Hello, people who are still reading this. Time certainly flies, huh? Oops...

Anyway, I'm not dead. I hope that this chapter, as late as it is, can still be enjoyed with the same enthusiasm as the previous chapters! I'm so sorry for how long it took to get this out. Life snuck up on me and flew me into the whirlpool of pandemonium at record speeds without me realizing it, and before I knew it, it was four months later, and I still only had half of this finished!

Now, without further ado, I thank you for your patience. Here is the new chapter.

Disclaimer: No. I don't own FMA, FMA:B, or HP in any way, shape, or form. They are Hiromu Arakawa's and JK Rowling's respectively. Thank you. *insert theatrical bow here*

Chapter 8: The Second Task and Civil Unrest or We Spent An Hour of Our Lives Watching a Lake?!

The day of the second task of the Triwizard Tournament, February twenty-fourth, despite its importance, had managed to sneak up on the students of Hogwarts, as well as the other schools, with the stealth skills of an owl in flight. Yet, the day arrived with all the subtlety of a giant, fire-breathing dragon. Now that the day was here, it was the only thing anyone was talking about.

It was making Harry nervous all over again. He'd solved the egg with the advice Cedric gave him, though a small part of him felt a little bitter that he hadn't been able to figure it out himself. He could only hope his way of dealing with the task would work. If not, things weren't going to be pretty.

Then again, that's exactly what he thought right before the first task, and he's still alive... Maybe he should start thinking pessimistically more often! At the very least, he'll be pleasantly surprised if his expectations are exceeded!

He wondered where Hermione was? And Ron, now that he thought of it. They said last night that they would wish him luck, but they were nowhere to be found. Neville hadn't seen them, either, which was odd. Usually, Neville would have at least run into Ron. The guys shared a dorm room for Merlin's sake!

He felt a tap on his shoulder. It was Malfoy.

"Don't do anything stupid, Potter." the blond muttered. Harry was fairly sure that that was as much of "good luck" as he was going to get from the Slytherin. While it was clear the guy wasn't out to get him, anymore, that didn't mean they were automatically friends.

He'll take it, though. Both the good luck and the kinda-sorta-almost-friendship-thing they had going. It was refreshing after the previous three years of antagonistic behavior between them.

"I'll try, but no promises." was all Harry said with a smile that looked much closer to a grimace, and it was true. This was a deadly tournament that he hadn't even been willingly entered into, and as a Gryffindor, he wasn't exactly known for thinking before he leaps. Malfoy nodded in acknowledgment before he returned to the Slytherin table, where he wasn't being glared at by a bunch of suspicious Gryffindors.

Harry returned his attention to his breakfast and took a bite. At least the nerves were getting easier to deal with.

Somewhat.

Anyway, he was about to go for a swim. A very very long, very very cold swim. He prayed he wouldn't get sick and have to deal with foul-tasting potions and Hospital-Wing-confinement... again... He was fairly sure Madame Pomfrey had a bed reserved just for him from all the times he'd been to that horrid room.

...

Juna was very annoyed. She was so annoyed, in fact, that it was visibly showing on her face in what was definitely not a pout.

Nope! It was most certainly a disgruntled expression displaying her displeasure. The term "pout" was simply too childish! Juna was seventeen! Her birthday had passed without much fanfare, and she was now considered an adult in both Amestris and Magical Britain! She was a perfectly mature adult, and "pout" was no longer a suitable word for her facial expression. She will stick to that belief for as long as it will stay.

To be honest, though, after the rather eventful and active First Task, where giant, fire-breathing reptiles were considered a perfectly reasonable challenge for school-age children, the Second Task felt a little... underwhelming.

Actually, make it very underwhelming.

The crowd went from watching a bunch of kids trying to get past dangerous dragons to watching a nearly completely still lake in the middle of February. Juna Elric was cold, tired, and her automail limbs were not happy with her life choices.

Naturally, she'd piled up in as many layers as she could possibly get away with, and placed multiple heating patches around her automail ports to protect herself from frostbite, but that didn't make her any less bored, or annoyed. All it did was dull the worst of the pain.

Juna felt bad for the champions. They had to swim in these temperatures!

Was there anything keeping them from getting hypothermia? That was a serious risk, especially at this time of year. Did the organizers of the Tournament somehow manage to heat the entire lake to a manageable temperature -and maintain that temperature- just for this task?

