Cerulean Silver vs. Amber Gold
by hikaranko

Summary: Ed has been put on his stupidest assignment yet: babysitting. Well, that's not what everyone else would call it, but to Edward Elric, it's exactly like babysitting. But now Ed knows that there's something more to it, and he's gotten too involved to pull out... FMA/HP crossover. kinda sorta may possibly be slightly AU with HBP and with FMA. rated T for language.

Disclaimer: unfortunately for me, I don't own FMA or Harry Potter. it'd be so cool if i was, though. but i do claim posession of the idea of this story, and that's pretty cool in itself! XD and MJade-1 is CSAG's godparent!

Author's Note: aww, i wish people wouldn't hate on Ginny. sure she's a bit blunt and outspoken, but there's nothing wrong with that! and even if Al is kinduva juggernaut, that's not his fault, so let him play if he wants to... awkward as it may or may not be... (ahem)

anyways... just wanted to answer this for lachwen's sake, since (s)he reviewed anonymously: there is, in fact, a reason for why Ed eats (and sleeps, though i kinda haven't gone into that a lot) so much. umm... i don't wanna get too geeky, but... (eyes twinkle mischievously) manga spoilers ahead! read at own risk! - as of chapter 45, Ed creates a theory that at some point during their attempt to bring their mom to life, while they were both inside the gate, Al and Ed's minds crossed because their blood got mixed into the ingredients. this supposedly created a sort of body link between them, so Ed does the eating, sleeping, and growing for the both of them. which would also explain why Ed's physical growth is hindered. so together, they're "one full adult"! XD

alright, moving ahead. enjoy chapter 24, people! and please don't forget to leave a review on your way out!

Chapter 24
Difficult Lessons

"Absolutely not."

"Oh come on!"

"Forget it! I'm not goin' down there and that's that!"

"But you signed up for-"

"Correction, Zabini. You signed me up for the lessons. Without my consent and completely against my will."

"No use crying over spilt milk! What's done is done, you've already been charged the twelve galleons so you might as well go!"

"Like I care about a dozen galleons."

Zabini fell silent for a moment, his eyes narrowed as he looked at Ed. He glanced at Draco, who stood near the window and looked equally exasperated by Ed's obstinate refusal. The small blonde was lying stretched out on his bed with his arms folded indignantly over his chest and was glaring back at Zabini defiantly. Crabbe and Goyle were near the door, waiting for some sort of signal for them to leave. But instead of being told to go, they received different orders.

Draco jerked his head toward Ed. "Grab him. We'll just have to drag him to the Great Hall."

Ed sat straight up and set his glare on Draco. "WHAT?"

There was a ghost of a smirk on the Malfoy heir's face and Ed remembered why he disliked this guy so much. Over the course of the past week, Draco made an extraordinary recovery from his depression. He was still quieter and more sullen than he used to be and the swagger in his step was subdued, but now he talked much more often and had resumed his position as Crabbe and Goyle's boss, giving them random orders whenever he pleased. And on top of all this, he'd started disappearing again. It was a good thing that Ed's detention sentence was over and done with. Otherwise, he really would have killed Draco just to keep him in one place.

And that damn smirk. Every time it appeared on Draco's face, it was fractionally restored to its former trademarked self.

As Crabbe, Goyle, and Zabini were about to descend on him, Ed rolled off his bed, crashing down to the floor with a loud yell and a thud. He quickly scrambled to his feet and made a mad dash for the door, slipping right under Zabini's arm. A small part of his mind was thankful for his small stature since it finally proved useful and helped him make an escape. But before he could get too far, Blaise's arm suddenly shot out and grabbed hold of Ed's right ankle. Ed crashed back down to the floor and Crabbe and Goyle immediately moved toward him.

"GET AWAY FROM ME!"

They all smirked at one another and proceeded to ignore Ed's protests. One of the Crabbe/Goyles took hold of his right arm and the other took his left leg. He was immediately thrown into a full blown panic as thoughts of his auto-mail getting revealed surged through his consciousness. So he did the only thing he could think to do: he thrashed wildly in their grasp, hoping that a violent struggle would knock Crabbe and Goyle unconscious.

