A/N.-OK, so here's a new chapter, for the still few that have read it. Enjoy.
Disclaimer: Harry Potter belongs to J.K. Rowling, FullMetal Alchemist belongs to Hiromu Arakawa, plot belongs to Ferchoumaru and I.
Chapter 3.-The Will
It's been a month since the Elric Brothers and Winry arrived at Hogwarts, and despite the stack of homework they were assigned everyday, they kept fresh, unlike their classmates.
"Dammit! It's already 3a.m and I'm not close to finishing" Harry cursed after looking at his watch.
"It would've been different if it had been YOU and not the goddamn 'prince' the one brewing all of your potions last year" Hermione reprimanded.
"You're right, perhaps I should go and retrieve the book to spare me some work"
"HARRY!" Hermione snapped
"WHAT?" Harry snapped back
"That's not proper, remember it's effort what we learn from, good and bad experiences, and most important of all…HONESTY"
"Hermione! What you wanna do is kill us here" Ron complained, supporting Harry.
"You too Ron? Have you both forgotten who the 'prince' actually is?"
"Right" Harry retorted sarcastically "How can we forget the bastard that betrayed all of Hogwarts staff, the Order and most important of all, Dumbledore?"
"So…?"
"Let's just have this little piece of his pathetic existence be of use"
"Passing your potions N.E.W.T based on shortcuts is the lowest…" Hermione began, but Ed interrupted her.
"What book are you talking 'bout?"
"None of your business munchkin"
"WHO ARE YOU CALLING SO SMALL THAT YOU CAN NOT SEE HIM AND WON'T GROW UP YOU FOUR-EYES"
"Why, you of course" Harry replied trying to keep his temper down "Besides, my eyesight can be fixed through a magical surgery, but you can only be fixed with stilts…munchkin"
"NOW I'M REALLY GONNA KILL YOU!" Ed bellowed
"BRING IT ON!" Harry replied, now really losing his temper.
"WINRY, LET ME GO NOW!"
"HERMIONE, JUST LET ME TEACH HIM TO STAY OUT OF OTHERS' BUSINESSES"
"Why do they have to act like this?" Hermione asked to the room in general, while trying to hold Harry back
"Because they act like little kids" Winry replied, under the same situation with Ed.
"I agree, Winry" Ron replied, holding Harry's other arm
Ten Minutes Later…
"Well, we just have to finish brewing these three potions and we're done…for today" Hermione muttered the last part.
"But it's a pretty long procedure and the slightest mistake will force us to begin again, and we really need at least 60 minutes of sleep" Ron complained
Ed sighed "I dunno why you complain so much…those potions are extremely easy and practical"
"EASY…PRACTICAL…FROM WHAT BLOODY DIMENSION D'YOU COME FROM?!" Ron asked shocked by Ed's comment
"Don't tell me you already…" Hermione began
"Yeah, Ed and I are already done, we only have to transcribe the last results and we're off" Winry finished for her
"Can I ask you something?"
"You already did Ron" Ed replied
"Well, something else?"
"You did it again, Ron" Ed replied again, amused by the little word games. "But you can ask me something else"
"…this little one is pretty observant…" Ron muttered, so only he could hear, and then continued in a normal voice "Aren't you exhausted? I mean, you don't look tired, and even Hermione is falling asleep"
"For me this is pretty common actually" Winry began "Since I have to update myself regularly, everyday there's new automail models and if I want to be the best automail engineer, I have to make the best of the best"
"And this is nothing compared to the extensive research Al and I have made" Ed added.
"So…what's the toughest job you've done?" Hermione asked curious
"Decipher from a book the procedure to create a philosopher's stone"
Harry snorted "How tough can that be Elric? I mean, I deciphered how to get into the Chamber of Secrets, and no one since Voldemort (-Ron shudders-) has been able to enter"
"Well…Dunno what that whatever-his-name-is" Ed replied "But it depends…how tough do you think it is to decipher a complete and incredibly complex alchemic process from a cook book?"
"WHAT?!" Hermione's jaw dropped to the Entrance Hall "What's your reading level?"
"Dunno really, but I guess mine's around 744 books a year" Winry replied, thinking about that for the first time in her life.
"Uhh…etto…Mine and Al's is 1124 books"
"A year?"
"Nope"
"A month?!"
"Nope…a day"
The Gryffindor trio had their jaws dropped all the way down to the dungeons.
"WHAT?! NOT EVEN HERMIONE CAN READ THAT, AND IT'S HERMIONE WE'RE TALKING ABOUT" Ron blurted
"Don't be stupid Ron, of course that's impossible"
"Why d'you say so Potter, your magnifying lens don't allow you to do so?" Ed snickered.
"SHUT UP, ELRIC!"
"In fact…" Ed began, ignoring Harry's outburst "Al and I have already read and analyzed ¾ of the library books, and, I'm not boasting or anything, but Central City library is far better"
"Are you trying to tell us you've read all those books in a month?" Hermione asked disbelievingly
"Nope, only in the weekends"
"Now you've really lost me, can you explain how the hell you do that?"
"Sure, Friday nights we read the books, on Saturdays we analyze, decipher, brief and write down the most important facts"
"And on Sundays?"
"First three Sundays Al and I trained, and last one was Hogsmeade weekend, so Winry and I were on a date…"
"These kids have done what I haven't been able to in SEVEN YEARS…THIS CAN'T BE HAPPENING!" Hermione thought sadly.
"But lemme tell you, there some very interesting spells and potions there"
"Whoa, whoa, wait, so you and Winry are…" Harry began
"Dating?" Ed finished for him "What did you think we were, friends with privileges like you and Ginny?"
