Prologue

"Al, do I have to wear this…this thing?" A golden haired man stood in front of a large ornate mirror holding a crimson silk cravat. His hair was coming loose from the hastily tied braid; strands were hanging across his face, getting in his eyes. His brother was standing by the bay window on the other side of the room and laughed as he took in his brother's dishevelled appearance.

"Really Ed, anyone would think it was you getting married and I was the best man, not the other way around!" Al exclaimed coupled with a bout of good humoured laughter. "And yes, you do have to wear it. You know Winry has the whole day planned to the minutest detail. If she sees you standing next to me at the altar without wearing this 'thing', you will have so many wrenches thrown at your head you wouldn't be able to perform alchemy again, got it?"

"Yeah, yeah. I've got it." Ed turned back to the mirror and attempted to copy Al's earlier success at tying the cravat. However, when he had finished, rather than resembling the neatly tied knot adorning his brother's neck, Ed's resembled a hangman's noose.

Hearing the muffled string of curses, Al gently smiled and walked over to his brother and untied the piece of silk, starting over. Following the practiced steps that Winry had drilled into him in the run-up to the wedding he was able to successfully tie his brother's cravat, pinning it with a gold diamante pin.

"Hmm, this makes me feel like I'm the big brother." Al thought aloud, much to Ed's chagrin.

"Who you calling so short that even an ant would need a magnifying glass to see him?"

"Nobody brother" Al sighed but inwardly chuckled at his brother's familiar antics. "Put your waistcoat and jacket on and we'll be ready to leave."

Ed swiftly donned the heavy satin waistcoat that was a dark cream in colour with a deep crimson swirl pattern embroidered upon it. Throwing the soft black jacket on top and placing a red silk handkerchief in the chest pocket, Ed turned to his younger brother in complete seriousness. It was time to fulfil one of the main jobs as position of best man, a job of which he had been notified of by Fuery.

"Umm, well, Al…you see the thing is, I'm your best man and all so…" At this point Al interjected, much to Ed's relief.

"If you are going to ask me if I think I am making the right decision in marrying Winry, my answer is very simple. I love her and ever since we returned from Germany, all I have thought about is the day I would take her hand in marriage. So yes, this is probably going to be the best decision I have made in all my life."

Ed exhaled held in breath in a sign of alleviation. "Thank god! I was deathly worried about what Winry would do to me if I inadvertently talked you out of the wedding!"

Al laughed and chucked Ed a pair of silk white gloves which he hastily put on, covering both his flesh and automail hands.

"Come on, let's go. Winry's probably going to be waiting for us at the altar if we stall much longer!"

"Do you Alphonse Elric, take Winry Rockbell to be your lawfully wedded wife, to have and to hold, for richer for poorer, in sickness and in health till death do you part?"

Al beamed at his radiant bride and clearly stated "I do" making Winry blush with happiness.

"And do you, Winry Rockbell, take Alphonse Elric to be your lawfully wedded husband, to have and to hold, for richer for poorer, in sickness and in health till death do you part?"

Smiling gently at her fiancé, soon to be husband, Winry also said, "I do."

"I now pronounce you man and wife. You may now kiss the bride." Al and Winry shared a sweet but tender kiss, pouring into it all their love and devotion towards each other.

Ed rolled his eyes at the several wolf whistles heard from the more boisterous guests, many of whom were military men, but continued to smile and applaud the happy event he had just witnessed. This time a year ago, Ed hadn't even envisaged stepping foot in Amestris again, let alone watching his brother marry someone he thought he had lost forever. It was pretty much a fluke that they were able to return to Amestris. After tracking down Huskisson on the other side of the gate, the brother's found that he was going to give his technology on nuclear weapons to a large nation, who was already on the verge of developing weapons of mass destruction. In attempt to stop this from happening, Ed and Al made to steal the atomic bomb. However, something went wrong during the heist and the bomb was triggered. Since arriving back in Germany with his brother, Ed had never used alchemy but in desperation, Ed found himself acting on instinct and picturing the alchemic array in his head. When the bomb went off, the energy from the explosion was absorbed by the array, causing it to activate. The particular array that had been activated brought Ed and Al in front of the Gate. The energy released from the Uranium bomb was substantial enough to open the gate and pass through to the other side, returning to Amestris.

Winry was overjoyed when they had returned; saying that she always knew they would come back one day. And now there they were, in Amestris, Ed watching his baby brother and childhood friend be joined in matrimony. It was one of the happiest moments of his life.

'God, I do sound like the groom!' Ed inwardly mused and gently chuckled at the thought. He was about to walk up to the newly wed couple and offer his congratulations when there was the echo of muffled shouting from outside the room followed by the sound of several gunshots. Several of the younger children present began to cry and huddle together. The members of the state military present were caught off guard, many not having anticipated an attack had left their firearms at home.

Hawkeye, however, had her trusty pistol on her, already cocked and in her hands. Mustang was standing next to her, pulling on his white gloves with his patented alchemic array stitching. Al moved in front of Winry while Ed moved away from the altar, closer to the door leading out of the room.

Several moments passed in which the only sounds to be heard were the soft whisperings of the wedding guests and the hushed sobs from the younger children. Then hell broke loose.

The heavy oak door wasn't so much flung open as it was ripped off its hinges by the force of an explosion from the other side. Through the billowing clouds of smoke, a tall silhouette emerged and moved towards the wedding party. In his right hand, he clearly held a large firearm.

