A/N: Here's the first chapter of the new and improved Mission: Hogwarts! Hope you enjoy this new plot line!

As a general note, when I say 'Mustang's men' that may or may not include Hawkeye. I find it just plain awkward to say 'Mustang's men and woman' and I'm pretty sure Hawkeye's addressed like a man in the military most of the time anyway.

Disclaimer: I don't own Fullmetal Alchemist or Harry Potter.

Chapter 1: An Inconvenient Assignment

'That damn Hakuro...forcing such a huge operation on my team! How the hell am I supposed to get promoted in a place like England?! Obviously he's trying to keep me from taking his place as Führer,' General Roy Mustang fumed as he stalked down the hallway towards his office. In his right hand, he clutched a file thick enough to hold the world's secrets, while his left hand was balled into a tense fist.

"S-Sir!" A young private hurriedly saluted Mustang as he sighted the decorated General. It was apparent that Mustang's fiery demeanor left the poor lad a pool of nerves.

"Hm," was his only acknowledgement as Roy continued his silent ranting.

'After all my diligent work in Central (with Hawkeye's help of course), he sends me off to a country further than Drachma! Oh, his excuse is good, 'making new allies' indeed! You don't need a General for that! He could send any number of Colonels on such a vague mission! But no, it had to be me!' Mustang turned a corner and entered his outer office and addressed his command. "Listen up! Be in my office for a briefing in half an hour! It's direct orders from Führer Hakuro himself! And get Fullmetal in here too!"

Havoc and Breda stood up simultaneously from their seats around the chess board and Fuery and Falman looked up from a broken radio system.

"Yes, sir," Hawkeye, the only female in the room, saluted firmly after setting down a stack of paperwork. "I will call Edward immediately."

The room was silent as the five soldiers lined up facing their superior's desk. Mustang glared at the door behind them.

"Where the hell is Fullm-"

"I'M HERE!" There was a loud crash as Mustang's office door slammed against the wall. Ed had his gloved hands on his knees, panting like he'd just run a marathon.

"Well, looks like you're actually on time for once. But this is still cutting it close. Not to mention, that entrance is completely unacceptable." Mustang gave a frustrated sigh.

"Bastard. Just cut me some slack, alright? I ran from the other side of town!" Edward straightened up and crossed his arms with a stubborn huff. "And don't call a meeting on such short notice!"

A slow smirk spread across Mustang's face. "Such short notice? But I thought that'd be perfect for you."

"WHO'RE YOU CALLING-!" Ed exploded.

"But that's beside the point. Since everyone's here, let's start this briefing." Mustang nonchalantly waved Ed's outburst aside.

Ed's jaw dropped. "D-DON'T IGNORE ME!"

But Edward stomped over to his position beside Hawkeye anyway. As soon as he got in line, all six subordinates gave Mustang a quick salute (though Ed's was a little more hesitant).

"Sir! Reporting as requested, sir!" they chanted.

"Alright, as you all know, I've just come back from a meeting with the Führer. He has requested that I be transferred temporarily to England." Sounds of surprise left Mustang's men. "Hakuro has been kind enough to let me bring my command along, but there's more to this. Though the details seem vague, England appears to be in some state of instability right now. Our country is already at war with Drachma and has seen many conflicts with other neighboring countries. The Führer believes it best that we start making some allies, starting with the wizarding population of England. This is a strategic move not only for the future, but also the present. By allying with England, we can surround Drachma and hopefully end our war up north. If not by fear, then by force.

"Also, the outcome of England will directly affect our country. If we leave England alone, the Drachmans will take it over and we would have to deal with even more enemies. But if we can help stabilize England, it will become a powerful comrade. Again," and here Roy glared down at the thick file beside his elbow, "despite the amount of background information I've gathered, the details are still vague and there's no mention of what we're stabilizing. Hopefully, we can get some more information from the Minister of Magic. He has accepted our offer to help, and has given us a place in his ministry to set up base. Further instructions of our mission will be given to us after we arrive. Any questions?"

"So, how long is this 'temporary' transfer?" Ed glared at Mustang even knowing that he was not to blame.

"Well, it depends. Our mission is to...let's see...'Aid England in regaining stability.'" Mustang eyed the file with discontent. "Once we achieve that, we can come back."

