DISCLAIMER: I OWN NEITHER HARRY POTTER NOR FULLMETAL ALCHEMIST!

Chapter Twenty-Nine

On the first day of the Easter holidays, Winry went straight to the hospital wing after breakfast. Winry had forgiven Ed for transmuting his auto-mail, and they had acted as if they had never argued a few days earlier. Ed, Al, Harry, Ron, and Hermione went to the common room after breakfast to start studying for the O.W.L. exams and sat down at a table by a window. Harry, Ron, and Al had agreed to let Hermione draw up their study schedules, but Ed wouldn't hear of it.

"No, I'm not gonna let you draw up any study schedules for me, thanks," Ed refused, snatching away a piece of parchment that had his name on it and tearing it up. "I can study on my own time and my own way, Hermione."

"Fine," Hermione sniffed, starting to draw up a schedule for Ron, then turning to Harry, and saying, "But why haven't you got Occlumency lessons anymore, Harry?"

"I've told you, Hermione," Harry lied, "Snape reckons I can carry on by myself now that I've got the basics."

"But you don't got the basics, Harry," Ed pointed out.

"Have you stopped having funny dreams?" Hermione asked skeptically.

"Pretty much," Harry lied again.

Ed rolled his eyes, knowing that Harry was lying.

"Well, I don't think Snape should stop until you're absolutely sure you can control them!" Hermione protested. "Harry, I think you should go back to him and ask -"

"Hermione, if Professor Snape really wanted to teach Harry, he would have done so better and not stop the lessons, even if he does have the basics down," Al interrupted. "It's best to leave him alone."

Hermione looked at Al, who blushed in embarrassment. Pegasus jumped onto Al's lap, and Al started to pet him.

"Yeah, Hermione," Harry said, forcefully, making Hermione look at him, "just back off."

Hermione pursed her lips and continued to work on Ron's study schedule.

"There's only six weeks left until exams," Ron said in surprise.

"How can you be so surprised, Ron?" Ed asked. "You should have known that they were comin' up on us."

"Well, there's a lot going on," Ron mumbled.

"There you are," Hermione said, handing him his schedule, "if you follow that you should do fine."

Ron looked down at it gloomily, but then brightened.

"You've given me an evening off every week!" Ron cheered.

"That's probably for Quidditch," Ed assumed.

"It is," Hermione confirmed.

"What's the point?" Ron asked dully, the smile fading from his face. "We've got about as much chance of winning the Quidditch Cup this year as Dad's got of becoming Minister of Magic."

"What's wrong, Harry?" Hermione asked, looking at Harry who had just picked up his Defense Magical Theory book.

"What?" Harry asked quickly. "Nothing…"

"It's probably about Cho," Al spoke up. "They had a fight about Marietta the other day."

Harry, Ron, Hermione, and Ed looked at him.

"How did you know that?" Harry asked.

Al blushed again.

"I…uh…," Al started, letting Pegasus down onto the floor and standing. "I've gotta get something in my trunk."

"Did you put a move on her?" Ed asked, suspiciously.

"No, I just ran into her and she was crying and - is that the time?" Al said, looking at the watch Izumi bought for him. "I've gotta go get Pegasus some food."

Then Al quickly left.

"Are you all right with that, Harry?" Hermione asked.

"With what?" Harry asked.

Ed looked at Harry, Ron, and Hermione.

"With Alphonse being with Cho?" Hermione prompted.

"I don't care," Harry brushed off. "He can have her."

"But -" Hermione started.

"If Harry says it's okay, then it's okay," Ed interrupted. "Don't push the subject."

Hermione pursed her lips and didn't say anything else about the matter. During the Easter holidays, Ed and Al spent all of their time studying for the OWL exams away from Harry, Ron, and Hermione. Winry spent all of her time during the holidays in the hospital wing making up more auto-mail for Ed and for some other customers that were in Resembool. Winry knew she didn't have to make any for the people in Amestris since Pinako was, but Winry wanted to since she had learned some new techniques to make the auto-mail better.

As though to underline the importance of the upcoming examinations, a batch of pamphlets, leaflets, and notices concerning various wizarding careers appeared on the tables in Gryffindor Tower shortly before the end of the holidays, along with yet another notice on the board, which read:

CAREER ADVICE

All fifth years will be required to attend a short meeting

With their Head of House during the first week of the

Summer term, in which they will be given the opportunity

To discuss their future careers. Times of individual

Appointments are listed below.

Ed and Al looked at the list to see that they were expected in Professor McGonagall's office on Monday morning. Al was expected at eleven, and Ed was expected at half-past eleven. They and the other fifth years spent a considerable amount of the final weekend of the Easter break reading all of the career information that had been left there for their perusal. Ed and Al sat with Harry, Ron, and Hermione on the last day of the holiday while looking over the pamphlets.

"Well, I don't fancy Healing," Ron said, looking at leaflet that carried the crossed bone-and wand-emblem of St. Mungo's on its front. "It says here you need at least an E at NEWT level in Potions, Herbology, Transfiguration, Charms, and Defense Against the Dark Arts. I mean…blimey…Don't want much, do they?"

"That's because it's a responsible job," Al pointed out. "Brother, what's Winry going for?"

"I think she said she wants to be a Healer or something," Ed replied, looking at a Wizard banking pamphlet. "But I told her to consider the people of Resembool first."

"That's not fair," Hermione said, looking up at Ed from the Muggle Relations leaflet she was reading. "Don't you think she should be able to do the things she wants?"

"Yeah, but she needs to think about the people from home," Ed answered, looking up at Hermione. "I mean, Granny isn't gonna live forever, and there needs to be someone there to provide auto-mail to the people there."

