Hey Guys! Sorry for the long wait, but I hope this new chapter makes it all worth it!

Wow! We're already at over one hundred reviews! I am simply overwhelmed by all the love and support you guys have shown me! You're all absolutely wonderful!

In regards to those questions I asked you all in the author's note at the end of the last chapter, I've decided that since nothing in the Fullmetal Alchemist wiki says anything about Nicholas Flamel playing a significant role in the history of Amestrian alchemy, he will have no connections whatsoever with Fullmetal Alchemist. And as for the symbol on Edward's coat being "Flamel's Crest" the purpose of that crest was mainly to act as the symbolic counter to the homunculi's ouroboros tattoo, which represented immortality, whereas Ed's crest represented mortality. And in regards to holidays, Edward will have no experience at all with any of the ones that the students at Hogwarts regularly celebrate, Christmas, Halloween, and Valentines Day, being a few examples.

Also, I should probably let you all know that I'm going to be keeping Edward's short complex. The reason that I'm doing this is that even though he's grown to the point where he's taller than Winry, he's still much shorter than the average adult man... Plus messing around with Ed like that is just too much fun. LOL!

Chapter 3: THERE'S A TEST ON THE FIRST DAY!?

Gryffindor Common Room,

Harry and Ron were both relaxing in the Gryffindor common room together as they'd just finished classes for the day, last of which had been their first Defense Against the Dark Arts class. It had easily been one of the most interesting lessons they'd ever had, as Professor Moody had demonstrated the Unforgivable Curses to everyone, telling all the students that they needed to prepared for the worst, and above all, maintain constant vigilance!

And to make things even better, they'd managed to avoid getting any homework today, so the two Griffindors were free to do as they pleased.

"Bloody amazing, is what it was," Ron said. "And this was only the first lesson! I can't even begin to imagine what that nutter's got planned for us down the road."

Suddenly Fred spoke up from where he and George were writing down something together on a piece of parchment. "Considering that you just called Moody a nutter, I'm guessing you haven't met Professor Elric yet, 'cause compared to him, even folks like Moody seem sane."

"Only when he's mad," George added with a shrug. "Here's a tip, guys: If you want to live, don't piss off the new Alchemy teacher, and whatever you do, do not call him short. Fred here called him Professor Pipsqueak during our first lesson earlier today, and next thing we knew, Elric had turned into a demon and was screaming 'Who the hell are you calling a tiny little midget who's shorter than the brats he's supposed to be teaching!'"

"You actually said that to his face?" Harry asked Fred, shocked.

"Of course not," Fred responded. "He made most of that insult up. But regardless, he gave me the options of detention with him for a week, deducting fifty points from Gryffindor House, or punching me in the face." Fred explained as he turned to fully face Harry and Ron, revealing his bruised right cheek. "I chose the last one. And let me tell you, that bloke packs a mean left hook."

Harry was shocked at this. When he'd found out about the new class, he'd signed up for it as soon as he could since it not only seemed exceptionally interesting if the way Professor Elric had created that gargoyle during the school's opening feast was any indication, but more importantly it meant he'd be able to drop Divinations. Now though, he was beginning to have second thoughts.

"As I said though," George added as an afterthought. "As long as you don't do anything to make him mad, he's actually a pretty cool teacher. Just be prepared for some... unconventional teaching methods when you walk into his class." And with that, the Weasley twins packed up whatever they had been working on, and left.

Awhile later, after most of the other students had gone off to bed, Hermione - who had been spending every free moment she had in the library since school started - entered the room. She was carrying several large books. all of which were about Amestrian alchemy, and sat down on one of the couches before turning to her two friends with a panicked look.

"I can't believe we're already having our first Alchemy class tomorrow! I'm so nervous... I haven't had nearly enough time to study!" The know-it-all shrieked.

Ron rolled his eyes. "Calm down, Hermione. Just because you didn't have time to read every book in the library about it doesn't mean you're unprepared."

Harry agreed with Ron. "Yeah Hermione, after all, Alchemy is a completely new subject, so I doubt the teacher expects us to be experts on it before we've even started classes. It's not like Professor Elric's gonna give us all tests on the first day."

