To Mr. Edward Elric, the Fullmetal Alchemist,
I expect you're rather surprised to receive a letter from an owl, but I assure you she's well-trained, and enjoys treats of either mice or spiders. Now, I will be as respectful of your time as I am able, but I am afraid that we are from extraordinarily differing circumstances, and I am an extraordinarily old man. Still, I will endeavor to be concise.
I am Albus Dumbledore, headmaster of Hogwarts, the principle school of magic in British wizarding society. I confess I am uncertain as to how much you already know about the Wizarding World, and I feel I must err on the side of caution. For fear that I will lose your interest, however, I will lead with my reason for writing to you.
Your name, along with several others, was provided to me some time ago by one Van Hohenheim; he identified himself as your father. He seemed terribly proud of your accomplishments and natural talent as an alchemist, and I am certain that his praise is warranted in full. My area of interest, however, is in the matter of human transmutation. I understand that you are something of an expert on the subject.
My silence on this matter is, naturally, unconditional, and under the circumstances, I pray that you will forgive me the violation of your privacy. You see, I find myself in dire need of this expertise.
For the time being, you will need to take me at my word that British Wizarding Society is a sizeable community with its own political climate and temperament. Not two decades ago, the cult of Lord Voldemort rose to considerable personal and political power, with tragic results that our community still feels to this day. It was originally believed that he fell thirteen years ago, but that becomes ever more a matter of debate by the day.
I have in my possession an object that Lord Voldemort once had in his, and I have reason to believe that the principles of human transmutation have been applied to this object. My good friend, Nicholas Flamel, himself a renowned alchemy expert, has examined it and agreed, but he is adamantly against approaching 'the taboo' on even a theoretical level. Thus I must turn to outside sources for aid.
It is my concern that this object, and possibly others like it, were instrumental to Voldemort's rise and return. I would like you to examine it, with the goal of ascertaining its precise nature and perhaps a method of dismantling the enchantment.
Now that I hopefully have your attention, I will attempt to explain the connection between the Wizarding World and your own...
Ed tossed the letter aside before he could reread it for the fifth time, and leaned back in his chair to frown at it.
It was an outlandish claim. There was no such thing as magic – you couldn't get something from nothing. Ed knew that better than he knew the back of his stolen hand. To make not only that claim, but to insist that there was an entire community around it, it was madness.
On the other hand- one could say instead that there was no such thing as magic. There was only science that hadn't yet been explained. Many civilians considered alchemy to be magic, after all.
And if there was a community around it, then it logically followed that just as alchemists understood the true nature of alchemy, wizards would, of course, understand the underpinnings of magic.
Ed sighed.
Footsteps on the stairwell attracted his attention, and he looked over in time to see Al pushing open the door, frowning at a letter of his own.
"Brother, I got the strangest-" He looked up, and his eyes landed on the parchment on Ed's desk. "Oh, of course – you got one too. What do you think of it?"
His expression was a little pinched, but not outright doubtful the way Ed's was. Ed shrugged uncomfortably and sat back, frowning up at the ceiling as he mulled it over. "The owl's still here."
"Hm?" Al looked at the window. The owl pecked at the window. "So it is. That's..." His voice grew softer, contemplative. "That's interesting."
Ed nodded. "There's too much substance to throw it out, I think. If it is true, there's plenty of reason to go help this guy check it out. But I'm definitely not about to commit to anything."
"We could write back," Al suggested. "Ask for more information."
"Yeah..." Ed murmured. "You do it. Like hell I'm writing all that."
Al rolled his eyes, but then he took Ed's place at the desk and pulled out some stationary. With one last glance at the owl, he started writing, occasionally asking for Ed's input or pausing to think.
To Headmaster Dumbledore,
This is Alphonse Elric. My brother and I live together, so you can consider this as being from both of us. You were right to assume that we weren't familiar with the Wizarding World, so I appreciate your taking the time to explain. But I hope you understand that we can't take you at your word alone, and we had a few questions.
Can you elaborate on where these communities exist, and how they're hidden and found? I've only been outside Amestris a few times, but I was under the impression that Great Britain was quite densely populated, and the technology of the area must make it difficult to remain so carefully sequestered.
On that note, would you care to explain why my brother and I seem to be the exception to the secrecy laws you mention? Neither of us experienced any inexplicable phenomena as children, so we certainly aren't wizards ourselves, regardless of what we are capable of now. And as you must know, considering your request, what we do is the furthest thing from inexplicable – which makes both of us quite curious about how your techniques are performed, Headmaster.
Further, considering your lofty accusation, we would also like to ask about the laws regarding human transmutation in your community. While I assure you that either or both of us would be quite willing to help take down a dangerous man who has been dabbling in dangerous things, neither of us wants to step blindly into danger. Your candor is likely to be vital to our wellbeing.
