Cerulean Silver vs. Amber Gold
by hikaranko
Summary: Edward Elric has been put on his stupidest assignment yet: babysitting. Everyone else calls it "undercover work". To Ed, it's babysitting.But there's a lot more to this assignment than what's on file... FMA/HP crossover. kinda sorta may possibly be AU with HBP release and with FMA. rated T for language. please review!
Disclaimer: I, just like everyone else, do NOT own either Fullmetal Alchemist or Harry Potter.It would so rock if I did, but I don't. I'm nowhere near as cool as Hiromu Arakawa andJ.K. Rowling.That's life. It's unfair to us all.
Author's Note: hehehe... thanks for all the reviews! but as for the 100+ some other people out there that I know are also reading... would it hurt to review once in a while:P
Chapter 4
Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry
When they had been simple words, finding one person to take him to the school's headmaster had seemed like an easy enough task. Once the process of finding that person actually began, it became a much more complicated matter. There were simply far too many people on the platform, all of them weaving through the crowd as they searched for familiar faces or headed toward the giant man near the lake who was yelling for the first years to gather. Ed was starting to think that finding that one person was impossible, and now he couldn't remember if this person was a man or a woman.
He was beginning to get desperate and frustrated with his situation. And that's when he saw them. Ed immediately stopped walking, his gaze and attention completely caught. Rigged up to several carriages that seemed to be taking the students to the school were some of the ugliest chimeras Ed had ever seen. They looked like skeletal black horses with huge bat wings. Ed's eyes grew wide, not quite sure what to think of the beasts. A part of him was absolutely horrified and frightened, while another part was simply awestruck.
"Mr. Elric?" a sharp voice cried out over the crowd. "Mr. Edward El - oh, pardon me - Edward Elric?"
The sound of his name pulled Ed's attention away from the creatures and he spun in place looking for who had called him. He cursed his inability to see over the heads of the students. Wishing that Al were with him for umpteenth time that day, Ed put his trunk on the ground and carefully stepped on top of it. This raised him a little less than two feet off the ground and gave Ed a wonderfully high view over the heads of the crowd. But it was just like Edward's luck that as soon as he had raised himself up, the crowd thinned as most of the students boarded either the boats or the carriages. Standing on top of his trunk was no longer necessary.
Now that the crowd was significantly thinner, Edward managed to find the person who had been calling his name. Walking purposefully through the crowd was a lady in emerald green robes and a black hat that could have come straight out of a child's picture book about witches. She had a prim look on her face as she searched among the remaining students through the square-framed glasses that were perched on the bridge of her long, pointed nose. Ed knew just by looking at her that she was a teacher, and, if stereotypes meant anything at all, a strict one at that.
She froze when she spotted Edward. She looked down at a slip of parchment that was in her hand, read it carefully, and then looked back at Ed. Then, apparently making up her mind, she put the parchment away and marched quickly and dutifully toward him. Ed wasn't quite sure what he should do. All his life he'd had bad luck with teachers. He didn't think he would be able to handle another teacher like his last one. He considered making a run for it, but there really wasn't anywhere to run to. Not to mention that she had already spotted him. Escape was futile. There was nothing he could do.
The lady stopped when she reached Edward, looking up into his face. She screwed up her beady eyes as she scrutinized him, studying the features of his face.
"Mr. Edward Elric, I presume?"
Ed gulped. It was glaringly obvious that this lady meant business. "Y-Yes, that's me. Um... Professor... McGonagall...?"
She nodded in response, still watching him carefully.
"Well, you meet the physical description, alright," she said softly.
Her gaze dropped slightly so that she was looking at Ed's feet. She looked somewhat annoyed when she noticed he was standing on top of his trunk. Some part of him was embarrassed to have been caught using his trunk to gain some height, but another part of him was proud that even for just a brief moment, he was taller than someone on the first meeting. After a moment the professor backed away, adjusted her glasses and turned on her heel.
"Get down off that trunk right this instant and come with me," she ordered.
"Y-Yes ma'am!"
