Author Note: I just had a thought... since Edward has been to Hogwarts, I never said whether or not Edward had ever changed his clothes...or got them washed...or anything like that.

So, lets just assume he didn't make his clothes too dirty, and well... you gotta wonder, right? This chapter, I'm forcing him to wash his clothes.

Oh, um.. and it never specifically stated whether Edward or Alphonse knew of their heritage, or maybe it did and I missed it, but I'll just assume that they did. Makes this a whole lot easer.

And as you may have already noticed, there won't be much interaction between the Elric's and the non-main characters of Harry Potter. Sorry, but there is already a lot going on as it is, my brain can't keep up with much more. However, if anyone has any specific character appearances/request, just let me know and I'll try my best to put something in.

Oh, and there won't be too much Umbridge in these next few chapters. Don't really need her, but she will play a part later. Too much going on right now to be settled out so that I can have my big event. (:

Edward Elric woke up with his face implanted in the stone floor. "dmmmhht," he mumbled, his voice muffled beyond comprehension. Al wasn't in the room, which would explain why he woke up on the ground in the first place. If he were here, Alphonse would have had the decency to wake him up. Probably.

Ed corrected himself and wiped the dust off his face, massaging his sore nose. He thought back, trying to figure out what made him fall off the bed in the first place, was it the dream? In in, the shadow hands from the inside of the gate were clawing at his skin, trying to drag him through, trap him inside.

Yes, Edward decided. Definitely the dream.

Edward sighed, and groggily walked over to where the notebook he and Al had compiled their thoughts in, and managed to trip over some large object along the way. He picked himself up and walked over to the object, noticing that it was a trunk

"..what the hell?" Ed said aloud, looking it over. He opened it and looked inside, noticing first the large note lying on top a pile of fabric.

I look the liberty of having our house elves take your clothes down for washing.

Inside, you will find an assortment of fabric, I'm sure you will be able to conjure up something to wear today

until your clothes have been properly washed.

Sincerely, Albus Dumbledore

"Senile old man." Ed muttered, and put the note aside. As his hands moved towards the fabric, he saw that he was not in the clothes he wore to bed. Instead of his black shirt and pants, he was in a set of striped pajamas. "I don't even want to know. Damn senile..."

His mood lifted when he saw that the fabric inside would actually be useful in transmuting himself a new outfit. He looked back, now thankful that he and Dumbledore shared the brief conversation about alchemy. He used an example to explain the versatility of alchemy, telling him that if he had a base, he could create practically anything in range of that base, recalling when he had to fashion himself a new coat out of some red fabric after his last one has been ruined. Apparently, Dumbledore had good memory.

When he was done, he had made himself a loose, long sleeved, black shirt and durable black pants, feeling no need to stray away from his usual attire. He put on his belt and watch, not bothering to make a coat, in the mood to go casual. He slipped the notebook into his pants pocket and tucked his pants into his boots. Al wasn't here to fix his braid, so he just pulled his hair back into a pony tail and called it a morning. Before he left, he searched for a note or something, explaining why his brother wasn't there. Just as he walked over to Al's bed, the door opened. Startled, Ed turned, relieved when he saw Al.

"Where were you?" Edward asked, slightly annoyed. Al looked Ed over, his eyes darting quickly to the trunk and back. He sighed.

"I got bored, so I went for a walk. I found Dumbledore, he said his morning was free, so if we hurry..." Al stated, and Ed nodded.

"Yeah. Got it, come on," Edward said and they headed for Dumbledore's office. When they arrived, he was behind his desk, reading some parchment letters.

Dumbledore looked up, a casual smile in place. His eyes, even in this early hour, twinkled behind his half moon spectacles. "Good morning. Alphonse, you said that you had something to discuss with me?"

He took a quick look at the elder brother, noting that he made use of the material he left with him. It amused him, seeing the boy's taste in clothing and hair.

The brothers nodded, and Edward said, "It's concerning Nicolas Flamel. How much do you know about him?"

Dumbledore's calm facade faded, and he looked shocked, but only for a moment. "While he was still alive, I worked with him. We often talked about the Philosophers stone, and other alchemy he was researching, though I can't say that I ever dug to deep into his personal life, if that's what you mean. I've met his wife, yes, but he didn't share much else."

