Harry Potter and the Sword of Eternal Flame
By: Alex Lyons3
Disclaimer: J.K. Rowling owns Harry Potter and everything in the wonderful world of Hogwarts. Disney owns Gargoyles and Demona.
Author's Note: In order to understand this you have to read Harry Potter and the Soul Shifter, my Year six fan fiction. As I said in The Soul Shifter, Harry started school back in '97, so Seventh Year is 2002-2003. In this chapter Harry's party begins, but disaster is close at hand on this festive occasion. Also, I have included the definition of Quodpot and Wind Ceremony at the end of the chapter.
Chapter 4: Harry's Birthday Tragedy
It was nine o'clock at night, the sun had finally set. The party had been going full swing with every type of game, both muggle and magical, imagined. The only game that they hadn't played yet, was Quidditch or Quodpot*, simply because both games required brooms and the whole lot of wizards didn't want to use memory charms on everybody that might have seen them. So, the adults had all agreed that they'd wait for night fall to play the broom games.
They were now going to see who was the better players, the adults who hadn't played Quidditch in years or the children who hadn't played Quidditch in a few months.
For the students' team, Ron, of course was Keeper, Ginny; Neville and Luna were Chasers, both Fred and George were Beaters (since they insisted that they would play even though they were no longer students), Harry was the Seeker.
For the adults' team Charlie Weasley was the Seeker, Bill was the Keeper, Angelina, Katie and Alicia were the Chasers, Sirius and Remus both agreed to be Beaters, since those were their positions when they played the game.
Harry looked at Brooklyn expectantly, "Aren't you playing?" He asked curiously.
Brooklyn chuckled, "I'm very much afraid that I can't. Gargoyles don't make good Quidditch players. Our wings and tail make it quite impossible for us to navigate a broomstick properly." Brooklyn said with a sad smile, "However, I have something of great importance that I must speak with Demona about." Harry's eyes got wide. Brooklyn never went willingly to speak with Demona. "I'm going to ask her if she'd take the job of Defense teacher, since neither I nor your mother will be allowed back."
"Oh, all right. Are you going to go now?" Harry said rather disappointed, "Or are you going to watch first?"
Brooklyn grinned. "I intend to watch a good bit of it. Besides, your mother intends to use a muggle video camera to catch all the action, but I don't intend on being gone very long...that's why I suggested Quodpot first. I was hoping to get here before the Snitch went up! Of course, it'll be a full scale slaughter! What with you being the Seeker and all. They won't know what hit them!"
Harry grinned happily. Then a thought occurred to him. "Why don't you ask her tomorrow night and stay for the game?"
"Dumbledore has been very busy working out things during the summer for The Order. He needs to interview her and this was the only time he could get a way. Sadly, I wish things were not so." Brooklyn looked down at his feet a scowl on his face.
"That's all right! Even though you won't be here this is still by far the best birthday I've ever had." Harry said hugging his father.
Brooklyn hugged him back. "Be good and keep your wand with you. Who knows if you will need it or not tonight. I'll be back soon."
Brooklyn walked up to Angela and then they both took off on the cool summer breeze. Harry grinned, he liked his broom stick but he'd love just for one day to have wings like his father. Then, McGonagall blew the whistle shrilly and the game began.
Angela and Brooklyn glided up to the Nightstone Unlimited Building, amazingly undetected by any of the humans below. They landed on the roof silently. They carefully looked around.
"I don't like this." Brooklyn murmured, "I've been having a bad feeling all day!" He said, looking around warily.
"I called mother and told her that we were coming. She's not going to attack you!" Angela said, exasperated.
"Who said your mother had to do any attacking? We could be ambushed by Quarrymen! I don't think that'd be a pretty sight, just the two of us up here!" Brooklyn muttered angrily, still watching the shadows with a sense of foreboding.
Angela looked around, "Mother would never let Quarrymen near when she knows that I'm coming." Angela said with a smirk.
"Are you two going to sit out here all night contemplating the shadows or are you going to come in?" Demona said, causing Brooklyn to jump. Demona chuckled.
