AuThOr NoTe: Sorry for the wait... I've been super busy and lacking ideas... I hate this!

Previously~.

Hermione sighed, "You're all hopeless, but I suppose it's fine on Halloween. A few people even came up to me asking if the pranks were a part of the theme."

"Well, then," Edward said, getting up from the floor and dusting off his costume. "It works out for us both, doesn't it?" He smirked.

Hermione rolled her eyes. "I suppose it does."

The rest of the night would be an unforgettable one. And with the Elric brothers in charge, it was a miracle that no one was hurt.

Halloween was nearly a week past, and after a fit of constant studying, the Elrics found themselves once again in Dumbledore's office. Edward was sitting in one of Dumbledore's cushioned chairs, scooted up close to the old man's desk with a book between them. Alphonse was standing just behind his brother, watching the scene expectantly. Dumbledore, his palm resting beneath his chin, gazed steadily at the text before him. There was much to think about.

"So soon...?" Dumbledore's eyes seemed searching, uncertain. There was an edge to his voice that left the Elrics feeling somewhat empty.

The eldest brother sighed and then nodded, closing the book before placing it on his lap. "The sooner the better. The longer we stay here, the harder it's going to be to leave. It would be best if we left before anyone grew too attached to each other." Edward paused to look at his arm. "I'm also not sure how much longer my automail will last without being maintenance by a proper mechanic. More specifically our friend Winry, who I'm sure is both worried sick about me and my brother... and about ready to bust our skulls open with a wrench."

Dumbledore chuckled. "In most ways I do agree, but I can't help but worry about how Harry will fare with the two of you gone." Edward smirked, seeming to read the old man's thoughts. "I can't lie, you two have become quite a valuable asset in this war, an advantage I'm sure would tip the scales greatly."

"I have faith in him and his friends," Edward said seriously. "Those three... there's something in them, their spirit, that's in this fight wholeheartedly. They'll do fine."

"Very well," Dumbledore murmured, mostly convinced. "I have but only one request, if you would so grant it."

Edward frowned and Alphonse shifted beside him, wondering what it was the old man could possibly still want from them. When Edward spoke again, there was an edge of seriousness to his voice, yet it still held an aire(1) of sarcasm. "What is it?"

"All that I ask," Dumbledore began, his tone light, "is that you leave them with one more lesson." The brother's looked somewhat confused. They tried to be thorough with alchemy training, but between the trio's classes and the brothers' research their consistency was far less than to be desired by both parties. Did the old man really think that one more lesson would do Harry Potter and his friends any good. "Just one," he continued, the brothers' listening curiously. "I'll even let you decide what exactly it is that you will teach them."

"One lesson?" Edward mirrored, somewhat shocked at the strangeness of his request, seeing a deeper wish hidden within his words. Dumbledore nodded in response. "You have a deal."

~-.-~

With the high spirits of Halloween slowly being forgotten, a heavy sense of dread began forming in the minds of the Golden Trio, blanketing them like a heavy quilt. Within the few days that followed, they spent their free time having hushed conversations in the Gryffindor common room, trying to come to terms with the feeling that the Elric brothers would soon be returning home, leaving behind nothing more than a sense of emptiness, one they were sure was never meant to be filled in the first place.

They had accepted the fact that Edward and Alphonse didn't belong in their own world. Their world, parallel to one that the magical born were never supposed to know existed. Even with the knowledge that magic held nearly no bounds, meeting each new challenge with a spell that could ensure even immortality at the right price - a feat still considered impossible by the Elrics and their version of alchemy - the trio, now more than ever, had trouble wrapping their minds around the truth.

And this was just a small crack in the veil that concealed all of the secrets the brothers held. Yes, the trio were sure they'd only scratched the surface of it. The other parts of their lives, the ones the trio so longed to uncover, were certainly out of their grasp. This curiosity was hard to bite down, almost as much as it was to ignore the hurt, the heartache that was sure to come the moment the Elrics' left this world for their own.

But the trio had to endure that pain, understanding all too well the feelings of the Elric brothers. The homesickness... The need to be with the ones they loved and cared about, of keeping the promise to protect them at all cost. The trio feared the guilt, just as the brothers did, that was sure to follow when they truly felt that those promises would be broken. And they shared that passion, the flame that kept them going, giving them the determination to do everything in their power to make sure that it never happened.

Harry, Ron, and Hermione had been sitting in front of the fire in the common room for a while now, letting their minds wander until all that was left were questions. Questions of what they would do when the brothers were gone. How they would cope, continue to fight a battle that had grown to feel so foreign these last few months. Questions of what really gave the brothers their drive, their stubbornness and outright will to keep fighting no matter what was put in the way of their goals.