The brothers shared a look, and Alphonse nodded. "Did he ever say where he was from, originally?" Edward asked, and Dumbledore paused to think.

"He told me he spent most of his life here in London, though he didn't comment much on his early years. He said he came from a well off family, noble I do believe. Why?" Dumbledore asked, curious now to see if the brothers knew more about his friend than he did himself.

Edward opened the notebook and handed it to Al, who said, "We have reason to believe that Nicolas is from our world."

Dumbledore looked perplexed, their world?

"Care to elaborate?" Dumbledore said. He put his parchment down, and switched to where his chin was resting on his palm.

Ed got comfortable in his seat, and Dumbledore knew this would be a long explanation. "We told you that the gate, Truth, sent us here. Well, on the other side of that gate is our world. I think it's still Earth, though just an alternate version, where as alchemy is our form of magic," Edward began. "Based on Nicolas' autobiography, and his age, we believe he may have been a resident of one of our countries. According to legend, alchemy originated from a country called Xerxes, so that's our strongest lead, though he could have come from elsewhere."

Dumbledore remained silent, and that urged Edward to continue. "The autobiography didn't have any colored pictures, you wouldn't happen to have one of him, would you?"

The question wasn't what Dumbledore expected, but still he nodded and rummaged through one of his many drawers, his slender fingers moving silently. Within a few minutes, he pulled out a small photograph. On it, was a still life picture of a younger looking Dumbledore and another man. He was a little older than middle aged, with long, though faded blonde hair, defined facial features and golden eyes.

Together, the brothers said, "Xerxes." From what they've read and heard of their own heritage, those with golden eyes and hair, along with sharp and defined facial features, descended from Xerxes. There was almost no mistaking it now, he was certainly from their world. Dumbledore questioned the truth of his words at first, but the burning intensity of his eyes and his collected appearance proved that he was serious. Dumbledore believed them.

"Interesting, I always did wonder where those particular traits came from, though it's not like I have not seen odder in my many years," Dumbledore said, deep in thought. As he pondered this knew theory, he absentmindedly reached over to a bowl filled with small, yellow, candies and plopped one into his mouth.

"You said noble right? It would be pretty funny if he were the king or something, but anyway..." Edward began, and then trailed off when he realized he was wasting time. "There's more. Al?"

Al nodded and glanced at the list. "Could you tell us what exactly a horcrux is?"

Dumbledore's chin slipped off his hand, and for a moment, the brothers thought he would start chocking on the candy that he was just eating. He corrected himself and his eyes bore into the Elrics. They could tell already, this was a serious subject.

"Might I ask where you came across this term?" Dumbledore asked, completely serious.

Edward motioned to Alphonse and he pulled out a book, handing it to Dumbledore, showing him a marked page. "It was here, Nicolas compared it to human transmutation. Well, sort up, he only said it was considered-"

Dumbledore held up his hand to silence the boy, and studied the book with the other. "Yes, yes. I see it."

Edward grew annoyed at the silence that unfolded as Dumbledore sat there, deep in thought. With a repressed sigh, Ed said, "You mind explaining just what the hell a horcrux is, then?"

Dumbledore reached into another drawer, this one right under his desk. He pulled out what looked like a diary, though there was a deep, ridged, hole dug into it. "This is a horcrux, one that was destroyed by Harry Potter back in his second year here," he explained, though continued when he saw the boy's confused looks. "A horcrux, " he began again, "Is an item in which a person put a part of his own soul into. It can be just about anything, and in this case, it is a diary. Tom Riddle, now known as Lord Voldemort, put his soul into this very book on hopes to becoming immortal."

"I'm...guessing he failed then, if it was destroyed?" Edward said, deeply disturbed.

"No, just recently he was resurrected, meaning that this isn't the only horcrux. Unless all horcruxs are destroyed, he is, and will remain immortal, which is what makes him so dangerous. Even if he was destroyed, we have no hope in defeating him until all horcruxs are destroyed as well," Dumbledore explained.

Edward looked down, his clenched fist, trying to get his emotions under control. "And horcruxs are created... you have to murder, right?" Dumbledore nodded. "Sick bastards."

Dumbledore looked up, an uncharacteristic glint in his eyes, "How is it that Nicolas compared human transmutation to horcruxes, then?