She had a feeling it would be possible with enough wizards and witches along with the right spells. That task could be achieved with Alchemy, too. Heating water, that is. There was an old Xingese man who'd moved to Amestris to study alchemy. She'd read about him once in her research, and she learned that he manipulated the state of water similar to how Isaac the Freezer had done. This man had used his knowledge for much more peaceful activities, though. He'd opened a teahouse and used his skills to make some of the best tea in Amestris before his unfortunate death by cancer.

Juna wondered if Isaac had used the older man as inspiration for his own style of Alchemy. It was a possibility.

She sincerely hoped the task of keeping warm wasn't left to the kids -she pointedly ignored the fact she was also around their age, younger than some of them-; they'd be frozen, sick, miserable, and Madame Pomfrey would be pissed. Juna wasn't quite sure if the nurse would be pissed at the Tournament, the Champions, or the organizers, but the fact was that the school nurse wouldn't be happy.

On each side of her, Mustang and Hughes watched in amusement as the little bundle of irritation inwardly cursed the magical community for their lack of common sense. Elicia just laughed at the grumpy expression on the older girl's face, and Gracia just gazed upon this with a fond smile from Hughes's other side.

Juna had immediately claimed the place next to Mustang, not because she liked sitting near the guy, but because, for some mysterious reason, the guy was always so warm! Seriously, screw heaters!

"So," Hughes began casually, bouncing little Elicia on his leg. They were speaking Amestrian, now, for Elicia's sake, "Who do you think will get in first this time?"

"I'd say Krum if we're going by the physique." Mustang commented, "He's definitely the one who appears the most physically fit. I heard he's pretty famous in the magical sport: Quidditch. I wouldn't count out the others, but that's my guess."

"Fair enough." the bespectacled man shrugs, "What do you think, Elicia?" he coos, hugging the little girl close to him affectionately. Gracia, who sat on the man's other side smiled at him lovingly. She'd missed his energy and extreme affection.

"I want Glasses Boy to win!" Elicia exclaimed with a wide grin on her face. Her pigtails bobbed up and down as she bounced.

"Harry?" he inquires, and she nods.

"We still aren't quite sure what the task is." Juna mutters, "All that Bagman said is that the Champions have to retrieve something from the Lake. It's all a matter of who gets there first, and who finds what they need before the others."

"That's true." Mustang nods, returning his attention to the water to see if anyone had surfaced, yet, "We'll just have to wait and see, I suppose."

"Great. More waiting." the blonde grumbled, totally-not-pouting even more. She wanted to get out of this cold as fast as possible.

The Flame Alchemist chuckles in amusement. A grumpy Juna was a sarcastic, sassy Juna, and it was refreshing to see her acting her age. He pats her on the back, then ruffles her hair, "Don't worry. It'll be over quickly. They're not going one-by-one this time as they did during the First Task.*"

"Thank Truth for small mercies," she growls to herself, voice barely audible, readjusting her coat around her.

Elicia pats the older girl's knee, "There, there, Nana. Wanna do puzzles again?"

Juna spares a moment to send the little girl a small smile, the sort she spared only for the younger girl and her own siblings, "Sure, Elicia. We'll have to wait until this is over, though."

As she says this, the first Champion comes up. It was Fleur, and she looked distressed. The group wondered what happened. Cedric and Krum came up next, each holding a person. Cedric held Cho, a Ravenclaw Juna had in her sixth-year class, and Krum had Hermione. The last to come up was Harry. He held both a redhead, who Juna recognized as someone related to the Weasley Twins but who she didn't know personally and a little girl who held a resemblance to Fleur. A sister perhaps?

The French Champion practically pounced on Harry when he brought the girl up. For a moment, Juna wondered if she was going to ask to marry him or something. She was certainly looking quite happy.

"So, they had to rescue a person from the lake?" Hughes remarks, an eyebrow raised, "That could be dangerous for both sides, especially if whatever was keeping the hostages alive underwater malfunctioned."

Juna nods, "Miss Decalour seemed distressed when she came up without anyone. I wonder what the Champions were told."

Mustang shrugged, his eyes focused on the judges. Cedric had scored the most points, and he was now tied with Harry for first place, followed by Krum, then Fleur. Juna felt a little bad for the girl. She must have been terrified when she realized she couldn't complete the task, and her worry for her sister was rewarded with a bad performance score.

Elicia looked to the blond Alchemist, "Can we do puzzles, now?" the girl bounced on her toes eagerly, with a hint of impatience in her tone. She'd jumped down from her father's leg a few moments prior and now stared intently at the blonde alchemist with wide puppy eyes.

A startled chuckle escapes from Juna's lips, "Sure."

