YAYYYYY! I finished it! Okay it is short, but it was going to be short anyways. I was kind of excited so I wrote it all day and here it is. I think you know what is next…. The second task! Yay! I hope you like it! Thanks for the reviews!

CHAPTER 25

Swimming Lessons

"Come on, just kick your feet a bit more. Not like that! Don't bend your knees, keep them straight. Don't forget to move your arms," Havoc instructed as Edward tried to keep himself above the water of the Prefect's bathroom. With it being only the end of January, the lake was ice cold. Edward couldn't practice swimming in there unless he wanted to risk hypothermia. The Prefect's bathroom had an especially large tub about the size of an olympic swimming pool. Edward had asked everyone to give him swimming lessons, but everyone but Havoc bailed on him. Alphonse couldn't get in the water because of his blood seal, Winry was attempting to make him a new light weight, waterproof model of automail, and Greed just didn't want to do it. Jean was the only one who wanted to teach him at all. The bad thing was that he couldn't exactly show him everything. Jean sat in the shallow end of the bathtub on one of the outcropping steps and watched as Edward tried to keep his automail above the water and moving. It was hard since his right arm and leg were made out of complete metal and wasn't buoyant at all. Jean sighed to himself as the alchemist sank below the water for the hundredth time. He pushed himself off of the step with his arms and dragged himself out to where Edward disappeared. Though Havoc couldn't use his legs, he still could swim. When he first got out of the hospital, swimming was one of the exercises he did to strengthen what was left of his moving body. When Jean reached the alchemist, he dove down and grabbed him from under the arm and dragged him up.

"Let's go chief," he huffed as Edward kicked to try and help his friend keep him above water. When they got close enough to the shallow end, Havoc dropped him and swam all the way back to where he was sitting before. Edward grumbled to himself angrily. This was their third day trying to get him to stay above water for more than five minutes, but there was no improvement. Jean knew that the kid was getting discouraged even though his determination still stood. "It takes a while to learn how to swim, Edward. You just need to practice some more."

"It isn't that I can't swim," Edward muttered, "it is that I can't swim with automail. Alphonse and I swam all of the time before the accident. I wasn't that good, but I was able to keep up."

"Maybe when Winry gets the new automail finished, you will be able to stay above it but right now you need to practice," Havoc told him. Edward waded over to the steps and sank down next to him.

"She's been going crazy with automail designs since the Yule ball. It is as if she wants me to break them just so she can strap me up to her weird tech," Edward said as he propped his head on his hand tiredly.

"They can't be that bad."

"She wanted to add a propeller," Edward stated flatly. Jean gave him a look of disbelief as if trying to find if he was lying, but Edward wasn't. "Sometimes she gets too mechanical and doesn't put logic into it." Jean laughed as he leaned back on the steps.

"Well, let's just see what she can do. Maybe a propeller might not be so bad. It will definitely solve your swimming problem," Jean chuckled. Edward shot him a glare, but he just shrugged. "Chief, there is more than one way to skin a cat, and there is more than one way to swim. Even past the four basic strokes there are almost a million more. Of course I don't know all of them, nor can do all of them anymore but you can try. One of them is bound to work with your automail... with or without the propeller," Jean added. Edward growled and splashed him with a wave of water. The man spat it out and wiped his face off. The alchemist stood up ignoring the officer he just tsunamied and waded back out into the water.

"Alright, you have been trying freestyle so let's try butterfly," Havoc instructed him.

"I am not doing anything called a butterfly!" Edward shouted at him.

"Well, the way you are swimming it would look more like a dying octopus," the man retorted. Edward started to growl and angrily mock octopi by splashing stupidly in the water. Jean laughed at him but something suddenly hit him. Butterflies can't swim, but octopi can.

"Hey, Chief! Change of plans!" Jean called out, beckoning for him to come back. Edward shuffled over to him still red in the face.

"What is it now?" he groaned, but Havoc stopped his complaining right there.

"Can you use alchemy to change the pressure of the water?" Jean asked him excitedly. Edward gave him a curious look but nodded.

"Yeah it is simple but why... OH!" Edward exclaimed as he got what Havoc was trying to tell him. "You want me to jet myself through the water?" he asked. Jean nodded his head and a big grin grew on both of their faces.

