You know what I love about you guys? You all think that Ed will either make a cat statue or a statue of Al's armor. I really do love the synchronization of what you guys think Al would like. We all know our boys so well! *single proud tear because I love my fandom family*

Also: I'm really sorry for being shit at updating this. I got sucked into other fandoms and it's all very crazy, what with school and everything. You guys know how it is. Anyway, apologies.

OKAY! Time to do this!

Harry

The sound of Ed's hands coming together echoed through the hall. Something flashed around them - something blue and smelling of ozone, like little bits of lightning - but only for a moment. Then, he slammed his hand into the ground. The lightning appeared once more, traveling from his palms to his fingers to the ground.

For a moment, nothing happened.

Then the ground shifted, and from the floor rose a statue. It grew until it towered above us, so close that I had to back up to truly see what it was. When I had attained enough distance, I gasped.

The statue was beautifully detailed, with spikes sharper than Gryffindor's sword and a loincloth that looked more like real fabric than stone. A vast suit of armor, seven feet tall at least, had been molded out of the ground. On the shoulder of the armor, frozen with a arched back, mid-purr, was a little kitten, fur fluffed. The hand of the suit of armor was captured as it stroked the kitten's head. Despite my initial fear of the tall, intimidating armor, I could tell, just from this captured moment, that whoever was inside the suit was kind and good. In the eyeholes of the armor, there were red stones. They seemed to glow, fierce and fiery, but not blazing. Just warm and nice.

"Blimey!" Ron exclaimed, stumbling over his own feet and falling backwards in his effort to get away from Ed's creation.

"That's amazing!" Hermione praised, immediately running forward to examine the finished product. "This craftsmanship is impeccable! How on Earth did you do that? Transfiguration without a wand is supposed to be impossible! Not even McGonagall can do that!"

"That's because it's not Transfiguration," Ed said smugly.

That tripped Hermione up a little. She was obviously confused, but she plowed on anyway. "Well, if it's not Transfiguration, then what sort of magic is it?"

Ed sighed. "It's alchemy."

Hermione frowned. I did, too. I remembered alchemy from our first year, when we saved the Philosopher's Stone. As far as I knew, alchemy didn't do what Ed had just done.

Hermione agreed. "Very funny, Ed," she said sternly, crossing her arms in annoyance. "Please be serious."

"I'm being perfectly serious," Ed said, poker face firmly in place.

"Please. Alchemy is all potions. It's very hard and is used to create the Philosopher's Stone. It has nothing in common with what you just did."

Ed rolled his eyes. "Not magical alchemy. My alchemy is unique to me in this world, and way cooler besides. It's not magic, it's science."

"Science?" Hermione asked, puzzled.

Ed nodded. "Yup. Science. It's very complicated and takes years to learn, and even then it can only be done with transmutation circles, knowledge, and willpower. And then, of course, you have to be in the right world. In this world, I am the only one who can use alchemy. Even with other people who use alchemy I'm different, because, as you can see, I can transmute without a circle. I know of only four or five other people who could do that, and they're either dead of far, far away from here."

Ron scoffed. "Yeah right. I know you think highly of yourself, but isn't that a bit ridiculous?"

Ed smirked. "Jealous, Mr. Weasley?"

"Of course not!" Ron protested. "But really? Unique to you in this world? Do you honestly expect us to believe that?"

"What else could it be, then?" Ed asked.

Ron was silent.

"Oh, come on, Ron. Smart fella like yourself, you should have at least some idea of what else my impossible-by-the-laws-of-magic-and-of-this-world alchemy could be. So tell us! We're all dying to hear your brilliant theory."

Ron scowled, but he could not reply.

"Exactly," Ed said smugly. "If you're going to insult me by saying that my alchemy isn't unique, even though it should be impossible here, then you should at least have a counterargument, don't you think?"

"But Ed," Hermione interrupted hesitantly, "it really should be impossible here. And... what do you mean by the right world?"

Ed looked her in the eye firmly. "What do you think I mean, Hermione?"

After a moment, Hermione shook her head. "No, no. Impossible. You can't be!"

Ed shrugged. "And yet. I'm very good at the impossible. Bit of a genius. Actually, a lot of a genius. A complete genius. No point in downplaying it for you." He smirked. "But yeah. Hermione's got the right idea."

"You... you're from..." Hermione stammered, wide-eyed.

It hit me in that moment. "No way," I murmured in disbelief. "I don't believe it."

"Believe what you want, doesn't make it any less true!" Ed crowed.

Ron didn't speak, eyes narrowed as he puzzled. Mere seconds later, I saw the realization hit him. He nearly fell over again.

"You're from another world!" he exclaimed, stumbling back.

Ed smirked. "Just when I thought you wouldn't actually get it. Good job, Ron, you're slightly smarter than I thought you were."

Ron scowled, but Ed ignored him, focusing on Hermione and I instead. "I'm from another world."

Hermione nodded slowly. "Yes. I think we've established that," she muttered, looking completely out of her depth.

