Chapter 18- Alchemy
"Hey, pet Muggle!" a voice behind Ed called as he was en route to detention.
He turned to find Malfoy, sneer in place, wand ready for action. Ed faced the boy empty-handed and not very confident because of it, having left his wand in the dorm for the festivities; he hadn't thought he'd need it since he had intended on ditching detention.
"You're not too tough without Potty and his losers, are you?" Malfoy goaded, "I can do a list of terrible things to you with my wand and you can't do anything; a mud-blood like you doesn't deserve to be in this school!" Malfoy crept closer and his sneer broadened as his quarry retreated to keep the distance equal.
"The way I beat you up last time didn't give you much of a reputation," Ed ventured to buy time.
"That's only because you had help! You've humiliated me for the last time!" Malfoy seethed, his grin instantly returning, "So now I'm due for some revenge. I just learned the Cruciatus Curse and I'm itching to try it out on some weak bastard. Do you even know what it does?" Ed shook his head, still trying to keep the conversation going until something actually happened. "It causes your whole body to throb in excruciating pain," Malfoy explained maliciously, "Kind of like being thrown into fire, only fifty times worse."
"Is that all? I thought you were going to kill me," Edward joked, however he was getting nervous; this curse didn't sound like too much fun. He'd been toasted by Mustang before, and it hadn't been enjoyable. Where was Hermione? Where was anybody?
"I could if I liked, but for now I'll give you a demonstration. Crucio!"
Edward tried to dodge the red blast, but no matter which way he feinted, the crimson light followed him, finally embedding itself in his chest and exploding in pain. Ed dropped to the ground in a spasm, clutching himself and thrashing left and right due to the numbing, piercing, pain, akin to getting automail attached to every inch of his spinal chord. He let out a scream, though he could barely hear as his pain echoed throughout the hall. It ebbed after what felt like decades and Edward was left gasping for air, drenched in sweat, and trembling in agony.
Despite the immense fatigue that filled him now, he pushed himself to his feet and got into a fighting stance. The top of his leg where the prosthetic limb was attached burned as the nerve clusters reacted. He nearly met the floor again, but was able to hold his ground. Malfoy was smirking and still holding his wand out.
"Not enough to keep you on your knees, huh? Damn, I guess I have to try again. Crucio!"
The blast shot out from the end of the wand once more, but this time Edward didn't try and dodge it. There wasn't much he could do in the first place, given he knew next to nothing about magic and his alchemy didn't work. Even so, he clapped his hands, more on reflex than false hope, and slammed them to the ground, wishing for a miracle. To his great surprise, a wall of stone rose in front of him, immersed in blue light as the knowledge ran through his brain. The curse bounced off the shield and ricocheted back to its owner, causing Malfoy to let out a blood-curdling scream.
As Ed stared in wonder at his hands, Harry, Ron, and Hermione rushed around the corner with their wands raised, the first two looking as if the sobering charm had done its glory. They looked from Malfoy to their friend and then to the stone wall in confusion.
"What happened, are you alright?" Hermione cried, placing a hand on Ed's shoulder as the threesome ran over. Ed looked up at them with a smile quickly spreading across his face.
"My alchemy works," he said incredulously, feeling giddy. The smile grew and he stood. "MY ALCHEMY WORKS!" he yelled to the ceiling, punching the air in triumph, "I CAN GO HOME!"
He broke into laughter and knelt next to his masterpiece. He clapped his hands with enthusiasm and returned the floor to its original form. When he rose again there were tears of joy streaming down his face.
"I can go home to Al," he repeated in a whisper, as if the utterance would take it away from him.
"What happened?" Hermione asked again, more for the group than herself. Ed told them about Malfoy and they reacted with rage.
"He did WHAT!" Harry bellowed, rushing toward the boy who was still on the ground, panting in pain.
"Harry, no!" Hermione screamed as he grabbed Malfoy by the lapels and drew out his wand.
"Since when have you been using the Cruciatus Curse!" the boy-who-lived demanded, shaking in anger, "Are you working for Voldemort! Answer me!" Malfoy merely blinked in silence and fear.
"Harry, this is for Dumbledore to do, not us!" Hermione protested, pulling on Harry's robes to convince him.
"She's right Harry, we could get him expelled!" Ron agreed. Reluctantly, Harry let the boy down and the four of them made their way to Dumbledore's office, dragging Malfoy halfway there despite his efforts to escape.
Professor McGonagall was waiting for the five of them at the entrance to Dumbledore's office. Her brows were angled sharply inward and a deep frown was set on her face; it was obvious she was angry.
"Hurry along," she said harshly, "Dumbledore is waiting."
They did as they were told, following her into the office to find the Headmaster, Professor Snape, and another man in a long brown coat and square glasses. Edward smiled and nodded toward him. Harry, Ron, and Hermione glanced back and forth between the two, questions on their tongues. Malfoy missed the exchange and was now standing as far away from Dumbledore as possible, looking deathly afraid.
