Thank you so much to Horselvr4evr123 for suggesting the plot twist that formed this chapter into something worth reading! Of course, I also had to add some of my stupid ideas into it too. I think I ruined it...Oh well.

I didn't do a very good job of keeping Izumi in character, so please don't get mad at me about it.

PS- I've been writing this on yahoo notepad and the story's finally gotten so long that I needed continue it on a separate note. 8D Yay!

Chapter 11

Roy finished telling his story and sat back in his chair. "That's everything I know."

"Thank you very much for telling me all that. But...I need to know all the details, and I can tell that there's something missing from the story. Is there anyone else who might be able to fill those things in for me?"

"...You're pretty picky, you know that?"

"Well, this IS rather important." Hermione said haughtily.

"All right, all right. There is one person who might be able to tell you what you need to know. Are you up for another train ride?"


It had taken convincing, but the man had eventually let them inside, at the mention of Edward's name. He beckoned for them to follow him into the back room of the small butcher's shop in Dublith.

"Through this door is our house." He said in a low voice. "She should be in the kitchen. Tell her I sent you and that it's about Edward. She doesn't say it, but she really is worried about him. Make sure she doesn't kill you." Hermione nodded, and desperately hoped that his last sentence had been a joke. She and Roy stepped through the door nervously.

"Hello?" Roy called. "Is izumi Curtis here?" A knife flew by his face and stuck in the wall next to his shoulder. He flinched.

"Who are you and what are you doing in my house?!" Yelled the woman who had thrown the knife.

"Please calm down ma'am!" Hermione said quickly. "Sig let us in. I have to ask you about something. I need to know some things about Edward."

"...All right, fine. Speak. I've always had a soft spot for those idiot apprentices of mine." She said, sighing heavily. "Well, you can come in. But the other man stays outside. This is no place for dogs of the military." Roy nodded and left quickly, not wanting another knife to be thrown at him. (Hawkeye's gun was bad enough.)

Hermione started her story the same way she had when she was talking to Roy. She began explaining about magic, and noticed that Izumi's reaction was drastically different than Roy's had been. Instead of downright disbelief on her face, her eyes grew wide and a strange look crossed her face. Regret?

By the time Hermione had started to explain about Hogwarts, Izumi had had enough. She held up her hand to stop Hermione from continuing. "Don't say anymore." She said. "I already know the rest. The Hogwarts houses, Gryffindor, Hufflepuff, Ravenclaw and Slytherin were named after the four founders of the school. The great hall has a ceiling that mimics the sky above it. The secret passageway underneath the whomping willow leads to the shrieking shack in Hogsmeade, where Remus Lupin went to transform into a werewolf each month."

Hermione stared at her, surprised. "Yes...How do you know all of this?" Now THIS is certainly unexpected. She thought.

"Before you finish your story, I'd like to tell one of my own." Hermione nodded and Izumi began.

"This isn't a very long, or otherwise important story, but I'd like to spare you the breath of explaining all this to me. I went to Hogwarts myself once, a long time ago. I was in Gryffindor, and I was a pureblood witch. I doubt my family would be excited to hear that I married a muggle, but that's not the point. When I was a fifth year in Hogwarts, I started dating Sirius Black." Izumi ignored the look of surprise on Hermione's face.

"I learned all about the 'marauders' and their animal forms. I was the only person that knew what they did at night. I even joined them a couple of times (although not when they went to the shrieking shack. That was far too risky.)

"We graduated together, and we were all getting settled into our jobs when I got the news that Sirius Black had been put in Azkaban. That was the day that I gave up magic and started practicing alchemy. A few months after that day, I met Sig and we got married. I haven't given magic a single thought until now." She fell silent.

"...You dated Sirius Black?" Hermione said disbelievingly.

Izumi glared at her. "I suppose I should have guesses you'd react like that. After all, he's the most infamous wizard in the world. But just remember that we were all in school, before he committed murder of any kind. I had no way of knowing what would happen."

"No, no, that's not why I'm surprised! You see, Sirius Black is innocent. Peter Pettigrew is the one who murdered all those people, Sirius was just framed!"

Izumi's eyes burned with anger. "That little rat! I always knew he'd do something horrible like that! When I get my hands on him, I'll wring his pathetic little neck!"

Hermione shivered. She had the feeling that Izumi would keep her promise. "So why exactly did you give up magic?" She asked, changing the subject.

Izumi relaxed slightly and sighed. "Because when I learned that someone like HIM could use a power like THAT to kill, I...I didn't want to practice it any more. Not something that could kill so easily. Even now that I know that he's innocent, the thought that ANYONE could kill like that just makes me sick. I can't stay away from all things used to kill, but by keeping away from at least one, I feel...relieved." Izumi shook her head. "But that's not the point. You came to ask me about something, right?"

"Oh, yes. I need to know about Edward's past. I found him half-dead on the sidewalk one night, and he's forgotten everything. Even his brother, who I've heard was very close to him. I need to learn about his past so that I can help him remember everything..."

Hermione explained the situation to Izumi, who was a great help. She knew far more about Edward's past than Roy, including the grotesque details of the failed human transmutation. She talked for well over an hour, until Hermione's notebook was completely filled with notes. Then she stopped.

"That's all I know. So what are you going to do now?"

"I'm going to bring Ed his notebook and hope that my notes help him get his memories back. Thank you very much for your help by the way."

"Where is he?" Izumi asked abruptly.

"He's at Hogwarts. Why?"

"Hogwarts, hm? Well, that settles it. I'm coming with you."


Another short chapter… (Guilt)

I read Elsewhere By Gabrielle Zevin and I'm almost as obsessed with it as I am with FMA. XD I can't stop thinking about it! It's bugging me!

Another thing that's bugging me is that I really want to write an FMA Christmas story...But I have no ideas. -__-

Well anyways, there are only about three chapters left! Hooray! Then I can concentrate on some of my other stories. :D