Okay, this is a REPLACEMENT for the chap 7 I posted last. This is the REAL chapter 7.

Sorry for the mix up.

Reviews: From the INCORRECT chap 7/ From the PROPER chap 7

Harpygirl91: Harpy-chan! Don't you DARE encourage him! He's bad enough as it is!

Dark Queen Helba: Uh...not commenting on THAT one since a preening Kurotengu is NOT good for my temperment...and the HP world IS in play. We're just seeing the Eastern half right now.

(new response) A preening Kurotengu tends to nag the HELL out of me...and I'm already getting threats from Hiei to write a fic for him...so hopefully they won't go to war in the living room while I'm working.

Taeniaea: Thank you!

Harry Potter/Sailor Moon/Full Metal Alchemist

"Harry Potter and the Living Stone"

Chapter 7:

"Finding the Next Clue"

Alphonse had been so absorbed in his book that he hadn't heard Hotaru drop onto the cushion next to him in the Lunch room. He felt her head leaning against his shoulder, pulling him away from his book. He looked at her mildly surprised, a blush not coming to his face. The young alchemist was more worried than anything.

"Are you all right, Hotaru?" Alphonse asked, getting her to lift her head from his shoulder. He wished she hadn't but Hotaru was a lady, technically speaking.

"Yeah, I'm fine. It's just the sleeping pills that Doctor Marcoh gave me." Hotaru admitted, her glasses on the table. "They make me really tired. I fell asleep when I was supposed to be talking to that feathered jerk."

"You mean that bastard Kurotengu." Edward said, coming over to the table with 2 trays—one for himself and one for Hotaru. "Why the hell did you go talk to him?"

"Because he would've come after me if I didn't. He's done it before." Hotaru responded like she was really half asleep. Al moved her glasses so Ed could put her tray down in front of her. "I missed all 4 periods this morning because of him—and he still didn't tell me why he was shooting tengu passed Dane's classroom. I hate it when he does that. It's even more annoying than his claims to me. The way he's acting makes me wish I had left him to that bastard he replaced."

"What do you mean?" Al asked surprised.

"I blasted his predecessor into literal dust because he was going to rip Kurotengu's throat out for standing against him."

Al looked at his brother, recognizing that look on his face. Ed was concocting a half assed plan to go kill the Blood Talon. The younger Elric knew he was going to get the 3 of them killed.

"Where does the murder roost?" Ed asked. Hotaru was a little too giving in her current state. She opened her mouth to answer and Al clamped his hand over her mouth.

"Ed, no going against the Blood Talon." Al scolded in a hiss. "Or I'll tell Dad what you and Winry did in his workshop over summer leave last year."

If there was ever a time that Edward hated how Alphonse remembered the damnedest things, it was now. The elder Elric muttered curses under his breath and dug into his food. Al lowered his hand from Hotaru's mouth.

"Is there something I'm missing?" Hotaru asked groggily.

Al shook his head. "Just put something on your stomach before you take your next dose."

"You two are weird." Hotaru muttered, biting into an onigiri.

Yeah, that was probably true but Alphonse didn't mind, as long as it kept Edward in line and out of anything that would get himself killed…again. The elder Elric's adventures had a habit of landing him in the hospital or in Pinako Rockbell's automail shop's waiting room until he had a new arm and leg. Al was lucky to be out of his armor body but Ed still had his limbs. At least it only took a torque wrench to pop Ed's limbs from the sockets and leave the elder blond immobile.

That was a true hidden blessing, since it kept Ed from getting into more trouble.

"Maybe I should just go back to bed." Hotaru mumbled, pushing her last bite into her mouth. "I've already missed half the day. There's no real point to going to class like this. I can barely stay awake and I have Kinetic Elements and Rune Ceremonies. Both take more concentration and attention than what I currently have. The last thing we need at the school is a hell fiend loose on campus."

"You guys summon fiends in your 6th period?" Alphonse asked in shock.

"Damn, you guys are whacky, having different classes every other day." Edward shook his head. "Whatever happened to a single schedule?"

"That's only concerning the normal people." Hotaru replied. "Besides, I'm an Elite Phoenix. I have 3 more classes than my normal core and 2 electives. That means I have 9 classes total, not that I mind. I get to branch out more that way."

"Well, if you've got to use that ether chalk, then yeah—you go to bed after lunch. You look like crap." Ed earned a sharp look from Al while Hotaru was distracted with a weenie octopus. "Given you've had to confront a demon twice, an' all."

"He didn't always act like this." Hotaru half babbled around her weenie octopus. "Before he became Blood Talon, he only had an attitude when his predacessor pissed him off. He was such a sweetie. I still think he is, deep down. He just has to act tough because the tengu murder's the leading demon clan on Mystic Isle."

"Is that so?" Ed replied, sipping his soda.

"Oh, yeah. I gave him his name and showed him where he could rest, since he had to stay away from the previous Blood Talon." Hotaru continued. "He used to come into my room and read my books while I slept and he took away most of the nightmares of my world."

