Once again, hello readers~ (And congrats for making it this far)
Erk, I definitely write slower in the holidays (just because I sleep in late and don't feel like writing...)
This is a slightly longer chapter to make up for the wait... I think (More importantly, 30 Reviews! I feel loved :D - well that and it's also 10x the amount for my other story..
Can I get another ten for a Christmas/New Years present? *puppy dog eyes*) - Well, reviews aside..
Er... I may have lied in earlier chapters + reply to a review about Ed's appearance... since he doesn't really show up in this chapter, so there's a small preview of the next chapter at the bottom (think of it as a peace offering from the authoress :)
Jostanos -
Dumbledore: Oho~ An pineapple and custard pastry! Oho~ A pastry created from entirely sugar~
*Wince* Sugar-high Dumbledore is not something I want to see... *forces Dumbledore off stage* I don't think he'll be reappearing for a while. (( Now Dobby, do as the nice authoress says and drop this in his next pastry - why are you looking at me like that, it's not poison... Whatever gave you that idea..? *guilty laugh*)) Hum~ Dumbledore thanks you for the pastries.. I think I've given up mostly on trying to understand 'the-sage-of-Ryu-Manor-Nexus-of-universes(Not-to-be-confused-with-the-Marvel-equivilent):-Jostanos-Baltizar-Crux' That was a long breath.. But... He knows Final Fantasy :D *Instant Approval*
Look Harry, there's candy!~ Now go! (And be sure to bring some back for me..)
Well.. this A/N is getting wayy too long.. *stops talking*
Disclaimer: I don't own, I don't earn (money from this).
Chapter Nine – Unseen World (Part II)
Just because you can't see it,
Doesn't mean it isn't there
~ Unknown
-Malfoy Manor ~ Lucius' Office-
The patriarch of the Malfoy family sat, relaxed and comfortable in his chair. The west-facing window let in the golden rays of the setting sun and a light breeze slipped in through the open shutters.
In front of him, framed by a mahogany table, lay a single piece of parchment. It was a finance sheet, one listing all the possible savings they would make if the Rockbells were to adopt Harry Potter.
The picture is painted was quite desirable; they would save tens of thousands of galleons, gain positive public recognition and be able to foster a close friendly relationship with the boy-who-lived.
The Rockbells were quite obviously not as wealthy as the Malfoys, and probably couldn't afford to spoil Harry. They, the Malfoys, would earn the trust and loyalty of the boy through frequent visits and just as frequent gifts.
Lucius stood. It seemed a visit to Urey Rockbell was in order.
-Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry ~ Headmaster's Office-
Dumbledore was quite glad that things had turned out as they did.
Mere seconds after Urey Rockbell had agreed to his conditions, and as they were walking down the winding staircase, Lucius Malfoy greeted them from the guardian gargoyle.
Strangely enough, what first left his mouth wasn't remarks about the state of their clothes, or their fashion sense, but instead a deferential greeting.
Lucius Malfoy was never deferential.
Dumbledore's surprise only grew as the pale aristocrat strode forward and clasped Urey's hand like he might a brother. Or perhaps more accurately, he clasped Urey's hand as he might to another influential pure-blood and announced in a voice free of disdain that the Malfoy house was entrusting the Rockbells with the health and welfare of Harry Potter.
Something was most definitely odd, but before he had the chance to inquire into the situation, Lucius Malfoy strode off, his hand still clamped on Urey's. He barely caught Urey's awed yet cautious glance; the man most likely though he'd influenced Lucius Malfoy. And yet, oddest of all was that he swore Lucius Malfoy had been ignoring him, as if his input was no longer important. It puzzled him greatly.
Dumbledore leaned back in his chair, easing the thoughtful frown off his face. Really, everything had turned out for the best; Urey, having agreed to his conditions beforehand, was still under his control and Lucius had only helped to speed his plan along. He was just so very glad that Lucius Malfoy had not shown up earlier.
-Malfoy Manor ~ Lucius' Office-
Lucius flicked through that day's paper, disinterested. Most of the articles mentioned the possibilities of a court battle between the Malfoy family and their apparent 'rival', the Rockbells.
It was ironic really, how little legal paperwork there had actually been. All that had been required was a document stating that Urey would remain responsible for the behaviour of his new charge. It had taken them less than ten seconds to sign, Urey as the foster parent and Lucius as the witness. He'd left then, after another handshake and wishes of good fortune.
He had, in fact, left so soon that he missed seeing the clerk levitate three stacks, each thirty centimetres high, of paper towards Urey, explaining that muggles seemed to be fond of paperwork.
-Three Days Later-
Urey had devoted a day to each stack of paper, carefully reading through each sheet – and through all the small print – before signing.
He was therefore delighted as he signed the last sheet (something about accepting liability for his foster child's actions until they came of age). While he had dutifully read and signed each sheet by hand – he knew many wizards tended to use a mass-replication spell, he found the whole exercise rather pointless.
In another three days time, Harry would be gone from Wizarding Britain, from the Earth altogether. The few muggles that had known of his existence would have their memories altered and forget the scrawny pale boy that had once lived at Number Four, Privet Drive and would most likely never again be aware of his existence. Even assuming that he'd return to the Wizarding World to attend Hogwarts, the muggle government would probably never be made aware or either his absence or his return. Which effectively meant that he'd spent three days of full, non-stop work in vain, even if they were supposed important legal documents.
He stood and stretched, sending the last pile of documents flying away into a green floo-fire with a flick of his wand. He was going to miss using magic and hoped that Harry would choose to learn it. Magic was an invaluable tool and a great asset for anyone. But for wizards, it was their heritage and their inheritance.
Which reminded him; he still needed to pick up Harry's old belonging from his Aunt and Uncle's place.