Please don't take any of this as reluctance or disapproval, Headmaster. As I said, the man you have described sounds like a war criminal of the worst kind. With your blessing, my brother and I would be willing to open correspondence and begin discussing the possibility of a visit.
From,
Alphonse Elric
To Edward and Alphonse Elric,
Thank you for your prompt and insightful response; it's always gratifying to know that one has made the right choice of acquaintance. I will clear up your curiosities to the best of my ability, but please feel free to inquire further. I am quite enjoying your interest; it is not often I speak to our Muggle kindred.
The Wizarding World's greatest asset in its secrecy is its population, or perhaps, you could say, its lack thereof. We exist at a rate of perhaps some one or two thousand to Muggle Britain's millions. Thus, we have a few small neighborhoods and communities, which are hidden in a small assortment of ways: individual neighborhoods might have Notice-Me-Not charms to deter Muggle attention, while a larger village, such as Hogsmeade some kilometers from Hogwarts itself, has a greater variety of enchantments working together to hide it from maps and turn away curious wanderers. It is rarely anything harmful, I assure you; a typical Muggle repellant charm will have the unwary traveler suddenly recall that they have forgotten an appointment that they had scheduled for that day. Of course, there are unpleasant folk in any community, so another charm might induce a sudden feeling of terror or sickness.
You are quite right that your brother and yourself are not wizards. However, alchemy occupies quite an interesting niche in our legal system; by Wizarding law, it has been ruled to be a form of magic that does not have to be performed by a wizard. So while you and your brother are not wizards, you are not legally considered to be Muggles either. Under most circumstances, Muggles do not have the opportunity to learn alchemy regardless, so it makes very little difference. In this, Amestris is, naturally, the exception.
As you two certainly know, alchemy is quite a mentally intensive discipline, so it is particularly unpopular in the Wizarding World. As such, there are little to no laws regarding its use. The nearest analogous magical course is Arithmancy, the foundation upon which spellweaving is built. I will endeavor to explain the inner workings of magic as best I can.
The defining trait of a witch or wizard is their ability to tap into an unseen source of power, in order to evoke their will unto the world. This makes the process sound rather impressive, but in truth, it is little different than what an alchemist learns to create for themselves. A wizard is born with the ability that an alchemist spends years or decades building. You can picture, then, a spell's incantation and wand movements as being akin to an alchemical circle. Power passes through the wand as material through a circle, and the desired outcome comes out the other side. Magical, isn't it?
All of this is to say – very few wizards bother with arithmancy, let alone the much more complex alchemy. So you need not worry about persecution for 'the taboo' here – though I suppose there is still the reason Nicholas has for fearing it.
Does this satisfy your curiosity?
From,
Albus Dumbledore
To Headmaster Dumbledore,
This is again Alphonse Elric, with my brother present. Our teacher, Izumi Curtis, has also joined us and expressed interest in your claims and dilemma, having received your letter as well. All of us appreciate your thorough answers, us being rather inquisitive by nature, and I assure you we've discussed the issue at length already.
Your insight into the workings of magic has been fascinating already, but it's casting some concern on our ability to help. From your descriptions, Teacher has suggested that alchemy and magic could likely be combined to great effect. I'm sure that's why you're calling on us, but you must understand, we have no experience in that area, so we would have to stay for some time investigating. I do assure you that we're all quite quick learners, so if you have adequate resources on hand, we could do our research as we examined the object.
In the same light, I had some inquiries regarding the Muggle repellant charms. You've made it clear that alchemists don't legally count as Muggles, but I assume that spells do not make the same distinction. Can they be lowered to allow us to pass, or is there another way that we will be circumventing them? Will we be free to come and go as desired?
Finally, it is reassuring to know that persecution for our expertise would not be a concern while we were there; that's one less thing to worry about. But Ed has pointed out that your first letter implies that this is still a matter of some secrecy. Will we be investigating in a place where we are likely to be noticed? Will we need a cover while we work?
I want to assure you that we have all decided to offer our help in the matter. At this point, it is only a question of the details.
From,
Alphonse Elric
To Alphonse Elric, Edward Elric, and Izumi Curtis,
I cannot express the depths of my gratitude for your generosity and thoughtfulness. I am certain that your aid will be nothing more or less than an incredible help in this fight, regardless of the results of your investigation.
My intention was for you to conduct your investigation in the halls of Hogwarts, which contains the most extensive library in Wizarding Britain outside of the Ministry of Magic – and that one is barred to all but the secretive employees of a specific department. I assure you, there is very, very little that you would not be able to find on those shelves. What little cannot be found there is most likely in my office; I took some of the most sinister books from the shelves when I became headmaster. But I fear you may have need of them anyway.
You will be supplied with charms that will allow you to pass by Hogwarts' wards. You will only need them to pass back and forth over the border of the Hogwarts grounds, and also Hogsmeade, the nearby village. These same charms will allow you to perceive things that Muggles ordinarily could not, such as the ghosts that haunt our beloved castle.
