Chapter Fifty-Three

After watching Dumbledore drink a few gobletsful of the potion and then Harry forcing Dumbledore to drink a couple more, Ed couldn't take Dumbledore's screaming or protesting anymore.

"Stupefy!"

Harry looked in shock as Dumbledore fell limp in his arms. Ed took Dumbledore from Harry's arms and gently laid him on the ground.

"What did you do that for?!" Harry asked.

"That stupid old man thinks he has to do everything himself," Ed finally said, standing up from laying Dumbledore down. "He's not as strong as he likes to think he is."

"But -!" Harry started.

"Don't try to stop me, or I'll push you into the zombie-infested lake!" Ed interrupted.

"But you don't believe in zombies," Harry pointed out.

"I used to not believe in magic, werewolves, or vampires either," Ed added. "But everything has been turned around since coming to this God-awful place."

"You don't have to do this, Ed," Harry pleaded. "Why don't you -?"

"You don't need to do everything yourself either, Harry," Ed interrupted.

Then before Harry could stop him, Ed dunked the goblet into the basin.

"Bottoms up," Ed muttered.

Harry couldn't help but to watch in sheer horror as Ed downed the goblet of emerald green potion. Was Ed completely nuts or did he have some sort of death wish? Harry decided he didn't want to know the answer to that question as he saw Ed drink another gobletful.

"Ed?" Harry asked tentatively. "Are you all right?"

Ed was standing stock-still, one hand clenching the basin and the other clenching the goblet. Ed's eyes were closed, his face set in a painful expression. Ed didn't answer as he continued drinking the contents of the basin. As Ed drank, he could feel pain going through his entire body as terrible memories he would have liked to forget came flooding into the front of his mind. He knew that they were just memories, but Ed felt that he was actually living them there in that cave. As Ed drank more of the potion, the more those feelings intensified and the more the memories felt real.

Harry saw Ed's resolve start to crumble as he shook and from head to foot. Harry made to go to Ed, but then…

"Don't," Ed rasped, through clenched teeth. "Don't come any closer. What's happening is not real…it's not real, damn it…"

Harry stopped in his tracks. What did Ed mean by it not being real? Did he mean what he was experiencing or what he was remembering? Ed continued drinking the potion. After drinking a few more gobletsful, Ed dropped the goblet and collapsed.

"Ed!" Harry said.

Harry went to Ed and rolled him over to his back.

"Come on, Ed, wake up!" Harry pleaded. "Rennervate!"

Harry had his wand pointed at Ed's chest, a red light flashing. Nothing had happened though.

"Rennervate!" Harry repeated. "Come on, Ed! Winry and Professor Curtis and Al will kill me if -!"

Ed took a deep breath and then opened his eyes. He was breathing deeply now.

"Don't worry," Ed breathed. "You can't kill me that easily. You better wake the old man up now. I'll be fine."

"That's right!" Harry remembered.

Harry scrambled to his feet as he went to Dumbledore's side, Ed closing his eyes.

"Rennervate!" Harry said.

Dumbledore opened his eyes and looked up at Harry.

"Harry, what has happened?" Dumbledore asked, letting Harry help him up.

"Er, Ed, he…," Harry started.

He trailed off, looking at Ed. Dumbledore followed Harry's gaze and frowned. Ed was still lying on the ground, breathing deeply. Dumbledore went to Ed, Harry following.

"You had to disobey me, didn't you?" Dumbledore said.

Harry gasped at the expression on Ed's face: it was one full of pain. With the strength of a much younger and muscular person and of someone who hadn't drank half a basinful of harmful potion, Dumbledore picked Ed up into his arms.

"Couldn't – couldn't we give him some water or something, sir?" Harry asked.

"Yes, that would quench his thirst, but he needs to be seen by Professor Snape as do I," said Dumbledore. "Age has made a fool of me again it has seems… Get the Horcrux and let us go, Harry."

Harry nodded and went to the basin and grabbed the locket that was in there. He shoved it into his pocket.

"We will be going by Edward's bridge that he had made for himself earlier," Dumbledore instructed. "Be careful not to fall into the water."

"Yes, sir," Harry obeyed.

They had walked across the bridge and gotten back onto the main bank of the cave.

"Destroy the bridge, if you would, Harry," Dumbledore requested.

"Right," Harry obeyed, raising his wand.

"But don't -," Dumbledore started.

It was too late.

"Reducto!" Harry said.

The bridge fell to pieces and fell into the water, waking the Inferi that were in the lake. The Inferi started to come onto the bank.

"Sorry, sir, I forgot!" Harry apologized as he and Dumbledore backed up.

An Inferi scratched Harry on the arm, causing it to bleed.