Ed grinned. "Guess we have, yeah. Anyway, in my world, there is no such thing as magic. Instead, we have alchemy, which is based on the science of chemistry. Unlike magic, my kind of alchemy can be learned by anyone with the brains and the willingness to put in the years of study it takes to learn it. My brother and I started when we were very young and were performing complex transmutations by the time we were ten. Our military employs the more advanced alchemists, and I became the youngest one ever at twelve. I was one of the best, too, because most people need to use circles to perform alchemy, and I can do it just by clapping my hands and concentrating." He swept his gaze over our stunned faces. "You all still with me?"

We nodded.

"Good. Anyway, a bunch of shit happened- which I need not go into at the present time- and I did something really stupid and ended up here. It was worth it, since it saved my brother, but I wish I could have seen him... y'know?" Over the course of the last few sentences, Ed's smirk had disappeared, replaced by a forlorn, helpless look. "I wish I could have seen his face."

I stared at my teacher. This man made no sense. First he was normal, then he was eccentric, then he was a teacher, then he was talented, then he was malicious, then he was a sad puppy that lost its mother- how was I supposed to understand him if he kept revealing new layers of his persona?

"Well," Ed said, interrupting the contemplative silence abruptly. "This is your stop." He gestured towards the Fat Lady's portrait. (I hadn't even noticed that we'd been walking through the halls!) "Time for bed, younglings. Sleep tight."

And with that, our annoying, belittling, charismatic, devious, enigmatic, and a-bunch-of-other-adjectives teacher set off down the hall, whistling as he went, as though a great weight had at last been lifted off his shoulders.

I got to tell them! Man, the looks on their faces!

But now, time to study. I want to learn everything about this world before I come back to my world. Who knows how we could benefit from this knowledge? Although, knowing Truth, I'd just have to give it all up to come back. Seems like something he would do... bastard.

Anyway, I'd better go...

I have a mission again. It's funny... I didn't realize how much I missed having a mission until now.

Ron

I couldn't sleep. I lay in my bed, not really tossing and turning, but staring up at the canopy and wondering why Edward Elric had to exist.

It was stupid. It wasn't like I had any real reason to resent the guy... except for the fact that he was amazing at everything, had unique powers, and managed to act as though he was looking down at me even when he was shorter than me. No reason at all!

And he was from another world. There was that, too.

Worst of all, Harry and Hermione didn't seem to be put off whatsoever by any of what we had learned. Our new teacher, barely old enough to be out of school himself, is from an alternate universe, can change things by clapping his hands, and they just took it all in stride! I still couldn't wrap my mind around it. I just felt so... useless. What was the point of having me around?

I wasn't being replaced. No, it was much worse than that. The problem was that my role in the "Golden Trio" was a pointless one. I wasn't needed. Harry and Hermione dealt with new information far better than I did. Ed talked to them. He talked at me. I was of no use to anyone.

I turned over, burrowing deeper into the bed. No use thinking about it now.

... But I couldn't sleep.

With a quiet groan, I accepted that I wasn't going to fall under the influence of dreams anytime soon and got up. I tiptoed out of the room, cautious of my roommates quiet, restful forms. When I had successfully escaped the room, I made my way downstairs to the almost certainly empty common room.

At least, it should have been empty. Instead, sitting before the fire and looking deep in thought, was none other than Hermione.

"'Mione?" I said in confusion.

Hermione jumped. "Ron! What- what are you doing up? You should be sleeping."

"So should you," I pointed out fairly. I made my way over to her and sat on the rug in front of the fire, legs crosses. "What's the matter?"

For a second, she looked like she was going to tell me to mind my own business. Then she sighed, face softening back into its thoughtful look. "It's just..."

I said nothing.

Hermione shifted uncomfortably. "D'you trust him?"

"Who? Edward?"

She nodded.

I shrugged. "Not really. He kind of rubs me the wrong way, I guess. Creeps me out a bit." I glanced at her. "Why?"

"No reason," she replied quickly.

I nodded, knowing there was more to it and waiting for her to explain further.

Hermione groaned in defeat. "It's just..." She leaned forward, legs to her chest, chin resting on her knees. "He's so different. More different than I thought he'd be." She wrapped her arms around her legs. "He... He's from another world, Ron! He's practically an alien. And yet he sits there, looking so normal and acting so not normal, and no one knows besides us... and Dumbledore, of course. But then, doesn't he always?" A errant strand of hair fell forward, and she tucked it behind her ear mindlessly. "Besides that, though- besides the four of us- no one knows. No one will know. And he's got alchemy that isn't alchemy and golden eyes without lycanthropy and he can clap and bend the world to his will and he-he's supposed to be here to protect us, but he scares me, Ron," she whimpered at long last, tears filling her dark eyes. "I like him and I trust him, but he has so much power, and it honestly terrifies me."

I gazed at Hermione in astonishment. I had thought she liked everything about Ed and admired his powers- and she did- but underneath the admiration and the curiosity, she was just as frightened of this new development as I was.

"It's okay to be scared," I said softly. "I'm scared, too. I'm sure Harry's scared. It's all right."

