Brooklyn had been sleeping soundly during most of the night, involving dreams of him and Katie flying together, but Katie was a gargoyle, flying alongside him. At that moment though, a loud scream jerked him awake, eyes round, as he saw Harry writhing about in his bedsheets, getting wrapped up hard in them and gripping his forehead, screaming. This wasn't a good sign!

He immediately ran to him, startling Ron awake who came to help, untangling the sheets.

"Harry! Harry!" Brooklyn yelled out, shaking him, trying to snap him out of it. Harry then threw up all over the edge of the mattress, and Brooklyn felt even more scared than ever, what did his little brother see?

Ron came over to help, his eyes wide with fear.

"What's wrong?"

"I dunno, but it may have something to do with his scar, it's hurting him again!" Brooklyn exclaimed in panic, holding onto Harry as best he could so he wouldn't hurt himself from this. Neville spotted the commotion, and said he was going to get help.

There had been several scar incidents especially during Umbridge's detentions. At one point Harry told them he felt his scar burn when she touched him, and Voldemort was happy about something, that made Brooklyn feel nervous, for what would that guy feel so happy about? The murder of another victim?

"Harry, its okay!" Brooklyn cried out again, his brother's face full of fear.

"B-Brooklyn, Mr. Weasley! H-he's been attacked! I d-saw it! A giant snake bit him, there was blood everywhere!" He gasped, still trying to recover. Brooklyn felt his eyes flash in rage and fear, Voldemort's demented snake was out there, and it hurt Ron's dad?

"What? Dad's hurt?" Ron yelped in horror. "Maybe...you were just dreaming mate…"

"No! It wasn't a dream!" Harry shouted back, struggling again, but Brooklyn wouldn't let go.

"Calm down!" Brooklyn begged, as Harry ended up throwing up again while slowly feeling the pain in his scar subside.

He could hear Seamus and Dean whispering to one another, and Brooklyn felt that rush of anger flood him. His brother was in pain, he witnessed somebody getting hurt, and they still thought he was mad!

McGonagall then came. Harry and Brooklyn both did their best in giving the urgent news, and she then told them to come with her to Dumbledore's office. Brooklyn thought that it was about time he and Harry both got to talk to him, after he avoided them both for most of the year.

In the office a few minutes later Harry explained everything and Dumbledore sent one of the headmasters to his portrait at the Ministry of Magic, and gave a Portkey to them for them all to go to Grimmauld Place after Dumbledore sent his Phoenix with an urgent message to Mrs. Weasley and Una. Brooklyn was worried for both Harry and Mr. Weasley. He didn't know how much more of Voldemort Harry could take entering his dreams, and if that snake Nagini had delivered the fatal blow or not while flying in the swirl of colors...

As Brooklyn, Harry, and the Weasleys arrived in the kitchen, the gargoyle heard the familiar voice of that lowlife house elf, Kreacher.

"Back again, the blood traitor brats with their winged pest. Is it true that their father is dying…"

"OUT!" Came Sirius, looking pretty anxious and mad, and Kreacher left, still muttering under his breath. Una was there, too, her eyes round and worried.

"We got Fawkes's message that Mr. Weasley was injured." She gasped, as Brooklyn nodded, still having a tight hold on Harry's arm.

"Yeah, it's Voldemort's crazy snake Nagini, she's been on the prowl, and somehow entered the Ministry." He growled. Una gasped softly in horror from this.

After trying to calm the Weasley children down, Sirius summoned up drinks for everybody, which Brooklyn was more than happy to accept. He needed one after all this. His eyes felt really tired, but his senses stayed alert, while they waited for any news that felt like it was taking forever, even when news arrived about Mr. Weasley being in the hospital, but no word on his recovery.

The minutes ticked by, Brooklyn sat on the floor, holding his knees close to his chest, as he watched the others positions, Ginny curled up on the chair like a cat, her eyes wide, Harry and Sirius both glancing at one another awkwardly, and Ron's face in his hands. Eventually he found himself mesmerized by the dripping wax from a candle for something to do, until the door to the kitchen opened, and Mrs. Weasley came in, her face pale, but her eyes looked relieved.

