I think there was some sort of misinterpretation somewhere, (or most likely I just missed something, or messed something up) about my knowledge of the two series I am working with. I have read all of the Harry Potter books, and seen the movies. I have watched both seasons of Fullmetal Alchemist. I would never write a story about series I don't know, especially when their fanbases are as big as the ones I'm working with, for fear of insulting the people who know the series. I just wanted to clear this up, as it seems I'm getting certain praise I don't quite deserve. I am sorry for the confusion.
I DO NOT OWN FULLMETAL ALCHEMIST, FULLMETAL ALCHMIST BROTHERHOOD OR ANY PART OF THE HARRY POTTER SERIES!
As Ed and Harry walked back to the group, there was a loud Thud!
Instinctively, they both whirled around, to see a large man looking horrified at the bookshelf, as it slowly tilted foreword. Harry's eyes widened in horror and was about to run foreword when he heard a loud clap.
He turned to Ed, who held his hands together, as if praying, before pressing them to the ground. What's he doing? And then the floor erupted into what looked like blue lightning, and morphed. A large portion of the floor disappeared, and a wall of wood that looked like a geometric hand rose above the small girl, who had been standing in front of the bookshelf.
There was a loud crash! And dust clouded the area.
When the smoke cleared, the bookshelf was broken, and books scattered the floor. Harry ran to where the little girl was, underneath the makeshift shield that Ed had seemingly created. Thankfully, she seemed unharmed when her mother ran to her, in hysterics.
Harry turned to Ed, who stood up, looking relieved.
"What was that?" Harry asked.
Chapter 9- Shopping
Ed was conflicted. He had no regrets about his actions, but he was now desperately grasping for a way to get himself out of the mess he had created. What's the phrase? 'I've dug my own grave' that's it.
Harry wasn't the only one staring at him, plenty of other people were staring, or whispering softly to the people around them. Molly's group was staring at him, awed by what they had seen. Shit, how the hell do I explain this?
The large man who caused the incident walked up to Ed, and Ed instantly felt inferior. The man's size rivaled that of Major Armstrong's, and Ed didn't appreciate having to crane his neck to face the man, whose face was already hard enough to see through the messy beard. His massive overcoat seemed rather bulky for summer weather. Then again, I'm wearing gloves, aren't I? Does he have something to hide? The coat seemed to be riddled with pockets almost everywhere. Some were bulky, signaling having something in them, others seemed to be unoccupied at a glance. He stared down at Ed and said in a low, gruff, yet kind voice, "Sorry 'bout that. I've always been rather clumsy"
Ed was surprised at the gentleness of the words, contradicting every other feature he had. At least his ego isn't inflated, but if he starts crying I'm running.
"that magic ye' used, very impressive! I've 'ever seen someone use wandless magic! 'ow old are ye'?" The man said, patting Ed's shoulder with a massive hand. The strength was definitely Armstrong's, and Ed felt his weight pressed into the ground at the pat the man gave him. He looked the man straight in the eyes, black meeting gold, and said "Fifteen"
"Wow! Ye' look younger. So yer Hogwarts age? What house are ye' in?" Ed gritted his teeth, before saying "this is my first year there, so I don't have a house yet" He recalled the houses from conversations-or rants- around headquarters from fellow students, as well as in a book he had found, called Hogwarts: A History. He personally found it odd, to base a person's entire school life on a small handful of traits.
The man seemed confused, before saying "Oh! Yer the new student Dumbledore mentioned! Edward Elric? Nice to meet yeh, I'm Rubius Hagrid, Keeper of Keys and Grounds at Hogwarts"
Ed grumbled "So everyone knows about me before I meet them?"
He let out a booming laugh, "seems so, doesn't it? 'ave ye' bought yer wand yet?" Ed shook his head 'no' before he was reminded of the people around him.
