A/N.- Jesus Christ, after a shitload of months of having the original document in my computer and not translating it thanks to the insane amount of work college has been kind enough to bestow upon me, here is chapter 9 of this story. Thanks for sticking with us and reviewing to those who have, now, let the chapter begin.
Disclaimer: Harry Potter belongs to JK Rowling, Warner Bros and several publishers worldwide, while Hiromu Arakawa and SquareEnix own FullMetal Alchemist.
Chapter 9.- Choices
"...ry...ha...rr...ke..."
"...ake...rry..."
Harry was deeply asleep, dreaming he was inside a huge building full to the brim with books and parchment scrolls, floor to ceiling. He felt protected, yet overwhelmed. He was walking along a long hallway until he got splashed by ice cold water.
"Jebus! What the hell's wrong with you idiot?!" Harry asked the owner of the wand responsible for him being drenched.
"Ron's been trying to wake up for half an hour unsuccessfully"
"And that gives you the right to drench me in ice cold water Elric?!"
"Well...actually yes"
"Why you..."
"Harry, we should get going, Neville's borderline hysteric now" Ron informed.
"Huh? Really?"
"Nah, just looks like a caged lion actually" Ed added sarcastically.
"Why? What's wrong with him?"
"Because of the DA. You promised yesterday, remember?"
"Oh... right, I'll catch up with you at the Great Hall"
"Alright, but hurry up, we still have some last minute studying to do" Ron urged him
"Yeah, yeah, I know" Harry said heavily.
"Oh, and by the way Potter, if I were you, I'd dry my bed or else the house elves will think you've got quite the bladder" Ed made fun of him.
"SHUT THE HELL UP YOU IDIOT!"
Ron and Ed left the room so Harry could change and dry up the lake that was his bed. Before he left the room he took a quill, ink-pot, parchment and some books and threw them into his bag, slinging it onto his shoulder and leaving. When he got to the bottom of the staircase he looked at the fireplace, the one and only witness of their kiss last night, he touched his lips and then left, taking the shortcut Ed had unblocked weeks ago with alchemy, saving him some time.
"Harry! Over here!" Ginny called, waving.
"Morning" He greeted, then kissed Ginny tenderly as he usually did.
"Morning" Everyone chorused back.
"Neville, we're restarting the DA, but before that, I think we ought to have a meeting. Could you tell Luna for us? We're meeting in the Room of Requirement tonight at 8pm. Tell no one else, okay?"
"Sure, no problem, no one else will find out. Well, I'm leaving you for now, I got class"
"'K"
"Oh, and by the way, good luck on your exams"
"Thanks" The rest replied.
After than, Harry sat besides Ginny for breakfast, and set for eating breakfast. Due to the hours, there were almost no students left in the Great Hall. Hermione and Ed were discussing some techniques wizards of old used for self-defense and Ron tried to keep up, but unfortunately for him, for every thing he understood, ten more questions popped in his head.
"Nii-san it's almost time" Al warned.
"I know. So, shall we? Or do you prefer to get there next year?" Ed asked the rest.
Anxious and a bit upset, Al, Winry, Harry, Ron and Hermione followed Ed all the way to McGonagall's classroom. Inside there were six desks spread all over the place, an auror standing on each corner and in front sat McGonagall and Mad-Eye Moody.
"Sit" McGonagall ordered and everyone obeyed instantly. "As you all know, it was professor Dumbledore's last will that you six finished your magical education, despite the current circumstances, so you will be sitting your NEWTs in three phases. Phase one will be today, and it consist in a theory test of what you should all know up to this point. The score of this test will be averaged with the other two. Now that the explanation is out of the way, let's begin. The aurors here will give you quills and parchment made specially for this exam, so you won't be able to cheat. Not that it's really possible, since every exam is different, but has the same difficulty level.
"And God forgive the one that decides to cheat, since I will personally see to you punishment, IS THAT CLEAR?! I'll be watching you constantly" Mad-Eye warned.