"Just like an octopus but without the whole chambered head part," he said. "It should also be enough to push you forward without having to worry about your limbs."

"But what if I lose my arm?" Edward questioned him. "I can't transmute without it, or even hope to swim."

"How are you going to lose your limb in the lake? There isn't a fire breathing dragon there or anything," Jean joked.

"There is a giant squid, and water demons, and other creatures that I really don't want to meet," Edward told him.

"A Kraken?" Jean whispered in disbelief to himself. As Edward recently found out, Jean had a huge fascination with legendary magical creatures; more importantly, the dangerous ones. Edward had given him his tiny Vipertooth model a few weeks after the First task. Now with news of there being other huge creatures in the lake, Jean couldn't hide his curiosity. Edward cleared his throat and Jean looked up from him, startling him out of this deep thoughts. "Well, I guess we can get over that bump when we reach it. There are going to be proctors there anyway so nothing will happen."

Edward agreed even though he was quite unsure about it and Jean sent him back in the water to practice the new swimming technique they agreed to call it the flying octopus. Edward sank down in the water and clapped his hands. Light zapped out from around them as he jetted through the pool. They practised getting the different pressures right and angles. It turned out to be very fast and efficient. After a while Edward emerged from the water and grabbed a towel to dry off with. Havoc carefully lifted himself up the steps and out of the tub to where his wheel chair and towel were waiting for him. They got all of the water off of them and got dressed. Havoc climbed into his chair and picked up the duffle bag with their swim clothes in it.

"Well, now that we got that settled, Chief, how is the rest of the riddle coming along?" Havoc asked him as he wheeled himself out of the Prefects bathroom. Edward shrugged as he smushed his ear trying to get some water out of it.

"Alphonse and me dug through it a bit a few nights ago and we came up with a conclusion that it is going to be a treasure hunt or something. It keeps talking about taking something of ours and then we need to recover it within an hour," Edward told him.

"An hour? You can't hold your breath that long," Jean said.

"Already got that covered," Edward laughed. "I am going to transmute an aqua lung."

"Scuba gear?" he asked. Edward nodded in confirmation.

"It should have enough oxygen in it to get me there and back within an hour. I don't think it would mess with the tech wards around the castle either since it doesn't run off of electricity or anything." They turned the corner of the corridor and headed back over to the third floor. There weren't that many students in the hallway since it was getting late and it was a Sunday afternoon. Most of the students were in their common rooms doing their homework. Edward probably should have been grading his own papers and filing the tests that the students had done, but that was for another day. Almost drowning for a couple hours really kicked it out of him. Edward let out a yawn as they stopped by Havoc's chambers. It was just a simple guest accommodations with an old painting of a knight on it. Jean truly thought it was ironic since Mustang used to call him that when they were playing 'chess'. As he wheeled his chair in, Jean stopped and looked over his shoulder at Edward. They were both dead tired but the practice was worth it.

"Chief, do you know what these Merpeople are taking?" he asked him. Edward shrugged as he let out a final yawn and stretched out his sore arm.

"I don't know. I guess we should deal with that bump when we reach it," Edward smiled.

...

Harry couldn't believe it, the lake. He was going to have to go in the lake in the freezing waters of late Febuary. The egg told him that much with the strange riddle it sounded, but what it didn't tell him was how to hold his breath for over an hour. He walked out of the Prefects bathroom late that night with his egg tucked under his arm and his invisibility cloak on. it was several minutes past one and he wasn't looking forward to waking up in the morning. Every day that drew by meant one more day closer to the tournament where he would surely drown. Obviously most of the other champions would have figured out the clue of the egg and how to breath under water already. They didn't procrastinate like he did. It was only the day before the first task that he learned the accio spell that saved his butt from the dragon and now he only had little under a month to figure out how to get past the second task. A month was only a few weeks which in turn was only several days. He could definitely say now that his days were numbered.

Harry checked the Maurader's map to make sure that Filch wasn't going to catch him, but as he tried to open it he almost ran into someone as he turned arund the corner. Harry quickly held his breath and jumped silently out of the way to avoid hitting them. He almost forgot that he was underneath his invisibility cloak, but still, having someone run into an invisible object was definitely suspicious even for a magic school. The person suddenly stopped in his tracks and looked around blankly. Harry caught sight of the golden eyes and noticed that the person was Edward. He was walking around in his pajama shorts and tank shirt at one o'clock in the morning. He was carrying a strange bulky leather satchel with him. Something was definitely wrong. Harry watched Edward as he stumbled down the corridor. It was as if he was in a trance or something. His footsteps seemed off and undeliberate. The usual piercing gold in his eyes seemed to be clouded over and dull. Harry looked around the corner to where the path to his common room would have lied and quickly turned around to follow the alchemist.

