Harry Potter and the Soul Shifter
By: Alex Lyons3
Disclaimer: J.K. Rowling owns Harry Potter and everything in the wonderful world of Hogwarts. Disney owns Brooklyn, the gargoyle. I own Jessica "Jess" Cotten.
Author's Note: Originally, I started on a story about Harry's sixth year before J.K.R. released OotP. Sadly, when Sirius died, so to did my ability to write that fan fiction. So, I've salvaged some characters and added some cross over points and re did the whole thing. I really didn't expect Sirius to die. Truthfully, I should have. Just for the record, the time line is going to be a bit iffy since most people put it up as Sirius died in 1996. I'm going to say that Harry didn't even start Hogwarts until 1997, so Sirius didn't die until 2002. Did I lose anyone? *A few hands are raised* Okay! Simply, first book published in 1997. So, that's when Harry starts as far as I'm concerned. Harry's fifth year would be 2001-2002, so Sirius (at least in my mind) does not die until 2002. Okay? Anyway, on with the story.
Chapter 39: Going to America
Harry held Lily/Jessica while going through the Floo System, he landed in a heap on the floor of Professor Dumbledore's office. Not a second later, Lupin with James/Brian came tumbling through the fireplace. The two weakened professors were starting to shift back into their normal forms. Lily/Jessica was beginning to fade in an out of focus from Lily to her banshee self while James/Brian kept reverting from a human to a gargoyle, which was pretty freaking seeing a human one second and then a fearsome monstrous creature the next. Harry and Remus watched as the two transformed right before them.
A few seconds later McGonagall came thru the Floo System followed closely by Professor Snape. Professor Dumbledore arrived right after them, his cloak flaring out behind him as he walked over to Lily/Jessica. He examined her and then went over to James/Brian.
"It is truly amazing." Dumbledore said. "They had been here all this time and only now do I see them as they once were. I never even guessed at who they had been." Dumbledore shook his head and looked at Harry. "Did you have any idea? Did they tell you anything?" Brian lifted his head to utter something, but Dumbledore would not let him.
"No sir." Harry said, quite shaken, "I didn't. I don't know why they kept it from me."
"Minerva. Severus. Could you take these two to the hospital wing? I want to talk to Harry." Dumbledore said. The two nodded and left with the two Defense professors on stretchers. "Remus, go with them. You look as though you could use some food and rest." Remus nodded and left the room. Now Professor Dumbledore and Harry were the only ones left in the office.
"Harry, I know that you have many questions. Some I will not be able to answer..." Harry tried to interrupt, but Dumbledore pushed through, "simply because I do not know the answers to these questions. Only Brian and Jess know the answers and while you might want to ask them many questions right now, as you know they are in no condition at this moment to answer."
Harry looked at Dumbledore and asked, "Why didn't they tell me?"
"I do not know. They did not tell me either. I knew that Jess was a banshee when I hired her and I knew that Brian had had a run in with a Child of Oberon's recently, but I knew not about them both being your parents in another life time. I imagine that they taught you quite a bit about their two races, didn't they?"
"Yes sir. They even taught us about Soul Shifters."
"Then, I would suspect that they were getting you ready to be told." Dumbledore said gently. "Now, why don't you go to the kitchens and fetch yourself something and then to bed."
"Yes sir."
A week later, in Defense class Harry, Ron and Hermione all came in expecting Professor Brooks to be back in his human form. However, neither professor was there and neither was their substitute, Professor Lupin. They each looked at one another, but shrugged and sat down. The class began to start murmuring.
"Where do you think they are? They got out of the hospital wing two weeks ago." Hermione said looking worriedly towards the door.
Five minutes into the class they heard something running. The door opened and a very flustered looking male gargoyle with brick red skin and a foot long beaky face and long horns curving over his waist length white mane came into the room. His Pterodactyl like wings were slung around his shoulders. His robes were a light gray that seemed to match his eyes. Harry knew him instantly from seeing his transformation at The Riddle House. It was Brian. He walked up to the front of the class room, taking his wand out and placing it on the desk. It was The wand. The one he used to call The Killing Curse to him. The one that proved that he was The Heir of Slytherin. Hermione gasped, Harry had left out that tiny detail when he had told Hermione and Ron about his exploits while saving Remus. In fact, he'd left out quite a bit. He'd figured that Dumbledore might have found a way to get Brian back to human form and that Brian would not have shown off his wand. So, he had not told Hermione and Ron about Brian being a gargoyle nor about the wand figuring that Brian would not wish these things to be told. He respected Brian now enough to keep some of his secrets.
