Brooklyn had a feeling as soon as the hustle and bustle of classes began that he and Griff would be performing double patrol duties. Dumbledore told him about Griff's new assignment of doing most of the Patrolling while he kept watch over Harry.

So far, the first week of classes went okay. But from what Brooklyn heard from Fred and George about the Defense Classes, Umbridge wasn't teaching anything at all.

"That toadface has us all trapped in her pink cardigan!" Fred had growled. "If this keeps up with not learning new spells, I'd ditch Defense Against the Dark Arts!"

Hermione's eyes widened. "But it's important for your OWLs!" She exclaimed. George shook his head.

"Trust us, once you have her this afternoon, you'll be going down our road," he told them. Now Brooklyn knew he had to keep an eye on Defense classes more than ever, because of what was going on.

He found a spot where he could easily watch without any detection, unlike the last time with imposter Moody. Brooklyn guessed he should be thankful that Umbridge didn't have a magical eye.

Umbridge so far didn't use her wand to demonstrate spells, other than use the blackboard and float books out to each student, claiming their previous subjects to be uneven, and now had to follow a ministry approved course. That was just too ridiculous for the gargoyle to comprehend, even Hermione had complained about the lack of defensive spells in the books.

"I can't imagine why you would need spells to use in my classroom!" Umbridge chucked in that girlish tone Brooklyn was slowly growing to hate, as he kept watching.

"We're not going to use magic?" Ron asked in shock. Umbridge gave him a simpering smile. "You'll be learning about defensive spells in a secure risk free way."

Brooklyn hissed silently, having the urge now to jump in and give the toad what she deserved. Risk free way, huh? That sounded ridiculous!

Harry looked pretty pissed. "What use is that? If we're going to be attacked, it won't be risk free!"

Umbridge ignored him. "Students will raise their hands when they speak in my class! It is the view of the Ministry that a theoretical knowledge would be sufficient to get through your examinations which after all is what school is all about!"

But Harry's temper was slowly now getting the better of him, and the red gargoyle readied himself just in case.

"And how is theory supposed to prepare us for what's out there?"

"There is nothing out there, dear! Who'd you imagine would attack children like yourself?" Umbridge questioned in a honey coated voice.

"Dunno, maybe Lord Voldemort?" Harry then responded hotly. Brooklyn then took his que, stepping in, much to the class's surprise. One or two of them looked at Brooklyn in fear, too. He ignored them.

Umbridge gazed up at Brooklyn, giving her most simpering smile yet that made him want to throw up.

"And what is the meaning of you barging in, halfbreed?" She asked in a rather taunting voice. Brooklyn growled, standing near Harry.

"I'm here to defend him and his friends from your brainwashing ideas. If it were up to me, I'd take over teaching everybody how to defend against Voldemort, Demona, and the Death Eaters," he growled in response. Her eyes were narrowed, but she kept smiling.

"A noble but treacherous thought, halfbreed, but you have no authority here in my classroom. It is said you have been told that a certain Dark Wizard is at large once again, and working alongside another halfbreed. But this is a lie!"

Harry started. "No! It isn't a lie! I saw him and fought him! Brooklyn had two Unforgivable Curses cast at him by Voldemort, too!"

"Detention, Mr. Potter!" Snapped Umbridge, walking to her desk. Brooklyn clenched his hands at the unjustness.

"So, according to you, Cedric Diggory dropped dead, and I went crazy in the maze?" He snarled. Umbridge's face twitched.

"Mr. Diggory's death was a tragic accident, and you were struck by some magical spell or injected from a creature to addle your mind!"

Harry's anger rose. "No! It was murder! Voldemort killed him and Brooklyn had to watch me be tortured! You must—!"

"Enough!" Umbridge shrieked, making the class jump from her outburst.

Brooklyn had no words to describe at how angry at Umbridge he was. She was perhaps the most vile human besides Voldemort and Lucius that he ever came across.

"My office for your detention, Mr. Potter. Tonight," whispered Umbridge in a dangerous soft tone. Brooklyn growled at the unjust punishment, but it wouldn't do any good to snap at Umbridge again. He hoped that whatever she wanted to do with Harry wouldn't be terrible.

Later that evening, Brooklyn was waiting for Harry to return from his detention. Griff had really been enjoying Hogwarts so far with all of its amazing detail in structure.

Most of the students were sitting in there doing homework, and the Twins were doing their usual things, now they were testing their latest invention for their Joke Shop, Weasley's Wizard Wheezes on the first years. Hermione tried her best to stop them with no success, other than threatening to write to Mrs. Weasley.

Harry then came inside, holding his hand as he sat down in between Ron and Hermione, pulling out his homework.

Brooklyn immediately went over to ask him about it.

"So? What did she do to you?" The red gargoyle asked questioningly, but Harry wouldn't give him full details.

"Nothing, Brook. Just lines that's all." He responded, writing made up dreams in his dream journal. Brooklyn frowned, but didn't press it any further until Hermione noticed Harry's hand, which looked quite red and raw.

"You said she was just giving you lines!" Ron gasped in shock, and Brooklyn, to his anger, could even see words in the skin, I must not tell lies. His hands shook with anger at Umbridge.