"You have eight hours, begin"
They all swallowed hard and began their exams, which were every bit as difficult as every upperclassman made them to be. Harry skipped over the questions he didn't know the answer to, so he could complete as much as he could. Al and Winry had no trouble with the answers, since they knew every single answer, problem was that they were too complex and long. Ron, on the other hand, prayed to every known deity that he could borrow the tiniest part of Hermione's brain just for the next eight hours. Ed and Hermione finished their exams each under three hours, record time. Once outside, Hermione approached Ed.
"Do you think they'll take too long?"
"I think Al, Win and Potter will finish in a couple more hours, three tops, but your boyfriend Ron..." Ed sighed "...I'm afraid eight hours won't be enough for him to finish"
Hermione nodded in agreement, sighing heavily as well.
"Let's go take a walk. We have at least two hours till they come out"
"I don't know" Hermione said dubiously
"What? does you boyfriend get jealous?"
"Edward!"
Ed chuckled "Come on then"
Ed and Hermione strolled around the castle, until they reached the vast grounds, walking quietly until Edward decided to break the silence.
"How do you feel about Potter?"
"Excuse me?"
"Might not be my business, but I saw everything...even the kiss"
"I...uuh...you know it's rude to spy on others"
"Maybe, but that smile you had last night and the one you just got when I asked... that's not a smile of guilt"
"What do you mean?"
"Hmm... let's see, how can I say this... you see, when you are with Ron, you look happy, but when you are with Potter, just with him, you positively glow"
"That's not true! Harry's just... my friend" She said those two words quietly.
"Right... and that's the reason why you glare daggers every time he's with Ginny" Ed replied sarcastically.
"Well... I... I don't know"
"Do you love him?"
"I don't know. W-why are you asking me this all of a sudden? How does that help you?"
"Potter might be an idiot, an asshole, a good-for-nothing, useless git... but you all mean the world to him, and it would be a pity that all that went spiraling down because of a love conflict"
"Just what are you insinuating, that I am a shameless whore that doesn't care if she ruins everyone's life just for a moment of pleasure?!" Hermione asked hysterically.
"No, no, no, I mean that you have to find out who you really love, and if it is Potter, you ought to fight for him. Opportunities for happiness are very rare, and they must be seized, because if you doubt, you'll end second plate"
"Why are you telling me this?"
"'Cause I like you and you've helped us a great deal, and I feel I must repay you somehow"
"I've just done what everyone else would..."
"Doubt it... not everyone would teach you ancient runes with all the patience in the world, or show you everything related to her world while that bunch of strangers' skills easily rival yours"
"That was not necessary" Hermione said, blushing
Ed just shrugged "Consider it equivalent exchange"
"Thanks Ed" Hermione said, hugging him. Ed doubted at first, but eventually returned the hug.
"Well, we better get going" Hermione said after they parted the hug "They must be finishing by now... or at least I hope they are"
Ed and Hermione walked back to the Transfigurations classroom to wait for their peers to come out. Twenty minutes later Al did.
"You took your time, Al"
"Sorry, Nii-san, my exam was pretty laborious, we had to explain the reason for the department of Regulation of Magical Creatures to exist...and Hagrid didn't really explain that."
"Hagrid just loves about everything that's dangerous and rare. If it were up to him, the castle'd be crawling with dragons and acromantulæ" Hermione said, laughing.
"Maybe" Ed agreed and the three laughed Heartily. As they did so, Winry came out of the classroom.
"Now I know why everyone fears that test..."
"Was it that bad?" Hermione asked.
"Nah, got an O at least in it" Winry bragged while she and Hermione engaged in a glare contest.
"Ummm...Al... Do they teach how to control and calm women down in Care of Magical Creatures?" Ed asked.
"I don't think so... but I guess it'd be pretty useful..." Al replied.
"Jesus Christ!" Harry said as he left the room.
"How did it go Harry?" Al asked politely
"I passed... I hope..."
"So mediocre! I'm sure I get at least an O" Ed bragged.
"Sorry, what did you just say, pipsqueak?"
"WHO ARE YOU CALLING A PIPSQUEAK?!"