"He's going to be fine, he's sleeping right now," she said in a tired sounding voice. Brooklyn felt a new rush of relief. He couldn't stand the idea of one of his friends being slaughtered by that menace of a serpent, shivering a little when he remembered first encountering Nagini in the graveyard.

After everybody had a somewhat cheerful breakfast, a nap, and lunch, they all went to visit Mr. Weasley at St. Mungos. Brooklyn felt some nerves growing from having never set foot in a magic hospital before, scared of what kind of injured folk he was gonna see.

The entrance to St. Mungos was perhaps the most, well, interesting entrance, he really had no words, it was an old department store where Tonks approached the glass window with a really ugly dummy.

"Wotcher, we're here to see Arthur Weasley."

Brooklyn would have found this moment very weird if he had been a passerby and saw a spiked haired woman speaking to a dummy that probably couldn't hear them through the glass.

But to his amazement, the dummy gave a slow nod, involving Tonks seizing Ginny and Mrs. Weasley by the elbows, disappearing through the glass.

Of course, another special entrance. It's always involving magic, should've guessed, the red gargoyle thought, rolling his eyes at his yet another moment. He was suddenly grabbed by the Twins, who pulled Brooklyn through the glass with them, that felt cool and like liquid, until he emerged on the other side into St. Mungos.

There were so many people in the waiting rooms sitting on rickety chairs. He grimaced at the sight of some of them that either had extra limbs, one witch that was sweating with steam coming out of her mouth like a teapot, etc. witches and wizards in green robes with a small symbol that was a wand and bone crossed while asking the patients questions and writing down info.

Brooklyn learned they were healers, as the group moved along to the front desk, taking in the sights of the hospital. In the front of the queue, the gargoyle spotted a young Wizard hopping up and down in his shoes, and from what he was screaming about, were eating his feet. The witch at the desk waved him off to the spell damage area. After checking in when it was their turn, followed the witch to where Mr. Weasley was.

They finally arrived at the ward for bites, and the witch let them inside, the Weasleys first. Harry and Brooklyn both stayed back, but Mrs. Weasley was most insistent that he wanted to see them too, pulling the brothers inside.

Mr. Weasley gave them all hugs, even if he was covered in bandages, Brooklyn was glad that he was able to hug his family.

He at one point pointed them over to a sickly looking man lying on a bed nearby.

"Is that guy okay?" Brooklyn had asked, though Mr. Weasley had a small frown on his face.

"He had been bitten by a werewolf. Poor chap. No cure at all." Brooklyn was pretty dumbfounded at this news, as was Mrs. Weasley.

"Shouldn't he be in a private room?" She questioned worriedly, but Mr. Weasley explained the full moon wasn't for another two weeks, and he had tried telling him he'd be able to lead a normal life, but the guy didn't believe him.

"But what about the Prophet, does it say anything about this?" Fred asked as Mr. Weasley cast it aside.

"No, of course not, the Ministry wouldn't want everybody to know how a dirty great serpent got—."

"Arthur!" Hissed Mrs. Weasley, causing the two brothers to snicker silently, guessing what he had been going to say.

Eventually Mrs. Weasley ushered the kids and Brooklyn out while Moody, Tonks, and Leo discussed business with Mr. Weasley. From what Brooklyn could make out, it made him worry about Harry even more. According to Moody, Harry had been inside the snake's head? Was this whole thing the reason why Dumbledore had been avoiding Harry?


Ever since they've returned to Grimmauld Place and the holidays began, Harry had taken the liberty of avoiding everybody, because of what Moody said about him. Christmas once again was in the air, and Brooklyn noticed changes in the gloomy house, involving the row of house elf heads he saw on his first week here being dressed up in Santa hats and beards, Sirius singing Christmas Carols with different lyrics joyfully.

Truth be told, he was glad to stay here for the holidays and not at Hogwarts with the toad breathing down their necks. Griff had arrived a day after they visited the hospital, and sometimes he and King Arthur would join in with Sirius's singing, making the beaked gargoyle chuckle softly when he once saw them with butter beer and singing.