"Oh? Do our pretty little ears deceive us?" a pair of voices sound from behind the group, speaking in a familiar unison.

"Did our favorite-"

"-ever-stoic-"

"-Professor Elric-"

"-just laugh-"

"-in public?!"

"Preposterous!"

She turned to see a certain pair of redhead twins grinning their usual mischievous grins. Their eyes had an extra glint of humor to them as they teased the professor.

"And what if I did, Messrs. Weasley?" she responded nonchalantly, "Is there a way you can prove I did so?"

"Well..." Fred began, deceptively thoughtful.

"We could use our memories-" George continued in a similar tone.

"-and a Pensieve,-"

"-but unfortunately-"

"-We can't afford one,-"

"-so you're safe, for now, we suppose." they finish in unison, shrugging in defeat.

Juna made a mental note to look up what a Pensieve was before she responded with a shrug of her own, "That's too bad, then."

There's a tug on her coat, and Juna looks down into the (still) pleading green eyes of Elicia Hughes, "Puzzles!" the little girl exclaimed, bouncing up and down impatiently, "Come on, Nana!"

Juna returns her attention to the twins, "I am sorry, but I must end this conversation, for now. I promised I'd play with her after this Task. If you have any questions about the homework, I should be returned to the classroom in approximately two hours."

As she says this, Elicia grabs her hand and starts to pull with all the strength a three-and-a-half-year-old could have. Unfortunately for her, Juna had four metal limbs, five if you counted the eye, but that's an organ. However, semantics aside, the little girl wasn't exactly successful in her attempts, but she got her point across. Juna let the kid 'drag' her along for a bit before the Alchemist decided it would be faster to pick the girl up and carry her. Elicia didn't mind. She loved it when she could hitch a ride with her "Big Sister Nana". They reached the Muggle Studies classroom in record speed -the stairs were in their favor today- and entered the office and living quarters.

"Alright, pick the puzzles you want to do." Juna placed Elicia down, "I'll need to return to the classroom in about two hours, so we can either do one large puzzle, two medium puzzles, or three small ones."

The girl ran up to the shelf eagerly, scanning over the assortment of colorful boxes with a careful, judging eye. Meanwhile, Juna walked over to the center of the room, where she plopped down casually onto the soft carpet to wait for the kid to decide her fate.

...

Harry lay face-down on the couch in the Gryffindor Common room, completely exhausted and wanting to die, if only to escape the pain his muscles were in at the current moment, now that the adrenaline had worn off. He groaned as the tortured muscles screamed at him from the hour-long swim in the black lake; he was regretting his life choices, not that he had much of a choice in regards to this Tournament, but he was still regretting that, anyway.

"Are you okay, Harry?" Hermione asked. While she sounded concerned, there was definitely a hint of amusement in there that Harry could make out.

"I have become one with the couch." Harry groaned, "I'm in pain." he buried his face even further into one of the freshly-fluffed pillows, seeking solace from its softness on his aching, old-man-body, "I'm not moving anytime soon."

A chuckle escapes Hermione's lips as she sinks further into the nearby armchair that she had claimed earlier. She took out a book and started to read. Harry couldn't tell what the book was from his position, and he currently could care less. At least it wasn't something for S.P.E.W.

It was about a month or two ago when Harry saw Hermione knitting hats for the Hogwarts Elves. When he made the mistake of asking what she was doing, she forced him and Ron to join the group she'd created as it's first members, and then proceeded to parade around a bunch of badges to force others to join. It wasn't until she tried to make the Slytherins in their study group join that she finally let up a bit. Blaise had taken the time to explain to her that not all House Elves were treated in such a way and that the creatures were actually kept alive through their service.

Harry had been very relieved that he no longer had to go around with a badge emblazoned with the synonym for vomit. Maybe the extra badges could go to the twins? They could probably find a way to use them for pranks.

At the very least, Harry thought, they wouldn't be collecting dust.

"What is the Law of Equivalent Exchange?"

Harry looked up in confusion, "What?"

"Equivalent Exchange, Harry." Hermione repeated patiently, "If you're not going anywhere, we may as well be productive and review some material. I ask you the questions and you answer them. Now, what's the Law of Equivalent Exchange?"

"You can't gain something without giving up something of equal value in return." he answers, "It's the most fundamental rule of Alchemy."

"If not in an apothecary, where would you find a Bezoar?"

"In the stomach of a goat."

"What is its main property?"

"It can cure most poisons."

"What is the molecular formula of glucose?"

