Hey guys! We are back with a new chapter!

I HATE mosquitos!

{Sorry, she's a bit moody since she has seven mosquito bites. This chapter is longer in request of a reviwer!}

We'll be answering a few geust reviwes that we forgot to answer last time.

{ENJOY!}


Chapter 6

Potions and Curses

Edward acted like his normal self once the group had left Transfigurations. He seemed so normal that Harry, Hermione, and Ron thought that maybe they had simply imagined his odd behavor. The blonde still had all of the extra homework done by the next morning, he still replied with sarcastic remarks, and he still freaked out whenever anyone mentioned his height. Ed seemed perfectly normal... or at least as normal as Ed was. They were still in for quite a few surprises when it came to the transfer.

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Ed had been warned many times, by many different people, about how hard potions was how biased the teacher was. Never the less, Edward was excited for the class. Based on the books he had read about the subject, it seemed that this subject was much more based on science and fact rather than 'magic.' The only thing that the blonde did not like about the class as he sat at a desk alone and waiting for the teacher to show up was the dreariness of the room. Seriously, who was the smart person who decided that a dark, dreary dungeon would be the best place for a good learning environment. In Ed's opinion, the classroom should have been somewhere with good sunlight and lots of ventilation for the fumes.

The teacher had been pointed out to the blonde earlier so he was not surprised when the black cloaked and greasy haired man swept into the room and started barking orders.

"Today," the professor said at the head of the class, "you will be brewing the Girding potion. When consumed, this potion can increase one's endurance for a considerate number of weeks. I do warn those of you who wish to experiment with this potion. This is a complex potion that requires precision and the exact following of instructions. Well, get started! We don't have all class period to waste around doing nothing!"

Ed started the potion while using the strange ingredients. He made a few changes in the instructions that he predicted would make it better. After all, he was an expert on mixing things together to create something new. He had studied the chemical makeup of all the potion ingredients that he knew of. This made it exceptionally easier to add in a few other ingredients that were not even found in the potion master's private store. Had these wizards ever even heard of science?

Enough said that Snape and the other students were quite stunned by the fact that the new kid finished the potion within the first half hour of class. Finding no flaw to comment on, Snape allowed the young ambassador to write in his strange journal for the rest of the period.

There was only fifteen minutes left in the period when Ed reached over to the table next to his and poured a vial of something into the cauldron sitting on said table. Neville looked at Edward with a look of confusion on his face. THe blonde wrote something on a scrap piece of paper and discreetly passed it to Nevill.

Your cauldron was about to melt. Make sure you follow the directions next time.

For now, follow these instructions to the dot!

1. Stir clockwise for exactly one minute

2. Add two more crushed fairy wings

3. Stir counter-clockwise for exactly thirty seconds

4. Leave it alone for exactly three minutes

5. Turn off the flame

6. Burn this note before turning off the flame

Do that and you should be fine. PS: Don't let that nosy teacher see the note. It'll only get you, and most likely me, in trouble. Don't mess this up.

Neville stared at Ed, who was back to reading his book and making notes every now and then, for a few seconds before quickly doing as the note told him. He was quite glad when his potion turned out correctly and the evidence of the note was gone.

On their way out of the classroom, Harry caught up to Neville. "Hey, Neville, what did Ed put in your potion?"

"It was... You know what... I don't actually know. He just poured something into my cauldron then gave me a note with directions on how to finish the potion. But... they were nowhere close to the directions that Snape gave us." Harry added this piece of information to the mental list of 'strange things about Ed that he should ask him about.'

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Nothing else interesting happened until Thursday, when the group had their first Defense Against the Dark Arts class with professor Moody. Edward and Hermione were the last ones to get to class,due to the fact that they were both in the library. Ed was not surprised to see everyone there already. It wasn't like everyone had been excited about this class due to all of the rumors by the upperclassmen. No, that hadn't happened at all.

The class was unnaturally quiet as they got out their books and waited for the teacher to arrive. Moody's arrival was signaled by the sound of his distinctive and unusual footsteps on the stone. "You won't be needing those books today," he said in a gruff voice as he walked to the front of the room. Most of the class looked excited as they put away their books and quickly looked to the front again. Moody took roll. Every time he read off a name, he would look at the person with his magical eye. Edward stiffened when the eye turned on him. He desperately hoped that the eye couldn't see through clothing, or else he would have a lot more to explain then he felt necessary. Also, an eye that could see through clothing seriously did not belong in a school full of children. "Professor Lupin told me that you have covered boggarts, Red Caps, hinkypunks, grindylows, Kappas, and werewolves, am I correct?"

There was a murmur of responses that confirmed what the teacher had said. "But, you are very behind on curses. So, this year will be spent learning what damage wizards can inflict on each other and how to defend yourselves." Now this was the kind of class that Ed would like. "For this one year that I will be teaching I will do my best to familiarize you with curses. Curses can come in many sizes and strengths. Now, according to my bosses at the ministry, I'm only supposed to show you countercurses. You aren't supposed to see Dark cures until your sixth year. They don't think you can handle it. I think differently. I think you need to see what you're up against. To be prepared. And Dumbledore agrees. How are you supposed to defend yourself if you don't know what you're up against? A wizard who is about to put an illegal cure on you isn't going to give you any warning, they're not going to tell you what they're about to do, and they're not going to do it to your face."