"Bloody hell!" one of them exclaimed. "He's bloody heavy!"

"Weird for him to weigh this much when he's so little!"

"FUCK YOU! FUCK YOU ALL!"

Zabini moved around so that he was holding Ed's left arm instead of his ankle. "All right mates, let's get Elric to the Great Hall for the Apparition lesson!"

Ed took another swipe at the Crabbe/Goyle holding his auto-mail arm and failed. He tried kicking his left leg at the other one and failed to do that, too. It wasn't easy to fight when suspended two feet over the ground by one's limbs. The best Ed could do was flail around in their grasp and hope that someone would lose their grip and drop him. He managed to catch a glimpse of Draco as he led the way out of the dorm. The bastard was smirking again.

Though Ed did manage to find a bright side to all of this; Crabbe, Goyle, and Zabini were having a hard time trying to carry him all the way to the Great Hall. He enjoyed making the task hard for them, and after the first ten minutes or so Ed decided that it was a good thing that Crabbe and Goyle were holding his auto-mail; they didn't seem to notice anything strange about his limbs. Their amazing stupidity had a use! Even so, he continued to struggle against them, making sure that they were too distracted with restraining him to ever have an opportunity to notice.

So a very colorful, vulgar selection of curse words accompanied the Slytherins as they entered the Great Hall, causing such a ruckus that the heads of everyone already inside turned to look at them. Draco frowned at the attention they received and finally ordered Crabbe and Goyle to let go. Obedient as always, they dropped Ed in an unceremonious heap on the floor. Zabini knelt on the floor nearby, smiling. Ed growled viciously at him.

"Now that wasn't so bad, eh?"

"I fucking hate you."

Zabini just grinned.

Ed pulled himself into a sitting position, rubbing a painful spot on the back of his head. He rotated his right shoulder and flexed his arm and leg, just to be sure that nothing was broken. Then, scowling at the swirling darkness on the enchanted ceiling (he so hated rainy days), he got to his feet and dusted himself off. Upon looking around, he noticed that the tables had disappeared. The Great Hall was filled with students, all of them sixth years or seventh years. They were all brimming with excitement as they talked amongst themselves and looked toward the front of the hall where the Heads of Houses were all standing.

With them was another, smaller wizard that Ed didn't recognize. He seemed somewhat colorless, with transparent eyelashes and wispy hair. There was an insubstantial air about him, making it seem as though he would be blown away by a strong gust of wind. Ed snorted, partly hoping that a breeze did come through the hall and blow the guy away. No doubt he was the teacher from the Ministry.

Ed glanced at the main door to the entrance hall, frowning as he watched as it swing shut. He cursed angrily under his breath. It was too late to escape now. He grudgingly turned his attention forward as Zabini slung an arm over his shoulder.

"Really, Elric, I don't understand what your problem is," he laughed. "You come off as this brilliant genius and yet it's like you don't want to put your skills to work..."

Blaise went on, rambling about how strange he found Ed's behavior, but Ed had tuned him out. He was looking solemnly in Draco's direction, his eyebrows knitted together. For some reason, Draco was arguing with one of the Crabbe/Goyles. He couldn't quite hear what they were saying to one another, but judging by the expressions on each of their faces, it looked like Crabbe/Goyle had done or said something that Draco didn't want him to. Ed ached to move closer but couldn't with Zabini on him.

From the front of the room, the Heads of Houses called for silence and the students settled down at once. Even Zabini shut his mouth and turned to face the professors, removing his arm from Ed's shoulder and giving them his full attention. All except for Draco and Crabbe/Goyle. They simply turned the volume down slightly. Ed carefully inched toward them.

"Good morning," said the Ministry wizard. "My name is Wilkie Twycross and I shall be your Ministry Apparition instructor for the next twelve weeks."

While the wizard introduced himself, Edward managed to move close enough to Draco and Crabbe/Goyle to hear what they were saying. He stayed a few feet away and in front of them, keeping his eyes on the Twycross guy so that it didn't look like he was listening in.

"...get caught?"

"For the last time, you won't!"

"I hope to be able to prepare you for your Apparition Tests in time..."

"But what if...!"

"Don't pretend to grow a brain now, Crabbe. Just do as you're-"

"Malfoy!"