Professor Brooks turned to the students which all were looking at him with a look of shock. It was Draco that found his tongue first.
"So, now we've got a real gargoyle in class. So we're learning about gargoyles in a more personal way." Draco sneered, "Ooooo....what next a real Soul Shifter?"
Pansy Parkinson began to laugh jeeringly. The gargoyle just grinned, his fangs flashing slightly under the magical lighting. Making him look sinister.
The Slytherin's shuddered slightly under the gargoyle's gaze. "As a matter a fact Mister Malfoy, you aren't far wrong. However, we have already covered gargoyles so we won't learn about them again. As for a real Soul Shifter...I happen to be a real Soul Shifter, so that's covered."
The class all gaped.
"Professor Brooks?" Hermione gasped. Brian nodded.
"You all may call me Brooklyn now, though. Gargoyles hardly go into last names, much less names at all." He said, turning to the board and writing, the muggle way, the notes that they were to write down about vampires.
"Professor? What happened to you? What turned you into this?" Lavender Brown exclaimed, looking horribly distressed.
"I came into contact with The Killing Curse, and as you have learned only that curse can remove a spell as powerful as set by one of Oberon's Children. I wasn't changed from a human into a gargoyle. I was turned from a gargoyle into a human." Brooklyn said, finishing up the notes and turning back to the class with his brow ridges furrowed.
The class all stared in shock and, even Hermione, didn't take a single note.
When the bell finally rang. The class sat there staring until Brooklyn looked at the class.
"You need to get going to your next class don't you? Professor Snape would be furious and deduct points from you if you didn't get to class immediately. Wouldn't he?"
That seemed to motivate the class to start moving and they quickly left.
Hermione and Ron came up on either side of Harry.
"Did you know he was...?" Ron asked, but was cut off by Harry's quick nod.
"Why didn't...?" Hermione asked.
"I thought Dumbledore might have found a way to turn him back into a human. I never thought that he'd come in as he truly was. The curse wasn't even directed at him." Harry said, fighting the urge to turn back and go talk with Professor Brooks.
"The...the wand. Did you see his wand?" Hermione asked.
Harry nodded, "I saw the wand back at The Riddle House, he used it to redirect the Killing Curse from me to him."
"You mean...he saved you?" Hermione asked astounded.
Harry nodded.
"Why? If he's Slytherin's Heir wouldn't he want to help You-Know-Who?" Ron asked, slightly annoyed that Harry hadn't told them about any of this.
"No. Not necessarily. I mean, if I was Slytherin's Heir...I'd want to get rid of any competition that I might come up against." Hermione said, annoyed that Ron still couldn't use Voldemort's name.
Harry shook his head. "That wasn't why he saved me. I'll tell you later." Harry said as they reached the potion classroom.
Draco sneered, "Well, Scar-Head, enjoy being a hero again?" He'd ask this ever since Harry had come back and Professor Lupin had been seen the next day, up at the staff table.
Snape came in his robes billowing out at his feet.
"Professor?" Draco inquired, "Did you know that we have a dangerous creature teaching Defense here again?" He looked over to Harry, who was fuming.
"Dangerous?" Snape asked as though entirely mystified by what Draco was trying to tell him. "Which of our Defense teachers would you classify as dangerous?"
"Professor Brooks, of course, sir." Draco said, "I would have thought that The Headmaster would have appointed you Defense teacher instead of another man-eating beast."
Snape snorted at the jab. "Professor Brooks, unlike, Professor Lupin can resist his urges for flesh. However, he is not man-eating Mister Malfoy. There is nothing to worry about. Professor Brooks is more harmless than I am, unless he is provoked. If you have any intention to provoke him to attack you, then even your parents would agree that you got exactly what you deserved."
The class stared at Professor Snape, even the Slytherin's seemed at a loss. The class moved along rather quickly and the bell sounded telling them all it was time for lunch.
