A/N - Yes, I am late. Very late. Again. I apologize. Again. I've been sick, so I took a break from writing for a bit; in fact I'm still not completely well but I didn't want to make you guys wait for any longer. We are nearing the end of this book, so I will try very hard to get the last few chapters out much faster; in the meantime please review, they motivate me more than you know. IMPORTANT. I edited last chapter, and changed a few things. Not anything that will drastically effect the plot, but you should probably re-read last chapter so that this chapter will make more sense.

Edit: So, hates me and I ended up having to delete last two chapters and re-post them several times in order to make them work. Sorry about that.

"blah blah"- Speaking Greek

"blah blah"- Speaking Amestrian

'blah blah'- Thinking

***** - Begin/end flashback

Disclaimer: I do not own Harry Potter, Fullmetal Alchemist, or Percy Jackson. Good thing too, or they wouldn't be nearly as good as they are now. They belong to J.K. Rowling, Hiromu Arakawa, and Rick Riordan. Just to be safe, I also don't own the song 'This is War' by Thirty Seconds to Mars.


Edward

Yes, he knew it was possible because he had read about it but seeing it even with that knowledge still unsettled him in ways he couldn't even begin to describe – seeing a dog where there should have been a human still screamed wrong, wrong, wrong, WRONG! And no matter how he tried to rationalize it he still found himself staring in numb shock, trying desperately to shake the memories, the guilt, the–

"Edward!"

A frantic scream pierced through Edward's mind and he was jerked back to the present, barely in time to raise his right arm and stop incredibly sharp and deadly TEETH from ripping apart his face. Someone screamed, but Ed's only concern was getting away from the vicious teeth and claws that were currently attempting to rip him apart. Somehow he managed to bring up his left foot and kick the wolf (he was a wolf…right?) away, and then the dog – man – dog – was there again, pouncing on the wolf (the wolf that had been Remus Lupin…right?), driving him away towards the trees.

Ed was left gasping, trying to clear his head and remember exactly what had happened to place him in this situation…except that his memories were so oddly fuzzy and for Truth's sake why couldn't he remember what had happened? It was as if two different memories were battling for dominance in his mind, two different memories arguing over which one was correct–

'There was a rat,' whispered one side of his mind.

'No, there wasn't!' Screamed the other side.

'Trust Sirius Black, he's innocent,' one side murmured.

'NO!' The other side shouted. 'He killed two people! He killed Susan and Luna!'

'Shhh, no he didn't…' The other side soothed. 'It was an accident, remember…an accident…'

'No, no, NO!' The other side raged. 'Remember your promise? Remember getting there too late? Remember how it's your fault?!'

"Edward, snap out of it!"

Someone was shaking him, and it felt as if knives were being stabbed into his brain with every jolt. Ed blinked several times, forcing himself to ignore the pounding indecisiveness in his head and focus on the black-haired girl in front of him.

"Wh-what–" Ed stammered, desperately trying to organize his thoughts as Thalia released his shoulders.

'Focus,' he told himself, though the sharp pain in his head made that very difficult. 'We're outside – by the Whomping Willow – we just came from the Shrieking Shack because – because –'

'Because Pettigrew ran off, remember? See, easy…that's what happened…'

'NO! That's NOT what happened! Stop being an idiot! Pettigrew was never there!'

"Edward, a-are you alright?!" Hermione was by his side, hands over her mouth as she stared at him in horror. "Y-your arm…"

"I-I'm fine–" Edward forced out, though his splitting headache begged to differ.

"His arm is metal, remember?" Thalia said to Hermione. Thalia's face was pale and she looked very shaken; not that Ed could blame her, given the past sequence of events…

which he still couldn't remember clearly.

A sudden barking made them all jump and turn towards the sound. It sounded like a dog in pain…but the only dog was –

"Sirius!" Harry shouted. He turned to face them in panic. "We have to go help him!"