Professor McGonagall's voice had been such a loud, commanding bark that Ed had almost mistaken it for the shot of a gun. "Be quiet and pay attention!"

Ed turned around so that he could see Draco, plastering an innocent, curious look on his face. Draco's cheeks flushed a dull pink and he stepped away from the Crabbe/Goyle he was arguing with. He frowned at McGonagall as he did so, the look in his silver eyes clearly one of annoyance and anger. Ed then turned back slightly to look at the professor to see that she was looking directly at Draco with a stern look on her face. He noted that Snape also had an annoyed look on his face, though it was probably because of the fact that McGonagall had reprimanded one of his House.

The Ministry wizard didn't seem to have noticed a single thing.

"...by which time, many of you may be ready to take your tests," Twycross continued. "As you may know, it is usually impossible to Apparate or Disapparate within Hogwarts."

'It's usually impossible, period,' Ed thought bitterly.

"The headmaster has lifted this enchantment, purely within the Great Hall, for one hour, so as to enable you to participate. May I emphasize that you will not be able to Apparate outside the walls of this Hall, and that you would be unwise to try."

Here the wizard took a moment to let his eyes sweep over everyone's faces, possibly to allow everyone's imaginations run wild with gruesome possibilities. Ed rolled his eyes as he finally continued talking. "I would like each of you to place yourselves now so that you have a clear five feet of space in front of you."

The crowd of students scrambled to separate from each other. Some people banged into one another and some demanded that others move out of their space. Ed and the other Slytherins were fortunate enough to be at the back. So he simply took a few casual steps in different directions until he had his five feet of space. Zabini and one of the Crabbe/Goyles were standing on either side of him, and diagonally behind him was Draco and the other Crabbe/Goyle. He was still within earshot of everything Draco said, which was perfect since Draco had apparently chosen to take advantage of the general upheaval to continue his argument with Crabbe/Goyle.

"It's an easy enough task for you and Goyle to handle. I'm not asking you to prove Golpalott's bloody Third Law."

Crabbe/Goyle blinked, confused by the comment. "Yeah, but... See, it's... It's awful embarrassing and-"

"What's that matter to me?"

"Well, how much longer are we-"

"I don't know how much longer, all right?" Draco shot at him. His voice had gone up a notch, like he was completely unaware that anyone could hear them arguing. "It's taking longer than I thought it would."

Crabbe/Goyle opened his mouth to respond, but Draco cut him off, apparently knowing exactly what he was going to say. "Look, it's none of your business what I'm doing, Crabbe, you and Goyle just do as you're told and keep a lookout!"

"I tell my friends what I'm up to, if I want them to keep a lookout for me."

Ed blinked, recognizing Harry's voice. He turned his head only slightly so that he could see Harry standing directly behind Draco. 'When did he get there?'

Draco spun around on the spot, his hand flying to his wand. But before he could even think about what hexes to shoot at Harry, the four Heads of House shouted, "Quiet!" from the front of the Hall. Silence fell over the students again and Draco turned slowly, grudgingly, to face them. Ed looked back at Harry for an extra moment, his brow furrowed. Just before Harry noticed and turned his bright green eyes on him, Ed turned to face the front again.

"Thank you," said Twycross. "Now then..."

He waved his wand in the air, making old-fashioned wooden hoops appear instantly on the floor in front of every student. Ed glared at his hoop as though it had done him some personal wrong, his arms folded indignantly over his chest.

"Let me guess," he muttered to Zabini. "We're going to try to Apparate into that hoop, aren't we?"

Zabini eyed the wooden hoop for a moment and shrugged. "Likely."

Ed snorted. "Wow."

"It's less than five feet away," Zabini smirked. "How hard can this possibly be?"

"The important thing to remember when Apparating are the three D's!" announced Twycross. "Destination, Determination, Deliberation! Step one: Fix your mind firmly upon the desired destination. In this case, the interior of your hoop. Kindly concentrate upon that destination now."