"C6H12O6"

"How about ammonium?"

"NH4. It's a polyatomic ion that has a charge of positive 1."

"What spell would you use when faced with a Boggart?"

"Riddikulous."

"How would you approach a Hippogriff and why?"

They continued like this for a time. Hermione would ask a question from any subject Harry was in, and Harry would answer it as best he could. Whenever he answered incorrectly, the girl would jot a note down on some parchment before moving on to the next question. Repeat. The process managed to relax Harry, to his surprise. He almost didn't realize Hermione had stopped talking.

"Harry?"

He lifted his head up to make eye contact with his friend, wincing as his back muscles protested, "Yeah?"

"What are your thoughts on Mr. Mustang?"

"The Amestrian Representative?" he asks, raising an eyebrow at the sudden question.

She nods.

"Well..." Harry takes a moment to think, "He seems nice. I talked to him a while back."

"Oh?"

"I ran into him in the courtyard when taking a walk." he elaborated, "Professor Elric was with him."

"Professor Elric?" Hermione perks up in curiosity, "Why would she be with Mr. Mustang?"

"Well, Professor Elric was deciphering a Transmutation Circle, and she seemed to be telling Mustang what she was discovering about it?" Harry was a bit unsure about the second part, "They seem close. Professor Hughes, too. At the Yule Ball, I think I saw Mr. Mustang approaching the guy." Harry thought for a moment before he realized something else, "Professor Elric was wearing a uniform like Mr. Mustang at the ball. I almost forgot about that since I only saw her once from a distance."

"That's odd." the girl muttered, her eyebrows furrowed, "Her being familiar with Hughes is understandable, even if it's a huge coincidence. They're both teachers, after all. However, she and Professor Hughes being close to Mr. Mustang, who is a representative of Amestris... It seems like too much of a coincidence. It's a little suspicious. And why the uniform? There's clearly more to the woman than meets the eye..."

"Are you saying they're conspiring?" Harry asked, feeling oddly defensive of the group.

"No. I'm just saying it's odd that the three Amestrians all know each other so well. I'm wondering how they became acquainted..."

Harry noted that Hermione was wearing her thinking face and let her be. He decided to do some doodling. Forcing himself to sit up, groaning quietly at the effort, he dug out his sketchpad and pencil and let his mind wander.

His hands went instinctively through the motions. He sketched out a rough outline, then mapped out the locations of all the features. He started to sketch the features, then solidified the final lines, added the details, and he found himself staring at the contemplative face of Hermione, who was making the exact same expression as her paper and graphite counterpart. He hadn't realized he was drawing her until he was staring down at the image he'd completed.

Hermione finally came out of her thinking trance and found her eyes drawn to the sketchpad in his hands. Her eyes lit up, "Oh! You were drawing? Can I see?" she leaned forward eagerly, hoping to catch a glimpse.

Harry feels the tips of his ears redden, but he gives her the sketchbook.

She catches sight of the drawing and pauses. She stares in wonder at the detailed features. Her scrunched up nose, her furrowed eyebrows, even her slightly pursed lips, were all there.

"Harry..." she murmured, "Have you ever considered pursuing art?"

He shrugged. The blush spread to his face and down his neck, "Not really." he admitted, "I... never really thought about it. I was thinking about becoming an Auror."

"Well, if that doesn't work out for you, know you'll probably do well as an artist. This is amazing! Do I really look like that when I think?"

Harry nods, still flustered, "Y-you can keep it... if you want?" he offers, his hand instinctively reaches up to rub the back of his neck.

Hermione smiles and carefully tears out the page. She checks the time, "Thank you, Harry. I should probably head up to bed. You should, too. We still have homework due on Monday, and getting it done in the morning is better than waiting until the last minute." she handed him the parchment she'd been writing on during their review session, "Here are the notes I made during our review session. It should help you figure out what you need to study more and what you understand."

Harry grunted in acknowledgment and rolled clumsily off the couch. When he took the paper, he blinked in surprise.

He hadn't realized just how much he'd improved in Potions. Or in his other classes. The only one he was really struggling with was Transfiguration, and even that had shown signs of improvement.

"You've been applying yourself more, Harry." Hermione comments, "It's showing. I think the teachers noticed, too. Even Professor Snape."

Once again, Harry found himself flushed from the praise. It felt nice to be praised for something he worked hard for. He sent her a smile, "Thank's Hermione. I'll look over it in better detail tomorrow." he yawned, "I think I'll take your advice and go to bed. Good night."

"Good night, Harry."

