June arrived, the month of the Final Task, which Brooklyn was more than ready for to end this year at Hogwarts and just relax either at the Leaky Cauldron or the Weasleys.
Speaking of the Weasleys, after the exams were over, they had surprised Brooklyn and Harry by coming to watch the final task, and even Charlie and Bill were there!
Brooklyn gave Mrs. Weasley a big hug. He had missed her and even thanked her for her Christmas present.
"It was nothing, dear. I just thought you deserved some nice robes for the ball," she replied in her kind voice. But then Brooklyn spotted Katie walking by. He and Katie had grown pretty close in friendship ever since the Ball and the Second Task, sometimes taking walks together, and Brooklyn would every now and then help her study. Harry himself was happy that his bond brother found a new friend, a girl to spend time with.
"Katie!" He called. Startled, she looked around, and smiled seeing Brooklyn there with Ron's parents. She came over, grinning at them. Brooklyn knew this was the perfect chance to introduce her to this amazing family.
"Mrs. Weasley, I want you to meet Katie Bell, whom I'm sure you've heard about being a Chaser from Fred and George on the team. She was my date for the ball," Brooklyn introduced, having Katie put her arm around his own. Mrs. Weasley smiled, shaking Katie's hand.
"It's wonderful to meet you. I really think you found a lovely relationship with Brooklyn, he spent a great deal of time with Ginny when she was shy, and I'm happy you went to the ball with him."
Katie blushed again, smiling up at Brooklyn. Now she had to claim herself lucky to have found somebody like Brooklyn. Flint had tried to jump her one afternoon, but Brooklyn suddenly saw this and came out, pushing the bully back, and telling him to stay away, and that he was angry with him for grabbing her head that Quidditch final.
"Thank you, Mrs. Weasley. I think he's great, too," she replied in a shy voice, and Brooklyn felt his heart flutter again. The possibility of finally finding the one he loved here made him want to soar! He just prayed that Katie really was the right one for him!
Eventually Harry joined them and Arthur asked Harry and Brooklyn for a tour of Hogwarts, to show him how much had changed since he had come here in his youth. They passed Cedric and his father, who still looked quite mad about the article about Harry and Brooklyn.
"Dad, you know Brooklyn wouldn't let anybody as young as Harry in," insisted Cedric, when Mr. Diggory had spoken aloud at why Brooklyn would do such a thing, possibly for revenge after the Quidditch match.
He still looked at Brooklyn suspiciously, but in a way saw some truth in his son's words, and simply moved along, with Mrs. Weasley speaking harsh words at him.
"Hey, sorry about my dad, he gets competitive," Cedric apologized, rubbing the back of his head sheepishly. Brooklyn shrugged.
"Don't worry about it, Ced. That stuff's old news now, it's just taking him time to get over it, I really don't care," the gargoyle said honestly, and Cedric smiled at his humility. Brooklyn so far seemed to have more sense than his father did.
After they showed the Weasley parents the rest of Hogwarts, the time came to move down to the Quidditch pitch, where it was being used for the maze. Brooklyn stared as he confirmed this to be the biggest hedge maze he had ever seen, and they just didn't seem like normal hedges to him.
Magic, duh! Teased his inner voice, making him roll his eyes.
Dumbledore called order, as the Champions gathered near their own entrances. Cedric and Harry were tied first, so they got to start ahead of the others. Brooklyn watched from the sidelines. He and Harry had practiced for weeks, gargoyle training and spell training, in case he ever needed to use his Animagus abilities in there. He wished he could accompany Harry inside, though.
But then he felt a tap on his shoulder and saw Moody, who looked about with his magical eye before focusing on Brooklyn.
"What? The task's about to start, I don't want to miss my brother going in," Brooklyn protested, but then Moody had a strange smile on his face.
"You might not have to. Dumbledore had asked me to tell you that you can accompany Potter through the maze for this task only. I was able to convince him."
Brooklyn raised his brow. "Are you for real? What about the other schools? They don't have anybody to accompany them."
Moody shook his head. "They said that their students don't need extra protection, it is Potter's case that is different, Dumbledore wants him to come back alive, and he figured you were the right person for the job. So get to him, or you'll be left behind!"
Still suspicious, Brooklyn ended up thanking Moody and moved over to Harry, who looked surprised.
"What's going on?"
"Dumbledore and Moody say I am to accompany you, but only if I don't know about where the cup is hidden, just to protect you," he said, and Harry's confused look changed to a relieved smile.
"Then I'm glad you're here!"
Brooklyn held out his hand. "We'll get through this together, and celebrate with Butterbeer later. Deal?"
Harry shook his hand, his eyes lit up. "Deal!"
The cannon then sounded, signaling Harry and Cedric's turn. Taking a breath, Brooklyn stepped forward into the maze. But before he went any further, he heard Katie behind them.
"Brooklyn, wait! I don't want you to go!" It was Katie, who looked terrified as she ran to him from the seats.
Stepping back, he hugged her, not caring he was in front of a large crowd, who were staring at the odd but nice couple from the Yule Ball.
"What if you don't come back this time? The Second Task was bad enough and-and I don't know if-if—!"
