The white expanse before him was vast and empty. So vast, there seemed to be no end except for the towering stone gate behind him. The ethereal feel of the place sent shivers down Edward's spine, but he brushed it off. The feeling was familiar and it made Edward's blood light aflame at the thought of the being that lived here. He stood on the ground, if he could call it that since it was made of the same white that was above and around him, waiting with his fists clenched.

"Why hello there, Mr. Al-che-mist." A vauge figure appeared in front of him. Its body was outlied in shadow and an eerie chesire grin spread across its face. What stook out to Ed was that the figure's left leg was made of flesh. His flesh.

"Truth." Ed spat. Truth was the last person he wanted to see right now, but he had no choice in the matter. He had won the battle against father. Now all he had to do was get his brother's body back. Then his journey will finally be over and he can finally go home. He couldn't help but stare at the floating being with complete contempt.

"Quite a busy day for you." It giggled, multiple voices overlapping themselves, obscuring each one to form a single tone.

"Give me my brother back. I'm willing to pay the price." Ed's voice was tired yet steely. He didn't want to give Truth any satisfacition in seeing him suffer.

Truth giggled once again. "Ah yes, equivalent exchange. Don't think I have forgotten. It is the key to Alchemy and the Earth itself. All is one and one is all. A very beautiful concept don't you agree?"

Ed did not respond, focused more on getting his brother back than playing Truth's little mind games. He needed to get home now.

Truth dropped his smile, its spot replaced with nothingness. Ed felt another splash of cold down his spine, filling his fingertips on both hands with tingling needles. "You bastard, just let me go already."

"You know, Mr. Alchemist, I feel that you don't appreciate my work. You have used Alchemy countless times yet are prepared to give it up. Have seen truth and yet are still blind to the Truth." The figure said flatly.

"What do you mean?" Ed frowned. He does know the truth. He's been through the gate, his ability to use himself as a transmutation circle is proof enough of that.

"You can't escape from the Truth. I believe that you need a little lesson in that."

Terror flashed before Ed's vision. "Lesson? What lesson? And why?" He is willing to give Truth the price it needed in order to save his brother. The process was equivalent, he knew it was. Truth had no right to do this to him. He started forward, ready to throttle the floating bastard.

"Uh uh uh, Mr Al-che-mist." Truth's eerie smile returned full force. "Your little reunion with your brother will have to wait a bit longer."

"How dare you bring Alphonse into this! Bastard!" Edward was full on running, his hand poised to create an internal circle.

However, at that moment, a deep toned hum with sharp cracks of energy started to fill his ears and spread throughout the white expanse. It threw him off balance and he stumbled to a hault, Truth having floated out of his reach. He looked around wildly for the source of the noise. Then, a tear in the middle of the air started to open. It was the closest thing Ed could think of describing it as. The air around it felt wrong and every fiber in his body jittered in protest. It wasn't supposed to be there. Ed felt the pressense of the tear deep in his bones and the unknown of it all made him jump back, prepared for whatever it may do. Ed supposed it was Truth's little lesson and that made his blood boil more.

Slowly, the tear widened and out of it a foot appeared, then a leg, then a torso, and soon a whole person stepped out. They were a tall, blonde girl, probably his age or older. She seemed curious and startlingly unconcerned about the place she ended up in. The tear behind her shut with another crack and it was gone, leaving no trace it had ever existed.

"What the-?" Ed exclaimed. Who is this freakish person and how did she appear in his gate of truth. Ed thought it was alchemically and straight up impossible. This got her attetnion, however, and she looked straight at him. Something seemed to dawn on her and her face turned white as a sheet. Before she could open her mouth, Truth giggled.

"I see. Now all of the pieces are in place." Truth said playfully. They both whipped their heads toward the white figure.

"Truth what are you doing?!" Ed yelled, caution thrown to the wind at this point.

"Teaching you a lesson you'll soon learn, and your little friend too." It smiled. "Oh, and Mr. Alchemist, in order for this to be truly equiavlent, I'll need to take that that little arm of yours."

Suddenly, the large stone doors that once stood behind him rumbled open and black, tendril-like hands slithered out, latching onto Edward like a living spider's web. Edward spat Truth's name, yelled in protest, and pulled and fought to escape the hands, to get a good strike a Truth, but he was no match for them. They dragged him straight into the black void that they emerged from.

"But Alphonse!" Ed screamed at the being. But it just shook its shoulders in silent laughter.

To his utter shock, as well, the hands also grabbed onto the girl. She was understandably more terrified than he was and she fought as he did, yanking and tugging. She, to his surpside, actually started to gain ground on Truth.

"Let me go!" She yelled with a strained voice.

Truth's smile disappeared again. No longer amused, extra pairs of hands sprung from the void behind Ed and grabbed onto the girl. With the added force, she seemed to finally lose her footing and was pulled into the void next to him. They passed the threshold of the doors and the whiteness from the expanse shrank as the doors began to close and eventually disappeared.

The girl's screams of pain filled Ed's head as he too soon felt the familiar deconstruction of his body, the tendrils tearing away each molecule of his being until they became one with the complete darkness around them. The feeling of existance and non-existance clashing and crumbling around him was too much. He let out screams of pain and soon, all feeling left his body and was he plunged into unconciousness.

--

It was a while before Edward woke up. Who knows how long he was actually out for. The first thing he noticed before even opening his eyes was the sharp throbing of his automail ports. His leg and more noticably his shoulder pounded with the force of his heartbeat that seemed to not dissipate. Truth must have taken his arm back after such a short time being reunited with it. When he sat up slowly and looked around, he was in a large wooded forest with trees as thick as train engines. Just above the ground floated a small layer of mist, making everything damp, which explained the port soreness. However, the most strange thing he saw was the girl from before sitting on the edge of a large boulder. She seemed to be deep in thought.

Edward stood up with the small amount of energy he had and tugged on his coat to ward off the biting chill in the air.

