Hi guys! I just want you to know that since this is my very first story on fanfiction, I am open to constructive criticism but please try to stay away from any flames, okay? Thanks! Let me know what you liked about this chapter, and how I can improve, and I'll take your advice. Oh, and I do not own nor am I affiliated with Fullmetal Alchemist. This story is written purely for fun and not for profit. Alrighty, on with the story then!

*Edit: goodgirl275 pointed out that I accidentally typed 'Granny' as 'Grabby'. This has been fixed.

"What in the..." Eleven year old Ed was awoken from his sleep by a sharp tapping noise on the window of the Rockbelle's house, where he and Al had spent yet another night. He rolled over in his makeshift bed, rubbing his eyes and yawning widely, before stepping over his sleeping brother to look out the window.

Much to his surprise, there was a tawny brown owl perched on the window sill, rapping the window with its beak, and staring at the eldest Elric brother expectantly.

Ed blinked. The owl, looking fairly annoyed, tapped on the window once more. The young blonde boy looked towards his younger brother. "Al," he hissed, nudging him in the ribs with his foot, "Al, do you know why there's an owl at the window?"

Al, who had given up on sleep as his brother continued to dig his foot into the smaller boys side, sat up and rubbed his eyes. "Owls don't come out during the day," he mumbled, voice still thick with sleep. Ed rolled his eyes.

"Well, yeah, I know that. So why the heck is it at the window?" Alphonse shrugged, and stood next to his brother.

"Oh," he pointed out, "it has a letter with it." He frowned. "I didn't know there were messenger owls."

Ed eyed the poor creature with an indeterminable look on his eye. "I'm going to take that letter," he declared, unlatching the Rockbelle's window and trying to snatch the owl, who screeched before flapping into the room and perching on a lamp. Ed could have sworn it was glaring at him, with eyes as golden as his own. Edward glared back.

Reproachfully, it held out its left leg, where, as Al had seen, there was an envelope attached with twine. Ed looked at the letter and then back to the owl. "This is nuts. Owls, delivering letters. Al," he turned to his brother, who had pulled a blanket over his already sleep-mussed hair, "do you think that Granny or Winry is trying to screw with us?" Al shrugged, still under the blanket.

Ed slowly took the letter, never breaking eye contact with the feathery animal. "Or," he continued, oblivious to Alphonse's annoyed muter of 'just take it, brother!', "it could be from," he gave a shudder, " Teacher," Alphonse squeaked from under the blanket before throwing it off.

"Do you think she knows what we're trying to do?" He asked the elder brother, wide-eyed.

"I don't know," Ed replyed, voice filled with fear, "but I do know that if she does..."

"She's going to kill us!" Al bemoaned, clutching his brothers arm.

"It was nice knowing ya, Al!" Edward cried dramatically.

"You two are weird," a girl's voice came from the doorway, interrupting the brothers dramatic farewell, "even more than you usually are."

The two blond heads whipped around to face Winry Rockbelle standing in the doorway, who had her hands on her hips. "Granny wanted me to tell you that breakfast is ready, and you - why is there an owl inside?" The last part of the sentence was said tiredly, as if she couldn't be bothered to be surprised at this point. The boys slowly followed her gaze to the tawny owl, who was now cleaning it's feathers.

"It gave me this," Ed said, holding up the letter, "I thought you might know something about it?"

Winry raised an eyebrow. "And why would I know anything about it? I didn't send it." She grabbed the letter from his hand and inspected it. "Mister E. Elric, the guest bedroom, Rockbelle automail mechanics." Warily, she looked up. "How do they know where you're staying?"

Ed shrugged his shoulders. "I dunno. Creepy though, right?" He shrugged to himself, and began to open the letter. Slowly, he pulled out a piece of parchment - seriously? How old fashioned - and scanned it. Won't and Alphonse read over his shoulder.

HOGWARTS SCHOOL of WITCHCRAFT and WIZARDRY

Headmaster: Albus Dumbledore
(Order of Merlin, First Class, Grand Sorc., Chf. Warlock,
Supreme Mugwump, International Confed. of Wizards)
Dear Mr Elric,
We are pleased to inform you that you have been accepted at Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry. Please find enclosed a list of all necessary books and equipment.
Term begins on 1 September. We await your owl by no later than 31 July.
Yours sincerely,
Minerva McGonagall

He blinked. Then: "What in the hell?"

He faced his brother and Winry, who had matching looks of confusion on their faces.

"Magic isn't real, Brother, is it?" Al questioned him. Ed snorted.

"Of course not! But, this defiantly proves that someone is pulling a prank on us. Now we just need to prove who."

"How do you know it's a prank?" Winry asked him, raising her eyebrow in curiosity.

Ed and Al exchanged a look, before Ed broke into laughter. Al sighed at his older brothers lack of tact. "Are you kidding me?" Ed snickered, "Magic isn't real, stupid!"

She went red in the face. "Well, even if it isn't, you don't have to be so mean!" She stormed towards the door before spinning on her heel to face them. "And I'm telling Granny not to let you have any breakfast, Edward!"

The two brothers raced after her, shouting at the top of their lungs. "Winry, wait up!"

Granny Pinako eyed the letter that Ed handed her with a suspicious glint in her eyes. "And it was delivered by owl, you say?"

Ed nodded, his mouth to full of breakfast to speak.

Pinako 'hmph'd'. "Well, I figured this would show up sinner or later. Your mother told me about it before she got sick."

Ed and Al blinked before sharing a completely befuddled look. Their mom had known about this?

"Our mom... knew...?" Al ventured curiously. Pinako nodded, looking at them over her round glasses.

"Of course she did. She was a witch."

Did nothing in this world make sense anymore?

"That's impossible!" Ed and Al exclaimed together.

"Mom would have told us something," Al continued to protest.

Granny snorted, and turned her attention to bringing bowls to the table for breakfast. "Would she have?"

The brothers hesitated. Would she? Of course, now they would never know. They didn't even know what to think anymore.

Word count: 1,066 without AN