"What the-? That's ridiculous! We can't guarantee stability to a whole country! That's impossible!" Havoc exclaimed with his arms outstretched. Breda nodded in agreement.

Mustang sighed. "I agree. But if we can just sum up in a report how our actions ended a revolt or whatever the hell is going on other there, we could probably plead ignorance and head home. Even the Führer can't blame us for that."

"...Sir. How are we even getting to England? It's to the west of Drachma. With all the activity up there, it's impossible to travel through that huge country without being attacked." Hawkeye touched a finger to her chin in thought.

"You've all heard the rumors of Britain's 'magic,' haven't you? I've been informed that some of their Aurors are picking us up tomorrow at noon. I suggest packing your bags tonight and saying goodbye to your families. You may not see them for a while. Report back here tomorrow morning at 1100 hours. Dismissed." Mustang raised his gloved left hand and waved them away. However, as all six soldiers began to leave, Mustang said, "Oh! Fullmetal, if you would stay behind. There's a second part to this mission that pertains only to you."

Ed stared back in surprise. "Me? What could there possibly be in all this political crap for me?"

Mustang chuckled. "Thought you might say that. Still, it's not that hard to comprehend. Even if we want England as an ally, we can't guarantee they won't end up as our enemy someday. The Führer - and I as well - would like you to do some digging on their magical abilities. Even though it's completely separate from alchemy, you're smart enough to figure it out. Learn their strengths, and figure out a way to counter it. We're expecting a report from you at the end of all this."

Ed looked at Mustang with mild disgust. "Figures. The military's backstabbing its allies already. There are just no morals in this place, are there?"

"For all your insults, you're still here. After getting your brother's body back, I thought for sure you'd hand in your resignation letter." Mustang raised an eyebrow in silent question.

Ed blushed and said hurriedly, "I've just gotten used to it here, alright?! It's not like there's many jobs for me out there anyways. I dropped out of elementary school, remember?"

"I can hardly believe that. Hasn't Alphonse been attending Dolor University? He dropped out at the same time as you, yet he's getting a medical degree at the number one university in Amestris." Mustang nearly snorted.

"Well, Al's always been amazing like that. Besides, I can't really imagine myself in a school, studying for the next midterm, you know? I've just gotten used to this life. Is it so hard to believe?" Ed looked down irritably and muttered, "And I guess it's not that bad here...I mean, Hawkeye, Havoc, Breda...I consider all of them my friends. Even you...Maybe." At the last word, Ed looked up with a half-hearted glare.

Mustang looked at Ed in surprise, then his face fell back into a smile. "Well, as long as you're willing to stay, you're always welcome. It'd be so boring without you around to tease." Ed frowned at that. "So! Do some research on their English magic, alright?"

"Fine, fine." Ed grumbled.

"Good. You're dismissed, Fullmetal."

"So...you don't know when you'll be back?" Al worried about Ed all the time, but this mission seemed more suspicious than usual. Ed didn't seem to think much of it, but Al was having other thoughts.

Ed nodded and said, "I'll try to finish it as quickly as possible, but I can't guarantee anything. The whole mission's kinda still in the fog."

"Ed, that doesn't sound too good...You're going to another country...One that's more than just a border away! Doesn't it sound weird that they couldn't even tell you what the mission was?"

"Come on, Al. Don't be such a worry-wort! I'll be fine, I'm eighteen years old!" Ed exclaimed.

"'You'll be fine?' You can't even cook your own meals!" Al raised his eyebrows in disbelief.

"Hey! I can too! I just...choose not to!" Ed pouted angrily at his brother.

"Sure, just like how you choose not to grow any taller?" Al laughed as started stacking the dishes from dinner.

"W-Wha-?! Al, you-! YOU'RE EVIL! How could you even imply such a thing!"

"I'm not implying anything, brother, I'm making a point." Al sighed. "Who's going to take care of you if I'm not there?"

"Show a little respect for your older brother. I can take care of myself," Ed pouted as he got up to take the dishes.

"I know you can, but I worry anyway. You're my brother after all. And you could be gone a while...I'll miss you."

"Oh come off it, Al. You're going off to Dolor in a week, so we'd be apart anyway. I sure you wouldn't even notice!" Ed said as he entered the kitchen.

"...Are you excited?" Al asked, wrapping the leftovers in plastic wrap. "I mean, you're going to experience magic! It must be so wondrous..."