He almost saluted the professor but quickly fought the urge. Ed hopped down from the top of his trunk, picked it up with both hands, and hurried to catch up with Professor McGonagall. He was about to ask her a question as he approached her, but she spoke before he could utter a word.
"So you are the exchange student that Professor Dumbledore told me about?"
Ed was so surprised that he completely forgot his question. "Oh, uh... Yes. I-"
"What are you doing carrying that trunk around?"
"I... What?"
The professor pointed to the trunk in Ed's hands. "Leave it with the rest of the luggage. The house-elves will take care of it after the feast."
"Oh, right."
Professor McGonagall shook her head in dismay while waiting for Ed to leave his trunk and come back. The initial shock of meeting such a stern professor was starting to wear off. Ed decided that he didn't quite like this lady. She scared him somewhat with her solemnity and sharp manner of speech. Not in the same way that Izumi Curtis scared him, but fear was fear. He noticed that she was getting into one of the carriages that were being pulled by the ugly chimera beasts and gave the creatures a wary look.
"Can you see them?" Professor McGonagall asked suddenly.
Ed spun around to look at the professor in surprise, his hair whipping into his face. "Yes, of course I can."
The professor looked shocked. "Oh."
"Why? What are those things?"
"They are thestrals. Only those who have..." She let her voice trail off and shook her head. "Never mind that. Now get in, get in. We've got to hurry. I still have to attend to the first years."
More confused now than ever, Edward was quickly ushered into the carriage and he took his seat by the window. As soon as the professor shut the door, the carriage lurched forward.
The professor remained silent throughout the ride. Every now and then she cast a few funny glances in Ed's direction, which he promptly chose to ignore as he stared out the window. Ed had to admit that the area the school was situated in was beautiful. There didn't seem to be any cities or towns nearby, and the lush green forest seemed to go on forever, only disappearing beneath a heavy, distant fog. He couldn't see straight ahead so he wouldn't know when they were approaching Hogwarts, but he didn't mind at all. The scenery kept him satisfied and peaceful.
Eventually, the carriage rattled to a halt and its passengers quickly filed out. Professor McGonagall moved quickly as she led the way into the school. Ed's step was considerably slower from surprise. He had seen a few images of what the school looked like in the file (elaborate and beautiful sketches of a castle atop a cliff overlooking a lake, since normal cameras apparently didn't seem to work) but nothing could have prepared Ed for the real thing.
The Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry was a huge, rambling castle with a jumble of towers and battlements. Its mere size was daunting, and there was something almost frightening about the castle's overall look. It seemed like something out of an old Dracula movie. As Ed continued to look at the place, he began to notice that the castle should have been physically impossible to build. According to basic laws of nature and physics, Hogwarts Castle should not have been able to stand. And yet there it was, right before his very eyes. It must have had something to do with magic. As strange as it sounded, magic was the only logical solution.
Ed hurried to keep up with the professor, shaking his head slowly. He was rather disappointed in himself. He was actually starting to believe this magic stuff! There had simply been too many confrontations with it already that there was very little room to deny its existence. Ed looked down at his left hand, recalling when he had used those spells on that Harry Potter boy.
He had actually used magic. Real magic. And even more surprisingly, the spells he used had worked! But it still made no sense whatsoever. Ed couldn't make heads or tails of what exactly it was that he did to make the spells work. What had happened to the principle of equivalent exchange? He refused to believe that there was no such thing when it came to magic. Otherwise, why had so much been taken away from him and Al?
Professor McGonagall hurriedly led Edward into the grand castle and took him down several large, open hallways and up several sets of stairs. Ed was so distracted with his own thoughts that he hardly noticed his surroundings. The professor was very lucky; If Ed had taken any notice of anything at all, he would have stopped on several occasions to gawk at the castle's decorations. This would have slowed things down for her, and she was in quite a hurry. She gave the password to a stone gargoyle and waited patiently for it to move to one side and allow them through. Professor McGonagall then turned to Edward, gesturing to the stairs that had been revealed.
"Up these steps you'll find the headmaster," she informed him.
