muggle writing utensils due to a good number of the magical-raised students being unsure of how to write with the pens. It was amusing to watch for those who were knowledgeable in the use of muggle technology.
(Flashback End)
...
Harry looks down at the circle in curiosity, "So... what about this Circle makes it so hard to decipher?" he asks, both curious and hoping to get Mustang's watchful gaze off of him.
The man's stare was really intimidating! Why was he staring, anyway? Had Harry done something that would be rude in Amestris? Was the man judging him?
The blonde Professor, oblivious to the boy's internal crisis, responded promptly, "There are symbols in the Circle that the ones who found it weren't able to recognize. From what I can tell, though, the circle has something to do with plasma. I haven't completely deciphered it yet since this is a field I don't hold as much knowledge in. I know that it changes the state of matter, and it reminds me of a circle used by a former State Alchemist named Isaac the Freezer, who changed the state of water to create ice and steam. I have yet to figure out the motive and purpose behind the planting of the circle, though. The 'why', if you will."
The student shifts his focus to Mustang, who was still staring (darn it), deciding it would probably be best to let her concentrate. The man had been observing the exchange quietly, which unnerved Harry slightly. What was he observing, exactly?
"I was wondering," he began, causing Harry to start to attention, "since you are in Juna's class. I was wondering if you could tell me some of your thoughts on the class itself. I'd ask Juna, but as the teacher, she is a bit biased towards the subject, and I want to know how the students see the class."
"O-oh." Harry stuttered out, but he composed himself as best he could, "It's great. We're learning a lot, and while the workload can be... extensive? Y-yeah, extensive... I don't mind that much since the stuff we're learning is actually interesting... Sir. Not to say the classes here are boring, but-"
Mustang raised a hand to quiet the boy, and sent him a wry smile, "I understand. School is school no matter where you live. Also, there's no need to call me Sir. Just call me Mustang or Roy. I'm mostly here as a break from formality, anyway. Spending weeks upon weeks in an office debating over this and that can get tiring and dull!" the man complains lightly as he stretches his arms and leans back, "Why don't you have a seat? I'm sure Alloy Eye can graciously clear up some space on the bench."
The man said the last part slightly louder and in a more suggestive tone, as if the words weren't already an obvious clue to what he was asking.
Harry would have laughed, if he wasn't so nervous around the older man.**
He knew the guy wasn't Vernon, but a smaller part of him still felt wary around adults, especially adults he had just met.
He couldn't really refuse the offer, though. His feet were a little sore from standing, and Professor Elric had already cleared up a spot. Harry sat down warily.
"That's a lot for comfortable that standing, isn't it?" Mustang simultaneously commented and asked.
Harry nodded. It was a bit of a tight fit, but they had managed.
"Mustang," Juna began, "Remind me where this Circle was found."
"It was in an alleyway just outside an old warehouse in Central."
"Were there any others found in other places of Central?"
"Not that I am aware of, but it's possible there were developments that have yet to reach me."
"Keep me updated, tell the present officers to keep a lookout for other circles, and to destroy them as they find them. This could potentially be another Freezer." Juna gathers the papers together and sets them aside and moves to sit properly on the bench.
Mustang nods in understanding, eyes suddenly sharper and more calculating before he returns to a more neutral expression.
Harry watches the interaction in confusion. If they realize this, they make no move to correct it.
"Your name is Harry, correct, kid?" Mustang asked, looking down at the younger male sitting next to him. Harry nods.
"You look like you have some questions. Ask away, though I can't guarantee I'll answer all of them."
"So, you're from Amestris?" Harry blurted out, blushing awkwardly when he realized the answer was kind of obvious. He was an Amestrian representative! Of course he' from Amestris, your stupid brain!
The man just answers the question, seemingly unbothered by how silly it was, "Yes, I'm Amestris's Representative, sent here to negotiate an alliance with the British magical community. Juna and Maes are also from Amestris, but are here for different reasons, as you can probably see."
"You three seem to be very close," Harry commented. And it was true. The three were on a first-name basis, so they were obviously close friends.