"You don't know that!" Hermione screamed. "I've heard from some of the older students that there's some sort of preliminary exam to see if you're even qualified to be trained as an alchemist! And so in order to be properly prepared I need to know as much about Amestrian alchemy as I can!"

"Keep telling yourself that, Hermione." Ron muttered. "I know for a fact that you just want to look good in front of our new teacher."

"Wh-What?"

"Oh come on, Hermione. Ever since our second year, there's always at least one professor that you're completely smitten with. First it was Lockhart, then Lupin, and now you're fantasizing about the new Alchemy teacher... along with every other girl in the school." He added bitterly.

By now, Hermione's entire face was the reddest anyone had ever seen it. "Professor Elric... is obviously a very accomplished alchemist. He can't be older than his early twenties and yet he was chosen above all the other alchemists in Amestris to come here to Hogwarts and teach us Alchemy."

Harry raised his eyebrows and decided that he just couldn't resist the temptation of teasing his friend a little. "Sounds to me like you're trying to justify your attraction to him, Hermione." At that, Hermione just squeaked in embarrassment before hastily grabbing all her books and running upstairs to the girls' dormitory.

Alchemy Classroom.

The next day, Edward Elric was getting ready for another group of first-timers - fortunately the last ones he'd have to deal with this year - this group consisting of Gryffindors and Slytherins in their fourth year. He checked his pocket watch and saw that the class was scheduled to begin in twenty minutes. Ed used this time to go over the list of the students who would be taking part in this class, and as per usual, some of the British names he read were just plain old confusing to him, while others were names he recognized due to having already taught their older siblings.

"How the hell do I pronounce this? Hermi-won? Hermy-own?

"Another one of those Weasley kids? Hmm. Well hopefully this one's smarter than his older brothers from yesterday.

"What kind of parent names their kid Pansy?"

Ten minutes later, Ed set the list aside and checked the door to see if anyone had decided to come early. It turned out that someone had, and that someone was a girl with long, bushy brown hair who was carrying four of the books on alchemy that Edward had supplied the school with.

As soon as the girl saw him she gave a surprised 'eep!' before recollecting herself and stammering "G-Good morning Professor Elric! I-I hope you don't mind that I'm early. My name is Hermione Granger and-"

"Oh so that's how you say it." Edward interrupted her. "Well, you might as well come in. Class starts in a little while anyway." The girl, Hermione, blinked in surprise before nodding and stepping inside Ed's chosen classroom to take a seat right at the front.

After a couple minutes, more and more students began to trickle in until almost every seat in the class had been taken up. Just as Edward was about to close the door and start the lesson, two more boys - one with red hair and freckles which marked him as a Weasley, and the other with black hair and large glasses - came sprinting down the hall. Ed briefly considered shutting the door in their faces, but decided to be generous since it was their first day, and let them in.

Ed then checked his list, and saw to his satisfaction that the number of students currently in his classroom equaled the number of names on his list, so he didn't bother taking attendance and just put a checkmark next to everyone's name. He then put the piece of paper down and addressed his class, many of whom had taken out their wands in anticipation.

"Alright, before we begin, you can all put away your magic stick-thingies. They won't be of any use to you in this class."

While most of the students complied and put them away, one boy with blond hair who was wearing the green and silver robes that showed he was a member of Slytherin House growled "They're called wands you idiot!"

Ed's face snapped over to glare at the Slytherin who had spoken.

"What did you call me, brat?" the Fullmetal Alchemist whispered, yet with the death-like silence that was occupying in the room, everyone could hear him clearly. "Say it again... I'll kick your ass so hard it'll go flying straight to the moon!"

The boy's eyes widened before he shouted "You dare threaten me? I'll have you know that I am Draco of the pureblooded house of Malfoy, and I-"

"I don't care what you are! In here, you're nothing but an amateur!" Ed roared, interrupting a student for the second time that day. "I don't know what kind of superiority complex you've got going on, but listen carefully: It doesn't matter who you can trace your ancestry to, because it doesn't affect me or how you do in my class. So sit down, shut up, and let me get on with my lesson. Oh, and twenty points from Slytherin for being disrespectful to a teacher."

