THE MAJORITY OF THIS CHAPTER IS FROM MEMORY! Why? Because I lent my book to my friend. When I say this chapter is from memory, I mean that not all of the events will be in proper order and depiction. I do not have a reference for the order of certain chains of events. Important parts I'll try to look up, but it won't be perfect, so just please keep that in mind.

Krazyfanfiction1: He is, but he isn't aware yet. Though that's a good idea, it's definitely possible..

I DO NOT OWN FULLMETAL ALCHEMIST, FULLMETAL ALCHEMIST BROTHERHOOD, OR ANY PART OF THE HARRY POTTER SERIES!

After a few minutes, Harry, Neville, Hermione, and a few other Gryffindors were gawking at Ed in astonishment.

"Blimey, mate. You eat more that Ron!"

"Boys" Hermione scoffed, but all the same was surprised. Ed barely ever at with the rest of them at Headquarters, and was rarely seen at meals after all.

"You eat a lot for someone so small" Someone remarked, immediately sparking Ed's attention.

"WHO'RE YOU CALLING SO SMALL THEY COULD BE CRUSHED BY A BEAN?!"

"No one said that, mate-"

Just then, the food disappeared, and Dumbledore stepped up to the podium.

Chapter 12- Voices

"Now that you are all fed and well nourished, I have a few announcements to make." Said Dumbledore's booming voice, echoing throughout the whole hall, silencing most conversation, which all died down to faint ending conversation.

"See, Ed? Now, he will give his proper speech" Hermione said, trying to forget the sudden outburst.

He gave a huff and turned to his long-bearded headmaster.

"To start off, I have been told once again by Mr. Filch, to inform you all that the forbidden forest is off limits at all times to all students, due to the occupation of many…unpleasant…. things living in there." He said, his tone not changing, but his intention in words unmistakably clear. What happens if we go in there? I don't think I want to find out.

"Secondly, I have two staff changes to announce." He said. People began to whisper excitedly to each other.

"Who's it going to be this time?"

"I hope he's not a psycho this time around…"

"What the hell are they talking about?" Ed asked. Hermione huffed, before saying "every year the Defense Against the Dark Arts teacher changes somehow. In the past one has died, one was sent to the hospital for severe brain damage, and one tried to kill Harry. This year, everyone is interested to find out who is the next one"

"Speaking of teachers, where's Hagrid?" Harry asked. Ron shrugged, as Dumbledore began to speak again.

"Unfortunately, our Care of Magical Creatures teacher Rubeus Hagrid is on an extended leave, for personal reasons. However, Professor Grubbly Plank was kind enough to substitute for him until he returns." Dumbledore said.

"I wonder what happened to him?"

"I'm glad that big oaf is gone. Let's hope it's for good"

"He wasn't a very good teacher anyway; Professor Grubbly Plank was much better a teacher"

"People have mixed feeling about him, don't they?" Ed asked, resulting in indignant tones from many of his fellow Gryffindors.

"And now, I would like to introduce our new Defense Against the Dark Arts teacher, Professor Delores Umbridge" Dumbledore announced, pointing a hand to the short lady in pink who stood u with a sickly sweet smile that made a shiver crawl down Ed's spine.

"That woman! She was from my hearing!" Harry said. "Seriously? That pink horror is part of the government?" Ed said skeptically. Harry nodded.

"Tryouts for the House Quidditch teams will take place on-" Dumbledore started, before he was interrupted by a shrill, girly impression of what was supposed to be a cough. Every head turned to the source of the noise, which was the very person who had recently been identified. Ed already hated the sound, and had a bad feeling he would hear a lot of it. I might have to reason with that woman!

"Hello to all of you! It's so lovely to be at Hogwarts once again, and to see all these happy faces smiling up at me" she said, her tone dripping false sweetness, and underlying venom. Ed already hated her.

No one was smiling at her, most were frowning, even glaring, or silently snorting.

"I look forward to a brand new year with all of you, and I hope we can all be good friends!" She continued.

At this Ed couldn't hold back a snort of indignation. Right...

As she went on to speak about the ministry's goals at Hogwarts (or that was what it sounded like for the time Ed had paid attention) Ed slowly felt himself beginning to nod off.

"Edward..."

He jumped, as all his senses heightened. He felt alert, ready for a fight. Everything moved slower, and nothing could be heard other than his own heartbeat, which was steadily speeding up. The hell...

"Don't think you can escape from us, Fullmetal. Were still watching you, very closely" It was most certainly a voice, silky smooth, and with a slight hiss to it. Where, who are you? Ed thought, before, shaking his head. What am I thinking? Anything can happen in this damned school, I'm probably just tired.