"They say, back where I'm from, that it's a taboo," Edward said, catching on to the old man's tone, and not liking it one bit. Suddenly, it appeared that the brothers were totally different people, like there were other people inside the brother's bodies, speaking for them. Ones that were much older and experiences, ones that saw much more than they should.

"But that's the only way they compare," Al spoke up, his had a rough edge to it, yet crisp.

"With human transmutation, it usually involves trying to bring the dead back to life, not to preserve your own soul. However," Edward began, still staring at the ground. "It's impossible to create life with alchemy...unless a real philosophers stone is created, and used. Perhaps, this is what Nicolas meant."

"The design on that page, the one that looks similar to the blood seal that bonded my soul with this armor, we think it's connected to to whatever magic is used to create horcruxes. We're not sure what that means, but it could link alchemy with magic," Alphonse finished, leaving Dumbledore to his thoughts.

"Yes," Dumbledore agreed, rubbing his silvery beard. "Yes, it could, but that isn't all, is it?"

Edward grinned, breaking the serious atmosphere. "You already have us figured out, don't you old man?"

Dumbledore straightened up, putting the book onto his desk. "Not even close," he said, an amused grin on his face; a familiar, curious twinkle returning to his eyes. The atmosphere lifted. "Now, continue."

Dumbledore could feel the atmosphere in the room shift again, Edwards eyes had been shifting continuously, as if he was switching between mask of his own self, each emotion so powerful that they completely over took him. He passed a quick glace at Alphonse, and only saw the hallow insides of his armor. He fought the chill that wanted to run down his spine. They were so young, Dumbledore thought. They shouldn't be able to have this kind of impact on people. They shouldn't have that kind of knowing gaze.

Alphonse was silent, and Edward didn't say anything, only smirked, not matching the mood. "Were going to need your help..." he paused. "To create a Philosophers stone."

====== muhaha cuz I'm evil ======

It took a little convincing to get Dumbledore's help. At first, he wasn't sure what to think of the idea. Sure, he promised his assistance, though he didn't think they would try to get another stone out of him. It was risky.

"It's dangerous to bring an object like that back into the world," Dumbledore tried, referring to the event that happened back in Harry Potter's first year. However, the brothers promised that the stone would be destroyed right after use, so he would have nothing to fear. After a moments debate, Dumbledore was hooked on the idea, driven further by his own curiosity, leaving the brothers to conclude that he really was a senile old man.

"Alright, we have a deal," Dumbledore finally said, closing with a handshake. "And as we promised..."

Edward nodded hesitantly, agreeing to one of the terms they discussed while the brothers were trying to persuade Dumbledore. "No more secrets," Edward agreed. Of course, that included Dumbledore as well. "I still want my privacy, though. At least from the students, same for Alphonse."

"Agreed," Dumbledore said, and nodded.

They boys left the office feeling as though they were finally moving forward. They had been stuck in a constant state of just being. Since they arrived, all they did was research. Sure, they had a few laughs, but now it was time to get serious again. Now they would finally take action.

"So, uh, where to next?" Edward asked. He thought the visit with Dumbledore would have taken more time than it had, and now there was free time. His stomach rumbled and Edward glared down at it. Al chuckled beside him. Before Al spoke, Edward said, "Yeah, I know. Breakfast."

Al chuckled again, and Ed knew more than well that if he denied food when he was hungry, his brother would force it down his throat. Not that he didn't like eating or anything...

They made it to the great hall just before breakfast was starting up, deciding to sit with the staff, neither of them in a talkative mood. A few student's took curious looks at Edward, it was strange to see someone looking so casual during school hours, though the brothers paid no mind. Edward ate in silence, Alphonse a statue beside him, until McGonagall walked over.

"I'll need you too in my classroom when you're done," she said, a certain look in her eye that the brothers couldn't place. Excitement? "I must ask you to hurry, there is planning to be done before my first class."

The brothers nodded and Edward downed the rest of his breakfast with new, determined haste, curious as to what the professor wanted. Once done, he put down his fork and made his way quickly to the transfiguration room, Al in close step behind him.

They arrived with a light knocking to McGonagall's classroom door. She called them, looking over to Edward and saying, "Dumbledore gave you material, no doubt. I don't understand why you didn't fashion yourself a robe. You would blend in much better." The brothers knew it was just side conversation, and the eldest passed it off as a light topic.