"Yeah, I guess. There's all those rumors about how law-defying their powers are...but I'm not gonna believe it till I see it! Scientific observation and all that, you know?" Ed smirked in a way that only he could as he turned on the tap. Reaching for the dishwashing soap, Ed began to monotonously scrub at the plates.

"Do you need help packing? I could get started on that for you," Al offered as he climbed the stairs.

"Thanks Al, but I think I can handle it myself. You just enjoy your summer break," Ed called back.

Ed looked out the window by the sink. He could see the sunset casting beautiful patterns of gold, pink, and orange over the buildings and landmarks of Central. He always loved this view. It was a rare and peaceful moment that seemed almost out of place in such a busy city. It could make him forget all the chaos he knew existed in Central.

'Well, that's enough of that. I probably won't see this view for quite a while.' Ed sighed as he put away the clean dishes and headed upstairs to pack.

Ed entered the office with his trademark suitcase and red coat, finding that almost everyone was there and ready to go.

"Hey boss! We haven't been on a mission together in a while, have we?" Breda saluted lazily as Ed walked towards him.

"Yeah, you tend to do solo mission nowadays, don't cha?" Havoc turned from his ashtray to face the young blonde. "You know, I can almost think of this as a vacation. We're going off to explore a foreign country! (They probably got a ton of hot babes there!)"

"Pfft. I wouldn't call it a vacation. That country's gonna get cold, and I don't do well in the cold." Ed frowned. He hadn't had time to switch out his automail for a more suitable model. 'If we have to make it through the winter, I'm gonna be in trouble...'

Suddenly, the door behind Ed opened with a click. Turning around, he could see that Roy Mustang was coming through the door. However, Ed's attention was focused on the two men behind Mustang. One had short curly hair and bright blue eyes, while the other fashioned a long ponytail down his back. Both were wearing buttoned down trench coats so that only a tie could be seen peeking out from underneath. Mustang closed the wooden door behind him and turned to face his command.

"Men, these are the Aurors I mentioned yesterday. This is Mr. Proudfoot-" Mustang motioned to the middle-aged man with blue eyes, "-and this here is Mr. Williamson. They will be escorting us to the Minister of Magic in England."

All six soldiers snapped their feet together and saluted the General, bowing to the two strangers immediately afterwards.

"At ease," Mustang said as he looked over to his command, but when his eyes landed on Ed's bright red coat, he sighed. "Fullmetal. Go change into your uniform right away. We're leaving to meet a Minister in an hour, and I will not allow you to be dressed so casually. I thought you said you'd take this military thing more seriously now. Obviously, it's not serious enough."

Ed threw an irritated glare at Mustang. "Yes, sir. Right away, sir." He picked up his suitcase and left for the nearest bathroom.

Mustang's eyes followed Ed out the door before looking back at the Aurors apologetically. "I'm deeply sorry for his misconduct. His higher-ups have been lenient on his attire because of his young age and his alchemic talent. However, at times like these, it does pose a problem."

The Aurors nodded unsurely. "How young is he? I did not see any other soldiers as young as him walking around," Williamson said.

"Ah, yes, he is a special case. Our military doesn't recruit children, but he alone has been in our service for quite a few years." Mustang then directed the Aurors to his couch. "Please, have a seat. England is such a faraway country. You must be tired from your travels."

"Ah, thank you, but no. We used a portkey to get here, and we must set up the next one for our way back." Proudfoot replied, and pulled out his wand.

"I...see. Well, you may go about your business. Ask any of my men if you require assistance. I still have some paperwork to finish before I can leave." Mustang said as he entered his main office.

A few minutes later, Edward returned in a blue uniform decorated with badges and ribbons. His rank of Major was displayed with four golden stripes and a star on each shoulder. He was wearing unworn combat boots that came up to his shins. He was pulling his braid out of the collar when he was greeted by his co-workers.

"That looks good on you, Edward. But you're supposed to put your hair up too," Hawkeye commented.

"Ah, this is already annoying enough. I think the braid's good. I can fight in it, and that's all that counts," Ed said.

"Yeah, Boss wouldn't be Boss without his braid. Besides, him in uniform is already creeping me out. Haha! Never thought I'd see the day!" Havoc slapped Ed hard enough on his back to topple him over. Ed just glared tiredly back at the smoking male.

'This is gonna be a long mission,' Ed thought dejectedly.