"I don't think I can go anywhere right now Harry," Ron hissed through clenched teeth. It seemed that Thalia had fashioned a splint for his leg, but he was obviously still in severe pain.

"I'll stay with Ron," Thalia said. "You go help Sirius."

Harry and Hermione barely hesitated before dashing off towards the sound of barking. Ed once again forced himself to ignore the war raging inside his skull, along with the growing pain from his headache, so that he could run after the two students. But try as he might, it was impossible to completely tune out his conflicting memories.

'Innocent…he's innocent…that's why you're going to help him, right?'

'Guilty! He's guilty! You just want to make sure Harry and Hermione don't get hurt!'

'He didn't do anything wrong, he's never hurt anyone…'

'He killed them! He's a murderer!'

'Innocent…'

'Murderer!'

'Accident…'

'Your fault!'

Distracted by the voices in his head, Edward didn't notice the growing cold and sense of dread until it was too late. He stumbled to halt with a gasp, feeling as if all the life and happiness had been sucked out of him. His vision was tinted with black, and he could just make out the form of Hermione on the ground, and Harry standing right next to her, growing weaker by the second. Edward vaguely noted that he was not standing anymore, but his sense of perception was growing ever weaker as he gradually succumbed to the nightmares inside his head.

~o~O~o~

"…What is at stake…You must not be seen."

'What…' Edward was slowly brought back to consciousness, the sound of someone speaking carrying over the buzzing in his ears.

"I'm going to lock you in. It is…five minutes to midnight. Miss Granger, three turns should it. Good luck."

'What's going on?' If Ed's thoughts had been muddled before, they were even more so now. He could barely think straight, let alone assess his current situation.

"Good luck?" Another voice questioned. "Three turns? What's he talking about? What are we supposed to do?"

'I'm in a bed…I think…wait…is this the hospital wing? Why am I–' Ed forced his eyes opened with a gasp, shoving himself upright in the bed as his memories flooded back. 'Right…dementors.'

Edward grasped the sides of his bed as a wave of dizziness overcame him as a result of his abrupt transition. Finally able to see, Ed saw Hermione, Harry, and Thalia standing in the middle of the room. Ron was in the bed next to him. There was no one else in the room.

"Oh, Edward!" Hermione exclaimed. "You're awake!"

"What's going on?" Ed asked, surprising himself with how hoarse his voice was.

"We'll explain in a minute," Hermione said, pulling at a chain around her neck.

"Explain what?" Harry demanded. "I still don't know what–"

"Come here Harry, quickly!" Hermione said urgently, gesturing for Harry to come closer. Throwing the chain around Harry's neck, she glanced hesitantly at Thalia.

"You can't take both of us," Thalia said impatiently. "Just go!"

Hermione nodded and turned back to her necklace.

"Take both you where?" Edward asked, utterly lost.

Instead of answering, Hermione and Harry vanished into thin air.

Wait.

"H-how did that happen?" Ed stammered, even more confused than before.

"Time-Turner," Thalia replied easily, turning to face him.

"A what?" Ed asked, not any less confused.

Suddenly the door opened and Hermione and Harry entered, breathless and looking as if they had run a mile. Edward stared as they rushed back to their beds and climbed in as if they had never left.

"A Time-Turner is a device that allows you to go back in time a few hours," Thalia explained quickly. She turned to Hermione and Harry. "Did it work?" She asked anxiously.

Hermione nodded. "Barely," she whispered. "But Sirius and Buckbeak are both safe now."

"That's not possible!" Edward protested. "There's no way that even magic could make time-travel possible!"

"Shh!" Thalia hissed as the door to Madame Pomfrey's office swung open.

"Did I hear the headmaster leaving?" She asked in annoyance. "Am I allowed to look after my patients now?" Spotting Edward sitting up, her anger nearly doubled. "You don't even think about getting out of bed young man!" The nurse scolded. "You nearly died! I won't have you leaving any time soon!"

