{Hey guys, we're really sorry at how short this chapter is, but it was the best place to leave off and we really wanted to update. We don't have as much time because of, well you know, school-}

Stupid school, stupid advanced classes!

{And none of us have a study hall this year, so no free time DURING school to write-}

Hey, I am NOT giving up any of my classes. I need my electives!

{So we mostly do it on the bus ride, which is suprisingly long.}

Stupid bus, stupid dress code-

Our school just got a new dress code and it's infuriating! We had to get entire new wordobes of clothes that we can actualy wear to school!

{Please ignore them. It's late and they are grumpy after finding out that we are out of ice cream, which had NOTHING to do with me!}

That's what SHE says...

{Anyways! Ignore us and get on with the story!}


Chapter 9

Under the influence

The trio didn't stop thinking about the new information on blonde-haired ambassador until one Defense Against the Dark Arts class where the professor announced that he would put each of the students in turn under the Imperius Curse.

"B-but you said that it was illegal to use the curse on humans, professor!"

"Dumbledore wants you to know what it feels like," the professor replied as he pushed the desks to the side of the room with a sweep of his wand. "If you would rather learn the hard way, by having someone put it on you to control you completely, that's fine by me. You're excused." Hermione mumbled something, her cheeks flushing pink.

Edward thought that this class was the perfect chance to see exactly what these curses could do. Moody had said that someone with a strong will and character would be able to fight it. Then that's what he'd do. He started mentally preparing himself to fight what would come.

Students were beckoned up one by one as the curse was put on them. They did the strangest things that most definitely would not have done, or been able to do in some cases, in their right minds. Some did somewhat embarrassing things such as hopping around the room thrice while singing the national anthem. Others did things that they would not be able physically accomplish if not under the curse, such as gymnastics. Not everyone did karge things, though. Some only had to do simple stuff such as impersonating a squirrel.

So far, the only one who had been able to fight the curse had been Harry Potter. He had done something similar to a half jump that resulted in him hitting both his kneecaps on the edge of the desk and falling. "Look at that, you lot… Potter fought! He fought it and almost beat it! You can see it in his eyes. You lot should learn from his example. FIGHT IT!"

A few more tried and failed to fight the curse. "Elric, You're next." Edward walked to the center of the room and stood facing Moody. He had his eyes narrowed in defiance, a look that he had perfected within the office of a certain pyromaniac that he knew. The next thing he knew, Ed's mind was wiped free of every thought and worry. The voice of the professor spoke in his head.

Do jumping jacks while yodeling… Do jumping jacks while yodeling… do jumping jacks while yodeling…

Ed, was about to start when he heard a different voice in his head. It was the voice of a young boy.

Don't do anything idiotic, brother. Don't let them control you.

Do jumping jacks while yodeling…

Fight it, brother. Snap out of it!

Ed felt his own thoughts return to him as he sat down on the ground with his legs crossed and his arms folded across his chest in a defiant manner. He was not going to be controlled by someone. He would fight it with all he had for himself and his brother.

The class stared at the boy in confusion that quickly turned to awe as the professor laughed. "Very good, boy! Very good. I don't think that I've ever seen anyone with more defiance. It would seem that we actually have someone in this school who can resist the Imperius Curse. And on their first time too. Good job, boy."

The stares followed Edward as he walked back to his spot near the door and leaned against the wall with his eyes closed and his hands in his pocket. He seemed to be rubbing something hidden with his left hand. The class found it somewhat hard to believe that someone could accomplish something that no one else in the class could, not even Harry Potter. Then again, most of them had seen what the boy could do when the demonic substitute teacher was here.

"Ug, did you hear the way he talked?" asked Ron as they walked out of earshot from the room. Ron was bouncing with every other step as a side effect of the curse.

"I know," responded Harry, who had a limp due to his knees still hurting from their collision with the desk. "It sounded as if he expected us to get attacked any second!"

"Paranoid old coot."

"Being paranoid isn't all bad. It can mean the difference between life and death in some cases," Ed commented. Harry took a few seconds to ponder what Ed said before adding it to his list of strange things that Edward had said that may give them a hint as to an answer to their questions.

"Yeah, but he takes it too far. Did you hear him telling Seamus what he did to that witch who shouted 'Boo' behind him on April Fools Day? And when are we supposed to read up on resisting the Imperius Curse with everything else that we've got to do?"

Edward had noticed an increase of homework over the past few weeks. All of the teachers were going on and on about 'preparing for O.W.L.s,' whatever those were. He had more homework than Mustang had paperwork. Well, that may have been a bit of an exaggeration, but he still had a lot of work. It wasn't like he had signed up a job full of paperwork. Actually, he hadn't signed up for this job at all. He had been ordered to take this job. He was lucky that he was a prodigy. If he wasn't then he probably would have had an extremely difficult time keeping up with all these magic tricks. He still had a hard time believing it. Oh, well. He might as well make the best of it. The upcoming competition should at least be interesting.

~~~~O~~~O~~~O~~~O~~~~

The group was walking back to the Great Hall after a Care of Magical Creatures lesson while talking excitedly. "Did you see Malfoy's face when Hagrid talked back to him?" asked Ron. "It was priceless!"

"I agree. It's good that Hagrids finally standing up for himself." Hermione agreed.

"Well, he is the teacher. He should have control over his classroom." Ed noted.

"Revenge is sweet. Especially after Malfoy tried to get Hagrid sacked last year." said Harry.

"Wait, how did he try to sack him?" Ed asked. The large teacher did have a very unique way of teaching, but so did his teacher. He was actually starting to like the guy.

"It's a long story… hey, guys, what's that?" Hermione pointed to the large group that was blocking the hall. There was something posted on the wall.

Ron, who was the tallest in the group, stood on tiptoe to read the sign that held everyone's attention.

"Triwizard Tournament," Ron read aloud, "The delegations from Beauxbatons and Durmstrang will be arriving at six o'clock on Friday the thirteenth of October. Lessons will end half an hour early-"

"Brilliant! It's Potions last on Friday! Snape won't have time to poison us all!" Harry exclaimed, referring to the threat that Snape had made to poison them in order to test their antidotes. "Okay, please continue."

"Students will return their bags and books to their dormitories and assemble in front of the castle to greet our guests before the Welcoming Feast."

"A week! I wonder if Cedric knows about this? I better go tell him!" the group overheard an energetic first year Hufflepuff tell his friends before running off.

"Cedric?" Ron asked blankly.

"Diggory," Harry said. "He must be entering the tournament."

"That idiot, Hogwarts champion?" said Ron as they pushed their way towards the staircase.

"He's not an idiot. You just don't like him because he beat Gryffindor at Quidditch," Hermione spoke up. "I've heard he's a really good student… and he's a prefect."

"You just like him because he's handsome."

"Excuse me, I don't like people just because their handsome!" Ed made a smart decision to stay out of Ron and Hermione's argument along with Harry.


{Yeah, so that's that. Hope you liked it. Again, sorry it was short.}

We started another story too!

{But we are still working diligently on this one!}

It's a D. Gray Man, Harry Potter crossover.

The idea just wouldn't leave us alone!

{And we also adopted a story.}

An FMA, HP crossover...

By Beboots.

{It's called Alchemy's Child. You guys should seriously check it out. It is an AMAZING crossover! Unlike any othe FMA X HP!}

{See ya next time!}