Three cheers for predictability. Ed rolled his eyes and took a moment to look around at all the other students. They all looked furtively about them as though they wanted to make sure they weren't the only ones staring into their hoop, then did as they were told. Ed's gaze lingered for a moment on Draco and then on Harry. Draco was looking determinedly at the floor enclosed by his hoop, his lips drawn into a tight line. It looked like the argument he'd had with Crabbe/Goyle never happened, though it was hard to say the same for Harry. His eyes kept darting between his hoop and the back of Draco's head. With an exasperated sigh, Ed turned back around.

"Step two," said Twycross, "focus your determination to occupy the visualized space! Let your yearning to enter it flood from your mind to every particle of your body!"

Ed narrowed his eyes slightly. 'I don't think so.'

He kept his arms folded over his chest and glanced around him again. He wanted to laugh at the faces that some students were making. A few of their faces had turned bright pink and veins were straining to pop out on their necks. They looked more like they were trying to force something out of their asses than trying to be determined.

"Step three," called Twycross, "and only when I give the command... Turn on the spot, feeling your way into nothingness, moving with deliberation! On my command now... one-"

Lots of people gave sudden starts, looking alarmed at being asked to Apparate so quickly. Ed couldn't stop himself from grinning.

"-two-"

This was going to be good.

"-THREE!"

He watched as everyone around him spun on the spot, only to lose their balance and practically fall flat on their faces. A few of them really did slip and fall on their backs, and Ed noticed some guy behind him had done some sort of pirouetting leap into his hoop with his eyes shut. When he opened them again, he looked momentarily thrilled and Ed immediately burst into roaring laughter.

"Oh man!" he laughed, unable to contain himself. "You guys should've seen how stupid you all looked! It was hilarious!"

Everyone within earshot of Ed shot him piercing looks. Zabini and Draco seemed especially annoyed with his laughter. "Shut it, Elric."

But he couldn't. Even if Ed had wanted to stop laughing, he didn't see it happening any time soon. From the front of the room, Twycross was looking around the Hall at all the students as they either cursed their failure or laughed at their friends, his face blank. It seemed clear that he hadn't expected anything better from them.

"Never mind, never mind..."

Ed finally calmed himself down just enough to speak properly and gave Zabini a hearty slap on the back. "Well, the important thing is that you tried," he said, trying to steady his voice. "So I guess it's time for everyone to go back to the common room and-"

"Adjust your hoops, please," came Twycross's voice, "and back to your original positions..."

"Huh? Back to our..." Ed blinked. "There's a round two?"

"Obviously," snapped Draco. "So get back in position and give it a try, Elric. If you find us not being able to Apparate so funny why don't you show us what we're doing wrong."

"I don't Apparate," Ed scoffed in response.

Draco smirked. "I wonder why not."

Ed frowned at the obvious challenge. He narrowed his eyes at Draco and defiantly stepped back into his original position. As Draco and Zabini also readjusted themselves, Ed stared grudgingly into the space within the hoop. All he was supposed to do was focus on that spot, decide with every fiber of his being that he wanted to be standing there, and then... What was the last one?

"Once again, now, on my command... One-"

Turn on the spot, feel your way into nothingness, and move with deliberation. Ed frowned. What the hell did that mean?

"-two-"

He decided he'd just spin around and hope for the best. He knew he was going to end up looking just as stupid as the rest of them and that didn't sit with him very well.

"-THREE!"

Ed turned himself all the way around and almost tripped. Thankfully he'd managed to keep himself from falling to the ground, but he still staggered slightly to catch himself. Finding himself in the exact same spot he was before, Ed frowned.

"Not as easy as you thought, is it?" mocked Zabini, even though he hadn't done any better.

The other students nearby also gave Ed mocking looks which he promptly ignored. He didn't mind not being good at magic. His talents were with alchemy and he hadn't expected to actually gain anything out of going to this school from the start. If they wanted to insult him to make themselves feel better, that was fine with Ed. After all, they were the ones who were really trying to Apparate and failing.

Since no one near him would let Ed stop after the one try, he joined the rest of the students in their attempts. It was out of sheer annoyance with his failure that he decided to really put in an effort by the time the fourth try came around. What was worse was the fact that he had no idea what Apparating was supposed to feel like. How would he know if his efforts were bringing him any closer?

