Double update, since I haven't for 6 months rip :(

Ed spent the next day or so in the library, enjoying the empty space to read and study to his heart's content. Well. Almost empty.

"Professor?" Hermione asked, spotting Ed in between one of the shelves.

"Hello Hermione." Ed said not looking up from the book on potions he was reading.

"What are you studying?" She asked.

"Advanced potions." He said simply. "What about you? Aren't you usually hanging around with Harry and Ron Weasley? " He asked

"Oh. They're both furious with me. Harry got a Firebolt broomstick for Christmas with no note... And I thought it must be dangerous with Sirius Black at large. So I told McGonagall and it was confiscated. And now I'm helping Hagrid form a case for Buckbeak. He has a hearing coming up to decide if well..."

"I understand. Harry and Ron will come around." Ed said "And That's very kind of you to help him."

"Well. He's my friend." She blushed "And Buckbeak only attacked Malfoy because he did the exact thing Hagrid told him to never do.".

"Yeah. I heard. That Malfoy kid is a real fuck wad. I mean. Asshat. I- ah fuck it. I can't think of a good name to call him without a curse word in it." He sighed

"It's fine Professor you curse all the time in class. We're all sort of used to it now."

"Fuck, I do?" he sighed. "Well whatever." He pulled out his watch and checked the time "Almost dinner."

"That symbol." Hermione said "I've seen that before." She bit her lip.

"Oh. That cross? It's the Flamel."

"Flamel?" Hermione asked suddenly. "As it Nikolas Flamel?"

"Yeah. It was his symbol. He's an Amestrian Alchemist from the 1500's who disappeared after pioneering the Alchemy field to that of a more scientific realm and wrote tons of stuff on the Philosopher's stone. My teacher used it as her symbol and so do me and my brother."

"Nikolas Flamel was a wizard." Hermione said "I studied him first year- He was a 600 year old wizard. He died somewhat recently." Edward gaped.

"A wizard." He said "That means he had access to both here and Amestris. Hermione, you know where I'm from right?"

"Well... I know a little. Dumbledore added some books to the library about Amestris. It's a country from... Well almost another world right?"

"Yeah. And as far as I can tell I'm the first to come here. So... Our realms, is a better word I guess... Realms have been connected before?" Edward sighed. "It's all too much." He sat down in a nearby chair. "I have to break all this down. I'll ask the old man later... Oh Hermione." He said suddenly "I"ve been meaning to ask someone. Well, first remember from class where Alchemist draw their power?"

"Tectonic plate movement right?"

"Yep. And Alkhestrists, another form of Alchemy get their energy from qi and what they call the Dragon's pulse. The energy that flows through the ground and in all living things. Now. Where do wizards get their power from?"

"It's... Well no one knows. It's passed down through family but on occasion witches and wizards are just born from muggle parents like I was."

"Interesting... Well, wherever your power comes from it's strong. Since you can all bypass the law of equivalent exchange. My brother suggested that you all have strong qi. So, my question is really... After using a lot of magic do you ever feel tired?"

"No." Hermione said after a moment. "Not really."

"Damn..." Edward sighed.

"Professor... Can you do magic?"

"I haven't tried." Edward said after a moment. "It sort of makes me ill to think about it."

"Magic makes you ill...?" Hermione asked.

"It goes against everything I had believed at one point. Not only that... But there are a lot of people I could have saved if I had known about magic a few years ago... I want to know all about magic. I want to know how it works... Rationalize it. Understand it. Then I can apply it to Alchemy and help people." Edward said softly. "Because as amazing as Alchemy is... It can't even help me save a little girl."

"Professor..." Hermione said softly. "Maybe, doing magic can help you understand it. There's a feeling I get when I do magic that I can't really explain." She bit her lip and pulled out her wand. "Here."

Edward looked at her then back to the wand. He thought it over. A feeling? That could be something... He hesitantly took the wand from her, and felt a dull spark up his arm. He nearly dropped the wand, but then doubled his grip.

"Give me a spell."

"Wingardium Leviosa." She said "With a swish and flick movement, it levitates an object."

He nodded and pointed the wand at a small book, and with a swish and flick said "Wingardium Leviosa."

The feeling was indescribable. It almost felt like transmuting. But... stronger. Like Edward was tapping into some other power source. Unlike Alchemy which almost felt like coming from his body this... It came from nowhere. The book lifted from the ground before Edward released it.

"Well...?" Hermione asked.

"It was..." Ed remembered back to the Promised day. Standing behind his father as Al and him used Father's power against him. The power came from somewhere else and they were using it. "I can hardly describe it. It's like... A hose."

"A hose?" Hermione asked, taking her wand back.

"When you use a garden hose, you control where the water goes and how strong the pressure is. But do you make the water? No it comes from the pipes. It's like that."

"You're right. But... Where does it come from?"

"I don't know yet." Edward grinned "But I can't wait to find out."