Ed's head snapped upward, pulling him out of his daze. He looked at the revealed staircase in shock, not knowing at all how he had gotten to where he was. Professor McGonagall pressed her lips into a tight line, looking up and down the corridor.
"Well, I'll have to leave you here then, Mr. Elric," she said with a nod of her head. "If you'll please excuse me. Now go on, the headmaster is waiting on you."
"Oh yeah, sorry."
With another firm nod, Professor McGonagall hurried back down the hall. Ed made a face at her as she left before entering the mysterious wooden stairwell that had been revealed to him. As soon as both his feet were planted firmly on the steps, the stairs began to move, carrying him upward in a spiral towards the headmaster's office. He wasn't sure how long he had been riding these steps, but Ed eventually reached the top and found himself face to face with a large door. Just as he was about to knock, the doors swung open by themselves and opened up into a large, cluttered office.
It was a large and beautiful circular room, filled with a wide variety of unusual objects, at least half (if not all) of which Ed had never before seen in his life. The walls were covered with portraits of different men and women, all of whom appeared to be asleep in their picture. There were a few bookshelves at the far side of the room that almost reached the ceiling, all of them filled with countless books. Ed found himself itching to raid the bookshelves. Books in the headmaster's office had to be loaded with all kinds of priceless information!
"Impressed, are you?"
Ed nodded dumbly in response, his eyes wide as he continued to stare at the shelves.
"I could loan you some if you like, Mr. Elric."
There were practically stars in his eyes as Ed whirled around. "Really?"
A round of soft laughter could be heard coming from the direction of the desk. Realizing for the first time that someone else was in the room, Ed stepped further into the office to see who was there. Sitting in a large, comfortable-looking chair behind a desk was a thin man, smiling down at Edward. Judging by the silver of his hair and beard, both of which seemed long enough to be tucked into his belt, the man was very old. He was dressed in long, heavy robes and a purple cloak. His blue eyes seemed to sparkle with youth, shining out from behind a pair of half-moon spectacles that rested on his long, crooked nose. His smile deepened as Edward stepped further into the office.
"I am Albus Dumbledore, the headmaster of Hogwarts," he said with a slight nod. "You must be Major Edward Elric, the Fullmetal Alchemist."
It felt like it had been a long time since Ed heard someone call him by his second name, even though the reality of it was that it only been about a day. Ed saluted the headmaster out of impulse, which solicited an amused chuckle from the old wizard.
"No need for that, Mr. Elric," he smiled. "That's a habit you'll have to learn to break while you're here. This most certainly isn't the military."
Ed dropped his arm to his side hastily, embarrassed. "Sorry 'bout that. And, uh, you can just call me Ed. Or Edward."
Dumbledore laughed. "Alright then. I believe I'll go with Edward, if that's fine with you." Ed nodded his head vigorously. The headmaster's smile grew as he gestured to one of the chairs. "Have a seat, Edward. I am to explain to you a few more details about your mission and your stay here. I'll try to do this as quickly as possible."
The young alchemist nodded again as he sat down. The headmaster began to pull out sheets of parchment, looking them once over before putting them to the side. Ed watched him for a moment, studying him. Although Dumbledore seemed cheerful and friendly enough, there was something else about him. It was clear, though Ed couldn't quite place why, that he was not someone to be messed with. And at the same time, he seemed to be immensely trustworthy. It was strange, but it was for that very reason that Ed instantly gained an enormous amount of respect for the old wizard. Which was a big deal, seeing as the only other person that Ed had any real respect for was Izumi Curtis.
Eventually, Dumbledore finished his task and turned back to Ed with a slight smile.
"Now then, I know for a fact that you've already met Mr. Malfoy and his friends. And, as I'm sure you've figured out by now, we have arranged for you to be in the Slytherin house with them."
Ed sighed inwardly, trying to hide his disappointment. A part of him had hoped that the guess he made on the train had been wrong just the once.