"Ed? Are you ok?" Harry asked, though Ed didn't pay attention.

"I'm not your imagination, Edward Elric. I am very real, and very close..."

"...an intent of preserving what ought to be preserved, perfecting what ought to be perfected, and pruning wherever we find practices that ought to be prohibited" Umbridge finally finished, and silence filled the room. Dumbledore was the only one who clapped, followed by teachers, and a handful of students. Ed, of course, did not clap, he felt no reason to, and he had something else to deal with.

"Practices that ought to be prohibited" eh? Better watch out, Fullmetal~"

The hell is that supposed to mean? Ed thought, before realizing he unconsciously accepted the voice's existence.

"Took you long enough to realize and to think you're called a prodigy, have standards dipped so low?" the voice laughed.

Who're you calling short?!

"As I was saying, Quidditch tryouts will be held according to..."

"Ed! Ed you there?"

Ed jumped, whipping towards the voice.

"Oh, Harry..."

"You alright mate? You look pale.." Ron asked.

"Y-yeah! My stumps are just aching" he said, quickly coming up with an excuse. Not entirely wrong...they do still hurt like hell.

"Oh of course! I completely forgot about your limbs. It's probably all the magic in the air here, it's malfunctioning" Hermione said. Ed groaned, remembering reading about just that.

"Dammit, isn't there a way to prevent that? There's no way in hell I'm staying like this the rest of the year!"

"I'm sure if you just ask Madam Pomfery about it she will fix it up. She can fix almost anything" she suggested. Ed shrugged. It would be real nice if she could restore bodies, but that sounds too good to be true. Ed sighed, knowing full well nothing was going to be made that easy. Then again, I don't know how Al would feel to be out back in the flesh by something so ominous... For all we know this could be the philosopher's stone all over again.

He could practically hear Truth laughing at him.

After Dumbledore said his piece, the students all filed out of the Great Hall (whose doors seemed unnaturally big to the young alchemist, what did they think would come in that's so big that the door practically touches the ceiling?). Ed felt something cold rush through him and shivered. He looked up to see a transparent, human-looking thing, staring down at him. It reminded Ed vaguely of the stories he heard about ghosts.

"W-what the.."

Harry laughed, "Hello Nick!"

"Nick?" Ed asked incredulously. The thing looked at him disapprovingly, saying "Yes. I am Sir Nicholas DiMimsy Porpington, ghost of Gryffindor House. I believe you are the new student, correct?"

"Ghosts? Don't kid around with me. The dead don't come back" Ed said, wincing at the painful memories.

"Well, frankly speaking, I am not brought back from the dead. I am a mere image of the person I used to be" said the thing, (Nicholas-whatever it was) in a proud manner. Ed rolled his eyes. "You're moving around, talking, and thinking like a person. That isn't possible"

"Yet here I am, boy. In the magical world, you would be surprised by what is possible and what isn't"

"I don't care if this is magic or...whatever! Dead people don't come back!" Ed pressed, knowing his voice was becoming desperate. It's not possible!

"Ed, we should get going now…" Harry said uneasily, trying to push Ed away from the scene.

They eventually got out of that mess, though Ed was still confused, and fuming. His mind was so confused with recent events he felt like he was being overwhelmed, until someone tapped him on the shoulder, gaining his attention. "What?"

"I just thought you should probably pay attention here. This is the entrance to the Gryffindor House. The Fat Lady. She has a password, so you might want to remember it." Harry explained, pointing at the portrait in front of them. Ed stared as the woman in the photo looked at him and said "password?"

Ed jumped. "Dammit, first talking hats, then random voices, then supposed ghosts, and now talking portraits! What next, huh? Flying brooms?" He said, after regaining his composure. Harry laughed. "Ever heard of Quidditch, Ed?"

Ed looked at Harry in pure horror.

"Harry! Ed! I know the password!" Came the voice of Neville Longbottom, running up behind the two. They turned to see him panting. "It one I'll actually remember this time! Mimbulous Mimbeltonia!" He said joyously.

"Isn't that the name of that demonic plant you had?" Ed said, recalling the plant Neville had held, which had attempted to drench him in foul smelling liquids, had he not ducked for cover. Neville nodded, stepping into the now opened portrait. As they entered, the room got silent, and Ed saw two boys glaring at them, whom Ed recognized as Seamus Finnigan, and Dean Thomas, who he had met in the Great Hall.

"Hello, Harry! Ed!" Said Dean, beckoning them to come over as conversation started once again.

