With one hand, I shoveled scrambled eggs into my mouth, my other being used to hold the book I was reading open. I knew the librarian, Irma Pince, wouldn't be happy with me reading at the breakfast table, but I had spent the last week looking through the restricted section of the library for anything this world might have about alchemy, and I was just now getting to read about this new land.

Unfortunately, there wasn't much. Just as the old man had said, this world was governed by magic and magic alone. Yes, I had found out about the Sorcerer's Stone, otherwise known as the Philosopher's Stone, and I had a very heated discussion with Dumbledore about the topic. He had assured me that the stone had been destroyed and then there was no way anyone else was getting their hands on another one. It hadn't done much to assure me, but I would have to trust the headmaster and let it go for now. There was nothing about the man that made me think he would be untrustworthy.

Now, I was reading through Hogwarts: A History, trying to inform myself on the place I would be living and teaching in for the next ten months of my life. It was interesting to learn about the huge castle, but I had to admit, it was a slow read. With the castle being over 1000 years old, there was a lot to learn and a lot to get through. A few times, I had used it to fall asleep.

I jumped when there was suddenly something land smack dab in the middle of the book I was reading; I nearly fell out of my chair in surprise. Looking up from trying to stabilize myself in my chair, I found a thick letter lying on top of the book in front of me. It was addressed to me in Al's familiar scrawl.

"Got yer first letter there?" Hagrid asked from beside me. I smiled up at the man as I opened the letter with skilled hands.

"Yeah, from my little brother," I said. "Winry and Granny probably wrote, too," I added, looking down at the letter, finding my guess to be correct. As I unfolded the letter, I found Winry's and Granny's handwriting accompanying Al's.

"Ya close with you brother, I'm guessing?" he asked, his voice joyful as always.

"Yeah, I've pretty much been taking care of him since I was little, about five years old; my father left when we were young and my mother died from a sickness," I muttered under my breath, running a finger over the parchment beneath my fingers.

"Oh, I'm so sorry, lad," he said, patting me on the back, but with his size, it really felt more like a slap; it even caused me to pitch forward with the force. "How did you take care of him by yourself at that age?" he asked, looking genuinely interested. It was refreshing to hear someone talk to me like an adult and not like a child over something so important

"We've been friends with the Rockbell's, our neighbor's, since my parents were little; they were friend's with Wriny's parents. Granny took us in and treated us as her own," I said, a soft smile on my face. Yes, we had our times of butting heads and calling each other names, but I owed her my life and much more.

"Well, I'm glad to hear that, lad. So glad you had support." The large man looked thoughtful for a moment before he continued. "Edward, if you ever need anything, just let me know. Hell, let any of the others know as well. You're a part of the staff now, Ed," he said with a bright, cheery smile. A smile made its way across my face as I looked up at the man.

"Thank you. Hagrid. I appreciate it, really," I said genuinely. He only smiled that normal cherry smile before returning to his food. With a sigh, I brought the letter back out to read it, scrambling when a few photos fell from the envelope. I smiled when I picked them up.

On top, there was one of Al and I when we were just kids, our mother crouched down behind us with her arms wrapped around our shoulders, pulling us closely to her sides. The next was of Winry, Al, and I all together when we were still all going to school. I had to scoff at the next picture; it was one of Mustang and me when I had first received my certification. The picture was tense, Roy standing with his hand on my shoulder, as I, and I remembered it very clearly, tried not to scream at the man. Looking back on it now, I owed him my life as well, even if I would never admit it to his face. It was because of him that I even entered the military and subsequently got my brother;s body back. There were so many people I would never be able to repay.

The next image made my eyes burn, causing me to blink up at the ceiling to try and hold back the tears. The next image was one of Hughes in which he had his arms thrown over my shoulder, squeezing me to his side. I looked absolutely repulsed in the picture, never being one for physical contact after the accident, but now, I wished I had savored the moment. Al was kneeling on the other side of the man, Elysia on his shoulders with that typical huge smile on her face. Gracia was on the other side of Al, a soft hand resting on his shoulder. Even though I looked absolutely pissed in the picture, there was something domestic, something loving about the picture. That one would definitely have to go up.