But Brooklyn took her into her arms, giving her a small kiss on the cheek, gently brushing her tears away then hugging her with his wings and arms. Everybody watched in the stands. Mrs. Weasley was smiling with tears, and Dumbledore felt happy that Brooklyn had been able to find love for someone. Even Karkaroff felt himself getting emotional, forgetting his fear of Voldemort and surprised that such a vicious looking beast could show care to a young human girl like that.
Katie smiled up at her gargoyle friend after breaking apart, sniffling quietly.
"I've survived worse than this, Katie. You just need to have faith that I will come back with my brother. Just stay here with the Weasleys and you'll be safe until we return. Can you do that for me?" He pleaded in a gentle voice. Next to Harry, Katie was now becoming another human he cared for deeply.
Katie nodded, her eyes shining with tears, and Dumbledore guided her away with him, nodding to Brooklyn who turned back to enter the maze, the hedge closing around them.
Katie watched her friend going through the entrance, and her heart knew now that she loved Brooklyn more than ever, and hoped he would be careful in that terrible maze.
The brothers ran forward through the maze, and Brooklyn's nerves were once again rising, at the intimidating walls of leaves on either side of them. He never had entered a maze before, so this felt unreal to him.
"Hey, Brook, didn't know you had it in you to kiss Katie on the cheek like that in front of everybody," Harry said, smirking as they ran.
Brooklyn blushed. "Yeah, she really is wonderful," he mumbled shyly. Who would've thought that a ball could help him find a nice enough girl for him?
Krum had by now entered the maze after they had gone 50 yards, and Harry and Brooklyn both sped up, desperate to get out of there.
They came to a fork in the road.
"Which way?" Brooklyn asked, sniffing the air, as if to catch the scent of the TriWizard cup.
"I don't know, but I have a spell to help us," Harry replied, pulling out his wand and letting it rest on his palm.
"Point Me," Harry said, and the wand spun about, pointing to the right, into a solid hedge. They eventually took the left fork, praying it was the right direction.
Cedric met up with them at one point, looking quite ruffled, robes smoking.
"Hagrid's Blast-Ended Skrewts! They're enormous! I only just got away!" He gasped, panting.
Just perfect, right when I thought things couldn't be any worse, Brooklyn thought, not wanting to imagine how big those things actually were right now, as Cedric went down another path.
Harry and Brooklyn encountered a Boggart at one point that took the form of a dementor, but they weren't fooled and disintegrated it with Riddikulus.
The next thing they encountered after a few feet was a strange golden mist that was just there, twinkling merrily at them. Brooklyn felt suspicious about this mist, there was no way around it, even trying reducto didn't break the mist.
Knowing they had no choice, Harry and Brooklyn both ran through the mist, but it caught them off guard, lifting them upside down, and they were stuck there, the blood rushing to their brains.
"Uh, what's the plan?" Brooklyn asked nervously, feeling very uncomfortable upside down, the endless sky before them, feeling the blood rushing to his head.
Harry had shut his eyes, swinging his foot, then he collapsed to the ground. Getting up, he pulled Brooklyn down with him, who was in shock for a while after being upside down.
After steadying themselves, Harry and Brooklyn went on, the mist twinkling innocently behind them. Brooklyn growled back at it. Stupid magical mist!
That's when they heard a girl's scream. Brooklyn gasped in fear, it sounded like Fleur. What had happened to her? Was she alright?
After ten minutes of meeting almost nothing along the way, they rounded a corner, right into the path of a Blast-Ended Skrewt.
"Bloody hell," groaned Brooklyn in exasperation and fear, it definitely was bigger than him, Hermione hadn't been wrong about that! He now wondered if this was the same Skrewt that had burnt him before. He grimaced at the sight of that terrible stinger curled over its back, its armor shining in the light of their wands.
Stunning spells didn't work on this stupid creature, as it shot its own defensive system at the duo who ducked, and nearly missed Brooklyn's wings by inches. He definitely didn't want his wings roasted!
The next thing they tried was fighting it by hand, Brooklyn dodged each of its attacks, distracting it, while Harry had transformed into his gargoyle form, sneaking around, and attacking it on its side, scratching its armor, but it was impenetrable.
The two of them panted after the Skrewt knocked them all away, obviously annoyed at their attempts to take it down. Harry was on all fours, still out of breath.
"Any other ideas on how to beat this thing?" Brooklyn gasped. A whole Clan could try taking on this monster, but it's armor was too strong to break through.
That's when Harry had the idea to use the impediment jinx. He directed Brooklyn over to the Skrewt's left, while he stayed in the front.
They both shouted, "Impedimenta!" Brooklyn's knocked the Skrewt onto its back, and Harry's hit it on its underbelly, knocking it down, its many legs in the air. Brooklyn shuddered at that image that was sure was gonna haunt him later. Harry changed back to a human, too.
They continued on, using the four point spell again, until the brothers heard Cedric yelling.
"What are you doing? What the hell do you think you're doing?"
That's when Brooklyn heard Krum.
"Crucio!"
