DISCLAIMER: I OWN NEITHER HARRY POTTER NOR FULLMETAL ALCHEMIST!

Chapter Thirty-Five

When Ed got back to Gryffindor Tower and into the common room, he was shocked to see that a party was in full force already. Ed had found his way to a table by a window where Al, Winry, Harry, and Hermione were.

"Where's 'Golden Boy'?" Ed asked.

"Ronald is somewhere around here," Hermione replied. "But we've got to tell you something."

"Tell me what?" Ed asked.

"That's what we asked, but Harry and Hermione said to wait for when you show up," Al answered.

"What did Professor McGonagall -?" Hermione started.

"Forget about that," Ed brushed off. "Tell me what you have to tell us."

"Hagrid wants us to take care of his 'little' brother," Harry stated.

"What do you mean, 'take care of his little brother'?" Ed asked. "Isn't he -?"

"No, he's not an only child," Al interrupted.

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

"When Envy and Lust told me the things, it was in the Forbidden Forest," Al confided, looking down. "We were in the clearing with Hagrid's half-brother. I wanted to know if he was another homunculus, but Envy said it was Hagrid's half-brother that he had dragged back from where he was at."

"Then Voldemort knows what Hagrid was doing in the summertime," Harry correctly assumed.

"Even if he does," Hermione pointed out, "it doesn't mean that he would know everything."

"If you say so," Ed muttered.

"Anyway," Hermione continued, shooting a glare at Ed, "we have got to hope that Hagrid won't get sacked so we don't have to take care of Grawp."

"Grawp?" Ed asked.

"Yes, Grawp," Hermione answered. "I'm sure 'Envy' told you the name as well, Alphonse."

"Yeah, it did," Al replied. "Envy told me his name."

Al looked down again.

"Alphonse," Hermione started, Al looking up at her, "I'm not angry or disgusted with you, all right? I just wish you would have told us these things earlier. You know, so we would have known."

"I didn't want anyone to die," Al said.

"Don't worry, Al, we'll be okay," Ed assured.

Al nodded.

"When are you going to tell Ron?" Winry asked.

"I don't know," Hermione replied. "Probably tomorrow, so he could have some time to celebrate the win today."

She looked at Ed.

"So, what did McGonagall do to you?" Hermione asked.

"Ah, she just gave me a month's worth of detention," Ed wove off. "Nothin' to worry about."

Hermione frowned. The next day, Ron's euphoria at helping Gryffindor scrape the Quidditch Cup was such that he could not settle to do anything the next day. All he wanted to do was talk over the match and it was difficult for Harry and Hermione to find an opening in which to mention Grawp - not that either of them tried very hard; neither were keen to be the one to bring Ron back to reality in quite such a brutal fashion. As it was another fine, warm day, they persuaded him to join them in studying under the beech tree on the edge of the lake, where they stood less chance of being overheard than in the common room. Ron was not particularly keen on this idea at first; he was thoroughly enjoying being patted on the back by Gryffindors walking past his chair, not to mention the occasional outbursts of "Weasley Is Our King," but agreed after a while that some fresh air might do him some good.

They spread their books out in the shade of beech tree and sat down while Ron talked them through his first save of the match for what felt like the dozenth time.

"Where are Ed, Al, and Winry?" Ron asked after retelling the first save.

"Alphonse is getting help from Cho for his O.W.L. exams since she's already taken it, and Winry is helping Edward," Hermione answered. "They're all in the library."

"Oh," Ron replied. "Well, we won. Did you see the look on Chang's face when Ginny got the Snitch right out from under her nose?"

"I suppose she cried, did she?" Harry supposed, bitterly.

"Well, yeah - more out of temper than anything, though…," Ron frowned slightly. "But you saw her chuck her broom away when she back to the ground, didn't you? And Al go to her to comfort her?"

"Er -," Harry started.

"Well, actually…no, Ron," Hermione admitted with a heavy sigh, putting down her book and looking at him apologetically. "As a matter of fact, the only bit of the match Harry and I saw was Davie's first goal."

