Sorry for the long wait everyone! Also sorry for how short this chapter is! I know I said my own plotline would be coming in soon, but the story will still follow the movie, because I need the same (or as close as I can get) outcome at the end. Soooo, you really aren't going to see big changes until later...

Oh well! Enjoy this chapter!

I. OWN. EVERYTHING! *Ed and Harry come in, glare at me* I. OWN. NOTHING. *Ed smacks me on the head anyway* OOOwwww...

Chapter Eighteen

"Are you sure of this?" came the question one afternoon, long after Christmas and winter itself. Edward had still not returned Harry's broom, a topic the boy thought about bringing up, but currently both were occupied. Professor Lupin stood on a high up balcony, above a sort of rotating thing Ed was still curious about, and he stared down on the two boys. "This is very advanced magic, well beyond your years and knowledge." The man continued.

Edward scoffed, crossing his arms slowly across his chest, "I think I can handle it." He said confidently, "Plus I can't stand being helpless, at least gimme a way to torture the suckers." The blond added after a moment of consideration. Harry only nodded, a resolute smile on his face.

"Fine," Lupin breathed in defeat. "Now the spell I'm going to teach you is called the Patronus Charm, ever hear of it." Harry shook his head in a wild no, and Ed only cocked an eyebrow. "Well, the incantation is simple, 'Expecto Patronum,' say it with me." He commanded, walking down from the platform.

The two teens took out their wands, experimentally flicking them as they repeated, "Expecto Patronum."

"Now, the spell is fueled by happiness, and forces the Dementors away with a shield you make off that happiness." Lupin instructed them. "Now, choose a happy memory, one of your happiest… how about Harry goes first."

Ed nodded, stepping back and running up to the balcony where Lupin had previously been. He leaned over the edge, his automail arm hanging loosely over the edge of the railing with his left hand holding his head up as he watched with narrowed calculating eyes. Professor Lupin stationed himself behind an immensely large chest, locks and bolts lining its opening and sides. The man glanced up to Harry whispering something helpful before he told the boy to prepare himself.

In the wave of a hand, the locks on the chest slid away, something black and foul swooping from its depths to loom over Harry. "Expecto Patronum!" was shot into the sky, but nothing more than a simple wisp of blue spread from the dark haired boy's wand. The Dementor took this moment of weakness as an opportunity, bearing down on Harry as the boy crumpled to his knees. Lupin was instantly at his side, forcing the Dementor – Boggart? – away from Harry and helping the boy to sit up.

"That's alright; I didn't expect you to get it the first time, that would have been remarkable! What memory did you think of?" Lupin asked as he gave the boy a small block of chocolate, Harry took the piece gratefully, chewing on it and savoring the warmth that flooded through him as he replied.

"The first time I rode a broom." He whispered, shooting a glance up at Edward. Ed smiled, curling the fingers of his right hand inwards and shooting an encouraging thumbs up at the boy.

"Well that's not good enough!" Lupin said, surprising both boys, "Not nearly good enough! Try again, pick a new memory." He said, helping Harry to his feet before walking over to the trunk again. Harry hesitated, turning to gaze into one of the flickering flames lined around the room.

"Well… there is this one memory, I'm not really even sure it's a memory…" he said hesitantly, as if afraid to share this information. Edward perked his ears, waiting to hear what Harry would say before the professor cut in.

"Is it strong?"

A small nod was the only answer, as if Harry couldn't trust himself to speak.

"Then let's give it a try… you ready?" Lupin asked, already clicking the locks out of place.

"Just do it."

At the determined sentence, the locks were swung out of place. Instantly the trunk opened again, Remus backing out of the way as the Boggart that looked like a Dementor launched itself towards Harry. The boy took a step backwards raising his wand into the air and screaming out the incantation.

"Expecto Patronum!"

Nothing happened.

"Expecto Patronum!"