"Hagrid!" said Harry, from next to him. He turned to Harry and his beard shifted into what looked like a wide smile to Ed, though he couldn't quite be certain. "'arry! Good to see ye'! 'ow are yeh?" As they caught up, Ed took in the situation around him. His creation was still there, and he knew he would have to pay for it. They've already seen it once. What's one more time going to do? He thought walking over to the rubble. He crouched on the ground, and clapped his hands, picturing the equation in his mind. Hearing the satisfying ring, he placed his hands on the ground, and watched, as the hand returned to the floor. He repeated the process on the broken bookshelf, before standing up and turning around, dusting his clothes off. There were a few scattered claps, and soon everyone was clapping. Ed started feeling a bit uncomfortable at the amount of attention he was getting. Normally, it wouldn't have bothered him, in fact, he would have welcomed it. However, this wasn't Amestris, and it was starting to sink in how much trouble he was in.
The shocked look on Molly's face was enough for him to realize this much.
Mustang's side was still sore. The burns were efficient at the time, but now, they were hell to deal with. Of course he didn't regret it. If he hadn't done what he did, many people could have died the other day, including himself. He had also gained valuable information, about Homunculli. He counted on Alphonse to relate the information, but something had been bugging the colonel for the longest time.
"It's a shame, I really didn't want to have to kill one our sacrifice candidates" Solaris said distastefully.
"Oh really? Who may the others be?" Roy said coolly, though inside he was panicking. The woman should have been burned alive, yet there she stood, perfectly fine, claiming to be a Homunculus. Solaris chuckled, saying "Now, why would I tell a mere human like you something like that? Though, I suppose it would do you good to know we have an eye on your little brat in London"
His eyes widened as he processed these words. She smirked wider.
"Oh, I seem to have struck a nerve" Roy's fists clenched at this. "What the hell are you planning to do with him?"
She laughed at this, and before He knew what had happened, she was in his face, spears pressed to his neck. "That's for us to know, and you to ponder on in the last moments of your miserable human life"
He was concerned, he admitted it. The colonel was extremely concerned for his young subordinate. How many of these monsters are there? And if one of them was tailing Fullmetal, it was likely he wasn't aware. If that was the case, Fullmetal was not only vulnerable, he was also in lots of danger. Of course, Alphonse was informed, but that didn't lessen the chance that the two had already had an encounter.
"Damn, this mission is turning out to be more of a hassle than I thought." he muttered, stifling a yawn, a sharp pain going through his body. "ngh, that's not the only thing either."
"That was brilliant!" said the twins in that eerie unison of theirs. They were walking away from the store, after a large amount of handshaking, thanks, discounts, and hastily stopped questions. Now, however, they didn't hesitate to comment on the previous events.
"You performed such sturdy magic without a wand, or any education or experience? That's…Incredible! No… almost impossible!" Hermione said in awe. Ed was growing more annoyed by the second, not at all appreciating the comparison of his technique to "magic".
"That didn't even look like magic. Do you always need to clap your hands?" Ginny question, as Ed gritted his teeth again.
"It looked more like you were molding than anything, Ed, dear, where did you learn that type of odd magic? I thought you only learned about it recently" Molly said concerned.
And he snapped.
"It's alchemy, not magic for pete's sake!" He snapped. They all stopped in their tracks, gaping at him. Then Hermione laughed. "That's funny Ed, alchemy is a lost magic, and it has nothing to do with manipulating material the way you did" Ed glared at her.
"I don't know what kind of phony alchemy you've been reading about, but that's not real alchemy. We don't sit in our basements and stir up potions or whatever" Ed huffed.
Hermione looked skeptical, as she said "then what do you do?" Clearly, she doesn't like being incorrect. Ed noted, before letting out a long sigh. "Look, can I explain this later? It will take a hell of a lot of time and I'd rather not spend more time here then I need to"
"What's so secret you can't say it here? And why does it matter that we stay here a while?" Ron asked, his tone accusing. Ed rolled his eyes. "If I have something to say that's "so secret I can't say it here" why would I tell you here? Besides, were drawing a lot of attention. Don't we have shopping to do or something?"