The girl seemed to have noticed his movements and stood up too, still looking out into the dark woods.

"I'm glad you're awake." She said.

"Who are you?" Edward asked coldly. He remembered the events in the gate and how close he was to getting Alphonse back. An anger inside of him boiled.

She didn't answer immediatly. Instead, she scuffed her shoe on the boulder, sending tiny pebbles clattering down to the ground.

"I'm no one." She said finally. "Nobody of any real importance, anyway." She turned to him to reveal her face, and it was her eyes that stood out to him the most. They looked young but also old at the same time. Very old.

This did not make Edward feel any better. "Listen here: I am not in the mood to dance around subjects. I want to know who you are and what you were doing in my gate of truth."

Her mood seemed to shift to a more pressing posture. She hopped down from the boulder with skill and clapped her hands together. "I'm sure you'd love to hear all about what happened back there and I promise you I will explain."

"But--"

"But for right now, we need to move, Edward. That creep in the white place could have sent us anywhere and I'm guessing that he wasn't thinking of the most friendliest of places." Edward guessed as much from the scenery of gnarled trees. "You," She emphasised his battered form. "are also in no fit to be standing out in this chill so we need to find shelter. I know I may see like an enemy but trust me when I say that I am just as confused as you are and am I just as enthusiastic to get back to where we need to be."

Edward found it hard to argue. He was tired and cold. He couldn't deny the fact that the battle with Father just moments ago had him drained. However, he wanted to know just exactly who this person was. No one just appears in someone elses gate of truth; no one just steps through a rift in the fabric of space. The bubbling anger at Truth sat at the bottom of his gut and made his insides hot and he had so many questions for this girl. However, he swallowed his thoughts for now. He had to agree that they couldn't stay here.

"How do I know I can trust you?" He clenched his fist. He wanted to punch something.

"I suppose you can't." She shrugged. "Except I promise to you that I won't bite."

Edward did not like her answer but he could tell that she was telling the truth. Reluctantly he released his fist and let out breath of air, the vapor from the breath almost visible.

"I am expecting a full explanation of what you know later." Edward said.

She just smiled. "I can't wait."

Edward could tell that she wasn't giving him the bigger picture but for now, the biting chill of the air was beginning to distract him from everything else. With automail ports, the cold was amplified where the metal meets the skin, making them sting with pain.

The girl took notice and shrugged off her own red coat and offered it to him. Normally, he would've refused, but with everything that had just happened to him, with father, with truth, with the gate, he just accepted it with a frown. The added warmth made his shoulder port feel a bit better.

"Come on, we need to get going. Anywhere is better than here." The girl said and began to walk to an opening in the trees.

"Do you even know where you're going...?" Edward said.

"No, not really. But something about this place seems oddly familiar. You've got to trust me. The name's Rachel."

Edward frowned. He didn't know if he trusted this girl, Rachel, yet. However, they were at least two people in the same predicament. As long as she doesn't attack him, they could work together. Just like how Greed and him joined up because they had a common goal. Except he at least knew the guy before hand. This girl is a complete mystery.

They wandered for a few hours. The scenery was for the most part the same: Thick, tall trees stretched as far as the eye could see and the falling sun threw the whole forest into a dark blue glow but there was nothing they could use for shelter. Silence stretched between them, which was only broken by the sounds of the various animals in the forest. Neither of them said anything as they walked. This left Edward a lot of time to think. Ever since he got here, his mind has been working overtime. The one thought that dominated was how to get back to his brother. He had to know he was alright.

Suddenly, Rachel halted. Edward looked up and pushed his thoughts away to see what the girl was looking at. Beyond the trees sat a large rickety hut with a sizable pumpkin patch to its side. Smoke puffed out of the chimney and warm lights glowed from within. He glanced up at the girl to see her eyebrows furrowed with deep thought.

"What's wrong?" Edward asked, voice hushed.

She didn't respond immediatly.

"I think..." She paused and soon, her eyes lit up. "I think we've just found us some help."

There was a deep merry humming voice coming from the distant hut: Someone was home. Before he could stop Rachel, she slowly approached the hut in an almost casual manner. Edward, almost to the breaking point, trudged on behind her. He found it suddenly really hard to keep his eyes open. His automail felt heavy now.

Once they were at the dilapidated wooden front door, with only slight hesitation, Rachel lightly knocked and the merry humming was suddenly gone. Some rustling and the noise of a breaking ceramic item ensued and they both cringed. Large, heavy footsteps approached the door and with a dramatic tug, the door swung open and reavealed an extremely large man with a thick black beard. He held a questionably stable pink umbrella in his hands, poised to strike.

"Who's there? I-I'm not afraid teh use this!" The man shouted but then looked confused. His head tilted down and he finally saw the two people standing at his doorway. His height must make it difficult to see anyone at his his own level, Edward mused. "Why, what are ye kids doin' here?" The shocked man asked. "Nobody's suppose' teh be here fer another week!" It was quite difficult to understand him through his thick foreign accent.

To Edward's surprise, Rachel just smiled at the large, intimidating man. "You're Hagrid, aren't you? I've heard a lot about you from the other students. My... brother, Edward, and I just flew in on one of those winged cabs. Our parents aren't able to get us here through the train since they're going on a magical archeological expedition in Saudi Arabia. We didn't have anywhere to stay in London, see, so Dumbledore agreed to let us come early."

The words that came out of Rachel's mouth made no sense and Ed gaped, but for some reason, Hagrid lowered his umbrella. "Why didn' ye say so in teh first place? Come in, come in." He ushered the two small teenagers into his hut and closed the door behind him. The place was very cozy and over sized with a small fire blazing in a cast iron furnace. There was the sweet smell of an apple pie being baked inside. Apple pie... "So what are yeh doing here at my place? Sit down, sit down." He motioned to two small chairs out of four at the small mid-sized kitchen table and they sat. Edward was grateful for a place to finally rest his legs. "Shouldn' yeh be in teh castle? Or even more, why're yeh both so muddy?"