"Okay, your mother might not allow Quarrymen come near when you're coming. Doesn't make her any less likely to give me a heart attack!" Brooklyn snarled angrily.
Demona chuckled again amusedly. "Hurry up!" She said.
They went into her office and sat down. Brooklyn fidgeted in the chair.
"Brooklyn!" Angela said exasperated, "Will you just sit!?"
"You try being with out wings and a tail for little under a year and then tell me how easy it is to sit in a chair when you've got them again!" Brooklyn snapped angrily.
"What?!" Demona asked as she fixed some decaffeinated tea.
"Puck turned me human for a while. Longer than a night, you know, and I still haven't gotten use to chairs!" Brooklyn said, finally eyeing a high backed wood chair off to the side, probably for Demona's secretary when the person would be taking notes or shorthand. He snatched up the chair and straddled the back, after moving it closer to the desk.
Demona looked at him with a brow ridge raised, but said nothing to him. "So, what do I owe the friendly companionship of my daughter and my second worst enemy to?"
"Mother!?" Angela said scandalized.
"You remember that parchment you brought me? The Daily Prophet?" Brooklyn asked.
Demona nodded warily.
"Harry Potter was right, Voldemort is back." Brooklyn said warily, yet deciding that the up front approach would be the best way to tell Demona versus the dance around the subject and drop a couple of hints in at inappropriate times while making polite conversation way. "I went back to Hogwarts and taught Defense Against the Dark Arts. I helped Harry regain one of his friends who is now residing at the castle. Do you know who Albus Dumbledore is?"
"I've heard of him." Demona said testily.
"He's Headmaster of the school," Demona nodded and Brooklyn continued, "He does not want me back at the school this coming year."
"Why?" Demona snarled, thinking it to be some sort of prejudice.
Brooklyn chuckled, "Would you believe that during the thousand year sleep that the rest of us were under I became a Soul Shifter?"
Demona looked at him wide eyed. "So those dreams...?"
"Weren't dreams at all." Brooklyn said nodding satisfied that he'd gotten through to her, then of course she had been Rowena Ravenclaw's pet pupil. "I was living out another life."
Demona blinked. "So, who were you?"
"I was Harry's father. The dangers are too great for me to return this year because Voldemort knows that I was Harry's father. He won't rest until I've been destroyed."
Demona snarled. "I hate that man! The only people I hate more are the fae! I'm guessing that you want me to do something for you then?"
Brooklyn smirked, "Nothing get's by you. I don't suppose you would be willing to take over this year's teaching?"
Demona looked at him warily. "My business must be ran."
"Let Xanatos run it from behind the scenes. Tell your secretary to expect orders coming from somewhere else. Tell them that you need a vacation!"
Demona looked at Brooklyn, carefully considering her options. "If I do this, what will you do to pay me back?"
"Anything! Harry needs to be protected as best as one can protect him. Mind you that will be very difficult, but I know you. You can do it because I seem to recall that you know all the secret passages out of the castle." Brooklyn said pleadingly.
"Very well, I'll teach the class. However, in order to make sure that my business is being run properly I suggest that you run it." Demona said a cruel smile on her lips. "I will send you instructions every week until school let's out. You will run my company, have Puck put a similar spell on you that he put on me. It'll be easier, I assure you. I will introduce you as my nephew who will be taking over the company until I return from a much needed vacation. Understood?"
"Right!" Brooklyn said. "Why me though? Why not Angela?"
"I trust that you'll do the job properly. After all I'm there to protect your son!" Demona smiled as she said this.
"Alright! So, do you want to come over? Watch some Quidditch? Have some cake and ice cream?" Brooklyn said conversationally as he noticed how he had just walked into a huge pothole that there was no way he'd get out of. "We've got loads."
"Hmm. All right! I need to get out of here anyway, I'm about to explode." Demona said thoughtfully and led them to the door.