"You'll find your robes already waiting for you in the trunk in your room, along with your required school supplies. You'll also be staying in the same room as Mr. Malfoy." Here Dumbledore raised his eyes and his gaze lingered on Edward's right arm. "I suggest you be very careful about hiding your limbs, Mr. Fullmetal Alchemist. Mr. Malfoy and his friends are not the type of people to sympathize with your condition. I've made sure to bewitch your mechanical limbs so that they are able to operate on Hogwarts grounds, by the way."
Ed's head snapped upward quickly, his eyes wide in shock. He gripped his arm in an almost protective manner. "How do you know so much about me, headmaster?"
Dumbledore gave Edward a meaningful look, raising his eyebrows as though to say "who do you think I am?" Then he smiled slightly and continued, pulling out some more parchment and sifting through them carefully.
"Be sure not to let anyone find out you're not a pureblood. Most Slytherin here are purebloods, and they're very proud of their heritage. And since you're going to be in Slytherin, well... Not a word. They would skin you alive. Also-"
"Uh, sir?" Ed interrupted cautiously. "I've been meaning to ask about that whole... 'pureblood' thing. Exactly what does that mean?"
"It simply means that they are born into a family of wizards and witches," Dumbledore answered. "The Malfoys, for instance. Everyone in their family is of magical heritage."
With a nod of his head, Ed leaned back into the chair. He remembered how the house-elf back at Malfoy Manor had shrieked at Roy when he tried to enter and how Draco had sneered something about Mudbloods being a disgrace when they were on the train. As he allowed the information to sink in, Ed released a heavy sigh. He regretted not reading through the reports more thoroughly. He reminded himself to make sure to read them again before going to sleep.
Dumbledore rose to his feet and moved around his desk. "I realize that this is a spy mission of sorts and you may have to do a bit of sneaking around, so in order for you to carry out your mission more efficiently, I'm going to provide you with this pass."
He handed Edward a folded slip of parchment. Ed took it from him carefully and unfolded it, examining its contents. It was a note signed by Albus Dumbledore that allowed him to be in the halls after curfew. Ed sighed in relief. He had no real problem with bending rules when he had to, but having this would help keep him out of trouble with the teachers. The headmaster walked toward Ed and gave him a hearty pat on the back.
"That should help you do... whatever it is that you may need to do. If there's ever anything else that you need, just ask. Like borrowing one of these books, for example."
Ed smiled as he carefully tucked the note away. "Thanks. I'll keep that offer in mind."
The old wizard smiled, his blue eyes twinkling. "Well then, that's enough of that," he said cheerily as he headed for the exit. "Come along then, off to the feast. Wouldn't want to keep everyone waiting, now would we?"
With that, they left the headmaster's office and made their way to the Great Hall.
Because of the briefing, both Edward and Dumbledore arrived at the Great Hall a few minutes late for the grand start-of-the-year feast. They entered through a back door that only professors used to get onto the platform. A few of the staff members that were seated at a nearby table looked over at them as they entered quietly. Professor McGonagall, who was currently standing next to a stool at the front with a ragged looking hat in her hands, looked over at the headmaster expectantly. Dumbledore looked at all of his staff members and nodded his head firmly as a gesture to proceed. A look of relief washed over McGonagall's face at Dumbledore's signal as she turned to face the rest of the Great Hall and the four long tables in front of her.
"Now that the headmaster has arrived," she told everyone in a loud voice, "we may begin the sorting ceremony."
She then proceeded to call out names in alphabetical order, and each time a nervous looking eleven year-old would step up and have the hat placed on his or her head. The torn hat would then cry out the name of one of the houses (much to Ed's surprise), the corresponding table would cheer, and the kid would go sit with them.
Edward looked out into the sea of faces, searching for Draco and his followers. He found them at the table furthest to the right. Draco was watching the ceremony on the platform with a bored expression on his face. Pansy sat right next to him, her arm linked with his. Zabini, Crabbe, and Goyle were sitting across the table from them. They were snickering to one another as they watched the ceremony, pointing at certain first years and then laughing amongst themselves at some joke they had made.
