A/N: I've added a bit more detail into this chapter than I usually would, and its slightly longer... What do you think?

Chapter 21
Nearly There

He sat there silently, soaking in the morning rays. The book lay before him, close at hand as it had always been in the previous couple of weeks, but this time not open. There was no need for it to be. The pile of notes, his interpretations of his father's (rather cryptic) work, lay next to the closed book, glowing in the dawn sunshine. A small, satisfied smile crept onto his face and, for the first time in what felt like forever, he allowed himself to relax. Properly relax. Still in the clothes he been wearing the previous day, he hadn't slept a wink that night; his elusive passage home had been taunting him from a distance, but it had been getting ever closer, and he was determined to reach it. He'd made it.

It was still rather early, despite the fact that the sun was out and it was still mid-winter. None of the other boys in the dormitory were awake, but he didn't really mind. It gave him time to think about what he was going to do next; how he would tell the others his good news, and where he would go to achieve his ultimate goal. He smiled softly to himself again. The others were in no hurry to get up; for some reason or another (which he had failed to pick up whilst absorbed in his father's writings) the beginning to the school day had been delayed by a couple of hours, giving everyone an extra long lie-in. Well, everyone except him. He knew that there was no chance of him truly resting until he was back where he belonged, with his brother and his friends. As long as there weren't any hitches, that wouldn't be too far in the future.

The beam of sunlight peeping through a gap in his curtains got ever brighter as the sun continued to rise. The other occupants in the dormitory slowly began to awake, their grunts and groans of having to get up (especially after the long holiday they'd just got back from) resounding around the old room, bouncing off the stone walls. Forcing himself up, he pulled the ragged red curtains aside, allowing the morning light to flood his bed area, and landed on the floor with a light thud. Pulling his boots on (he wasn't foolish enough to fall asleep with them on, unlike his usual clothes) he noticed that none of the others were dressed yet, sitting upright (or, at least, technically) in their beds, dazed looks apparent on their faces. They had all been up talking late into the night, so he didn't blame them. He, for one, wasn't tired at all, even though he'd not slept a wink. He couldn't afford to be tired; not now.

Walking out of the dormitory quietly, barely noticed by the others in their just-woken state, he made his way down to the Great hall for breakfast, even though he did not feel at all hungry (thanks to the nervous anticipation bubbling in his stomach). It was the one place in which he could guarantee meeting them all that morning, to tell them the good news. Making his way down the corridor, and glad that he now knew the way, ten minutes later he pushed open the great oak doors and sat himself down at his house table. Patiently, he waited.

--

After what felt like an age later, although in reality was probably only twenty, maybe thirty minutes tops, the others began to arrive at the table. Hermione was first, followed soon by a weary Ginny and a dishevelled Harry and Ron. Fred and George emerged at roughly around the same time, trailing behind their younger sibling and his best friend. Soon they were all sat down, their plates full to the brim, along with their mouths. Hermione noticed Ed sitting there quietly, not eating anything himself, and his plate showing no signs of ever having food on it.

"Are you alright, Ed?" She enquired, worry evident in her voice. Her sudden question knocked him out of the stupor he'd been in, as he'd tried to figure out how he was going to explain it to them.

"Yeah… I've got something to tell you guys…" At this, everyone was silent. Not that that made any difference; the Great Hall was now rather full, so it was hard to hear over all of the other pupils talking. He attempted anyway. "I've figured out my father's code. I know how to get back to the other side." At this proclamation, a majority of their mouths dropped open. Ron, who'd been taking a drink, proceeded to spit it out, and Ginny's knife and fork cluttered down onto her plate loudly.

"You mean," Ron started, in faint awe, "that you're gonna go home now?" Ed simply nodded, not trusting himself to speak. All of a sudden, he felt a deep sadness well up inside him; yes, he was going home to his brother, but he was leaving behind some great friends, who had helped him out in his time of need. The encompassing misery almost rivalled that which he felt when he realised that his mother was truly gone. Almost. He swallowed the tears that were threatening to build.

"I've gotta speak to Dumbledore first. " He smiled wirily. "I'm going to need a lot of space to make a transmutation circle big enough and with enough energy to cross The Gate." He gave the a reassuring look, "Don't worry; I have no intention of going without saying goodbye. However," he watched the Heads of Houses as they began to hand out timetables. "I have a feeling I won't be having anymore lessons." He gave them a wane smile, before pushing himself to his feet. "I gotta go see Dumbledore now, talk later?"

"Of course," Harry said. He'd been silent throughout Ed's announcement; he had a feeling he was going to miss the young blonde a lot. At these words, Ed began to make his way out of the hall, narrowly missing Professor McGonagall in his haste, but not stopping to apologise. He was in too big a rush. Instead, the professor was left to pick up all of the timetables that had fallen form her hands during the narrow miss by herself, not that that took long with magic, mind you. Still, it was the principle of it. They'd never seen Ed act in that manner towards a teacher before (excluding Snape, and they all knew he deserved it). It just showed how important it was to the young alchemist. Before long, the blonde had vanished out of the Great Hall's doors.

--

Walking up the long corridor, his boots clattering loudly on the stone floor, Ed made his way to where he knew Dumbledore's office was (thanks to directions from Harry the night before, who'd had to go there on multiple occasions during the last term, usually because of Snape really losing his temper with him). It was the only place he could think that he'd be at this time of day, unless he'd gone off premise for some reason or another.

He could only hope that he hadn't.

Halting in front of a stone gargoyle Harry had said guarded the Headmaster's rooms; he hazarded a guess at the password, hoping against all hope that it hadn't been changed since the last time Harry had been there.

"Lemon drops." His voice came out small and nervous, and he couldn't help but wonder as to the old wizard's choice in passwords as the gargoyle swung open and admitted him entrance. Walking up a short stone staircase, he found himself outside yet another set of oak doors; whoever had made the castle seemed to have had a fondness of them. Raising his fist, he knocked. The echo resounding around the narrow area in which he stood, and he couldn't help but feel slightly claustrophobic. He'd had too many bad experiences in places with too little space to escape.

"Enter." The voice, instantly recognisable as the old wizard's, rang with a quiet sort of authority. Pushing the doors open (not before taking a deep, steadying breath, however) he strode into the room, looking far more confident than he felt. "Ahh, Mr. Elric. Please take a seat." Dumbledore was sitting at his desk, surrounded by an array of different magical equipment and apparatus. Had it been in different circumstances, Ed would have been overwhelmed by curiosity. However, that was not the case, and so he went straight to business.

"Dumbledore. I have broken my father's code, and know how to get back. You said you would help me if I needed it?" the old man nodded mildly.

"What is it that you need, Mr. Elric?" The young blonde smiled.

"I need your Great Hall, Dumbledore, and then I can get out of your hair." The old man raised and amused eyebrow.

"Of course."

A/N: Four chapters left now, including the two epilogues... Wow, time flies :)