Noon was rolling around, so the Aurors started gathering everyone together.

"Alright, officers, our portkey is just about ready to leave! Stand in a circle around this shirt and make sure not to let go until I say so. If you let go too early, you may suffer some serious injuries," Williamson signaled the soldiers to approach the light green shirt laid out on Breda's desk. Mustang and his command inched towards the shirt as if it would bite into an arm at the first chance.

"So...this shirt is a...potkey?" Fuery asked timidly.

"Portkey, but yes. You touch it and it will take us to the Ministry of Magic lobby when it disappears. Now hurry! It leaves in ten seconds."

Immediately, all the Amestrians rushed towards the shirt, reaching to grab it. Not long after, everyone felt a tug in their stomach and were suddenly spinning through the air.

"Hold on! Don't let go!" Proudfoot shouted when he saw the alarm in their faces.

Almost just as fast, a solid surface met the feet of these nine portkey users. The Aurors were used to the sensation, so they landed steadily on their feet. The Amerstrians were not as fortunate. Falman fell face first on the ground taking Havoc and Fuery along with him. Breda fell backwards and landed on his bottom, kicking Mustang behind the knees and forcing the General to bash his knees forcefully against the marble floor. Cursing loudly, Mustang looked up just in time to see Ed land on the edge of a large fountain fall into a golden fountain and slip. He chuckled in amusement watching Ed flap his arms around frantically in the fountain trying to get out. When he finally did climb out, he was soaked from head to toe. However, Mustang's amusement died upon seeing Proudfoot and Williamson looking skeptically at his command.

'This is not the best first impression by far. If we want them as allies, we need to gain their respect.' Mustang quickly picked himself up and cleared his throat. "Attention!"

The soldiers hurriedly got to their feet to stand in a line in front of Mustang. Ed, still soaked, ran to his spot next to Hawkeye. Despite their ruffled appearance, all six soldiers remained stalk still staring straight ahead.

"Our mission begins now. Not more scrambling around; I want efficiency and accuracy in everything you do beyond this point. Is that understood?"

"Yes, sir! Understood, sir!"

"Good. Now clean yourselves off and let's get ready to move! We will be following Mr. Proudfoot and Mr. Williamson for the time being."

"Sir, yes sir!"

As soon as he was freed from his stance, Edward clapped his mismatched hands together and touched his hair. With a brilliant blue spark, the fountain water evaporated from his head, leaving perfectly dried hair. At this simple display of alchemy, the Aurors and many bypassing wizards and witches dropped their jaws in astonishment. They had never seen such wandless magic before. However, it would seem that the famous Fullmetal was used to onlookers, because he just continued to dry his uniform (which gave these spectators another glimpse of this phenomenon), and went to pick up his brown suitcase.

"W-What the hell?! How can he do that! I'm know he didn't use a wand!" Proudfoot exclaimed. "T-That's just not possible!"

Mustang smirked. 'Well, I think that's the right impression I was looking for.' Instead he said, "That was just some simple alchemy. Any beginner alchemist could do such a basic state change. Of course, us State Alchemists can go much more advanced than that little pallor trick."

Ed's brow twitched at the 'little' comment, but he remained silent. Political agendas went way over his head; it was more Mustang's category. (He could always punch Mustang in the face later.)

"But he's just a child! From what we've heard, even simple alchemy is incredibly complex! In fact, before your country contacted us, we thought it was a nearly impossible art!"

"Like I've said before, Edward here is a special case. The military wouldn't keep someone so young otherwise. To our knowledge, he is the only Amestrian alive who can transmute - do alchemy, that is - with just his hands. Most alchemists have to draw alchemic arrays for it to work at all." Mustang explained as he eyed Edward. 'There. I've given you some credit, Fullmetal. So behave yourself for this mission.'

Edward seemed to get his message, though he gave Mustang an unimpressed grunt and an exaggerated eye roll.

"I-I see..." Williamson said, though it was obvious he did not see.

"My, my! Look at the time! We have to get you all to the Minister's office in five minutes! Let's go!" Proudfoot beckoned the large group towards an extravagant corridor as he checked his pocket watch.

The group quickly followed after Proudfoot towards the elevator at the other end. The Amestrians tried not to look like excited tourists, but it was exceptionally hard. Many of these soldiers lived in small apartments and military dorms, and for those who had suffered through the nightmarish Ishbalan trenches, walking through this palace was almost unimaginable.