"Fire, Harry, fire!" Dumbledore reminded.

A clap had filled the room and suddenly, a wall of fire had made its way between the group of three (Ed, Harry, and Dumbledore) and the Inferi. The Inferi had gone back into the water.

"This type of rock has some properties that make it flammable," Ed breathed. "This is a reason why Teacher always gets onto you…you need to remember these things, Al…how else will we…?"

Ed's eyes once again closed as he went back into a painful slumber, his arms falling again.

"Let us go, Harry," Dumbledore said. "My strength will not last. And neither will Edward if we linger here."

"Yes, sir," Harry obeyed.

Harry wiped his bloodied arm against a stone and the archway immediately reopened. They crossed the outer cave, and they went into the icy seawater that filled the crevice in the cliff.

"Don't worry, sir, we're nearly there," Harry assured, helping Dumbledore with Ed. "I can Apparate us back…"

"I am not worried, Harry," Dumbledore said. "We are with you."

Once back under the starry sky, Harry helped Dumbledore put Ed on top of the nearest boulder and then helped Dumbledore out of the water himself. Harry got out a moment later and then Apparated himself, Dumbledore, and Ed back to Hogsmeade.

"We did it!" Harry cheered. "We got the Horcrux!"

Dumbledore staggered for a moment.

"Are you all right, sir?" Harry asked.

"I've been better," Dumbledore answered. "That potion…was no health drink…"

And to Harry's horror, Dumbledore sank onto the ground. The full weight of Ed had fallen onto Harry. Ed had then fallen to the ground.

"Damn it," Harry swore.

"Severus, Harry, we need Severus," Dumbledore said.

"All right, Professor, but I'm going to have to leave you for a moment so I can -," Harry started.

A moment later, Madam Rosmerta came scurrying down the dark street toward them on high-heeled, fluffy slippers, wearing a silk dressing gown embroidered with dragons.

"I saw you Apparate as I was pulling my bedroom curtains!" Rosmerta exclaimed. "Thank goodness, thank goodness, I couldn't think what to – but what's wrong with Albus and Edward?"

She came to a halt, panting, and stared down, wide-eyed, at Ed and Dumbledore.

"They're hurt," Harry answered. "Madam Rosmerta, can they come into the Three Broomsticks while I go up to the school and get help for them?"

"You can't go up there alone!" Rosmerta protested. "Don't you realize – haven't you seen -?"

"If you help me support him," Harry ignored. "I think we can get him inside -."

"What has happened?" Dumbledore asked. "Rosmerta, what's wrong?"

"The – the Dark Mark, Albus," Rosmerta said.

And she pointed into the sky, in the direction of Hogwarts. Harry and Dumbledore turned and looked. It was hanging in the sky above the school: the blazing green skull with a serpent tongue, the mark Death Eaters left behind whenever they had entered a building…wherever they had murdered…

"When did it appear?" Dumbledore asked, clenching Harry's shoulder as he struggled to his feet.

"Must have been minutes ago, it wasn't there when I put the cat out, but when I got upstairs -," Rosmerta started.

"We need to return to the castle at once," said Dumbledore. "Rosmerta, we need transport – brooms -."

"I've got a couple behind the bar," Rosmerta said, looking very frightened. "But what about Edward? What-?"

"Harry will get your brooms while we leave Edward with you," Dumbledore said. "Severus will come later to see to Edward."

Then Harry summoned the brooms. A moment later, Harry and Dumbledore were flying to the castle as Madam Rosmerta was taking Ed back to the Three Broomsticks. It took Rosmerta a few minutes, but she had gotten Ed inside the bar and into one of the inn's beds. Rosmerta couldn't bear to look at Ed's pale face. After what seemed like hours to Rosmerta, there was a knock on the Three Broomsticks' door. She scurried to the door and opened it to see Severus Snape.

"Thank goodness you're finally here!" Rosmerta said, letting Snape into the pub and closing the door behind him. "His breathing has been getting worse and worse! Dumbledore didn't say what had happened to him."

"Just take me to him," Snape ordered.

"Yes, of course!" Rosmerta obeyed.

Then she took him to the room that she had put Ed into and gasped as she saw him trying to get up from the bed.

"Lie down, Elric," Snape ordered.

"Some…something's wrong…," Ed stuttered. "I need to…"

"You need to lie down," Snape interrupted. "Rosmerta, go get some chocolate and firewhiskey."

"Don't you want me to -?" Rosmerta started.

"Just go and fetch it!" Snape interrupted.

Then Rosmerta jumped and ran off to get what Snape had requested. Snape went to Ed's bedside.

"You foolish boy," Snape drawled. "Instead of listening to Professor Dumbledore, you take matters into your own hands therefore killing yourself."