That foul, that evil… he seethed silently. If he had known, he would have pulled Harry from it and did it himself, but he knew Umbridge wouldn't go for it, that made Brooklyn even madder.

"You need to tell Dumbledore," Hermione told Harry, who pulled his hand away.

"No, he's got enough on his mind, and I won't give her the satisfaction," he grumbled in that same anger from last night. Even Griff looked pretty pissed at Umbridge for doing this to Brooklyn's brother.

"Hey, Mate, you can't let her do this to you. This is torture! I'd march straight to her office and give her a piece of my mind!" He proclaimed bravely. But Brooklyn shook his head.

"It's not worth getting you kicked out, Griff. We need you here. It's only a matter of time until the Minister comes to his senses and removes her himself, or I will tell McGonagall," he muttered, taking Harry's hand gently, while Ron pulled out essence of murtlap to put his hand in, which seemed to help.


The weeks went on, as things seemed to take a dip down terrible lane. Brooklyn couldn't even go down one hallway without people giving him spiteful looks, or running away in fear again.

Guess this is what life at Hogwarts is like sometimes, first losing house points, then the tournament, now this, he thought dully to himself. Umbridge kept having Harry come back to detention, despite Brooklyn's efforts to do them in Harry's place, but Umbridge simply says each time that it was his own punishment to watch Harry doing it for being his lie spreading brother.

They had written to Sirius when detentions where finally over, using Wyvern to deliver it about Umbridge being the worst Professor ever, not being the same without Hagrid, Dumbledore avoiding Harry, etc.

Brooklyn one afternoon decided to give Harry a break from everything by taking him out for fresh air. The brothers ended up in the Forbidden Forest, where they encountered Luna there, among a family of Thestrals.

She turned, smiling at the sight of them. "Hello, Harry Potter and Brooklyn," she greeted. Brooklyn nodded in greeting, until he noticed she wasn't wearing shoes. "Your feet, Luna. Where are your shoes? Aren't they cold?" He asked questioningly. She shrugged.

"A little bit. My shoes have mysteriously disappeared. I expect the nargels are behind it," she replied. Brooklyn still had no clue at what those creatures were, so he didn't bother asking. Harry looked rather interested in the Thestrals.

"What are they?" He asked. Brooklyn then remembered he wanted to tell Harry about them.

"I read about them in my book and saw them a couple times in the Forest and the carriages. They're called Thestrals," he said to Harry, who looked rather surprised that Brooklyn had been able to see these horses the whole time.

Luna smiled at the one she was petting. "They're really not that bad, though many people see them as a bad omen," she said.

That reminded Brooklyn of how people saw gargoyles, they never try to hurt innocent people, but because of how they look, people feared them.

"Thestrals can only be seen by those who have seen death," Luna then said, after finishing petting a male one who turned away, raising its wings and flapping while giving out its call. Brooklyn lowered his head at those words. He didn't like the idea of having to watch somebody snuff it just to see these creatures.

Luna gazed at him with a sympathetic look. "Have you seen anyone you know die?"

Brooklyn shook his head. "No, it is mostly humans I don't know in Manhattan I've seen lose their lives countless times," he muttered.

"But what about you, Luna?" Brooklyn asked. Her eyes turned a little sad, but she explained.

"My mum. She was quite an extraordinary witch. She did like to experiment with new spells."

Brooklyn couldn't help but think of Puck from the way Luna described her mother, always trying new spells.

"But then one day one of her spells went badly wrong. I was 9 when it happened."

"I'm sorry," Harry muttered. And Brooklyn felt pretty sad for Luna losing her mom.

"It's alright, I still feel sad about it, but I got dad. By the way, he and I believe you two," she suddenly threw out.

"Uh, what?" Brooklyn asked in confusion.

"That He-Who-Must-Not-Be-Named is back, that the gargess Demona is working with him, Harry fought him and that the Ministry is conspiring against you two and Dumbledore," Luna said.

"Thanks," Harry said in a dry tone. "It would seem you two, Neville and Katie are the only ones that do."

"Perhaps that's how he wants you to feel, even with your brother there," Luna explained in a soft voice. "If I was him, I'd want you to feel cut off from everyone else. If it's just you alone, you're not as much of a threat." She smiled at them afterward.

Brooklyn grinned back, until something nudged his leg. Looking down he saw a small Thestral baby cooing up at him. He chuckled, as he knelt down to try and pet it. The baby backed up from this strange creature, tilting its head and giving a little shrill call.

Luna handed Brooklyn a scrap of meat, and he held it in his hand out to the baby Thestral, who smelled it, came closer, and ended up taking it out of Brooklyn's hand and swallowing it. The baby then nuzzled his hand, trying to lick off the remaining bits.

"You know, these Thestrals remind me of gargoyles, people fear them because of how we look, but deep down we aren't so bad," he told Harry and Luna who smiled at his sudden wisdom of words as they hung out together for a while longer, enjoying each other's company while playing with the Thestrals. Brooklyn appeared to be quite well mannered and careful around the little Thestrals when he played with them. For he didn't think they were scary at all.