"We are. I've known Juna since she was around... yay big." he gestures with his hand to show what he meant with a teasing smile. On Harry's other side, Juna gives the man the most unimpressed, deadpan stare Harry has ever seen and calmly flips him off. Mustang just returns it with an infuriating smile.
"Don't mind her, she's still in her rebellious phase- OW! Hey!"
She'd thrown a journal at his face.
Harry was amused by their dynamic.
"So..." he began, curiosity getting the better of him, "Where exactly is Amestris?"
"It's near Germany, north of it." Juna responded, "It is why our languages are similar. However, we are surrounded by Drachma, Creta, Aerugo, and a large desert that separates us and Xing, which is partly in Asia and partly in Europe."
Harry had never heard of these countries, and he said so.
"That's understandable. We are a group of isolated countries and tend to keep to ourselves. A long time ago, we were hidden from the world by a combination of alchemy and magic. Most people in Amestris are aware of this from history lessons in school, and I know our existence is written in a decent number of magical history tomes, but I've heard your school History Teacher prefers to focus on Goblin Wars." Mustang explained, and Harry nodded, "Honestly, though, since we tended to keep to ourselves, most of those that are aware of us just pretended we were an urban legend."
"Why bring up an alliance now, then?" Harry asked.
"Because troubling signs are appearing that hint at a need for allies." the man replied, slightly cryptic, but implying more than enough to get his point across, "Unfortunately, that's all I can say on the matter."
"Oh." Harry quieted down. The three people sat in silence.
Troubling signs... The Dark Mark appearing at the Quidditch World Cup counted as a troubling sign, didn't it?
He thought about it. It probably was. It meant there were still Voldemort supporters out there, and that wasn't good.
The boy snapped out of his thoughts to check the time. He should probably be heading back to the library. He stood and awkwardly waved goodbye to the Professor and representative before he went inside to return to the library.
...
Mustang watched Harry leave, and turned his attention to Juna when the kid turned the corner, "He seems like a good kid." the man comments in Amestrian.
"He is definitely one of the more attentive students in my class," Juna responded, scribling some more notes in her journal.
"That's not what I meant, and you know it, Alloy Eye."
"It is still true."
Mustang shrugged and reclined back on the bench, tilting his head up to the sky. It was growing cloudy, and he had a feeling it was going to snow again soon, "We should probably head in. Can't have you getting bedridden because of a little cold." he joked, the double meaning of that statement apparent to both of them.
She pouted, but agreed, rubbing her ports and grimacing in pain, "I'm lucky the winter automail came so quickly. A day later and I would have had to brave the weather with my regular set."
Mustang winced; that sounded awful. He stood and held his hand out to help her up. She took it and let him pull her up before she turned and picked up all her notes and files before the two made their way indoors.
"So. Where would you like to go?" he asks.
"I would like to pay Hughes a visit. Elicia wanted to play, too, and I promised to do a puzzle with her." Juna responded, a hint of fondness finding it's way into her voice that her stoic expression couldn't hide.
The Colonel couldn't stop the small smile from making its way onto his face, "You've really become a part of the family, huh."
Juna hesitates, "I wouldn't say that-"
"I'm only saying what I see. The family has taken you and your brothers in. You three are basically unofficial Hughes children. If they didn't want you around, they'd say it. They love you, Juna. Don't try to deny it."
There was a small, barely noticeable, upward twitch of her lips. Mustang took that as a victory.
The door to Hughes's classroom was reached a mere minute later, and they entered to something heartwarming and sweet enough to nearly have both of them cooing at the cuteness.
Maes Hughes was sitting hunched over his desk in the classroom, grading papers, and perched on his lap was little Elicia, held in place securely by the father's free arm, and coloring in something on a piece of paper with a red crayon that the two Alchemists couldn't quite make out from their place at the entrance. There was a look of extreme focus on her face, her nose was scrunched up adorably in concentration. There were papers fanned out on the floor, filled with various colorful crayon drawings. Gracia was reading a book in a chair she'd pulled up beside the man, and all three looked truly content for the first time in months.
Mustang would have awwed at the scene if he didn't have a reputation to uphold.
Elicia was the first to look up and grinned excitedly when her eyes landed on Juna, "Big Sis Nana!" she exclaimed.
