DISCLAIMER: I OWN NEITHER HARRY POTTER NOR FULLMETAL ALCHEMIST!
Chapter Six
The compartment door opened, and everyone except for Luna looked to see that it was Malfoy, Crabbe, and Goyle.
"What do you want, Mal-fart?" Ed asked.
"Manners, Elric, or I'll have to give you a detention," Malfoy threatened.
"Ooh," Ed remarked, "I'm so scared."
Malfoy glared at Ed and then noticed Al.
"I see you've got your little brother here with you," Malfoy said. "Is he in Gryffindor like you, loser?"
"Loser?" Ed asked, standing. "Now, that's really original. But you could have used something a bit more original."
"Oh, really," Malfoy said. "What are you going to do about it?"
"Malfoy, get out!" Hermione said.
"You all better watch yourselves," Malfoy warned, "because I'll be dogging your footsteps."
"Get out!" Hermione repeated.
Malfoy left and Ed shut the door behind Malfoy and Crabbe and Goyle. Harry, Hermione, Ed, Al, and Winry exchanged glances. They all registered what Malfoy had said and were unnerved about it.
"Chuck us another Frog," Ron said, noticing nothing.
The weather remained undecided as they traveled farther and farther north. Rain spattered the windows in a halfhearted way, then the sun put in a feeble appearance before clouds drifted over it once more. When darkness fell and lamps came on inside the carriages, Luna rolled up The Quibbler, put it carefully away in her bag, and took to staring at everyone in the compartment instead.
"We'd better change," Hermione said at last.
They all changed into their robes. At last, the train began to slow down and they heard the usual racket up and down it as everybody scrambled to get their luggage and pets assembled, ready for departure. Hermione and Ron had to supervise all this and disappeared from the carriage. Ed, Al, and Winry got their trunks and pets and went on their way, leaving Harry, Ginny, Luna, and Neville to fend for themselves. When out of the train and on the platform, Ed, Al, and Winry did not hear Hagrid calling out for the first years but Professor Grubbly-Plank, the witch who had taken over Hagrid's Care of Magical Creatures for a while the previous year.
"Come on," Winry said. "Let's go find a coach."
They walked for a while and found the coach that were pulled by the Thestrals.
"What are those?" Al asked. "Are they chimera?"
"Oh, you can see them too?" a voice behind them asked.
Ed, Al, and Winry looked to see Harry, Ron, Hermione, Luna, and Ginny were behind them. The one who had spoken was Luna.
"Yeah," Ed said. "We can."
They all went into the coach, and even though it was a tight squeeze, they all fit.
"What in the world were you talking about?" Hermione asked.
"The horses that draw the coaches," Harry answered.
"Impossible," Hermione said. "Nothing draws the coaches. They draw themselves."
"For someone so 'smart', you sure can be stupid," Ed commented.
Hermione gaped at Ed as Ron, Harry, and Ginny shared a grin.
"Edward!" Winry scolded.
"It's all right," Hermione huffed. "If Edward wants to be rude, let him be rude. I don't care."
"You'll learn about them in Care of Magical Creatures this year, so -" Ed started.
"Learn about what?" Ron asked.
"You'll see," Winry said.
As the coach moved the castle, the silhouettes of the horses could be seen moving beyond the windows.
"Did everyone see that Grubbly-Plank woman?" Ginny asked. "What's she doing back here? Hagrid can't have left, can he?"
"I'll be quite glad if he has," Luna commented. "He isn't a very good teacher, is he?"
"Just because you don't like him, it doesn't mean we don't!" Winry snapped. "He's a good teacher."
Harry, Ron, Ginny, and Ed agreed. Hermione only agreed after Harry glared at her.
"Well, we think he's a bit of a joke in Ravenclaw," Luna said, unfazed.
"I'm glad I'm not in Ravenclaw then," Al spoke up.
Everyone looked at Al. Al flushed.
"Well, I just think it's rude to make fun of people, that's all," Al said. "Besides, I think he's a nice person."
The rest of the coach ride was silent. When at the castle, everyone got out and went into the entrance hall that was ablaze with torches and echoing with footsteps as the students crossed the flagged stone floor for the double doors to the right, leading to the Great Hall and the start-of-term feast. The four long House tables in the Great Hall were filling up under the starless black ceiling, which was just like the sky they could glimpse through the high windows. Candles floated in midair all along the tables illuminating the silvery ghosts who were dotted about the Hall and the faces of the students talking eagerly to one another, exchanging summer news, shouting greetings at friends from other Houses, eyeing one another's new haircuts and robes.
Luna drifted away from them at the Ravenclaw table. The moment they reached Gryffindor's, Ginny was hailed by some fellow fourth years and left to sit with them. Harry, Ron, Hermione, Neville, Ed, Al, and Winry found seats together about halfway down the table between Nearly Headless Nick, the Gryffindor House ghost, and Parvati Patil and Lavender Brown.
"There's Mrs. Curtis," Harry said. "But…he's not there."
Everyone looked to the staff table and saw that Hagrid wasn't there. Izumi, though, waved and smiled at Ed, Al, and Winry. The latter group waved back.
As Harry, Ron, and Hermione talked amongst themselves, Ed, Al, and Winry scanned the staff table a bit more.
"That's the ugliest woman I've ever seen," Ed commented. "If she's even human."
"Edward!" Winry scolded.
"It's true, Winry," Al said. "She looks like a toad."
"Yeah, Winry, look at that ugly bitch!" Ed said.
"Well…," Winry said. "I guess you're right."