"I'm not…dead yet…," Ed breathed.

"Apparently," Snape drawled again.

Then Snape wove his wand over Ed's body while saying an incantation. A moment later, Snape had taken a potion phial out of his robe pocket.

"A bezoar won't be able to cure this, but this should be able to get rid of most of the potion that you have consumed," Snape said.

"What do you mean: most?" Ed asked.

Snape didn't answer as he had uncorked the phial.

"You will experience pain worse than anything you've experienced before," Snape warned. "I would just let you die, but it would go against what Dumbledore wants."

Then Snape kneeled down and lifted Ed's shoulders up and tipped the potion into Ed's mouth.

"I need to go now," Snape said. "I cannot be seen here."

Then Snape turned on his heel and went to the doorway.

"Did you do it…Half-blood Prince?" Ed asked.

Snape stopped in his tracks.

"How did you know?" Snape asked.

"Stupid…I recognized your handwriting," Ed answered. "In plus, the picture of your mom that Hermione found…you look like her…who's the foolish one now...leaving his old Potions book behind for future kids? That's why…you gave Harry that harsh punishment…because you felt guilty…isn't that right, Snape?"

"You are still foolish, Mr. Elric," Snape said after a moment. "The firewhiskey shall help a little with the pain as will the chocolate. In the morning, though, you will have to be moved to the castle so Professor Slughorn can give you a bezoar to get the other poisons out as it will have not been able to work by itself."

"Did you do it, though?" Ed asked.

"You will find out for yourself in the morning," Snape answered. "Just try to ignore the pain the best you can now."

As Snape left, a surge of pain went through Ed's body making him scream. In the pub part of the Three Broomsticks, Madam Rosmerta dropped the firewhiskey and chocolate as she had just heard Ed screaming. Snape came through a moment later.

"Should I get some -?" Rosmerta started.

"Don't give him any sleeping potions or water, they will weaken what I have given him," Snape interrupted.

"But…he's in pain," Rosmerta said.

"Punishment for his stupidity," Snape said.

Then he left, leaving Rosmerta alone to care for the screaming Ed.

Up at the castle, Harry was in the hospital wing with Al, Winry, Mei, Ginny, Ron, Hermione, Luna, Remus, Tonks, Izumi, Hohenheim, Molly, Arthur, Fleur, and McGonagall. Of course, Neville was asleep in a bed as was Bill who was attacked by Greyback.

"Where is Edward?" Izumi asked. "You said that he had gone with you."

Izumi was sitting up in a bed since she had gotten herself injured while helping fight.

"Yes, he had gone with Harry," Hermione confirmed. "I just noticed that he wasn't here."

"Where is he, Harry?" Winry demanded.

Everyone who was able looked at Harry. A voice answered for Harry before he could say anything.

"Ed is at the Three Broomsticks," said the voice.

Everyone looked around to see Ling/Greed perched on the nearest open window.

"Ling!" Al exclaimed.

"How do you know this?" Winry asked.

"I just know it," Ling answered.

Remus, Tonks, McGonagall, Fleur, Mr. Weasley, and Mrs. Weasley all drew out their wands and pointed them at Ling.

"Wait!" Winry said, getting in between the wands and Ling. "Don't fire at him!"

"Winry, get out of the way, he could be a Death Eater!" Mr. Weasley ordered.

"He's not a Death Eater," Harry said.

"What do you mean, Harry?" Remus asked. "Do you know this boy?"

"Yeah, so do Ron and Hermione and Al and Winry and Ed and Mei," Harry answered.

"So do Hohenheim and I," Izumi said. "He is Ling Yao, the twelfth crown prince of our eastern country Xing."

"I'm also a homunculus!" Ling chimed.

"Ling, that was something that you should not have said right now," Hohenheim face palmed.

"What is a homunculus?" Ginny asked.

"We will talk about that later," McGonagall said. "What do you mean about Mr. Elric being at the Three Broomsticks? Why isn't he back here? Why didn't he come back with Harry?"

"Because he is in no condition to be brought here at this moment," Ling answered. "I and Greed have made an agreement with Dumbledore of which I cannot divulge right now, but I can tell you that in the morning Ed will be brought back here. He will need a bezoar from Professor Slughorn."

"He was poisoned?" Winry gasped.

"Out of his own stupidity," Ling replied. "I can't give any more details, but he will survive."

"But doesn't he need it now?" asked Ginny.

"Well, that's all I can say right now," Ling evaded, his voice suddenly changing and his eyes opening. "See you later, humans."

"What did he mean by 'humans'?" Ginny asked.

An explanation was spared when Hagrid came into the room announcing that he had done what was asked of him.