"ELRIC!" Harry shouted warningly
"Let's make a deal…" Winry proposed
"A deal, Rockbell?" Hermione asked
"Ed and I finish you potions for you and you finish transcribing our data for us"
"No, we must do this by ourselves" Hermione stubbornly refused
"Oh, c'mon Hermione, we need some sleep, we've been up for two days in a row and need to recover some strength" Ron pleaded
"But…"
"Ron's right" Harry cut her "We need to sleep, I don't quite agree either, but it's for the best"
"Alright" Hermione conceded "Deal"
"But watch yourselves if our potions are wrong Elric…" Harry threatened
"Same goes for you if our data is wrong…" Ed replied
And so this peculiar quintet worked together and finished half an hour later. All of them fell exhausted in their respective beds, but the only one who had trouble sleeping that night was Hermione, who inside her own thoughts envied, yet admired, the three strangers; besides there was a great deal of confusion inside her…
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"What should I do…Ron is so kind, noble and he likes children…on the other hand there's Harry, so gallant and well-mannered, with a stable economy, which Ron hasn't…but there's also Ed, he's small, but has a nicely-toned body, he's so smart as well; I could spend hours chatting with him and we'd never get bored, AND he also has a stable economy…"
"The main problem with Ron on the other hand is that he will notice any girl with a nice bottom and small skirt; Harry thinks he is in love with Ginny, and I don't blame him, she's so feminine, which I regrettably am not, although, I gotta admit I'm more developed than her; Ed is Winry's boyfriend, and she's smart and pretty…"
"I KNOW! I gotta be smarter than Winry and sexier than Ginny, that way, all three of them will notice me and I'll be able to pick the best one"
She drifted off to sleep, dreaming of her and each of them and occasionally muttering their names in her sleep.
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During breakfast next day, everything was going smoothly, until morning mail arrived. Seven different owls carried seven identical letters, and delivered them to Ginny, Ron, Harry, Hermione, Ed, Al and Winry. All the letters read:
Good morning,
After breakfast is over, I request the presence of Ms. Granger, Ms. Rockbell, Mr. and Ms. Weasley, Mr. Potter, and Edward and Alphonse Elric.
You've been excused from today's lessons. I trust your absolute discretion.
Cordially,
Minerva McGonagall
Headmistress of Hogwarts School of Witchraft and Wizardry
"Now, what would professor McGonagall need us for?"
"Dunno, 'Mione, but it better be good"
"I know what it is Harry!" Hermione exclaimed, suddenly remembering "If I'm not mistaken ("Which you are most likely not" Ron muttered) today they will be reading professor Dumbledore's will!"
"That's right! But where are they reading it?"
"At the Burrow" Ron informed
"And if that's the case…why must we go, if we didn't personally know him?" Ed asked confused, he had read about Dumbledore, but he hadn't KNOWN him.
"Do you think I'm pleased by that Elric?" Harry asked coldly
"Jeez, so early and you're already in such a temper…either it's that, or it's already that time of the month for you"
That last comment earned him a wrench blow from Winry.
"OW! WHAT WAS THAT FOR?!"
"Be more respectful Ed" Winry reprimanded him "We know better than most what it is like to lose a beloved one"
"That's why I was trying to lighten Potter's mood" Ed replied sincerely, still rubbing the place where Winry's wrench had hit him.
"What happened to you?" Ginny asked curiously
"It's a very long and complicated story…" Ed replied "what happened to Dumbledore?"
"THAT is another large and complicated story…" Harry replied
After breakfast the seven of them headed for McGonagall's office
"Good morning" She greeted
"Good morning"
"As you well know, today is the reading of professor Dumbledore's will at the Weasley residence of the Burrow, so you will all be going, but first I'll read professor Dumbledore's other will."
"Wait a second, he left two wills?"
"That's right Potter, one will be read at the Burrow, but the other one will be read to you only"
"To them as well?" Harry asked, motioning to Ed, Al and Winry
"That's right. Please have a seat so I can continue.
If you're reading this, it means I've already passed away. Do not mourn me, nor feel hatred or want vengeance from nobody, since I had a long and well enjoyed life and regret nothing.
Even if in these times everything looks dark, I've already taken some precaution measures. I finally managed to locate the Elric brothers, these two younglings possess great abilities, so I've been looking for them for three years, but their lives have taken some peculiar turns. Young Edward Elric is the first twelve-year-old to earn the title of State Alchemist, along with the name "FullMetal Alchemist" among the military, but his noble heart and sense of justice have earned him the title of "Dog of the Military in the Side of the People" among the common people in Amestris. I know that, in due time, he and Harry will become as great friends as James and Sirius.
Te main purpose of this testament, is to grant them certain privileges, along with more obligations.
The Room of Requirements is, as of this moment, for the exclusive use of the group called the DA.
Harry Potter, Ronald Weasley, Hermione Granger, Ginevra Weasley, Winry Rockbell, Alphonse Elric and Edward Elric, can enter and leave the castle as they please and need.
The Library of Hogwarts is also at their disposition 24/7 and they can check out as many books as they need and please.
All of you (with the exception of Miss Ginny Weasley, who is in 6th year currently) will present your N.E.W.Ts in four different dates, to make sure you don't lose the school term. Professor McGonagall will later inform you of the times and places.
No one from the Hogwarts Staff or the Order of the Phoenix can stop or join you, unless Harry and Edward agree to it.
The prefect's bathroom on the fifth floor and the kitchens are also available for you 24/7.
I strongly request that you find as soon as possible that which Harry (and most likely Ronald and Hermione as well) knows, no one beside you must know about them, not even members of the Order, unless it is absolutely necessary.
Albus Percival Wulfric Brian Dumbledore.
A/N.- That's all for now, probably the next chap will be out on Saturday. Ibris and Ferchoumaru out.