Ed stiffened as his face came into view once the dust cleared. 'Shit!' It was the brother of a man Ed had arrested several months ago for his supposed involvement in a terroristic plot against Central. He had been found guilty and was executed three days ago.

"YOU BASTARD!" the intruder shouted, lifting his gun up. "YOU TOOK MY BROTHER AWAY FROM ME!"

There was the crack of a gun being fired, followed almost immediately by the same sound. Smoke wisped out of the barrel of both the trespasser's gun, as well as Hawkeye's. A red rose bloomed upon the man's white shirt, prior to his keeling over, succumbing to the darkness.

Ed looked down and saw no injury whatsoever, not even to his automail. 'Who did he shoot?' A strangled cry from the altar made Ed's heart stop and the blood freeze in his veins. He turned around to see Winry sobbing over the form of his brother, her once white dress now splattered with blood. Blood that was pooling out of the bullet hole in Al's chest.

"Al!" Ed cried as he ran towards his motionless sibling. Crouching down next to him, opposite Winry, Ed pulled off his glove and checked for his brother's pulse. It was there. Faint, but it was still there.

However, it was fading. Al didn't have long. The bullet must've punctured a lung or even hit the heart. All Ed knew was that his brother was dying.

'No, Al! You can't die! I won't let you leave Winry a widow after only a few minutes of marriage. I will not let you pay for my mistakes. Not again!'

Ignoring the cries of his superior officer behind him ordering him to stop, Ed clapped his hands activating the alchemic array in his mind.

He was brought to the gate.

"Save my brother!" Ed called out to the gate. "Save him and take whatever payment you deem fit; be it my heart, mind or soul!" Ed felt the presence of Truth wash over him and heard a voice resonate within his head.

"The equation must be balanced. A world is in turmoil causing the formulae to become unequal. Fix it and your debt is filled. I believe that is equivalent exchange."

Hundreds of phantom hands uncoiled from the entrance of the gate and stretched towards Ed. Offering no resistance, Ed allowed himself to be pulled from one side of the gate, through to the other. 'My life for Al's. Equivalence.'

The rhythmic beeping caused Ed to awake from his slumber. Opening his eyes, he was forced to screw them shut to escape the onslaught of bright white light attacking his retina. Attempting to open his eyes a second time, Ed allowed himself to become adjusted to the surreal brightness and observed that he was lying in a single bed with scratchy sheets, connected to several machines monitoring several of his bodily functions.

'A hospital then. But the last thing I remember was passing through the gate. Was it a dream? Or am I in that Germany place again?'

The door opened and an elderly man wearing what resembled a white lab coat and holding a manila file entered. Seeing that Ed was awake, he smiled and started to speak. Unfortunately Ed had no idea what he was saying.

'Another world then.'

Realising Ed couldn't understand what he was saying, the doctor changed language. Still seeing Ed's bemused face, he tried a third; striking gold in the process.

"Do you speak German?"

Ed smirked lightly and replied in the same language, "Yes, do you mind telling me where I am?"

Relieved at finding a common language the doctor proceeded to say, "You are in Guys Hospital. A group of teenagers brought you in after finding you collapsed in an alleyway; you seem to have contracted few injuries but may suffer from concussion. Would you mind if I ask you some questions?"

Ed nodded hesitantly at the doctor's request who went on to ask, "What is your name?"

"Edward Elric"

"Good, now, where do you live?"

Ah, that question was a bit more tricky. "I don't know."

The answer caused the doctor to frown slightly and note something down on his clipboard. "Do you have any friends or family close by?"

Again, another tricky question which demanded the same answer, "I don't know."

The doctor frowned. "I see. Well, this rather complicates things. It is likely that a hit to the head has caused some amnesia. Hopefully its temporary, but we're going to have to get someone to help you find your family. How old are you Edward?"

"Seventeen, I'm going to be eighteen soon though."

"Well, while you have no recollection of your family, you will have to stay in the care of the Social. At least until we find your family, or in the worst case scenario until you turn eighteen. I'll find someone to help teach you English as well."

The doctor made to leave but turned back round to face his patient when he heard him subtly cough for attention.

"I know you said I am in Guy's Hospital but where exactly is that?"

The doctor looked marginally stunned at Ed's question, but remembering his earlier diagnosis of amnesia answered, "You're in London, England."

Ah, London. Yes, Ed had heard of London during his stint in Germany. "And umm, what is the date?"

"Oh, it's the 24th October."

Ed shifted on the bed slightly before clearing his throat and asking, "And the year?"

Again the doctor stiffened at the question, wondering just how bad Edward's memory loss was before answering, "It's 1993 Ed."

Seeing the young man's crestfallen expression, the doctor patted him on the shoulder, "Don't worry Ed, we'll fix it."

'No, that is my debt to pay. I am here to fix it, to right the balance in this world. That is equivalent exchange.'

A/N OK, I know what all of you must be thinking. Why the hell have I posted a HPxFMA fix with no Harry Potter-ness? Don't worry, it will arrive, I just had to set the scene for Ed's arrival into our world as that is the most AU part of the fic.

This fic is going to be set during the 5th book, Order of the Phoenix, and several years after this prologue. I haven't decided yet on the pairings, or even if there are going to be any, but I am very open to suggestions. So go ahead, suggest away.

Umm, I think that's all I have to say except, thanks for reading, please review and I will try and have the first chapter up soon XD