"Me and robes don't mix. I need versatility," Edward said, stiffing a yawn. "Besides, I rely on alchemy and combat, not magic."

"I understand," McGonagall replied. Neither of the brothers knew that what Edward had said only pushed her to try out her newest idea. With a deep breath, she immediately began her explanation. There wasn't much time left. "I've decided to put forth a duel between you and your brother," she began, talking directly to Edward. "...and the other students. I thought it would be interesting to see who would place better in one such duel, alchemy or magic? I'd like to see what you two are capable of."

A growing smirk was starting to appear on the elder brother's lips, enjoying the thought of the idea immensely. Alphonse, even through the armor, looked pleased. Edward asked, "A duel?"

"Yes, in a controlled environment meant to disable your opponent only," McGonagall explained. The edge of of Edward's lips twitched slightly, his eyes shaded from showing his true excitement by his long bangs.

"Sounds fun, today then?" Edward asked, the old professor nodded.

"Awesome," Alphonse said, he knew it would be something to enjoy.

The Elric's stayed in McGonagall's class, knowing they wouldn't have enough time to do anything productive beforehand. Harry and friends didn't have class with Edward, Alphonse and McGonagall until after lunch. So until then, they would have to entertain themselves by showing all the little wizards what they could really do with alchemy.

The first class that came in, mostly a group of Hufflepuff's, seemed a bit nervous about what was to come, so the Elric's took things relatively slow. The duels went by quick, usually ending when Edward knocked a wizard off their feet. Some didn't even try.

Edward and Alphonse switched roles every class. In the first, Edward handled combat while Alphonse spotted whichever wizard he would be facing, to make sure no one got hurt. During the second class, they switched so that Alphonse got to lead, though the matches held out less than before, the challengers too intimidated by his appearance, much to the younger brother's disappointment. By the time lunch had come, knocking two of McGonagall's classes out the way, the brothers had yet to be defeated. Edward and Alphonse couldn't help but be pleased. Although, what they truly waited for was the class after lunch. They knew most of the students in that class, and they were also older, more skilled. They might actually put up a decent fight.

Edward's stomach growled, and again Alphonse whisked his younger brother away.

In a good mood from the alchemy he had done earlier, Edward convinced his brother to sit with him at the students' table - not like Alphonse needed much convincing anyway. They took a seat next to Harry and his friends and already, the trio and company were firing questions like cannon balls toward an enemy's ship.

"Is it true, mate?" Ron asked hesitantly. "We have to duel you two in Transfiguration?"

Edward nodded, a grin twitching in the corner of his mouth, and Ron muttered, "Blimey." He leaned back, hand on his forehead brushing up his hair, and sighed.

Hermione perked up, trying to calm Ron down. "It won't be that bad, Ron. Really, I'm sure it will be fun." Harry nodded in agreement, and the twins butted in to the conversation.

"I'm sure you will be fine, Ronny," Fred said, mocking his younger brother. Edward grinned and Ron stuck out his tongue.

"Yeah," Edward agreed. "Besides, Al will make sure I don't kill you."

Ron gulped, passing off what Edward said at first as a joke, but the look in his eyes proved that he was dead serious. Alphonse sniggered, it was fun to tease Ron. The twins burst into laughter and their younger brother's protest, and the Elric's ate the rest of their meal in silence, refusing to say anything else on the matter. Ginny was sitting next to Neville, a boy the brothers were never properly introduced to, being uncharacteristically quiet.

The bell that ended lunch rang, it's monotone pitch echoing through the great hall as students groaned. Ron gulped down one last forkful of food and got up almost shakily. The twins left before the fifth years, rushing off to do who knows what while the others waited for Ron, and Ginny followed.

"I'm Neville by the way," the boy with medium length, dark brown hair said, holding out his hand. Carefully, Edward held out his left hand and shook Neville's cautiously. Edward wasn't one for much physical contact, unless it was a fist to your face, specifically that of one Flame Alchemist's back in Amestris.

Draco and his followers from Slytherin walked by then, bumping into Neville. "Will you be the one to take down the pipsqueak first then?" Draco sneered. "Or will he win by default for looking like a girl?"

A female, one with long, dark hair and a calculating gaze scoffed, "As if. Right Draco?"