Edward sank deeper and deeper into the castle until they were in the dungeons, far away from the Gryffindor common room. It seemed like they were heading right towards Professor Snape's office. As they started to go down the last flight of stairs something caught Harry's foot and he teetered haphazardly trying to catch his balance. The trick step that Neville always forgot about caught his foot and he started to sink down into the stairs. The egg that was lodged underneath his arm fell and clattered all the way down the flight of stairs. It passed the dazed Edward and hit the landing where it broke open. The screaming shrieks of the merpeople rang out of the egg and pierced the silence that once held the castle. Edward suddenly jerked and clasped his ears. He looked around with sudden alertness in his eyes. Harry almost thought he looked scared. Suddenly there was a loud roaring cry down the corridor.

"PEEVES I WILL GET YOU THIS TIME!" Filch sounded as he and Mrs. Norris bounded through the hall. Edward took a few steps back utterly confused as the care taker rounded the corner. Filch grabbed the egg and slammed it shut silencing the awful noise. "Peeves when I find you I will-" Filch started but then saw Edward standing precariously on the steps.

"What are you doing here?" the Caretaker snapped. Mrs. Norris curled around Edward's foot and its eyes tightened skeptically.

"I-I don't know," Edward answered quite unsure. He looked around the corridor as if trying to figure out where he was. Filch scoffed at him.

"'I don't know'" he mocked him, "You come down here in the middle of the night and set off this blasted thing! Of course you need a reason to be here!" Filch tossed the egg back to Edward and he fumbled to catch it.

"Th-this isn't mine," Edward told him, but Filch wouldn't listen to him. Mrs. Norris latched her claws between the plates of Edward's automail leg as Filch grabbed a handful of his tank shirt.

"Who else's would it be?" he asked him rhetorically. he started to pull him down the stairs. "You are coming with me. Though you are a teacher that gives you no right to-"

"Filch what is going on?" a slimy voice asked. Harry looked to the left and spotted Professor Snape making his way down the Potions corridor. Filch swung around and pushed Edward forward accusingly.

"This boy opened that shrieking egg of his and woke up the entire castle," Filch stated.

"It wasn't me!" Edward defended himself. He looked back up the stairs as if trying to find someone else to back him up but there was no one there. Harry thought his eyes landed on him for a moment but they quickly passed. For some reason, he found out Edward could easily find him underneath the invisibility cloak. He didn't know how he did it but last year, Edward constantly knew if he was in the room or not underneath the cloak. However, he guessed that his teacher was a bit too far away to figure it out. "That isn't my egg!" Edward repeated himself.

"So you are a thief now aren't you? You didn't want one of the other champions figuring it out did you, eh?" Filch snided giving the alchemist a little shove. "What do you think Snape?" The Potions master looked over the confused teenager with judging eyes but shook his head.

"When I passed my office I saw that all of the torches were lit and my stores were opened and ransacked. There has to be another culprit-"

"Peeves!"

"Peeves couldn't have even opened the door. There are wards preventing him from entering," Snape snapped.

"But Elric is the only other person here. He must have done it!" Filch argued.

"I am telling you i didn't do anything!" Edward shouted but the Caretaker was stubborn.

"Turn out your pockets and we will see who did it or not!" he glared at the alchemist. Edward rolled his eyes.

"I am in my shorts you nitwit I don't have-" Edward started but then he caught sight of the satchel that was slung around his shoulders. He picked it up curiously. "What the?" Edward mumbled to himself. Filch ripped the bag off of his shoulders and dumped it out on the floor. Small bags and bottles clanged out to the ground. Everyone stared at it in surprise. Harry couldn't even believe it. Edward too a few steps away from the evidence but Filch grabbed him by the shirt and pulled him back over.

"See? We caught ourselves a thief! He must have been the one stealing from your stores all year!" Filch exclaimed. Snape glared at Edward as he picked up one of the ransacked items.

