Chapter Fifty-Four

The next morning, Ed was moved to the Hogwarts hospital wing and given a bezoar to get the rest of the poison potion out of his body. When Al, Winry, Mei, Harry, Ron, Hermione, and Ginny were told of Ed's arrival to the hospital wing, they immediately went to the hospital wing as all of the classes and tests were cancelled. Hohenheim and Izumi were told as well, but they had decided to let the 'kids' see Ed first. Winry was the first one to Ed's side, followed by Al and the rest. Winry gasped at Ed's appearance. Ed was still very pale with a few scratches on his face and on his arms. A bandage was wrapped around his forehead.

"Don't look so happy to see me," Ed rasped, opening his eyes and looking at the group.

"You idiot!" Winry cried, engulfing Ed in a bear hug.

"Ow! Ow! Ow! Ow! Ow! Ow!" Ed exclaimed.

Winry let go of Ed, and he lay back on the bed.

"Are you all right, Brother?" Al asked.

"I'll be fine," Ed answered. "What about Dumbledore?"

"Dead," Harry said. "Snape killed him."

Ed gasped but then nodded.

"How are you alive?" Hermione asked. "The potion you drank…"

"Snape came last night and gave me the best antidote he had," Ed answered. "Had no idea he…"

"Yeah, everyone was surprised, mate," Ron said. "Ling came last night and told us that you were alive. Blimey, we thought you were gonna be a goner for sure."

"Thanks for the vote of confidence," Ed remarked. "You should know that it's not that easy to kill me."

Then he started to close his eyes.

"Edward!" Winry exclaimed.

"Brother!" Al exclaimed as well.

"Don't worry, I'm fine…," Ed wove off. "Just a bit tired…been up screaming…all night…"

Then Ed drifted off into a peaceful sleep.

Madam Pomfrey came and shooed out everyone except for Al and Winry since they didn't want to leave Ed. Ed wasn't released from the hospital wing until the day before Dumbledore's funeral. The Amestrian government was notified of Ed's ailment, and Roy was dispatched to come and collect Ed, Al, and Winry, but Ed had argued to stay until after Dumbledore's funeral was over with. Roy agreed since he had respected the strange wizard. Roy had also said that the Fuhrer considered cancelling the wedding, but he had decided to let the wedding go on because there needed to be some 'happy times' in the world.

That night, Ed, Al, and Winry had sat in the common room with Harry, Ron, and Hermione at a table with an open window. Ginny had just gone up to bed. That was when Harry told Ed about the locket that was in the basin with the potion. Harry had also let Ed see the said locket with the letter that came with it.

"So, it's a fake, huh?" Ed muttered dryly, looking over the locket. "To think I drank that potion for nothing."

"It wasn't for nothing, Edward," Winry contradicted. "You found out that someone else knew about Voldemort's secret."

"Yes, Winry is right," Hermione agreed. "That's one of the important things."

Ed didn't say anything as he had read the note.

To the Dark Lord

I know I will be dead long before you read this

But I want you to know that it was I who discovered your secret.

I have stolen the real Horcrux and intend to destroy it as soon as I can.

I face death in the hope that when you meet your match,

You will be mortal once more.

R.A.B.

"R.A.B…," Ed pondered with a hand on his chin. "I know I've seen that somewhere before… And this locket…"

He scratched his head trying to rack his brain for the memory of where he had seen the initials and locket before. He sighed.

"I'm gonna go to bed," Ed sighed. "I need to get rested up for tomorrow."

Then Ed put down the note and stood up. He patted Winry's and Al's heads and went up to the sixth year boys' dormitory.

As Ed, Al, Winry, and Mei sat in a compartment with Hohenheim, Roy, and Izumi on the Hogwarts Express after the funeral, Ed looked out of the compartment window. His mind was full of what had happened in the previous days.

'So…drinking the potion was useless,' Ed thought. 'Even if we learned that there's somebody else out there who also knows Voldemort's secret…it's still…'

Then Ed sat up straight.

"What is it, FullMetal?" Roy asked.

Everyone else looked at Ed. Al, who was holding Pegasus, spoke up.

"Brother, did you think of something?" Al asked.

"I know where I've seen those initials and locket before!" Ed answered.

"What locket and initials?" Izumi asked.

"You two have seen them before too!" Ed told Al and Winry, ignoring Izumi's question.

"We have?" Winry asked. "Where though?"

"I can't say it now because of that freak being here, but when I can I'll tell you," Ed said, leaning back and grinning. "I knew it…I knew that he wasn't the only one with morals in the family…"

Roy, Izumi, Al, Winry, and Mei all looked at each other…wondering what the hell Ed was talking about.