The game had been going exceedingly well, Harry's team had been up twenty points and Harry had sighted the Snitch and was pelting after it, all thoughts of his father not being there were almost totally gone. He almost had the little walnut sized golden ball until disaster struck. The Quarrymen had been alerted to strange activities going on atop The Eyrie by a passing helicopter pilot.
The Wyvern clan had anticipated something like this to happen, but the clan was out numbered. Goliath could only take out three at a time. Hudson and Broadway were accounting for two Quarrymen a piece. Lex and Bronx could handle one. Brooklyn and Angela were still at Nightstone Unlimited. Harry landed reaching into the front of his robes for his wand. Malibu ran towards him.
"Harry!" Malibu wailed, frightened by all the noise and by the men chasing him. If only Harry could get his wand out in time.
One of the men jumped on Malibu, tackling him to the ground.
"Help!" The clone cried out, but even his own clan could not answer his pleas, as they were fighting their own battles. Owen had changed into Puck, but even he was limited with what he could do and he was busy defending Fox who had Alex cradled protectively in her arms, while Xanatos had gone to get his armor.
Then, there was a scream and a sickening smack, like a melon being cracked open. Harry looked up from trying to get his wand out, The Quarrymen had left. Malibu lay still his head oozing out blood and brains and Harry cursed. He ripped his wand out, grabbed his broom and took flight vowing vengeance on The Quarrymen that had killed Malibu.
Brooklyn, Angela and Demona were coming up on the castle. The sounds of electricity and loud bangs could be heard as both science and sorcery clashed.
"The Quarrymen! They've attacked!" Brooklyn said needlessly as he swooped low, catching a faster air current than the one he'd been riding.
The two females followed suit, soon coming upon the field of battle. Harry and Sirius both had accounted for several stunned Quarrymen and Fox was safe inside with Alex. Remus had actually used brute force and punched a guy in the face. Given that he was a werewolf and full of adrenaline the man was knocked out instantly. Brooklyn roared angrily as did Angela and Demona as they all swooped down on the remaining Quarrymen.
The battle was over at about twelve o'clock, August the first. Harry looked over at his father and went over to him, his head bent low.
"Harry? Are you all right?" Brooklyn asked when he saw Harry.
"No!" Harry sobbed.
"Come on! Let's get you inside and have the doctors look at you." Brooklyn said worry lacing his words.
"No!" Harry shouted. "No." He said again, softer, "Come and look."
Harry led Brooklyn by the hand over to Malibu's body. Brooklyn stood there jaw hanging, tears brimming in his eyes.
"Oh God! No." He said slowly, his voice husky with grief and anger.
"What? What is it?" Goliath asked coming up, he had been at the back of the crowd. Sirius and Remus stepped apart to let the great gargoyle and Dumbledore by.
"Oh no!" They heard Goliath's voice rumble.
"I...I'm Sorry!" Harry stuttered, sobbing loudly.
"Harry," Sirius asked, "what do you have to be sorry for?"
Harry sobbed angrily, "He was frightened! He came to me for protection, but I couldn't get my wand out fast enough!"
"Oh Harry." Sirius said, as he and Remus went to comfort him, "You have nothing to be sorry for. You did your best."
"What about Malibu?!" Harry snarled, "Do you think he would say the same thing?! That I did my best!?"
"Probably not, Harry, but you did try." Brooklyn said softly as he watched Dumbledore mutter a cleaning spell and Goliath scoop up the body of his clone up and take the limp form inside. "He would have admitted that."
"Yes, he would have Harry." Remus said quietly.
"I just can't believe this happened." Harry said mournfully as he walked slowly from the crowd and into the castle.
Two nights later, August the third at twelve o' clock, the Wyvern Clan and the Labyrinth Clan met with all of the wizards and witches that were at the birthday party to preform a gargoyle Wind Ceremony*/ human Funeral type event. It was decided that for the gargoyles and the clones to get closer to their heritage they would cremate the body and preform the Wind Ceremony, while, for the humans and the mutates, there would be a small urn where the ashes, until the Wind Ceremony would be preformed, would stay. Only half the ashes would be used in the Wind Ceremony, of course, so that the human members would have the rest to keep in the urn, locked away safely in the Labyrinth. Everyone decided that Harry should go first to speak of Malibu.
