Fullmetal Wizard | Chapter 94

The sneer mask was firmly in place as he handed Ed a pink slip of paper. Ed snatched it angrily from his hand, and sat down in a huff.

He spent the remainder of class idly handing over the ingredients, one by one, to Neville and doodling equations in his notebook.

"A light silver vapor should now be rising from your potion." Severus called out with ten minutes left to go in the class. Ed watched the happy excitement on Neville's beeming face as he realised that his own cauldron's solution was doing just that. Ed snorted and went back to the equation he was working on. When the bell rang, he looked up to see Harry leaving in a huff--the first out the door. Ed got up from the desk and stalked out the door himself.

He was still scowling when he sat near Harry at the food table and dished himself huge platefuls of food. As he scarfed down his food, he and Harry were joined by Hermione and Ron. Hermione took one look at him and wrinkled her nose. Ron leaned his face into his hand as he stuffed his face as well.

"You..nevermind." Hermione said as she dished herself some 'meat pie'..or whatever it was. It at least had gravy.

"Vwhat!?" Ed spat at her once he'd swallowed.

"That really wasn't so good a start, mate." Ron said. "But welcome to the club."

"I really thought he'd be better this year..you know..." Hermione glanced about. Ed rolled his eyes. He knew they were relatively isolated, and took a swig of the "yellow stuff" to cover his facial expression at her obvious childishness. "As he's part of the Order and all. "

"The git's still a git." Ron said. "I don't know why Dumbledore trusts him. I mean, there's no evidence that he's ever stopped working for..You-Know- Who."

"I think Dumbledore's got plenty of evidence, even if he doesn't share it with you, Ron.' Hermione snapped. Ron opened his mouth to argue, but instead...

"Oh shut up, you two. Give it a rest." Harry said heavily. "I'm tired of hearing you argue."

Harry slung his bookbag to his back, and headed off towards a marble staircase.

Harry sat in the darkness of Professor Trelawney's classroom when Ron poked his head up the trapdoor and spotted him. Professor Trelawney was puttering about at the moment, and hadn't quite noticed he sat alone. He considered that a good thing, especially since she had the bad habit of predicting his death ever other class.

Ron emerged from the trapdoor and made his way to Harry.

"Hermione and me have stopped arguing." Ron said as he sat down next to Harry. "But Hermione said she thinks you should stop taking your anger out on us."

"I'm not--"

"Just passing on the message." Ron said, patting the air. "But I reckon she's right. It's not our fault how Seamus and Snape treat you.

"I never said it.."

The trapdoor slammed open, and Harry saw Ed as he climbed his way up the spindly ladder. In the dim light of the classroom, it was hard to tell if he was still scowling or not. Harry saw Professor Trelawney turn in fright at the sudden noise, her thin frame covered with shawls and glittering strings of beads as usual. Once Ed was inside, he stood up and promptly kicked the trapdoor closed with a loud bang!

"Good day..you must be my new student...Ah.. Mr. Edward Elric. Please, have a seat."

Harry heard Ed snort. And then came the grumbling in that odd language of his. As the other poufs and chairs, and spindly tables were taken by other students, (he WAS the last one to arrive), Ed ended up sitting on the pouf right in front of Harry and Ron.

"Welcome and welcome back to Divination. I have, of course, been following your fortunes most carefully through the summer holidays and am delighted to see you all have returned safely to Hogwarts, as I, of course, knew you would."

Harry heard another snort and grumble from Ed. Professor Trelawney, her eyes magnified to huge proportions by her thick glasses, looked directly at him.

"You will find before your copies of 'Dream Oracle' by Inigo Imago. Dream interpetation is a most important means of divining the future and one that may very probably be tested in your O.W.L. Not, of course, that I believe examination passes or failures are of the remotest importance when it comes to the sacred art of divination. If you have the Seeing Eye.."

Harry heard loud snickering from Ed and watched as his shoulders shook right before him.

"Ed..?" Harry whispered. As Ed started to slap at the pouf with one hand, and wiped at his face with the other.

Ed chortled. "'SACRED!?' Vwhat a load of crock..! You can't be serious!!"

Professor Trelawney, pressed her lips together, and walked so she stood right before Ed. Then, she reached, and touched her hand to one of his chuckling shoulders. Harry never thought it possible, but Professor Trelawney's eyes widened even more, and she took a few hurried steps backwards.

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