I love reviews like I love Subway sandwiches. Please make me feel like I just went for lunch! ;D
"Oi! Look at this!" Crabbe shouted. Contrary to popular belief, Crabbe and Goyle did have brains and were capable of speaking for themselves.
However, no one in the common room was interested enough to talk to him so Edward walked over. Not contrary to popular belief was that the few things they did talk about was food which Edward was a big fan of.
"What?" Edward asked, coming over. To his utter surprise, Crabbe was hunched over a pile of books.
"Snape asked us to do an essay of werewolves when he took over Lupin's class and we're not supposed to learn that yet."
Edward stared at the werewolf drawing in the book with something close to horror.
"Crabbe," Edward whispered.
Crabbe looked up questioningly as Edward stared intently. Edward turned large, round eyes towards him.
"You are doing HOMEWORK?" Edward gasped.
Crabbe grunted huffily and pushed Edward away. Edward merely grinned and seated himself in one of the comfortable plush couches in the corner.
Taking out the journal Mustang and Hawkeye had given him for Christmas and a quill, Edward opened the library book to the earmarked page.
The book was a lucky find. An illegal one as well. Edward had snuck into the restricted section of the library and found a book titled The Philosopher's Stone by Nicolas Flamel. Flamel was a known alchemist in the hocus pocus world. He was famous in Edward's world too. The symbol on the back of his coat was Flamel's symbol and the tattoo on teacher's collarbone.
For the first time in a very long while, Edward had a good lead on the philosopher's stone. Tuning out the chatter that he had grown comfortable with over the months, Edward began to read.
The ancient study of alchemy is concerned with making the Philosopher's Stone, a legendary substance with astonishing powers. The stone will transform any metal into pure gold. It also produces the Elixir of Life, which will make the drinker immortal.
There have been many reports of the Philosopher's Stone over the centuries, but the only Stone currently in existence belongs to Mr. Nicolas Flamel, the noted alchemist and opera lover. Mr. Flamel, who celebrated his six hundred and sixty-fifth birthday last year, enjoys a quiet life in Devon with his wife, Perenelle (six hundred and fifty-eight).
Edward chewed on the bottom of his lip thoughtfully. Flamel and his wife sounded like a Homunculi. Could he be someone Edward actually knew but with a different name? He could not imagine any one of the Seven Sins being married to each other though.
He got his answer as he read on. Nicolas Flamel had died recently with his wife when the stone was destroyed. There were mentions of Harry's name and Moldemort's and a guy called Quirrell. From what he read, Dumbledore had destroyed the stone.
Another failed lead.
With a growl of frustration, Edward flung the book down childishly.
"Ed, what's wrong?" Amy asked. She bent down and picked up the thick book he was reading.
Edward ignored her petulantly. Every lead he had come up with kept failing. Edward pulled out his glove and stared at his automail hand. He clenched and unclenched it.
"You know, Ed," a new voice said. "It might help if you talked. We're friends after all."
Edward stared at Goyle in shock. First, Crabbe was doing homework. No Goyle was actually sounding mature.
He sighed heavily.
"Thanks guys, but I don't want to talk about it at the moment."
"What's with the thick book anyway?" Amy asked, closing the book and handing it back to Edward who accepted it grudgingly.
Edward smiled. "A little light reading."
"Blimey! You're starting to become Slytherin's Hermione Granger!"
"Hey!" Edward protested indignantly. "Have you seen her hair? My hair kicks her hair's butt!"
Malfoy came down the stairs just in time to hear Edward's comment.
"I don't which is worse- you in Slytherin or Potter and his dumb friends." Malfoy sneered. Edward did not grace his insult with a reply. Instead, he did a very posh thing. He stuck out his tongue at Malfoy.
"Get going, Elric," Malfoy growled. "We've got Care of Magical Creatures now." He looked happy at that fact though and it was no surprise why. The chimera was set to be executed soon.
Hagrid was a wreck.
"S'all my fault. Got all tongue-tied. They was all sittin' there in black robes an' I kep' droppin' me notes and forgettin' all them dates yeh looked up fer me, Hermione. An' then Lucius Malfoy stood up an' said his bit, and the Committee jus' did exac'ly what he told 'em..." Hagrid sobbed to Harry and his friends.
Malfoy rolled his eyes at Edward.
"Why's he doing this in the middle of lesson? I'm reporting him to Father."
"Not much of a lesson anyway," Edward muttered back, poking a leaf at a Flobberworm.
After lesson, a tearful Hagrid ran back to his cottage, nose running and tears streaking. Harry and his friends were conversing in low voices and Malfoy decided to follow them.
"Have you ever seen anything quite as pathetic?" said Malfoy. "And he's supposed to be our teacher!"
Harry and Weasley both made furious moves toward Malfoy, but Granger got there first. She raised her hand and brought it down onto Malfoy's cheek.
Edward saw the blow coming but the vindictive side of him let Granger's hand fall.
The slap was so hard it resounded pleasantly in Edward's ears.
"Ouch," Edward said, trying to sound empathetic.