Rachel quickly answered the question. "We were, uh, exploring a little in the forest." Hagrid turned around and eyed them both with a disapproving glare.

"Don'cha know that the forest is off limits. Dumbledore says it every year."

Rachel nodded solemly. "You're right, we're sorry. We were just so curious and there was no one here to stop us."

Hagrid pulled the apple pie out from his furnace with two dirty pink ovenmitts and placed it on the table. "Ye both weren't hurt were ya?" Rachel glanced at Edward. He still had the open wound from the battle with Father: his face was stratched and his body was riddled with holes and other various wounds, not to mention internal. However, Edward was determined to sleep them off. He'd done it before and he didn't need any more chaos than what has happened already. He shook his head and Rachel gave him a concerned look but she seemed to understand. "Not really, just a few scratches. However, we have been walking for a very long time and we're really tired."

"Well then I'm glad ye came here. I just finished bakin' this pie an' I'd love to share it. It gets rather lonely in this hut during the summer with it just bein' me an' all." Hagrid happily cut each of them a slice and laid the gooey pieces on large saucers in front of them. "I was goin' to give this te teh staff but they'd understand if I gave a bit of it away. I get the feelin' you both would appreciate my cooking more than 'em." Rachel looked estatic to see real food and she happily dug in. Edward looked down at the slowly drooping pie. Al wanted to eat Winry's apple pie once he got his body back. His stomach growled but he couldn't bring himself to lift the fork. It felt wrong somehow. Not until he knew his brother was okay.

"Ye okay, lad? Aren't ye hungry?"

Edward pushed the plate away from him. "No."

"Come on, ye seem very quiet. Are ye sure yer alright?" Hagrid asked.

Before Edward snapped back at him, Rachel sensed the coming quarrel and quickly stole Hagrid's attention. "So, Hagrid, I've heard you have a big interest in magical creatures." This effectively distracted him and made him laugh. "Why yes, I do make them a big hobby of mine. I really love them things. In fact, 'ave you heard of a Blast-Ended Skrewt? I've once..."

Edward ignored the oncoming rant. He was grateful to Rachel for the distraction. He didn't know what he would have done. The thought of his brother made him angry again and made his skin buzz. After a little though, he calmed himself down and after half listening to the giant's ramble, he felt his head drift down to the table and he soon unwittingly found himself asleep.

When he awoke, he found himself on a stiff bench with a thin cloth blanket covering him. The sun was bright and streaming through the chipped, foggy glass of the window above him. Rachel was sitting next to the fire, staring into its dancing flames but the giant named Hagrid was nowhere to be seen. He sat up and threw the blanket off of him, surprised to still find Rachel's red coat on him. He also found that his wounds had been cleaned up and bandaged. He must've really been knocked out. He felt above his eye at the deep cut that had been gushing blood during the fight with father but was now bandaged. He definitely was going to need stitches.

Rachel noticed his movements and perked up, smiling. "I'm glad you're awake. Did you sleep well?"

Edward nodded. He scratched his head and felt his braid had come undone. With a quick couple of pulls, his braid was tight and smooth. "Any sleep at all is a gift. Where's the big guy?" Edward asked as he fastened the braid with a hairtie.

"He went to go on some errands in the forest he said." Rachel answered. She strode over to his side and sat down on the kitchen chair facing him.

Now that he was warmed up and frankly starting to sweat, he began to shrug off the coat so he could return it to her.

"Edward no, keep the coat." She placed a hand on his flesh shoulder to stop him. "You need it to cover up your automail."

"Why? People have seen automail before, you know." Edward said indignantly.

Rachel put her hands on her hips. "Actually, no, Ed, not here. This place isn't like Amestris."

His eyes narrowed. "How so?"

She let out a sigh. She thought for a second before replying. "You're going to find this very hard to believe but... Truth sent us to another world."

Edward furrowed his brows. There's no way...

"It's true. With its own set of rules and completely different history than yours. In this world, Alchemy doesn't exist. Instead, it has what they call magic." Rachel explained.

Edward burst out laughing. "You can't be serious. Magic? You mean like hocus pocus and stuff? Everyone knows that magic isn't real. I'm starting to believe that you knocked your head on that rock."

"Ed, I'm serious. I'd show you but I can't do it myself."

Edward felt like laughing again but Rachel's face was stern. She wasn't joking. "Magic doesn't exist." He argued. "Many people called Alchemy magic but its actually a carefully developed science and it follows all natural laws. This has to be no different otherwise why have natural laws in the first place."

Rachel, instead of getting angry at his retorts, smiled and laid a hand on his shoulder softly. Her strange affectionate gesture felt out of place. "I know this is hard to understand, especially for someone so scientifically minded as you, but for now, you are just going to have to trust me." She pointed outside the window to the magnificent castle standing erect a quick walk away from the hut. "That place over there is called Hogwarts. It's a boarding school that teaches magic, and in a week, the new school year is going to start. Now, if Truth dropped us nearby, I've got a very strong hunch that in there is where he wants us to be."

That set him off and he swiped her hand off of his shoulder. "You know, I'm beginning to find it really hard to trust you. All you've ever done is either lie or tell half-truths. You know so much about this mysterious world. Hell, you tore a hole in space and entered MY gate of truth, which shouldn't be possible. Back in the forest you said my name without me telling you first. I'm stupid for not realizing it before. Back then, you said you would explain. If you want to work together and find a way back to home, you're either going to give me the whole truth or have fun going on your magical little adventure alone."

Rachel was stunned. She didn't answer for well over a minute. Her mind seemed to be racing. Probably trying to come up with more lies, he thought and folded his arms. Rachel stood up and held her hand up. Beyond her fingertips, a glowing golden light appeared and ripped open to the size of a doorway. It pulsated and thrummed with a deep energy. He felt the same tingling feelling, like it wasn't supposed to be there, just like before in the gate. Edward had no words. He couldn't think of any scientific law that could explain this.

