Fullmetal Wizard | Chapter 103
Ed spent the rest of the class appearing to be fiddling with the ivory wand and trying his best to ignore the tickling sensation in his chest,
as everyone around him was attempting the SOMEthing necessary to do the vanishing trick. He even occasionally waved his 'wand' over the snail as
he was instructed he should do with a real wand. He wasn't surprised that the snail remained at his desk--he wasn't actually DOing anything to
it. Instead..he was working on his theory, mentally noting several equations that might do the trick...
'This has to be the key to getting around Equivalent Exchange. I know it is..' Ed thought as he looked down at his snail. The mollusk waved its
feelers about, very much unaware of its significance. 'Just have to figure out a solution that won't kill me...'
When the bell rang, he noticed he was not the only one who did not have the desired results. Harry and Ron both still had their snails
stubbornly anchored onto reality. Ed frowned, and listened as the homework was assigned. He was unsurprised that they were to practice the very
same exercise on their own.
Lunch was next, and after hurriedly scarfing down something filling, yet tasty, Ed finally made it to the library. He was nearly dragged away
from his browsing search by Ron and Harry only an hour later due to the next class on his list: Care of Magical Creatures. It was not a class he
was looking forward to..since not only was it was held outside the castle, but he was not exactly thrilled with the idea of looking at yet more
chimeras. With a grumble and a scowl, he left his rather large pile of books where it was and followed Ron and Harry to the place, absently
rubbing at his aching ports the entire way.
'This is stupid. Why wasn't I asked what I wanted to learn when this crappy schedule was made up?' Ed thought as they approached a table in
front of a small cabin by the large forest he knew was 'forbidden to students'. The lesson was interesting enough, and the creatures
were..interesting.
'Insect-human chimera' He thought as he drew them as best he could with his left hand, which wasn't all that much better than his barely legible
handwriting. His drawing was little more than a stick figure, and strongly resembled something a four-year old could manage on a good day.
More out of boredom than anything else, he included a several possible equations, complete with labels and code, that would create the creatures
from scratch on the back. He was in the middle of one when he heard a definite dtink! from his right shoulder. He glanced down to see what had
struck him, as it had obviously hit on the port... somewhere.
'..Through 2 layers of clothes...maybe a pebble..?' Ed thought, but saw nothing moving on the ground other than the insect-chimera in front of
him. He heard soft snickers and glanced around. But again, nothing seemed out of place. The Malfoy kid was the only one walking away with his group
behind him.
'Could he have...?' Ed thought.
Ed decided no real harm was done, then looked up in time to see Harry's annoyed face. Harry held a hand out in front of him, and blood dripped
down one finger from what looked like a bite.
"..If he calls Hagrid moron one more time.." Harry snarled.
"Don't go picking a row with Malfoy. Remember, he's prefect now. He could make your life difficult." Hermione said as she handed a hankercheif
to Harry.
"Imagine that. A difficult life." Harry growled, voice dripping with sarcasm, as he wrapped the cloth around his wound.
The next class: Herbology.
Ed walked along the green, Ron and Harry on one side, Hermione on the other. Then..
Then he saw Luna..her hair tied up in a knot at the top of her head..looking more like Winry than ever, trailing behind the rest of the exiting
children -- no.. students! --, and he just..stopped. Stopped walking, and very nearly stopped breathing. Someone bumped into him from behind,
but he caught himself before he fell forward. There were steadying hands gripping his left arm, and he wasn't sure of the right.
She looked over at their little group and her eyes widened excitedly. Ed felt a lump rise in his throat.
'It's not her..it's NOT her..." he thought as she made a beeline for them. He focused on her earrings -- which were a pair of orange radishes,
the bottlecap necklace -- things which definitely ruined the 'Winry-ness' of her appearance. He swallowed the lump with great difficulty, but
not before Luna looked directly at his very much unguarded face, and raised her eyebrows. She quickly looked instead to Harry, and took a
breath.
"I believe You-Know-Who is back, and you fought him, and you escaped from him." she said.
"Er--right" Harry said.
"You alright, Ed?" Hermione said softly near his ear, and Ed tore his eyes off of not!Winry Luna. Hermione held his left arm in her hands, brown
eyes full of concern. He swallowed again. Then nodded. He heard a couple of girls giggling, and looked around. He saw that they were surrounded
by students.. being watched with great interest.
"You can laugh. But people used to believe there was no such thing a the Blibbering Humdinger or the Crumple-Horned Snorkack." Luna said, voice
rising in anger.
"Well, they were right, weren't they? There weren't such things as the Blibbering Humdinger or the Crumple-horned Snorkack, now were there?"
Hermione said impatiently.
Luna gave them all a withering look and flounced away. Not only girls were laughing now. The whole crowd around them laughed heartily. Ed
watched not!Winry Luna walk towards the castle.
"You mind not insulting the only people who believe me?" Harry said as he turned to Ed and Hermione.
"Oh. I think you can do better than her, Harry. She only believes in things that have no proof." Hermione said.
Harry looked at him then, and Ed looked back. Harry narrowed his green eyes slightly and tilted his head.
"Great. What's with you?"
"Is nodting." Ed said, and, with a his mouth set in a grim line, continued on his way to the class. Or tried to. Hermione still held his left
arm, and firmly pulled him back. He glanced at her in annoyance, and saw a firm glare on her face. Then..the glare grew a blush, and she
abruptly let his arm go.
They filed into the greenhouse together just as the bell rang for the class to begin.
:::
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