At this, Ron simply glared, seemingly unable to retort. Ed shrugged at this, pulling out his supply list. "So, what other freakish things do we need to buy?" he muttered, though it wasn't soft enough to evade the ears of Molly, who huffed, before saying loudly "we need to go to Madam Malkins. Ron's robes are far too short, he's grown so much. Harry, you need them as well, so do you Ed, dear"
Ed groaned. And now they're making me go buy a dress. I have to go back home and punch the Fuhror in the face for ordering this mission. As well as Colonel Bastard, a few times.
When they walked in, Ed immediately wanted to turn around, and run. Ed saw a variety of different fabrics, all long and flowing. Everywhere he turned, there were odd everyday objects flying around, such as a tape measure, or scissors, or even a box of needles. Ed couldn't help but wonder what would happen if one of them went awry. This laziness will be the death of these people. The store was filled with people, either browsing, or being measured. He saw a sharp looking woman, who was sticking needles into a boy's sleeve and internally began panicking.
"Ed, dear, you need to go be measured" Molly urged, gently pushing him foreword. Ed gulped. "Couldn't I just buy one with an approximate size?"
"What if they don't make a size small enough for you?" Fred said, with an evil grin planted on his face, mirrored by his twin. "Why you…" Ed growled, before being cut off by Hermione. "Ed, it's just a few measurements. Harry and Ron will get them too"
Ed shook his head. "I'd rather not. I can get some fabric and work with that"
"But your uniform won't be proper! This is so much easier" She protested
"No. I'm not going over there"
"C'mon mate, it's just a few measurements" Ron said.
"Unless," Fred said.
"Lil' Eddie is afraid!" George completed.
"Don't call me small! And I'm not scared of anything" Ed protested, still glaring at the woman.
"Then why won't you get measured?" Harry asked, a smirk playing on his face that immediately reminded Ed of a certain pyromaniac.
"Because I don't see a reason to!" Ed replied sharply, averting his gaze from the sharp objects the woman held.
"Come on, Ed, It will be quick and painless" Molly urged. Ed shook his head, but then the woman spotted him. Ed muttered a few choice swears under his breath. I'm not going near that woman. What do I do? Should I make a run for it? That's it. I'll run for the nearest shop and hide. The woman walked closer and closer to him, needle in hand. It shone in the light, popping out in Ed's vision, and panic engulfed him.
He ran.
As the group walked away, Hermione was somewhat disturbed by the events that had taken place. It had involved quite a bit of yelling, running, dragging, and hitting, which had all eventually led to a stun spell and an angry teen. The previously mentioned teen was currently walking next to her, muttering darkly under his breath in that native language of his. Although she couldn't make out his words, she thought she heard something that sounded vaguely like "chimera" and began to wonder what exactly he was saying. Afterwards, the twins had gone to the joke shop, much to Mrs. Weasly's distaste. As for Ed, He had been muttering in this fashion ever since being released from the binding spell, and had not spoken a word of English. It would have worried her, but in his current situation, and his mood, she decided to leave him alone. She had learned from experience that he was not fond of pity, nor was he appreciative of worry.
As they made a turn into another part of the large street, Hermione noticed a certain shop that reminded her of something urgent. "Mrs. Weasly? Could I make a quick stop at the Magical Menagerie? I need some more food for Crookshanks." She turned to Hermione, who said kindly "Of course, dear. Why don't you take Ed with you? In case he wants his own owl."
"I'm right here you know" Ed grumbled.
"We all will go to the Apothecary and-"
"We want to go too!" Said Harry and Ron eagerly. She looked hesitant, but then said "Fine. But you four better not get into too much trouble, you understand?"
"We won't, mum! You can trust us" Ron said, and with that they headed for the shop.
Ed wasn't quite sure why he was even going with them. He didn't need to own a pet, he had no time to. He only hoped to finish his research and go back to Amestris, where he could continue to pursue his real goal. Then again, it might be good to have my own owl. At least I don't have to rely on someone else for reports. Plus, I could probably train it to peck him over and over again every time it sees him. At the thought of the colonel cringing beneath a large owl's beak, Ed couldn't help but grin.