"You didn't watch?" Ron asked faintly. "You didn't see me make any of those saves? You didn't hear Professor McGonagall get onto Ed?"

"Oh, we heard that all right," Harry remarked. "Could hear it off the pitch."

"We didn't want to leave!" Hermione insisted. "We had to!"

"How come?" Ron demanded.

"It was Hagrid," Harry replied. "He decided to tell us why he's been covered in injuries ever since he got back from the giants. He wanted us to go into the forest with him, we had no choice, you know how he is…Anyway…"

The story was told in five minutes, by the end of which Ron's indignation had been replaced by a look of total incredulity.

"He brought one back and hit it in the forest?" Ron asked.

"Yep," Harry answered.

"No," Ron denied. "No, he can't have…"

"Well, he has," Hermione confirmed. "Grawp's about sixteen feet tall, enjoys ripping up twenty-foot pine trees, and knows me," she snorted, "as Hermy."

"And Hagrid wants us to…?" Ron started, laughing nervously.

"Teach him English, yeah," Harry completed.

"He's lost his mind," Ron stated. "Do Ed, Al, and Winry know?"

"Yes, they know," Hermione replied, matter-of-factly. "We told them last night. And Alphonse has known longer than any of us because Envy and Lust told him."

"And he didn't tell us?" Ron asked in disbelief.

"Well, you can't blame him," Hermione rationalized. "He was afraid for Edward and Winry and us."

"I suppose," Ron admitted. "But we just can't keep that promise. We have O.W.L. exams. And unlike Ed and Al, those lucky blokes, we don't have anyone who has already taken them to help us study for them."

In the library, Winry was highlighting Ed's notes of what Ed would need to know while Cho was helping Al with his notes.

"Ed, you've really got to take better notes," Winry scowled. "I can barely read your handwriting."

"It's not that bad," Ed mumbled.

"It's chicken scratch!" Winry protested. "I don't see how Colonel Mustang could read your reports!"

"For your information, Winry," Ed snapped, "we're supposed to type our reports, except for when we are here."

"Well, that would explain why your reports would be late," Winry remarked.

"What makes you think that my reports would be late?" Ed argued. "My reports were always on time back in Amestris!"

"Well…," Al started.

"Keep out of it, Al!" Ed interrupted.

"Your papers would be late because you are very slow at typing!" Winry accused.

"I am not!" Ed protested.

"You are so, Edward!" Winry insisted. "And don't blame it on your auto-mail, either!"

"Aren't you the pot calling the kettle black!" Ed accused.

"What's that supposed to mean?!" Winry asked.

"You type so slow that it snowed by the time you were finished with an assignment!" Ed accused. "You were gushin' over the stupid typewriter too much to actually pay attention!"

"You're such a jack ass!" Winry snapped.

"Well, you're a bitch!" Ed retorted. "I'll study on my own!"

Then Ed grabbed his stuff and left. A few moments later, Winry grabbed her stuff and stormed out as well. Al sighed and shook his head.

"They're very sweet," Cho commented.

"When they're not arguing," Al muttered.

"They do stop arguing, don't they?" Cho asked, looking at Al.

"Yeah, but they fight over the stupidest things," Al answered. "And when they 'forgive' each other, they act like nothing had happened."

Cho smiled. Tears came to her eyes.

"Cho, don't be upset," Al urged.

"I'm sorry, Alphonse," Cho apologized. "It's just…I wasn't able to get any -"

"Closure?" Al finished.

"Yes," Cho answered.

"Well, Brother told me that he told Cedric and Harry that they needed to leave the graveyard, but it was too late," Al told Cho. "When Harry fell onto his knees in pain, Voldemort told Peter Pettigrew to kill Ed and Cedric. But Cedric pushed Brother out of the way and took it for him. Ed was going to beat up Peter, but he was…you know, what you read in the Quibbler."

"I'm sorry, Alphonse," Cho apologized once again.

Al shook his head.