"This is what I call a portal. It can take me anywhere I choose. Anywhere." She saw that he was still silent so she moved on. "Yesterday, I was heading for Amestris. To find you, but when I opened a portal to you, it took me to your gate of truth. It shouldn't have worked that way but it did so I'm beginning to think that Truth had a hand in this. I was shocked when I saw you standing there and then... well, you know."

"Why were you looking for me?" Edward asked coldly.

This seemed to hurt Rachel and she drew quiet. But, she continued to answer his question. "I… was looking for some assistance in a matter."

"And what are you exactly?"

She hesited again. "I really shouldn't be telling you this. It's not good for the continuum." She bit her lip and looked around. "However I don't see I have a choice. I'm what the universe knows as the Traveler. My duty is to protect the continuum of the multiverse. I use my portals and other abilities to stop anomalies and fix what other, more sinister people try to break." She got up and began to pace.

Edward cocked his head slightly. "How do you know things are messed up?"

"You see, I know everything that is supposed to happen in your universe and this one, down to the smallest word you say. But, back in the gate..."

"You know what happened to Alphonse!?" Edward stood up quickly, clutching his fists and staring his bright golden eyes directly at Rachel.

Rachel nodded distractedly. "Yes, but this wasn't supposed to happen. It was supposed to be your happy ending, you get Al and your arm... But.."

"But?!" Edward held onto every word she said.

"But, now that this whole fiasco occured and you and me are sent to another universe, I don't know if your world is following the correct canon anymore. For all I know, your brother could still be in the gate, or worse..." Rachel finished, bitting her lip.

Edward felt as though he had finally had everything at his fingertips and it was suddenly snatched away. This can't be happening. He was so close. He felt like he was back in the gate being torn away from his brother for a second time. His fists shook. "But you can get us back, right? You said your portals can take you anywhere you want."

Rachel laughed pointedly. "You'd be right in saying that but for some reason..." She demonstrated her oncoming point by thrusting her hand into the portal but right as it disappeared through the golden energy, another portal opened up nearby and her hand came out on the other end. "Everytime I aim for another universe outside of this one, it just does this. I can't understand any of it since this has never happened before."

Edward hung his head. "I see."

Rachel approaced Edward and grabbed onto his shoulders. "Don't you trust me now? I never should have told you any of this but it was the only way I could get you to fully trust me. You're insatiable suspicion and curiosity would never allow it." She smiled sadly.

Edward pushed her hands off of him and backed away, slightly tripping on a large straw dog bed. "You don't know me at all." This caused her smile to vanish, quickly replaced by an apologetic look.

"You're right. I'm sorry. I forget sometimes."

Edward felt creeped out. That's got to be by far the most crazy thing he heard coming out of her mouth. But, when faced with the question of if he trusted her, he just frankly didn't know anymore. He asked for the truth and her answer seemed far too absurd to be an elaborate lie. Not to mention the portal still looming menacingly nearby. She also technically hasn't done anything to harm him. In fact, she'd only ever been a resourceful ally.

"Edward," Rachel whispered but grew progressivly louder. "I know this is all so strange and I'm even stranger, but look in my eyes when I tell you that I will try everything to get you back to your universe and get you your happy ending."

Edward didn't respond. So many different emotions were whirling through his mind. Anger, confusion, fear. He cursed internally at the thought that this might be Truth's version of a sick joke. It felt so unreal. Like he'd wake up and he would be in a hospital bed. Alphonse would be next to him, waiting for him to wake up. Then he'd smile at him and say that they did it and everything's okay. When he focused back on the girl in front of him, his stomach felt like it wanted to twist itself into nothingness. She was a sickening reminder that Al was still in danger. However, her eyes seemed to betray everything he was thinking. They were old again.

"Just tell me there is a way out." Ed finally said. Rachel's eyes lightened.

"There's always a way out."

Rachel suddenly rose and looked out of the window sill Ed resting behind. Ed turned as well and saw the figure of the man Hagrid walking to the hut.

Rachel raised a finger to her mouth. "Don't say or mention anything about this to Hagrid. According to him, we are two normal kids looking to go to school here."

Ed grumbled but agreed to play along. It's not like he had a better plan. If this failed, he would use his alchemy and get the hell out. Ed was never one for long term plans.

Hagrid stepped through the large doorway and, with a hint of surprise to Ed, there was no residual friendliness from yesterday in his eyes. "I've jus' spoken with Dumbledore. 'E says that 'e wants to talk with teh both of ye."

"Oh, well you didn't need to do that, Hagrid." Rachel began sheepishly.

"It's my job as groundskeeper to do so." He said in a huff. "Now come on, he's waitn' fer yeh." Hagrid clicked his tongue and the big black hound dog that was sleeping in the corner stood up and walked over to him, large tail wagging.

Hagrid's sudden change in demeanor towards them seemed rather stark. Ed could only guess as to why. Perhaps he figured out they were lying. Perhaps this Dumbledore told him we were a threat. Either didn't seem too likely but he followed the giant as the three of them headed up to the large castle that Edward guessed was Hogwarts. The sun was bright but the air was chilly. When they entered through a wooden door, a small breeze from outside echoed through the large empty stone halls. It was quite the sight. Paintings of every design hung on all the walls, all of them of sleeping people and animals. Torches lined the halls and statues and suits of armor stood guard at regular intervals. The place gave him a bad feeling but he couldn't place why or what. Ed had always gone with trusting his gut and it has saved him time and again. He took note of that and filed it away in his mind as he kept taking in the sight of the extravagant castle. They walked for a good five minutes before they reached a stone gargoyle. Ed looked for a door but couldn't find one, he assumed the giant must've gotten lost but to his utter surprise, Hargrid spoke and it burst to life.

"Lemon Drops."