"Boomslang skin? All of these ingredients are for a polyjuice potion. Edward who are you giving these to?" he hissed. Edward shook his head.

"I-I don't know! All I remember is going to bed, in my own room! I was tired from practicing with Havoc all day!" Edward said.

"He lies! We caught you red handed now confess you muggle!" Filch interrupted but Snape slapped the caretaker harshly over the head. Mrs. Norris hissed at Edward and tried to slice him but its claws were already imbedded in his automail leg and were stuck. All of a sudden there was the unmistakable sound of uneven feet walking down through the corridor. Madeye appeared at the top of the stairs and paused to take in the whole scene.

"What is going on here? Pajama Party? It is one o'clock in the morning," Moody announced as he limbered down the stairs. His magical blue eye was travelling around the place rapidly. Harry knew that he could see him, but Moody didn't say anything at all. Edward caught Moody staring into nothing on the stairs and he blanched a bit. Harry raged silently to himself. Now two teachers knew he was there. Filch stepped forward and pointed an accusing finger at Edward.

"He stole a golden egg from a champion as well as Severus's potions supplies!" Snape gave him another slap over the head, silencing him. Moody smiled wryly.

"So someone got into your cabinets again? I thought you would have been better than this," Moody laughed as he hobbled down the rest of the stairs. He gave Edward a stern glare and then looked down at the spilt bag of loot. "What would a muggle need these for?"

"I didn't-" Edward started but Filch cut him off.

"Who else could it be? You have been caught-"

"Filch, go back to your office," Snape commanded him.

"But-"

"Go!" the potion's master shouted. The care taker growled to himself and bent over to grab Mrs. Norris. It took a bit of pulling, but he eventually pried the cat off of Edward's leg. After a few more glares from Snape, the caretaker snuck back off to his office angrily. Snape turned to Moody and glared at him. "What, might I ask, are you doing here?"

"I heard that wailing all the way from my room. I needed to come investigate. However, it just turned out to be a hoax of that darn egg," he said prodding the golden egg that Edward held with his staff. "So Laddie, you stole from the potion stores? Pretty bold move for someone who is half awake."

"I didn't! I don't know how this happened!" Edward said, desperately asking for someone to believe him. Moody shook his head disapprovingly but Snape put his hand on the Alchemist's shoulder.

"Come to my office, Mr. Elric," he said coolly, but strangely it seemed he was directing it towards Moody. The teacher huffed as Snape roughly turned Edward around and pushed him back down the hall.

"What do you think a muggle's got to do with this, Severus!" Moody shouted at him. The potion's master spun around and glared at Moody.

"Someone is after Elric and Potter, so someone must have put him up to this. I am getting to the bottom of it," Snape hissed. The two teachers stared each other down for a few moments but Snape eventually turned around and dragged the confused Edward down the hall. Moody rolled his eyes and the turned to glance at the stairs where Harry was trying to pull his leg out of the case. The man grabbed him from under the arms and pulled him back up.

"Potter, I suggest you watch where you are going next time," Moody scolded him. Harry stumbled up and poked his head out from underneath his cloak. He searched around the place for his egg but remembered that Edward took it. He groaned to himself and picked the fallen Maurader's map off of the floor. Moody however snatched it out of his hands.

"What is this Potter?" he asked as he opened it up.

"N-nothing," Harry answered guiltily, but Moody stared at him curiously.

"Pretty much for nothing. I think that I should probably hang onto this for a while," he said folding it up. "I think that a map like this might come in handy. I, too, want to catch who has been trying to get yah lad. Mind if I borrow it?" Harry shook his head. Moody did get him out of trouble and helping him get out of more was better. Moody nodded and tucked the Maurader's map into his pocket.

"Mr. Moody, what will happen to Edward? Did he do it?" Harry asked.

"You call him by his first name? Well, that's pretty bold," Moody commented. He chuckled a bit. "I think you should go get your egg back," he said.

...

Snape dragged Edward back to his office and basically threw him into the chair. He tossed the bag of potion supplies on the desk and sat furiously down across from him. The torch lights lit the dim office in a soft glow. The shadows however hardened Severus's face to that of stone. Edward still couldn't believe how he made it all the way down to the dungeons that night.

"Severus, I swear I don't know what happened! I don't even know how to make a potion! I-" Edward started to panic but Severus calmed him down.