You are quite correct in deducing that this is a matter of utmost secrecy; I would prefer that not a single person more than necessary know of this matter. It was my intention that you could teach a very small class of alchemy students, under the guise of protecting a lost art. It would be preferable if only one of you were to come in person, but accommodations can be made if that is unacceptable. This would give you a time frame of approximately nine months of time to work. The cover story could, if necessary, be broken early as well.
Thank you once again for your cooperation in this matter.
From,
Albus Dumbledore
To Headmaster Dumbledore,
It's no trouble; my brother is actually becoming quite excited. I have business in Xing, and Teacher has a butcher shop to run, so we decided that Ed would be the best one to visit the castle. Despite not knowing anything at all about what he'll need to bring, he's already started gathering research materials in preparation.
I believe that is all the business we needed to handle before commencing our studies, and unless I'm much mistaken, the beginning of the school year is drawing near. Would you be willing to have lunch with us at 1300 on August 24th?
From,
Alphonse Elric
Edward got his first good look at the Headmaster of Hogwarts when the man appeared with a loud crack in Winry's backyard. He looked and dressed like a wizard from head to toe; Ed could almost believe it was a costume.
"Hey!" he called out, pushing through the back door and waving to attract the man's attention. Dumbledore met his eyes and smiled.
"Good afternoon," he said, his voice not so much 'calming' as calm. Gave off the impression of being unshakeable. "Are you Alphonse Elric?"
Ed snorted inelegantly. "That's a new one," he said, amused, and turned around, gesturing for Dumbledore to join him. "No, I'm Ed. You're Dumbledore, right? I sure hope so, I don't know who else would be teleporting in."
Dumbledore chuckled. "Quite. Yes, I am Albus Dumbledore. It will be a pleasure to work with you, Mr. Elric."
Ed hummed dismissively, and was saved from needing to reply by Al's arrival, closely followed by Winry's.
"Good afternoon, Headmaster," Al greeted politely. "Did you find the house alright? I'm afraid I wasn't really sure what you needed out of the picture you asked for, so I tried to include as many details as I could."
"That was exactly what I needed, thank you, Mr. Elric," Dumbledore said warmly. "I assure you the photograph was quite helpful. And Miss Rockbell, thank you for acting as host for the afternoon."
"No problem," Winry said on automatic, eying Dumbledore thoughtfully, with her wrench up on her shoulder. After a moment, though, she turned to Ed. "You better bring something cool back, alright? You can't spend an entire school year in a school of magic and not bring back a souvenir!"
Ed snorted. "Yeah, yeah. Bossy." But Winry's eyes were glittering with excitement, so he guessed it was alright.
As always, Al knew Ed best; he'd made stew for lunch, starting it early in the day so it would be ready in time, and that was what they had around the table. Dumbledore looked fascinated with their surroundings.
"I don't spend much time around Muggle technology," he admitted. "Am I right in assuming that these are some form of Muggle prosthesis?"
"That's right!" Winry said, grinning. She thumped her chest lightly. "My family's been making prosthetics and automail for decades, so everything you see laying around here is part of that. It's a pretty necessary service in a country like Amestris, so we certainly get enough customers to keep us going. Don't know why Granny never moved us to Rush Valley though." She looked wistful.
"That's quite impressive," Dumbledore said warmly. "Wizards rarely have need for prosthetics, I admit – though I have one retired colleague, Professor Silvanus Kettleburn, who had three of them, and a good friend – who will be joining you as a teacher this year, Mr. Elric – employs a wooden leg of his own... though nothing so sophisticated as what I see here. In fact, I rather believe he simply chose the most intimidating leg he could find."
Wooden leg, Winry mouthed, looking outraged. Ed rolled his eyes.
"Don't even start, automail freak," he muttered, kicking lightly at her ankle. She scowled at him. "Looking forward to meeting them. They sound like an interesting person."
"You would think so," Al muttered, amused. "So can you tell us more about what my brother will be doing, Headmaster?"
That was enough to get them into business, and they passed most of an hour like that, discussing Hogwarts over stew. Ed couldn't quite hide his anticipation; the promise of a whole new area of alchemical study to explore was almost more than he could stand, and he was practically bouncing with impatience.
Eventually, Dumbledore checked his watch and nodded to himself.
"It has been a pleasure," he said, "but we really must be going. Mr. Elric, if you are ready to go?"
"Yeah, sure," Ed agreed readily, pretending he hadn't been impatiently waiting for the last hour. He hopped to his feet and hugged Al, and then made for Dumbledore.
"Get back here and hug me!" Winry snapped.
Ed hugged Winry, rolling his eyes despite his smile.
"I'll send owl letters," he promised dismissively, grinning a little, and then finally followed Dumbledore out the back door. "Hey, do I have to do anything?"
"Just hold firmly onto my arm," Dumbledore said, so Ed grabbed his arm, looked back at the house, and the last thing he saw before they disappeared was Al waving to him from the back step.