The nickname the girl gave Juna had originally been used because Elicia couldn't pronounce the older girl's name. However, it eventually just stuck, and there were times her brothers would teasingly call her "Big Sis Nana" just to see Juna's reaction. She was the eldest, so the name still made sense, too!
Usually, Juna would just whack them on the head, temporarily forgetting her arm is made of metal and probably shouldn't be used to reprimand her siblings. She'd apologize afterward, but it was always entertaining to watch.
Juna's ears redden slightly, secretly pleased to hear the name leave the little girl's mouth, and she shifts awkwardly. Elicia easily squirms out of Maes's lap with the skill of an experienced escape artist before she runs across the classroom to hug the female Alchemist's leg. Wide puppy eyes look up expectantly at Juna, "Do puzzles with me!" she demands eagerly.
Mustang sees Juna trying to hold back a fond smile, and failing, "What's the magic word, Elicia?"
"... Please?"
The elder of the girls can no longer hold back her grin. She nodded, and the youngest child cheered before dragging the Alchemist away with surprising strength for a three-year-old.
"I'll be returned in an hour or two, I think." Juna called back as the duo made their way into the office, where Mustang just knew a pile of board games and puzzles was slowly accumulating on a shelf in the corner. The Colonel had helped the family move them there, even contributing a chessboard and a deck of playing cards of his own as an "I'm glad you aren't dead" gift to Maes.
Another shelf now had a collection of picture books and drawing pads, and there were crayon drawings hanging on the walls, all signed by little Elicia Hughes with the words "To: Daddy, From: Elicia".
It was finally starting to look like an office owned by Maes Hughes, the man who loved his family more than anything and would never shut up about them.
Mustang smiled at the interaction between Juna and the little girl, "You really have taken the Elrics under your wings, huh."
It was a comment.
Gracia smiles, "I'd say we have. They are wonderful sibling figures for Elicia. I think our little ray of sunshine really helps them, too. It feels like she helps them remember how to be children again, sometimes. It's like they finally have the chance to act like teenagers when they're around her."
Maes nods with a nostalgic grin taking over his face, marks a grade down on the paper in front of him, and turns to the next one with a practiced motion that came with doing too much paperwork. Mustang didn't envy the man right now.
The Flame Alchemist observes the husband and wife, quietly enjoying each others' company. He stays back a bit, not wanting to intrude.
"You are a part of this family, too, Roy." Maes comments, looking up and staring at his fellow soldier with spectacled hazel eyes, "Sit down. Relax. You know we don't bite... Most of the time."
Mustang took the offer and pulled over a chair of his own to join the two adults at the desk, "How have things been with you guys?" he asks.
"Never better!" Maes exclaims, his eyes shining in joy, "I think I really needed this. Thank you for bringing my family here, Roy."
Gracia sets her book down and stands to drape herself over her husband's shoulders in a tender hug, "We really can't thank you enough, Roy."
Mustang smiled and responded, "You shouldn't be thanking me. I was just passing on the message. It was Juna who came up with this idea, and who notified me. If you are going to thank someone, thank her." he turns his gaze back to the office door, "This wouldn't have been possible without her contribution. Hell, the reunion would likely have been much more violent if she hadn't warned me in advance."
They sat in silence. Gracia returning to her book, Hughes grading more papers, and Mustang simply enjoying their company.
It felt so... peaceful. That was a feeling Mustang thought he'd forgotten after Ishval.
He liked it.
Roy gazed at the door to Hughes's office with tired black eyes. Behind that door, Juna and Elicia were experiencing their own moments of peace. Simply being together, doing a puzzle, having fun, being children. It was so mundane!
He could get used to this.
...
If someone had told a twelve-year-old Juna Elric that she'd one day be sitting on the floor of her co-worker's office doing puzzles with his three-year-old daughter, she'd have asked what they were smoking.
Yet, here she was, doing exactly that, in a magic school!
"Where do you think this one goes, Nana?" Elicia holds out a piece.
Juna takes in and pretended to observe the shape and color carefully. She knew exactly where it went. It was a pretty obvious location, but she wanted to see if Elicia could spot the location, "It looks like it goes somewhere over here." she points to the general area she knew the piece belonged in, "Shall we try some spots in this area?"