"Edward, I know," he stated flatly. Edward looked up at him in surprise. "You had another nightmare again didn't you?"

"Yeah, and then... Well the egg woke me up here. I don't know what happened though," Edward muttered pitifully.

"Well that explains who has been stealing my stores," Severus stated. Edward shot a glare at him.

"I said that i wasn't!"

"But you did. You slept walked again and you didn't know it but you have been stealing my stores since this year began. I just didn't realise till now," Severus said. Edward stood up from his chair. He couldn't believe what happened. Severus picked up the bottles and bags of ingredients and placed them back in the cabinets in the back of his office. "However, what I don't understand, Edward, is why you came back."

"What?" Edward asked.

"You already taken the things from my office, but Filch found you coming back down the corridor. I just don't understand why you would come back."

"Come back? I want to know how I got here in the first place! I need to find out how to stop this! I don't want to be sleep walking under the control of-"

"Imperio!" Snape hissed as he pointed his wand at Edward. The spell nailed him right in the chest and the air was knocked out of him.

"Ow! What was that?" Edward exclaimed. Severus looked at him curiously. He studied his wand and set it down on the table.

"That was a failed imperius curse. It seems, Edward, that since you have such a stubborn personality, you can only be controlled by the curse when you have your guard down," Severus said.

"Like when I am sleeping?" Edward asked completely ignoring the man's comment. The potion master nodded. "B-but how are they casting these spells without me figuring out? Greed was in the room one time and no one else was there. He can't do magic."

"Was there anyone in your room this evening?" Severus asked. Edward shook his head.

"Greed was down in the kitchens and Alphonse went to the Library to research for the tournament. If they were there they would have woken me up."

"Edward, these spells are able to be casted silently by only powerful wizards. On occasion, they only need to be casted once in order for them to stick. Someone must have casted the imperius curse on you in the beginning of the year without your knowledge and it stuck with you," Severus said. "Now it can be used whenever they want. It's linked to the mind, Edward. The same must be with the Legilimens as well."

"Stuck? How do I get it to stop? You and Dumbledore already told me about the curses but no way of stopping them!" Edward asked him. Severus shrugged as he tossed the empty satchel back to him. Edward hated it when people did that. He was desperate for answers and Severus just shrugged. "I need answers, Severus! I need this to stop!"

"And I need to find who is behind this. Both you and Harry were entered into this tournament against your will. Who ever put your name in undoubtedly put his in as well," Severus said as he sat there and pondered to himself for a moment. Edward waited for him to give him an answer. "You steal potion supplies for someone yes? Which means that you need to deliver those items somewhere. Edward, if we follow you the next time you sleep walk, we might be able to find who is behind this."

"No!" Edward shouted. "I don't want to sleep walk again! Just help me stop!"

"It will stop if we find the person responsible. You don't have magic so you can't learn the defensive spells," Severus told him. Edward shook his head and walked to the back of the room. He couldn't take it. He just didn't want to. He just wanted this to all stop. He didn't want to have the nightmares of his brother dying ever again. Edward couldn't even picture his brother dying so terribly, his body blown to bits. Even though he couldn't feel, it must be traumatic. Edward shook his head and covered his eyes in his hands. He felt a hand on his shoulder but didn't look up. He knew it was Severus. "Edward, we need to figure this out. If they are under the effects of polyjuice potion they could be anyone."

"What about the Legilimancy? What if someone else is in my head? How will we find both?" Edward asked him. Severus sighed to himself.

"I don't know but it is better to at least catch one, and i think the person performing the curse is more important right now." Edward shifted around but eventually agreed. It was better to atleast do that. He sank down in one of the nearby chairs and rubbed his aching head. "Edward-"

"Severus, when we first found out what was happening, you and Dumbledore performed that Legimancy on me, remember?" Edward said.

"Yes."

"D-dumbledore said that my dreams might be real. That they might actually be linked to the wizard's divinations. I just don't want to think about it anymore. I can't. I need this to stop." He felt his cheeks grow wet as something dripped down them.

"I think I can help with that. It won't erase the memory, just block the path to it. However, it won't stop you from having the nightmare again on a later date," Severus said as he got up and walked over to the desk where he left his wand. He picked it up and then grabbed a small empty flask off of one of his shelves. He walked back and sat across from the alchemist.