Hermione smiled at my efforts to comfort her. "I know it's all right to be afraid, Ron," she said. "That's not it. I just feel... oh, it's stupid."

I chuckled. "As if you could be stupid."

"Everyone does stupid things," Hermione said matter-of-factly. "It's part of life to make foolish mistakes... But this isn't as much a mistake as it is a feeling. Like I did something wrong even when I've done nothing." She sighed. "I feel... like I betrayed him."

I raised my eyebrows. "Betrayed who?"

Hermione looked down, waves of hair falling forward to hide her face. "Ed."

I wanted to sigh and roll my eyes, but even I knew that it wasn't the time for that. Instead, I put a hand on her shoulder. "Hey. Don't feel like that."

"Why not?" she murmured.

"Because Ed's smart," I said, hoping I was saying the right thing. "He probably knows that we won't exactly be comfortable around him. It's okay. He'll understand. If he's as clever and smart as he claims to be, he knows."

Hermione gazed at me. "You really think that?"

I nodded nervously. "Um, yeah. I do."

Hermione stared at me. I tried desperately not to fidget under her gaze. Finally, she broke eye contact by giving me a gentle hug, which I returned.

"Thank you," she whispered.

Then she was gone, up the stairs and to her own dormitory.

I, on the other hand, stayed, staring at the fire and wondering what in Merlin's name just happened.

A lot of really weird things happen in this world, Al.

I mean, sure, magic and all. But even then it's just plain crazy. These goblins have the most idiotic names, and so do the famous wizards! Merlin is the best name out of them all. The others are just dumb! And they have TROLLS! Why the hell would they have trolls?

And then there's the Muggle (non-magic) world. They're far more advanced technologically than we are, and they don't even have alchemy! They have wireless phones! And the Internet! The Internet is incredible! So many cat videos... You'd love it. I just hope you wouldn't get addicted... And flying machines! Airplanes are a wonder! This world is full of so many fascinating things. It's too bad modern technology goes nuts when it gets close to an area with a strong concentration of magic.

I'll have so much to share with our world when I get back. So much to do. I can't wait.

Hermione

After I finally went to bed, I had a dream.

Harry, Ron, and I were sitting in the common room, knitting. Ed was there, too. He was looking at us disdainfully. Then he clapped his hands and placed them on the yarn. In an instant, a whole pile of hats and scarves sat in the basket.

Then we were in the halls, walking along, and Ed was laughing at the armor on the walls. I could make things much better than this, he said, pride in his eyes. I have the ultimate power.

Ed stood before the school. His eyes were on fire. A cruel grin graced his face as he clapped his hands and slammed them to the earth, bringing the whole school crashing down in front of him. I stood and watched as years of my life crumbled into rubble. Ed turned to me and smiled, teeth sharp and eyes on fire with something more than determination. Something... mad.

I can do anything I want, he said. Nothing can stop me.

I woke up in shock. I was sweating like mad, and I couldn't stop shaking. Heaving in gasping breaths, I sat up, hugging my knees to my chest. My throat was tight, and my eyes burned.

"Ed wouldn't," I whispered to myself. "He'd never do something like that. He's... He's not..."

Bright gold eyes flashed through my mind, burning bright. A malicious grin and the sharp sound of palms coming together, almost as if in prayer.

But praying to what?

I wanted to believe that Ed would never do something bad. But what did I know? We'd only just met him. For all we knew, he could be a serial killer. Or... something worse. He was from another world, after all. Who knew what happened there, with this incredible power existing? What did the people of Ed's world do? How many used their power to kill?

I hated thinking like that. Ed was kind. Mischievous and annoying and surprising and confusing? Of course. But also very kind. He wouldn't...

I groaned and pinched myself to attempt to stop my circular thinking. No use fretting about it.

My feet were cold, my face burned, and my mouth was dry. With a weary sigh, I slipped out of bed and padded into the bathroom to get a drink and maybe splash some water on my face. I needed to calm down.

The cool water against my overheated skin helped, but not much. I leaned against the sink, staring into the mirror at the dark shadows beneath my eyes. I needed sleep, but it wasn't coming. Especially not when I feared nightmares. Not wanting more bad dreams when I was little had always made it more difficult for me to sleep.

So sleep was out of the question...

With a heavy heart, I pulled out a few of my textbooks. It looked like a late night study session was in store for me.

I don't know what's going to happen tomorrow. I know things have changed, and I know it will be different, but I don't know how.

I'm happy about that. Should be interesting. We'll see.

This was one really long filler and I am very sorry that I pretty much gave you guys nothing...

Please don't kill me.

*dodges large stone statue of Alphonse with kitty* I'M REALLY SORRY GAH PLEASE DON'T HURT ME I WILL TRY TO DO BETTER *hides under covers* I am but a small child trying to write fanfic please don't attack me.

The word of the day is CADENCE! I don't typically use this word in sentences, but it's rather pleasant-sounding, isn't it? Nice word. Rhythmic word. (Which is rather fitting, seeing as it concerns rhythm...)

That is all for now. RFF!

And please... accept my apology.

Lulu out!