"Well, for your information, Edward," Hermione stated, "wizards and witches live a lot longer than ordinary humans. And Mrs. Rockbell is a witch, so there's no need to worry about her for a long while. Also I've never pegged you for a banker."

"I'm just looking," Ed said, putting down the leaflet. "Besides, it's not just banking, Hermione. It has adventure, travel, and danger. All the things that I like. In plus, no crappy uniforms."

Ed grinned. Hermione forced herself not to blush.

"Our uniforms aren't crappy!" Al protested. "Even you said one time that you liked the uniforms since it made Winry's -"

"Al!" Ed said loudly, blushing.

"Sorry!" Al apologized.

"Made Winry's what?" Ron asked.

"IT'S NONE OF YOUR BUSINESS!" Ed snapped.

"Edward, what are you yelling about?" a voice asked.

Ed, Al, Harry, Ron, and Hermione looked to see that it was Winry. She had just came back from the hospital wing. Winry was wearing a black tank top and a pair of khaki work pants. She had the khaki work shirt tied around her waist. Her hair was up in a ponytail with a green bandana tied on top of it.

"Nothing," Ed mumbled. "Winry, aren't you going to get into different clothes?"

"Why should I?" Winry asked. "I'm really hot from finishing up those limbs just now. And I still gotta change your limbs out."

"Why?" Ed asked. "Mine are workin' just fine."

"I guess you wanna trip all the time since you've grown a couple of inches," Winry remarked, her hands on her hips.

"I've grown?" Ed asked, his eyes wide in surprise.

"Yes, you have," Winry answered.

"Huh," Ed said, looking back down at the table.

Just then, Fred and George came over to the table and sat down.

"Looking good, Winry," Fred complimented, looking Winry up and down. "How'd you get past the toad queen and Filch?"

"She probably melted Filch," George remarked.

Winry frowned and then turned to Ed.

"I want you to come to the hospital wing first thing tomorrow morning, Edward," Winry ordered. "I've already spoken with Madam Pomfrey and Professor McGonagall. McGonagall won't mind that you might be late for your interview with her tomorrow since she knows that you're not serious about getting a job in this world."

Winry fanned herself with her hands.

"I'm going to go take a bath," Winry said. "See you later, guys. And don't get into any trouble."

Then Winry went to her dorm, got her clothes, went back down to the common room, and then left to the bath. Ed watched her leave out the common room as did Ron, Fred, George, and a few other boys. When Ed looked back to Al, Harry, Ron, Hermione, Fred, and George, he glared at Ron, Fred, and George. Ron, Fred, and George stopped staring.

"Anyway, Harry," Fred said, stretching out his legs onto the table, causing some leaflets to fall to the floor, "Ginny's had a word with us about you. She says you need to talk to Sirius."

"What?" Hermione snapped, her hand freezing halfway toward picking up MAKE A BANG AT THE DEPARTMENT OF MAGICAL ACCIDENTS AND CATASTROPHIES.

"Yeah…," Harry said, trying to sound casual, "yeah, I thought I'd like -"

"Don't be so ridiculous," Hermione snapped, straightening up and looking at Harry disbelievingly. "With Umbridge groping around in the fires and frisking all the owls?"

"What's life without a little danger?" Ed grinned.

"Ed's right, Hermione," George agreed. "Besides, we think we can find a way around that. It's a simple matter of causing a diversion. Now, you might have noticed that we have been rather quiet on the mayhem front during the Easter holidays?"

"What was the point, we asked ourselves, of disrupting leisure time?" Fred continued after George. "No point at all, we answered ourselves. And, of course, we'd have messed up people's studying too, which would be the very last thing we'd want to do."

He gave Hermione a sanctimonious nod, taking her aback. Ed scoffed.

"Brother!" Al scolded.

"But it's business as usual from tomorrow," Fred continued. "And if we're going to be causing a bit of uproar, why not do it so that Harry can have his chat with Sirius?"

"I think that's a good idea," Al commented.

"Thank you," Fred and George said.

"Yes, but still even if you do cause a diversion, how is Harry supposed to talk to him?" Hermione asked.

"Umbridge's office," Harry whispered.

"Are - you - insane?" Hermione whispered back.

"I don't think so," Harry shrugged.

"And how are you going to get in there in the first place?" Hermione asked.

"Sirius's knife," Harry answered

"Excuse me?" Hermione asked.

"Christmas before last, Sirius gave me a knife that'll open any lock," Harry replied. "So even if she's bewitched the door so Alohomora won't work, which I bet she has -"

"Alphonse, what do you think?" Hermione asked Al.

Al blinked.

"Well, I think it's Harry's decision," Al answered. "He can't be babied forever, Hermione."

"What do you think about this?" Hermione demanded of Ron as she wasn't happy with Al's answer.

"I think it's a great idea," Ed said.

"I wasn't talking to you!" Hermione snapped.

"Excuse me," Ed muttered.

"I dunno," Ron answered Hermione, alarmed at being asked to give an opinion. "If Harry wants to do it, it's up to him, isn't it?"

"Spoken like a true friend and Weasley," Fred said, clapping Ron on the back. "Right, then. We're thinking of doing it tomorrow, just after lessons, because it should cause maximum impact if everybody's in the corridors - Harry, we'll set it off in the east wing somewhere, draw her right away from her own office - I reckon we should be able to guarantee you, what, twenty minutes?"

Fred looked at George.

"Easy," George replied.

"What sort of diversion is it?" Al asked.

"You'll see, Alphonse," Fred answered, as he and George got up again. "At least you will if you trot along to Gregory the Smarmy's corridor around five o'clock tomorrow."