Immediately after the failed fourth attempt, a horrible screech of pain echoed out over the Great Hall. Ed's heart skipped a beat and he froze, his gold eyes wide. Something had gone wrong. That much he already knew. He could see everyone looking around, terrified, and then finally their gazes settled somewhere. For a moment, Ed didn't want to look, but ever so slowly, he also turned around. His eyes grew even wider.

"I'll show you 'true knowledge.'"

A girl had managed to Apparate into her hoop. But she was wobbling unsteadily, a look of horror across her face. Ed felt his stomach twist.

"Please," he begged, turning around to face the hazy figure, "let me see it again! Just one more time!"

"No can do," the figure said, wagging a finger in the air. "That's all I can show for this much passage fee."

He blinked his golden eyes in confusion. "Passage fee?"

It felt like everything was moving in slow motion. Ed watched the Heads of Houses as they walked quickly and purposefully toward the girl, talking amongst themselves in low tones. He gripped one hand to his stomach, his face pale. He thought he was going to be sick.

"That's correct," said the figure casually. "Passage fee."

He raised his left leg into the air, taking a step forward. And as he did so, the haze of his left leg seemed to take on a more solid form. Flesh converged on his leg like bits of data, being pulled out of the air to shape itself. But in alchemy, something cannot be created from nothing. A leg couldn't be made without any raw materials...

There was a strange, tingling feeling in his own leg like it had fallen asleep. The boy looked down. His eyes grew wide.

The girl finally lost her balance and dropped to the floor, still staring back at her starting point in sheer horror... where her left leg had been left behind.

"Equivalent trade, no?" grinned the figure, his face barely a few inches from Ed's nose. "Ain't that right, alchemist boy?"

Ed bolted forward, ignoring the surprised cries of his classmates. The Heads of House were already at the unfortunate girl's side; Snape and one of the other Heads were helping her hobble back toward her starting point and her left leg. Ed pushed himself to run faster, but before he could get too close, Professor McGonagall spotted him and held him back.

"Mr. Elric, what do you think you are doing?"

"Let go of me! I have to see..." Although Ed's tone was forceful, his voice seemed strained, like he was having a hard time getting the words out. "Her leg... Let me see her leg!"

Before Ed could break free, the other Heads of House had already converged on the girl, blocking her from Ed's view. There was a great bang and a puff of purple smoke which eventually cleared away to reveal the girl reunited with her leg, sobbing and looking utterly horrified. The expression on Ed's face was similar, but it was quickly replaced with anger as he rounded on McGonagall, his eyes flashing.

"WHAT THE HELL WAS THAT?" he demanded, pointing at the girl.

McGonagall seemed mildly confused as she looked into Ed's face. "That was-"

"Splinching, or the separation of random body parts," said Twycross dispassionately from the front of the room, "occurs when the mind is insufficiently determined. You must concentrate continuously upon your destination, and move, without haste, but with deliberation..."

The bored tone in Twycross's voice irritated Ed immensely. How could someone talk so casually about losing one's limbs? He immediately turned his glare on Twycross. The wizard was too far away to punch normally, and he just barely restrained himself from throwing an alchemical one at him through the floor. So he did the only thing he could do from that distance: Yell.

"THIS BETTER BE SOME KIND OF JOKE!"

His voice rang out so loud and fierce that it bounced off of every side of the Great Hall. A deathly silence followed as every single pair of eyes turned to look at Ed. He was beside himself with anger, his eyes shooting daggers as he looked at the Ministry wizard. Twycross himself wasn't sure whether or not he should be upset with the boy's rudeness or afraid of the hatred in his eyes.

"How can you talk about this 'Splinching' like it was nothing?" he growled, his voice still audible from across the Hall due to the silence. "This is all just normal to you, isn't it? You were expecting people to mess up and have their limbs end up all over the place. Just because you've Apparated so much that you're barely even here anymore, you think it shouldn't matter. You were completely prepared to just shrug it off like nothing happened!"

"Mr. Elric," Professor McGonagall called, attempting to calm him down. She moved forward to hold Ed back by the shoulder. "Mr. Elric, please return-"

Ed jerked away from her and jabbed a finger in the direction of the Splinching victim. She was possessively clutching her left leg to her chest, the horror in her eyes still apparent.