When he still didn't see Harry on the week before Christmas, he'd had enough of his brother avoiding them, even when he'd tried knocking on the door twice and wanting to talk, Harry wouldn't open it for Brooklyn or anybody else. Hermione showed up arriving on the Knight Bus to celebrate the holidays with them, and she joined with Brooklyn to find Harry to snap some sense into his brother and bring him downstairs.

They found him in a room with Buckbeak, who had been living with Sirius here in the house, and Harry was simply sitting in there, looking depressed, feeding the Hippogriff ferrets. When Brooklyn opened the door, Harry looked up at him surprised.

"What are you two doing here? And I thought you went skiing with your mom and dad," he told Hermione. She shrugged.

"Well, to tell the truth, skiing's not my thing. So I've come here for Christmas. But don't tell Ron, I told him it was really good because he kept laughing so much. Mum and dad are a bit disappointed but I've told them that everyone who is serious about the exams is staying at Hogwarts to study. They want me to do well, they'll understand."

Brooklyn then spoke, holding his hand out to Harry who still looked hesitant. "Let's get you to your bedroom, little bro. Mrs. Weasley's lit a fire and there's some lunch for us." Harry then reluctantly followed them to the room, where Ron and Ginny have been waiting.

"So, how've you been feeling?" Hermione asked.

"Fine," Harry muttered back, but Brooklyn didn't buy it, as he grabbed Harry's shoulders.

"Harry, what you've been doing for the past few weeks, avoiding people who've been nothing but worried about you has been stupid! I've been trying to talk to you forever, but you shut me and everybody else out!"

Harry glowered back. "It's the rest of them that don't want anything to do with me! I didn't want to talk to anybody because—." He cut off.

Brooklyn frowned. "I can tell you from experience, Harry, is that when I had been possessed by him, he'd wipe my memory clean, and I'd always wake up in a strange place without remembering how I got there. But with you, you remember your dreams when I couldn't. That doesn't sound like you're possessed to me."

Harry flinched, recalling Brooklyn's experiences with Voldemort. Guess he had been pretty stupid about this. Oops!

"S-sorry, I'd forgot," he mumbled, but Brooklyn gave him a hug. That didn't matter anymore now.

"B-but what about me being inside the snake? Couldn't have Voldemort somehow transported me—?" Hermione interrupted, giving an exasperated sigh, and Brooklyn then knew what she was gonna be saying next, for she phrased it many times, even though he had read through it.

"One day, you'll read Hogwarts a History and perhaps it would remind you that you can't apparate or disapparate inside Hogwarts. Not even Voldemort could make you fly out of your dormitory.

Brooklyn nodded. "Yeah, and I saw you in your bed thrashing until me and Ron woke you up."

As if it had somehow sparked some kind of new light, in just a second, Harry grinned and grabbed a sandwich to stuff into his mouth.

And with that, celebrating Christmas was even better now that Harry wasn't hiding himself anymore, as they woke up on Christmas Day opening up their presents. Brooklyn ended up laughing at the presents Ron and Harry got from Hermione, a homework planner that said things like do it today or you will pay! But he admitted that his from her was a lot nicer: a box of assorted candy, both from Hogsmeade and from London. Ron looked quite jealous of his present, as he began to start on a bar of Honeyduke's chocolate.

The Twins suddenly apparated into their room, Fred had a sullen look on his face.

"Don't go downstairs yet, Mum's crying again." The gargoyle felt a little surprised at this. It was Christmas! Why would she be crying?

"Percy had sent back his Christmas jumper, with no note and he didn't even bother to visit dad in the hospital," George grumbled angrily.

Brooklyn gave a soft growl. He now wanted to knock some sense into that stupid kid for making his mother cry and not for checking in on his dad.

After a time they were able to come down, and Hermione even tried giving Kreacher a present by leaving it in his room in a cupboard. When they peeked inside, it was perhaps the most revolting room Brooklyn had ever seen: junk everywhere, and a portrait of a terribly familiar person, an uptight woman with dark black hair and heavily lidded eyes, Bellatrix Lestrange. Brooklyn tensed at her portrait, remembering her from the Pensive. She appeared to be Kreacher's favorite person. Hermione laid Kreacher's present inside and they left quickly to have lunch with the rest of the family.