"Please, sit down," Dumbledore bade politely, despite the edge of anger in his eyes when they passed to Draco.
"But what's Professor Hoenheim doing here?" Harry asked, unable to hold his curiosity any longer.
"Obviously he's here because Malfoy just committed a dark art, and that falls under his expertise," Hermione said.
"Actually, Hoenheim is my first name," the professor corrected, reintroducing himself, "Hoenheim Elric."
"Hey, isn't that Ed's…" Ron trailed off and noticed the resemblance. "Bloody hell! You're related?" he blurted at once.
"Mr. Weasley! Five points from Gryffindor for language!" Professor McGonagall exclaimed sharply.
"Shall we continue?" Dumbledore interrupted, turning to Edward, "Is it true Mr. Malfoy used the Cruciatus Curse on you?"
"Yes," Ed replied, "It would have been twice if I hadn't blocked it."
"You mean—!" Hoenheim began to exclaim, but Dumbledore waved him quiet.
"Professor Hoenheim, I'm sure you're angry about this event but if you will give me a chance, I will take the necessary action," the Headmaster said.
Hoenheim shut his mouth, realizing his superior had saved him from releasing information that was to be kept secret. He nodded and silently bade Dumbledore to continue.
"Now then, Mr. Malfoy, may I see your wand?"
Malfoy passed the wooden rod to the headmaster with a shaking hand. Dumbledore flicked his own, muttering "Prior Incantatus" and a blast of red light appeared along with a bellow of 'Crucio!'. Dumbledore nodded and put the wand in his desk drawer for safekeeping.
"Draco Malfoy," he declared in a powerful, authoritative voice, "As headmaster I cannot allow a student who practices an Unforgivable Curse in my school. I expect you to be packed and ready for departure by tomorrow morning." Dumbledore now turned to Snape. "Severus, if you will keep close watch on Mr. Malfoy until the Ministry of Magic can take over."
Snape nodded and Malfoy gulped. Teacher escorted ex-student out of the office, leaving Edward, Harry, Ron, and Hermione alone with the two professors and the headmaster. Professor McGonagall departed shortly after, with instructions to send Malfoy's wand, by owl, to the Minister of Magic. Dumbledore then turned to the remaining matters.
"Edward, would you prefer it if Mr. Potter, Mr. Weasley, and Miss. Granger left?" he asked after a moment. The threesome looked toward their friend and pleaded silently with wide eyes.
"No, they can stay," Ed sighed, "They already know most of everything anyway." Hoenheim looked alarmed for a second but then calmed as Edward shook his head, letting him know it was all right.
"Um, how'd you find out about Malfoy so quickly?" Harry asked suddenly, before the headmaster could say anything.
"That would be the portraits—they can be great messengers. They also told me Edward did something rather spectacular…" he looked toward the young alchemist expectantly. Ed's face brightened into another widespread smile.
"My alchemy works," he told them, turning to his father, "We can go home!"
"But I thought—this side of the Gate—it's not possible!" Hoenheim stuttered in protest, "The death energy from this place is exchanged for alchemy in Amestris. That's the equivalent exchange. Where's the energy coming from here? Where's the equivalent exchange!"
"I don't know," Ed replied, repeating something his father once said, "But I accept what I see. Watch."
The Fullmetal Alchemist clapped his hands and transmuted the chair he was occupying into a miniature, wooden sculpture of Hogwarts. Hoenheim looked delighted while Ed's friends looked thoroughly amazed; Dumbledore merely raised his eyebrows in interest.
"Incredible," Hoenheim praised, "the detail is spectacular too; I can even see the individual shingles on the roof. You haven't forgotten anything in the past few months, I see."
Edward beamed and transmuted his masterpiece back into a chair and sat down once more.
"So…how do you intend to get home?" Hoenheim asked, "Even if we can pass through the Gate, we need a way to summon it, plus the proper payment to make it through in one piece."
"I know," Ed replied, somewhat taken aback for forgetting, "I'll figure something out…"
"However, tonight is not the night to do so," Dumbledore intervened, "Goodnight boys, Miss Granger, Professor."
The headmaster nodded to each, a signal for them to depart to their dwellings. On the way there, after the Professor had left for his room, Hermione couldn't help speaking her mind.
"Ed, are you sure you're all right?" the Cruciatus Curse…the pain is said to drive people mad…"
"I'm fine," Ed assured her flatly, his face following the drop in his voice, "It was nothing, compared to…other things…"
Harry, Ron, and Hermione could do nothing but watch as their friend was dragged into another one of his dreadful memories, a time where he had said something almost identical to what he just did.
A/n- this is actually the first thing I wrote in this story. My apologies to anyone who likes Malfoy, but the shoe fits.