Al played referee, trying to calm all of them, but as soon as he managed to calm the boys, the girls would start arguing again. Two hours passed in the same fashion, until Ron finally made it out of the room.
"...I think I now know why Fred and George bailed out of school... they weren't too keen on living that nightmare..."
"Well, it could've been worse" Al said consolingly.
"At least I tried..."
Between jokes and cheering up, they all headed for the Great Hall for something to eat. When they were done, they headed for the Room of Requirement, where Neville and Luna were already waiting for them.
When they opened the door, they entered a spacious hall with a round table and 9 chairs. Everyone took their place, while Hermione pulled out nine glasses and poured butterbeer in them, passing them around, while everyone grabbed a biscuit from the center of the table. Once they all settled down, Harry spoke.
"Thanks for coming. As you know, I asked for this meeting to see how would the DA be organized this year. I requested that only you came here because you've proved yourselves to be the most constant, loyal and skilled members. even the Elric brothers and Winry have proved themselves worthy time and time again, so the nine of us will lead the DA instead of only me, that is, if you agree"
"Aye" The other eight chorused.
"First of all we have to inform the students of the reopening of the DA, but they'll swarm here like flies to cow pies, what with me being "The Chosen One" and all that crap...so how should we organize them and ourselves?"
"First we ought to get rid of the rubbish. It's no use to have the whole school here so that when the time comes, only 10 or 15 will be willing to actually fight" Ed adviced.
"How do we do that Edward?" Neville asked.
"We can test them, and only the top scores will stay" Hermione suggested.
"A test is no guarantee they'll be loyal to us, or everyone else" Ginny coutered.
"Easy, psychological tricks" Ed said simply.
"Do you plan on torturing them psychologically and let the sane ones join Elric? that would make us as low if not lower than Voldemort" Harry replied angrily.
"Uuh... not exactly... I meant something like this..." Ed started explaining his idea to the others.
"Vile, cruel and plain mean, but I like it" Harry said approvingly.
"Ok, first point addressed, what now?" Ron asked.
"What will each of us teach, and who?"
"We just can't teach everything in the Hogwarts curriculum, so I think we better take just the essentials, and let the one that feels more comfortable with each subject to teach it" Hermione suggested.
They started brainstorming ideas and forming a plan.
"Perfect! Now, point number three would be the shape the room will take. What exactly would we need?" Harry inquired
"One that's always changing... where no one can find us. I mean, classes will be secret, won't they?" Neville said
"Yup, that's right. I wouldn't fancy any sort of interference" Harry replied.
"And if someone will be always teaching, it would never be unoccupied, so we can communicate through the enchanted galleons, so the room can only be opened from the inside"
"Brilliant Neville!" Ginny praised him, making him blush Weasley red.
"Can I see one of those galleons, Potter?" Ed enquired.
"Sure, here"
"Just how do they work?"
Hermione explained in detail the Protean charm and how it worked in the coins, based on the previous DA meetings.
"I see...but it's too common, don't you think?"
"The point was to be inconspicuous, else we'd all be carrying a flag you idiot"
"Uh huh... has it ever occurred to you, Potter, that if you lose that Galleon amongst a bunch of other coins or simply lose it, you're toast?"
"Has never happened" Was Harry's gruff answer.
"Never say never"
"What do you suggest then, Mr. Know-It-All?"
Ed frowned "Something that's not so easily noticeable, yet not so common..." Ed said, and his words were met with silence as everyone thought about something that no one would suspect about, yet not too common or easy to lose.
"What are you fiddling with Ron?" Al asked.
"Oh, just something Fred gave to me. It's a new item for the joke shop, he says it's meant to pick on people from other schools"
"Can I see it?" Al requested, and Ron nodded and gave it to hime.
"Here" It was a pendant bearing the Hogwarts crest, but when touched, the crest would turn into the words "Proudly Hogwarts"
"THAT'S IT!" Al yelled
"What is it?" Ed asked.
"Nii-san, we could use those pendants instead of the coins"
"But it's a new product, is it really that common?"
"Hey Ron, could your brother send us boxes full of those things?" Winry asked.
