Fullmetal Wizard | Chapter 43

Title: Moody encounter.

Harry stood before Moody as the man looked at the note. Moody was frowning.

"No. Out of the question. No." Moody said vehemently, and handed the paper back to Harry. "Head back to headquarters immediately."

Harry's mouth dropped open.

"It's not that far away!" Harry said. "We can't just.."

They were standing in a nearby alleyway, out of sight of the Muggles on the street. The place was rather clean and well kept. The garbage bins were closed tight down about the middle, with their lids down. Harry couldn't even see stray cats wondering down it.

"Wrong. You wanted to know if he was alright. You just determined that. Proof's right there in your hand. There's no need for you to take any further, unnecessary risks."

Tonks palmed her face.

"Moody. He's just a kid...!" Tonks said.

"Who successfully ditched 4 Aurors, and 2 order members that I trained myself! Not to mention the fact he likely trapped the current head of the Aurors with that..that..whatever he does. No. Too risky for Harry."

"Afraid of a little challenge are you?" Tonks said, smiling.

"What?" Moody froze, and glared at Tonks with a narrowed eye, his other spinning wildly in its socket.

"They may be Muggle based, but Edward's using similar tatics you do." Tonks said. "And..he's only 16. Now, here's the question: are you going to let a mere kid beat you at your own game, Alastor? Or are you going to outsmart him?"

Moody growled, and glared once more at Tonks. "I never. EVER. Shy away from a REAL challenge..."

"You haven't even caught so much of a glimpse of him yet, now have you?" Harry said, then blinked. He was so surprised that he actually said that aloud, but he was determined not to let his surprise show. At the moment, he concentrated more on keeping his hands from covering his mouth than on meeting Moody's glare he was certain was shot his way.

Moody opened his mouth, then closed it. Then he blinked.

"Bloody hell." Moody scowled at Tonks. Then he glanced breifly at Harry. "Come on."

Moody marched ahead of them, leading the way to Market Place. Lupin fell back and placed a hand on Harry's shoulder.

"Well said." Lupin said softly, and walked beside Harry for a while.

Ron, and Hermione were mutely accompanied by Tonks behind them.

7658 Market Place was another well kept shop. A coffee shop in fact, with a patio full of tables with large umbrellas that spilled out to the sidewalk, nearly reaching to the street. Moody stopped and stood by one table, it lone occupant typing away idly on a laptop. The other tables were similarly occupied. Moody turned and looked back to Tonks, and curled his lip in irritation. Then turn away and stalked inside.

"Well, may as well get comfortable. We have a few hours 'til the meet up." Tonks said cheerfully. To Harry's ears, it sounded rather forced.

"What's Moody doing?" Harry asked her, as they sat at their chosen tables. Tonks and Lupin sat on either side of him. Ron and Hermione sat together, across from him, that is, once Hermione managed to, politely, get the attention of the laptop typing person and got them to move elsewhere. (Oh! how Ron had stared at the device! 'He may just have inherited his father's facination with Muggle things' Harry thought.).

"He's...getting ready." Tonks said, and swallowed. She smiled at him, and again, it looked forced.

Ed sat nowhere near 7658 Market Place.

He was, in fact, browsing through books in a used bookstore, sitting comfortably on the top shelf, in this dusty section way in the back. It was his favorite section, as that was where the oldest of books were kept. Most, he knew, would be utter rubbish to him. There were the occasional gems to be found, however, which is what kept him looking there for the past few hours.

He heard the faint sound of bells which signaled the arrival of someone up front, and he suddenly remembered his note. He blinked, took out his pocket watch, and flicked it open.

The dial read 5:30.

With a reluctant sigh, he climbed down the ladder, replacing the watch as he went. His black gloved hand held his selection for the day. "Al-khimia" with no author known; It was more a pamphlet than a book really, with many many loose pages, written in a tiny script.

He dutifully paid his dues at the counter in the front and pocketed the book in the brown trench coat he had managed to salvage from a thrift store along that same street. His pants were from that same thrift store, being a dark brown. He had even managed to find a matching vest. Only the long sleeved, off-white woolen shirt remained the same as it did from the day before. He figured it didn't smell too badly just yet.

'Didn't want to chance them tracking me back to the hostel. No need to get anyone else caught up in my mess.' Ed thought, as he headed to Market Place. His eyes were still hidden behind dark glasses, and his hair was still long and loose, and dyed a deep black to match his gloves. He walked causally down the other side of the street, pretending to be window shopping. What he was really doing was watching the reflections on the glass. He blinked at what he saw, surprised.

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