"Ed? You alright?" Harry asked, noticing the change. Ed nodded a 'yes', before saying "Just thinking, is all. Where are we going?"
Hermione rolled her eyes. "If you had paid attention, you would know we are going to the Magical Menagerie, to buy some food, and you an owl. Or a cat, or toad if you prefer" Hermione said. Ed cringed at the idea of buying, walking around with, and taking care of a toad. Nor could he bring himself to buy a cat, not with Al so heavily on his mind.
As they entered the shop, Ed was greeted with a foul smell, and lots of noise. There were noises such as squealing, meowing, chirping, and something that sounded suspiciously like a roar to Ed, though at this point he wasn't sure whether or not to be surprised. After all, this kind of thing was an everyday occurrence now wasn't it?
Ed shivered. I'm not exactly what you would call ordinary, but even I shouldn't have to admit this life is normal.
As Ed cautiously took a step forward, he felt something nudge his foot. He looked down, to see a small cat with tan fur and kind, innocent eyes. Ed felt a pang in his heart, as he reminded himself of how Al would have loved to keep it. He probably could have too, if I hadn't dragged him into all of this.
As the others went in their own directions, Ed noticed Harry had stayed behind. "Ed? Do you know what you want?" He asked. Ed blinked, before registering the question and saying "Oh, yeah. I want an owl" Harry nodded, saying "alright, the good ones are over here" He led Ed towards the back of the shop. Ed saw a large variety of owls, and wondered which one would be most irritating for the colonel. I'm not going to be here long. I might as well make the most of what I have. After a while of browsing, he spotted a small owl in a cage, staring at him with what looked like a glare to Ed. He soon realized he had been glaring back, though only when Harry tapped him on the shoulder, shaking him from his concentration. He jumped, saying "Dammit Harry!" Harry chuckled, before saying "You like that one?"
Ed huffed. "How can that one even carry mail? It doesn't look like it has any particular strength to hold letters"
"Look who's talking, mate" Ron said, appearing behind the two. Ed whipped around like a viper, saying loudly "What's that supposed to mean?!" A good portion of conversation nearby fell silent at this, and people stared at the trio. Ed glared at them, and the onlookers hastily turned away.
"Ah, I see you have your eye on this little one. His species is hard to come by these days, a breed of Elf Owl. Though, he is one of our fastest messengers, despite being a bit feisty. He's been in there for years" Said the elderly man who ran the shop, when Harry had presented him the cage with the small owl.
Ed felt a twinge of sympathy for the owl. He wondered what it would be like to be trapped in a cage for so long. Does Al feel the same about being trapped in armor? It's already been 3 years. After paying for the owl, the three set out to find Hermione.
"What will you name him?" Ron asked. Ed thought on this for a while, before saying "whippersnapper" while staring at the owl, who had hooted in protest. Ron burst out laughing.
"What?"
"Look, mate, I hate to break it to you but that's not exactly a perfect name" he said through large breaths, as he attempted to control himself. Ed huffed, "It's better than Pig. Who names an owl Pig of all things?"
Ron's face flushed, and Harry groaned. "Look, both of you.."
"Oh! There you are!" came a feminine voice they all knew very well. Their bushy-haired friend ran up to them happily before looking at the cage in Ed's hands. "Oh! You bought an owl! It's so cute, but does it carry mail? What type is it? What did you name it?"
She relentlessly bombarded Ed with questions, which he hastily either answered, shrugged at, or simply ignored. When they finally reached the apothecary Ed was somewhat relieved to be rid of the questions. He had been so close to snapping. Ed noticed Ron had wrinkled his nose at the sight of the shop and asked "something wrong?"
Ron shook his head, but still looked sick. "Nah, just that seeing this shop reminds me of Snape" he grumbled. "Who?"