"I...guess...why?"
"Don't you see? We could sell them here for them, students will love it. Maybe they will even buy several for their relatives. Members of the DA can wear fake pendants with the Protean charm, that way we could just pretend to be part of the trend" Winry explained the rest.
"Brilliant! Everyone would think it's just student's pride!" Harry said enthusiastically.
"Fred and George will make quite a winning with this too, maybe they'll even give us a small commission" Ron said eager.
"So with all that settled, when do we start?" Neville asked.
"Well, Bill's wedding is this Saturday, and we leave for the Burrow on Monday, also, knowing mum, she will try to keep us there for another good two weeks" Ron mused.
"So, we'd start somewhere around November 15th" Harry confirmed.
"Wait! I know why this group's called DA, but Dumbledore's gone already... it's all in our hands now, and we have to look to the future now, not the past"
"So you want us to change the name just because you don't like it, Elric?"
"Nope, I'm just saying we have to let Dumbledore rest in peace, and the way to do that is remove the burden of the war from his shoulders"
"How dare you Elric?!"
"Actually, I think he is right Harry" Hermione seconded Ed.
"But..."
"Time's up" Ginny announced.
"So, what do you suggest? You do have a suggestion, don't you?"
"How about..."
"That's fine, we shall be called like that as of today" They all toasted to the future, and after a while they left for their common rooms and their beds.
It was almost midnight, Harry and the rest were fast asleep, while Ed tossed and turned, lost in thought, looking fixedly at his silver pocketwatch.
"Voldemort will give me everything if I join him..."
-----Flashback-----
"And if you join him he'll give you a great power: the real philosopher's stone. Not the fake one created with human lives, but the one made by pure alchemy and magic. With it you can give your mother her life back, and regain all that you lost that fateful night."
"Al's body" Ed thought.
"And as proof of his good will, he sends you two gifts. This is the first one" Bellatrix said, handing Ed a package wrapped in black paper.
"And you're supposing that I'll just say 'yes, of course I'll go with you right away, seeing as I don't give a shit about muggles and wizards dying and can become all-powerful'? Ha!" Ed said sarcastically
"That's what the second gift is about: my lord grants you all the time you need to decide. So, in case you wish to side with those that seek knowledge and justice, you just aim your wand at your arm and say morsmordre, and you will find yourself at my lord's side immediately. That said, we take our leave and expect you there soon" Lorena said, and a second later, the two witches apparated away.
"What could this be?" Ed mused, making to open the package.
"Don't open it nii-san! What if it is a trap?"
"Had they wanted to kill me, we'd be fighting right now Al- Ed replied, ripping off the paper and finding an old, tattered book written in odd symbols and titled "The tales of Beedle the Bard"
-----End flashback-----
"Voldemort...Dumbledore...Potter...Al...it's my fault Al lost his body, I owe it to him...on the other hand...am I really capable of it?...I've lost so much already...it's worth it, for Al and Win...I'll do what it takes...but I must be cautious...earn his trust...avoid him finding out..."
"That settles it, I know what I must do...but I have to plan it thoroughly...OK, it's time..." After checking his pocket watch for the time, he descended to the common room. Harry wasn't asleep as he thought though, and the raven-haired boy decided to see what he was up to, sleepless as he was. Harry followed Ed down the spiral staircase, but when he reached the bottom, there was nobody there, so he sat on the armchair by the fireplace.
The clock on the room chimed 4am, everything was calm and silent, only Harry was out of bed, lost in his own thoughts.
"Mum...dad...Sirius...Cedric...Dumbledore...they all died because of me...to save me...but why is my life more valuable than theirs? Is it really worth that much? Is one life worth more than five others?...Bloody Edward, he's younger than me and still..." Harry couldn't hold his tears back at this point
"...still he's saved far more lives than I have...he's protected others, not been protected...WHY CAN'T I BE LIKE THAT?! Why am I asked to forget? How could I ever forget the ones that have protected me? Is it fair to do so?...No, I can't...I must remember them...it's my duty...so no, I don't want to forget them...I don't want to be alone...I can't...they can't make me...I CAN'T DO IT!