"Hello Dean! How was your summer?" Harry replied, as Ed waved.

"Better than Seamus's"

"Me mum didn't want me to go back to Hogwarts this year" Seamus said sharply.

"What? Why would she want that?" Harry asked, confused.

"Because of you, Potter" he said, tone dripping irritation and accusation.

"But, why?" Harry said.

"Well… It's not just you, it's Dumbledore too... She's been reading The Prophet"

"The Prophet? She believes the prophet? The same paper that calls me an attention seeking liar, and Dumbledore a batty old fool?"

"Yeah, so what?"

Ed couldn't take being silent anymore. Though he wasn't quite sure what it was that drive him, the skepticism, or the fact it wasn't going anywhere.

"You shouldn't believe what your damned government publishes"

"Who are you to talk? You don't know what's going on!" Seamus said.

Ed glared at him "I know enough of what's going on to know your government is not only incompetent but filled with sick idiots who can't tell the difference between a legitimate threat and a teenager's imagination!"

This outburst caught the attention of most surrounding people in common room. Whispers broke throughout the room, while others seemed stunned.

"What are you talking about?"

"Moldyvort, or whatever his name is."

At the name "Moldyvort" Many people laughed.

"Voldemort" Harry corrected, soft enough for only Ed to hear. "Yeah yeah, whatever his name is. My point is, even with blatant claims to his arrival, they are doing nothing. Considering he's supposed to be a big deal, you would think to at least be more careful, right?"

No one spoke at this, until a voice broke through the silence. "What's going on here?"

They all turned to see Ron Weasly walking through the portrait door, followed by Hermione Granger.

Damn, mustang is going to kill me isn't he?

The vice from earlier laughed in the back of Ed's mind, and Ed shook his head. Get the hell out of my head!

Ed headed for the portrait hole, holding his head as if in pain, though it didn't go unnoticed. "Oi!

Ed! Where are you going?" Said two voices Ed knew well. He turned to see the twins standing behind him, practically clones of each other.

"I need to go to the infirmary, my head's killing me" he said, holding his head to emphasize the claim. They looked confused. "You don't even know where it is!" Said George, immediately followed by Fred saying "how are you planning to get there?"

"I'll show you!" Said a random girl from the crowd, one that Ed could not identify. Her suggestion was followed by high pitched giggles which confused Ed quite thoroughly. "I'll figure out how to get there myself" Ed said stubbornly. "Not in that condition!" Ron said from the back.

"I'll be fine!" Ed said with a sense of finality, before trudging out of the room and through the ever-so-ominous portrait hole.

"Going yourself may not be wise, dear" said the fat lady (somehow).

"Yeah yeah, I'll be fine" Ed said, waving her off. I can't believe I'm talking to a portrait.

After a long time of simple wandering, Ed ran into a greasy haired man, who gave Ed a disgusted look. "Students should be in their dorms, what are you doing out so late?" He said, dragging his words in a dull hiss.

"I need the Infirmary" Ed said plainly.

"I need the Infirmary, Sir" The man said. Ed rolled his eyes. "Just tell me where the infirmary is, would you?"

"What house are you in, boy?" The man demanded. "Gryffin…something. Now can you answer my question?" Ed said. He wasn't in the mood to deal with authority hogging jerks.

"Very well. Ten points from Gryffindor, boy. And for future notice, refer to your superiors in proper fashion." He said, before walking away swiftly. Ed rolled his eyes. Couldn't care less about points, I just want to find the damn infirmary!

"The infirmary is down the hallway, to the left" Said one of the portraits. Ed turned, ready to snap, before nodding at it and walking away.

Speaking of the Colonel, I haven't heard from anyone back home in a while now. Did something happen? Ed didn't like the prospect of that, not in the slightest.

When he reached the Infirmary, he was immediately greeted by a stern looking woman. Why is it that all women like this? It's always wrenches, guns, and punches with them. Even here, they all have this intimidating aura to them.

"What is it? You're up late aren't you? Why aren't you in your house common room?" she asked, all in quick succession. And just as curious.

"I-I needed some treatment!" Ed stuttered, holding his hands up in defense. She scoffed. "What do you need?"

"Well, you see…" Ed trailed off, realizing he had no choice. He pulled up his long sleeves and revealed the automail. "I have two mechanical limbs, and lately they've been hurting like hell"

She nodded in understanding "You're the student that the Headmaster mentioned, then. I see…" She examined the limbs before ushering him to a bed. "Sit tight, I will have to give you a potion to relieve the pain. I will perform so magic on the machines so they stay in working condition, however, you will need to come weekly to renew it."