She nods eagerly, and Juna makes a point of trying multiple spots she knew weren't correct before she 'found' the right area. Elicia claps and laughs before picking up another piece and mimics Juna, the little girl's button nose scrunches up in though as she tries to figure out where it goes. Juna fits two more pieces and then looks to see the girl has successfully found the spot for the piece she'd picked and was doing the same with a new piece.
The Alloy Eye Alchemist lets a smile slip as she watches Elicia and all her childish innocence. She'd forgotten there had been a time when she and her brothers had been like this. It felt like so long ago, and maybe it was.
She missed Mom. She missed when she could just run on up to her and cry out, "Look what I made, Mommy!" as she, Ed, and Al held up their latest Alchemy creations to the woman. Mom would usually be either cooking or hanging up the laundry, Juna remembers, and every time she saw them and what they made, she'd smile her gently smile and exclaim how beautiful the creations were, and how they'd become great Alchemists one day.
Juna missed being able to see her smile outside of a photograph.
"Nana look!"
The teen snapped out of her thoughts to see Elicia pointing at the section she'd managed to fill. Juna picked up a random piece to place, and nodded at the section in acknowledgment, "Good job, Elicia."
Elicia grinned and sifted through the remaining pieces to see if there were any other pieces of similar color that might enlarge her section even further.
Juna placed her piece in its proper place and spotted a piece out of the corner of her regular eye that she was quick to pick up. She took in the shape and color and found the spot. She placed it. It fit right in with Elicia's section.
Elicia's eyes brightened and the grin she sent Juna could light a fire in a snowstorm. Juna smiled back and winked (blinked?). The Alchemist had removed her eyepatch since Elicia always thought the metal eye looked cool. She kept the automail eye closed, though. It would do her no good here in the important task of completing puzzles, and she'd rather avoid a migraine, thank you very much!
The two continued on like this until the puzzle was finished. Then, they did another, and then they did one more before Elicia was finally satisfied. The girl had crawled into Juna's lap at some point and now had a picture book open in her lap. Juna watched fondly over the younger girl's shoulder as she flipped through the colorful pages, taking in every word and picture with as much focus as a three-year-old could have.
At one point Gracia came in to get a new book and found the two unofficial sisters engrossed in their activity. The woman snapped a picture before Juna could notice and left silently admiring her new photo with a soft smile overtaking her features.
She loved her little girls, and if she channeled her inner Maes for a second when showing the new photograph to her husband and Roy...
Well, nobody ever said she couldn't, and she was going to take full advantage.
...
The next day, when Professor Elric was teaching her sixth-year class, there was a knock on her door.
The Professor looked to the door with barely visible confusion on her face, which caused her students to whisper. What could possibly have the stoic professor showing emotion?
Apparently, it was a little girl with a bright smile and sandy hair tied into pigtails.
The kid ran into the room and hugged the professor's leg, looking up at the girl with wide, green eyes. She said something they didn't understand due to it being in a different language, and the older female responded with something else. It sounded like a question.
Fred and George exchanged looks over a row of classmates. It was the little girl that had made Professor Elric smile during the Yule Ball!
How could they possibly forget being sworn to secrecy for seeing their professor looking happy? They wondered what was going on.
Suddenly, Professor Elric stooped down and picked the girl up, carrying her to the teacher's desk at the front of the classroom before setting her down to rummage around in a drawer.
The girl waited eagerly, bouncing on the balls of her feet in excitement. Some of the more expressive students cooed at how cute she was.
A moment later, Professor Elric resurfaced with a colorful box in hand and gave it to the girl with a handful of words in the unfamiliar language. The girl took it and ran off to the back corner of the classroom.
The class's eyes followed the girl's movements as she unpacked the box to reveal a puzzle, which she immediately started on with vigor.
Professor Elric was quick to return their attention to her, sending them all an unimpressed stare before turning to the board with a new piece of chalk in hand, "As I was saying," she continued like there wasn't a little three-year-old doing puzzles in the back of the classroom, "This rune means-"
Fred and George, despite being on opposite sides of the classroom, glanced back at the little girl, completely in synch.