Harry, Ron and Hermione found a place at the Gryffindor table where they would not be heard.
"Harry? Why did Professor Brooks save you? Does he intend to try to kill you himself?" Hermione asked worriedly.
Harry shook his head again, "Guys, listen. He's a Soul Shifter. At one point during his stone hibernation, which I'm guessing was a thousand years long...remember him telling us about The Wyvern Clan's survivors being stuck in stone sleep for a thousand years, until Xanatos brought them to the Eyrie Building?" Hermione and Ron nodded. "Well, some time during that his soul left his body and possessed my dad. He had enough of my dad in him to want to save me." Harry whispered, urgently. The looks on his friends' faces told him that they were a bit skeptical. "Voldemort, threw out the Exposing spell and exposed him as my dad. At some point during my dad's life, he was being possessed by a gargoyle."
Ron looked horrified, but Hermione who was tapping her chin looked at Harry and said, "You know, Harry, we know that your dad saved Professor Snape from Lupin that one time, maybe that was when he was possessed. After all, Snape and your dad didn't get along to well."
Harry nodded as he dug into his meat pie.
It had been two months since Harry had seen Professor Brooks walk into the Defense classroom as he truly was. The class had finally gotten used to seeing a gargoyle up at the desk lecturing them and the shock had worn off. It was a muggy June afternoon, and Harry only had his Astronomy exam later that night. However, right at that moment he had nothing particular to do and he found himself standing outside the Defense classroom. The door was closed and locked. There was a sign on the door declaring, "Do Not Disturb!!" Harry knew that most teachers had such signs when they were testing students, but Harry also knew that the Defense room would be empty. He knocked, hoping that Professor Brooks, or Brooklyn as he preferred, would answer.
Brooklyn sat at his desk grading last minute extra credit papers. He heard a light tapping at his door. He groaned, fearing that it was Hermione Granger with even more extra credit papers for him to grade. He opened the door, expecting to see Hermione. However, instead it was Harry, he sighed out in relief and grinned.
"Hello, Harry, how are you?" He said cheerfully. "Come in."
"Thanks. Could we talk?" Harry asked.
"No problem Harry. Take a seat. Would you like anything to drink?" Brooklyn asked cheerfully, he was in his true form, his wings rapped around his shoulders as he took a look inside a cupboard that Harry had never noticed before.
"Yes, please, tea if you have any." Harry said politely.
Brooklyn chuckled, "Of course." He said getting a canister with tea bags out. He turned and tapped the kettle with a wand. A different wand than the one he used at The Riddle House, it was mahogany, eleven inches and rather plain looking. Brooklyn noticed Harry looking curiously at the wand.
"Interesting, isn't it? How a wizard must sometimes needs more than one wand? I let Professor Dumbledore have a look at this one when I applied for the position of 'Defense Teacher' it wouldn't do me any good to come all this way to be told no just because my wand happened to belong to Slytherin once." Brooklyn said as he poured the tea out and handed Harry a cup. "Now what seems to be troubling you, Harry?"
Harry seemed to be weighing his next words with great care. "Why didn't you tell me that you were a Soul Shifter? Why didn't you tell me that you'd possessed my dad?"
Brooklyn looked at Harry as though weighing his next words. He looked rather stricken, but Harry didn't care. Brooklyn had lied to him. "At the time that I met you, Harry, I really had no idea who you really were. I still don't! I wasn't sure how you'd respond to me coming up and saying, 'hey! Harry, I was once your dad in another lifetime!' How would it have made you feel had I told you that?"
"Pretty low, I suppose. I'd definitely think you'd gone nuts." Harry said, unsure of where this conversation was headed.
"I did my best to prepare you for the shock and by the fact that we all got out alive, which Professor Dumbledore has told me that you were instrumental in getting all of us, even Moony out alive, I'd say I did a good enough job." Brooklyn said rather smugly.
"But...why didn't you tell me after our lessons? Why?" Harry asked, understanding none of it.
"We, Lily and I, were some of Voldemort's greatest opponents, Harry. If he ever gotten wind that we had lived on in any way he'd have hunted us down. We couldn't risk it. I was tempted, I assure you, there were times I didn't think that I could keep the game up much longer, I'm almost glad that it was Voldemort who revealed us to be your parents. Of course, I wish that he hadn't used the Killing Curse, I'm still getting over the effects of it." Brooklyn rubbed, absent-mindedly, at the back of his neck which was still very sore after the fight.
