Author's Note: I do not own FMA, Harry Potter, or their characters. This is AU and set during the fifth book.

Aid in Troubled Times

Roy sighed and pulled Riza a little closer. After their little encounter with Umbridge, it seemed safer to keep a low profile. So the pair was currently curled up in front of the fire in the Gryffindor common room. He had been going over the text he'd found in the library. It was helpful, but unfortunately, Roy had come to an impasse with the research. He knew why they had ended up here, but it wouldn't necessarily help them get home. Nor would it help him get the two of them back to their proper ages.

Still, it was a start, and it would give him something to work off of rather than fumbling around blindly. Roy rest his chin on Riza's shoulder. Things were certainly getting more and more out of control here at Hogwarts. The Wizarding world was remarkably unstable, and it seemed liable to erupt in chaos at any time. He wanted to keep well out of that. He had enough problems without adding political upheaval and turmoil to them. Besides, he wasn't about to be pulled into fixing another governmental mess. He had enough to do back at home.

At least it provided some entertainment. The constant conflict between the students and Umbridge could be quite entertaining at times. And thankfully, the departure of the Weasley twins had completely overshadowed his and Riza's little spat with Umbridge for the time being. Unfortunately, Riza's services as a nurse and comforter of those who had been terrorized by that woman. After treating Harry earlier in the year, Riza had quickly turned into the "mother" of Gryffindor. It didn't surprise Roy that much. The Elric boys had reacted much the same way to her.

Things were not going especially well for the students since the Weasely twins had left. Oh, there had been all sorts of successful pranks against Umbridge and her minions, but Roy knew enough of war to know that these were simply minor skirmishes whose victories meant little in the long run. They would only serve to increase Umbridge's determination to squash resistance. Though the pranks did give a boost to the students' moral, and that was a good thing. Roy sighed again.

Riza shifted in arms. "Would you stop that? Sighing isn't going to solve anything, and it's beginning to annoy me."

He ran his fingers through her hair. "There's no one to bounce ideas off of. No offense, Hawkeye, but for all of your knowledge of alchemy, you're not an alchemist. It's not quite the same."

She smiled. "I wouldn't want to be an alchemist. What do you want the Elric brothers here to lend a hand?"

Roy groaned at that thought. "Don't tempt fate. Please. That's just what we need: Fullmetal and Alphonse bringing their own special brand of chaos to this place. Either they'd do Voldemort's work for him and destroy the school or somehow manage to utterly disrupt the government. And give me a headache."

Laughing, Riza leaned back against him. "And how is that any different from what you're planning to do back home? Or what we've done here for that matter?"

Harry, Ron, and Hermione's entrance interrupted the discussion. They looked utterly drained, most likely due to their studying for the upcoming O.W.L.s. The trio slumped onto the furniture. Hermione opened her mouth to say something, and Roy felt the hair rise on the back of his neck. Riza was now sitting bolt upright, reaching for her gun. The fire crackled and shifted. Roy frowned as it seemed to expand and grow grey in the middle. This was not how fire behaved.

Something tumbled out of the grey space in the fire followed by another and another. As the fire diminished and returned to its normal size and color, Roy found him staring at two familiar blonds and one whom he could guess the identity of. Fullmetal looked around.

"Colonel?" He stared in disbelief.

Winry and Alphonse also stared, clearly not recognizing the pair in front of them. Roy groaned and buried his head in his hands. Riza just laughed, though it was a tad hysterically. They just had to tempt fate.

Theme: Double, double toil and trouble.