While they sat in silence, Harry wondered what he would do if the same set of events happened to him. What would he do if some powerful force of magic had sent him to Ed's world. Would he try to get back home? Try to go back to the world that demanded so much from him that at times it felt suffocating? Or would he stay and forget about the world he came from, forget his troubles, even if just for a little while.

The answer burned through his mind like fire, bringing thoughts that ripped through him with indecision. No, he told himself that he was sure he would do everything in his power to see to it that he made his way back home. He told himself he was sure, even though there was still the lingering presence of uncertainty.

"Come on, Harry."

Hermione's voice brought him back to the present. She was standing over him, forcing herself to hold an encouraging smile. "It's time for supper."

Ron stepped around her, his one track mind the least affected by the brother's decision to leave. "Hermione's right, mate. I'm starving."

Harry sighed, forcing himself up from the comfort of the armchair closest to the fire, the very same one that Ed used only a week or so ago when he explained to the trio why he and his brother's research was so important, why it was that they kept themselves isolated from the rest of Hogwarts... When he told them that their current mission was to find a way home, and that their research was nearly complete.

"Let's go, then," Harry replied, forcing these thoughts away, trying his hardest to replace the mask he'd been wearing for years. The one only a certain few could penetrate, though that was slowly beginning to change. Perhaps Edward was rubbing off on him after all. When he spoke again, Ron and Hermione could sense sarcasm in his tone. "I'm sure neither of you fancy missing the feast because I've gone and dozed off."

Ron couldn't help but smirk, already forgetting about the stiff moment of silence... the invisible weight that was pressing down on them and their thoughts. Harry envied his best friend in that way, not understanding just how he could switch his focus so easily from his own problems to what was happening now in the present.

~*.*~

Edward and Alphonse wandered the halls. It was just before supper, and they were promised a feast by the Headmaster that the eldest didn't plan on skipping. If all went as planned, then tonight would be the last feast that the brothers would attend. It made them both anxious.

"Brother?" Al's tone was soft, hardly loud enough to echo faintly off the hard stone that lined the corridors. Edward looked up at his younger brother, hands buried in his pockets in an attempt to fight away the chill seeping into the castle from stray drafts of air. It was only the first week of November, but the temperature was already in fast decline.

"What is it, Al?" Ed kept his hand in his pockets as he spoke, wishing that he'd transmuted a thicker coat. The one he wore currently, standing out in his trademarked red, was perfect for the unpredictable cycles of weather back in Amestris. It brought warmth on cooler nights, yet it was light enough not to suffocate him in the sun. It did not, however, protect him in any way from the chilly air that seemed to be perfectly at ease within the stone build of Hogwarts.

Al was hesitant, slowing his pace and waiting for the hall to be completely clear before speaking. "Do you really think using this worlds form of a Philosophers stone will be powerful enough to get us home? I mean, we can't be certain, can we?"

Edward sighed, sensing that there had been something on his brother's mind, though not thinking it would be something like this. "My theory is that if we continue to combined our notes with those of Nicholas Flamel's, then the reaction, along with the power of the stone, will be enough to get us through the gate."

"And what if it's not...?"

"We've at least got to try," Ed said, his voice steady, determined. His mind was already made up. He would finish the calculations of the transmutation circle tonight with Al, and then tomorrow, they would use the power of the newly made Philosophers stone to send themselves back home. "Besides, I've helped Dumbledore make a few alterations to the original recipe of the stone. It should enhance it's properties, as well as our own. However..." Ed paused, choosing his words carefully. "... we only have one shot at this. The amount of energy required to power this one transmutation circle would-"

"Hem Hem."

The two alchemist flinched, startled that they hadn't even heard the loud clatter of heels clashing with stone before they heard her voice. They turned, the pink clad woman was mere feet away, tapping her foot impatiently.

Once recollected, Edward's face fell. What now replaced shock was a look that spoke pure insolence, completely indifferent save for the small twitching of his eyebrows. "May we help you?"

"I couldn't help but overhear," Umbridge said, her voice so sickly sweet that threatened to cause Ed to loose his appetite. Pushing that aside, the brothers focused on her words, immediately setting up their defenses. How much had she heard? They couldn't afford to have the toad of the Ministry sniffing around where she didn't belong. "You wouldn't mind telling me what you two are up too, I'm sure."

Ed scoffed, a gesture that had apparently caught the woman off guard. Alphonse stiffened, watching the interactions between the two cautiously, ready to intervene if his older brother managed to put them in an even worse situation that they were already in.

"Our actions are of no concern to you," Edward said mildly, fully aware of his tone. "I assure you, it's simply research."