Bright blue light burst from the edge of the wand, reaching up and grabbing at the Dementor look-alike. The being was pushed backwards, an enraged cry coming from beneath its hood as the trunk swung open once more and it was pushed inside. Harry let his wand drop like it was made of lead, his breaths coming in heavy pants as he watched the professor clamp the locks shut. Edward applauded from the balcony, making cheering sounds as Harry smiled faintly up at him. The blond truly looked happy for him, happy that at least one of them so far had managed to overtake the enemy.

"My turn, now!" Edward cried, leaping down the steps with wand in hand. Harry smirked at the childlike excitement in the boy's eyes, and Lupin shook his head as the other teen got into a defensive position in front of the trunk.

"We'll talk about your memory later Harry," the professor said to the victorious Gryffindor. "But now, I think Ed deserves a chance." He said, waving a hand at the waiting boy.

"Darn right I do!" Edward said, leaning back and forth on the balls of his feet. He had the perfect memory, the best one he could think of, certainly he would be able to stop the Dementor with the joy contained in this memory of his.

He hadn't even realized that Lupin had opened the trunk, so absorbed in his memories.

The Boggart-Dementor crashed down towards the blond, and Edward let out a small yelp he would later deny ever emitting. He fell backwards, his wand arm pushing into the air as if on its own accord. The tip was being brandished like a sword almost, and as the thing began to do its job almost like a real Dementor, two words crossed his mind.

"Expecto Patronum!"

Nothing happened, nothing at all, and Edward stared in shock at his wand and the thing attacking him before blissful blackness enveloped him. His only thought was of his memory, of two little boys showing their mother tiny metallic toys with smiles blossoming across their faces, of a tall man with golden hair and glasses pushing one of the two boys on a swing, and of the laughter that echoed through his mind.

A moment later, the darkness was receding, Lupin helping him to his feet with an odd expression on his face. A piece of chocolate was shoved towards him, but Edward pushed it away, instead turning to face the man with a frown.

"What happened?" he asked, his voice sounded raspy and sick to his ears. Edward hated the sound, and he coughed once before asking again.

Professor Lupin looked at him with a faint frown, as if trying to discover that answer himself. Both he and Harry had watched Edward topple backwards, had watched the panic and confusion in his eyes as the dark shadow bore down on him. He had screamed the enchantment with enough power of course, so why had nothing happened?

"I really don't know, but this is the first time. Try again." The teacher commanded, helping Edward to his feet and positioning the woozy boy before the trunk again. He was dreading this, and Edward's reaction, knowing that if the boy didn't succeed.

Edward was screaming before the Boggart even escaped its confines, his golden eyes blazing in determination as he frantically thought of every happy memory he ever had. He grasped onto them, pulling them into his wand like water flowing down a drain. "EXPECTO PROTRONUM!"

A small blue mist came out; floating between the monster and boy, and then the Dementor swooped down upon him. Edward threw his right arm up automatically, his left still swinging the wand as he chanted over and over again. However, before the Dementor-Boggart could pray on him, it had been whisked away by Lupin, shoved back into the darkness of the trunk as silence roared throughout the room.

Edward stood, alone, his hands trembling before him, golden eyes angry and spitting fire at everything he saw. "Edward…" Harry whispered hesitantly, stepping up from his safe place behind the trunk.

"Why didn't it work?" Edward questioned, angry at first. "I thought of the best memory I had, the very best, and I used enough power, and I waved my wand right… right? So why didn't it work?" He hissed, glancing at his teacher and friend.

Lupin shrugged, not exactly knowing how to comfort the boy, he made a move to place a hand on Ed's shoulder, but the thirteen year old jerked away. "Sometimes these things take time, Edward, you must understand."

"I do! And that's the problem! I do understand! It should work!"

But it didn't, and that, was a problem in itself.

REVIEW REVIEW REVIEW! It makes me HHHAAAPPPPPPPPYYY! (and makes me write quicker) SO REVIEW!

Any and all flames will be given to Ed so he can give Mustang a taste of his own medicine. YAY!