She left the room, and after a short while she returned holding a cup of purple liquid. "I may taste rather bitter, but drink it all, understand?" Ed nodded, taking the cup. He quickly took a large gulp of it, before coughing and doubling over. "I told you didn't I?" She said, clicking her tongue in disapproval.

Ed scoffed, before drinking the rest of the foul liquid. He felt the pain almost immediately fade away. Madam Pomfery began to mutter under her breath, holding her "wand" to his left leg. Once she had finished, she told him to stand up. He did as he was told and was surprised how normal it felt, after the long period of stinging pain.

"Unfortunately, I cannot regrow your limbs. They seem to be impossible to retrieve, as if some form of dark magic is layering the places where they were cut off. I'm sorry, dear" She said, eyes softening. Ed shrugged. "It's fine. I had a feeling that would be the case."

"If you don't mind my asking, how did you lose those limbs?"

"Something really stupid I did" Ed said sharply, and thankfully she seemed to get the message.

Ed yawned, and she immediately returned to her previous demeanor. "Now get to bed, for heaven's sake! Don't forget to come in next week!" She said, pushing him out of the room. The door slammed behind him and he sighed. I guess that's one more lead gone.

"Look at today! History of Magic, double Potions, Divination, and double Defense Against the Dark Arts! Binns, Snape, Trelawney, and Umbridge all in one day!" Ron complained loudly.

"Ed, how on earth did you already lose points?" Hermione asked incredulously. Ed shrugged. "Some guy bumped into me, I asked where the infirmary was, he told me to call him sir, I told him to give me an answer, he took points, and left."

"That was probably Snape" Harry said, wrinkling his nose in disgust. "He's the head of Slytherin, and favors them.

"Sound like a grand joy to be around" Ed said, tone dripping sarcasm. The voice had not returned since the previous night, though Ed was still worried. His nerves were set farther on edge by the fact that he had heard nothing from Al.

"Ed, you look troubled. Are you alright?" Hermione asked, waving a hand in front of his eyes. Ed nodded hastily. "Yeah, I'm fine"

Ed stifled a loud yawn with his gloved hand, as he listened to his teacher talk about nonsense. He kept going on and on about the essentials of "potion making" and it was becoming monotonous. He didn't understand what was so intimidating about him, especially compared to a certain housewife he was familiar with.

"Mr. Elric" That slick, drawling voice said. Ed looked up at his teacher, raising an eyebrow. "Yeah?"

"Yes, Sir" He said, commandingly. Ed grinned. "No need for that, I was fine with Mr. Elric, ya'know." Some Gryffindors laughed at this, but were silenced by a glare in their direction.

"Ten points from Gryffindor, for your insolence. Now, would you care to tell me what the next step to this procedure is?" Snape said slyly. Ed shrugged. "That's what you're supposed to teach us, isn't it? Or are you that bad at your job?"

"A further ten points from Gryffindor, and a detention, Mr. Elric"

Ed rolled his eyes, as the teacher stalked back to the front and continued to scribble down the procedure. "You have the rest of the class to complete the first part of this potion. When you come back, it will be ready for the next step." He said. No one moved and he groaned in irritation. "Well, get to it!"

People hastily scrambled to the supply closet, and Ed was about to head there as well, when he was stopped by a hand. "Do not think that I am unaware of your reason for being here. I know exactly what your goal is, and who your superiors are. I recommend not letting this get in the way of your time here, and for a peace maker, you really are stirring up far too much trouble for your own good" Snape hissed.

"Yeah yeah, the old man told me all about that. I don't need any advice from you." Ed said.

With that, he headed for the supply closet to collect his supplies. What a collection! Cockroaches, snails, eyeballs, what kind of ingredients are these?

Once he had everything he needed, Ed returned to his table and began to work. He was surprised how naturally it came to him. Makes sense, I suppose. In theory, it's the same as Alchemy.

Half of the allotted time had passed, and Ed finally sat down in his seat, finished with his work. Snape walked over to his desk, as Harry gawked at him from the seat next to him. His potion was nothing but a black sludge, as oppose to the light orange of Ed's. Snape stared at it, seemingly trying to find a fault, before giving a grudging nod, and writing a sloppy 'o' on Ed's paper.

"How did you do that? Even Hermione isn't done yet!" Harry whispered. Ed shrugged.

"I guess I'm just a genius, aren't I?"

I am not entirely sure if I spelled Grubbly Plank's name correctly(as well as a variety of other things), so if someone can verify I would really appreciate it.

Thank You For Reading

-SevenBlazingSkies