A/N: I've received a few reviews that have warned me about a 'mary-sue alert' and I really think I should address this or risk losing a few readers. I do not plan on giving this character (the woman in the prologue) very much 'airtime' in the story at all, I do to not care for OC 's myself unless they play minor roles to simply move the story forward and that is all I intend for her to be. So, rest assured, my readers!
The room was vast and magnificent, the walls reaching towards the heavens in a splendid display of importance and imposing vigor. Four elongated tables filled up most of the space, but even they looked impressive and daunting, while one singular table, engraved with importance, over saw the rest.
It was at this table that Edward and Alphonse had found themselves sitting, their positions towards the very end of the left side attributing to the fact of being the most junior of the staff. Along with them sat several other professors, most of whom had only been introduced the week prior to the unusual pair, who still couldn't figure what to make of the new arrivals to the teaching staff. Of course, 'introduced' might not have been the most appropriate word to describe the meeting of the two German adolescents.
McGonagall, of course, had been one of the first to have the pleasure of meeting the misters Elric a month before term was due to start when she had overheard a noisy and dangerous sounding scuffle in Dumbledore's office while she had been on her way to speak to him. Naturally, she had expected the worst and rushed into the crowded room with wand raised, a stunning spell nearly spilling from her lips before she stared bewildered at the scene in front of her.
Dumbledore's study was in horrid disarray, everything that had once lined the neatly organized shelves placed sporadically throughout the room now lay in a disconcerting mess of broken glass and metal on the ground. The cause of the mess, McGonagall soon found, was a young blond-haired man of about twenty standing in the middle of the chaos surrounded by another boy that looked remarkably like the first though younger, and to her surprise Ollivander, the wand maker. The blond was holding what looked to be a rather long wand, waving it about and marveling at the destruction it caused. On closer inspection, she saw that other boy was clutching a box containing what seemed to be a newly acquired Ollivander wand.
She watched appalled as older blond jerked the wand again and knocked down one of the last standing bookshelves with a bang. She was about to intervene and restrain the troublemaker herself when she heard a purposeful cough come from her right where she saw an obviously entertained Albus Dumbledore looking at her. He winked at her before he turned his attention back to the hell raising blond, Ollivander and the teenager now trying to wrestle the wand from the boys hands.
"Now, now, that's quite enough young Elric. If you continue, I will find myself in want of new chambers and I must tell you it's very hard to find one with as good a view as I have now." Dumbledore took the offending wand out of the boy's now limp hand. The now identified Elric laughed sheepishly and rubbed the back of his head in embarrassment.
"Oh, sorry about that. I just didn't know how much fun it would be." His speech held a light, but distinct, German accent. He laughed again and apologized again to Ollivander who looked extremely frazzled at the situation. Never again would he do a favor for Albus if he could help it.
McGonagall scoffed in disapproval, her extensive years as a teacher kicking in. If this boy happened to be a new student, she'd be damned if she'd let this sort of behavior be allowed in her classroom. Though, he did look a little bit too old to be in school at all, let alone new.
The other three occupants finally noticed the new arrival at the noise and turned to examine her. Ollivander's face lighted up in relief and the other two looked at her in a mixture of curiosity and distrust, their unusual golden eyes staring at her intently. As much as she hated to admit it, the elder brother's (for that's what they must have been, they looked too much alike not to be related) eyes were extremely unnerving.
"Ah, I was wondering when you'd notice we had a visitor, Edward. " Dumbledore chuckled, placed a hand on the small of McGonagall's back, and guided her forward until she stood before the slightly shorter pair.
"This is Professor Minerva McGonagall, teacher of transfiguration here at Hogwarts. " McGonagall nodded her head in a polite but forced greeting.
"Minerva, this is the Elric brothers, Alphonse and Edward." They bowed in turn when their names were spoken. "They will be the new Alchemy teachers."
McGonagall's eyes widened a fraction in disbelieve before she turned back to Dumbledore. "You can't be serious, Albus. They're so young! Besides, surely you could teach it with your extensive knowledge on the subject?"
Dumbledore chuckled as he Edward began a rant under his breath that suspiciously sounded like 'old people…bastards…don't think I can do anything just because I'm young…' McGonagall was sure she even heard something about a muggle vehicle, a mustang, was it?
She watched as Alphonse laid a gentle hand on Edwards shoulder to calm him and whispered something into his ear causing Ed grumble but calm down, his arms folded grumpily across his chest like a pouting child.
"It's true I'm very well versed in alchemy, but really only in the theory of it. And, I've gotten so old, I don't believe I'd be able to keep up in the physical demands of the skill." He replied humbly before he turned back to the Edward sulking figure.
"I do believe we should continue the search for your wand, Mister Elric." Edward's eyes lit up and turned to a frighten Ollivander before Dumbledore continued, "Oh, I don't think we'll be needing anymore of mister Ollivander's wands. I think I have just the wand for you since none of these seem to be working out." He looked at the destruction around him once more and chuckled as he made his way to his desk.
He withdrew a small wand box from a locked drawer covered in weird circles and markings and handed it over to Edward with a knowing smile. Edward took the box in shock, tracing the designs with the fingertips of his right hand before he opened the box and withdrew a rather plain looking wand them seemed to warm and glow within his grasp.
"I was right. This wand was giving to me by an old friend some years ago. I don't know what it's in but they did tell me that it was forged using alchemy. Not a very common practice, is it Ollivander?" Ollivander nodded absent-mindedly, already packing up his extra wands and reaching for a portkey in the shape of a broken mug and was gone within an instant.
"He didn't even say goodbye. Why'd you have to scare him away, nii-san?" Alphonse pouted as both Dumbledore and Edward laughed at the wand maker's hasty retreat.
"Well, it is getting quite late. I think it's time for you two to go back to your rooms and get some sleep."Edward was already walking towards the door, the wand box tucked safely under his arm, his brother following closely behind him.
"I doubt we'll get any sleep, we gotta learn how to use these things. See ya, Dumbledore." He flippantly raised a hand in goodbye as he walked out the door, his brother stopping to bow in respect to the two professors and saying a quick 'nice to meet you' to McGonagall before running to catch up to his brother who had already made it down the hall.
McGonagall turned to Dumbledore in confusion, "Albus, how can they teach Alchemy if they can't even use a wand?"
Dumbledore's eyes began to twinkle, "Ah, it's seems I have very much to explain." He guided her to the only chair not knocked over where he began to tell her his second hand account of the Other Side.
Presently, the Elric's eyes were directed towards the impressive wooden doors at the end of the long chamber waiting for the first glimpse of their soon to be new disciples. It seemed like they had been waiting for hours, in actuality only for a few minutes, when Edward abruptly slammed his prosthetic fist, covered still in trademark white gloves, onto the wooden table causing the unused silverware and plates to rattle and jump on the surface. He growled in impatience and began tapping his fingers on the table, much to the annoyance of the other professors who looked down at the young man in disapproval.
Alphonse half-smiled in apology to the others before he turned back to his brother. "Nii-san, it's not that much longer. Besides, we got here a little early anyway."
Edward ignored his brother for a few moments before he stilled and turned to face him. "You're right, I'm sorry, Al. It's just that I hate waiting, you know that."
Just as the words left his mouth, the heavy wooden doors opened releasing a wave of loud wave of voices into the dining hall.