Harry glanced at the urn and then carefully got to his feet and reached the podium, in the Great Hall where everyone was situated. Harry gulped and then began.
"My friends, tonight we are here to remember a beloved friend; brother; child and gentle being, whose life was tragically stolen from him far too early. I knew him only for a little while, a month or so. No more than that. Even though we did not know each other for very long, he had already wriggled his way into my heart. I will never forget the day that I was taken down to the Labyrinth and first saw him. He was being picked on by a bunch of older children. I went to defend him. He was crying, but he brightened when I told him that it was okay and that he didn't have to worry anymore because I wouldn't let anything happen to him. Malibu followed me around every time I came down to the Labyrinth, much like a younger sibling, he showed me things about the Labyrinth that other people would have considered moot and pointless. He...he loved it when I'd bring him a new toy or teach him new things. I read to him once while I was down there, we had made plans that...that a...after I came back that...that I'd help him learn how to Read!" Harry burst into sobs of pain at losing such a dear friend to him. Sirius came forward and carefully led Harry back to his seat.
Brooklyn stood up, he was in dark black wizards' robes with holes cut in the back so that his wings wouldn't be encumbered.
"I have to admit that when I first saw Malibu, I was furious that anyone would dare to make a clone of me. I figured that he was a forgery. A copy with no soul of his own. Over the days, as I took Harry down to the Labyrinth, I saw how wrong I really was. He was different from me, not a fraudulent copy, willing and eager to take my place. I don't even think that the notion ever once entered his head. I came after a time, even before Harry, to feel a certain sense of moral obligation towards Malibu, but had no real idea as to how to handle such a situation." Brooklyn breathed in deeply. "I should have been there for him. I should have taken the responsibility of my clone, my son, seriously. I should have insisted that we bring him with us to the clock tower. I should not have let others raise him. Talon. Maggie. Claw. I couldn't ask for better hands to put my son in, truly I couldn't, but I should have raised him myself. I should have...have taken the time to get to know him better. I missed out on a chance to be a father and a role model to Malibu. I will not make the same mistake again with any child. Be it Harry or the eggs that the clan will have."
Brooklyn couldn't continue. He tried a couple of times, but finally sat back down, his head now resting on his hands.
Maggie was next to have her say. Then Talon. They more or less talked about how good Malibu was and how he was always eager to please. The other clones got up and spoke about their "brother" and the rest of Clan Manhattan. Then the humans that knew him best. Finally, Demona came up. The clan, except for Angela and Brooklyn who was still mourning, snarled angrily at her. However, this was a Wind Ceremony and anyone could speak of the departed, even Demona.
"I have heard many good things about Malibu. When Thailog first introduced me to the clones I was, as was the originals, a bit disgusted with them. I saw them as poor, primitive copies of my old clan. Now that I have seen them here, giving a speech for a fallen comrade and "brother" I can not say that I am not proud. I am very proud that they have made names and lives for themselves and that they have overcome their original programing. I am sorry that I was not there to see them fully realized, but I am extremely grateful that they exist in this world." Demona sighed, "You all have turned out to be fine warriors and excellent gargoyles, not just pitiful copies of the originals that you were cloned from. I greatly regret never meeting Malibu after that first encounter, but he was a true gargoyle. He shall be greatly missed by the entire clan."
The whole congregation rose as one. The gargoyles and the three mutates each took a handful of ashes and murmured out as one, "Ashes to Ashes! All is one with the wind!" As the ashes swirled on the gentle breeze the gargoyles and mutates took to the air soaring amongst the ashes. The ashes soon left with a seeming sigh from the wind and the gargoyles and mutates landed. Still saddened by the loss of their dear friend, but now greatly relieved that Malibu was at peace.