By the time the group reached the antique looking elevator, many of them were speechless from the beautiful architecture. Central headquarters could never look like this!

The elevator doors opened, and the nine people squeezed in. After a short ride, the doors opened again to reveal another long corridor. However, instead of an elevator shaft on the other side, there was a pair of large oak doors.

"Alright, then. We're almost there. The Minister's office is just on the other side of those doors," Williamson said as he pointed towards those twin wooden doors.

Three loud knocks woke Cornelius Fudge from his midday nap.

"C-Come in!" Minister Fudge replied as he quickly glanced at the clock. 'Ah. So it's those Amestrians.'

The door creaked open and Fudge was suddenly faced with a crowd. Looking to the only two people he recognized, he nodded for them to proceed.

"Minister Fudge! We've brought your Amestrian guests, as per your request. Would you like us to stay or would you prefer to be left in private?" Williamson said as he led the whole group into the Minister's large office.

"...Both of you stay, just in case. Of course a military man like you will take no offense?" Minister Fudge looked to Mustang apprehensively.

"Of course not. I would do the same in your position, Minister," Mustang replied cooly. 'So, this guy's a wimp. Good to know.'

Fudge breathed a sigh of relieve. "Ah, yes. Right. So, how should we start?"

Ed raised his eyebrows. 'What the hell's wrong with this guy? No wonder England's unstable. Their Minister can't even hold a briefing right!'

Mustang was having the same thoughts as Ed. This Fudge character shouldn't get intimidated just because they were foreign! This was ridiculous... "How about we start with introductions? Sadly, we don't know much about you. The file you sent us was very vague on many counts. Quite dissatisfactory, really."

Mustang's command caught his strategy immediately. Mustang was egging Fudge on. He wanted to see how far he could push this Minister's nerves and how far he would bend.

"A-Ah! Quite sorry about that...Terribly sorry. I-I'll talk to my secretary immediately! Yes..." Fudge was already sweating.

Mustang's signature smirk made its grand appearance. "Yes...Seeing as you are still failing to introduce yourself, I will go ahead." Mustang watched as Fudge continued to sputter and thought, 'This'll be easier than I thought. Pull a few strings here and there, and we'll be home in a month.'

Unlike Mustang, Edward couldn't hold a straight face. Luckily, the attention was on Mustang so his amusement went unnoticed. 'Usually I can't stand the manipulative Bastard, but when you're on his side, this can be kinda fun.'

"Now then, I am General Roy Mustang, also known as the Flame Alchemist. Here is my elite command. These are the men I would trust my life with."Stepping aside and pointing to Edward, he continued, "This is Major Edward Elric, the Fullmetal Alchemist."

Edward straightened up and gave a firm salute, fearlessly challenging Fudge's skeptical look.

Mustang also noticed the doubt in Fudge's eyes and decided to elaborate. "I would suggest you not judge a book by its cover, Minister. Edward Elric may be young, but he is without question one of the most talented and powerful alchemists in our country. He is a prodigy in his own right and is well-known not only in Amestris, but also in many neighboring countries, including Drachma and Creta."

Satisfied that he had made his point, Mustang continued down the line. "This is First Lieutenant Riza Hawkeye, Second Lieutenant Jean Havoc, Second Lieutenant Heymans Breda, Second Lieutenant Vato Falman, and Sergeant Major Kain Fuery.

"Now then. We have introduced ourselves, and would now like to find out who you are, Minister." Mustang continued to push at Fudge's nerves.

"Y-Yes. I am Minister Cornelius Oswald Fudge, Order of Merlin, First Class. Your Führer offered his services and I've accepted them. I've vacated an office two levels above for you and your people." Fudge spoke quickly, trying to get these people - Mustang especially - out of his office.

"Our mission, Minister?" Mustang interrupted. He held no respect for this Minister, and he wasn't afraid to show it. Mustang could tell Fudge wasn't the real man in charge. He had been the puppeteer enough times to pick out a puppet when he saw one. Fudge was no threat.

"A-Ah, yes. Your mission is this. Investigate Albus Dumbledore."

A/N: Yay! First chapter up. I'm hoping this story will go better than my first attempt. Please give your honest opinions on this new story. My writing's a little rusty, but I'm hoping you can still enjoy it! Read and review, people!