DISCLAIMER: I OWN NEITHER HARRY POTTER NOR FULLMETAL ALCHEMIST!

Chapter Twenty-Five

The next morning, Al and Winry visited Ed in the hospital wing before going to their classes. Ed was picking at the breakfast that Madam Pomfrey had given to him. Ed looked up to Al and Winry once he had heard footsteps coming in. Ed smiled.

"Hey!" Ed greeted. "Have you come to spring me?"

"Sorry, Ed, but Professor McGonagall told us that you'll have to stay until end of classes tomorrow," Winry said.

Ed frowned.

"At least you don't have classes for the rest of the week," Winry said as she sat by Ed's legs. "Do you remember anything?"

"No, all I remember is going up to the boys' fifth year dorm with my books and seeing Harry on the floor wrapped in his bed hangings," Ed grumbled, as he touched the back of his head where the bandages were. "I wish I knew what happened though."

Ed looked from Winry to Al.

"What's wrong, Al?" Ed asked.

"I've asked Al the same thing and he won't tell me anything," Winry said. "I've tried talking to Hermione and Ron about what Harry told them, but they won't tell us anything."

"I know what it is what they won't tell us," Al said.

"What is it?" Ed asked. "What happened?"

"The Fuhrer, he's with -" Al started.

Before Al could finish, Dumbledore came striding in. Dumbledore went to Ed's bedside.

"Hello, Edward, Alphonse, Miss Rockbell," Dumbledore greeted. "How are you?"

"Fantastic," Ed remarked.

"Edward!" Winry scolded.

"It's quite all right," Dumbledore waved off. "Alphonse, Miss Rockbell, you two might want to get a head start on getting to your classes, don't you think?"

"We'll see you at lunch, Edward," Winry said. "I'll check your auto-mail then, okay? And it better not be broken!"

Ed scowled.

"See you, Brother," Al bade.

Then he and Winry left. Ed watched as Winry and Al left, Ed's eyes lingering on Winry's backside for a moment.

"You had quite a spill last night, Edward," Dumbledore said, getting Ed's attention.

"I'll say," Ed remarked.

"Do you know who might have wanted to hurt you?" Dumbledore asked.

"I can think of a few names," Ed said. "But they're too chicken to do anything themselves."

Dumbledore chuckled.

"Would you like to know what happened?" Dumbledore asked. "Professor Snape or I can use Legilmency to get the answers."

"No thanks," Ed declined. "I'd like to keep my thoughts to myself. Besides, I think you already had Snake try that."

"You are very perceptive," Dumbledore said.

"Of course I am," Ed said. "They don't call me a prodigy for nothing, you know."

Dumbledore chuckled.

"Did you get any info out of Harry?" Ed asked.

"No, Edward, I did not," Dumbledore replied. "I was going to ask Harry about his dream, but Professor Umbridge came and took Harry. Now, Harry is saying that he doesn't remember his dream."

"That sounds fishy," Ed said. "Al was going to say something about Fuhrer Bradley, but then you came in. Teacher thinks that there's something goin' on in the military. I think she's right. I was expecting to get a court-martial after doing that piece with the Quibbler, but I got a frickin' promotion. I might just be paranoid though."

"Don't worry, Edward," Dumbledore said. "Everything will be all right. I think you might want to eat up so you can some of your strength back."

Then Dumbledore patted Ed on the shoulder and left. Ed frowned and looked down at his food.

'Teachers…' Ed thought. 'They always say that it'll be okay, but things only get worse.'

Ed sighed and put his tray of food onto the stand beside his bed and got out of his bed. He went to a nearby window and looked out onto the grounds. A moment later, Madam Pomfrey came out to see Ed with a serious expression on his face.

"Mr. Elric, get back into bed this instant!" Pomfrey demanded.

Ed started and looked at Pomfrey.

"I'm not tired or hungry," Ed said.

"I don't care, Mr. Elric," Pomfrey said. "You were in an accident last night and you need your bed rest."

"Even if I feel completely fine?" Ed retorted.

"Yes, Mr. Elric," Pomfrey answered. "You may have had a serious injury that we don't know about. Magic cannot heal brain injuries."

'What good is magic if they can't even use it to fix brain injuries?' Ed thought.

Ed sighed again and got back into bed, mumbling his dislike for hospitals and hospital wings. Madam Pomfrey put the tray back over Ed's legs.