"Did you know, when you woke to find that the castle was above the clouds, did you remember anything from the life of James Potter? How long did you possess him?" Harry asked, almost enthusiastically.
"Yes, I remembered quite a bit, mind you certain details were a bit fuzzy at first, until I arrived here, but I remembered every thing! I was your father, from the womb til death. I was every single cell." Brooklyn said.
"Why didn't you tell Professor Dumbledore? He could have helped you, you know?" Harry said, looking at Brooklyn angrily.
Brooklyn looked intently at Harry, "I don't think so. You see, Professor Dumbledore would have wanted us to get along. He would have put us together and had us talk. Truthfully, I wanted you to know the real me. Harry, I was your father once, but that was a long time ago. I'm not James Potter. That life is like a well remembered dream. Nothing more Harry. Nothing more. I chose not to tell Albus simply because I wanted you to make your own assumption based on what you saw not what you thought of a man that I only think of as a dream."
"I was a part of that dream!" Harry said furiously.
Brooklyn nodded, "Yes, Harry, you were. The only reason I came here was to see you. You were a very large part of those dreams and the most remembered part. When I awoke, I remembered you almost instantly. I had talked to a friend of mine, who is now my most hated enemy, about my dreams of Hogwarts. She recently brought me a copy of the Daily Prophet that had your picture in it. It was also the paper that Dumbledore had put his classified ad in asking for someone to teach the Defense Against the Dark Arts. For the first time, in along time, Demona and I worked together. She being the only person that I know of that has an owl. Demona had wanted to help me because she said that you would need someone with you. She said that she had recently gone to Britain and learned of Sirius' death. She told me that Voldemort had tried to do away with her before his fall from power, she told me that she had watched you closely after that day."
"Glowing Red Eyes!" Harry whispered.
Brooklyn looked at Harry intently.
"I remember these eyes, after Uncle Vernon or Aunt Petunia would beat me or let Dudley beat on me. They glowed a bright red. I never felt threatened by them and often, after the rest of the house was a sleep, if the eyes were still there then I'd often be sung to sleep." Harry whispered, tears threatening to spill down his cheeks. "It stopped when I was around eight. However, just before school started up, I saw them again for a time."
"I shall have to thank her for that. Even though we hate each other, I will thank her for being kind to you. Funny, really, she despises all humans. I thought anyway. To have her sing you to sleep and let the others live is truly a miracle. As for it stopping around the time you were eight, in nineteen ninety-four we awoke and she's been in America since then."
"Could she have known that you had possessed my dad, do you think?" Harry asked, curiously.
"Maybe." Brooklyn shrugged, "I now have many questions to take back to America with me."
"You're not staying!?" Harry yelped.
"Not for the summer!" Brooklyn laughed, "Besides, Dumbledore has agreed, now that Voldemort knows who I was...the farther away from England, we both are the better."
Then Harry truly cried, which took Brooklyn aback. "Harry?! Harry!? What ever is the matter?"
"You...you're leaving!" Harry sobbed uncontrollably.
"Y...yes. Listen Harry, I'll write you as many times as needed and you can use whatever system of communication you want to get in touch with me. I'm sure Dumbledore won't mind us two talking or...or anything of the sort." Brooklyn stammered out. Harry was still crying when the door banged against the wall. Jess came capering in excitedly...until she saw Harry.
"What did you do to him?" She snarled down at Brooklyn, who got to his feet quickly.
"We're leaving! Remember?" Brooklyn looked at her curiously, "What did Albus say?" He said apprehensively.
"You made him cry. I don't think I should tell you." Jess said teasingly.
Brooklyn looked livid. "Jess, please, I didn't mean to make Harry cry!"
"Like last time?" She said, innocently.
"Oh God! Here We Go Again!" Brooklyn said throwing his hands up in defeat. "Last time was different! Last time he was what...three months old!? For crying out loud woman just tell me if Albus will let us take him this summer or not!"
Harry looked up at the two professors in shock. Brooklyn had said that he had wanted to take him, Harry, with him when he left!