Umbridge raised an eyebrow. She was a curious witch, after all. She adored research, so long as it was within the benefit of the Ministry of Magic, of course. "Research of what exactly? You said it was powerful, did you not? I want to know more."

Alphonse inwardly sighed, he would leave this argument to his brother after all. He knew well how to deal with overly curious superiors, especially when they were trying to meddle in their business. They dealt with people like her all their lives, and it seemed like no matter which world they were in, they would forever be followed by these types of people, however irritating they were.

"Unfortunately for you, this research implements theories from both Alchemy and transfiguration, merging two very complex aspects of both science and magic into a new, useable field of alchemy..." Edward briefly paused here, correcting his pitch as to make his sudden explanation sound much more complicated that it actually was. "...that would provide alchemist skilled enough to grasp it the ability to create a whole new branch of transmutations, possibly overruling the law of equivalent exchange."

There was another pause, just enough time for the words to sink it to Umbridge's meddlesome mind. When she said nothing, Edward spoke once more. "You see, this is far to complex for your untrained mind to comprehend."

Umbridge stuttered, "Are you... insulting my intelligence? You insubordinate boy!"

Edward raised his hand to interrupt. "I am simply stating that without years of trained experience in the field of alchemy, you would not be able to understand any of my research. It would be gibberish to you. Besides, I hear that you aren't particularity fond of any subject even sparsely related to muggle studies."

The blank expression once again returned to the toad woman's face. "And what, pray tell, does this alchemy of yours have in common with muggle studies? I have witnessed what it can do, do not try and tell me that it isn't magic."

Both brothers deadpanned, the eldest the more visible of the two. "You must not have heard me when I said that alchemy is a science."

Alphonse leaned forward, startling Umbridge when he spoke. "It abides by rules of Equivalent Exchange, a set of scientific laws that don't apply any magic at all."

Umbridge sniffed, "I refuse to see how anything related to muggle studies would be more complex than that of magic. If you believe that, Mr. Elric, then you are more naive than I once thought. It's complete nonsense, proof that you simply do not want to share your research with the Ministry of Magic."

"Name any five of the chemical elements." Edward glared at the woman, watching her face twist with confusion. "No, alright, give me the chemical equation for sugar, the compound you seem to use so much of in your tea."

There was another pause, Edward started tapping his foot impatiently. "You have no idea what my brother is talking about," Alphonse said, his tone firm, but light. "And these aren't even scratching the outer layer of the amount of knowledge needed to both understand and successfully use alchemy, much less a combination of both alchemy and transfiguration."

While Umbridge stood there looking dumbfounded, Edward took this opportunity to escape- er, calmly walk away from the woman with purpose. "This has been great, really, but we'll be going now..."

Alphonse looked form Ed to the woman, "Wait for me, Brother!"

~*.*~

By the time the two arrived at the Great Hall, it was already filling with students. Edward walked dutifully towards the Gryffindor table, effectively ignoring the stares and whispers that followed. The rumors and hushed conversations had died down immensely since that first week, but some still managed to resurface, putting the brothers in the center of them all.

It didn't help that the brothers were becoming more and more isolated from the whole of Hogwarts, especially at dinner. Normally at this time, the brothers would be immersed in their studies, a mountain of books on each side with food delivered to Edward by a house elf. With their sudden appearance, the whispers were in full force once again.

"Honestly..." Edward grumbled. "You'd think these people had better things to do than gossip about two people who don't even belong here." He sunk into the bench, sitting across from the twins, who looked mildly surprised to see the two brothers.

Alphonse sat beside his brother, waving intently towards three figures just entering the hall. He smiled at the surprised looks on their faces. Edward ignored them all, chin on his fist as he slumped over and waited on the food.

"Edward, Alphonse!"

Hermione rushed forward, forcing the two behind her quicken their step to keep pace. Ron muttered something about having no need to rush if the food hadn't been served yet. Harry, beside him, smiled widely. He was beginning to worry that he wouldn't see the two at all before they returned to their home world.

"I would have thought you'd skip this meal, too," Harry remarked, directing this towards the eldest of the two as he took a seat next to him and the twins. Ron sat next to George on the other side, and Hermione scooted between Ed and Ginny, who'd just arrived and yelled across the hall for someone to save her a seat.

"Yeah?" Edward scoffed. "Well, if I skipped them all, I'd starve, wouldn't I?" He glanced over to Alphonse, "And Al wouldn't be any better off." He added this merely as cover.

Hermione looked worried, "You mean you haven't been eating all this time?" Her eyes burned with rage, and she was in near hysterics. Alphonse chuckled, blaming female hormones for making her act so much like a mother to them.