-England ~ Little Whingling ~ 4th Privet Drive-
Urey appeared with only the slightest pop to herald his arrival. He was dressed in muggle clothing, so he opted to go through to front door. Curiously, there was no-one at home despite it being past sunset and a thin layer of dust had begun to build up on tabletops and furniture as if no-one had been home for an extended period of time.
He was quite stumped when, upon searching the bedrooms, he was unable to find anything that belonged to Harry. Did the boy have no possessions at all?
Finally, another hour later, when he though to check the cupboard under the stairs, he found Harry's few possessions; a small, old tattered mattress, few broken crayons and coloured pencils and carefully folded pieces of paper – treasured artworks from school. Most of the things the boy would probably do better without, but he put them away into his bag nevertheless, who knew if he had any sentimental attachments to them. They fit nicely, thanks to an undetectable extension charm.
-St Mungo's ~ First Floor-
When he arrived back at the hospital – they hadn't moved Harry yet – he wasn't surprised to find the boy sleeping. He found a box of Belgian chocolate by his dresser, which the hospital staff had kindly placed in his room after learning that he was staying for an extended period of time, quite clearly just one of the daily gifts from the Malfoys. He shook his head; rich and pampered as the Malfoys were, they had no idea of how to raise children.
There was no point in waking Harry, not when it was so late, so he left for his house. It was lucky that he didn't have to go to work tomorrow, having cast a charm over the building a few days ago to trick the administration staff into thinking that he had handed in his resignation paper weeks earlier. They would not think anything of the matter.
The next morning dawned bright and sunny. Harry practically leapt out of bed, adrenaline replacing his usual sleepiness. Urey was going to take him shopping today! Admittedly, it was mainly just shopping for simple (but new) clothes and basic school supplies; he had neither a lunch box nor a school bag, but to him they were luxuries that had always been out of his grasp. Besides Urey had said that he could get something for himself, something the Dursleys had never permitted.
First, they visited the smaller stores, shopping for sensible leather shoes before moving on to clothing chains. Harry was looking through a stack of knitted maroon jumpers when he noticed a man, almost jumping with excitement, bow to him before disappearing with a pop. At the time, Harry had thought that he was hallucinating, or maybe dreaming. Later, as time passed, Harry would come to wish that what had happened was a dream.
Yet, he remained blissfully unaware, as he turned from the man and back to the jumpers before him.
The shopping trip finished uneventfully, aside from the two having great difficulty lugging back eight full bags of various clothing and school supplies, unable to use magic in the midst of a muggle shopping centre.
That night, as he looked up at the stars from his seat on the top of the roof, he reflected that perhaps, just perhaps, shopping wasn't quite as great as everyone made it out to be. After all, his feet still ached from standing for hours straight and trying on a literal mountain of clothes had been torturous. Especially since he'd needed to keep track of the ones he wanted, and the ones he'd rather not have. Urey had, however, allowed him to buy things for himself as promised. He'd only taken little things; a few lollipops at the checkouts, a packet of gum he'd always wanted to try and a small glass snow globe.
He held up the snow globe carefully, almost reverently. It was a peculiar spherical shape filled with white drifting flakes and glittering specks. It also made for a fabulous magnifying glass; being perfectly clear and without the slightest scratch to mar its surface. He put it back into its case and laid back again. The stars twinkled from their positions thousands of leagues beyond him, and he was only just barely aware of a sneaking feeling of sleepiness.
~ Day Three – Preparing to leave Wizarding Britain ~
Harry actually though he might be starting to hate shopping. And packing. And moving. And suitcases. But then it could be almost expected after five hours of cramming clothing into a suitcase quite obviously too small for it to fit. In the end, Sara had managed to do what he had been unable to do in five hours in less than five seconds with a flick of her wand.
It wasn't like he wasn't thankful for her help, but rather that he was slightly envious. After all, no-one liked finding out that they'd wasted a great deal of the day doing something easily accomplished in under a minute? And for that matter, who didn't want powers that, in his mind, could do most anything without consequence – who didn't want to be all-powerful? Absolutely no-one, right?
That was what he thought before he met Edward Elric, alchemical genius and the one who would turn his perspective of the world upside-down.
And now for the promised preview... (Of course it might get edited a bit and such...)
Chapter Nine – Alchemy
One who accepts and understands the flow of power, and constructs using that knowledge...
Is called an Alchemist.
~ Izumi Curtis
-Amestris ~ Risembool 1995-
From the moment Harry saw his to-be best friend, he knew that Edward Elric was different. It was partially due to his golden hair and eyes, but mostly because the first sight he got of the boy was him getting hit by a metal wrench, which he only recognised because Winry had been cradling it throughout the whole train ride from Central while talking about how much she missed her friends, especially 'Ed' and 'Al'.
He'd looked at Winry with an expression somewhere between horror, fear and awe. Then astonishment had set in; why would Winry, sweet innocent and technological-loving Winry suddenly throw a metal projectile at someone who she had for only a fraction of a second – who had only been conversing with his brother?
He'd stood there then, just staring at the sight before him. There was, strangely enough, no blood on the scene and the metal wrench had somehow reappeared in Winry's hands as she rushed down the hill she had been standing on towards the two boys.
Something clicked in his mind then, as he watched his new foster-sister run down the hill shouting to the boys below.
"Edward Elric you midget! You're still as short as ever!"
Harry stared; that was surely an extremely rude way to greet a friend, although he supposed it was better than throwing metal wrenches at their heads. He noted that she'd only seemed to have aimed for Ed and hoped, really hoped, that she didn't always greet people, or even just him, by throwing things. His foster-sister was quite scary.
Next Update? Who knows.. I don't..