Chapter V

Cherry Syndrome

Diagon Alley was surprisingly bare compared to usual. Granted, there had still been the bustling of happy, trainee witches and wizards. There had still been the relaxed laughter of older magicians that had no worry of the approaching date; the departure of the Hogwarts Express. They'd flittered in and out of the shops frantically ticking off objects from their school lists. Others had basked in what was left of the summer warmth and their holidays that were soon coming to a close. The ever present pigeons had been there; pecking crumbs from café tables and beneath them. Even the magic barrier to muggles could not save the wizarding world from pests such as those.

That had all still been there but something about Diagon Alley seemed different. Harry did not feel safe. The magic environment was meant to be his habitat, his home but today, being in Diagon Alley had been unsettling. That was why when Edward informed him that they would be spending the night at the Leaky Cauldron Harry had very reluctantly agreed.

Him, Luna, Edward and Al, they sat in a secluded corner of the restaurant as they ate silently. Well, silently until Edward broke iy with a question very along the lines of Harry's thoughts.

"You noticed it today too didn't you?" He asked, eyeing Harry with his fork halfway to his mouth.

"It didn't feel right if that's what you mean." Edward smiled a little mischievously.

"It is what he meant" Alphonse provided, nodding encouragingly to Harry. "That's because there were people watching the street. I'm not sure if we ever clarified this for you Harry but not everything is safe yet." He continued. Harry stirred uncomfortably, replacing his fork onto the table. It was true that he had been wondering and Edward's cryptic hints had also got him pondering the matter.

"Voldermort's not dead Harry." Luna clarified for Alphonse.

"But how?"

"He's like a worm remember. He slithered out of your grip at the very last moment." Edward affirmed. Despite the grave news he just provided Edward was happily munching away at his meal.

"Ok that's not funny." Harry muttered bitterly. He'd always thought that the world could never truly be rid of him but hearing it worded like that made his insides churn. "Is that why you're here." He glanced up after posing this question. Edward and Al were always reluctant to answer questions. No doubt they were going to avoid this one too. But they didn't. When Harry looked up the two Elric brothers were muttering inaudibly to one another.

"Yes Harry…that is why we've shown up at this time." Alphonse said, smiling at him meekly.

"And before you get ahead of yourself its not to protect you. We're here to investigate and trip them at the finish line." Edward interjected when he opened his mouth to speak.

"Well thanks Edward but I wasn't expecting much protection from you." He smirked sarcastically. Edward's eyes flashed as he slowly braced himself ready to pounce on him depending on Harry's next words.

"What are you trying to say Potter?"

"Well someone as shor….." A hand came across his lips before he could get the word off his tongue. He glanced down at the pale hand then his eyes traveled up the arm to rest on the face of its owner. Luna had been his savior. She smiled calmly at him but there was an undercurrent in her expression. That undercurrent came as a hiss from Alphonse telling him to shut up before he did something very stupid. Harry cleared his throat as Luna lowered her hand.

"So…"

"Excuse me do you have any salt we don't seem to have any?" Interrupted yet again he cursed. A little vexed, Harry turned to the voice. It was the same lady as before. What was her name? Ah yes, Mahala Gibbin. Harry forcefully smiled at the dainty lady and reached over his table to hand her the salt.

That was when it happened. A clatter rushed over the table as both the Elric brothers simultaneously dropped their cutlery. The action probably went unnoticed to the rest of the bar but Harry's puzzled look made up for that.

Edward and Alphonse were gaping like fish out of water at Gibbin's acquaintance. Edward especially looked as if he was desperately trying to string words together but was failing miserably. Gibbin, smiling leaned to the side and presented the man beside her.

"This here is Mr. Roy Mustang. He is a family friend of mine." She chattered obviously happy to show off such a good looking friend. Roy looked up at his name and smiled warmly at them. The way he looked reminded Harry slightly of a certain friend he had made the year before…save for the smiled of course. Roy had a pale complexion and neat ebony hair that fell to his eyes in a neat fringe. When he flicked this hair away it revealed a pair of charcoal eyes that glittered with both curiosity and wisdom. He had the same look about him as the Elric brothers however it seemed far more subtle. It was a look that could yet age on him.

Roy and Harry exchanged the ever awkward greetings before the two tables fell into silence. Luna quietly sipped her Butterbeer and watched contentedly as the Elrics slowly worked their way out of the shock.

Edward was the first of them to speak.

"Initials?"

"I beg your pardon?"

"Your initials, Mustang what are they?" Edward choked out frowning at him. Roy smiled in return and leaned back into his chair.

"Roy M. Mustang." Harry watched as Alphonse visibly relaxed and Edward heaved a sigh of relief. "That is quite the way to start a relationship Mr…?"