...

Juna sat at her office desk, coat discarded and her tie loosened for relaxation purposes. She was grading the homework she'd assigned to the sixth years, who were progressing surprisingly quickly in their studies. She was looking over the work of Cedric Diggory when she heard a knock on her office door. She looked at the clock. It was almost eleven at night, meaning it couldn't be a student.

She stood and opened the door. It was... Moody? That was odd. He almost never came to this side of the school.

"Good evening." she greets carefully and tilts her head in curiosity. What was the man doing here so late? He was even dressed as he always was. Did the constant vigilance he always preached mean he slept in his day clothes? Or had he simply been up late grading as she had been? Perhaps it was a mix of both...

"There's been a teacher's meeting called. You didn't respond, so I was sent to get you," he growled. He sounded like an angry dog, Juna thought. Was he aware of that?

She blinked. A meeting at this hour was unusual, but she'd been called to impromptu meetings at weirder times -Isaac the Freezer came to mind-, "Lead the way."

He did just that, guiding her through the chaotic maze of stone brick until they entered the teacher's lounge one after the other.

Everyone was there in various states of dress and decency. A few were still in their day clothes, while a solid three-quarters of the staff were all dressed in pajamas and slippers with a robe hastily thrown on in an attempt to look somewhat proper. Filius had given up on staying awake and had fallen asleep snoring in his armchair; Minerva looked particularly grumpy, like a cat that was awoken prematurely from a pleasant nap.

Beside her, Severus, ever the night owl, looked exactly as he did during the school day. He'd even brought some of his papers with him to continue grading!

The stark contrast was amusing.

Juna quickly took her usual seat by Hughes and Mustang in the corner.

Mustang was mostly dressed, but the usual blue jacket of the military uniform had been taken off, baring the white button-up he wore underneath to the world. To be honest, he looked like your average office worker when he dressed like that. A rather handsome office worker, she wasn't afraid to admit Mustang had an appearance that pleased the eye -just not to his face, his ego was large enough as is-, but still an office worker nonetheless.

Meanwhile, in contrast to his collgeague, Hughes was reclined in his own chair, looking completely unashamed dressed his in pink silk pajamas decorated with little yellow chickies all over. It seems the only thing he did on his way here was put on slippers and his glasses, which he'd honestly be blinder than a bat without. She could attest to that.

Juna, held in a chuckle and let herself get comfortable.

The meeting started with waking the still-sleeping Filius and Minerva hissing out, "Care to explain why you are calling a meeting now of all times, Albus? This ungodly hour is meant for sleep!" Snape, who clearly disagreed, raised an eyebrow but wisely did not retort and returned to grading. Perhaps he should have been a Ravenclaw...

Albus, who -similar to Hughes- was dressed in his own rather colorful nightgown with a rather fascinating pair of neon pink bunny slippers that had twitching ears and noses, of all things, sent her a patient smile, completely unbothered by her fiery temper. "I would love to, Minerva. Unfortunately, I am not the one who requested the meeting. Mr. Mustang, if you could enlighten us as to why you called this meeting?"

Juna turned to Mustang and raised her eyebrow. Why would he call a meeting of all things? And now of all times? Did it have something to do with Amestris? It's definitely urgent, or he would have waited until morning.

She knew that much.

"Certainly," the Flame Alchemist stands and begins to explain, "As I'm sure many of you are aware, I'm Colonel Roy Mustang, the Amestrian Representative staying here. I apologize for forcing you all from your beds at this hour, but the situation, unfortunately, was unable to wait."

He takes a breath and continues, "Half an hour ago, I received a letter from the Fuhrer of my country. There are signs of a conflict on the horizon, and military personel are being called back from their posts to help in the fighting, should this conflict escalate to violence, which is looking more likely by the day."

Juna had a feeling she knew where this was going.

"I have received orders to temporarily return two members of the staff to Amestris. I was ordered to stay here to continue negotiations, but Lt. Colonel Juna "Alloy Eye" Elric and Brigadier General Maes Hughes are asked to return within the next week to lend their abilities."

At this, there were outbursts galore.

"Wait, those two are also part of the military!?"

"She's a child!"

"How long will they be gone?"

"How dangerous will this be? I don't want the poor dears getting hurt!"

The questions and exclamations continued for a good minute and a half before Mustang quieted them.