"You spilled the beans!" Jess grumbled.
"Yes! I did! Now, tell us, what did Albus say?" Brooklyn said eagerly.
"He said it was fine with him. If Harry's relatives were not dead already, he'd still have no problems with it. After all, at one point we were his parents." Jess said with a grin, "We get to take Ms. Granger along with us as well."
"Ack!" Brooklyn said covering his face.
"What's wrong with Hermione?" Harry asked defensively.
Brooklyn chuckled and led Harry to the large mound of extra credit papers that still needed to be graded. "Most of these are from Ms. Granger. As you can see, I'm not even half finished."
Harry laughed, "She does like to make sure that she gets good grades, but me and Ron have been sending extra credit up here with her, so they're not all her's."
"Oh!?" Brooklyn said and began to shuffle through all the papers. Sure enough, there were just as many Harry and Ron papers as there were Hermione. "Okay, now I feel a bit more energetic about this." Brooklyn said and grabbed up his cup and sipped at his tea.
"The most annoying thing was explaining all this to Xanatos." Jess said exasperated. "Especially the part about us bring a werewolf to the castle. And explaining to him who I was."
Brooklyn gave a snort of laughter, but kept otherwise silent.
"Laugh away, Brooklyn. Harry, go tell Hermione about our plans, will you? And go get your things." Jess said, Harry nodded happily and turned to leave, but thought of something just then.
"Can Ron come too?" He asked.
Brooklyn and Jess looked at one another. Brooklyn shrugged, "I don't know Harry, maybe. Xanatos is rather picky about who he allows in his home. He has plenty of room of course, but we've always got people coming to talk to him about some business or other and then we've always got some bunch of idiots trying to kill us every few minutes. However, I don't see why after a bit, Ron could join you. Don't get his hopes up, though. Tell him that it'll be decided later, if he can come or not, if he asks."
Harry nodded, knowing that this was the best way. Harry skipped all the way to Gryffindor Tower. He burst into the Tower practically dancing and singing.
"Hermione! Guess what?!" Hermione looked up from her book on Astronomy, looking very perturbed. "You get to come with me for summer holiday!" Hermione looked astonished.
"I thought Voldemort had killed your relatives, Harry?" Then before Harry could answer she stared at him, her eyes growing larger and larger. "You mean, with them?!" She finally said in a whisper. Harry grinned and nodded, "We're going to America. Professor Dumbledore said it was alright."
"What about me, mate?" Ron asked, looking as though he felt out of the loop. Hermione looked at Harry with the same hopeful expression.
Harry shrugged and looked helpless, "I don't know. They don't know either. Brooklyn said that Xanatos is pretty picky about who he let's in his home." Ron was about to go on another tirade about being poor, but Harry stopped him, "You've got a family that loves you, Ron. Hermione is an only child. Her parents were only children and their parents are dead now, so Hermione and me, we don't have anywhere else to go. You still have somewhere to go. Brooklyn says that Xanatos has people always coming to the castle to talk business and everything. I guess we need to be on our best behavior before another gets added to this duo. I can understand, we just got thrown on Xanatos and his family like this, better not push our luck, right?"
"Guess not, mate." Ron said looking at from the stand point Harry was. "I sure wouldn't want another kid shoved off on me all the sudden especially when I didn't know about the first two to begin with."
Harry and Hermione nodded.
"Also, from the sound of it, Lupin will be coming. I don't know how they intend to keep him from killing everyone, but they said that we'll have a werewolf in attendance." Harry said, wondering in his own mind how the family was going to be kept safe from Lupin's monthly transformation.
"You know, I've wondered, since Professor Brooks is a gargoyle why is he still teaching?" Hermione asked curiously, "I mean, most of our classes are during the day. How is it possible for him to keep from turning to stone?"
Harry shrugged, but Ron looked at Hermione perplexed.
"You've read Hogwarts, A History, right?" Ron asked.
"Cover to cover." Hermione said.
"Hmm. Well, maybe it doesn't say, but the castles got an enchantment on it for these occasions. Mind you, no one remembers the enchantment, but if a gargoyle ever comes to Hogwarts then they will be allowed to see the sun until they leave." Ron said.
"How do you know that?" Hermione asked curiously, clearly impressed.