In less than a minute, the students had all quieted down. "Okay, now that that little issue has been taken care of, have any of you ever attended a Muggle science class of any kind, or read any of the books on alchemy in the library that I provided the school with in advance?" More than a dozen kids raised their hands in response, though most of them wore embarrassed expressions as they did so, as they were most likely Muggle-borns and therefore had gone to Muggle schools before discovering their talents as wizards.

"Who actually remembers anything from either of them?" At this, all of the students aside from that Hermione girl who'd arrived first as well as two others lowered their hands, and Ed turned his attention to the only male student who'd kept his hand raised: the boy with the glasses who'd almost been late. "Hey kid, what's your name?"

"Harry Potter, sir."

"Alright Harry Potter, care to tell me what tectonic energy is?"

The boy blinked in confusion for several seconds before stammering "I... I don't know, sir."

Ed shrugged and directed his gaze at the bushy haired girl who'd arrived first. "Hermione, right?" When she nodded excitedly he asked her "Do you know what tectonic energy is?"

"Yes Professor Elric. Tectonic energy is-"

"Calm down Hermione. I just asked if you knew what it was, I didn't ask you to explain it to everyone." Ed then ignored Hermione as her face turned red in embarrassment, and asked the last of the three students to keep their hands raised, a Slytherin girl with long blonde hair, "Do you know what tectonic energy is?"

The girl answered "Yes I do, Professor Elric."

"Good. And your name is?"

"Daphne Greengrass, sir." The girl said as she smiled at him brightly. A lot of his female students had been doing that - and other things - ever since lessons had begun. Edward still hadn't figured out why.

Ed nodded at Daphne, acknowledging her words, before speaking to the class as a whole once again. "For those of you wondering what that was all about, I simply wanted to get an idea of how many of you had at least a rudimentary understanding of some of alchemy's components, and it seems the answer is only two of you. And if you're also wondering why I told you all to put away your wands, the answer is simple: Alchemy is not, in any way, a form of magic. It is actually a type of science. So as long as you possess high intelligence and a strong will, anyone can learn to use it. Now, seeing that it's probably time to get started with the lesson combined with the fact that most of you guys know absolutely nothing about alchemy, I'll have to start with the basics."

Edward walked up to the chalkboard he had in the back of his room and stood in the middle of the board as he began writing notes in point form with his left hand so the kids would be able to see the notes clearly without his body being in the way. "Alchemy is defined as the metaphysical science of manipulating and altering matter using tectonic energy. For those of you wondering what that is, tectonic energy is the movement of the earth's crust and all the processes that result from it. It is the force that shifts continents, makes mountains, causes earthquakes, and forces volcanoes to erupt, to name a few. Alchemists are able to harness this energy and- Hey! Why aren't all of you writing this down?"

The students that didn't already have their quills out scrambled to do so. Ed personally didn't understand why these witches and wizards insisted on using such outdated tools, as a simple pen or pencil made more sense to use as opposed to having to dip a sharpened feather in ink every few minutes. Ed shook his head and continued writing, deciding that those who had started late would just have to catch up.

"As I was saying, alchemists are able to harness tectonic energy and use it as they alter matter in whatever way they see fit. This act is known as transmutation. Now, there are three components that are always a part of any complete transmutation. The first step of the sequence is Comprehension. This means having a complete understanding of the inherent structure of the atomic or molecular makeup of a particular material to be transmuted as well as its properties, including the flow and balance of potential and kinetic energy within it." Ed turned and saw that even though many of the kids barely understood any of what he was saying, most of them still copied down every word he wrote, which pleased him.

"The next step is Deconstruction; using tectonic energy to break down the physical structure of the identified material into a more malleable state so that the alchemist will be able to reshape it into a new form more easily. The third and final stage is Reconstruction. And to do this an alchemist has to continue the flow of energy so that the material can be reformed into whatever form they wish it to be. So to summarize, alchemy is the science of understanding, deconstructing, and reconstructing matter."

Finishing those notes, Edward began to write on the other side of the board, now taking the piece of chalk in his right hand. "However, since alchemy is a science, that means it must follow the natural laws of the world. The first one being the Law of Conservation of Mass, which states that energy and matter cannot be created from nothing, nor can it be destroyed to the point of elemental nonexistence. So in other words, if I were to use an object that weighed exactly one kilogram for a transmutation and nothing else, I can't transmute something that weighs one point one kilograms.