"Edward, this is going to drain some energy out of you, but it should do the trick. Dumbledore used this method to copy it before, I am just going to pull your memory. So you will feel tired after this," Severus said. Edward nodded and leaned back in his chair. The potions master pressed the tip of his wand to Edward's temple and gently pulled. Edward felt the sensation of silk flowing down his face as the long white wispy memory was pulled from his head. As the thread grew longer and longer, Edward felt himself grow slightly more tired. It was one o'clock in the morning and he had a rough night. This was probably going to be one huge after effect. Suddenly the memory detached itself from his head and it dripped down Severus's wand into the empty flask. He put a cork on it and handed it to the tired looking alchemist. Though the feeling of immense sleep came over him, Edward did feel much better. He didn't feel the dreadful panic he had once before. He let out a yawn and quietly thanked Severus. The potion master gently helped him up from the chair and propped him up with his arm.

"Edward."

"Hmm?" the kid mumbled as his eyes fluttered a bit.

"I have one question for you," Severus said delicately. "When I went into your head that long time ago, i saw a white void and a small kid in it who looked almost like you before I was pushed out. Was that boy Alphonse?" Edward yawned tiredly and dazedly bobbed his head.

"Yeah, he's still there," he sighed. "I need to get him back."

"Back? Then who is in the armour?" Severus asked. Edward was leaning even more on him now as they made their way slowly towards the door.

"Alphonse," Edward said. His eyes slowly closed and Severus knew that he accidentally made the kid fall asleep. He grumbled to himself as he bent down and picked the kid up to carry him out the door. He was heavy but Severus didn't seem to focus on that. How can Alphonse be in two places at once?

Harry saw the door to the office close and he quickly got up from the corner where he was sitting in his invisibility cloak and walked over to where his egg was sitting on the desk. He picked it up and shoved it under his cloak before he escaped from the office. He couldn't believe what he heard. Edward was basically being targeted by the crazy person who put their names in the goblet. It seemed like almost everyone was after the alchemist now. However, what really struck him hard was that what ever this white void was, Alphonse was there. But how could he be in two places at once? Harry needed to find out.

...

Edward sat in his office as he watched Winry finish up the last bit of his automail. It was only two more weeks until the second task, the day was February third to be exact, and she was almost completed with his new set. He was actually quite relieved to find out that she wasn't going to add any special features like a propeller or any other crazy thing she could think of. He sat on his desk and waited her to put the finishing touches. His arm and leg had already been detached so that they wouldn't have to worry about them. He knew how excited Winry got about her work and she simply couldn't wait to detach his original before putting the new on. if there was a will, there was a way. When the last bolt was tightened, Winry set down her wrench and lifted up his arm. It looked completely different from his usual automail. It seemed to be molded out of a light malleable metal with some blue plastic reinforcements.

"Now, Edward, I think you can already tell that you have to be extremely careful. I only used minimal metal to make it extremely light," Winry told him. Edward noticed that she didn't seem herself lately. She gently pushed him down on his desk and lined up the arm.

"Winry are you al-ARRRGH," Edward shouted as the nerves were connected. She quickly tightened it and secured it to his shoulder. He uncomfortably moved around. That arm felt completely different from his old one. He rolled his shoulder a bit and stared down at his arm.

"Wow! That is light!" Edward exclaimed as he lifted it slightly. It almost felt like air. Winry shoved his arm back on the table.

"Come on Edward, let the nerves adjust," she scolded him. He relaxed back on the table as she grabbed his leg. He watched her as she worked and something definitely seemed wrong to him. She wasn't as angry as she usually was.

"Winry, something's wrong. What is it?" he asked. She pulled the lever on his automail and the nerves attached quickly and painfully. He hissed as the pain in his port stung and tingled like a thousand needles. Winry found a rag and dusted the automail off.

"Did Alphonse talk to you?" she asked him. Edward watched her curiously.

"No, not really. Is everything alright?" he asked her again. She huffed something under her breath that sounded strangely like 'idiot'. She whipped the towel over her shoulder and shut her tool box.

"Everything is peachy," she said gruffly. "Now, try standing up."