"Well, that was nice of him." Alphonse replied with a gentle.

"Yeah, but the ones he gave me later are a real bitch…though, I didn't have them when I was asleep in his nest earlier. An' I kept passing out. I never got to finish what I was saying." Hotaru continued in her haze. "An' he never told me why he kept shooting tengu after me. I'll have to go back after the damn riddle later."

"Sounds like you'd be better off without him." Edward said, getting a sharp look from Alphonse as Hotaru seemingly passed out again, her head dropping forward. She suddenly snapped awake again.

"All right. Time to get you back to the Tower and up into your room." Al sighed softly, tucking her glasses into his jacket's outer breast pocket. He got to his feet and crouched, gently gripping Hotaru beneath her elbows. He helped her to her feet and supported her when her knees gave. "Come on. I've got you. Let's put you back to bed, all right? You need your sleep in a bad way if you're still passing out."

"But I haven't finished lunch." Hotaru mumbled.

"That's all right. I'll bring you something when you wake up." Al promised, taking her out of the lunch room. He kept an arm tight around Hotaru's waist to keep her on her feet. She had her head on his shoulder, her hand lightly clutching the back of his jacket.

If Alphonse wasn't so worried about her as a friend, he would've been blushing madly and trying not to say something stupid. He had his crush so close to his side, leaning her head on his shoulder. He liked Hotaru a lot but his worry outweighed his interest and she needed to be safely in bed before he could allow himself to feel the warmth of her body so close and how well she fitted into his side.

The big problem was that Al knew that Kurotengu wouldn't stop getting to Hotaru and there was nothing a pair of alchemists could do against a demon, except get in a few lucky blows and then get killed. Only mystics stood a chance against demons and the one who needed to defend herself from one wouldn't, or couldn't. And Ed took it upon him and Al to be Hotaru's protectors.

After all, aside from a mystic, the only thing that could do damage to a demon was another demon.

That was it! All Ed and Al had to do was find another demon to chase Kurotengu off Hotaru's case and keep him at bay! Why didn't he think of it before?

Duh, because it was psychotic to even consider!

Hotaru's knees buckled and Alphonse was forced to support her entire weight. Al swept her off her feet, carrying her much like he would as a bride. She was surprisingly light for a girl of her build, of her shape. He was surprised that she didn't weigh more now that she was dead weight, now that she was asleep. And even carrying Hotaru, Al's mind kept wandering back to finding another demon.

It was suicidal thought.

Hell, it was something Ed would come up with.

Damn…his elder brother was really beginning to wear off on him.

"Like I'm going to find a natural enemy of tengu." Alphonse muttered under his breath as he entered the Suzaku Tower and went to the lift. Hotaru's pass crystal glowed softly, reacting to the one above the doors. "I don't even know what breed of demon could fight them. I don't even know where the hell they would even be."

"…Karasu…" Hotaru mumbled in her sleep, getting Al's attention. "…Shiro…garasu…roosts in the Wizened Lady…"

Did Hotaru just give up the breed that could rival Kurotengu?

No, stupid—she was ordering a pizza. Of course she was helping you, dumbass!

Alphonse mentally groaned at the sarcastic edge his inner voice had. It sounded a lot like his brother, which didn't make it any better. Ed was bad enough in person; there was no need to have him making comments in his little brother's brain, too. And when it came down to it, Al could shut up the Real World Ed with just a simple reminder of whatever parental-undiscovered deviousness.

The mental version wouldn't shut up no matter what Alphonse did.

Finally, after what seemed like a decade long mental argument, the lift reached the desired floor and the doors opened to allow Al to step out. Hotaru didn't stir or speak after that mumbled piece of information, her head resting on Al's shoulder. He managed to get to her room and open the door with a socked foot.

It was a sad day when Alphonse forgot to take off his boots before entering the Tower itself. He usually had to remind Edward about that. At least the Tower whisked them away for him. Al would have hated to offend their culture because of a teeny slip up.

Laying Hotaru on her bed, Al carefully removed her blazer, vest, shirt and tie and set them aside. She didn't have her shoes on either, which meant the Tower had whisked those away as well. Al took out her hair and took her pass crystal from around her neck, laying her arm over her covers. The last thing he did was use a tissue to get rid of the eyeliner and lipstick before tucking her in and putting her glasses on her bedside table.

On impulse, Alphonse kissed Hotaru on her forehead and felt guilty that Hotaru was going to be left defenseless like this, because he had classes. He would have loved to skip them to watch over her but if he was to pass the State Alchemy Exam in his last year at school, he had to attend all of his classes.

Damn Ed for being able to take it early…but then again, Ed could use alchemy without a circle.

Al sighed silently and resigned himself to his fate. He was going to worry about Hotaru the entire time while he was in class. However, with that little tid bit Hotaru had given him, Alphonse could do some research and look into the weaknesses of the Tengu. And now, all he had to do was get back to his brother and tell him what was now brewing the younger Elric's head.

Hopefully, together, they could find a solution for Hotaru's tengu problem.

Ya like it? I hope so.

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