"Don't you dare call Hagrid pathetic, you foul-" Granger was raving. She raised her hand again but this time, Edward caught the blow before she could strike him.
"Get off, Edward!" Granger shrieked.
"C'mon," Malfoy muttered and Edward released her with a warning glare. Granger did not look like she was going to hit his charge again but she was spluttering incoherently with fury.
"Harry, you'd better beat him in the Quidditch final!" Granger shouted shrilly as the Slytherins walked back to the dungeons. "You just better had, because I can't stand it if Slytherin wins!"
"Draco," Goyle started to say but Malfoy whirled on him, eyes blazing with humiliation and rage.
"SHUT UP GOYLE!"
Goyle shrank away at his tone.
"No need to take it up on him, Malfoy!" Edward hissed. "Just because you got hit by a gi-"
"NO ONE ASKED FOR YOUR OPINION ELRIC! YOU KNOW WHAT? SINCE YOU'RE SO COZY WITH POTTER AND HIS FRIENDS WHY DON'T YOU JUST JOIN GRYFFINDOR?" Malfoy snarled and stormed away to nurse his bruised ego.
Edward rolled his eyes and headed to the library instead of going to Transfiguration which was the next lesson. No Malfoy, no McGonagall, no hocus pocus.
He was surprised when he saw Granger already there with an open Arithmacy book on the table.
"Edward," Granger acknowledged when she saw him. She nodded to the open seat opposite her and Edward sat down.
"Where's Malfoy and the rest?" Her lips curled at Malfoy's name in disgust.
"Transfiguration," Edward muttered and Granger looked scandalised.
"You're skipping class?" Her voice rose by an octave and the librarian hushed her with a loud 'Shhh'. Granger blushed.
She lowered her voice and repeated her question in the same obnoxious tone.
"Yea," Edward said. "Don't like it and don't really want to see Malfoy right now."
"B... but you're skipping class!" Granger hissed. Her voice was rising dangerously to the level where librarians would come over and personally chase you out.
"Who cares," Edward muttered and opened the Nicolas Flamel book.
Miss know-it-all was evidently not done with him. "That's against the rules and Transfiguration is one of the most important- wait! Isn't that the Philosopher's Stone by Nicolas Flamel?"
Edward looked up at her sharply. "How do you know?"
Granger suddenly looked guarded and her reply was cautious. "There was something about a Philosopher's Stone in our first year. And we did a little research. Why are you reading it?"
We probably meant Harry and Weasley. This time, Edward was the one who replied cautiously but he tried to throw it off by sounding offhand.
"You were reading about alchemists the other day and I got curious."
"Oh!" Granger exclaimed, looking delighted as if she had found a kindred soul. "If you like, you can borrow the book I've been reading. It's pretty interesting. It's not the same as the alchemists I've read about in most books but the concept of alchemy without magic is pretty intriguing!"
Edward kept his poker face on as Granger pulled out the same book she showed him a few months ago. Alchemy: The Lost Art. He grimaced. Another lead failed. Books that said alchemists were gold manufacturers were pretty much unreliable.
"According to this book, alchemists in some parts of the world use alchemic circles instead of magic to change materials into gold!"
"Circles?" Edward said slowly.
Granger started rifling through the pages and went on talking as she did. Her eyes lit up with passion and curiosity which Edward, although he hated to admit it, was reminded of himself.
"Look!" Granger said, pointing at a circle in the book. Edward took the book from her and stared at the circle and the material list in the book. The minerals were essentially what was needed to make gold and the circle's reaction was perfect down to the T.
This reaction was banned, as far as Edward knew and no one would be so stupid as to publish it. So why were there banned reactions in this book? Time stopped. Banned reactions. What if there were things about creating the Philosopher's Stone?
Edward glanced up to see Granger studying him with a strange expression on his face. Crap. He did not give anything away, did he?
"So is the whole book about how to make gold?" Edward asked casually.
"Not really," Granger said then she blushed deeply with embarrassment. "There's a lot I didn't understand about the book." She paused, looking scandalised with herself as if she had just admitted to soiling her pants.
Her expression cleared instantly and she looked vigorous with excitement again. She snatched the book from Edward and started flipping through it violently.
"It also talks about how alchemists are used in the military! It's really fascinating! According to the book, alchemists with extraordinary abilities are called Special Alchemists and are usually the people who are sent out to the front lines."
Edward almost corrected her but he remembered he was not supposed to have a clue about State Alchemists. Granger did not even notice Edward's distraction.
"I also read that some Special Alchemists don't even need a circle!" Granger continued flipping furiously. "They even say he's a prodigy and what's more, he's our age! The Fullmetal Alchemist, Hero of the people!"
Poker face, poker face, Edward chanted mentally.
"Look! They even have his picture!" Granger said and Edward froze in his seat.
Granger turned the book around so Edward could see it.
It was a picture of Alphonse.
"WHY DOESN'T ANYONE GET IT RIGHT? I'M THE OLDER BROTHER! WHO IS THIS GUY? IS HE CALLING ME SHORT? I'M GOING TO FIND HIM AND KICK HIS ASS!"
Oops. His voice had just reached librarian-throw-you-out level.