She had already almost finished assembling the border pieces.
They returned their attention to the lecture before the professor caught them and continued taking notes.
They wondered what Professor Elric's relation to the kid was. Auntie maybe? Sister?
In the end, the class went by with little fanfare and there were only three instances when Professor Elric had to regain the attention of a straying student.
The little girl just worked on her puzzle quietly in the back of the room, unbothered by the lesson going on behind her. In fact, she didn't seem to notice when the bell rang and Professor Hughes entered the room. That gained the attention of everyone.
"Ah, Maes." Professor Elric nods to the man, "Elicia is right there." she gestures to the corner where the little girl, who was likely Elicia. The man thanked her and rushes over to the corner with a wide smile on his face.
"ELICIA! PAPA'S HERE!" he cries as he swoops the girl off her feet and twirls her around before setting her securely on his hip.
"PAPA!" she cries with an equally wide smile and any who weren't already let out soft coos at how sweet the little reunion was. Professor Elric watches, her expression seeming softer somehow despite there not being any change in her face.
The rest of the class watched as well as Professor Hughes turned to her and said, "Thank you for watching Elicia for the period on such short notice, Juna. I hadn't expected to be called to Dumbledore's office, and Roy was already at the Ministry for a meeting. Gracia had also caught a cold and had gone to Madame Pomfrey to get a checkup."
"It was no trouble." Professor Elric shrugged, "She was very well behaved. I'm always happy to watch her."
And with that, she sent a glance to the students, "Aren't you supposed to be going somewhere?"
They were quick to leave after that, discussing the Professor's relation to the little girl and Maes Hughes. By the end of the day, there were various rumors going about the school that ranged from them simply being close friends to Professor Elric being Professor Hughes's secret lovechild.
Omake: How the Twins Found Out
It was a dark, stormy evening at Hogwarts. Curfew wasn't for another two hours, but with how dark the sky was, one would have thought it was already long past that time, instead. Sleet and slushy rain poured down in waterfalls, concealing the grounds in a natural camouflage of falling water. You couldn't even see Hagrid's Hut or the Black Lake from the windows. If you were lucky, you could make out a strange blob in the darkness, but most weren't patient enough to look that hard.
It was miserable, so Fred was very happy he and George were firmly planting their behinds on a couch in the Gryffindor Common Room, indoors and away from that exact misery. They were working on the Alchemy assignment, their Herbology Essays were drying beside them alongside a few plans for their latest prank items they wished to add to their joke shop.
Operation Weasley's Wizards Wheezes was still in the works, and while they were desperately underfunded, they were still strubborn and determined.
George was nibbling on a sugar quill as he scrawled out another response. He reached for his bag to get something, but paused as an expression appeared on his face that screamed, "Uh oh, I just messed up spectacularly". "Hey, Feorge?" he started.
"What, Gred?" Fred questioned airily, twirling his quill expertly between his fingers.
"I think I left my bag in the Alchemy classroom."
Fred blinked. George wasn't usually that airheaded, but he was too tired to think about it for long, "Let's get it, then. I think I forgot something there, too, now that I think about it." he hummed thoughtfully.
"What did you leave?"
"I don't think it was important... a quill maybe?" his eyes widened in realization, "Wait! It was my Transfiguration Textbook!"
George snickered, "Not important my arse."
"Oh, shut up." Fred shoved George with a pout, "Let's just go get them Mr. I-forgot-everything-that-wasn't-in-my-hands."
George's ears reddened, but he remained silent and stood to follow his twin to the portrait hole. Little did they know what they would find in the classroom would be much more than just some forgotten items.
They navigated through the halls with ease. Their years spent learning from the Marauder's Map came in handy when finding the shortest and fastest route to the classroom. They reached the door they needed in mere minutes!
Fred nominated himself to do the knocking since the door was closed and it wasn't a Saturday Study Session time. He gave the wood three solid raps with his knuckle.
"Come in." the Professor's voice carried from the other side. They entered.