Harry turned to see who they were talking about and was shocked to see the person who was talking to Dumbledore. She was squat with short, curly, mouse-brown hair in which she had placed a horrible pink Alice band that matched her fluffy pink cardigan that she wore over her robes. She turned her face a bit to take a drink from her goblet and was revealed to have a pallid, toad like face with prominent, pouchy eyes.
"It's that Umbridge woman!" Harry shouted.
"Who?" Hermione asked.
"She was at my hearing," Harry explained. "She works for Fudge!"
"Then she should be able to afford better clothes," Ed remarked.
"She must be the new Defense teacher," Winry said. "If she is, then Ed is right to be concerned."
"Told you so," Ed said.
"Shut up!" Winry said.
"No, surely not," Hermione said.
"The only explanation," Ed said.
A few moments later the Sorting Hat sang its song (Al was wide-eyed during it) and then became motionless again.
"Branched out a bit this year, hasn't it?" Ron asked, his eyebrows raised.
"Too right it has," Harry agreed.
"No kidding," Ed agreed as well.
"I wonder if it's ever given warnings before?" Hermione asked, anxiously.
"Yes, indeed," Nearly Headless Nick said knowledgably, leaning across Neville toward her. "The hat feels itself honor-bound to give the school due warning whenever it feels -"
But McGonagall started the Sorting. After the Sorting, Dumbledore stood up with his arms stretched wide and a beaming smile on his face.
"To our newcomers," Dumbledore said in a ringing voice, "welcome! To our old hands - welcome back! There is a time for speech making, but this is not it. Tuck in!"
There was an appreciative laugh and an outbreak of applause as Dumbledore sat down neatly and threw his long beard over his should so as to keep it out of the way of his plate - for food had appeared out of nowhere, so that the five long tables were groaning under joints and pies and dishes of vegetables, bread, sauces, and flagons of pumpkin juice.
"Excellent," Ron said in longing.
He started piling his plate with food as did Ed and Al and Winry.
"What were you saying before the Sorting?" Hermione asked Nearly Headless Nick, who was watching Ron eat. "About the hat giving warnings?"
"Oh, yes," Nick said, glad to have a reason to turn away from Ron who was eating indecently enthusiastically. "Yes, I have heard the hat give several warnings before, always at times when it detects periods of great danger for the school. And always, of course, its advice is the same: Stand together, be strong from within."
"Ow kunnit nofe skusin danger ifzat?" Ron asked with his mouth full.
Hermione and Winry looked revolted.
"Ugh, swallow and then talk," Winry scowled. "You look like a cave man."
Ed snickered as Ron's ears turned red again. Ron swallowed.
"How can it know if the school's in danger if it's a hat?" Ron asked.
"Maybe because it sits in Professor Dumbledore's office all the time," Al suggested. "It probably just wants everyone to be friends."
"Fat chance," Harry said, looking at the Slytherin table.
"Well, now, you shouldn't take that attitude," Nick reproved. "Peaceful cooperation, that's the key. We ghosts, though we belong to separate Houses, maintain links of friendship. In spite of the competitiveness between Gryffindor and Slytherin, I would never dream of seeking an argument with the Bloody Baron."
"Only because you're terrified of him," Ron remarked.
"Why would it only be terror that would keep him from arguing with the Bloody Baron, Ron?" Al asked. "Maybe they are friends."
"I doubt it," Ron said.
Al frowned at Ron as Nearly Headless Nick looked affronted at Ron's remark.
"Terrified?" Nick asked. "I hope I, Sir Nicholas de Mimsy-Porpington, have never been guilty of cowardice in my life! The noble blood that runs in my veins -!"
"What blood?" Ron asked. "Surely you haven't still got -?"
"Ron, SHUT UP!" Winry yelled. "It was a figure of - Oh, Nick, don't - !"
But it was too late, Nick had already glided away to the end of the table.
"You jack ass!" Winry snapped at Ron. "You hurt his feelings!"
"How?" Ron asked. "I just asked a question."
Winry scowled.
"Edward has better manners," Winry said.
Ed didn't know what to say, so he didn't say anything. When all of the students had finished eating and the noise level in the hall was starting to creep upward again, Dumbledore got to his feet once more. Talking ceased immediately as all turned to face the headmaster.
"Well, now that we are all digesting another magnificent feast, I beg a few moments of your attention for the usual start-of-term notices," Dumbledore said. "First years ought to know that the forest in the grounds is out of bounds to students - and a few of our older students ought to know by now too. Mr. Filch, the caretaker, has asked me, for what he tells me is the four hundred and sixty-second time, to remind you all that magic is not permitted in the corridors between classes, nor are a number of other things, all of which can be checked on the extensive list now fastened to Mr. Filch's office door.
"We have had three changes in staffing this year. We are very pleased to welcome back Professor Grubbly-Plank, who will be taking Care of Magical Creatures; Izumi Curtis will be taking over the Alchemy class, she will be teaching years three to five for now," Izumi waved as people clapped for her and then Dumbledore continued, "we are also delighted to introduce Professor Umbridge, our new Defense Against the Dark Arts teacher."
The applause was only polite and not much for Umbridge.
"Tryouts for the House Quidditch teams will take place on the -," Dumbledore started.
He stopped talking since Umbridge had cleared her throat and stood. Dumbledore only looked taken aback for a few moments and sat smartly back down and looked alertly at Umbridge as though he had desired nothing but to listen to her talk.
"Can't wait to see what Toad Lady wants to say," Ed remarked.