DISCLAIMER: I OWN NEITHER HARRY POTTER NOR FULLMETAL ALCHEMIST!

Chapter Twenty

"Where's Harry?" Ed asked the next evening.

He, Al, Winry, Ron, and Hermione were at the library working on their different assignments. Winry and Ed, of course, had made up and were acting as though they hadn't even argued. Hermione and Ron shared a glance and then looked at Ed.

"He's having Remedial -" Hermione started.

"Don't give me that bullshit line," Ed interrupted. "Snake doesn't give extra lessons. Hell, he doesn't even give Neville extra lessons."

"Very well," Hermione sighed. "Harry is having Occlumency lessons."

"What lessons?" Ed asked.

"It's to help Voldemort stay out of Harry's head," Hermione explained.

"Oh," Ed said. "So, what really happened? Did Mr. Weasley really get attacked?"

"Yeah, but he's okay though," Ron replied. "No one really knows how You-Know-Who got into Harry's head. It's a mystery."

"I'll bet you anything that Bumblebore knows exactly how Body-butt is getting into Harry's head," Ed assumed.

"If he does, then he has his reasons to not tell Harry," Hermione reasoned.

"But, Hermione, don't you think Harry should know?" Al asked. "Wouldn't you want to know?"

Hermione didn't say anything.

"He has a point, you know," Ron told Hermione.

Hermione glared at Ron.

"What?" Ron asked.

Hermione scowled and went to work on her homework.

"Did Professor Curtis tell you the results of her inspection?" Ron asked Ed and Al.

"She got put on probation," Al answered. "That's why she's really angry."

"Well, Teacher is always bitchy," Ed pointed out.

"Not all the…I guess you're right, Big Brother," Al agreed. "But Teacher is really angry at Professor Umbridge."

"Of course she is," Winry spoke up. "Professor Umbridge is a bitch. She probably knows nothing about Alchemy. Not to mention, Umbridge shouldn't be interrupting the people she's watching."

Before Hermione could respond, Harry came to the table. Harry's face was very white and his scar was showing up more clearly than usual.

"Harry, you look like shit," Ed commented. "You all right?"

Harry sat down.

"Yeah…fine…I dunno," Harry answered impatiently, wincing as pain shot through his scar. "Listen…I've just realized something…"

Then Harry told them about his dreams of the Department of Mysteries.

"I don't know, Harry," Ed said, leaning back in his chair. "It'd be kind of too risky, don't you think? Besides, I don't think Body-butt needs another weapon."

"But it makes sense," Hermione breathed. "Think about it….Sturgis Podmore was trying to get through a door at the Ministry of Magic…It must have been that one, it's too much of a coincidence!"

"How come Sturgis was trying to break in when he's on our side?" Ron asked.

"Well, I don't know," Hermione answered.

"He could have been possessed or something," Al suggested.

"You mean being put under the Imperius Curse?" Hermione asked.

"Yeah," Al replied.

"Well, that's possible," Hermione considered.

"Ron, what's in the Department of Mysteries?" Harry asked Ron. "Has your dad ever mentioned anything about it?"

"The Department of Mysteries is where they do top secret stuff," Ed answered before Ron could, making everyone look at him. "The people who work there are called 'Unspeakables' since they aren't allowed to say what they're workin' on."

"How did you know that?" Ron asked.

Ed shrugged.

"I read," Ed answered. "It would be a good place to hide something, especially a weapon. Anyway, Harry, you really look like shit."

"I just don't like Occlumency that much," Harry explained.

"Well, anyone would feel bad if they'd had their minds invaded over and over," Winry reasoned.

"Winry is right," Hermione agreed. "It'll just take some getting used to. Let's go to the common room, we'll be a bit more comfortable there."

"You three go ahead, we'll stay here," Al said.

"All right," Hermione said.

Then she, Harry, and Ron went to the common room as Ed, Al, and Winry stayed in the library.

"Do you think we should have told them about the Headless Hats that Fred and George just completed?" Winry asked.

"Nah," Ed brushed off. "They'll find out."

"Do you think Harry will be okay?" Winry asked.

"He'll be fine," Ed said. "Besides, he's got Hermione to mommy him, so you don't have to worry."

Winry frowned at him. The next morning at breakfast, Hermione gave a yelp after she got her Daily Prophet.

"What's wrong?" Al asked.

For an answer, Hermione spread the newspaper on the table in front of them and pointed at ten black-and-white photographs that filled the whole of the front page, nine showing wizards' faces and the tenth, a witch's. Some of the people in the photographs were jeering silently; others were tapping their fingers on the frame of their pictures, looking insolent. Each picture was captioned with a name and the crime for which the person had been sent to Azkaban.

"HOLY SHIT!" Ed swore.

Hermione and Winry shushed him. Ed read the article as did Al, Winry, Hermione, Ron, and Harry.

MASS BREKOUT FROM AZKABAN

MINISTRY FEARS BLACK IS "RALLYING POINT"

FOR OLD DEATH EATERS

The Ministry of Magic announced late last night that there has

Been a mass breakout from Azkaban.