"WELL, TELL THAT TO HER, YOU SON OF A BITCH! IT WASN'T NOTHING TO HER, NOW, WAS IT? SHE HAD NO REASON TO LOSE A LEG OVER SOMETHING LIKE THIS! AND DON'T TRY TO FORCE FEED US YOUR FUCKING BULLSHIT ABOUT INSUFFICIENT DETERMINATION OR WHATEVER, 'CAUSE THAT'S NOT GOOD ENOUGH!"

"Mr. Elric!" McGonagall exclaimed, a scandalized look on her face upon hearing so much profanity. "Miss Bones is just fine now! She's back to normal and there's nothing to-"

"But what if that girl's leg didn't just get separated, huh?" Ed challenged, redirecting his anger to the professor at his side. "What if it got destroyed, or taken away? What if she'd Apparated to the other side of the world? And what if it wasn't an external limb?! What if was a lung or heart or brain?! What would you have done then, huh?"

Before Ed could go on (and it certainly looked like he had a lot more to say), McGonagall abruptly got to her feet, shooting Ed a stern look that effectively silenced him. "That is enough, Mr. Elric," she snapped. "You have caused enough of a scene here already. You will return to your place at once and allow the lesson to continue. Is that clear?"

Ed frowned at the professor, but chose not to argue.

"Now return to your place, Mr. Elric. And that's fifty points from Slytherin for misconduct in the presence of a Ministry official."

Professor Snape could be seen scowling in annoyance. The Slytherins that heard this immediately glared at Ed as he silently turned around and stalked back toward his hoop. He glared at some of the other students as they looked either at him or at the girl that had Splinched. He thought he recognized a glimmer of excitement in their faces, which only upset Ed more. Losing one's limbs wasn't funny or exciting in any way, and anyone who thought so was a moron in Ed's mind. He thought about snapping at a few of them, but changed his mind. He wasn't about to waste any energy on those idiots.

When he reached his spot, Ed found Zabini staring off the way he came, his face fractionally paler than normal and his eyes wide. It was almost a comfort to know that there were still some people who fully grasped the severity of what had just happened.

"Told you so."

Once Ed was back in position, the Heads of Houses returned to the front of the Hall to continue supervising the students. Twycross resumed the lesson, though it seemed Ed's outburst had rattled him slightly. Everyone within a fifteen foot radius of Ed shot him strange looks for the rest of the lesson. If he noticed them at all, he didn't care. He was too upset.

An hour later, not a single person had successfully Apparated into their hoops. The Splinching of the girl was apparently the closest that anyone got. None of the professors seemed fazed by this and at the end of the hour, Twycross prepared himself to leave. He fastened his cloak at his neck and turned to face the students.

"Until next Saturday, everybody," he said, "and do not forget: Destination, Determination, Deliberation."

He then waved his wand, Vanishing everyone's hoops, and walked out of the Hall with Professor McGonagall as his escort. The students followed suit, talking amongst themselves as they did so. Ed shoved his hands into his pockets, glaring at the ground as he walked, tailing after Draco and the other Slytherins. Before he walked out the door, he was suddenly grabbed by the shoulder and forced to stop. When he looked up to see who it was, he found Snape glowering down his long, hooked nose at him. Ed frowned.

"Yes, professor?" he muttered, loathing the fact that he had to show him any form of respect.

"You're coming with me, Mr. Elric," said the professor, his voice eerily soft and calm. "I believe a talk with the headmaster concerning today's behavior is in order." When it looked like Ed was going to protest, he added, "Or perhaps you would prefer another detention sentence with me?"

Ed's frown deepened. He wasn't sure what he could expect as punishment from Professor Dumbledore, but he was sure he would prefer it to having to spend more time with Snape. He couldn't afford to have any more detentions like his previous one now that Draco was back on the move.

He slid away from Snape's grasp and followed the professor obediently toward the headmaster's office. He passed Alphonse on the way up and had to send him discreet signals not to worry. Snape was muttering the entire way about his disappointment and how Ed needed to learn to show proper respect to authority figures. Ed remained silent, his frown still set on his face like a stone carving. He outranked almost every person in the building! They should be showing him some respect!

The headmaster admitted Ed and Snape into his office, looking at both of them with interest as they entered.