"Something Bill told me, in his seventh year, Professor Binns was talking to the class about Hogwarts and all the enchantments on it." Ron said, "I'd imagine that Hogwarts has all sorts of spells on it that have been lost."
"So, we get to go to America, Harry? Have you ever been?" Hermione asked.
"No." Harry said shaking his head.
"I bet Brooklyn knows loads of things about American wizardry." Hermione said looking misty eyed.
"I highly doubt it, Hermione, but you can ask him . He made it seem that survival has been his key priority up til now."
"Well, it is ten-thirty, we'd better get a move on. We have an exam to do in thirty minutes." Ron said dejectedly.
They walked to the Astronomy Tower, each with their own thoughts rattling around in their heads. Professor Sinistra was waiting patiently for everyone to sit down. Once they were all sitting at their telescopes she handed out the star charts. Everything after that was pretty uneventful. Unlike last year during their final Astronomy Exam where Umbridge had tried to capture Hagrid and her goons had fired four stunners at McGonagall, which had had her sent to St. Mungo's.
After the exam was complete at midnight, Harry, Ron and Hermione were walking to Gryffindor Tower when they heard someone murmuring behind an almost closed door. They thought nothing of it until they heard the soft, silky, almost deadly voice of the Potion Master.
"...it seems a bit of a bother to take them and then send them back, Brooks. Don't you agree?" Snape asked, his voice carrying through the silent hallways.
"Why should I take them from their schooling, Snape? They've only got this year left and then they're out. Besides, with what I've made with teaching, it shan't be a problem to send them back." Brooklyn's low voice was but a whisper as he spoke to Snape angrily.
"The Dark Lord is after Potter. It would be safer for him to be as far from Britain, I would think." Snape said.
"I realize that, but Dumbledore told me of the prophecy. Even if I could keep Harry away from here, the prophecy deems that he's the only one with the power to kill Voldemort." Brooklyn said sadly.
"Or, the other way around." Snape stated angrily. "You care for him. He was your son once, for crying out loud, take him away from all this." Snape spat bitterly.
Ron and Hermione looked shocked and frightened. They had never known that Harry was the only one that could kill Voldemort.
"Severus, I want to keep him safe, but the both of us know that Harry is just too stubborn for his own good sometimes. I can't keep him with me forever. Even though I would like to. I would like very much to keep him with me for awhile, but he's not a hatchling or a little boy anymore. I have to let him make his own decisions and his own mistakes...even if I don't like where those discussion and mistakes might lead him. I have to let him come back to Hogwarts. It is his home, Severus. I can't just take him away and then tell him he'll never see it again. That's not right." Brooklyn said dejectedly.
"He is your son!" Snape shouted.
"No. He's not. He's James and Lily Potter's son. Not mine." Brooklyn said choking on emotion, "Shoot! He's more Sirius' son than mine because Sirius was there for him. I was alive and well! I thought it was only a wonderful dream, that other life that you can remember plainly, I didn't think it was real. Almost two years ago I found out that every bit of what I perceived as a dream was real! That everything I had ever dreamed about Hogwarts during my thousand year sleep was not a dream at all, but real and very much in the here and now, Severus! What kind of a father am I, Snape? I left my son to be tormented for years by his muggle relatives. I never once thought to go and look for a wizarding shop that I could find newspapers, like the Daily Prophet, in. I never cared enough to find out if that dream, so vivid in my mind, was more truth than fiction. I didn't want to!"
Snape sighed, "You're here now. You did find out that your dream was real. Mister Potter needs you, whether you're ready or not for the challenges that will come by taking him in to raise."
"I know."
Hermione and Ron dragged Harry away just as they heard footsteps starting to come down the hall. Brooklyn stuck his head out the door just as Ron, Hermione and a rather reluctant Harry had ducked into another corridor. Brooklyn emerged the whole way, followed closely by Snape.
"It is a shame that we never listened to Remus, Severus. He was always trying to push us towards being friends with you." Brooklyn said wistfully.
"Why? He was in on the whole gag that the four of you thought up. The one where you rescued me from the jaws of impending doom." Snape said bitterly.
Brooklyn looked rather shocked, "You still think that Moony was in on that?"
Snape nodded slowly.