No! He screamed silently, eyes wide in terror as Cedric's yells filled the air. Why was Krum doing this? He apologized at the First Task, and why was he now attacking Cedric? They ran, breaking through the hedge, Brooklyn using his sharp talons to cut through.
They saw Cedric before them after cutting through the bush, twitching on the ground and screaming with Krum standing over him. Without thinking twice, Brooklyn's eyes lit up white, and he charged at Krum, pushing the Durmstrang teen to the ground, and knocking him out.
Harry knelt down near Cedric, grabbing his arm who was shaking with his hands over his eyes. Now Brooklyn never wanted to know how that torture curse felt after watching the spider and his friend in pain.
"Yeah," panted Cedric. "Yeah...I don't believe it...he crept up behind me...I heard him, I turned around, and he had his wand on me..."
Cedric got up. He was still shaking. He, Harry and Brooklyn looked down at Krum.
"But why? I thought he was alright," Brooklyn asked, but they had no clue. At first, they discussed if they should leave him, but in the end they set up red sparks and went their separate ways.
But they came face to face with yet another creature a few minutes later, one that Brooklyn had seen in his Fantastic Beasts book: a Sphinx. It had the body of a lion and the broad face of a woman. She paced back and forth.
"You two are very near your goal. The only way is past me."
Brooklyn nodded, as her sharp eyes stared at him. "So, could you move?" He asked, already knowing the answer.
She wouldn't let them pass unless they solved her riddle, which surprisingly Harry was able to do. The Sphinx smiled, stepping aside to let the brothers pass. Before Brooklyn moved on, she called to him.
"You have a strong bond with that human, gargoyle. I respect that from you," she purred, sitting on her haunches. Brooklyn bowed to her. This had been the second creature who could speak English he encountered after Aragog. He didn't count the Basilisk, because it spoke Parseltongue, not English.
"Thanks," he responded, and continued down the path. After what felt like ages, they finally spotted the TriWizard Cup in front of them in all its glory.
Finally! Brooklyn thought, sighing in relief. But it looked like Cedric was gonna get there first!
Then a huge spider came out of nowhere. Cedric hadn't seen it yet, as he was too focused on the cup.
"Cedric! On your left!" Harry had shouted. Cedric glanced about in time to just barely avoid the thing, raising its many legs and screeching. Brooklyn hated these Acromantulas next to Skrewts. He was glad that in Manhattan he didn't have to fight these things on a daily basis!
Harry tried stunning the spider, but it was barely doing anything, and Brooklyn knew he had to do something! Growling, he charged, raking his talons along the spider's abdomen, getting its attention onto him, which is what Brooklyn wanted.
Screeching in fury and pain, the spider ran at him, and he ran as far as he could away from this thing to find a way to corner it, but he tripped and fell, the spider bearing down, this time grabbing his left leg and hoisting him into the air!
He was struggling, even flapping his wings, but the spider was surprisingly strong for its size compared to the gargoyle's. Brooklyn wouldn't let this thing suck on his blood! He kicked out hard, but it was a mistake, and he hissed in pain as those terrible pincers connected with his leg. Brooklyn shut his eyes, not wanting to see it, and then heard Harry and Cedric both shouting Stupefy together.
It worked, two spells made the spider drop Brooklyn who collapsed twelve feet to the ground, grimacing and tensing in pain as he landed on his sore leg, the spider collapsing onto a nearby bush, its many legs in the air.
"Brooklyn! Are you alright? Did it fall on you?" Cedric called, while Harry ran to his brother, who glanced down, seeing his leg bleeding freely, and he felt himself going a little woozy at the sight of some thick gluey secretion on his leg besides blood. Plus his leg felt so numb and wobbly he couldn't get up properly, even with Harry's help, who called back saying he was okay, but needed immediate medical attention.
With quick thinking, Harry tore off a handful of robes, and tied them as best he could around Brooklyn's leg, binding it tight.
"Thanks, little bro," grunted Brooklyn, sitting up to give him a hug.
"Please, don't do a dangerous stunt like that again!" Harry said in a scolding tone, while Cedric watched in concern for Brooklyn.
But Brooklyn smirked. "No promises for that, I am your guardian and brother, brothers are supposed to do these kinds of things for one another!" He chuckled playfully, punching Harry lightly on the arm. Cedric then came over, and the two boys helped Brooklyn to his feet, and made their way to the cup together.
"Go on, Harry, you take it. You both saved my necks," Cedric then offered, Harry shaking his head no.
"That's not how it's supposed to work, the one who reaches the cup first gets the points. And I need to get my brother back home, I really don't care about winning!"
It continued on for a couple minutes, irritating Brooklyn, his leg was in pain right now, and they were competing about who was the most noble? This was getting ridiculous, and they were wasting time!
He rolled his eyes. "Guys, just shut up and take the Cup together, it's still a Hogwarts victory, no matter who takes it first!" Brooklyn growled both in exaggeration from this and from the pain in his leg. Harry and Cedric looked at one another in embarrassment, and ended up agreeing with taking each handle, while holding onto Brooklyn as well.
Brooklyn was unprepared for what was to come next, as they all left the ground as soon as they touched the cup, flying in a familiar swirl of wind and color, Harry and Cedric at his sides...