Draco sneered, and the brothers took that as his way of saying yes. "The shrimp is mine." Without another word, the Slytherins continued on. Making sure Edward was okay, the others turned to him, ready for the explosion that was sure to come. What they saw instead almost caused double-takes and a bad case of whiplash.

Edward was...grinning. No, not just grinning, he was laughing. His lips parted, curled upward, and for a second showed Edwards frighteningly sharp teeth. Everyone, save for Alphonse, took a step back, fear telling them to get the hell away. With a sigh, Al whacked his older brother on the head with his overly large hands, snapping Edward out of his sadistic thoughts.

Al grabbed the neck of his shirt and pulled so hard that he lost balance, Edward screaming in protest as his was dragged all the way to Transfiguration, yelling down the hall, "Alphonse, what the hell are you doing? Let go!"

The trio, now accompanied by Neville, followed in silence.

Somehow, they managed to make it to McGonagalls class before most of the students arrived, being forced to go straight there by Alphonse. McGonagall, seeing Edward being dragged by his shirt, let out an amused chuckle.

"What?" Edward snapped, as he was finally released by his younger brother.

"Nothing," McGonagall said. "Nothing."

As they waited for the class to begin, the brothers helped to prepare with the lesson, going over what they could do differently with the older students. Ron, refusing to hear any of that discussion, sat in the very back of the classroom, as far away from them as possible. Harry and Hermione snagged seats in the front row, trying to pick out details, and Neville sat with Ron, in an attempt to keep him calm.

"So, I can actually have some fun now, Professor?" Edward asked, noting how McGonagall warned earlier this morning for him to control himself. The professor nodded, knowing that Edward wouldn't actually harm a student purposely. And, seeing how Alphonse reacted and protected any students that managed to put themselves in harms way of his older brother, she felt the students were safe in his hands. Not to say some of the younger students hadn't made a few lucky hits. Although, they were only when spells missed, hitting the earth and sending bits flying at the brothers.

Still, she had hopes that her older students would put up much more resistance, and show Edward and Alphonse that magic wasn't to be taken too lightly.

The brothers and Professor agreed to take the next lesson out to the quidditch field, instead on normal school grounds. There would be much more room that way, and hopefully much less damage to the school itself, should things get out of hand.

Once all the students had made their way to class, McGonagall began her lesson, starting with an explanation. "I'm sure you have all by now heard of the lesson planned for today. No doubt has it been among chatter spreading throughout the corridors. We will have a duel between magic and alchemy. The students that wish to engage in combat - meaning that you are allowed to use hand to hand, as well as magic - will go against Mr. Elric. Others who wish to sit out will watch from the Quidditch stands. Who would like participate?," she asked, keeping things short and sweet, trying to free up as much time as possible.

Minerva was still a bit uneasy about the idea of engaging in hand to hand, as well as magic, but there was no rule against it. She was not outwardly putting students in harm, as this assignment was voluntary, and the students could avoid physical contact should they so choose.

Most of the hands flew into the air, excluding Ron and a few of the less confident students. Among the first were Draco and Harry.

"Mr. Elric, would you mind if the students paired up into teams of two? I didn't expect there to be so many students..." McGonagall nearly mumbled, surprised at the eagerness of her students. Edward took a quick glance towards Al, and they nodded in unison. "You may partner up for this assignment," McGonagall said quickly. "Alphonse will also be partnering with Edward. Now, come along."

They headed out to the quidditch field, most students quickening their steps with anticipation. The brothers were looking forward to the challenge. It was almost painful to accept how easy it was to defeat the other students in battle, though they were a bit smug. However, this would give them a better change to test the true strength of their supposed great power.

Once out, the students separated into groups. Harry and Hermione paired, leaving Ron to watch from a safe distance. Draco paired with one of his Slytherin friends. The others paired up as well. McGonagall gave them all ten minutes to think of a strategy, leaving the brothers to talk in private.

"What do you think, Brother?" Alphonse asked. He knew they had good enough odds, but could it become more challenging?

"I'd say we have this easy," Edward replied. "Though, if I didn't want to take on Malfoy alone, I'd say we should have larger groups."

"Brother..." Alphonse scolded. "Even now, you are not talking him on alone, he has a partner."

"And so do I," Edward said, gazing up at his younger brother, his eyes pleading.

