A/N: I wanted so badly to post this in honor of October 3rd, but it's the 5th today so it'll have to do. Please enjoy.
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[26 July, 1991]

The night was dark and stormy. Thunder rumbled through the clouds, slightly drowned by the sound of torrential downpour. Standing in a large field, tall and regal against the nearby dark wood, Hogwarts looked quite inviting with its fireplaces lit cheerfully, enveloping windows in a soft glow, everyone tucked inside quiet, safe, and warm.

All but one, that is.

A lone cloaked figure stomped through the rain down the path from hogsmeade, growling and cursing as they limped and slipped in the mud. A crumpled piece of paper was clutched tightly in their hand. They picked themselves off the ground and kept trudging on, down the path, through the grass, and onto the stone steps of the castle. Stopping in front of the large wooden doors blocking them from cheery warmth, the figure pounded their fist against it, the resounding booms echoing inside.

"Albus! I know you're in there!" he, as everyone now knew, screeched, "Let me in right now!" The pounding on the doors did not cease. The doors did not move. "Albus!"

The man clapped his hands together, about to slap them onto the wood, when something finally stirred.

Chink clunk creeeeeak

The doors slowly opened. Revealed was an elderly woman hastily wrapped in green robes and pink curlers resting in her hair.

"Who on earth is outside at this hour and in this rain? What are you doing? Who are you?" she asked.

"I need to see Albus." The figure demanded, not waiting for her to respond before he was pushing past her into the hall.

"Now wait just a minute young man! Can't this wait? It's late, people are trying to sleep, and you are absolutely covered in mud!"

"It can't wait. It's urgent. Now where is he?"

"What is so urgent it has to be done at this hour? Who are you?"

"Albus Dumbledore knows who I-"

"It's alright, Minerva, I can take it from here," an old voice interrupted. They turned to see a wizened old man, wearing red robes half hidden by a magnificent silver beard. Small spectacles balanced delicately on his nose.

"Albus!" the green clothed woman gasped.

"There you are!" The boy pointed a gloved finger at him, "We need to talk."

"Do we, Edmund?" Albus' eyebrows rose.

"Why else would I be here?" Edmund glared daggers with intense golden eyes. Dumbledore let out a tired sigh.

"Let's go to my office. Minerva, you may go back to bed."

"Are you sure?" Minerva gave one more narrowed look at the sopping wet figure in the doorway.

"Edmund is an old friend of mine. We have some catching up to do."

It was with reluctance that Minerva left, obeying Albus' meaningful look and request, but not without a curious glare that clearly said 'we will discuss this later.' Edmund waited, tapping a foot impatiently on the floor. Finally, Albus turned back to him, studying his dripping, muddy form as he spoke.

"Now. I think my office may be a tad cozier than a cold, empty stone hallway, don't you think?"

After leading Edmund to his office (what kind of a password was 'sugar quills' anyway?), Albus sat behind a cluttered desk and threaded his fingers together.

"To what do I owe the pleasure, Edmund? I haven't seen you in years. You still look as young as ever."

"Where is it?" Edmund snapped impatiently, refusing to sit and crossing his arms.

Albus blinked innocently. "It?"

Edmund stomped his foot in frustration. "Flamel's stone!"

"Flamel's stone?" Albus' eyebrows rose slightly higher than usual.

"Don't play dumb with me. I know you have it!"

"Mr. Heidrich, can assure you that Flamel's stone is not here." he explained patiently.

"Really? Then why else would I have this?" With a satisfying thunk, Edmund slapped the heavily crumpled, damp, and muddy piece of paper onto the desktop with his right hand. Albus silently picked it up and dubiously read the single line of scratchy cursive, lips pursed. Edmund himself didn't need to see to know what the letter said.

[It is with Albus Dumbledore now. -F]

Albus blinked innocently. "...It doesn't say anything about a stone."

"It's implied!" Edmund raged, "I know you have it! Now where is it? It's not safe with you wizards!"

"Mr. Heidrich, I don't think you need to be quite so aggressive. I can assure you that the stone is perfectly safe where it is," Albus admitted patiently, seemingly unfazed by the shorter man screaming at him.

"No it's not! You don't understand! Nowhere is safe! It isn't safe anywhere or with anyone but me!"

Albus leaned forward at his desk, fingers woven together and one eyebrow still raised. "...Forgive my observations Mr. Heidrich, but it was in Nicholas Flamel's possession for six hundred years, was it not? Perhaps you could consider that others can use it safely as well?"

"No. ...This!" Edmund pinched the bridge of his nose in frustration, "This is why I need it! You wizards don't understand! You never will! Look here, Albus," he leaned closer to the desk, making sure to glare straight into Dumbledore's spectacled eyes, "That stone should never ever be used. Flamel knows this, but the bastard is doing it anyway. Don't tell me you are planning on using it as well!"

"Let me be clear that I have no intention of doing so, Mr. Heidrich. Now, why don't you have a seat so we can chat properly?" The tone in Albus' voice was not a suggestion as he leaned back into his plush chair.

"I'm not here for a chat, I'm here for the stone." Edmund pushed stubbornly.

"I'm afraid I cannot give it to you." Albus sighed, clasping his hands together.

"Why not?"

"Mr. Flamel, it seems, has chosen to entrust it to me as its caretaker, not to you. Perhaps, then, you may consider it was for a reason? Perhaps it would help if you could explain why we cannot understand."

The cloaked man gave out a heavily annoyed sigh. "His reason, Albus, for not giving it to me, is that he is afraid of confronting his past mistakes."

"Afraid?"

"He is afraid of facing me."

"You? Are you that old, Edmund?" At Edmund's glower, Dumbledore sighed, nudging a small bowl of candies towards the cloaked man. "Please, sit and have a lemon drop, and let's discuss this." Finally Edmund sat, but he did not touch the bowl, instead eyeing the elderly wizard with an intense determination.