"A foul man who teaches Potions at Hogwarts" Harry filled in. "He favors his own house, and is completely unreasonable. He's-"
"Oi! What are you all doing back there! Stop dawdling in the entrance!" came Ginny's voice, effectively cutting Harry off from his rant.
"Coming! Coming!" Ron said in an annoyed voice. Ed walked in, and then froze.
The whole shop was filled with odd limbs, hairs, pots, and full dead animals. He noticed dead snails, powders, frog limbs, and a number of other odd limbs that made him sick. Just the sight disgusted him, but then there was the smell. He had assumed the Menagerie to be the worst of it, but the odd smells in the store had completely surprised him. It was an odd combination, though he thought he did indeed recognize some of the smells. However, the combination as a whole was just as disgusting as the sight itself. He felt his breakfast slowly making it's way to his through, before fighting the nausea. Think happy thoughts, happy thoughts, Hydrogen, Helium, Lithium, Beryllium…
"Oi! Earth to midget!" said two voices, dragging Ed out of his temporary panic. He growled, and once again he attracted the attention of every shopper in the nearby area.
"IM NOT SHORT DAMMIT! YOU'RE ALL JUST GIANTS!"
Once Ed had settled down he began to examine the odd ingredients in the store. Hermione came up to him looking confused, and he braced himself for a question he knew was coming. "You said you practice alchemy right? Shouldn't this type of thing be your specialty? You look like this is all foreign to you" She said, stopping him from grabbing a black powder in a jar he had attempted to touch. "And I wouldn't do that. That powder is easily contaminated"
Ed turned to face her, annoyed. "I thought I already explained this. I don't know what kind of Alchemy you've read about, but it's not the real thing. We don't stir up these creepy materials in a pot and do some weird hocus-pocus to it. We're scientists" He said slowly and in an exaggerated voice, as if speaking to a foreigner. This seemed to frustrate her and she tried again. "But, I know that alchemists seek to create the elixir of life, and turn lead into gold. That is their goal. And to do that they need to work with potions don't they?"
Ed let out a long, frustrated sigh. "We don't have such a one-track goal. And turning lead into gold is illegal where I came from. It would screw up the economy. I told you already I would explain later, so can you stop asking stupid questions?" she looked irritated at the last remark, but did as she was told. Ed was grateful for it, he just wanted to get out of this place and continue his research. He wanted to talk to his brother, and he needed a way to fix the mess he had created.
Ed was glad when they finished their shopping in the Apothecary. He let out a small breath of relief, before being told that he had to buy a wand from Ollivander's. He had honestly hoped to skip that part. He hated the idea of waving around a stick and then having something happen. It wasn't natural.
When they reached the shop, Ed couldn't help but think the place was slightly run-down. It hadn't been cleaned in a while by the looks of it, and in the windows Ed could barely see anything. He had a brief moment of Deja vu, of when they had first met the librarian Schiezka. This Olivander guy better not be buried under a stack of boxes.
"We can't come in with you, so we'll come get you later, alright?" Molly said, looking worried. Ed nodded, taking a deep breath, before turning the doorknob and walking inside. There was a light chime as he walked in to a mountain of boxes. There was one small table in the center, with a lamp and a few ladders next to it. He couldn't help but notice that the ladders were moving, and that there were yet more floating objects. "Hello? Anyone home?" Ed asked, half hoping no one would answer. But to his disappointment, a man scurried out into the room. He was very old, and holding a large stack of boxes. He hastily put them down walking up to ed. "Welcome! Are you a new student?" the man, who Ed guessed to be Ollivnder, said in a kind voice.
"Yeah, I need a wand. I was told to show you this" Ed said pulling out the key. He hated the idea of needing something that belonged to the bastard, but he needed to finish this stupid mission, else who knew what would happen to Al?
Ollivander examined the key before his eyes widened and he stared back at Ed. "You wouldn't be the Son of Hohenheim that Dumbledore mentioned? The genius alchemist?"
"Don't remind me of that bastard." Ed growled. Ollivander nodded. "I see… hold out your wand arm" He said, grabbing the tape measure from the air. Ed blinked, confused. "You dominant hand?" Ollivander tried.