What should I do? Should I leave?...perhaps it's better if I do...perhaps they will all be happier...I...I shouldn't be with Ginny, they could hurt her...because of me...I should distance myself from her...we haven't been careful...what if she gets pregnant? and...Hermione...why have I been dreaming of her? Why?...she's just my friend...just that...just my friend...she loves Ron...I can't do this to him either...
I deserve this...All those years...all those opportunities...and I was a coward...just because I was a bloody coward I didn't dare...tell her...ever since that first day on the train...I fancied her...she was...no, is...the owner of my fantasies...but I was a coward...I could never...not anymore...but that kiss...it was wonderful...I've never felt anything like this before...what if she...nah, I don't think so...it would be to good to be true...and good things...they never last for me...I couldn't stand seeing her die...no, not her...no, NEVER! SHE'LL NEVER DIE! My soul would die with her..."
Harry was lost in his thoughts for what he swore felt like months, but were just minutes. He then heard the common room door, so he turned around. Hermione emerged from the portrait hole, wet from head to toe, agitated.
"What is it Hermione? Why are you so..." Hermione silenced him with a kiss. But it wasn't a tender kiss, like the other night, this kiss was savage, passionate, even randy. Harry was quite surprised, not expecting something like that, but even then, that had been one of his fantasies, so he took no time wrapping his arms around her, pulling her closer and deepening the kiss. Their tongues danced with each other in their mouths, Harry's hands wandered and explored all of Hermione's wet back, from her shoulders all the way down to her exquisite arse, the one he so liked, bested only by her beautiful, hypnotic chocolate brown eyes. The lack of oxygen in their brains forced them to pull away, staring at each other's eyes for what felt like an eternity.
"Harry...I love Ginny like a little sister, but I love you and will fight for your love. I'm telling them both, Ron and Ginny...I don't know how or when, but I will, and soon, and you will be mine and only mine. I don't give a damn about your fears, I love you. I love you and no matter how, I will have your heart...and every other part of your being"
"But Hermione, I..." Harry began, but Hermione interrupted him.
"Harry James Potter, as of today, I, Hermione Jane Granger will be your one owner, your woman. all of my being, my soul, love and body are yours, and yours only, just like your soul, love and body will belong to me and only me" It wasn't a question, it was a statement.
While she said this, Hermione had a determined look in her eyes and a triumphant smile on her lips, and before Harry could even say a syllable (not that he would be able to in a while), she climbed the stairs to the girls' dorm rooms, and again Harry was rooted to the spot, not knowing what to do, but with every negative though miles away from his mind now.
"What the hell was I thinking about?! Didn't Dumbledore himself say it? The most powerful magic, the one that Voldemort has never known, is love...as long as I have my friends and Hermione I have nothing to fear, I'm capable of anything for them. I...I'll become more powerful, strong enough to protect them...I shall never lose a beloved person again and I won't become another Tom Riddle either. NO! I shall become the most powerful wizard, stronger than Merlin, and will only use my magic to protect everyone in this world. Mom, dad, Sirius, Cedric, Dumbledore...your sacrifices won't be in vain, and your lives won't have been wasted. Please guide me from the stars, help me to always do the right thing, give me the strength to never give up, not as long as I have my friends and Hermione by my side. I'll have to find a way to break up with Ginny without hurting her, I love her nonetheless. She's still a very important person to me, but I love and am in love with Hermione, too much for my own good. Ron is my best mate as well, my brother, he should understand I love her. And as soon as this goddamned war is over, when I finally beat the shit out of that bastard Voldemort, I'll take her away and she'll be only mine, and perhaps...someday...we might even start a family of our own. But for that to happen, I have to train harder every day. It's settled."
That night, Harry dreamed of Hermione and a great future with her.
That day was determinant for Edward Elric and Harry Potter. Their choices would impact history greatly, and two paths were forged. One day was enough to decide the fate of this magical war.
A/N.- Hmmm...bit confusing? Let me know in a review, and I'll see what I can answer without spoiling the story for yeh :P Thanks.