The first thing they noticed was that she was looking very pale. That wasn't too unusual. She usually seemed to get very pale when it rained. Was she scared of storms? The next thing they noticed was that she wasn't working on anything, and that was concerning. Professor Elric was always working on something! When she wasn't teaching, she was grading, or reading, or writing notes in her research journals. Her hands were never idle, yet here she was, doing nothing other than sitting and staring at her desk. Her eye looked dull and unfocused; it was like she wasn't truly there.
That was not good. Fred and George had never seen such a look on her face.
"Did you two need anything?" she asks, and they subconsciously straighten up.
"Um..." Fred stuttered out with the eloquence of a baby learning to talk, "We just left some of our things here. We came to get them."
"Would these items be a bag and a textbook by any chance?" she inquired.
He nods, and George looks around to see if they were anywhere in the room.
"They are in my office. Come."
In a move that looked like it took more effort than it should, she stood and half walked, half stumbled away from the desk. Once she got to the stairs, she grew more steady, likely due to the railing supporting her weight. Her expression was tight, her normal expression was firmly placed on her face as a not-particularly-convincing mask. She was clearly trying to hide whatever discomfort she was in. And she was failing.
Miserably.
She made it to the final step before her legs gave out under her, and she was sent crashing to the ground with a spectacular string of curses -at least they thought they were curses; they didn't speak whatever language she was using. Fred exchanged a look of concern with George and rushed up the stairs to help her stand. She sent them a distracted nod of acknowledgment before she opened the door and they helped her over to the couch. She plopped down as gracefully as a marionette that had suddenly lost its strings. She looked oddly exhausted despite the fact all she'd done was go up some stairs. Her unfocused eye gazed at them for a moment, like she was trying to remember what she was doing previously. Fred and George waited patiently while she regained her ability to think.
"Your things are on the floor beside my desk." she pointed while massaging her left leg right above the knee.
"Are you alright, Professor?" George finally asked, concern leaking into his voice, "You look like you're in pain."
"Just some old injuries that act up with bad weather." she responded, "It'll pass."
The rain suddenly fell harder and she winced. She outwardly winced.
"You need the hospital wing." Fred decided, "Madame Pomfrey could give you something for the pain."
"It's fine." she snapped harshly, causing the two to flinch back. Her expression calmed, "My apologies, the storm's making me irritable. Bad weather brings up unpleasant memories alongside the pain. That was out of line. I'll be fine. There is no need to involve Madame Pomfrey."
Fred picked up his book and placed it into George's bag for ease of transportation. As he did so, his eyes caught sight of a trio of picture frames on her desk.
The photos weren't moving, meaning it was taken by a muggle camera. Well, Fred thought, that confirmed the "lived in the muggle world" theory that went around the school.
The first photo was of three little kids, all smiling widely at the camera. There were two boys and a girl, all dressed in casual, muggle clothes. The girl and one of the boys looked almost identical, grin and all. They had the same hair, the girl's hair was longer, though, and they had the same sharp, golden eyes that caused the twins to exchange a look. Was that girl Professor Elric? The last boy was taller and his hair was more dirty blond, his eyes slightly darker, but it was clear he was related to them through his similar face shape.
The second photo was smaller, able to be fit into a muggle wallet. It was of an older woman with long brown hair and kind green eyes. She wore a lavender dress with a white apron, and it looked like she wasn't aware the picture was being taken because her attention was focused on the two bundles in her arms. She looked at them with the sort of love and affection they saw when their mother looked at them -when she wasn't scolding them for their pranks.
The third photo was what really caught their attention, though. It had three people: a suit of armor that towered over the other two like a friendly giant, a much shorter boy with long blond hair tied into a braid, and Professor Elric. They still looked like preteens. Maybe twelve-ish? The two whose faces could be seen were making silly expressions at the camera, sitting with their legs crisscrossed in front of them on the grassy slope with their arms draped over each others' shoulders. They were dressed in casual muggle attire -t-shirts and shorts to be specific. Their feet were bare. Professor Elric's eyepatch was off and was held in her hand.
These casual clothes revealed there was a lot more to their Professor than they thought.
"Um... Professor?" Fred stuttered out, hoping the girl in the picture was wearing some sort of costume and not what he thought.