The gargoyle jumped out of their way with such fluidity that Edward did a double take. It must've weighed at least three tons! Hagrid nor Rachel seemed to give it much thought as they walked up the now revealed stone stairs. Ed's eyes followed last as he too made his way up. Hagrid cleared his throat noisily and gently used the bird knocker on a door. A muffled "come in" responded from inside and Hagrid, with a strange look at the two of them, opened the door and let them in first.

The office reminded Ed of a library. There were bookshelves lining every wall and multiple desks displaying all sorts of knick-knacks. Some spun on their own, others made small whistling noises. He forced himself not to stare and to look at the man occupying it. Right off the bat, he could tell this man, Dumbledore, was very old. His beard was so long he could tuck it into his belt. He wore a silvery blue robe with sewn stars on the hem and half moon spectacles perched on his nose. Rachel discreetly whispered to Ed. "Let me do the talking."

"Ah, you must be our guests." The man said with a calm tone.

"Hello, sir. I hope you don't mind our intrusion." Rachel said in return. Her posture was straight and professional. Ed rolled his eyes and slouched, trying not to make eye contact with anyone.

"Hagrid has told me about your arrival last night. Quite an unorthodox way to travel to Hogwarts, don't you think?" Dumbledore said through knitted fingers. He gestured towards two tall seats that Ed pretty sure was not there before. Rachel lowered herself into one and Ed thankfully slipped into the other. Dumbledore continued. "Your…"

"Brother. His name is Edward and I'm Rachel." Rachel corrected quickly.

Dumbledore nodded and gestured towards himself. "I'm Proffessor Albus Dumbledore, headmaster here at Hogwarts: School of Witchcraft and Wizardy." He then gave an appraising look towards Ed. "Your brother seems to be a little worse for wear. Were you two harmed?"

"Just a few bumps and bruises but nothing major." Rachel assured. Ed looked away.

"I see. So, why did my groundskeeper find you two traveling through the Forbidden Forest, which I'm sure you two found out why it is so called that?"

"We actually wanted to come see you." Rachel said. Ed gave Rachel a confused look. Dumbledore raised an eyebrow.

Dumbledore paused for a second before continuing. "I hope you realize that an owl would've sufficed for any questions pertaining to Hogwarts."

Rachel was very skilled at hiding her thoughts but Ed could see that her mind was running like clockwork. "Well, you see. My brother and I do not come from a wizarding family. We only just recently discovered our magical abilities and we heard about this school in passing. We didn't know how to get in touch. We heard it was in the Scottish Higlands and it was near a place called Hogsmeade but that was about it. Couldn't findit on a map anywhere. Thankfully we found your groundskeeper before nightfall."

"I must say, it is quite unusual for underaegd witchs and wizards to slip under our Quill of Acceptance's attention. In normal circumstances, when you turn eleven, we send you a letter inviting you to Hogwarts. How old are you two?"

"We're both 16." Rachel said.

"Twins?" Dumbledore looked between them for similarities.

"No. Our mother had us very close together." Edward scowled at this and raised his feet into the chair, hoping that if he curled up enough, he'd disappear from this strange and embarrasing conversation.

Dumbledore blinked slowly and continued, lowering his hands onto his desk calmly. "I think it is prudent to point out that you told my groundskeeper you arrived early on a winged cab with my special permission. Care to explain why you lied to him." Rachel didn't seem phased by Dumbledore's comment. Edward winced internally. He figured that was why Hagrid seemed so cold earlier.

"I didn't know if he would turn us away or lock us up if he thought that we were trespassers." Rachel said innocently.

Dumbledore nodded and folded his fingers back up.

"Professor Dumbledore. Edward and I were hoping we could stay here at Hogwarts and attend school." At this, Ed instantly shot up, his living arm protesting at the sudden movement. His sights were honed on Rachel, completely forgetting Dumbledore.

"School? You didn't say anything about attending school! There is one thing I refuse to do and that is go to school. We need to be working on finding a way back, not playing pretend!"

Rachel shot him a warning glare and grabbed at his arm and tried to pull him back into his seat. "Edward. Not now." She hissed.

Edward just ripped it out of her grip. "No. You are not making any sense and this whole place makes no sense! I'm getting out of here without you!"Ed stormed to the exit but Hagrid stood in the way.

"Whatta think yer doin'?" Hagrid looked down at the small teenager with a furrowed brow.

Ed growled and his eyes were on fire. Rachel's eyes widened when she saw what he was about to do and she reached her hand out. "Ed! No!"

But it was too late. Edward slapped his palms together and blue electricity shot out and licked his hands. He placed a hand on his right arm and an 8 inch blade shot out from his borrowed coat, tearing the cuff. "Do you really wanna test me!"

Hagrid's eyes widened. Dumbledore seemed to have also been taken aback. Before Hagrid could stumble away, however, Rachel grabbed Edward from behind and held him back.

"Edward you idiot!" She yelled, the anger feeling uncomfortable to his ears. "What do you think you're doing!"

"I'm getting out of here and getting back home, what else do you think I'm doing!" Ed yelled back, his blade gleaming in the candlelight.

"And just how do you think you're going to do that by threatening this poor man and go galavanting off on your own?" Rachel returned. Her grip on his shoulders was steadily increasing.

Edward stopped struggling at that. His head tilted down to let his bangs fall in front of his face, obscuring his emotions.

Hagrid gulped and shifted uncomfortably but he didn't move from the door. Dumbledore stared at them with interest through his pointed glare. He was still sitting and hadn't moved at all when Ed made for his groundskeeper.

Edward spoke softly. "I wasn't going to hurt him."

This did not satisfy Rachel. "That doesn't matter! Don't you see what you've done!"Rachel struggled to keep her voice low now. "There is no way I can explain this outburst or your alchemy to Dumbledore without him being suspicious."

"Yeah well, you seem to be so good at lying that I don't see why you can't lie our way out of this one." Edward bit back.