For a moment, Alphonse's armor twisted into what Edward recognized as frustration. With a defeated sigh, he said, "Fine, I'll handle his partner."

The students were given a random order. A pair the Elric's hadn't recognized went first, much to Edward's annoyance. Not putting too much thought into the battle, he acted purely on reflex alone, letting his body do most of the work. Soon enough, with a shift in the ground an a light kick to the side, the wizards were rendered unable to go on. Harry and Hermione were up next, after a group that fought much like the last. At least that group of Ravenclaws managed some elemental magic from a distance, figuring the brothers would have less of a change to dodge if something solid was thrown at them. Alphonse knocked the mass of Earth aside, though Edward did get a decent sized cut in his left arm from a flying piece of debris. The students gasped, Ravenclaws in shock that they managed to injure the blonde alchemist. However, their moment of surprise and hesitation lost them the duel, as Edward wasn't even phased.

Finally, Edward and Alphonse had the chance to have a little fun, though it wasn't the battle the elder most anticipated. Still, it would have to hold him off until he could get to Draco.

"You okay, Edward?" Hermione asked before the duel officially began. Edward nodded, seeming to just notice the wound that trickling blood down his arm. He stretched his arm slightly and ignored it.

Harry wouldn't admit it, but that managed to thoroughly increase the fear he already felt towards the older brother. Harry remembered the wounds he had received over the years. From where Harry was standing, a good twenty or so feet away, he could easily see the cut. It wasn't shallow, yet the blonde hadn't even winced. If it were Harry, or any of his friends, he would be worried about loosing too much blood.

The Professor had shared those same thoughts, and wanted to send for the nurse, but Edward refused. Before she could protest, the older brother said, "I've had worse. I'm fine, let's continue."

He didn't appear to be in any pain at all, and that scared her. Just what could cause that? She remembered when Draco had been scratched back some time ago by the Hyppogriff. He had been somewhat hysterical, and the wounds weren't bad at all. Yet Elric...

"You may begin," McGonagall said.

Putting their plan into action immediately, Hermione ran off to a safe distance, while Harry went to get closer to Ed. He thought the effort was probably not going to be rewarded, but he knew the only way to do any damage to the team, would be to get close to either Edward or Alphonse. Noting the considerable size difference, Harry figured Edward was his best bet. Not expecting this, Edward was caught off guard as Harry delivered a gutsy punch to Edwards face.

The observers gasped yet again, and were then stunned into silence. McGonagall didn't even know what to think, seeing Harry punch at all. She stepped forward, but was dismissed as Ed burst into laughter.

"Finally!" He exclaimed. "You figured it out, but that won't work again." His gaze intensified, and he dodged a charm Hermione had cast from behind him, catching it in the corner of his eye. The spell in turn hit Harry, rendering him unconscious, or maybe paralyzed, the Elrics didn't know..

Hermione ignored the fact that Harry was out, and now she was on her own. She cast spells onto Alphonse, ones that should have stunned him, yet they were useless, somehow reflecting off his armor. She murmured another spell, blasting Alphonse into the air, giving her time to go for Edward.

She blasted a few spells at the ground, sending up bits of earth at the blond. A few bits clinked at his right arm, bouncing off his automail, making a few rips in his sleeve. They were small, and no one seemed to notice the automail. Alphonse landed safely back on the ground, and made his way over to his brother.

A bit annoyed, Edward clapped his hands, shaking the ground underneath Hermione's feet. She stumbled, but regained her balance. Another blast sent Edward flying in the air, like his brother before. He twisted and clapped his hands in mid air, ready to form another circle. However, before he had the time, Hermione cast another spell, levitating Edward int he air, unable to move. Unfortunately, this rendered Hermione useless, and Harry was still unconscious.

"We'll call this one a draw," Alphonse said, a bitter sweet end for Hermione. She wanted to win. She let Edward down none to gently and went to help Harry come to.

"Nice one, Potter. Managed to get yourself knocked out," Draco sneered as he made his way from the stands. He and his partner were up next.

"Watch in Malfoy, it might not be magic that knocks you out," Edward grumbled, tired of the Slytherins attitude. Draco feigned fear and walked over to his partner, ready for the match to begin. Still in earshot, added, "Just because you're a student, doesn't mean I'm taking it easy on you."