"He was only joking, Hermione," Al said, and the small group erupted into laughter. Hermione flushed a deep, crimson red.

"I-I'm..."

Edward smirked, "Don't worry about it."

~.~

Dinner passed slowly. By the time that Dumbledore stood up to the podium, Edward was already twitching in his seat. The old wizard waved his hand just slightly and the whole hall was silenced. Edward glanced up, his eyes begging for the feast to hurry up and begin.

"It is unusual for us to share a feast at this time of the year," he began, and the brothers could see the students nodding their heads in agreement, starting curious conversations and making wild conclusions. "However, it seemed like an appropriate time to bring us all together once more, to reminisce in the memories of the past, and be grateful for all the great opportunities that life has been so kind to give us."

There was a pause. Harry found his self staring down at the wood of the table. Ron's stomach grumbled, and Hermione fought back tears. The brothers were quiet, Edward with an impassive look. "We are also to be appreciative of the friends that we have made, and the family that has grown throughout our time here at Hogwarts. In that sense, this feast is to celebrate our bondage. We have faced many challenges, much loss, but more importantly..." Dumbledore paused once more, his eyes scanning the crowd of students, resting on the Elric brothers. "we have all learned a great deal from each other, and we will continue to come together, inhabiting this school as one body. As we feast tonight, it is not as the four houses of the great founders, but as the family of Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry."

As he finished, the tables filled and the students starting clapping. Most were touched, left with a warm sense of belonging, though a good few found his speech to be a little cheesy. Dumbledore had that way with words, a sense that came with years of experience. However, despite the good spirits escalating around them, the trio, brothers included, felt the whole scene was very depressing.

"Sneaky bastard," Edward muttered. "Knows just what to say to make a person second guess..." Alphonse shot his older brother a dark, disproving look.

"Not everyone is plotting against us, Brother."

"You don't know that."

Alphonse sighed, "Hopeless."

A few moments passed in silence and then suddenly, a pair of fist found themselves making contact with the table. The noise from the impact was enough to make Edward flinch, his eyes glaring at the source of the commotion. George.

"Cheer up, mates!" He all but screamed, causing a few heads from the other tables to turn their way. "I haven't the slightest idea as to what's got you lot looking like a bunch of Gringot's goblin's, but it's upsetting the mood of this magnificent feast!"

"Honestly," Fred chimed in, leaning heavily on his twin, "We haven't had food this good since 'ittle Harry's first year!"

"We're fine," Edward snapped. He wasn't in the mood to amuse the twins tonight. Really, when he thought about it, he wasn't in the mood to be present at dinner at all. It was only going to complicate their plans and make their emotional ties that much harder to cut.

The twins observed the shorter alchemist with raised eyebrows. "He's just tired, that's all," Al quickly tried, but the twins didn't seem to buy it. Neither did the rest of the crew.

"Must be all that time with the books," George reasoned with his brother, who quickly nodded in agreement.

"Too much time, if you ask me, brother," Fred replied, a smirk subtly forming on his lips. Edward already had a bad feeling about where this was going.

"I didn't ask you!" Ed's voice went ignored.

"And you know what's the best cure for this sad, sad disease?"

"Oh, here we go," Hermione groaned, just out of earshot of the scheming twins. Ginny listed on with interest.

"Now, what's that Fred?" George continued the banter, Ed resisting the urge to transmute the table into a latch for their mouths.

"A get together for a group of friendlies." Fred latched his arms around both Harry and George, Harry giving the twin a confused look.

"A get together? With games?"

"And song!" Fred affirmed.

"And mischief, too, for sure!" George added. By now the rest of the group had caught on, the Elric brothers suddenly feeling both overwhelmed and uncomfortable. Surely... the twins weren't insisting they have a-

"It's settled then, George. Let's have a party!" Fred finished, leaning across the table to reach for a slice of pumpkin pie. Edward glared in their direction, convinced that the two were indeed demons sent to this world by Truth to make his life all that much harder.

Author Note: Well, I believe that's it for that chapter. Sorry for the abrupt ending and the flip floppiness of it all. I'm trying to finish this, but it's harder than I thought it would be. A few more chapters, I think, and we shall reach the end.

I just want to take the time out to thank all of you who have been following this story. It can't have been easy, I'm sure, especially with my constant change of writing style and plot issues, and especially the lack of consistent updates. Also.. my cheesy attempts at a goodbye speech from Dumbledore. I tried to make it as Dumble-like as possible.

Anyway, I'm glad I've finally been able to get this chapter out. It's just been kind of sitting here... with no adequate end. I hope you enjoyed it! Thanks again for all the reads, favs, follows, and especially your kind words and reviews!

Ja Ne~