"But you just connected them-"

"Edward, with light automail like this, it puts less strain on your body. I also put it down a few basic movements so the connection time takes less. Now stand up," she ordered him. Edward sighed as he carefully lifted himself up off of the desk. He seemed all off since the limbs were so different. As he placed his feet on the ground he slipped a bit and fell right onto Winry. She chuckled as she caught him and set him back upright. "Clumsy as your dancing," She commented.

"It almost feels like I don't have a leg at all!" he exclaimed as he took a careful step on his new leg. He wobbled a bit, but Winry was there to balance him. They carefully walked around until he got used to his leg, however his arm was even harder. He kept using too much force on it as he moved around it was like he was swinging a tennis racquet as a baseball bat. When Edward plopped back down in his seat and stretched out, he accidentally knocked over her tool chest with his arm. He cursed under his breath as he bent over to pick up her pile of wrenches. She helped him and they carelessly piled them back into the box.

"I guess i am clumsy," Edward chuckled to himself. "It just feels so different." Winry smiled slightly and nodded her head. On a usual day if he even touched her tool box, she would have walloped him over the head with a wrench, but today she was oddly serene. He watched her as she placed each wrench in her box. "What did Alphonse say?" Edward asked her. She shook her head as she closed her tool chest and put it back up on her table.

"Nothing," She mumbled. "Just Happy Birthday Edward."

...

Edward and Alphonse sat in the Library the evening before the second task. Alphonse was looking up underwater maps of Hogwarts, trying to find the easiest route to the Mermaid village, while Edward practiced making his oxygen tank with the floor. They chose one of the back tables hidden behind a few book shelves so that Irma the librarian wouldn't find him. Her and Edward's book fued was still raging strong and if she caught him transmuting in there he would be dead for sure. Edward clapped his hands and placed them to the stone ground. As the electric sparks rose out, a cylindar tube morphed from the stone floor. Edward took his shoe off and clapped his hands again, forming the nozzle and hose with the rubber in it. He attached it and turned it on. They heard the unmistakable sound of rushing air. Edward didn't cheer with excitement at all as he clapped his hands and returned it to its original components.

"I don't know how well my work is until I use it," He sighed as he stood up and plopped in the chair across from his brother. "I can test for leaks in the lake before I start." Alphonse nodded his head and turned a page of Hogwarts History.

"Brother, I can't seem to find anything. The only thing that they say about the merpeople village is that it is in the bottom of the lake," Alphonse sighed as he closed the book tiredly.

"It's alright. I can find it," Edward reassured him. "Anyways how hard can it be? If I get lost I canjust follow the magical sound of their singing," he said jokingly waving his hands like pixie dust. Alphonse laughed slightly as his brother joked around, but something seemed off. Edward studdied his brother for a few moments and leaned heavily on the table. "Alphonse what is wrong with everyone lately? Both you and Winry are acting weird."

"Winry's acting weird? Did you talk to her?" Alphonse asked him.

"Yeah, and she told me that you said something to her. Are you two fighting?" Edward asked him. His brother shook his head. Edward sighed and leaned back in his chair. "It's like you guys are... I don't know, worried about something. You're just acting like you got something on your mind."

"Brother, I need to tell you something," Alphonse muttered quietly. Edward looked at him curiously and sat up in his chair. "Brother I'm-"

"Ah, Mr. Elric, there you are. I have been looking all over for you," Minerva said as she walked over to the table where the two of them sat.

"What is it?" Edward asked her but she looked slightly confused.

"Oh, no. Sorry Edward, I was talking to your brother. Dumbledore wants to see him imediately," she said. Alphonse looked up a little surprised. People usually came to talk to his older brother rather than him. The two Elrics stood up and looked at Minerva expectantly, but she shook her head.

"I am sorry Edward, but Dumbledore only needs to see Alphonse. You can't come," she told him.

"But I am his older brother I-" Edward started but Alphonse cut him off.

"It's okay, Edward. I will be back soon. We can finish talking then," he reassured him. Edward shifted around unsettled. Something was definitely up. He wanted to go with his brother to make sure he was okay, but he couldn't. Edward however saw the unexpressed face his brother was giving him and nodded his head. Minerva tapped him lightly on the shoulder as if to comfort him.

"Everything will be alright, Edward," she told him as she lead his brother out of the library. Edward watched as they disappeared around the corner. What was his brother going to tell him? For some reason he had the feeling that he wouldn't see Alphonse again.