"Don't worry about it," Al forgave. "You just needed to hear it from someone. The point is, Cho, you shouldn't be sad. Cedric gave his life to protect somebody. And that somebody tried to avenge Cedric. Even though I hardly knew him, Cedric would want you to be happy."

"He was very much like you," Cho admitted. "Such a gentleman. Anyway, let me help you study…"

Al nodded.

The castle grounds were gleaming in the sunlight as though freshly painted; the cloudless sky smiled at itself in the smoothly sparkling lake, the satin-green lawns rippled occasionally in a gentle breeze: June had arrived, but to the fifth years this meant only one thing: Their O.W.L.s were upon them at last. Their teachers were no longer setting them homework; lessons were devoted to reviewing those topics their teachers thought most likely to come up in the exams. McGonagall had even forgotten about giving Ed detention when he showed up for his first night of detention.

"What are you doing here, Elric?" McGonagall asked, looking at Ed.

"You gave me a month's worth of detention, remember?" Ed reminded. "You know, for what happened during the last Quidditch match?"

"Oh, yes," McGonagall remembered. "Well, you can start them next year when you come back. Your O.W.L. exams are more important. You do want to be a Curse Breaker for Gringotts, don't you?"

"About that," Ed started. "I don't think I'll be able to."

"Why not?" McGonagall asked.

"Fuhrer Bradley doesn't want me to quit the military to work in the wizarding world," Ed replied. "He thinks I should apply what I've learned to -"

"To your job with the military," McGonagall finished. "Well, when you're here, you are in a free country. You will do whatever you want, but I want you to take the O.W.L. exams and do your best like you do in your classes."

"Why?" Ed asked.

"Because Izumi Curtis would want you to do your best," McGonagall answered. "Your talent shouldn't be wasted. I'm sure Miss Rockbell feels the same, whenever you two are not fighting."

Ed blushed.

"Get out of here and get back to Gryffindor Tower and study," McGonagall said. "I will remind you of your detentions next term."

Ed nodded and left. He went back to Gryffindor Tower and went into the common room. He looked around and went to a table by a window where Harry, Ron, Hermione, Al, and Winry were sitting and sat down by Al. Winry was holding Pegasus.

"Why aren't you at Professor McGonagall's?" Hermione asked. "Don't you have detention?"

"She told me to come back here so I can study," Ed replied, putting his books and notes onto the table from his bag.

"Didn't you remind her?" Winry asked.

"Of course I did," Ed answered. "If I didn't, you would've jumped all over me! McGonagall told me to focus on my exams and that she'll have me do my detentions start of next term."

"Oh," Winry said. "Sorry, Ed."

Ed looked at Winry.

"Whatever," Ed forgave. "Just forget about it."

"Are you all right?" Winry asked.

"Yeah," Ed lied. "I'm fine."

Hermione frowned at Ed. Winry put Pegasus down, got up from her seat, went to Ed, and hugged him from behind as Ed blushed.

"It'll be okay, Ed," Winry comforted. "We'll figure something out."

Then they all noticed the common room had went silent. Winry stopped hugging Ed and pulled out her wrench and turned to everyone who was staring at her and Ed.

"Get back to work or you'll be headed to the hospital wing!" Winry threatened.

Everyone done as told. Winry turned back to Ed, Al, Harry, Ron, and Hermione.

"I'm going to bed," Winry said. "I'm a bit tired. Study well, Ed."

"All right," Ed said. "Good night."

"Good night," Winry bade.

She kissed Ed and then went to her dorm. Ed looked at Harry, Ron, and Hermione. All three were smirking.

"What?" Ed snapped.

"When are you going to send out the wedding invitations?" Ron remarked.

"Are we invited?" Harry added.

"If I don't kill you first!" Ed yelled.

"Brother, stop," Al urged.

Ed stood and straightened his cloak.

"I'm goin' to bed," Ed decided. "Sleep with one eye open, Harry, Ron."

Then Ed went up to the boys' dormitory.