Madame Pomfrey distributed large amounts of chocolate and stood over their beds as they ate. Edward decided it was futile to convince the nurse to let him leave; and besides, as much as he hated to admit it, he did feel rather sick and weak. As Madame Pomfrey was handing out more pieces of chocolate, the door to the hospital wing burst open.

"Brother! Are you alright?!" Alphonse had obviously heard of his brother's predicament and was less than pleased. "I heard that there were dementors, and you passed out, are you–"

"Out!" Madame Pomfrey demanded before he could get any further. "Your brother will be fine, but he needs rest, which he cannot get if someone comes barging in here every five minutes! Now leave! You can see him tomorrow!" She waved the suit of armour towards the door.

"But–"

"No buts!" Madame Pomfrey insisted. "Go!"

"I'm fine, Al," Ed reassured, glad that his voice had recovered significantly. "I promise."

Alphonse did not look convinced, but he reluctantly exited the room anyway. Madame Pomfrey shut the door with a huff.

"Honestly," she muttered as she turned back to her patients. "This is supposed to be a hospital wing!"

"Is Ron alright?" Edward asked, noticing for the first time that Ron was either asleep or unconscious in the bed next to him.

"He passed out on the way up here," Thalia told him. She had moved to the bed next to Harry and was sitting on the edge.

Thalia had barely finished speaking when a distant roar of fury met their ears, followed by angry voices which were rapidly growing closer.

"What now?!" Madame Pomfrey exclaimed, throwing her hands in the air in exasperation.

The voices drew ever nearer until Edward could begin to make out what they were saying –

"…Must have Disapparated, Severus. We should have left somebody in the room with him. When this gets out —"

"He didn't Disapparate!" Snape roared, now easily heard. "You can't Apparate or Disapparate inside this castle! THIS HAS SOMETHING TO DO WITH POTTER!"

"Severus, be reasonable!" The first voice protested. "Harry has been locked up–"

The door to the hospital wing flew open with a bang, allowing Snape, Dumbledore, and a third man to enter. Dumbledore expression was as calm as ever, borderline amused. The third man looked severely agitated, but he had nothing on Snape, who was furious.

"Out with it, Potter!" The professor shouted. "What did you do?!"

"Professor Snape!" Madame Pomfrey shrieked. "Please, control yourself!"

"See here, Snape," The third man added. "Be reasonable. The door's been locked, we just saw–"

"They helped him escape, I know it!" Snape yelled, pointing accusingly at Harry and Hermione.

"That will do, Severus," said Dumbledore quietly. "Think about what you are saying. This door has been locked since I left the ward ten minutes ago. Madam Pomfrey, have these students left their beds?"

"Of course not!" said Madam Pomfrey, bristling. "I would have heard them!"

"Well, there you have it, Severus," said Dumbledore calmly. "The only other people in the room were Edward and Thalia, and I believe that Edward was unconscious until quite recently?" Here he raised his eyebrows at Edward.

"That's right," Ed managed, still trying to make sense of everything. He decided the best course of action would be to play along and get answers from Hermione, Harry, and Thalia later.

"Unless you are suggesting that Harry and Hermione are able to be in two places at once," Dumbledore continued, "I'm afraid I don't see any point in troubling them further."

Snape stood frozen, glaring around the room, before turning sharply and storming from the room.

"Fellow seems quite unbalanced," the third man said, staring after him. "I'd watch out for him if I were you, Dumbledore."

"Oh, he's not unbalanced," Dumbledore replied with a quiet smile. "He's just suffered a severe disappointment."

"He's not the only one!" The unidentified man huffed. "The Daily Prophet's going to have a field day! We had Black cornered and he slipped through our fingers yet again! All it needs now is for the story of that hippogriff's escape to get out, and I'll be a laughingstock! Well…I'd better go and notify the Ministry…"

"And the dementors?" Dumbledore asked. "They'll be removed from the school, I trust?"

