Chapter 4

Harry woke up as the speed of the train increased. "About time." A soft, unfamiliar voice spoke, laden with traces of sleep and partially distorted by the thunderous din of Hagrid's snoring. He sat up groggily and looked at the figure that had spoken. It was Edward – voice so different from the formal one he had used formerly to talk to Hagrid. At some point, he had discarded his coat, now folded neatly to the side of the compartment. The removing of the bright, obnoxious, poppy colour left only black garments on the boy's figure. The high collared, cropped jacket that he wore over his t-shirt, his leather trousers, right down to the thick, red-soled combat boots he wore – it was all black. It had been a matter of minutes but he could already safely say that he preferred this boy to his cousin.

He smiled and retorted "What's with all the black, whose funeral is it?"

"Dunno, I haven't decided yet, neither of yours though." The reply was quick and smooth – Harry couldn't help but laugh.

"God, I's cold in here." Harry commented offhandedly, expecting agreement or disagreement at most in response.

"You can have my coat." The reply was casual as well but a few seconds after without receiving a response himself Ed wen red and wide eyed "Is that a weird thing to say to someone your own age?"

"No clue." Harry retuned as he stood and pulled on the coat, he was he same height as Edward it seemed. He watched as a look of relief passed over Edward's face before a laugh came from him.

"Probably." He confirmed sincerely "But – seeing as it's obvious neither of us know a thing about normality – we'll just have to take the strange as it comes."

Harry agreed "Regardless of weirdness it's a nice gesture." Ed smiled – his smile was unsettling and feral, as though he wasn't sure quite how to use it. He rose to his feet, easily grabbed his case and brought it down, opening it, removing a thick book written in a language that used entirely different characters to the ones he was used to seeing, and returned It to its place in a single, swift movement.

He seated himself cross legged on the floor, his back pushed semi-defensively against the seat he had been sitting on moments before. He flipped the book open and began to read with astonishing speed, hands and eyes moving quickly, completely focused despite the noise Hagrid was creating and the strange looks harry was sure he was sending him.

It was soon after that Hagrid awoke from his own slumber. "Harry! Nice ter see yer awake!" He then spared a glance at Ed "Righ' li'l Ravenclaw this one ain't he?"

"Excuse me, but what's a - Ravenclaw did you say?"

"It's one of the houses a' Hogwar's. Never smar' enough for it me self."

"Oh."

"Well, we better ge' his attention, we're comin' up ter London."

"I – I slept for the entire train ride?"

"Yer di'."

Waking Ed was feat in of itself. In theory, it was simple, speak to him – maybe shake his shoulder slightly – but in practice it was quite the task. His name meant absolutely nothing to him at that moment, nor did the combination of both of them shouting "We're here!" it wasn't until both Hagrid and harry had ran out of ideas that Ed closed his book – appearing to be finished with it – and stood. As he swiftly regained his uncharacteristically stiff posture he stretched, causing a series of resounding pops, that Harry didn't know whether to find satisfying or disturbing, accompanied by an odd mechanical whirring and groaning that neither Harry nor Hagrid could locate the source of. Instead of considering something he knew he would never find the answer to harry decided to opt for a question that he would sure would provide him with a definitive answer.

"You read that book that quickly?"

"Yeah, why?"

"It's just, well – people don't do that. What language is that anyway?"

"Well then, clearly I'm not human. And I forget the English word, I'd call it Xingese – the equivalent to your Chinese, I think."

"You know Chinese?" Harry asked, shocked, as they left their compartment after the train had stopped.

"Among other languages." Edward said carelessly as he hopped down onto the platform at Kings cross station, London, England.

"Wha' did I say? He's a Ravenclaw, ain' he?"

"That better not be an insult." Hagrid's words may not have been an insult but Edward's were most certifiably a challenge.

"No'in' of the sor', Sprout." Hagrid spoke with an amused smile playing at his hidden lips.

"Are you calling me short?" The words grew more challenging still, his eyes growing dark in response.

"No' at all. I'm callin' yer young." He laughed in response.

Then harry came to a sudden, random realisation "Oh, Ed! Your coat!" He saw that the other boy had calmed significantly.

"Keep it for now." He waved a hand dismissively.

"So, Ed, how d'ya like England?"

"It's different from Amestris. I think you've got better technology here."

"I wouldn' know. I know nex' a nothin' about muggle technology."

"Muggle?" Both boys asked.

"Non - magic folk." Hagrid clarified as he led them away from the building.

"Where are we going hagrid?" Edward asked, suddenly realising that he had been told nearly nothing of the situation.

"Diagon Alley o' course!"

"Where and why?"

"Yer need yer school supplies, don't ye?"

"I suppose that you're right. What exactly do we need for wizard school?"

"I've got yer supply lists here." He clarified as he passed them each a piece of parchment, covered in what was clearly handwriting, full of random little ink bleeds and blots.

"Thanks." Both said upon receiving their parchments. They read them - Ed at a superhuman speed once again - before putting them into their pockets roughly.

"Well, le's go boys."

"Yes sir!" Both laughed as they left the station by Hagrid's side - his hulking figure easily clearing a ravine through the crowds and allowing their group to pass with ease.

A/N I think the way that this chapter was set out may have gotten a little odd towards the end, I'm sorry it just didn't want to do what it was meant to. Also, I'd like to thank everyone who has reviewed (I reply to all of them but it might take me a while because I run on GMT, not PST), followed or favorited this story, it's my first one so it's really incredible - as is the fact that, according to the traffic graphs, people all over the world are reading this. I probably won't be writing many author's notes, just as a heads up.

~We'reAllABitOdd