Behind that image was of everyone right after the Promised Day, right after I had returned Al's soul to his body. Al was wrapped up in Mustang's overcoat, a bright smile on his face. Teacher had her hand on his head, and I knew she had been gently combing through his long, dull hair with her fingers; Sig stood off to the side, staring down at Al like a proud parent. I was also behind Al, next to Teacher, a huge smile on my face. Mei was practically on top of Al, tears running down her face, but her lips were still turned up in a smile. Darius and Heinkle were there too, as well as the Major. Even Hohenheim was there off to the side. That was probably one of my favorite pictures. The pure, unadulterated smiles on everyone's face in that picture made my heart swell with joy.

There were a few smaller pictures behind that one which included one of Al and myself, Winry and myself, one of the countryside with the river in the background, Al and I's childhood home when it was still standing, one of Ling who was wearing fancy robes, Lan Fan in the background, which I hoped would be explained in the letter, and one of mom and Hohenheim. I had never seen that one in the house before; I would have to ask Granny if she hadn't explained in the letter. There was even one of the office, including Furey, Breda, Falman, Havoc, Hawkeye, and Mustang. Al was still in his armor, sitting on one of the office's couches, and I was leaning up against his side; I had a book in my hands. I didn't even know this picture had been taken. It must have been Hughes when he carried that God awful camera around for three months straight. I decided to put that one aside for the doorway to my chambers.

I grabbed up the letters, finding there was an individual letter from each family member. I grabbed Al's first, excited to hear what he had to say on the whole magic thing. I knew he would have been as disbelieving as me.

Dear Brother,

I can't believe you're in a literal other world! And one ruled by magic! The Truth does have a sense of humor, I suppose. And teaching! I sure never pictured you in that position, with your short temper and all. It just occurred to me that we didn't even finish school, and now you're off in another world teaching witches and wizards alchemy of all things.

Try to be patient with your students; you have to remember that not everyone's a genius. Go easy on them; Teacher's ways aren't for the faint of heart. You'll have to write and tell me how they take the whole law of equivalent exchange if they're so used to using magic all the time.

If you could, I would love it if you sent me a book or two, if it's possible that is. If not, you'll just have to tell me when you get home. And don't worry about the owl; I didn't want to send it back! Although, Winry and Granny weren't too thrilled about an owl flying around the house, especially with Den chasing after the poor thing.

As for research, Ling has invited me to Xing for some research on Alkahestry, but Granny and Winry don't want me traveling that far yet, and I'm sure you're thinking the exact same thing right now. I'm at least going to wait for you to get home; that'll give me some more time to recuperate and see you before I leave. Speaking of Ling, he's the emperor of Xing now! He's even helping out some of the lower clans. Lan Fan is with him, and I know he's been spending more time with Mei, trying to strengthen their relationship as siblings. I think it'll be good for both of them. I put the picture Ling sent us with all the others. I hope they're alright for what you need them for. If not, send for me; Granny has a stockpile.

I love you, brother. Stay safe!

Al

I smiled at the letter, able to hear my little brother's voice in my head as I read through his writing. I sighed and grabbed the one from Winry. My heart started beating faster; I hadn't mentioned anything about the...I didn't know how to put it. Could it even be considered a proposal? If it was, which is what it was meant to be, I definitely did a crappy job. I could have at least had a little planning, maybe something a little more romantic, but of course I had to go screw it up. Hopefully she forgave me for my ignorance.

Dear Ed,

You better be careful with that Automail. If it breaks, you're without a leg for the rest of the year. Or maybe I'll send one with the owl? Maybe the spare? But how would it hold it up? And new measurements with your miraculous growth spurt? Oh, nevermind all that. You better just not break it! Otherwise, I have a nice new wrench with your name on it! Speaking of that pesky owl, it of course buddied right up to Al. That kid has a weird way with animals, that's for sure. First cats in his armor, now owls. Who sends mail by owl? Haven't these wizards thought of using a phone?

Be easy on your students; you and Al learned easier than most. Pays to be a genius I guess. Anyway, don't be too hard on them. Your training with Mrs. Curtis was way too rough to be exerting on other students, so I don't want you getting sent home on an account of getting a student hurt. Just be patient with them.

And really, Edward? You were going to say all that, and then just leave, maybe thinking you wouldn't have to deal with the consequences for ten months? Trust me, I won't be letting that go.