"Elric." Gibbin provided. She smiled. "He worked with my grandfather." Roy smiled and raised a curious eyebrow at the pair.

"Did he now?" Roy murmured. This time instead of a shocked reaction Edward took on defensive. Within a second he was on his feet and in front of Mustang.

"You're an asshole." He stated so matter of factly that it really left no space for argument. Roy merely stared at the man in front of him with slight surprise but Harry sensed a hint of amusement.

"If you've decided that already then my effort on first impressions has really paid off." He chuckled, twirling the glass of red wine in his hand. Edward gritted his teeth.

"You're so much like him. Even when it's not you, you have to fuck everything up don't you? "He snapped more to himself than anyone. Alphonse rose to his feet and scampered to Edward's side. "Now I have to explain everything to Harry!" Edward muttered resentfully as he turned at the heel and, still ranting, walked up the stairs to their room. "And if it were you you'd say some bastard remark about it being my fault ARGH fucking Colonel." Edward's company watched the retreating man's back blankly trying to gather what just happened.

"Have I met him before?" Roy questioned. There was still a slight chuckle in his voice which Edward would have been sure to brain him for. Alphonse luckily had more self-control.

"Sorry Mr. Mustang you look really similar to someone we know." He explained with a smile. Harry knew by now that this particular smile was Al's fibbing one. Besides, something about that statement was fishy. "Edward didn't have the best of relationships with him." …Ok that statement was definitely true. An accepting smiled spread across Roy's lips.

"It's ok he seemed…entertaining." He quipped. Alphonse returned this with a strained smile before he excused himself. Harry, of course, was right behind him.

When the three of them were safely up the stairs, with a chuckle Roy leaned his chin onto his intertwined fingers. Luna replaced her cup onto the wooded table and looked at him curiously. Their eyes locked and with a poised expression Luna leaned towards him.

"Entertaining?" She asked a small smile spreading across her face. Roy M. Mustang grinned back.

"Did you hear? He called me Colonel."

"Hey Edward if that's a sketch of Mustang then you fail miserably." Harry snickered as he glanced over his mentor's shoulder at his papers.

"This my stupid student is most definitely not a sketch of Mustang. I was about to explain it to you but you just put me off." He grumbled shuffling more papers together. Alphonse sighed as he dropped onto one of the beds and made himself comfortable.

"Oh come on." Harry urged, plopping onto the ground beside Edward. He tilted his head to one side, eyes tracing the lines of whoever the drawing was of. Now that he looked at it…perhaps who wasn't the right word. It had the body of a human yes, but the face was bare of all but the manic grin that reached from ear to ear. Beside the figure was a large door with eccentric patterns graved upon it. Whatever that was Harry had a gut wrenching feeling that he wanted it to remain shut at all costs. "It's creepy" He uttered inaudibly.

"Hmm." Edward chimed in agreement. "That's the Gatekeeper."

"I'm sorry, what?"

"That's the gate and that's the Gatekeeper." Edward explained pointing at each sketch in turn.

"Is it human?" He asked, looking apprehensively at the man with the grin.

"The gate? Of course it isn't."

"That's not what I was talking about and you know it Edward. This thing, this "Gatekeeper" is it human?" Harry said still inspecting the creature. Edward turned back towards the paper.

"That? God knows." He replied. "Now here's another lesson for you Harry. Human's think that there is only one world. That this around us is all there is. Well, that's not quite right. There's more than that. That is where the gate comes in. First off, this thing is everywhere, you can't see it and most people don't even know that it exists, but it does." Harry nodded, frowning in concentration.

"What's on the other side of the gate?" Edward put the paper on the floor and looked his student in the eye.

"Your friends from last year, have you ever tried to contact them?" Harry nodded once again.

"But they never answered." He replied dejectedly. "Hedwig always came back with the same letter I sent her off with." Edward smiled. Alphonse was the one to add in this time. He was lying on his back, staring at the ceiling and fiddling with what seemed to be his wand.

"That's because she can't find them. They're on the other side of the gate, in their world."

"Seriously?"

"Yup."

"So there's like a parallel universe running alongside ours?" To this question Alphonse rolled onto his stomach and began lazily drawing patters on the carpet.

"That's where most people make a mistake. It's called a gate but it's more like a room with many doors. There isn't only one parallel universe there are hundreds. "

Harry picked up the discarded paper from the ground and was once again drawn to the being besides the Gate.

"So this thing is from some other universe."

Edward smiled.

"That thing, The Anbu, your other mates….and us." Harry looked up skeptically at that.

"You?"

The brothers followed with a nod. Edward propped himself up with a promising smiled printed across his face.

"You wanted to know more about us…here goes nothing."

..uh Hi eheh

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