Rounding back, Malfoy made another comment. "Oh really, is that why you have your brother to back you up? Feel tough with him around?" Edward let out a short chuckle in protest.

"It's not him you should worry about, haven't I taught you that already?" Edward said, referring to the other times he made a fool of Draco. Honestly, you would think he learned. Apparently, because he was openly allowed to use magic, he felt a lot more confident.

"Sure, sure. The only damage you've managed to do to me is when I couldn't fight back. You should be scared, Elric," Draco mused. Edward glared at the boy, his eyes instantly shifting in tone.

"And you should hope I don't accidentally kill you, that is why my brother is here. As for your partner, I'd advise him to stay back." Edward growled. He hated cowards, especially ones that denied what they were, trying to act all high and mighty.

"Let's just hope you have more tricks up your sleeve, Elric. You're becoming predictable," Draco said. There, at least, he had a valid point. Because of the situation, he was limited to what he could actually do with his alchemy.

"You think you have me figured out, don't you?" Edward mused, "Wouldn't feel that way if I had someone good to fight, someone less fragile. Half of what I could do would kill you, and I'm sure you don't want that."

"Alright, Mr. Elric," McGonagall said, breaking up the argument between the two, before either got to steamed to think rationally. "Shall I explain the rules again? Disable your appointment only. I don't want any severe injuries."

"Yeah, I know. Fair warning, though. If you try something like Harry, getting close, you might just get hit," Edward said, looking from Draco to McGonagall, who was starting to think she may have to keep a closer eye on the boys than she originally thought. She knew how Draco was, though hadn't imagined that he could agitate Edward this much. Seeing the worry, Edward said, "Don't worry, I know what I'm doing."

That being said, McGonagall sighed and walked out of the dueling area. "You may begin," she said, a safe distance away.

For a few seconds nothing happened, the brothers stood their ground while they waited on their opponent to make the first move. Draco and his partner separated. The stronger, and clearly more built up than the two, started drawing Alphonse away. Draco remained put. Becoming impatient, Edward nodded, signaling for Alphonse to distract the partner so Edward could focus on Draco.

"First rule in combat," Edward said conversationally, clapping his hands together. "You can't win, if you don't move." Draco looked slightly puzzled when Edward brought his hands to the ground, causing the earth around Draco's feet to shift. Bars of rock rose into the air until they bonded at the top, trapping Draco in what looked like a giant bird cage.

Laughter erupted from the stands, taking in the sight of Draco's trapped form.

I knew that would be amusing, Edward thought, a smirk playing at his lips. But, now it's time to get serious.

Edward ran for the cage and Draco murmured a spell, causing the bars around him to explode into tiny bits of rubble. Edward dodged the debris coming at him and clapped his hands again, though was interrupted when Draco fired a spell, sending white hot fire soaring through the air. Edward rolled to the side, the fire singing the edged of his pants. He cursed.

Bringing his hands back down to the earth, Edward sent a few decent sized balls of clay hurtling towards Draco. With a wave of his wand, Draco deflected the clay. With a twist, the clay stilled, circling together until it formed one huge boulder like mass. Draco sent it towards Edward, but it was a clear miss, heading for the stands instead.

"Dammit, watch where you thrown those things!" Edward yelled, sending out spikes from the ground to collide with boulder. It crumbled to pieces, showering the two with dust.

"Whops," Draco muttered, though he showed no sign of worry or regret. Edward frowned, and decided the best coarse of action from here one would be to just go hand to hand. He raced off down the field, his feet beating hard against the earth, giving Draco time to panic. He sent off a few curses, each Edward was forced to dodge.

Then, Draco had an idea. If he could get Edward to jump, how would he dodge an attack mid air? Draco smirked and sent a flurry of spells his way, forcing the brother to leap a good ten feet into the air. For a moment, Draco was stunned that the boy could jump that high, but forced himself to refocus on the task at hand. White Edward was still in the air, he sent out another wave of spells. He somehow managed to twist his way out of the first two, but was hit somewhere by the last.

The force from the stunning spell sent Edward flying backwards. Alphonse looked up from where he was already engaged in combat, keeping Draco's partner busy, the sound of magic colliding with metal distracting him. He watched as Edward skidded against the ground, across a combination of dead grass and rubble from previous failed attacks. For a moment, Draco thought he may have properly stunned the blonde, seeing as how he hadn't made much effort in correcting his landing.