"Eat your breakfast," Pomfrey ordered.

"I'm not hungry," Ed declined.

"Fine," Pomfrey said, taking the tray.

Then Pomfrey left the room and went into her office so she could have a house-elf collect the breakfast tray. Ed groaned and looked at his bedside stand. He gasped.

"Shit!" Ed whispered. "It's gone! I'm sure I was wearin' it last night! Wait…Winry might have it. She probably took it when I wasn't looking last night. She has been wantin' to look at it for a long time."

Ed swore and lay back onto the pillow. It was going to be a long day. He fell asleep a few moments later. Unknown to Ed, Lust and Envy listened in on his solo conversation in the shadows. Envy and Lust came out of the shadows and walked to Ed's bedside.

"To think that this kid has a relationship," Envy said.

"Well, he is cute," Lust said, "even though he has ruined some of the plans before."

"That's why Father had Wrath to –," Envy started. "Let's go, Lust. It's not safe to talk out here."

"All right," Lust said.

Lust ran a finger down Ed's cheek.

"Winry, stop it," Ed whined in his sleep.

Lust and Envy chuckled. Then they left the hospital wing just as Pomfrey came back out. Pomfrey looked around and shrugged, going back into her office. At lunch time, Al, Winry, Harry, Ron, and Hermione came to visit Ed. Ed was awake and eating his lunch with gusto. Winry had her Deluxe Auto-Mail Maintenance Kit with her.

"Edward!" Winry scolded.

Ed flinched, gulped down his food, and looked up.

"Hey!" Ed said. "I was wonderin' when you'd be here!"

"We said we would come by at lunch, Edward," Al said. "What did Professor Dumbledore have to say?"

"Professor Dumbledore was here?" Hermione asked.

"Yeah," Ed answered. "But Bumblebore didn't say much."

"Hmm," Hermione said.

Winry set her kit down onto the side table and opened it.

"Winry, do you really have to do that now?" Ed asked.

"Yes, I do," Winry answered. "I want to see if your auto-mail was harmed in anyway."

Ed scowled.

"Don't look, Hermione," Ed said.

"I need to do some homework anyway," Hermione huffed.

Then Hermione turned on her heel and left.

"See you later, mate," Ron said.

"Yeah, see you," Harry said.

"Take this," Winry said, giving Harry the tray that held Ed's empty plate and goblet.

Then Harry and Ron left as well after looking at each other. Ed scowled as Winry started to look over Ed's auto-mail.

"Why bother coming to visit me if they're gonna leave a minute later?" Ed asked.

"Maybe it's because you were a bit rude?" Winry supposed.

"Or maybe it's because they know something," Al whispered.

"What were you going to say this morning, Al?" Ed asked.

"I don't think it's safe to say right now," Al answered.

"Why not?" Ed questioned.

"We're not alone," Al replied mysteriously.

"Al, you're creepin' me out," Winry said.

Al blushed in embarrassment.

"Sorry," Al mumbled.

"Don't worry about it," Ed wove off. "Winry, do you have my pocket watch?"

"You left it in your trunk, Brother," Al answered. "You haven't worn it in a long time."

"I haven't?" Ed asked. "I thought…"

Al and Winry looked at each other and then back at Ed.

"Are you all right, Ed?" Winry asked. "You're kinda worryin' me."

"I guess it's just from the hit I got last night," Ed mumbled. "It's goin' to be a long rest of the week."

"Ed, it isn't goin' to be that long," Winry comforted, as she closed her kit. "And you didn't get your auto-mail destroyed this time."

Ed's temple ticked as Winry chuckled.

"Just calm down, okay?" Winry asked.

Ed crossed his arms.

"Just come and visit later," Ed mumbled.

Winry chuckled. She kissed Ed on the cheek as Ed blushed. Al looked away, grinning. As Winry said, the day passed by quickly as did the next day. When Ed was released after Friday's classes were over, he punched the air with his fist. Winry and Al had come to escort him.

"Let's ditch the Great Hall and go to the kitchens later," Ed said. "I wanna get some fresh air!"

"But we'll get sick without our coats!" Winry said.

"It's okay, Winry," Al said. "We'll only be out there for a few minutes."

"All right," Winry consented. "Let's go."

As they went on their way to go outside, Ed, Al, and Winry were being watched by Lust and Envy.