As soon as they noticed Edward standing next to Dumbledore, they began to nudge each other and point him out. Ed grimaced when he noticed that many other kids on different tables were doing the same. His presence was obviously drawing attention away from the seemingly all-important sorting ceremony that was taking place. He shifted his weight uncomfortably as he tried to ignore their stares, shoving his gloved hands into his pockets and pretending to watch the ceremony.
About halfway through, the large doors on the other end of the hall burst open. Many heads turned around to see who had just entered. Ed had to squint to make out their features. Two wizards, one of which Ed recognized as the Harry Potter kid from the train. His eyebrows came together in concern. Harry looked worse than he did when Ed left him. A look of suppressed rage marred his blood-stained face and Harry glared daggers after the other man as he made his way to the long table on the far left side of the room.
The other wizard was a tall, sour-looking man with greasy black hair up to his shoulders. He marched down the aisle toward the teacher's table with an air of slime and self-imposed superiority about him that Ed instantly disliked. He was reminded too much of some of the more corrupt military officers that he had come across in his travels. Many of the Slytherins seemed to be giving him approving looks as he passed them. Ed noticed that Draco made some comment to his followers and gestured to Harry's nose, which the man seemed to smirk coldly at as he passed. The professor stepped up onto the platform, giving Edward a suspicious look as he took his seat with the other teachers.
In spite of the interruption, the ceremony had continued as though nothing had happened. Once the last name was called and the respective first year was seated with the other Hufflepuffs, Dumbledore stepped forward, raising his voice so that everyone could hear him.
"Before we get on with the feast," he cried out to the masses, "allow me to introduce all of you to our newest student."
He turned to Edward and gestured for him to come forward. Ed looked at him as though he had lost his mind before obeying, slowly stepping forward. The way everyone's attention instantly became fixated on him, Ed would have guessed that a giant spotlight had appeared over his head. He had to resist the inclination to look up and check.
"This is Edward Elric," Dumbledore informed his students. "He's an exchange student from the school in Germany."
This caused a great murmur throughout the student body. Again, Ed shifted his position uncomfortably. Obviously, they didn't get many exchange students at this school. So much for remaining inconspicuous.
"He will be joining us here at Hogwarts as a sixth year."
That only made the buzzing in the Hall grow. Ed could have sworn he heard remarks about his height. He searched through the faces angrily, trying to find out who was insulting him. Finding that he would probably never know for sure, Ed merely swore vengeance on the entire student body.
Dumbledore then looked back at the professor with the greasy black hair. "Please take kindly to him, Professor Snape. He's been sorted into your house."
Ed's eyes grew wide. 'No fucking way.'
Had he missed something? It had to be some kind of joke. The slimy, greasy wizard was the head of Slytherin house? Even though Ed wasn't quite sure what that meant, he was sure he didn't like it. He distrusted the man practically on sight! Then again, Ed was a spy. He could use this chance to keep tabs on this Snape character as well.
Apparently, he wasn't the only one who was shocked to hear this. Confused whispers could be heard from the Gryffindor table. They seemed to be saying something about the color of Ed's jacket... Ed noticed a mildly confused look on the face of one Harry Potter as he whispered something to the people around him.
The professor's eyebrows arched upward in surprise, though the sour look on his face didn't change much. Ed could see Draco's goons looking pleased to hear that he was going to be joining them, especially Pansy. In fact, many of the Slytherins seemed happy with the news. It was probably because of how much it seemed to bother Gryffindor. Many Slytherins turned to look at the other tables as though daring them to try and top Slytherin's acceptance of the first exchange student in Hogwarts history. A few of them were looking over at the Gryffindor table with wicked smirks on their faces.
Dumbledore gave Ed another pat on the back and gestured toward the Slytherin table. "Have a seat, Edward. The feast is about to begin."
Ed took a deep breath and walked toward the Slytherin table. He could almost feel the weight of hundreds of pairs of eyes as they watched him intently. Pansy seemed to be beckoning at Ed to sit with them. It was obvious that she was only doing so to show everyone that he was with Malfoy and his friends. A simple display of power over the others. Ed played along, his hands turning into tight fists in his pockets as he did so.