"The second one is the Law of Natural Providence, which shows that an object or material made of a particular substance or element can only be transmuted into another object with the same basic makeup and properties of that initial material. Which basically means that an object or material made mostly out of water can only be transmuted into another object that has the attributes of water, at least if you want to transmute the whole thing.

"These two laws come together to create the founding principle that governs all alchemy: the Law of Equivalent Exchange, which states that in order for anything to be created or obtained, something of equal value must be lost or destroyed."

Edward looked around to see yet another mass of dumbfounded faces, and chuckled. "I see that it's gonna take most, if not all of you, a little while to digest all this. But you'll all have plenty of time to review these notes over the next month, because that's how much time I'm going to give you all."

A girl from Gryffindor raised her hand and asked "Professor, are you saying that you're giving us all a whole month off?"

"I guess that's one way you could interpret it." Ed shrugged. "I'm sure by now that some of you have heard that there's a preliminary test to see if you've got what it takes to be an alchemist, and it's true." By now Edward had the full attention of every student in the class as he stood before them and explained to them exactly what this test of his entailed.

"One is All, and All is One. Each of you has exactly one month to figure out what those words mean starting today. If you can't figure this out, then your potential as alchemists will be limited, and I'll be unable to teach you anything useful."

A Slytherin boy exclaimed "Wait! So you're telling us that your plan is for you to spend the next month sitting on your arse doing nothing while we roam the castle trying to figure out a riddle?"

Ed sat down as he rested his chin on his hand and answered "Well, now that you mention it, my original plan was make you all spend the next month in the Forbidden Forest with no alchemy, no magic, and no cannibalism, but since you guys have other classes, that's not an option... unfortunately. Plus the old man who runs this place kept saying that that kind of thing would 'threaten the safety of his students,' so he vetoed it."

At this point, every student had a look of absolute horror on their face.

"Oh don't look at me like that! I would've given you all a brief survival course. Besides, my younger brother and I survived by ourselves on a deserted island for a whole month when we were only seven and eight years old, and you guys are all double that age."

When the students didn't show any signs of calming down, Ed sighed and continued. "As I said, you guys aren't going into the Forbidden Forest, you're staying in the castle the entire time. As for what you're all supposed to do for the next month, I really don't care. Use the free time to study or catch up on homework, hell just spend your time screwing around, it doesn't make any difference to me. But for those of you who are interested, whenever you've got a class scheduled with me, you can find me down on the grounds just outside the main entrance, where I'll be holding regular sparring sessions."

A Gryffindor boy with an Irish accent raised his hand and asked "Uh, excuse me, Professor Elric, but why will you be holding sparring sessions? I don't really see what that has to do with alchemy."

Ed gave a slight smirk before saying "I'm glad you asked. You see, when I was learning alchemy, my teacher showed me that in order to train the mind you have to train the body. And on top of that, I noticed that you kids don't have any courses or extracurricular activities that require physical activity of any kind aside from flying on broomsticks, and to be honest I don't even really see how that counts." Edward then put a smile on his face that could only be described as 'evil' and declared "So I've decided that if you're gonna be in my class, then part of my responsibilities are to make sure all you kids are in good physical health."

Realizing that he hadn't told them all the details about the test he'd just assigned them, Ed changed the subject. "Now, as for that test I was telling you guys about a minute ago, there's a few things you need to know. First off, if you happen to be studying with your friends, and then one of you suddenly has an epiphany, it's alright if that person explains the answer to everyone who's in the immediate area." That seemed rather fair to Ed. After all, when he and Alphonse had been on that island together, Ed was the one who had actually figured out the answer. Yet his younger brother was just as skilled an alchemist as Ed himself, and was one of the few people in history who had seen the Portal of Truth and lived, and as a result was now able to perform alchemy without using a transmutation circle.