Rachel let out of sigh and released him enough that Edward was able to jerk out of her grip. "Edward." She started, hoping that she was quiet enough. "We need to stay here. Hogwarts is probably the best chance we got at finding a way to get you home and the only way we can stay here is if we attend school. Truth wouldn't have dumped us here of all places without a reason. IF I recall correctly, you said you'd do anything to get your brother back to normal so if you meant that at all, you'll listen to me and do what must be done."

Edward's eye twitched slightly. So she wants to bring his brother into it. That's a cheap trick. But a part of him knew she was right. He would do anything for his brother. Then Edward brought his hands up and squeezed his head. This was all so confusing. His emotions and thoughts were fighting so loudly. His reason, logic, and heart were all yelling and he could barely understand any of it. Is this what Truth wanted?

Edward hung his arms in defeat. Rachel was right. Even if he were to go it alone, he had no clue what he was doing, just blindly running into a strange world.

"Fine. I'll do it."

Rachel breathed a sigh of relief as Ed returned his arm to its original shape with a blue flash. She led Ed back to his seat as Dumbledore's blue eyes followed them every step. He seemed to be unusually calm after what just happened. Rachel never liked that.

"Professor Dumbledore—" Rachel began but Dumbledore held up a bony hand.

"Lies will get you nowhere, Ms. Rachel." He said calmly, though he did not have that same twinkle in his eyes from before. "Now, I must admit that I do not fully understand what just transpired here but I will say that I do not appreciate Mr. Edward's aggressive behavior."

"Professor, please, he is just tired and jumpy. He didn't mean it." Rachel begged, her well-spun lies starting to crumble.

He held up his hand again. "Obviously, there is more to you two than you lead me to believe. Now, if you truly wish to attend Hogwarts, I need to believe that neither of you pose a threat to my school's students or its faculty." He said his last words looking at Edward, but Ed just scoffed and turned his head.

Rachel looked defeated. She didn't see a way out of this. She rubbed her face. "Edward you are such an idiot sometimes." She said under her breath."Professor. It's a strange and unusual story but it's the only way you'll trust us. I beg you not to tell anyone else this because it's already bad enough that I'm telling you."

Dumbledore nodded, twinkle returning and he listened intently. "Proceed."

Rachel told him everything, from their encounter with Truth to their arrival at Hagrid's hut as well as an explanation of their abilities, though she said everything as vague as possible. Rachel seemed to be kicking herself internally after she was done but she held it in.

"Interesting. It is indeed a most peculiar story." Dumbledore stroked his beard thoughtfully. "I must say it is quite hard to believe."

Edward couldn't care less if he believed. Hopefully he'd kick them out and he wouldn't have to go to school after all.

"However, the fact that you did not trip any perimeter wards when you arrived and Mr. Edward's outburst adds some truth to your words."

Edward deflated but Rachel perked up. "Please, Mr. Dumbledore. We only wish to attend school here so we can investigate a way to get my powers working again and get him home."

Dumbledore's closed his eyes. "We do have a rather extensive library here at Hogwarts."

Edward's posture shot up at the word library. "You have a library here?"

Dumbledore's eyes smiled. "Largest in the nation."

Edward relaxed and smirked. Perhaps going here might not be too bad after all.

Dumbledore continued. "Help will always be given at Hogwarts to those who ask for it."

"Thank you, sir." Rachel said.

"Now, as for classes, I'm sure you want to start in the beginning with the first years?" Dumbledore asked.

"Actually, if it's alright, can we just be placed with the sixth years? Ed's around their age and I don't want us to be too conspicuous. Being transfers is already unheard of as it is. We'll manage the rest from there."

Dumbledore's seemed rather perturbed but he didn't argue. "If you wish. Arrival day is two weeks from now. I recommend you prepare yourselves."

He used his wand to float two pieces of paper into both of their laps. Edward was wide eyed at the flying paper. How in the world did it do that? Edward tentatively grabbed a corner of the paper like it was a bomb and attempted to read its contents. 1 cauldron, a set of brass scales, 1 copy of Dark Arts Defense: Basics for Beginners, 1 copy of Pertwee's guide to Potent Potential in Potions, 1… wand.

"What is this crap." Edward grumbled to himself as he read the rest of the required reading.

"These are your material lists. Now, I don't know if either of you can perform magic, but we will deal with that problem when we get there. Sometime this week, another staff member will take you to get your supplies." Rachel opened her mouth to begin but Dumbledore interrupted. "I will not tell them what you told me. However, you must be ready for their questions. This is a rather unorthodox way of becoming a student here, after all."

Rachel smiled confidently. "Not a problem."

Dumbledore's just stared at her through his half-moon spectacles. "If that is all, please wait outside for one of my staff members to escort you to some temporary living quarters."

"Thank you Dumbledore. You are too kind." Rachel said. She elbowed Ed who had stayed quiet and he grumbled a thanks in return. The two of them slipped out, followed by Hagrid and went down the stairs where they waited for someone to come fetch them.

Rachel turned to the giant man as he took the last step down. "Hagrid… We're sorry about lying to you. And Edward is sorry for threatening you like that. Right Edward?" She hissed the last part at him and Edward grumbled his apology, trying to avoid direct eye contact. He genuinely was sorry, however.

Hagrid looked like he had a lot to say but he only nodded. "Is alright. I've seen my fair share o' behavior like that to know when someone means it." He said sheepishly.

Rachel seemed to relax a little. At that moment, a pointed old woman came walking briskly up to them, her emerald robe slightly billowing in her wake. "Are you two the new students Dumbledore informed me about?" She asked, tightly lipped. He noticed that she saw his metal arm but she didn't say anything about it thankfully.