"Oh, Eddy, I'm so glad you're in Slytherin!" she said as he took a seat next to Zabini.
"Same here," he lied, a fake smile on his face.
"Congratulations on getting in," Zabini said, giving Ed a congratulatory slap on the back. "We Slytherins practically rule this school."
Ed had to stop himself from rolling his eyes. Pansy leaned across the table and reached out to push some of Ed's blonde hair out of his face. He growled at her and swatted her hands away. She giggled annoyingly as she sank back into her seat, making Ed find her to be all the more loathsome. It wasn't long before Dumbledore's voice thundered over the Hall from the front.
"Let the feast begin!"
As soon as he said this, the table suddenly filled up with plates, utensils, and platters of every kind of food imaginable. In fact, they had appeared so suddenly that Ed practically fell out of his seat in surprise. Everyone nearby gave him a strange look except for Draco, who grinned mockingly.
"Had a bit of a scare there, pipsqueak?"
A vein popped out on Ed's forehead.
"Are you alright, Eddy?" Pansy asked.
Quickly pulling himself together, Ed straightened and cleared his throat. He considered apologizing, but decided against it. It didn't seem to him like these people really cared. And an apology would probably only give them something to laugh about later. Of course, Draco was practically laughing to himself already. Though not a sound escaped from his lips, Ed could tell.
"Yeah, I'm fine," he told Pansy as he reached over and began to fill his plate up with food.
The dinner was simply fantastic. Every kind of food that Ed could possibly have wanted to eat could be found on the table. He had to continuously fight the urge to just stuff his face silly in order to avoid getting more strange looks from the other Slytherins. So Ed ate like a civil person, using his utensils properly. However, this didn't stop him from eating as fast as he could. He was definitely planning on having seconds. And thirds. And maybe fourths.
Several girls that were sitting next to Pansy suddenly leaned eagerly toward Ed, smiles on their faces. Ed tried to ignore them, assuming that they were going to bombard him with questions, but they were apparently quite content just looking at him. This only made him uncomfortable, and when he finally looked over at them to ask what their problem was they turned away quite suddenly, giggling to one another. Ed raised an eyebrow in confusion and continued to eat.
Eventually he had eaten his fill and Ed leaned back slightly with a contented sigh. Now that he was no longer buried with his thoughts of food and eating, he noticed that Draco and his friends were discussing something.
"He was practically asking for it," Draco told his cronies with a smirk. "As though I would really just let him get away. He thinks he's so clever with that bloody cloak of his. I saw right through it the moment he stepped into the compartment!"
"You're amazing, Drakey!" Pansy cooed, latching herself onto Draco's arm.
Draco's smirk only grew with pride. "So then I forced him out of hiding, if you know what I mean." A few Slytherins snickered knowingly. "Potter drops to the floor, stiff as a board, and that's when I get him." He then mimed the action of breaking his nose and everyone around him laughed except for Ed. "Then I covered him up with that precious cloak of his and left him there."
Everyone laughed heartily, clearly impressed and entertained by Draco's tale of cowardly victory. Ed just smiled as he listened, pretending to be just as amused as the others even though he disapproved whole heartedly. As soon as their laughter died down, Zabini leaned forward to speak.
"Hang on a moment... You paralyzed Potter and hid him from view, yeah?"
Draco nodded, shooting Zabini an annoyed look. "What did I just say?"
"But then how did he still manage to get back here?"
Ed flinched slightly. Were they onto him? He hid his eyes as a thoughtful silence fell over the group. After a moment, Draco calmly leaned back and shrugged.
"Well, not all plans are perfect," he said evenly.
"Some prat must've come in and tripped over him," Crabbe/Goyle suggested.
"Completely ruined the school year for us," Zabini said with a shake of his head.
"It would've been a nice change if Potter had ended up back in London."
"Yeah. I'd like to go a school year without him around."
Everyone then turned to Ed, who was peacefully sipping at his pumpkin juice with his eyes shut. He had successfully blocked out the rest of the world for the moment and was entirely oblivious to the intense stares the other Slytherins were giving him. Surprisingly, pumpkin juice was quite refreshing. Before the feast, Ed had never once heard of the stuff, but now it was quickly becoming one of his favorite things to drink.