"Oh yes, they'll have to go," said the mystery man, running his fingers distractedly through his hair. "Never dreamed they'd attempt to administer the Kiss on an innocent boy…Completely out of control…no, I'll have them packed off back to Azkaban tonight…Perhaps we should think about dragons at the school entrance…"

"Hagrid would like that," said Dumbledore, with a swift smile towards the students.

He and the still unrecognizable man exited the room, much to the relief of Madame Pomfrey. She hurriedly locked the door to prevent any more intrusions, and, still muttering angrily to herself, she headed back to her office.

A low moan came from the bed next to Edward's indicating that Ron had woken up. He was currently sitting up in his bed, wincing as he looked around.

"What happened?" He asked groggily.

Ed turned to glare at Thalia, Hermione, and Harry. "Explain," he demanded.

The three friends looked at each other.

"One of you can explain," Harry declared, reaching for more chocolate.

Thalia rolled her eyes. "Harry and Hermione used a Time-Turner to go back in time two hours and save Sirius and Buckbeak."

"You saved them?" Ron exclaimed, overjoyed. "Brilliant!"

Edward blinked, and suddenly he found that his headache had returned full-force, and once again he didn't know whether to be happy or angry–

'Happy of course, he's innocent!'

'Angry! You don't have any evidence that what he said is true!'

'Yes you do; remember? You saw Pettigrew with your own two eyes…'

'NO! No, you did not! You did not you did not you DID NOT!'

'You saw it…'

'No!'

'Yes…'

'NO!'

"Edward!"

Ed jumped, startled, to find that everyone was staring at him with a mixture of confusion and concern on their faces.

"Are you alright?" Thalia asked slowly, eyeing him intently.

"Y-yeah," Edward said, though it didn't sound convincing. Thalia didn't look very convinced either, but Harry, Hermione, and Ron seemed satisfied enough.

Ed couldn't make himself pay attention as Hermione and Harry gave details of their adventures – he couldn't even bring himself to ponder the idea of time travel, no matter how interesting it was – because he was too preoccupied with the damn argument going on inside his damn brain and he couldn't make sense of it in the slightest.

'Just think through what happened – I was outside – then I saw Thalia, Harry, and Hermione by the Whomping Willow – they told me that Ron got dragged off by a dog and into the tree.'

So far, so good – no oddly conflicting memories or headaches popping up yet.

'Okay, and then we went into the Shrieking Shack, and upstairs we found Ron and Sirius Black, and Lupin came up pretty soon after that. Then Black and Lupin told us their story.'

Still fine – no contradictions or uncertainties.

'And then – then Lupin asked to see Ron's rat, so Ron pulled him out of his pocket–'

'NO! The rat was never there!'

Edward growled in frustration. Half of his mind loudly declared that there had never been a rat; that was the problem, Black and Lupin didn't have proof because Ron didn't have his rat. Meanwhile, the other side told him that there was a rat, that was the evidence, Ron had pulled the animal out of his pocket. The problem was that he remembered both sides as clear as day, and he couldn't figure out why.

That wasn't even the only thing. As crushing as if it had happened yesterday, Edward could feel the guilt and sorrow and despair of when he discovered Susan White's body, stabbed through the heart, obviously murdered. Yet the other side of him continued to whisper that he had never even seen her body; her death was an accident and he wasn't anywhere near her.

No matter how hard he tried, how much he studied and went over the events in his mind, Edward's only reward was a splitting headache; as if the two arguments were playing tug-of-war with his brain. No matter how smart Edward Elric was, he couldn't solve this problem.

Luckily for him (or, perhaps, unluckily), he didn't have to figure it out for himself. Hours later, when Edward had finally drifted into a restless sleep, he dreamed. Even by his standards, his dreams were terrible. Distracted by the terrors that his mind created to torment him, he barely noticed the voice. He certainly didn't remember it the next day; nor at all, not for a very long time. All he remembered when he woke up from his nightmares was that Sirius Black was free, just as he deserved to be.