Ed was starting to like this guy's way of thinking. After all, it was true. A killer isn't going to warn you before he takes a swing at you. They aren't going to tell you what weapons they have up their sleeves, or in their armor. You had to be prepared and alert.

"You need to be prepared! You need to be alert and watchful! You need to put that away when I'm talking Miss Brown!." A girl blushed and put something that she had been showing her partner from under the table into her bag. Apparently, the eye could see through wood and the back of his head. That would make some things a little harder.

"Now, does anyone now the most punishable cures by the wizarding law?" Ron, Hermione, and several other people tentatively put their hands in the air. "Mr. Weasley?"

"Um, my dad told me about one. I think it was called the Imperios or something."

"Ah, yes. The imperius curse. Your father should know that one. It gave the ministry quite a bit of trouble a while ago." Moody reached into his desk and pulled out a jar with three spiders in it. He extracted a spider and held it in the palm of his hand for us to see. "Imperio!"

The spider jumped around and performed tricks. Every person in the classroom, excluding only two people, was laughing. Edward did not see what was funny about being forced to do something. It was cruel. It was also eye opening. The blonde knew what these wizards could do with their unscientific powers. They could control people and animals with a simple word. WHo knew what else they could do? He would have to be careful.

"You find this funny? I could do it to you. Would you be laughing then?" The students promptly shut up when they heard the professor's words.

"Total control. I could make it do anything I please. I could make it jump down one of your thoughts, jump out of the window, even drown itself in water." The spider rolled itself into a ball in pain. "This curse caused the ministry trouble a few years back. Trying to figure out who acted of their own free will, and who acted under the influence of imperius. But you can fight it. It takes a person with a strong will and character to pull it off, but it can be done. Still best to just avoid being hit by it. CONSTANT VIGILANCE!" He threw the spider back into the jar. "Anyone else know another illegal curse?"

Hermione's hand went into the air, as did Neville's. Neville looked surprised for some reason as he held his hand in the air. Moody's eye traveled to Neville. "Yes?"

"T-there's the... the C-cruciatus Curse." The voice that Neville spoke in was small but distinct. There was a unreadable emotion behind it that made the small voice carry across the room.

"Mr... Longbottom?" Moody asked. Neville nodded and Moody asked nothing more on the subject and instead took out another spider. He used a spell to make it bigger before pointing his wand at the creature. "Crucio!"

The spider curled in on itself and withered in pain. It jerked and spasmed violently. IT was one of the cruelest things that Ed had ever seen. The spider was completely innocent, but that didn't stop the man. He pointed the wand at the spider with no intent of releasing it from it's misery.

"Stop it!" Hermione shouted. Her eyes were on, not the spider but, Neville. Neville was sitting so straight it looked like his back was glued to a plank of wood. He was clutching the desk with white knuckles. The expression in his eyes was similar to one he had seen before. He had seen it before in the eyes of a girl of a girl who was collapsed onto her knees, staring up at a darker skinned man with white hair and red eyes.

Moody moved the wand away from the spider, breaking the spell. Judging by the way it was still twitching, it was still in considerable pain. The professor shrank the spider and put it back into the jar. "You don't need any special tools for torture if you know the Cruciatus Curse. The curse for pain. It was once very popular as well. Anyone know the last one?"

Students looked around the classroom nervously. Only one person still had their hand in the air. "Miss. Granger?"

"Avada Kedavra." This was said in a small whisper, but it still set practically the entire room on edge.

"Yes. The Killing Curse." He reached into the jar to bring out the last spider. As he set it on the desk, it hurriedly ran away from the man. It's instincts were probably going wild with fear and the need to get away. Ed was feeling something similar as he sat in his chair in what seemed like a relaxed pose. "Avada Kedavra!" There was a flash of green light before the spider toppled over, dead. It was completely unscathed and completely devoid of life. Edward stiffen in the back of the classroom. These wizards could kill by uttering a single phrase. They could control, they could torture, and they could murder. They needed these wizards to ally themselves with them. Ed realized that if his mission didn't succeed then this Wizarding world would make one heck of an enemy. He needed to show the wizards that they could trust him. That they had nothing to lose and everything to gain if they allied themselves with Amestris.

While on this train of thought, the young blonde missed the rest of the lesson as he was too wrapped in his thoughts.


{Geust Review time!}

BulletWitch1985- {Very nice advice!} YES! We HAD too! We'll try to bring him in, we most likely will.

Mary's Sheep- {Hmmm, no one else has asked for him sooo-} OKAY!

Guest- {Thank you, I have fixed the changes but have not uploaded the fixed verson yet.} Most defitly Riza!