"What do you think, Elric?" Draco asked him.
Upon hearing his name, Ed opened his eyes and looked up to meet everyone's stares. "Huh? About what?"
"About Harry Potter."
Ed looked from one Draco goon to the other. A part of him wanted to roll his eyes at their attempt to "sneakily" get information out of him. Well, they weren't going to get anything out of Edward Elric. He took another sip of his juice.
"Oh yeah, about him. Who is he?"
Everyone's eyes went wide and they fell into a shocked silence. Even Draco was looking at Ed as though he were insane.
"This is a first," Pansy gasped. "You don't know who Harry Potter is?"
"Well, not really," Ed said, putting a nervous smile on his face. 'I'm the "prat" that helped him out on the train, you elitist slugs.' "I think I've heard his name once or twice, but I don't actually know anything about him."
A smile slowly crept onto Draco's face. "Good."
Ed raised his eyebrows in surprise. "Why is that good?"
"The less you know about him," the grey-eyed boy told him mysteriously, "the better."
'Weird kid,' Ed thought to himself as he drained his pumpkin juice.
It was made clear at this point that dinner was definitely over as the tables cleared themselves off. Everyone turned to look back up at the stage, where Dumbledore had once again risen to his feet and stepped forward.
"The very best of evenings to you!" he said, smiling broadly.
He opened his arms wide as though he meant to embrace the entire student body. With the simple gesture, Dumbledore's sleeves fell back and revealed a blackened, withered right hand. Many students gasped in shock and horror at the sight, including several Slytherins.
"What happened to his hand?" someone whispered.
"How the bloody 'ell should I know?"
"That looks really bad..."
Ed frowned, staring at the dead looking hand. He mentally berated himself for not noticing it earlier. How had he missed something that obvious?
Dumbledore just smiled at his students and shook his sleeve over his injury, telling them not to be concerned about it. He then went on to welcome everyone back to Hogwarts and relayed a round of messages and other such notices. They didn't seem to be particularly important; something about somebody named Filch putting a blanket ban on items from some joke shop as well as some announcement for Quidditch enthusiasts. In other words, things that Ed had practically zero interest in. Eventually, Dumbledore turned his attention to the staff table.
"We are pleased to welcome a new member of staff this year," he announced. "Professor Slughorn."
He gestured toward a short, round old man with a funny moustache. The professor stood up at the mention, raising a hand into the air. Zabini made a face as Crabbe and Goyle turned to him, snickering.
"It's your new best friend, Zabini!" they teased, nudging him in the sides.
Zabini smacked their arms away. "You better cut that out right now or live to regret it."
Ed smiled amusedly to himself before turning back to listen to Dumbledore. The old wizard turned to look back at his students as Slughorn sank back into his seat.
"Professor Slughorn is a former colleague of mine who has agreed to resume his old post of Potions Master."
There was a ripple of surprise around the room. Clearly this came as a shock to everyone as the word "potions" was echoed all across the Great Hall. No one could seem to tell whether or not they had heard Dumbledore correctly. Even the Slytherins looked at one another in confusion.
"A new Potions Master?"
"What happened with Snape?"
"He obviously didn't get sacked. He's still sitting with the staff!"
Draco, Pansy, and the idiot duo all turned to look at Zabini. "Did you know about this?"
"No," Blaise told them, clearly just as confused as everyone else in the room. "I figured he'd be the new Defense Against the Dark Arts teacher. That position opens up every year, since it's cursed."
Ed looked at Zabini skeptically. "'Cursed'?"
"Yeah," Crabbe/Goyle told him. "Seems like something happens to every teacher that takes the job. They never seem to last any longer than one school year."
He nearly laughed aloud at the comment. Ed had to wonder what all of those teachers had done to get themselves fired. Or if something horrible had happened to them. So much for teaching "defense against the dark arts" if they couldn't even take care of themselves. The school was probably running low on candidates for the job if they had really cycled through that many teachers.