"I'm not leaving without the stone."

"And I still cannot give it to you."

"Then it seems we are at an impasse."

"...How about we make a deal, Mr. Heidrich?" A conniving glow lit in Albus' eyes after a moment of thought. Edmund scowled. "An 'equivalent exchange,' as you like to say?"

Edmund raised an eyebrow. "What are you proposing? I'm still not letting you be my apprentice."

"Not quite that. I fear any ability I may have had to use alchemy is long gone," he said a little mournfully, "Rather, since you refuse to leave..." Dumbledore reached over for a lemon drop, popping it into his mouth thoughtfully, "...I will allow you to stay here and help keep an eye on the stone. But only on one condition."

"And what is that?"

"As you know, Hogwarts is a school. We cannot have a random man running around the castle for no reason, yes?"

"Get to the point, Albus," Edmund grumbled.

"But," Dumbledore ignored him, "Teachers are allowed to hold residency in the castle all year round if need be." A satisfied smile crept over his face just as Edmund's darkened dangerously.

"And what," Edmund spoke through gritted teeth, knowing the answer, "Are you proposing that I teach?"

"Why, alchemy, of course. After all, according to your own words so long ago, 'only you have the knowledge to teach it properly.'"

"Dammit, Albus!" the soaked man slammed his fist onto the desk, wincing slightly as the wood dented suspiciously, "Haven't I also told you time and time again that I will never take an apprentice?! As far as the wizarding world needs to care, alchemy dies with me!"

"Will it, Edmund?" Albus Dumbledore asked in a low voice, sounding serious for the first time and leaning forward in his seat to gaze piercingly at the golden eyed man's face, "Will you? For I have known you many, many years, and age has yet to even touch a hair on your head. Not even Nicholas Flamel, a man whom you have claimed to hold long ties with, has escaped such even with his stone. How old are you?"

"That has nothing to do with this, Albus."

"Oh, I think it does." he disagreed.

"Well, it's not what we agreed to discuss. We are here to talk about Flamel's stone, not my age." Edmund replied stonily.

"Why will you not teach alchemy? It would be a true shame for the art to die completely... Teach them, Edmund," Dumbledore pleaded, "Even if you will never teach me. You can tell them why it is so dangerous. Wizards can learn to understand, can't they? Why do you refuse so resolutely?"

"I've tried, Albus!" Edmund threw his hands up in frustration, "All you wizards do is go and mess things up! You cannot understand because wizards will never understand equivalent exchange! You think your magic will make you invincible against the consequences of alchemy, but it cannot and it never will." At those last words, Edmund's gloved hands were trembling slightly, balled into fists.

"Does this have to do with Nicholas Flamel and his alchemy?" Dumbledore calmly assessed.

"...He was formerly my apprentice. We do not speak anymore. He does not know true alchemy." The man named Edmund's voice had suddenly gotten very soft, almost regretful.

"Edmund…" Dumbledore seemed to realize he had hit a soft spot. "Have you considered trying again? If Flamel has made some kind of mistake, then can't you teach other wizards how to not do the same?"

"Your arrogance will make you try."

"I'm not talking about me anymore, Edmund. I understand you will never teach me. But there is a generation of young witches and wizards here who are still growing, still learning, who have not yet learned the blind arrogance us adults may have. You can make them understand. Please, consider?" he implored.

"...You won't let me teach anything else, will you? Ancient Runes again? Not even physical education? Hell knows you wizards never get enough of it." Any sadness Edmund had been expressing earlier was now replaced with slight desperation.

"I'm afraid we do not have any other teaching slots open. We have already found ourselves a new Defense Against the Dark Arts teacher, and Ancient Runes has been secured by Professor Babbling for many a year now." Albus informed him quite unapologetically, "But I must kindly remind you, that only teachers are allowed to live in the castle. This is my price. A room, monetary compensation, and food will be given to you as well, of course."

"...You bastard." the shorter man scowled once again, crossing his arms. "As if I care about the money. Fine," he spat, "I will teach alchemy. But it's not for you, and it's not for your little wizard and witch spawns, I'm doing this for the sake of the stone. If I catch the kids having a single thought about mistreating alchemy, they are out of the class. I will not teach those who cannot listen."

"Ah, excellent!" Dumbledore clapped his hands in delight, his eyes crinkling into a softer smile as he placed his hands back onto the desk. "...Thank you, Edmund, truly. I am glad we have reached an understanding. I will send the house elves to clean up a room for you. Will you need a tour of the castle? It has been quite a while, after all."

"No. I should still know my way around."

"Alright." Dumbledore seceded, "Now, it is late. There has been enough discussion for one night. I will tell you details on the stone tomorrow." He did not lie, for now it had to be past one o'clock in the morning. Even Edmund looked tired behind his angry exterior.

"You'd better," Edmund growled under his breath as he stood up and turned to leave. However, just before reaching the door, he stopped, seemingly thinking to himself. "Oh, and one more thing," Edmund said after a moment and turned to look at Albus again, pulling down his hood to reveal strikingly golden blonde hair pulled back into a long, low ponytail. He smirked slightly, as if laughing at some private joke of his. "I will be teaching under the name Elric. Edward Elric."

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A/N: And thusly begins the one millionth Ed goes to Hogwarts fic. Don't worry though, it certainly won't be only that. This one should bring some very nice angst and twists. We're in for the long haul here. I will say that this thing is a big massive brain child of a short ficlet I wrote many, many years ago but could never post because it made zero sense without this whole headcanon. Even if it won't show up for a while, I'm super pumped to finally let it, and this whole AU, see the light of day!

Thank you for reading and reviewing (if you do)! 3