Everlasting
By LadysWords

Previously on Everlasting:

Once morning arrived again, the excitement of last night's activities was gone. Well, emotionally speaking. Students still spoke of it throughout the halls as Ed walked towards the Great Hall that morning.

Today's Quidditich match replaced the excitement of last night later though; a match between the Gryffindors and Slytherins. Historically, the game between the houses was the ugliest out of all of them; mainly because of the rivalry of the two houses. Ed saw that Professor Snape had arrived as well; he was limping slightly from last night he noted. Not that he blamed the man, at least he still had his leg after fending off the absurd dog named fluffy. So, in truth, Ed didn't blame him for limping.

Seeing Granger and Weasley try to coax Potter into eating breakfast for today's match Ed smiled slightly. It would do little good to shake of the nervousness of the first game. Ed saw Snape stop when he had reached them, the three Gryffindors turned their heads in surprise at sight of Professor Snape looming over them.

"Good luck today, Potter," Snape said to him, "Then again, now that you've proven yourself against a mountain troll, a little game of Quidditch should be easy work for you - even if it is against Slytherin." The three continued stare at him, even as he left.

"They're on to you, Professor Snape." Ed informed the man jokingly as he approached the staff table.

"Whatever they're assuming – they're wrong." Snape replied, shooting a glare at him. In response, Ed just laughed and nodded.

"They'll be surprised now, won't they, if they figure out who's really is after the stone." Ed said as he glanced at Quirrell. Professor Snape nodded in agreement, before Ed adding saying, "I think he might try his luck on Potter today. See to it that what he tries fails."

"You think he'll be after Potter?"

"Wouldn't you? After someone foils one's plans, one generally kills the person that did it."

Snape snorted and spoke quietly, "I will keep an eye on him during match." He sighed before muttering, "I don't suppose you'll be there if you're asking me of this matter now."

Edward nodded, "I will be researching more."

At that Snape gave him a blank look, "Not surprising, after knowing you for over a decade."

Afterward, he was left to sit at the staff table, thinking of ways to prevent Professor Quirrell from obtaining the stone.

Chapter 6: Suspicious Allegations

"The suspicious mind believes more than it doubts. It believes in a formidable and ineradicable evil lurking in every person."

-Eric Hoffer

Snape stopped mid stride, as he headed towards the Quidditch pitch. 'How did he know?' he mused. He was the only one that the Professor spoke to regularly, and mostly because he was the only man who was socially intelligent and not some arrogant fool. It was only ten years ago that Professor began teaching. Cleary something was amiss so much so that people began to think such things as, 'Why is it that he never physically changes' and 'Why have we never heard of him before?' He was also curious as to why the man never physically changed. He also realized that it was strange that a teacher that was not involved with the stone had knowledge of it. 'Perhaps I will inform the others of this matter' he thought.

In the midst of the game, it turned out that Professor Elric's theory from earlier that morning had been correct. Professor Quirell jinxed Potters broom. As quickly as he could he began muttering the counter jinx to it while not breaking eye contact with Potter's berserk broom. Before he realized, all of a sudden the sides of his cloak had burst into flame, he had to quickly pat it down so it would not spread. He quickly glanced back at Potter whose broom resumed to function properly. The boy was already flying quickly to catch up to the other seeker who had seen the snitch. Later that day he spoke to Professor McGonagall of Professor Elric. The man was far too mysterious for his own good. Despite is good nature, appearances could be deceiving. It was time he figured out more about this acquaintance of his.

OoO

"Professor McGonagall." The Headmaster easily recognized the teacher, as he glanced up from his desk having already heard her knocking. "What is it?" the headmaster asked.

"Professor Snape and I are suspicious of Professor Elric, he seems to know too much of the stone." She remembered what Professor Snape had said to her a short while ago. She realized he might be right.

"Professor Snape, what is it?" she had asked him, all too surprised to see the other professor in her office.

"I am suspicious of Professor Elric, he realized Professor Quirell's attempt of killing Potter." She frowned.

"He did?How …?" she wondered.

"It must've been legilimency …" Snape stated.

'Then how did he know the precise details?' she thought, 'He never did seemed the sort to be skilled at it.'

"But how" she stopped herself, "I shall inform the Headmaster of this." All the Professor did was nod in agreement and left.

She informed him. He nodded. "I am not surprised that he knows of it, he is after the one that asked for it to be protected here at Hogwarts once he found it."

"Headmaster? It was him? But we had thought -" she questioned him, stunned of this information she just received.

"Yes, it was his father's stone."

"You mean" she stated surprised then it dawned at her, and remembered the conversation of that night on Private Drive in Surrey.

"Yes, the stone that Flamel and I created." He supposed that telling her the reason why the man had always vanished during the holidays, and why from last September, he no longer had was for her benefit; and most likely Severus' since she would tell him later. "The reason Professor Elric disappeared whenever he could, was because he was searching for it." he stated.