"Edward?" Alphonse called. The younger brother launched Draco's partner a few feet in the air so he could check on Edward. Draco's partner rolled to the ground, deciding to stay put himself. He was ready to call it quits.

Edward, however, was far from over. The stunning spell had hit him in his leg, sending him flying through the air off balanced. Without enough time to correct himself, he couldn't give himself a smooth landing, but at least he managed to take most of the impact on his right side, avoiding the wound he already had. Feeling a little numb at his stumps, Edward stood up, dusting himself off.

"Lucky.." Draco muttered to himself. He was at least looking to get some sigh of weakness from the older brother after what he had just done. After all that, and the brother could still stand, nothing more than a badly ripped right sleeve, and a small tear in his trousers. Although.. now that he took a closer look, there was something about that arm.

A quick flash back brought him back to when his last wand was severed. It happened so fast that he wasn't sure how Edward did it. A quick flash of silver blurred in front of him and the next thing he knew half his wand was lying on the floor. Now he could see.

Edward followed Draco's stare towards his tattered sleeve. His anger boiled, realizing that he was about to loose it completely. Chatter was starting to erupt in the stands. They could see his arm.

"Fine," Edward said, sounding exasperated. "Screw this."

There were more gasp and chatter as Edward jerked off his gloves and tore off what remained of his sleeves, one by one, in a mini tantrum.

"Freak," Draco spat, firing another spell. Edward dodged easily and closed the remainder of the gap that was left between them.

Without another word, Edward transmuted himself a blunt staff, using it to sweep Draco's feet from under him. He didn't stay down for long, scrambling back to his feet. Draco muttered yet another spell and the staff flew from Edwards hand.

Oh that's right, the disarming spell... Edward thought. A wide, Cheshire cat like grin stretched across his face. I wonder how he'd do with a weapon he couldn't flick from my hands.

Draco watched as Edward clapped his hands together, though instead of bringing them down to the ground like he usually did, he touched the metal plating of his arm.

From the stands, Harry and the others watched with interest, surprised at how this 'duel' was turning out.

"I can't believe he's showing off his arm to everyone..." Harry said, remembering what Edward had told him earlier.

"It's not like he had much of a choice," Hermione commented. "You saw how badly his shirt was cut up, right?"

Harry nodded, and Ron said,"I'm glad I'm not going up against that...Blimey, is that a sword coming off his arm?"

Ron and Hermione, along with Neville and a few others, went to the railings to get a better look. Harry stayed behind, having already witnessed what they were looking at now. McGonagall watched carefully, waiting to see if she would have to intervene.

Edward walked slowly up to Draco as he tried his last stunning spell. Oddly enough, when it hit the metal, it caused an interesting reaction. Edward shifted a bit, but for the most part the spell was reflected at it's caster. Draco was hit and crumpled to the ground from his own spell.

"I win," Edward said.

Author Note:

So I'm kinda ticked off at fan fiction for not saving my edits, including what I typed for the author note. Because I am too annoyed to type it ALL out again, I'm going to make this conclusion short and sweet.

I'm changing the chapter titles. Tired of seeing Truth.

I hated how this chapter turned out. It felt to everywhere for my personal taste. However, the plot, along with details, will be much more collected and thought out after the big event takes place. Speaking of the big event, anyone predict what that may just be? After said big event, I'm probably going to end the fic and start the sequel. I sort of think of this one as like some big Prequel to the main story line anyway, but I still might not. I don't know yet.

Anyway, Instead of having a long filler chapter followed by big event chapter, I'm probably going to have two short chapters and then the big event. It all depends.

That being said, the Halloween chapter is coming up very, very soon. So, suggestions for costumes? (This can also include HP characters) If they are good ideas, I'll probably include the them...unless I have a random spur of the moment idea that I just HAVE to do. You know how that is..no stopping it.

Finally, please review. Do you like the way this fic is heading? Would you like to stab me with pitchforks? Have I misspelled minute again, cuz honestly I'm in such a bad mood I don't feel like going back and check.

On a happier note, I'd like to thank all my loyal readers for sticking with this fic and dealing with my crappy updates and inconsistent writing. I love you guys!