"I assure you, Severus, he was not. Werewolves are known for having amazing powers over the elements when extremely angry. I had thought it nothing more than some old codgers tell, but I got to see it first hand the morning after Remus was allowed back from the infirmary. He tore apart our dorm and nearly killed, I am not lying here, killed Sirius. Remus literally beat him down with wind!! Sirius was in the infirmary himself all that day. That's why Sirius never got punished by Dumbledore. He'd already gotten himself pummeled nearly to death by Remus' powers!"
Snape looked rather shocked, but said nothing as he and Brooklyn head off to their chambers.
The Leaving Feast was just as grand as any other at Hogwarts. There were all kinds of pies and cakes and sweet things to eat after the children were done with their main courses. Harry and Ron were still eating when Brooklyn came up behind them.
"I think you could give Broadway some competition, Harry." He shook his head, astounded, "How anyone can eat so much is beyond me."
He walked off to let them digest their food and their thoughts in peace.
The train ride home the next day was pretty uneventful. Harry and Ron played wizards chess and exploding snap to while away the hours. Neither Brooklyn, Professor Cotten, or Lupin came by for which Harry was somewhat relieved. When the train pulled into the station at nine and three-quarters. They all got off the train. Ron's parents were there looking rather oddly at a stiff looking man in a muggle business suit. His blond hair was chopped neatly and his black rimmed glasses were perfectly straight. Standing there beside the Weasley's was Lupin, smiling as usual.
"Ron! Ginny!" Mrs. Weasley said hugging her two children. "Hello, Harry, dear. Hermione. Are you two all set?"
Ron and Ginny nodded their heads. "See you two around school next year I suppose?"
"Guess so." Harry said, almost glumly as he turned to find Brooklyn or Jess.
Brooklyn was walking off of the train and was coming towards them.
"Where will you two be going? Professor Dumbledore did not say where the two of you were going."
"We're going to America." Hermione said enthusiastically.
"America?" Mrs. Weasley said, astounded. "What ever for? You could stay with us! Couldn't they Arthur? We could send Harry's owl along to Dumbledore with a letter and..."
"Mum!" Ron shouted, realizing where she was going with this. Mrs. Weasley turned to look at Ron. "You know Professor Brooks, of course?" Ron said as though introducing Brooklyn for the first time as he came up behind them in his true form.
Mrs. And Mr. Weasley gaped.
"A gargoyle? Here?" Mr. Weasley said flabbergasted. He looked closely at Brooklyn, "My word! Brooks? What in the world happened to you?"
Brooklyn chuckled, "Came in contact with The Killing Curse. Broke the spell that held me as a human." He sighed. "If you will excuse me, I'd better get this over with."
Brooklyn walked over to the man who was wearing muggle attire. The man whirled in place, when he stopped, the man was no longer a man, but an elvish looking creature about as tall, maybe a bit taller, than Harry with long white hair, Roman styled clothing, a large cheeky grin on his face and a maniac gleam in his eye.
"Did you scare any children?" The elvish creature said looking about him with wild eyes, probably seeing if any children were afraid of Brooklyn.
"Nah! My charms and quick wit helped a great deal to dispel any fears they might have had in the beginning. Besides, Puck, even if I did now it would be totally based on the fact that I keep company with a psychotic magical being known for reeking havoc among the masses of mortals that inhabit the Earth." Brooklyn said cheekily at the elvish creature.
The creature pouted for a moment, but then shook it's head. "Forget it. Talking with you is no fun. Now where are the kiddies that you'll be bringing home, hmm?" Puck floated upside down, which Brooklyn seemed to find not at all unusual. Then again, given that he was talking to the legendary trickster, Puck, one could see that this was probably a very common occurrence.
"Over there, Puck." Brooklyn said and grabbed the trickster by one of his booted feet and led him over to Harry and Hermione. "This is Harry." He pointed to Harry. "This is Hermione." He pointed to Hermione. "If I hear one wrong word out of them about you, I'll hex you into next week." Brooklyn said pulling out his mahogany wand.
"I shall be the perfect little angel that I always am with Alex." Puck said, trying to look innocent.
"Good!" Brooklyn said putting up his wand, "Now, let's get this over with. The sooner I'm human the sooner we can leave."