Dumbledore then raised his voice over the muttering of the students. "Professor Snape, meanwhile, will be taking over the position of Defense Against the Dark Arts teacher."
Nearly everyone at the Slytherin table raised their eyebrows in affected surprise, including Draco. A few students whispered to one another, wondering whether or not that could be considered as a promotion or a demotion.
"NO!" shouted someone from across the room.
Everyone turned in their seats, looking for who had shouted. Ed strained to look over their heads and realized that everyone was staring at none other than Harry Potter himself. The young dark-haired wizard was looking at Snape in what could only be described as horrified rage. A few people laughed nervously when Harry finally looked away, running his hands through his messy hair in frustration. Draco smirked, shutting his eyes and leaning back in his seat.
"Looks like Potty's got a problem with our new DADA teacher," he told his cronies. "This should be an interesting school year, eh?"
Amused, grim smiles appeared on all of his friends' faces. Ed didn't really care, deciding that whatever issues Draco had with Harry were really none of his concern. He looked back up at Dumbledore, who had cleared his throat and raised one arm into the air as he waited for absolute silence to descend among the restless students.
"Now, as everybody in this Hall knows," he continued gravely, "Lord Voldemort and his followers are once more at large and gaining in strength."
The atmosphere in the hall became tense. Ed noticed out of the corner of his eye that a few Slytherins glanced expectantly in Draco's direction, as though they were waiting for some kind of reaction out of him. But the Malfoy heir remained calm as Dumbledore's speech went on. He had pulled out his wand and was busy making his fork levitate in the air. It seemed like he could have cared less about whatever the headmaster had to say. Even so, Ed couldn't help but notice a strange, almost suspicious look in his grey eyes as they stared at the floating fork.
"I cannot emphasize strongly enough how dangerous the present situation is, and how much care each of us at Hogwarts must take to ensure that we remain safe. The castle's magical fortifications have been strengthened over the summer, we are protected in new and more powerful ways, but we must still guard scrupulously against carelessness on the part of any student or member of the staff. I urge you, therefore, to abide by any security restrictions that your teachers might impose upon you, however irksome you might find them—in particular, the rule that you are not to be out of bed after hours."
Ed smiled to himself when he heard this. He, at least, was exempt from this rule. A feeling of great pride swelled up within him. He tried not to let it show.
"I implore you," Dumbledore went on, "should you notice anything strange or suspicious within or outside the castle, to report it to a member of staff immediately. I trust you to conduct yourselves, always, with the utmost regard for you own and others' safety." He fell silent for a moment, his blue eyes scanning the room, and then smiled again. "But now, your beds await, as warm and comfortable as you could possibly wish, and I know that your top priority is to be well-rested for your lessons tomorrow. Let us therefore say good night. Pip pip!"
There was a deafening scrape as the benches were moved back. Everyone rose to their feet and began to file out of the hall. Several students from each house shouted out to their respective first years and led them dutifully out of the Great Hall. Draco and his gang all stood up slowly, their leader rolling his grey eyes.
"Finally," he muttered. "Now we can get out of here. Let's go."
They all nodded in agreement as they headed out of the hall, with Crabbe/Goyle forcing through the crowd and creating a path through the sea of students. Pansy beckoned for Ed to follow them, fiddling with his long braid. Zabini walked next to him, slinging an arm casually around his shoulders and launching into a speech about the benefits of being Slytherin. Ed hid his discomfort as he threw a quick glance back over his shoulder at Dumbledore. The headmaster gave him a barely perceptible nod as he watched Ed get dragged off toward the Slytherin dormitory.
It was time for his mission to really start.
Author's Note: longest chapter for this story yet! yaaay:D
um... tried to keep the descriptions here to a minimum. i know that in my other fics i'm like, obsessed with descriptions, but for this one, i'm trying to keep it simple. you'll notice quite a few exerpts from the book during the feast. i'mgonna stay in canon with HBP (for now). and if anyone's concerned about McGonagall seeming too mean in this chapter, just know that it's only because she's feeling a bit stressed out and rushed.