Ed continued. "However, if you do manage to find the answer, then you had better keep your mouth shut if anyone asks you what it is. I talked to Old Man Dumbledore, and he told all the ghosts and paintings in the castle to keep an eye out for cheaters, which brings me to my last point: If you are unable to successfully find the answer to One is All and All is One by the end of the month, you'll fail the entire class, and will just have to try again next year if you feel like it. Cheaters on the other hand... will be expelled. Plain and simple."

"The man's a bloody lunatic!" Ron screamed once he was certain they were all a safe distance away from their new teacher's classroom.

"Ron, don't be rude," Hermione scolded. "Just because his teaching methods are a little unorthodox-"

"Unorthodox?! Hermione, the nutter wanted to send us all into the Forbidden Forest for an entire month without our wands!"

Despite Ron's protests, Hermione remained steadfast in her defence of Professor Elric. "Need I remind you that he changed his mind about that? Besides, you can't deny that alchemy seems like an incredibly fascinating subject. I mean, did you hear the way he talked about it!" By this point, Hermione's eyes were sparkling. "He said that as long as you possess a high intelligence and a strong will, anyone can become an alchemist, even Muggles! And the way he explained everything so scientifically! And to think that all this was just in the first lesson is just... just... I have to go to the library!" Hermione finally screamed as she started running to said room. Finding the answer to Professor Elric's test had just taken top priority in her mind.

As the two boys watched her leave, Harry decided in that moment that Ron and Hermione would just have to add Professor Elric to their long list of subjects on which they had agreed to disagree.

To Ronald Weasley, Edward Elric was a psychopath who should have been locked up in the deepest, darkest cell in Azkaban the moment he set foot on British soil, sentenced to never see the light of day again.

To Hermione Granger, Edward Elric was a genius of the highest calibre who must have been sent to her school by the heavens themselves so that he would have the opportunity to pass his knowledge on to her. And perhaps even give her a few private lessons in the process...

Little did Hermione know, similar thoughts were occupying the minds of hundreds of her fellow witches throughout the school.

Draco Malfoy was livid.

First that git, Professor Elric, insulted the tool that defined wizardry, then he'd had the audacity to threaten Draco himself!

Draco might have eventually found it within himself to forgive the man, since he hadn't known who he was at the time. Yet after Draco informed his new teacher that he was a descendent of one of the great wizarding families that had maintained their purity, Professor Elric had shown even greater disrespect, completely ignoring Draco's heightened status as a Pureblood.

Draco quickly came to the conclusion that Professor Elric must be be a Mudblood, for no self-respecting Pureblood or even Halfblood would ever show such utter disregard for the powerful magic that could only be found in the blood of the ancients.

As Draco walked to his next class with some of the other Slytherins, he continued to brood over the new Alchemy teacher. During the opening feast, Dumbledore had said that Professor Elric was from the country Amestris, which the Ministry of Magic had only recently began diplomatic negotiations with. Amestris... The name was familiar to Draco, and he racked his brain, trying to remember where he had heard that word before.

Wait, didn't Father say before school started that the Ministry was discussing diplomacy with a country that apparently had no magical history of any kind? He must have been talking about Amestris. Which can only mean...

"The man's a filthy Muggle!" Draco roared, instantly drawing the attention of his housemates.

"What are you on about now, Malfoy?" Daphne Greengrass asked as she raised an eyebrow in response to Draco's sudden outburst.

"That... Elric," Draco snarled, refusing to call the man Professor, for that would imply that he respected him. "I'm certain that he's a Muggle. I knew that Dumbledore was losing it when he let that oaf Hagrid start teaching last year, but the idea that he would actually allow a blasted Muggle inside the castle and teach a class... it's unacceptable! Absolutely unacceptable! Just wait until my father hears about this!"

"If anyone's lost it, it's you, Malfoy," Daphne said as she dismissed his claims. "Think about it; any Muggle who tried to approach the castle would be pushed back by the Muggle Repelling Wards."

Malfoy growled "I'm sure that fool Dumbledore found a way to counter those charms. He may be a lunatic, but a clever one at that. Mark my words, Elric doesn't have a drop of magic in him."

"Okay, even if he can't do magic, you saw the way he created that gargoyle after the Sorting Ceremony along with everyone else." This argument came from Tracy Davis, Daphne's best friend. "So even if Professor Elric can't do magic, you have to admit that he's got some neat tricks up his sleeves."