After lunch they all went to Mungo's again to pay Mr. Weasley another visit. The hospital was quite festive, and he was happy to see them again, opening each of their Christmas presents. Brooklyn had given him an assortment of electronics, including a microphone, a cassette player with some music tapes, and a camera.

There had been an awkward moment where Mrs. Weasley discovered her husband trying out Muggle stitches, causing her to start shouting. Brooklyn then said he'd fancied a cup of tea and quickly pulled his friends out with them, to get away from the arguing.

What the friends weren't expecting was that while trying to find the place where tea was served, they happened across another ward for spell damage, and were greeted by none other than Lockhart! Brooklyn was practically open mouthed at the sight of the old Professor, who still had memory loss from Ron's defected wand and being treated like a 4 year old under the care of a motherly looking healer.

Lockhart gave Brooklyn a childish grin. "Well, you're the most interesting looking creature. But you seem familiar. Have we met?" Brooklyn shuffled his feet awkwardly. "Er-uh—." He mumbled. "Y-you used to teach Harry a few years ago at his school." Lockhart looked somewhat alarmed at this before smiling again.

"Must've taught him everything, haven't I?"

At that moment Lockhart's healer came in, guiding him back into the ward and unwillingly, Brooklyn and his friends ended up going inside with them, for he asked if they wanted autographs. And the witch said he never got visitors and still loved to sign photos.

Brooklyn gazed about the ward as the witch told them that it was a long term one, seeing so many people in there not looking quite well who had many of their personal belongings around their beds, a sallow skinned Wizard lay on his bed, muttering up at the ceiling and unaware of anything, and a woman covered in fur, that reminded the gargoyle of what had happened to Hermione. Further down, he saw two beds with curtains drawn around them. The healer delivered gifts to some of them, a woman who was barking instead of talking, and a potted plant to a man named Bode.

"Oh, Mrs. Longbottom! Are you leaving already?"

He turned about, seeing to his surprise, Neville's grandma along with her grandson walking away from the closed curtains. That's when Brooklyn immediately knew who occupied those beds with a clenched heart, Neville's parents, Frank and Alice.

"Hey, Neville!" Brooklyn called, and the round faced boy jumped at the sight of them, looking down. Mrs. Longbottom spotted them, and eyed Brooklyn curiously.

"You're that gargoyle Neville wouldn't stop talking about, aren't you?" She asked after greeting Harry and the others vigorously. Brooklyn nodded nervously as he shook hands with her. She smiled.

"No need to worry, I don't think like those people. You're friends with Neville, and that's all I need."

Brooklyn ended up smiling from that.

"Is that your dad there, Neville?" Harry softly asked, causing him to turn red. Mrs. Longbottom looked quite shocked that he never told them, but Harry and Brooklyn already knew, and Brooklyn didn't think he'd feel sorrier for anybody than Neville, his parents still alive, but not themselves anymore.

"They were Aurors, you know, and well respected in the Wizarding community." Mrs. Longbottom continued. "Highly gifted, the pair of them - yes, Alice, dear? What is it?"

Brooklyn saw Neville's mother waddling down the ward, and his chest felt tight. She looked terrible, no longer plump and happy like in the photo from Sirius, her hair was white and dead looking. The once beautiful face was now thin and worn, and her eyes so overlarge. She didn't seem to want to speak or just couldn't as she made timid motions to Neville with her hand. And then he drew in a breath when Alice's eyes saw him, tilting her head curiously.

If Voldemort kept the torture curse on me, would I have ended up looking like her? Brooklyn then thought in small fear, imagining himself in Alice's position, and he shuddered.

Alice had given Neville an empty gum wrapper, that he accepted, whispering thank you to her while Mrs. Longbottom gave a false smile. She then tottered away, humming to herself. Small tears threatened to come from Brooklyn's eyes. He didn't know now if Harry had it worse or Neville.

Hot anger boiled towards the one who did this to Alice, Bellatrix. This had looked even worse than he'd imagined from what he heard from Crouch in the pensive.

Lockhart's voice snapped him out of his thoughts.

"Look! I didn't learn joined-up writing for nothing, you know!"