My breath caught in my throat as I felt a blush rise to my cheeks. I was stupid to think she would let me off the hook.

But seriously, Ed. I would love to give you more than half of my life. I'd rather talk about this all in person, but the answer is yes. Just stay safe for me, Ed.

Winry

When I finished reading, I let out a breath I didn't know I had been holding. At least she hadn't said no. In fact, she had said yes to my makeshift proposal. I sure was a lucky guy. With a smile on my face, I returned Winry and Al's letters to the envelope in exchange for the letter from Granny.

Edward,

Be careful in that new world over there, and try not to kill anyone while you're at it. Of course I'll take care of them. Who do you think I am, you brat? You better stay safe over there, Ed. Winry hasn't stopped talking about your makeshift proposal. I haven't seen her that happy since Al got his body back. Stay safe.

Granny

As I folded up the letter and stuffed it back in the envelope, I let out a deep sigh, a bright smile on my face. At least I had Granny's blessing. I made a mental note to visit the Rockbell family grave as well as my parents' as soon as I got home. I would also have to make a call to Izumi and Sig. And Mustang and the rest of the team. My smile widened at the thought, thinking about how many people we could truly call family after everything we had been through.

"You comin', lad?" said a gruff voice, tearing me away from my thoughts. I looked up to find all the teachers filing out of the room, only Hagrid remained, standing in front of the table and looking at me expectantly.

"Uh, what?" I said, only now noticing that my plate was long gones, as well as all of the other food that had been set out before us.

"We have a mandatory staff meetin' in Dumbledore's office," Hagrid explained patiently. I rushed to stand up, scrambling to put the pictures back in the envelope and grab my book. "The students'll be arriving tonight, and classes start in the mornin'," he said.

"Sorry, got caught up in the letter my family sent me," I mumbled as I shoved my book under my arm and straightened my clothes as I followed Hagrid out of the Great Hall.

"No problem, lad," he said as he led me up a few flights of stairs. Over the past week, I had been acclimating myself to the castle by walking around with the map and asking the ghosts and paintings if I was really in a bind. I had mostly memorized the castle's layout and the timing of the moving staircases, having sat and watched them for an entire day, yet I had never been up to the headmaster's office.

It was hard to get used to the ghosts flying around, but I had sat down with Sir Nicholas, also known as Nearly Headless Nick, had kindly walked me through the logistics one night in the library when I simply couldn't hold my questions and curiosity back any longer. It was still hard to accept, but I kept reminding myself that this wasn't the world I knew. It was completely different with a completely different set of rules.

"So what's this staff meeting about?" I asked Hagrid as we made our way up the stairs.

"Do you not pay attention to anything going on around you?" a monotone voice asked before Hagrid could get a word out. Looking away from the path I was traveling, I found the man with the greasy, slicked back hair glaring at me. Since day one, he hadn't liked me. I wasn't entirely sure why because I had said barely more than a greeting to the man, but I had a hunch that it was because of my age.

I clenched my fists at my side, setting my jaw. I wanted so badly to yell at the pompous bastard, but I didn't want to make any trouble. Seeing as they could perform magic, able to make something out of nothing, they were more powerful than me. I was in their world, on their turf, and they held the upper hand.

"I received a letter from my family that I needed to read, and I have still been acclimating myself to the castle and grounds," I said evenly. The man only sneered, turning his attention away. The silence was tense as we all made our way up the final flight of stairs to Dumbledore's office. At the front of the group, Madame Pomfrey spoke.

"Acid pops," she said clearly. The gargoyle in front of us moved, revealing yet another staircase. I had to hold back a groan. Over the past year, trying to work on getting my arm back to normal and looking after Alphonse so closely, I hadn't done this much walking or climbing. It didn't help that whatever charms were on this castle were starting to make the stump of my leg throb despite the charm Albus had cast over me. It was still sore where skin met metal, and I had noticed over the past week that my leg felt heavier than normal and maybe even a little slower even though it was the winter set. I sighed internally. It was only a matter of time before I would have to say something to the headmaster.

As we all entered the office, I followed Hagrid and sat down at a circular table, everyone else sitting as well. There were two empty chairs. One I assumed was Dumbledore, as he had yet to make an appearance, but this was still another empty seat next to me. Before I could ask a question, Dumbledore was sweeping into the room.