* * *
*Quodpot–an American variant of Quidditch, invented in the eighteenth century by Abraham Peasegood, for more on Quodpot, check your local library for Quidditch Through the Ages, which I recommend since it is a fascinating read! Or, you may go to your local bookstore and purchase it. I would suggest buying the hardbound copy of the book, since it will last longer and be in better condition, especially for those with nervous hands, like myself, who inadvertently tear up paper bound books! As a warning, Dumbledore has put in there that there might be a few jinxes on the book, so you might want to purchase it quickly so, that you do not become the recipient of a Thieves Curse! (Quidditch Through the Ages: pg. 44)
*Wind Ceremony–a gargoyle is cremated when they die, the gargoyle mourners take the ashes of the departed (or in very recent cases, they pulverize the rubble into stone dust: Note Awakenings Part 1 for recent case scenario) to the highest point on the local map. A memorial is held. Everyone who wishes to speak of the departed may. No one, not even the departed's enemies, may be denied a voice. In the end, the mourner's spread the remains upon the wind, saying, "Ashes to ashes or dust to dust. All is one with the wind." The gargoyles then spread their wings, soaring amid the ashes or dust in the hope that part of the departed will stay with them forever. ( around and watch tv; lounge partner is Bronx (now includes Lupin when it is a full moon). Coloring is brown skin and white hair.
Brooklyn–second-in-command of Clan Manhattan/Wyvern; (Harry's father); (Jessica's mate). Coloring is brick red skin and white hair.
Broadway–cook of Clan Manhattan/Wyvern; parent to no one yet; Angela's mate. Coloring is green skin, he has no hair.
Lexington–technology expert of Clan Manhattan/Wyvern; parent to no one yet; mate to no one yet. Coloring is olive brown/ olive green skin, he has no hair.
Angela–originally second-in-command of Clan Avalon; only gargoyle female of Clan Manhattan/Wyvern; parent to no one yet; Broadway is her mate. Coloring is lavender skin and black hair.
Bronx–gargbeast [dog] of Clan Manhattan/Wyvern; father to no one yet; Boudicca's mate [the Clan Avalon Gargbeast]. Coloring is blue skin, he has no hair.
Demona–originally second-in-command of Clan Wyvern; Angela's mother; Goliath is Demona's former mate; (shall be committed/mated to someone during the story); only gargoyle able to change into a human during the day due to a spell by Puck. Coloring is azure blue skin and bright red hair.
The Labyrinth Clan
Talon–leader of Clan Labyrinth; original name Derek Maza; middle child of Peter and Diane Maza; only brother of Elisa Maza; Maggie's mate; mutated using DNA of a panther and a bat; parent of no one yet. Coloring is black fur.
Maggie the Cat–second-in-command of Clan Labyrinth; original name Maggie Reed; Talon/Derek is her mate; mutated using DNA from a lioness and a bat; parent of no one yet. Coloring is yellow/brown fur with black/purple wings.
Claw–resident mute of Clan Labyrinth; original name unknown at this time; mutated using DNA from a tiger and a bat; mate of no one yet; parent of no one yet. Coloring is orange with black striped fur and black wings and brown hair.
Fang–resident village idiot and rogue of Clan Labyrinth; original name unknown at this time; mutated using DNA from a cougar/mountain lion and a bat; parent to no one; mate to no one. Coloring is brown fur and black wings.
Clones
Thailog–originally the Master of the clones; cloned from Goliath's DNA; Demona's former love. Coloring is dark egg plant purple skin and white hair.
Delilah–originally second-in-command of the clones; second smartest next to Thailog; Thailog's former mate; cloned from Demona's and Elisa's DNA [90% gargoyle/10% human]. Coloring is brown skin, white hair and wings.
Burbank–he has no mate at this time; clone of Hudson. Coloring is yellow with black hair.
Malibu–he has no mate; the clone of Brooklyn. Coloring is green with black hair.
Hollywood–he has no mate at this time; the clone of Broadway. Coloring is orange or brick red.
Brentwood–he has no mate at this time; the clone of Lexington. Coloring is dark purple.