Brooklyn lay on a couch in Grimmauld Place, for he was told to wait there for Dumbledore to go along with him to get Harry from Privet Drive after the three week wait. He had been growing a little impatient waiting, even with the company of Sirius, Kreacher, and Buckbeak.

The London Clan and Arthur were already at the Burrow, waiting for them, so Grimmauld Place felt rather empty without their presence.

He gave a long sigh, sitting up, and went to look out the window for the Headmaster, for today was supposed to be the day. What was taking him so long?

"Butterbeer for your thoughts?"

The gargoyle jumped at the sound of Sirius's voice, and chuckled slightly from his reaction, gratefully taking the bottle, and downing it.

"Guess I was thirsty without knowing it," he said jokingly, handing the bottle back to Sirius, who noticed the former second in command's troubled gaze.

"Hey, he will be here, Dumbledore usually is almost never late, probably had some important things to deal with, first."

Brooklyn gave a small nod at his words, but he still worried, not for Dumbledore, but for his little brother, Harry Potter, still stuck at the Dursleys. He wondered how Harry was holding up over there, keeping his temper around them, and hoped that finally on his 17th birthday, he can at last ditch his Aunt and Uncle and come live here for good!

Then, a loud crack was heard, making the two jump, and a smile was present on Brooklyn's beak at the sight of the Headmaster, who Sirius opened the door for.

"Good afternoon, Brooklyn, sorry about my delay, other things crossed my path on the way here," he greeted in his soft voice. Brooklyn shrugged.

"Hey, it's cool, just looking forward to getting Harry-what happened to your hand?" He gasped in surprise, for Dumbledore's right hand was all black and dead looking. Sirius noticed too, eyes wide, not seeing anything like this before.

Dumbledore studied his hand curiously. "A rather unfortunate event that I will explain another time, Brooklyn. But now we must make haste to Privet Drive, take my left arm."

The gargoyle swallowed a bit, still looking at Dumbledore's black hand, but took his other arm, Sirius wishing them luck, as the Apparation began, Grimmauld Place vanishing into blackness.

Brooklyn kept his eyes squeezed shut, feeling the suction of it pressing on his sides, before at last, he was able to breathe again, standing on the streets of his brother's village. Still not a huge fan of Apparation himself, like Floo Powder.

"Now, Brooklyn, aside from picking up Harry, I have arranged a meeting with an old college of mine, to convince him to return to Hogwarts to teach," Dumbledore said to him, who nodded, as they knocked on the door.

It was opened by Harry, who looked glad to see them, and welcomed the two inside. Brooklyn helped Harry get his things while he left Dumbledore to 'entertain and discuss' to the Dursleys about their treatment of Harry. When coming back into the living room, he chuckled at the sight of three glasses of oak matured Meade bouncing on their heads, Vernon covering his and yelling at Dumbledore to stop.

"Professor, me and Brook are ready," Harry said, as Dumbledore waved his wand, and the drinks stopped hitting the Dursleys on the head. Brooklyn smirked at Vernon, who was glowering at the red gargoyle with distaste. He still hated that freak creature.

"Ah, good. Just one more thing, then, as you all are aware, Harry turns of age at 17…"

Petunia shook his head. "No, he doesn't!" Brooklyn's eyes flared white. "What?" He questioned in a stern tone. Her eyes flickered as she continued.

"No, he doesn't. He's a month younger than Dudley, and Dudders here doesn't turn 18 until the year after next."

Brooklyn rolled his eyes, these people obviously had no idea how aging works in the Wizarding World.

"Ah, but in the Wizarding World, we come of age at 17."

Vernon muttered "preposterous," while Dumbledore told them about how the protection spell over the home would vanish once Harry turned 17, and he would be able to leave them. He even chewed them out over ignoring what he wrote in that letter he wrote to them ever since Harry showed up on their front doorstep. In Brooklyn's heart, he wished with deep emotion that Harry had become part of their Clan instead.