"How may I help you, Severus?"

"Young Mr. Elric here-" He shoved Ed forcefully into one of the seats in front of the headmaster's desk. "-put on quite a scene in front of the Ministry appointed Apparition instructor during the lesson in the Great Hall. I believe there should be some punishment involved concerning his lack of discipline."

For a long moment, Dumbledore remained silent. He kept his blue eyes on Ed as though he were watching and studying him. Ed slowly adjusted himself in the chair, keeping his eyes to the floor. At length, Dumbledore turned back to Snape.

"Very well, Severus," he said calmly. "I will handle this accordingly."

Snape frowned disapprovingly at being dismissed. He shot Ed one last glare as he brushed past him and left the office. Ed scowled slightly in his direction. No doubt he'd wanted to hang around the office to ensure Ed received a punishment that he approved of. Once the door was shut and they were sure Snape had gone, Dumbledore once again set his gaze on Ed.

"Would you like to tell me what happened?"

Silence. Ed kept his eyes glued to the floor, his mind in a whirl. Even if he did want to tell the headmaster what exactly he'd been thinking at the time, he didn't even know where to begin. So many horrible memories had started to drift around in his mind over the past hour. Memories of the gate, of Al's body crumbling apart just beyond the reach of his fingers, and worst of all the screaming. The seemingly endless cries of pain and horror...

"Sir..." He squeezed his eyes shut, forcing the memories out. "Let's just get this over with. Just punish me already."

Dumbledore frowned. "I have no intention of punishing you, Edward. Not until I have the whole story." When he still failed to receive an answer, he released a sad sigh. "I know you must have your reasons, but I need to understand them as well."

Ed balled his hands into tight fists and looked up, his gaze meeting Dumbledore's for the first time since he entered the office. "With all due respect, sir... I don't think you can."

They both fell silent again, Ed dropping his gaze back onto the floor. Professor Dumbledore leaned back in his seat, looking at the young alchemist as though he was a great mystery.

"It has to do with Miss Bones' Splinching incident..." Ed flinched visibly in his seat. "Am I wrong?"

His hand moved unconsciously to grip his auto-mail, but still refused to speak. Dumbledore heaved another great sigh and shut his eyes.

"It must have been a very difficult and disturbing thing for you, of all people, to see. The Fullmetal Alchemist. One of a handful of people who know the true pain of losing a limb to the great unknown."

Ed's expression crumpled sadly and he looked back up at Dumbledore, a pleading look in his golden eyes. How the old wizard always seemed to know absolutely everything would always be a mystery to him. He quickly bowed his head again, biting down on his lower lip. He was silent for another moment, fully aware that Dumbledore's eyes were still on him.

"When I saw what happened to that girl," he said at length, gritting his teeth, "and how calm that bastard was about it all, I just... I couldn't take it anymore! All these memories just came back, unwanted, lingering in front of my eyes, and I..." He let his voice trail off there, taking a deep, calming breath and running a hand through his hair. "I just... don't want anyone making the same mistakes I did. I was such an idiot back then... No one else should have to end up this way... to end up..." He looked meaningfully at his right hand. "Like me."

"Ahh..." Dumbledore nodded his head slowly, thoughtfully. "Then it must have been quite a shock to see how Miss Bones' predicament was fixed, wasn't it, Edward?"

Ed didn't have to answer. Dumbledore simply knew by the look on his face that it was true.

"It just happened so damn quickly," he said, frowning. "So easily..."

"It's hardly that simple, Edward. The magic performed may have appeared to be quite effortless to you, but nothing could be farther from the truth. It required immediate action from all the Heads of House who have vastly more knowledge and skill that certainly surpasses a sixth year. Even someone as brilliant as you, Edward."

Ed was surprised. Up until now, he'd noticed that many magic spells were designed to make certain tasks easier or even to simply defy all natural laws. They all seemed so easy to perform; after all, it was a mere incantation and a flick of the wand that made it work. Did that mean that the theory he'd come up with before had some validity...? So then there really was a way to...

"Rather than confronting magic and battling against it with the science of alchemy, you should try to use magic to assist you in resolving your problems."

