'That was a close one.' Ed thought. 'They're mistaking my alchemy for 'magic', and I'm nearly a criminal again. Not good. But its not like I haven't handled worse situations and come out just fine.'
He mulled over all that he had gleamed from the dinner, long practice making him think like he was going to write a report. He was getting a pretty ugly picture about this 'magical world' in his head.
'Like they took all the elites of alchemists and hid them away. Then let the rest of the world forget about the art entirely while they...ah crap. This doesn't make any kind of sense...! The 'muggle' side was just fine. Boring. But fine. What am I missing..?'
"I want you to go straight to bed. No talking." Mrs. Weasley's voice, wafting in from the hall.
"Roommates. Wonderful." Ed muttered in Amestrian.
"All right. Ron. Harry. Off to bed with you" Mrs Weasley said, and the lights in the room came on. Ed carefully controlled his breathing, and made sure his eyes were closed, feining sleep. He supposed he didn't need to bother, since there were piles and piles of blankets covering him.
"Night." Ron and Harry said.
"Sleep tight" One of the twins, Ed supposed, and he heard the door get pulled closed. The other two shuffled about the room, and Ed heard the plinks of something getting tossed up above him. As well as the hoots and hisses of what could only be owls.
"Can't let them hunt here too often. Dumbledore doesn't want too many owls in the courtyard. He thinks it might make things look suspicious...oh, I forgot!" Ron said.
Ed heard the distinctive sound of a bolt being slid into place on the door. The lights dimmed.
"What was that for?" Harry said.
"Kreacher. Believe me you do not want him in here at 3 in the morning, rummaging around." Ron said.
"Not likely to happen. I think Ed scared him away." Harry said.
"Not possible. He's a house elf. Can't leave unless told to, remember? " Ron said.
"Ed's right there. You really think Kreatcher will be anywhere around him now? " Harry said.
"I just want to be sure. He's a nutter. Creepy too. Anyway, whad ya reckon? " Ron said.
"Well, they didn't tell us anything that we didn't already guess. I mean, they only told us that the Order is trying to stop people from joining Vold..."
A sharp intake of breath, and Ed rolled his eyes.
"..demort. When are you going to start using his name? Lupin and Sirius do."
"Yeah. You're right. We already knew everything they told us from using the extendable..."
POP!
Ed jumped at the sound, and swore to himself. They had to have seen the movement.
"OUCH"
"Keep your voice down Ron..or mom'll be back up here." A new voice...the twins!
"You apporated right on my knees!" Ron hissed.
"Yeah..well..its harder in the dark. That Ed over there?"
There were the creaking sound of springs. Like footsteps on a mattress.
"So? Get there yet?" FredorGeorge said.
"The weapon Sirius mentioned?" Harry said
"Let slip, more like. We didn't hear that on the extendables, that's for sure." FredorGeorge said.
"What do you think it is?" Harry said
"Could be anything" FredorGeorge said
"But there's nothing worse than the avada kadavra curse is there? What's worse than death?" Ron said.
"Maybe its something that can kill loads of people?" FredorGeorge said.
"Maybe its a particularly painful way of killing people" Ron said fearfully.
"He's got the cruciatus curse for torturing people already, Ron. He doesn't need anything more efficient than that." Harry said.
There was a pause, and Ed was considering joining in, but then...
"So who'd you think has it now?" FredorGeorge said.
"I hope it's our side."Ron said.
"If it is, Dumbledore's probably keeping it." FredorGeorge said.
"Where?" Ron said."Hogwarts?"
"Bet it is!" FredorGeorge said."That's where he hid the Sorcerer's Stone!"
Ed took a sharp intake of breath.
'The stone's here?!? One this side???' Ed thought.
Ed threw off the blankets, and sat up quicker than his pounding head liked.
"Da stone! Tell me about it!" Ed demanded.
In the dim light of the room, he could make out the vague shapes of the four turn to look at him.
"You vere vorried about a veapon. De stone could be the verst veapon you could ever imagine. Vhere is dis stone?!?"
"Destroyed. Four years back." Harry stated.
Ed sighed in relief, and looked away.
"Not a real one. Hate to think of what would happen if they knew how to make one." Ed said softly in Amestrian.
He looked again over at the four.
"Shhhh! Listen." FredorGeorge said, half rising from one of the beds.
They fell silent. Footsteps were coming up the stairs.
"Mum." Said FredorGeorge.
Without further ado, there was a POP! And two of the shadows disappeared from Ed's view. A few seconds later, there was a creek outside the door. Ed thought it was Mrs. Weasley, checking in on her charges. He snorted and folded his arms. As soon as he heard her footsteps move away from the door, he scooted himself back down under the covers. Sleep swept over him like a wave, and for once, he welcomed it.
:::
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