"I suppose I should explain some things. I'm sure all of you are aware Juna is a State Alchemist, but I'm assuming you don't fully know the meaning behind that title. Otherwise, the first question wouldn't have been asked." he looks to Sprout, who'd been the one to ask (screech?) the question, "A State Alchemist is a person who took and passed the State Alchemist exam distributed by the government. Passing the exam not only earns you the title of State Alchemist but also makes you a member of the Amestris Military with a starting rank equivalent to that of a Major. In return for providing the resources, such as money and information, to continue their research, State Alchemists are asked to fight for their country in the case of a conflict or war. Due to the difficulty of the exam, there was never a provided age limit for taking the exam, meaning people like Juna and myself, who took and passed the exams at a young age, while rare, are still a possibility."

He sends her a glance, "While she may seem young in your eyes, she has already had years to prove her skills, and is considered emancipated due to her service. How long the two will be gone is unknown, as it depends on how long the conflict will take to resolve. However, from what I can tell, the situation, while urgent, shouldn't last longer than a month or two. Are there any questions so far?"

Madame Pomfrey goes first, "You mentioned that Miss. Elric is a Lieutenant Colonel. That is a different rank from the one you mentioned, meaning she'd been promoted at some point during her time in the military. If I may ask, how long has she been with the military?"

"I passed the exam at age twelve." Juna responds, "That is the youngest passing age so far, though my brother technically holds the title of youngest as he is a few minutes younger than me. It has been approximately five years since then. I trust you to do the math."

Realization lights the woman's eyes, "YOU'RE SEVENTEEN!?" she shrieks.

Around the room, the teachers all turn to her in shock. Was it really so surprising that she was still a teenager?

Apparently.

"Yes." Juna nods, "I turned seventeen in January."

"You weren't even of age when you began teaching here," Snape commented an eyebrow quirked in surprise.

She nods again, noticing some mouths opening to protest, "Before anyone tries to assume I was forced into the military, I chose to do so of my own free will. While I'm sure many of you disapprove of my choices, I request that you at least respect them as my choices and not the choices of another."

Before anyone else could respond to that, Mustang returns attention to the original conversation.

Filius went next, "If I may ask, how does one differentiate between a State Alchemist and an average Alchemist?"

"Oftentimes, those who are State Alchemists have more skill, though there are definitely non-State Alchemists who have the skills to become one but choose not to. One example would be Juna's teacher, but for the sake of time, I'll continue onto the next trait. State Alchemists, upon gaining the title, gain two other things: a nickname, and this." he holds up his pocket watch. Juna takes her own out and lets it dangle lazily from its chain.

"These pocket watches are a symbol of the State Alchemist," he explains but doesn't elaborate further.

"What are these nicknames you mentioned?" Snape inquires.

Mustang turns to the man, "They are the name the public knows us by. I've already introduced Juna as the Alloy Eye Alchemist. As for me, the nickname I earned is the Flame Alchemist. Two more questions. It's getting late, and I wouldn't wish to keep you all up too much longer."

Moody was the next to ask a question, "How powerful is a State Alchemist, exactly?"

Juna turns her attention to the man. That was blunt, and while understandable coming from him, was a bit strange coming from a teacher's perspective. Was he expecting Mustang to go on some sort of Alchemy rampage? Mustang may be short of temper at times, but he wouldn't jeopardize his task for something so silly.

Funny enough, Hughes, the only one of the present Amestrians that wasn't a State Alchemist, was the one to answer, "There is a saying back home. Roughly translated, it says that a single State Alchemist is worth a small army. I don't know exactly how true it is, but I can definitely tell you they are strong. And smart. It takes a lot of brainpower to learn all that information, and it takes even more skill to apply it."

For a moment, there is silence as the rest of the staff digest that information.

Dumbledore asks the final question, "As two teaching positions will be open for an indefinite amount of time, have any plans been made for a substitute? Or is the task of filling these positions left to us?"

"I am willing to take over teaching Alchemy for the duration of their absence. While my knowledge of Alchemy is more specialized, like every other alchemist, there are certain staple formulas, known as Circles in Alchemy, that I learned which I can teach to the students. As for Muggle Studies, there is someone that we requested to come from Amestris. She has agreed and shall be here within two days. The only thing we'll need is lesson plans for the next few weeks and a method of quick and convenient communication so that the students are still learning what they need to."

Maes spoke up, curiosity getting the better of him, "Who exactly did you request to take over for me?"

"Juna would know her, actually. It's Pinako."

That actually caught the teen off guard as multiple eyes turned back to her, "She's coming here? She's always complaining about being too old to travel."

"When the situation was explained, she became quite stubborn in wanting to come here. She's apparently been to England before in her younger years, so she knows English."

