Fullmetal Wizard | Chapter 59

'One stuck to the wall. Still out.' Ed thought as he looked at the transmutated card table. Then he slid his eyes to the door.'That one looks like he landed on his head.' Ed pulled off the remains of his glove. He noticed that Harry, Lupin, and Herimone appeared to be pinned under the man's legs, and Ron was having little success in moving him on his own. Ed shook his head, and went over to the tangled mess that were his friends.

Under his left foot something crunched. He stopped, and looked down. A wand--now broken. Thoroughly disgusted, he kicked it aside hard enough that it bounced against the wall.

The next moment found him helping Ron lift the unconscious wizard's legs, and Harry, Lupin, and Hermione all crawled out from beneath. He nodded to Remus, and jerked his chin, trading off his position with the wizard on the door in favor of Jon, who was still on the floor next to his knapsack. Once there, he carefully rolled Jon to his back, and checked his body for bleeding visually; he found none. He then felt for a pulse on his neck with his left hand. It was strong and steady.

'That half-lidded look on his face...' Ed thought...and swallowed. He felt Jon's forehead, then his cheeks.

"Vhat did dey do..." Ed said softly, not expecting an answer really. Just thinking back to the feel of that particular moment. What array was that..that did this..? He chewed on his left forefinger, and narrowed his eyes. It was there...he knew...just out of reach...

"It's just an obliviate." Hermione said softly from his side. He startled slightly at her presence; the music of alchemy faded back into his head. "He'll..be fine. Really." She said. He looked at her hard, and she flinched back.

"'He'll be fine?'" Ed stated flatly. "Tell me. Vhat is dis 'obliviate' that you are so sure is noting for vorrying over."

"Its a memory charm. It modifies or erases memories." Remus said, puffing slightly from pulling the wizard from the door to the middle of the room with some help from Ron at the unconsious man's feet. Ed blinked at that information, then frowned.

"'Just an 'obliviate''" Ed said. "Mess vith people's heads and you tink it's noting?" Ed shook his head and closed Jon's eyes with his living fingers. That blissful look made him look like he was simply sleeping. Or dead. Ed swallowed.

Seeing nothing more he could do for Jon, Ed stood and moved to the unconscious wizard. He tilted his head and examined the man with his eyes.

"He landed bad. Probably vill vake vith headache. Bad vone. He vill be out for vhile."

"This is Proudfoot. He's an Auror." Remus said.

"You say dat like I should be caring. Vhat is Auror?" Ed said.

"Dark Wizard hunters. They're best of the best." Harry said, as he looked over the wizard now stuck to the wall thanks to the card table. He knocked on it, and it rang out metallicly.

"I am no vvizard. And neither is Jon. Vhat is meant by 'Dark'?"

"Very bad Wizards. Like Voldemort." Harry said it with such venom in his voice, that Ed blinked.

"Vhat do dey do dat makes dem 'very bad'?"

"Kill people. Voldemort's the one that killed my parents." Again with the slight shaking at the mention of the name.

'What is it with these people?' Ed thought, as he looked at each of them. The only one not shaking or wincing was Harry. Oh, and Remus.

Ed looked at Harry. "I..don't..um..Soldiers in vwar...dey sometimes kill people too. VWould dey be considered dis..Dark nonzense?"

"Only if they are a wizard and practice something called the Dark Arts. The killing curse is just one of them." Remus said. "That's some transfiguration you did with that table..you certain you're not a wizard?"

Ed snorted. "I am not knowing vhat dis 'transfigu..hatever' is, but dat...ah..eazier if I show you. I go slow on dis vone."

Ed walked to the transmuted table embedded in the wall and stood by Harry. The wizard wrapped within it moaned. Ed met Harry's eyes and motioned with his left hand for Harry to move back. Then, he closed his eyes and pictured the array he needed...it was slow to come through the pounding in his head. It shined, and he was satisfied it was balanced. He opened his eyes, and clapped his mismatched hands firmly together, distinctive sound ringing in the room. The warming energy flowing throughout him and circulating down both arms. He then placed his hands on the transmutated table, and let the equation run its course. Blue light flashed and blue lightening arched..the wind from the hidden circle below him barely moved his black dyed hair this time. He grabbed ahold of the edges of the table as it reformed itself, and took steps back as the legs followed suit.

The wizard slid limply down the wall like a ragdoll. Ed turned away and set the table down on its legs. He then squatted and pointed to one of them.

"Zee here? Deze marks?" Ed said, hating having to point out the flaws in any of his work. "Iz obvious iz from equations."

Ed rubbed at the bandage at his neck with his left hand as it throbbed with his head. He looked to Remus as he looked close at the table leg. He also saw Harry looking close at another, Hermione and Ron looking closely as well on the other side. They way they all were looking at the thing...it was just too disturbing.

'Like it's something completely new and foreign to them. What the shit? Don't they deal with this stuff everyday?' Ed thought as he pictured the various things he saw in the Black house for the past 2 weeks. 'Has no one explained a thing to them?'

He sighed and he looked back at the wizard slumped against the wall, and saw that the man was now opening his eyes. Ed turned and stood over the man, glaring at him with both arms folded across his chest. The wizard's eyes narrowed. Ed could see that the man considered him nothing to be worried over.

"I have questions for you." Ed said as he willed his rising anger back.

'Now was not the time to indulge.' Ed thought through the pounding ache.

"I am in no good mood." Ed said "I have been shot at, and you are de vone vho hit a good friend of mine vith your veapon. This I do not forgive. Let me make dis fact very clear."

:::

You can read the entire novel and access exclusive bonus content by subscribing to my Patreon page. Just click this link: patreon.com/sKyarcsc