"I'm ambidextrous"
"The hand you would write with, then"
Ed nodded, holing out his left flesh hand for the man to measure. After a few more odd measurements Ollivander left, leaving Ed bewildered. Why the hell would he need to measurement of my nose of all things? This society makes less sense every day.
When Ollivander returned, he held out a stick to Ed. "Holly, Unicorn Hair, 11 inches, springy" He recited, as Ed took it. "Attempt to create a statue" Ollivander instructed. Ed did so, surprised when the desk broke in half. Ollivander shook his head taking the wand away. Ed clapped his hands, before repairing the table. "No transmutation circle, just like Hohenheim.. I wonder…" Ollivander mused.
He handed Ed another wand, and told him to repeat the process. Ed was growing annoyed at the lack of results, and by this man's enthusiasm. He seemed to get more excited with every failure, seeming to like the challenge. Finally, Ollivander handed him a wand. "This is the first wand I have ever made to be combined with a philosopher's stone fragment. I am quite fond of it. Cedar, thestral hair, nine and a half inches, firm. An interesting wand indeed." Ed cautiously took the wand, and tried once again. He felt a flood of relief in him when he created the statue perfectly as he had hoped. He felt a warm sensation course through him and Ed marveled at it, before Ollivander said "curious, quite curious… you are bound for great things, Mr. Elric" he said solemnly. On that somber note, Ed paid for the wand and exited the shop, confused.
They all sat at the table after a long day. It was already dinner time, and everyone was worn out from the long day.
"Ed, I think it's time you explain yourself to the order" Molly said, in a motherly tone that made Ed unsure how she was feeling, concerned or stern.
"I would like to hear this" Sirius said, as him, Remus, Arthur, and Tonks all looked intrigued at Ed.
"I would as well" came a gruff voice from the doorway. Everyone's heads turned, and Ed's blood boiled once again. "You.." he growled, clenching his fists.
In the doorway stood Alastor Moody, holding a silver chain in his hand. On the end of it, hung the Silver Pocket watch Ed had left in his room.
"I knew you were a fishy character from the moment you entered Headquarters, and this only furthers my evidence" Moody growled.
"How did you get that?!" Ed said, shooting to his feet.
"I know this symbol very well boy, it's the symbol of the Amestrian Military. Now how did a child like you come to have it, eh?" Moody continued, unperturbed by the outburst.
Ed froze, as he felt the color drain from his face. Among the jumbled thoughts in his mind, one question came out clearest.
What do I do now?
OK. I'm sorry for the long delay. I'm sorry for the cliffhanger. My reasons are the same as last time.
Hagrid's way of speech is harder to imitate than I expected. The wording may be a bit awkward, but I tried my best. Please, if you have any suggestions on how to improve it, I'm all ears! If I need to tone it down, I will, after all, he is a part of the plot. I'm sorry if certain personalities are a bit off, I wrote this while on a writer's block.
If you are wondering about the flashback from Mustang, I used the name Lust went by when she stages as Havoc's girlfriend. If my memory serves correctly, Mustang did not know her name was Lust.
NOTE ON EDWARD'S WAND
Cedar wood, "Whenever I meet one who carries a cedar wand, I find strength of character and unusual loyalty. My father, Gervaise Ollivander, used always to say, 'you will never fool the cedar carrier,' and I agree: the cedar wand finds its perfect home where there is perspicacity and perception. I would go further than my father, however, in saying that I have never yet met the owner of a cedar wand whom I would care to cross, especially if harm is done to those of whom they are fond. The witch or wizard who is well-matched with cedar carries the potential to be a frightening adversary, which often comes as a shock to those who have thoughtlessly challenged them" ~ Garrick Olivander (Pottermore wiki)
I thought out of all the woods I looked at, this one was the most fitting. The thestral hair core comes from one of Olivander's early wands. They usually choose people who have seen death and had a hard life.
Thank you for reading
-SevenBlazingSkies