Speaking to reporters in his private office, Cornelius Fudge,

Minister of Magic, confirmed that ten high-security prisoners

Escaped in the early hours of yesterday evening, and that he has

Already informed the Muggle Prime Minister of the dangerous

Nature of these individuals.

"We find ourselves, most unfortunately, in the same position we

Were two-and-a-half years ago when the murderer Sirius Black

Escaped," Fudge said last night. "Nor do we think the two

Breakouts are unrelated. An escape of this magnitude suggests

Outside help, and we must remember that Black, as the first

Person ever to break out of Azkaban, would be ideally placed

To help others follow in his footsteps. We think it likely that

These individuals, who include Black's cousin, Bellatrix Lestrange,

Have rallied around Black as their leader. We are, however,

Doing all we can to round up the criminals and beg the magical

Community to remain alert and cautious. On no account

Should any of these individuals be approached."

"There you are, Harry," Ron said, looking awestruck. "That's why he was happy last night…"

"I don't believe this," Harry snarled. "Fudge is blaming the breakout on Sirius?"

"Of course he is, Harry," Ed reasoned, before Hermione could say anything. "Chocolate has no other choice if he wants to stay in office. He's not going to say that Bumblebore warned him that the dementoids would go to Bodel-butt."

"They are called dementors," Hermione corrected.

"Whatever," Ed brushed off.

"And it is Dumbledore!" Hermione corrected more vehemently.

"Whatever," Ed brushed off again. "Anyway, Chocolate has just spent the past six months telling everyone that you, Bumblebore, and I are liars, Harry."

"Dumbledore!" Hermione corrected again.

"Will you shut up with the correcting?" Ed snapped at Hermione. "If I want to call them something else, I will! There is nothing you can do about it!"

Hermione gaped at Ed and then turned red in anger and grabbed the paper and ripped it open and started to read the story inside. Harry, Ron, Ed, Al, and Winry looked around at the students and then up at the staff table. Dumbledore and McGonagall were deep in conversation, both looking extremely grave. Professor Sprout had the Prophet propped against a bottle of ketchup and was reading the front page with such concentration that she was not noticing the gentle drip of egg yolk falling into her lap from her stationary spoon. Izumi had a frown on her face as Umbridge was tucking into a bowl of porridge, scowling as she shot malevolent glances towards Dumbledore and McGonagall.

As Hermione told Ed, Al, Winry, Harry, and Ron about Broderick Bode being discovered dead in his bed at St. Mungo's Hospital, Izumi rose from her seat. Dumbledore looked at her.

"What is it, Izumi?" Dumbledore asked.

"I need to talk to my students," Izumi answered. "And Miss Rockbell."

"I see," Dumbledore said.

Then Izumi left the table and went to where Harry, Ron, Ed, Al, and Winry were as Hermione had just left. They all looked at Izumi.

"Teacher," Ed said, "anything wrong?"

"Edward, you, Alphonse, and Winry need to come with me to my office immediately, do you understand?" Izumi stated.

"Yes, Ma'am," Winry said.

Then she, Ed, Al, and Izumi went on their way to Izumi's office. Izumi shut the door behind herself once they were all in her office. Izumi went to her desk and stood behind it with her arms crossed.

"What's wrong?" Al asked.

"You should be expecting either a court-martial or a letter, Edward, requesting your return to Central City," Izumi informed.

"Why do you say that?" Ed asked.

"Because I hardly think that Fuhrer Bradley will stay in the dark any longer," Izumi answered. "I think he will find out about the massive breakout and Voldemort coming back."

"Do you think Brother will get into trouble?" Al asked.

"I don't know, Alphonse," Izumi replied.

"Granny thinks that the Fuhrer may be up to something," Winry spoke up.

"I wouldn't be surprised if he is," Izumi agreed.

"I don't care if Fuhrer Bradley wants to punish me," Ed scowled crossing his arms. "I was just following orders from Colonel Idiot."

"I know that, Edward, but you need to be prepared for it," Izumi cautioned.

"Yeah, yeah," Ed waved off. "I'll be fine."

Not only were Divination and Care of Magical Creatures being surveyed by Umbridge, or Professor Toad Bitch in Ed's words, so was Alchemy class. But unlike Trelawney or Hagrid, Izumi completely ignored Umbridge and taught class as usual. Izumi also ignored the new decree that was put in place the morning after the news of the big Azkaban breakout made news.

-BY ORDER OF-

The High Inquisitor of Hogwarts

Teachers are hereby banned from giving students any

Information that is not strictly related to the subject

They are paid to teach.

The above is in accordance with

Educational Decree Number Twenty-Six

Signed:

Dolores Jane Umbridge

HIGH INQUISITOR

"This whole thing is ridiculous," Izumi told Ed and Al after class one day.

Umbridge had already left and Harry, Ron, and Hermione had went ahead to lunch. Ed and Al stayed behind to talk with Izumi.

"I know," Ed agreed.

"Did you get anything from Fuhrer Bradley yet?" Izumi asked.

"No, I didn't," Ed answered. "I thought I would have gotten something by now."

"Maybe he doesn't know," Al suggested.

"Maybe," Izumi considered. "You two should go to lunch."

Ed and Al nodded and went to the Great Hall.