Disclaimer: I, in no way, shape or form, do not own Harry Potter, nor do I own Fullmetal Alchemist. They belong to J.K. Rowling and Hiromu Arakawa respectively. I am doing this for recreational purposes and recreational purposes ALONE. That said, here comes the story!

Chapter 3
Words: 1017

"There are things worse than death."

Ollivander's eyes widenned considerably. He jerked away, before muttering to himself. Finally, he motioned for the boy to sit.

"It was in this very shop. A young boy, who, just like you, was learning of magic for the first time, came into the room. He gave me the strangest look when we couldn't find a wand. So, just for him, I tailored a wand. The combination came to me, and I toiled endlessly for three days and three nights. Finally, I gave him the wand. Maple, 13 inches, Thestral hair. I asked his name. He said to call him Van.

"Several years passed by. He soon, as I learned, developed a strong passion for the dark arts. He used my wand to cause pain and torment. Pretty soon, the Daily Prophet had him on the front page daily. Things died down when he married a Hufflepuff girl named Trisha. I can tell just by looking that you're his son. A year after his marriage, he came to me. He gave me his wand and told me to give it to someone worthy. For 15 years, I've held onto it. I almost gave it to the Boy-Who-Lived, but a voice told me to hold back."

Edward nodded. He now knew why the woman had gotten so scared - hell, he'd be scared if he turned out like his father. He thanked the man and asked how much it cost for the wand. He named a price and Ed lay the money - 3 galleons - on the counter. He made to leave but was stopped by the man. "May I ask, boy, if it's no trouble, what is your name?"

Edward stared at the man. "Edward. Edward Elric."

The rest of the shopping expenditure went without a hitch. Edward salivated over the books at Flourish and Blotts, and cringed at the sour smell of the Eeylops Owl Emporium.

Hagrid insisted he buy an owl. After much deliberation, he found himself with a dark, small owl with piercing green eyes. When asked what he would name him, Ed responded with a grunt. "Maes. That's his name. Maes."

He was sent to live in a muggle household. They'd given birth to a young witch, and thus they were privy to the Wizarding World. He and the girl, Hermione, had immediately bonded over the sanctity of books. The weeks rolled by fast, and soon the hustle and bustle of life gave way to that of getting ready for school.

"So how exactly are we going to get to Platform Nine and Three Quarters?" Ed asked Hermione. She gave a sniff of disappointment.

"We walk through the pillar separating platforms 9 and 10. Honestly, the one book you chose not to read, and it had to be Hogwarts, a History." She gave a sigh. Her parents sat next to them on the taxi, muttering to themselves about a trip to Niagara Falls. Hermione ignored them, going back to her book.

Edward snorted. "It was boring. Why should I care about why the ceiling looks like the sky?" He plucked at his royal-blue greatcoat in annoyance, playing with the golden tassles absentmindedly. He glared out the window for the duration of the ride.

Fifteen minutes later, they were at Kings Cross Station, along with another family. Ed watched as the man, fat and beefy, grinned derisively and wagged his finger before exchanging a few heated words and leaving with a stick of a woman and a fat boy. The kid they left behind looked frightened, and Ed watched as Hermione walked to him.

Harry's face brightened when he saw a young girl walking to him, cat in hand. She smiled, extending a hand. "Hi! You're here for Hogwarts, right?"

He could only nod as she gave him a reassuring pat. She motioned for him to follow, leading him to the pillar separating platforms nine and ten. He found himself staring at a blond kid with honey eyes and a royal blue oufit. He stared at the... skirt... until he heard a gruff 'ahem'. He looked at the blond boy, who was... glaring... at him. From then, however, a mutual understanding blossomed between the two boys. 'Don't say anything about the skirt, and I won't mention the weird scar. Got it?' His eyes alone seemed to convey this highly detailed message, and Harry nodded.

"Well, I'm Hermione Granger," Hermione said, breaking the tension and slicing through it like a knife. She motioned for the blond to introduce himself.

He immediately stood straighter. "Colonel Edward Elric."

Harry could only stare. That explained the stars on his shoulder and the amount of decorations covering his breast, but still... what about the skirt?

Hermione, once again, broke the tension. "Well, we should get going, then. It's almost eleven o'clock, and the train will be packed if we don't get there soon. Come along."

She grasped her trolley, walked calmy on and simply... disappeared. "Let's do it together so you don't chicken out."

Harry was startled when the short colonel spoke. He nodded.

They walked briskly, making sure no one was looking, then pushed their trolleys through...

...and ended up on the other side. Harry gazed around in wonder, taking in the hustle and bustle. Edward had gone to talk with a blond kid and Hermione had left to get a compartment for the group.

"Hah, I was pretty stunned when the tailor froze up like that. Didn't want to impose upon her or anything, so I left."

Edward was discussing the events that had happened the weeks prior to September 1. He and the pale kid, Draco, had hit it off immediately. He glanced up when Hermione motioned to them. She had found a compartment.

Ed asked the blond boy if he'd be willing to sit with them, and surprisingly enough, he refused. When Edward asked why, Draco explained that his father didn't like mudbloods and would most likely legally disown him if he made friends with one. Ed shrugged.

"But, Edward... we can meet up inside the train, right?"

Ed nodded. No use in promoting grudges and discrimination, right?

A/N: Hello, hello, hello! I am simply... appaled! Thank you for the reviews, favorites and watches. They mean so much to me!

18 reviews! YAYZ!

Okay, so...
Burkins and Blotts - not sure if this is the book store or the jelly beans... so... book store.

EDIT: I've edited some things, so... yesh. Thanks for the info.

Review Response Time!

Breyannia - owo I can't say anything about that lol

ToxicKittySaurus - Yeah, it is pretty fast, but I feel like if I slow down, it won't be as interesting. :3

Audrey Siobhan (Guest) - Alphonse is still younger than Ed

Guest - haha, I know when someone's trying to rile me up. Anyway I'm trying to find that book too - I've read it before, I just need to find out where... ono... and as a Major under Mustang's command, he didn't do much other than the search for Philosophers Stone... also, the spinoff is on the site now. You can search for it. And I'm pretty sure you're not as easily confused as you may think. :D because if you are, then I'm super confused right now.

Dalilt - yes, he is. And Envy is a Homunculus - he is what was created after Hohenheim attempted Human Transmutation on their son who died from Mercury poisoning. So he's pretty much around 400 years old - way past 17. :3

... It won't let me say the name, but you know who you are. You have .rin in your name sho...- haha, please don't faint! You'll miss the story!