Puck bowed low and began to chant.
"You who were a gargoyle born.
Be no more as you were formed.
Talon and wing go into flesh.
While this young gargoyle gets his just rest."
Puck hovered and as he chanted Brooklyn was swept up into a whirlwind of light and noise. When the spell was finished Puck looked depleted yet pleased with himself and there, kneeling on the ground was Brooklyn as Harry had first seen him. A gargoyle no longer.
Puck spun in place and was replaced shortly by his alter ego, Owen Burnett.
"Shall we be going?" Owen said, his voice monotone.
"Of course, Owen." Brooklyn said. "Well, come on, you two. I'll imagine Jess has beaten us to the car. She was just as ready as you lot to leave the school."
"True." Jess said coming up behind them, "However, I don't know where the car is."
"Have a good holiday, mate!" Ron called after them.
Hermione and Harry both turned and waved.
"I'm sure we will." Hermione said.
* * *
To All My Reviewers: Well, at long last, I've finally reached the end of year six. Harry has survived another year of torment. I'd like to thank everyone of my reviewers, you guys made it possible for me to continue writing.
To Jade Kirk: The Psychological effects? His own or Brian and Jess'? As far as I know, he's going to need a lot of support from Harry and Hermione, telling him that they don't blame him for what he's done. No more than they'd blame someone under the Imperius Curse.
To ravenclaw-unisus: Truthfully, I just write whatever comes to me and then try to write where everything makes since. I try to look back at what I've written prior to the chapter I'm writing and if anything comes immediately after. I try to figure out why that thing happened and what led to it. 37 chapters trying to do that is difficult work.
To chalupa chica: Ch 14:Glad you like it.
To Liaranne: Ch. 10: Brian is asking Harry about Sirius, not James. Ch. 12: The song was a tribute to Brooklyn/Brian/James, since the sorting hat knew that he was there it just wanted to let him know without being too revealing. Ch. 14: He never possessed Morgan Malfoy, he went to Hogwarts with him back a thousand years ago. Ch. 21: Yeah, they are out of character, especially Draco. I can see Snape being a many faceted person, with many different moods. I couldn't really see Draco, that's why he gets taken out just as quickly as I put him in, he just didn't fit. Ch. 26: Harry's rant was for all those fans who wanted him to be an angry teen like JKR was making him out to be. Ch 31: Snape is one of those characters that you just can't predict. JKR wants us to believe him to be bad, but seasons the brew with a dash of niceness. I just let that shine through for this chapter. After all, since you've already read Ch 38 you know that Brian and Jess turn out to be James and Lily, so Snape didn't have to be as mean to Harry because James was there and he kept Snape from Harry most of the time.
To Alanpatty07: I had a lot to do before, finals at college and all. Had to study for weeks. Now that it is Christmas Break, I'll see what I can do.
To DawnRising: I'm glad you enjoyed it.
To RogueFanKC: Do you mean when the Ministry finds out that one of them is a banshee and the other a gargoyle? Or, do you mean when the Ministry finds out about them being Soul Shifters and at one time being James and Lily? The Ministry can't really do anything. After Umbridge left for the last time the Ministry got rid of all their educational decrees. They're pretty much powerless when it comes to whom Dumbledore hires now. Even if he did hire them before all the educational decrees were effectively removed, they really can't do anything because the decrees were suppose to be removed over the summer and some of the most important were not.
To dreamer43: Thanks!
To dweem-angel: I thought using Brooklyn from Gargoyles would be pretty cool, so I made him Brian Brooks for this bit. He's pretty cool in his own way. If you think it was unexpected for you that Brook turned out to be Slytherin's Heir, eh you should've been me coming up with this. I came up with the Sorting Hat's song and just kind of ran with it from there.
To Jade Kirk and Max LBC: Thanks! Glad you like it.
To sagitbam: Thanks, for the great review!
To Jenkidll: Thanks for the great review! I'm glad you enjoyed my story.
To wiccagurl288: Yeah, by my reckoning Snape is Blaise's father. The difference in last names is explained away by the fact that Snape left Blaise's mother before he was born and Blaise's mother gave Blaise her last name, instead of Snape's.
To Butler: Well, yeah, it was a bit obvious that Brian was James and Jess was Lily.