"I see."

Juna had a feeling that wasn't the full story but didn't push. Mustang, himself, didn't seem to know quite what to think of that, either.

Maybe she'll ask the old lady later. If she was arriving in two days, that gave her two days to spend with the woman, and four days to complete lesson plans for Mustang before she had to return to Amestris with Hughes.

Anyway, the meeting was quickly concluded after Dumbledore introduced two-way journals to the Amestrians, and the group was dismissed, allowing Juna to return to her grading. She inwardly whacked herself on the head for not bringing her work like Severus had, choosing not to hit herself in the physical world because, for one, she would look stupid, and secondly, she had metal limbs.

Hitting herself would hurt. A lot.

Oh well, she thought as she returned to her office to complete the aforementioned grading. They say hindsight's twenty-twenty.

...

One day later, in the humble little farming town of Resembool residing in the Amestrian countryside, an old woman of short stature and fierce nature was having a final discussion with her dear granddaughter.

"Remember, the place I'll be at has whacky communication methods. Phones won't work, and I'm fairly sure they don't have them in that school in the first place, They use birds to carry messages, like the one sent to us earlier, so if you suddenly see more owls carrying letters and packages, they're likely from me. Give the birds some meat and water, and send any letters you may have with them; just tie them to the bird's leg. All you need to tell them is who you want to send the letter to, and where they are. For me, it'll be 'Pinako at Hogwarts'. Understood?"

"Yes, Granny." Winry smiled as she helped the woman finish packing her bags.

"Good." the old woman nods in approval, "Don't forget. I'll send off an owl when I get there, and it should arrive no longer than two days from now. I trust you to take care of the shop, but be careful!"

"I got it, Granny!" Winry responded with fond exasperation in her tone, "You leave the stuff here to me. Just go enjoy yourself. You've earned it after so many years without a break."

The young blonde had been surprised when the strange letter had arrived a day ago. She'd never expected to get anything sent by an owl of all things, and she'd most certainly not expected the letter to be from Colonel Mustang, addressed to Granny Pinako of all people. Not that the Rockbells weren't in high demand for their quality automail, but both of them were still civilians, and a personal letter from a military official was not something you saw every day, even when you had friends in the military.

Granny huffed, "Oh, I'm sure you'll be fine, but it never hurts to go over such things."

She took up the suitcase and handbag, stepping out the door and down the stairs, turning back for a split second to wave and say her goodbyes, "I have to go so I can catch the train on time. Be careful!"

"I will, Granny!" Winry waved back. She continued to wave as the older, smaller woman walked away, not stopping until the elder's figure disappeared over the hill, not to return for the foreseeable future.

She put her hand down and sighed, sending a smile in the direction the woman had gone, "Good luck, Granny." she whispered, and headed inside, closing the door quietly behind her. She needed to feed Den.

Meanwhile, with Pinako, the trek to the station was quick and uneventful. She had made it there with a few minutes to spare and was able to board the train with no trouble after a minimal amount of waiting. She handed her ticket and passport to the conductor and claimed a vacant compartment, which was easy to find due to how empty the train was. Not many people took it, even on a busy day.

This would be the second time she took this train out of Amestris, she mused, staring at the passing fields outside her window, but not truly seeing them, so lost in her memories she was.

She'd been a young woman, then. Still in her twenties. She'd gone to study engineering at a college in Great Britain and had accidentally stumbled upon the magical community during her time there. Apparently, she was known as a "clear-sighted muggle", a muggle who wasn't as strongly affected by magical glamours. Basically, she had a resistance to "muggle wards" that usually kept muggles away from magical locations.

Apparently, it was a rare gift to have, but occasionally one came along and was sworn to secrecy by one wizard or another. A good number even married into the magical world.

Anyway, it was there in the shopping district called Diagon Alley -a funny name that one, "diagonally"** divided into two words- where she met and befriended Dumbledore, who helped her understand the magical world, and even now, she occasionally received a friendly greeting from the man through letters sent on holidays. It must have been a strange sight back then: a young engineering major and a professor at a magical school. They couldn't have been more different! Hell, it sounded like the start of a bad joke!

Perhaps that's why they got along so well? Because they were so blatantly different?

Pinako chuckled and laid back, deciding to rest. It was going to be a long trip: eight hours to reach King's Cross, seven more to reach Hogwarts, where she'd meet Mustang. Because of the time difference, she'd likely be there around dinner.

Looks like she finally had a chance to get that friendly reunion she'd hoped for all those years ago.