She looked to them inquiringly before she noticed what they were looking at and sighed, "I'd forgotten about those photos. I should have moved them when I moved the other one." she muttered, likely to herself, but she was loud enough that they could hear her well enough, and Fred found a pit of dread forming in his stomach at his hope being dashed. She straightened slightly, "Yes. I have metal limbs. They're called Automail, and they're an advanced type of prosthetic created and used by people in Amestris."
The two boys let the information sink in. A realization came upon them. The younger kids in the first photo were obviously Professor Elric and what they guessed were her siblings or scarily similar-looking cousins. Some sort of family, at least. That meant the Professor had lost her limbs when she was pretty young since the pictures showed her as a child. That had to have been painful.
The wind outside suddenly roared, and the rain's sounds were amplified as the giant droplets hit the glass window panes. Another groan escaped her lips, but she quickly cut it off. She took a deep breath to center herself and returned her attention to them, "Ask away."
"How do your metal- um... Automail limbs move so smoothly?" Fred blurted out, his mouth rebooting before his brain.
If she cared, Professor Elric didn't show it, "Automail is different from most prosthetics due to it being directly attached to the user's nerves through ports." she explained, removing her left boot and sock before rolling up her pant leg to reveal the metal that went to a point just past her knee.
The twins looked on with morbid fascination as she pointed out the metal that looked to be attached directly to her skin, and the inflamed scaring around it, "This piece is the port." she explained, "It's installed first to give the prosthetic a place to attach to in order to access the nerves with ease. The surgery to get the port and limbs attached is very painful, and it requires an average rehabilitation time of two years. My brother and I, being the stubborn idiots we were, decided it was a good idea to do it in one year."
Her lips quirked up in a wry smile, "Not our most brilliant idea, but we did it. The limb itself can be detached and reattached, and while I can't feel anything from the limbs, I can move them like they're my flesh arm or leg. My eye is slightly different in that I see heat rather than what a normal eye can see."
"Sounds handy." George commented, "You can see people in the dark with that eye, can't ya?" he seemed to catch himself, "Not that losing an eye is a good thing, but-..." He decides to shut up.
A good move.
She nods, "It's a migraine inducer, but it has its uses." she removes her eyepatch to show them her automail eye, and they stared at it with the same morbid fascination they had when staring at her leg. Well, one of them.
She invited them to sit across from her, and she spends the rest of the time until they had to leave answering their questions on Automail and what it felt like to have it. There were some she refused to answer, like how old she was when she received her automail, and how she lost her limbs. George had automatically apologized for asking before she could even say anything.
Overall, Juna thought as she swore them to secrecy, explaining that Hermione was the only other person to know about these automail limbs besides Professor Hughes and Mustang, this reveal could have gone way worse.
Aaand scene! That's chapter 7! I hope you guys enjoyed it. I know it's a bit of a filler, but I didn't want to go directly to the Second Task. Plus, I wanted to give the Amestrians some family bonding time.
For those who noticed, I gave Mustang P.O.V. some screentime! I felt like those scenes would be interesting from his point of view, and I had already unintentionally written it that way before I realized it. I enjoyed writing from his perspective, so I might do it more often when he's around.
Now, onto the footnotes:
* Due to the fact there aren't many known Durmstrang or Beauxbatons students, I took the liberty of creating a couple of OCs to act as spot fillers. They aren't going to hold any significance. I just wanted to remind people that Fleur and Krum weren't the only students in the two foreign schools.
** I didn't want to put too much focus on the abuse, because that'll take the plot away from what I was hoping for. However, Harry was living in an abusive household for his whole life, and despite the fact some things improved since he started coming to Hogwarts, that fact doesn't change. There's no way he wouldn't have some problems with adult figures after living the first three-quarters of his life fully submerged in that torture, especially with Vernon being... well... Vernon (more like Vermin), and I have a feeling two observant Alchemists and a father (Hughes) would definitely take notice; though, I know Hughes wasn't there during the conversation.
Anyway, if anyone wants a timeframe for the Omake at the end, I imagined it happening maybe a few days after the Christmas Break. At least, it happened after Elicia came to class for the period.
Thank you for reading, and stay safe!