Fullmetal Wizard | Chapter 48
Remus and Tonks stood by the door by the entrance, while Ed turned and went down a narrow hall to a larger, well lit room just beyond, and still quite visible though the glass. This room contained innumerable boxes, lining all the walls, and even forming partition walls of their own, all of which had tiny locks upon them. As Harry looked, he noticed that they all were labeled with numbers. Ed marched along to the back, as if he knew exactly where he was going, and Harry couldn't help but want to follow him. Part of him was afraid Ed would just vanish on him again, and he'd loose another friend.
Then he felt an hand on his arm. He glanced down, and saw nothing.
'Must be Moody.' He thought. The man was still under some sort of invisibility cloak.
"Keep back. Harry. " He heard the man whisper gruffly.
Hermione and Ron went on and followed Ed slowly; Ron looking about with a supremely confused expression plastered on his face, Hermione looking positively bored, as if she had seen things like this far too often.
Harry watched as Ed turned and squatted on the ground. Ed lifted his left pant leg, revealing the false leg beneath, then juggled what looked like the knee, and the entire front plate just opened up. Ed reached inside with his left hand, felt around for a bit, and removed something that jingled musically. He then stood up and mussed with a lock on a rather large looking box. He pulled the door open, and a number of white envelopes fell to the ground right in front of him, spilling out of the box before he could bother to catch them.
Ed then grabbed a handful, and pulled the whole lot out. He didn't even glance at them; just stuffed handful after handful into the outer pockets of his trenchcoat. Once the box was empty, he closed the door, and replaced the jugging things, which Harry assumed were keys, back within his false metal left leg. Closed it and dropped his pantleg to its proper position.
Ed then stood and turned about. Harry saw he was looking down at a note, a plain white sheet that had been placed loose in the box, in his black gloved hand as he walked back. His face hard, but unreadable.
"Something wrong?" Hermione asked.
Ed looked up from the note quickly as if noticing them all for the first time, then swallowed.
"No." Ed said, with a smile at Hermione. He then looked down and pocketed the note into his vest. "The hostil is just down the street. Ve should be able to make dat last bus in plenty time."
Harry thought the smile looked rather forced, but said nothing. Ed walked forward, and a few of the envelopes managed to spill out of his coat now overstuffed coat pockets. Both Ron and Hermione dove to catch them.
"Blimey!" Ron said, "Watch it...!"
"Oh!" Hermione said, eyes widening as she read one of the envelope's front.
Ed turned, sighed, and held out his gloved left hand for the envelopes in question. Hermione blinked, and handed hers over with a slightly shaking hand. Ron looked at her with an odd expression on his face, and did the same. Ed nodded and turned back to the door. He walked out at a brisk pace, but no more envelopes escaped from his overstuffed coat pockets.
"What is it 'ione?" Harry asked as they followed down the sidewalk behind the far leading Ed. It seemed they three were clustered together as they walked, with Lupin a short ways in front, and Tonks a bit behind. (Who knew where Moody had positioned himself, but as he was invisible anyway, did it really matter?)
"That letter. It was from NASA." Hermione said.
"Naa-saa?" Ron said, as hopeless as ever when it came to Muggle things. Hermione rolled her eyes, not wanting to explain Muggle things like 'space ships' to Ron just yet. Harry had heard about the agency when he had attended Muggle school, so he certainly knew what it was.
"Really?" Harry said, a little surprised. "What about it?"
"It looked like it was hand addressed. Friendly like. Not a form letter I mean, which is what Muggles usually get back when they write to them for pictures or something. It..just surprised me." Hermione blinked. "What did yours say, Ron?" Hermione said as she glanced at him.
"Um. I just saw the first few letters of the one on top. I think it was for mittens or something." Ron said with a frown, then shrugged.
Harry blinked, and looked ahead.
Far out in front them, Ed walked with his head down and shoulders slumped. It was certainly odd to watch the former blond with such black hair.
Harry saw the well lit, painted sign, hanging from a pair of chains from the ledge above which read:
Pleasant Company Youth Hostile Est 1976 690 Birch Street
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