Omake: Strange Holiday***

Juna found she could usually fill in blanks in her knowledge about the magical community's culture by observation and using context clues, much like she had been taught in school, only applied to real people.

However, she couldn't for the life of her, figure out why there were pumpkins the size of Hagrid with strange, carved, glowing faces floating in the air in the Great Hall. The bats flying around also concerned her. They often carried diseases and she was a bit nervous she'd lose her precious quiche to a lone, hungry flying mammal at some point during dinner.

Beside her, she could see Hughes looked just as confused as she was about the entire situation, though he was being educated by Professor Sprout, and was soon invested in a discussion with the friendly woman.

When she finally gave up on trying to figure this out herself, she turned to Severus, who had quickly become a reliable source of information for her when it came to this place's strange customs.

"Severus? If I may ask, why are there giant pumpkins with faces on the ceiling?"

He glanced at her for a moment, "It is Halloween. It's a holiday celebrated by the muggle community, and is celebrated here in the magical community due to its popularity with the students."

"I see. But why does this holiday involve giant pumpkins, exactly?"

"I'm afraid I'm not too knowledgeable on the specifics. The carved pumpkins are called Jack-o-Lanterns, and if I recall correctly, muggles long ago believed they warded off evil spirits. Halloween is a holiday that used to revolve around that concept. Now, muggle children dress up in Halloween costumes and go around 'trick-or-treating', where they go through their neighborhood and get treats like candy from the various houses. In the current era, this Holiday is more of an excuse for children to dress up and get free sweets."

Juna stared. That was... strange. She wasn't used to celebrating such elaborate holidays. At most, she would go to Resembool's annual harvest festival with her brothers, and Mom when she was still around, "I... will pretend I understood that." she took a bite of quiche, "And the live bats?"

"Things that are considered 'spooky' are often associated with Halloween. Bats are one such thing. As for why they are alive, wizards like to take extra steps in our... eccentricities."

"Is there anything stopping them from stealing food and biting students?"

"There are wards and charms in place that do just that."

Another bite, a sip of tea, "Is this... trick-or-treat tradition why there are so many sweets on the table?"

"That is the given reason."

"I see." she glanced over at Dumbledore, who currently had a rather unhealthy tower of sugary items on his own platter, "I have some suspicions that this isn't the only reason."

Snape followed her gaze, a slight glint in his eye, "...Indeed."

Alright! And that's that for the chapter! I know it's a bit shorter than my other more recent chapters, but I felt adding anything more would damage the chapter's flow. It felt complete, so I ended it before I could further overthink this. Now, onto the few explanations I have in this chapter:

*While Mustang wasn't at the First Task Personally, Juna had sent him a report about the task, so he still knows what happened.

** I'm sure I'm not the only one that noticed this when reading the books and/or watching the movies, and Knockturn Alley is similar with the word "Nocturnally". I just find it interesting, and felt the need to point it out. Thank you for listening to my TEDTalk. :D

*** Since Amestris is a very militaristic country, I feel there wouldn't be as many major observed holidays. And since they are slightly isolated from the outer countries, it would make sense that the few holidays they do have aren't necessarily the same as the ones represented in HP. Some farming towns like Resembool might have harvest festivals, which could be parallels to Thanksgiving, and perhaps a New Year Parade?

Also, I actually wrote this in the previous chapter and never really explained it, despite it coming kind of out of nowhere. Oops... So, Juna and Mustang were talking with Harry when it's explained why Harry had never heard of Amestris or its surrounding countries. I feel I should explain a bit as to how Juna and Mustang would know this, and maybe go a little more into detail. Basically, among the resources provided by Dumbledore, this was included in a file about Hogwarts and it's country, which would be how Juna found out. Mustang was told directly by Dumbledore, who knows such information because of his rather high influence in the Magical world. I'd also be willing to guess that the information is hidden and gathering dust somewhere in the Central Archives with the rest of the super duper important state secrets.

As for how Alchemy and Magic combined to isolate the countries, let's just say it involves a giant transmutation circle mixed with runes and wards. International trains like the one Pinako is taking are inscribed with runes on them that allow them to pass through the barrier. Sorry if it's not as fleshed out as you hoped, but I hope that clears up any confusion about the explanation. Sorry!

Well, that's all for this chapter. Leave a like or review if you are enjoying, and if there are any questions or constructive criticism, I'll do my best to respond to them. I hope you all enjoyed it, and once again sorry for the long wait! Please stay safe and healthy and I hope you all have a wonderful day.