Dumbledore's eyes had suddenly regained their usual twinkle. Ed just looked at the professor for a moment, convinced that Dumbledore had just seen right into his mind.

"I know you considered this before, Edward," he said evenly, rising from his seat and moving toward the bookshelf. His blue eyes swept over each row, intently searching for a specific title. "Maybe you never found the correct starting point. However, I believe I have found something that could be of some use to you. It may or may not give you the answers you are looking for, but it is certainly worth a read." At last he picked out a musty-looking book and pulled it toward him, flipping through the pages. He then walked back toward Ed and held it out for him to take. "Here. Consider it a belated birthday present."

Ed's eyes, wide with surprise, slowly traveled from Dumbledore's face to the book in his hand. It was hard-bound book of average thickness, with a red and gold spine that had worn considerably over the years. The pages had apparently yellowed with age, but it was still in good condition. The title wasn't written anywhere on its worn, black cover, so Ed would have to open it to find out what it was. Ed just stared at it for a moment, a part of him wondering how the headmaster had managed to distinguish this unmarked book from the numerous others in the shelf. Then, rising to his feet, he cautiously reached out and took it.

He fingered the worn, bent edge of the cover for a moment and then tucked it under his arm. He'd take a look at what it was a little later on. Ed then gave the professor a small smile, his mind still lingering on what had been said.

"Thank you, sir."

The headmaster smiled, his blue eyes still twinkling. "You may head back to your dormitory now. Your classmates may be wondering where you have gone off to."

Ed fought down a snort. 'That doesn't seem too likely. The Slytherins are probably just looking for new rumors to spread about me.'

Of course, he didn't dare say such a thing aloud in front of the headmaster and simply kept his mouth shut. Ed bowed slightly in Dumbledore's direction and then turned to leave. Before he reached the door, however, a new thought crossed his mind and he turned back.

"Sir... You're not going to issue me any punishment? I mean, I did interrupt the Apparition lesson this morning, and Snape's probably..."

"Professor Snape," Dumbledore chided. Then his smile broadened into a slight grin. "Well then, if he asks, just tell him I gave you fifty whiplashes."

Ed blinked in surprise and then finally laughed. "Roger that!"

Dumbledore nodded his head, dismissing Ed from his office. Ed was still grinning as he slipped out of the office and started the long trek back to the Slytherin dorms. As he walked, he examined the book Dumbledore had given him, looking at it from all sides before finally opening it. His eyes grew wide when he saw its title.

Magical Gates and Passageways of Legend and Fact.

Only then did Ed notice a small slip of folded parchment that had been inserted amongst the frayed pages. He pulled it out and, unfolding it, read the short note that was inside, written in thin, slanted handwriting.

What was lost can be found
What has been stolen can be taken back

An excited grin spread across Ed's face. He glanced back in the direction he had just left, silently thanking the headmaster from the bottom of his heart, and then raced off to find Al.

Author's Note: i was really excited to write this chapter for the Apparition lesson. honestly, when i first read this in the book i couldn't stop thinking about how heartless Twycross was coming across. i'd be completely freaked out to find my leg got separated from me!! and then when i put it in an FMA context, well... this is what came to me. makes sense, though, right? anyways, the flashback with the hazy figure is a manga thing, didn't happen in the anime for plot reasons (which is kinduva shame, 'cause i thought it was awesome!).

i also originally had a very anti-magic rant come out of Ed when he was talking to Dumbledore, but it got scratched 'cause it started going off in a different direction than i wanted it to. not surprising, considering it came to me in a big rush and i thought it just sounded cool 'cause it was all angsty and emotional... but then when i started putting it into the scene, it wasn't as good anymore. XD hence the nixing.

this is one of my favorite chapters so far. maybe it's the manga-referenced flashback... maybe it's the talk with Dumbledore... maybe because it's so centered around Ed... or maybe it's the fact that there's more profanity than usual (i'm such a potty mouth, i honestly am)... hehehe, well, i dunno why exactly i like it so much, but i do. so i was a little hesitant to put it up... i just wanted to be sure that it was as perfect as i could make it beforehand. so please please please PLEEEEEASE leave a review to let me know what you think. it would be so appreciated! thanks! love to the readers!!