The two teens nodded. The woman looked calculating. "Follow me. Your quarters will be this way." She took off in the way they came and the three of them left Hagrid standing by the gargoyle. They went up multiple flights of stairs and down multiple hallways. It took quite an effort to keep up with the old woman. Despite her apparent advanced age, she had the stride of a youth. In an outer hallway, the light outside its windows was bright and it made the marble of the castle sparkle with the fall sun. Eventually they reached an inconspicuous door that, when opened, led to a comfortable looking living room. There was a fireplace roaring on one side with a couch and a few chairs. There were two doors on either side that led to separate elaborate bedrooms, each with a four poster bed, a wardrobe and another door leading to a bathroom. Edward was immensely grateful that he did not have to share with Rachel.

"Please note that when you two get sorted, you will live in your house's respective dormitory. First arrival date is two weeks from today. Tomorrow I will take you to Diagon Alley to get your supplies." The old woman informed.

"Alright." Rachel said. "Thank you for the rooms."

The woman nodded and left, closing the door behind her.

"Geez. She's not very delightful, is she?" Edward joked. Rachel looked at him, startled for a second but then cracked a smile. "Yeah. She's got a reputation for being strict."

Edward, finally in a comfortable environment, flopped onto the soft couch in front of the fire. He let out a sigh of relief.

Rachel went into her respective room on the right and Edward was thankfully left with his thoughts. He was afraid Rachel would go on another rant about precaution and rules to which he rolled his eyes.

This school thing better be worth it. If he was going to spend the next who knows how long at a magic school of all places, he was going to use every second of it researching how to get back. He then thought about the magic part. There's no way they're serious. Edward? Do magic? It sounded ridiculous and a part of him wondered if he was still sleeping in Hagrid's hut.

He was suddenly self conscious about the state of his body. Since their first moments here in this world, he had not had a chance to actually clean up from his battle with father. His muscles and body still ached from the battle, he had mostly been fighting through it with willpower alone. He rose and went to his room on the left and quickly went into the bathroom. It was equipped with the bare minimum needed for basic hygiene but luckily it had a running shower. He looked in the small mirror he had above the sink and saw that his face was riddle with freshly healed cuts. He shrugged off Rachel's coat, which was now sporting a half destroyed sleeve. His torn clothes from before were still there and his freshly bandaged arm had a large stain of blood starting to seep through. He was definitely going to need stitches.

Edward decided that a bath was in order. He discarded his dirty clothes on the toilet seat and took a long soak, being sure to not get his injury wet. He let out a relaxing sigh of relief. The temperature was perfect. He had not felt like this in a long time and relished every moment. He checked his automate as well, both seeming to be in okay shape. After what he was sure was at least an hour, he got out and towel dried. To his surprise, he found a new pair of clothes that were folded neatly where he had thrown his old ones. It was a white button up with and brown slacks with a pair of white gloves. Just what he needed. Very strange, but he really didn't have the energy to argue with himself. He slipped the new clothes on and found some convenient bandages in the medicine cupboard that he used to replace the old bandages from this morning. It stung like hell and the wound was still fleshy and red.

After a quick towel dry of his hair, he entered back into the living room to expedite the drying process. There he found another pleasant surprise. There was a wide array of food laid upon the small coffee table in front of the fire. You couldn't even see the table itself because there were so many plates of meats and breads and cheese and stews, and juices. Ed's stomach growled at the sight and sat in the chair closest to the fire and started grabbing food greedily. He hadn't realized how hungry he was until he saw this micro feast.

Rachel was sitting in the chair opposite of him with her own plate of food. She had taken a more modest approach to the food compared to him and he slowed his rapid rate of consumption self-consciously. She was watching him eat with a far off smile.

"Could you knock it off?" Ed asked irritatedly.

It took her a second for her to register what he asked and she returned to eating her food.

He shook off the creeped feeling and took a second to appreciate the food. Then, unwittingly, the thought of Alphonse returned. All of a sudden, the food tasted stale and he set his food down. He'd already eaten enough. He scooted closer to the fire with his back turned to it.

They sat in silence for a while. Right before Ed had decided to get up, Rachel spoke.

"Um, do you still have my coat?" She asked softly.

Ed took a second to remember but he nodded and retrieved it from where it was thrown in the bathroom. It was a little worse for wear thanks to recent events.

He passed it to her and she gladly took it, turning it over and then finding the shredded sleeve. Her face was unreadable as she fingered the torn fabric absentmindedly. "Thanks. It's unfortunate what happened but I guess it was to be expected." She said this last part almost as if to herself.

This sent a pang of guilt through him. He knew that it was his fault. Obviously this coat meant something important to her. Then Ed got an idea and reached his hand out. "May I?"

She looked up. "Sure?"

He took it more gently this time and laid it down on the table, which, he just now noticed, was lacking all of the previous food items. It unnerved him to no end but he just didn't have it in him to dwell on it. Then, he ran back into his room and tore off a piece of the sheets on his bed. It was the closest color he could find to Rachel's coat and returned, placing it on top as well.

At this point, Rachel looked intrigued and stood a good step back.

Ed clapped his hands and the blue lightning erupted from his palms. Placing them gently on the articles below, the sheet smoothly merged with Rachel's coat and when the light faded away, the sleeve was as good as new. Only a trained eye would be able notice the alchemical residue.

He proudly handed Rachel's coat back to her and she excitedly took it.

"Wow! Alchemy never ceases to amaze me." She beamed. "Thanks! It means a lot."

"It's only fair." Ed replied, only slightly basking in the praise.

Then, she retreated into her room, muttering to herself, and left Ed standing alone. Ed was confused. She all of a sudden seemed in such a mood once she asked for the coat.

He shrugged it away though. Nothing about this girl really made much sense, but then again, none of this situation did. His eyes caught a glimpse of a book on a dresser near the fire. Finally, something to read. He picked it and read the title: "Hogwarts: A History". It was a better place to start than nothing. He took the book and settled into the small chair by the fire. It and the various lanterns around illuminated the pages enough so he began.