"So he isn't after the stone?"

He merely shook his head and said "No, he isn't."

OoO

"That's a bit of light reading." Ron said, as he looked dumbfounded as he saw the thick book. 'no way is that light reading.' he thought to himself.

"Well, I was searching for Nicholas Flamel since Hagrid let it slip that he was involved."

Harry nodded "What did you find out, 'Mione?"

She took a breath and said."As it turns out he's helped to create the Sorcerer's stone otherwise known as the elixir of life. After I found that I checked a biography on him, and it recently stated that Flamel had a son, named Edward Elric in other words, our Alchemy Professor."

"Wait, our professor is the son of –" Ron's eyes bulged as he stated sudden information once more, and a sudden realization spread across his face, "So, that's why Dumbledore wanted him to teach us!"

"So that means-"

Hermione nodded.

"He might know about the stone already."

Hermione nodded again, "It's most likely that he was the one who put the stone here at Hogwarts, for protection."

"But, does he know that Professor Snape is trying steal the stone?"

"Perhaps we should tell him." Harry reasoned and the other nodded in agreement. Later that day they approached the Professor Elric, and later deciding that Professor McGonagall should also know as well.

"Erm-Professor," Harry began nervously. Well he supposed he had a good reason to be. The man before him was an enigma. The man in front him was said to be Slytherin, and the only reason he was not was due the fact that he was too intelligent. Though, at the very least, he wasn't about to admit a confession to Professor Snape, he shuddered at the thought. 'I will never admit anything to that Professor, unless it's important enough' He thought. That man was the definition of evil in Hogwarts. Though, among his own house, he was considered something along the lines of a saint. Professor Elric, was perhaps the most mysterious staff member in Hogwarts, he heard from the older students that the man had always vanished unless he presence was mandatory.

To put it simply the staff and students thought of the man as a walking enigma. He gulped his nervousness down and attempted again. This time however, he went straight to the point as to why they had barged into his office, when normally they never did so. "Er, Professor, We believe that Professor Snape is trying to steal the stone, sir."

Almost immediately as he spoke those words from his mouth, the professor's face changed, in an almost comical way, though soon after he had he glared at the three. "Nonsense." the professor informed them. "He isn't after the stone, he is trying to protect it."

"But Professor-" Harry began again, though the only thing the Professor did was raise one of his hand up to prevent him saying anything further.

"I already know what is going and that you've known for a while of this matter."

"You did?" the professor nodded and then also added.

"I must thank you for being discreet about knowing such a thing. However, please leave. I have papers to correct."

The trio promptly left. Shortly after, when they were heading towards the Gryffindor tower, they realized that the professor already knew they had found out about the stone.

"Wait- How'd he know about us -" Harry began glancing at the other two. Ron merely shrugged while Hermione, ever the intelligent one, stated.

"Well, he isn't the Head of Ravenclaw and our alchemy professor for nothing."

Then they went their own ways to the dormitories. Unbeknownst to them, Nevil had overheard and resolved to stop the trio from doing anything. 'It's for their own good, right?' Nevil thought to himself. The Gryffindor house was always in trouble because of those three.

OoO

It was another week before he spoke with the headmaster. He had made the other staff suspicious, not that he was really surprised by that. 'Though there is one more thing I have to see to' he thought to himself as he took a path that was decidedly more empty than most. The school always seemed like a labyrinth to him. It was large enough to get lost in for a week if you were not careful enough. Making sure he'd paid attention to the corridors and the moving stairs he quickly navigated to a certain section of the castle. Later, as he approached the room he had been searching for he found it already open. He blinked in surprise as he heard raised voices... both seemingly distraught. One of the voices he had heard was sounded harsh, the other was obviously Quirell. "Do not fail me this time!" he heard the harsh voice state.

"I-I understand, M-master." he heard Quirell stutter.

'Master?' he thought. 'What is going on? Who on earth is he speaking to?'

"You said that last time. One more time Quirell, and that'll be the end of you, you know very well what I am capable of!"

"P-please -" he heard Quirell stutter once more.

"Silence! We have ourselves a guest."

Ed gulped, 'How did the person know of my presence?' since he did not recognize the other voice he was a bit fearful of who he was about to intrude upon, and he crept up and quietly entered Quirell's office. He frowned as he saw the man who usually wore a turban; it was on the ground now. Then he glanced around the room and saw no one was there. 'Well the man couldn't have had suddenly left' he frowned.. " Professor Quirell, might I have a word with you-?" He asked the man, though had stopped as he heard the disembodied harsh voice. He couldn't help wondering where the voice had originated.

"Welcome Professor Elric, you should know better than to intrude on other people's conversations."

He finally found his answer as Professor Quirell turned around.

Author notes: Questions earlier: How old Ed is? Edward is physically eighteen and but he's actually around seventy fiveish. If you hadn't noticed that Ed doesn't remember anything from the other side of the gate.

Edited by Kanathia

TBC