"Ah, thank you all for being so patient," Albus said as he took his spot in the empty chair. "I so look forward to working with all of you again this year, and of course, a special welcome to our new alchemy professor Mr. Elric," he said, nodding to me, "and we are expecting Alastor Moody as our new Defense Against the Dark Arts professor, but he appears to be running a little late," the headmaster mused. So that's who the empty chair belonged to.

"As you all know, the students will be arriving tonight, and the feast begins at 7 on the dot with the sorting ceremony, and dinner will follow," Dumbledore said, but I figured everyone already knew this, and this was all just for me. "Ah, let me get your class lists and schedules," he said before waving his wand. A filing cabinet opened and there were suddenly a few pieces of parchment lying in front of me. I looked over them, finding I started first thing after breakfast tomorrow with a bunch of third years.

"As you know, the Forbidden Forest is just that, forbidden, and quidditch will be canceled this year because we will be hosting the Triwizard Tournament. We will be hosting Beauxbatons Academy of Magic and Durmstrang Institute; they will both be arriving on October 30th. Only those of the age 17 years will be allowed to participate, and the Goblet of Fire will choose it's three champions; one from each school. Once they have been entered and chosen, there is no backing out. I will have more information about the three tasks the closer it comes," he informed us. "Does anyone have any questions?" The room was silent. Dumbledore smiled and then turned to me.

"Edward? How are you finding your time at Hogwarts? Is there anything you have questions about? Anything you will need for your classroom? We already have lots of chalk and the textbooks for this year in your classroom. If there anything else you may need?" he asked politely. Everyone's eyes were on me. I sighed and leaned back in my chair a little.

"I'll admit, it's much different, but it's nothing I can't get used to in time," I admitted. "I may choose not to teach from the textbooks depending on their quality though," I thought aloud. "Maybe bits and pieces; I'll have to take a look." I thought for a moment more. "Professor," I began, turning to look at the elderly headmaster. "I'll need to be able to remove people from my class.; I'll need to be able to do this at any time I see necessary." There were a few shocked looks from the teachers around me, but I ignored it. I knew alchemy better than anyone in this room. I knew the dangers and the consequences.

"Alchemy can be a dangerous practice if not performed perfectly. If something goes wrong and a rebound happens, it can cause injury or even death," I explained. "If I see that a student is not fit for the class or could pose a threat to themselves, their classmates, or anyone else, they will be removed from the class." The headmaster nodded as I spoke.

"Yes, if that is what you think will be best for the students, then I will allow this," he said. "Is there anything else you may need?" he asked politely. I thought for a moment before a thought struck me.

"There is actually one thing," I admitted. "The students will need to answer a riddle within a month. Without understanding this riddle, they will never be able to perform alchemy," I explained.

"And why ever would you need to do that?" I heard Madam Pince asked. "Why would you deny a student knowledge because of a little riddle?" she asked. The other teachers looked as if they were wondering the same thing. The headmaster remained silent though, wishing for me to continue.

"Because this is the foundation of all alchemy; one is all, and all is one. My brother and I were not allowed to study under our teacher until we answered that riddle; she refused to teach us if we couldn't solve it within a month," I said, looking at Madam Pince. She didn't look completely satisfied but chose not to speak.

"Is that all, Mr. Elric?" Dumbledore asked, his hands folded in front of him. "Is there anything else you may require?" he pressed, and I swore I heard the dark haired man mutter something under his breath, but with gritted teeth, I choose to ignore it.

"Nope," I said, popping the 'p.' "I think that's everything," I said as I folded my arms across my chest. "Oh!" I scrambled for a moment, pulling the letter out of my pocket. "My brother sent these pictures back in his letter," I said, pulling out the pictures and handing them to the headmaster.

"Ah, of course," he said. "We can use all of these for pairing if you'd like, and I'll have the original ones returned to you," he said with a smile. "Which would you like to be used for your door?" he asked politely.

"Uh, the one on top, the one of the office should work," I said. Dumbledore smiled and then rose from his chair, photographs in hand.

"Wonderful," he said. "Then I will see you all for the sorting ceremony tonight," he said, and it was a clear dismissal. We all stood and exited the room. I followed Hagrid down the winding staircases, asking him a few questions about the sorting ceremony as I tried to prepare myself for the coming evening.