Before he knew it, the sun outside was setting when he finally finished the book. Four-hundred pages of history about a whacky school was a snooze-fest. But, it was at least enlightening. A sizable amount of food had magically appeared on the coffee table again while he was reading but Ed only took a few dinner rolls and some orange liquid he assumed was liquid pumpkin. Apparently, this food was prepared by what are called House Elves. They reside in a kitchen below the school, which, apparently, they use magic to, supposedly, make it appear wherever. They also seem to be the ones who are, supposedly, leaving all of the items that they, somehow, knew he needed. He still didn't want to admit to magic. It was hard for Edward to abandon years of scientific upbringing and it was just easier to call these crazy people mad. However, he knew this was growing to be a losing battle.

Rachel hadn't come out in all that time and he absently wondered what she was doing, she was going to miss dinner if she didn't get out here.

He reluctantly got out of his comfortable chair and rapped on her door softly. There was no response. Against his better judgement, he cracked the door and saw her slowly rising and falling form laying on her bed. She was still wearing all of her clothes, including her red coat. It was only probably 8:00pm. How could she be so tired? He then had a vague memory of being watched from last night come unbidden to his mind. Then it clicked.

He decided to go for a walk. He told himself it was under the pretenses of verifying what the book had told him but he honestly wanted to get some fresh air and relax. And, he thought, to get away from Rachel for a little. She had been hovering over him and controlling him ever since they got here. It was freeing to walk around the giant empty halls of the castle.

Edward spent the rest of the evening exploring the castle which was, by a surprisingly accurate definition, very sleepy. The paintings on the walls, which were too numerous to count, were all rather tired and sluggish. It took him a great deal of time to get over the idea that the paintings moved on their own. One had said hello to him which had startled him out of his wits. According to a drawing of a fat man, the school doesn't do anything until the students arrive.

One of Edward's most favorite discoveries by far was the library. Unfortunately the library was closed and the door wouldn't budge. He chalked it off to magic. Soon, though, he'll get to start his research. He just knew that the answers were hidden in there somewhere.

———————————————

The next morning, the old woman, McGonagall, Rachel told him, was waiting for them outside their door.

"Are you ready to leave?" McGonagall asked professionally.

Rachel nodded but Ed didn't move.

"Right the, if you follow me, we have set up a temporary fireplace to Diagon Alley." She set off at the same pace Ed noticed from yesterday, her emerald green robes billowing in her wake. Rachel kept a close pace but she also annoyingly kept Edward from lagging behind. Edward was still wearing the shirt provided by the bathroom from yesterday. It wasn't like he had anything else to wear. However, Rachel was still wearing her red coat. He supposed it was not something he should judge because he would do the same thing if he still had his.

They arrived in what appeared to be her office, because it had the same accents as her robe. She must really like green. There were cages of all kinds lining the sides of the room but they were currently uninhabited. He wondered if this McGonagall was an animal lover. Her sharp words pulled him out of his thoughts.

"I hope you two have travelled by floo before?" She asked.

Both of them shook their heads.

(will write a diagon alley scene)

————————

Calling arrival day busy was an understatement. Hundreds of students were pouring into the great hall and filling up the four long tables. Edward and Rachel were both already sitting at one of the tables, both of them changed into nondescript robes. Edward absolutely hated the robes because they felt like a uniform. He never wore the military's uniform and he didn't want to start now, but Rachel gave him a whole lecture about blending in. He was only able to twist her arm on his platform boots. Rachel was more and more starting to feel like an overbearing nanny.

Edward saw all of the teachers he met previously start to fill their seats as well and he knew that any moment they were going to start.

As if on cue, Dumbledore stood and began to speak to the hall. "Welcome back, welcome back students to yet another year at Hogwarts…" He then went on about pointless rules and announcements that held no meaning to him. He just laid his head begrudgingly on the table, he could be researching after all.

"Now, it's time to commence the sorting." Dumbledore clapped his hands once and a stool appeared in the middle of the hall. McGonagall strode over with a dusty, old hat and set it gently on the stool. To his surprise, the seam of the hat ripped open and it started to sing. It talked about dark times and houses and it finished on an eire note when McGonagall picked the hat up again.

Then, with a great flourish, she pulled out a roll of parchment and explained the rules of sorting. This got him to sit up. All of the staff had talked about sorting, even Rachel. He couldn't help but be a little intrigued at this unique application of magic.

"Alfredson, Wallace!" McGonagall called out, and one of the small kids came up and innocently sat on the stool. After an awkward few moments, the hat yelled out "RAVENCLAW!"

The corresponding house burst into cheers and applause as the boy ran over to his new housemates and sat down.

"Armstrong, Allison!"

A young girl strode up tentatively and the hat promptly yelled out "HUFFLEPUFF!"

This cycle continued for a while until the group of first years trickled down to nothing and Edward almost thought they were about to forget them when McGonagall pulled out another paper and called out,

"Elric, Edward!"

The students started to chatter amongst themselves and looked around for him when Rachel gave him a not so discreet nudge and an encouraging smile. He rolled his eyes and stood up. Now all eyes were on him.

As calmly as he could, he strode over to the chair and placed the hat onto his head. It was two times too big for him and the hat slid over his eyes.

Then a voice called out to him.

"Ahh, what an interesting mind. I don't think I've seen one quite like you're before."

Edward muttered. "There isn't anything like me."

It chuckled. "How prideful. Very Gryffindor."

"Do you think you can speed this up a bit?"

Edward didn't see it but he could tell that the hat was frowning. "Choosing a house is a delicate process. It cannot be rushed."

Edward crossed his arms.

"Ah yes. I see you've been through a lot of hardships. But your ability to learn is unmatched even by our most ambitious Ravenclaw."

"Hey, my memories are private. Stay out." Edward growled.

The hat tutted and finally, to his relief, the hat shouted, "GRYFFINDOR!"

The crowd didn't know what to do but as he stood, the Gryffindor table started to clap and he made his way to an open spot on the table. He couldn't really find any except by a black haired teen with glasses. The teen promptly scooted over, probably unnerved by the scowl on Edward's face.