"Parlour tricks at best," Malfoy said dismissively. "A wizard could have made the statue come to life!" He then focused his gaze on the two girls. "Have both of you forgotten why you were placed in Slytherin House, the house of purity and power? True power lies in one's blood, so you'd better stop this heretical way of thinking, or else-"

"Or else what?" Daphne demanded. "You'll send an owl to your father? Let me remind you that my father holds a seat as one of Great Britain's representatives on the International Confederation of Wizards. You can't intimidate me that easily, Malfoy. And blood is not power, knowledge is. And unlike you, Malfoy, I can clearly see that Professor Elric has a great deal of knowledge that he's willing to pass down to us if we can prove ourselves worthy, which is an opportunity that I will not allow to go to waste."

Tracey grinned "That, and Professor Elric's pretty easy on the eyes, wizard or not." She then gave a dreamy sigh that was obviously being exaggerated. "Seeing his majestic beauty for myself... it's inspired me to broaden my view! After all, these days it's pretty difficult for two Purebloods to marry without committing incest, which can lead to some pretty severe birth defects." Tracey continued as she gave Malfoy a smirk. "We only have to look at you to see evidence of the dangers of inbreeding, Malfoy."

Draco Malfoy stopped dead in his tracks, a perfect mixture of shock, embarrassment, and outrage on his face with his mouth wide open.

"Aww, he's not even denying it! Well, that's enough fun for now. Let's go Daphne!" Tracey smiled at her best friend, who was struggling slightly to maintain her composure. The two Slytherin girls then went on their way, leaving Malfoy behind.

It was a full five minutes before Draco snapped out of his stupefied state, and when he did he whole face went red with rage. He'd show those two harlots! He'd prove to them that real power only lived in those with magic flowing through their veins, and that Elric was nothing but a filthy Muggle...

One thing at a time, Draco reminded himself. It was his sacred duty to cleanse Hogwarts of the Muggle slime stinking up its halls. He'd be able to handle the internal affairs of his house later.

Draco knew that the first order of business would be writing a letter to his father, Lucius Malfoy, and informing him of Elric's inferior blood status. Unfortunately though, it would take a bit of time for his father to take all the steps necessary to remove Elric from the school. Perhaps there was something Draco himself could do in the meantime...

Elric said that he'd be hosting sparring sessions for each of his classes for the entire month, Draco realized, as a diabolical idea formed in his mind. Malfoy then directed his attention to two bumbling buffoons who had been right behind him ever since he's left Elric's classroom.

"Crabbe, Goyle, there's something I need you two idiots to do for me..."

Everyone, please join me as we all say a prayer for Crabbe and Goyle, who will likely soon be departing us... unless they decide to stick around as ghosts of course.

IMPORTANT!

For those of you out there who have nurtured the dream of being my beta reader/ editor and assisting me in the vital role of maintaining proper grammar and spelling as well as keeping everyone in my story in character (I know that some of you have, don't try to deny it) I'm sorry to tell you that I already have one: my younger brother. Even if you're disappointed, you have to admit, it's rather fitting for two brothers to be writing a story about Fullmetal Alchemist together.

In regards to Ed's REALLY long explanation about the basics of alchemy, it may have been long-winded, but I felt it was necessary since I've seen so many Harry Potter/Fullmetal Alchemist crossovers where the author completely skips so many important things about alchemy.

As for Daphne and Tracey arguing with Malfoy in regards to Edward Elric, I feel that in order to remove any misunderstanding, I should clarify on the personalities I have given them both, since the books never seemed all that descriptive on their characters.

Daphne is a very rational girl, as shown when she points out the Muggle Repelling Wards, and when she states that knowledge is power instead of blood. Nonetheless, I couldn't help making her one of Ed's fangirls, as shown when she smiles brightly at him during class. Tracey on the other hand is much more emotional - if that's the proper term - and isn't afraid to go for the cheap shot, as you all just saw.

If you're wondering where I got the inspirations for their personalities, just check out some of James Spookie's stories. They're really good.

Well, that's it for now, please let me know that you all think!