As they turned to leave, Dudley had been watching the creature that the old man had been calling a gargoyle help Harry with his trunk. He scratched his head. This didn't look like something that a wild and unpredictable creature would do. Plus, he did hear 'Brooklyn' call his cousin a brother. Maybe he wasn't so bad after all.

With that, the trio headed to the door, Harry muttering a hasty goodbye to them as they stepped outside. Dumbledore made Harry's things disappear to the Burrow.

Brooklyn himself never imagined that he'd be walking down the streets of Privet Drive with the Headmaster of Hogwarts, for this was his and Harry's first interaction with him outside the school altogether. Harry had also noticed Dumbledore's misshaped hand, too.

After finding a secluded spot, they once again did Side-Along Apparation, appearing in an all new street. Brooklyn held a hand over his stomach, still not sure how people can handle it, and this was his only third time doing this!

"Okay, uh, what is this village? It's not the Weasleys," Harry asked after they caught their breath, noticing that they weren't at the burrow, but at another unfamiliar village. Dumbledore grinned.

"This is the charming village of Budleigh Babberton, Harry. I told your brother earlier that we have a task to convince my old friend to return to Hogwarts. This is where he is currently residing."

The brothers nodded, and suddenly a nearly broken down house appeared in front of them. When Brooklyn knocked on the door, it fell off its hinges, and he winced, gesturing his friends in.

It looked quite bad inside, furniture turned over, pictures torn off the wall, a crystal chandelier shattered on the floor.

"Are we sure your friend is okay?" Brooklyn questioned, nudging aside a broken chair with his foot, while Harry spotted a newspaper on the floor, where dragon blood dripped from the ceiling. But something was off, the Dark Mark would have been over the house if they couldn't find him, and he couldn't see any scorch marks of spells.

Dumbledore just smiled. "I believe he is right next to us," he responded, gesturing to a cushioned chair that was the only furniture not overturned. The brothers noticed a pair of slippered feet sticking out, and Dumbledore poked his wand in the middle, and to the red gargoyle's shock, a guy's head ripped through the fabric.

"Merlin's beard!" He yelped, standing up, revealing a pretty overweight man. Brooklyn couldn't stop staring. There was no end to magic surprises with these people! First turning into animals anytime they want to turning into furniture!

The man shook himself out. "No need to disfigure me, Albus!" He huffed, dusting himself. Dumbledore just smiled.

"I must say you make a very convincing armchair, Horace," he said. 'Horace' finished fixing himself. "Comes by the stuffing naturally, what gave me away?" He asked. Dumbledore pointed.

"Dragon's blood. Brooklyn, Harry, I want you to meet my colleague, Horace Slughorn."

Slughorn's eyes popped at the sight of Brooklyn, who expected it. This deemed almost every human's reaction to his appearance.

"Y-you're a—!" He yelped, and Brooklyn nodded. "Yeah, a gargoyle, the guardian of Hogwarts. I'm Brooklyn."

Slughorn lightly nodded, still looking rather shocked at the idea that he was talking to the gargoyle of Hogwarts.

"And well, you know who this one is," Dumbledore said, gesturing to Harry, and his expression changed almost immediately, looking excited now, making Brooklyn roll his eyes.

"Well, well, Harry Potter. I've wondered when I will meet you. But I know what you're up to, Albus, and these two won't persuade me! I won't do it!"

Brooklyn growled, making Slughorn jump. "We weren't brought here to force you to come back, Dumbledore just wanted to introduce us and maybe help you if you were hurt!"

Slughorn then had an apologetic look. "Oh, er, I apologize, Brooklyn. But I still don't want to return, considering what had been going on to the past few professors, along with your most recent one Umbridge being carried off by centaurs! You need to consider my safety and health if I set foot back in there!"

Dumbledore frowned. "The first four professors were accidents, but Umbridge had tortured my students and even my two gargoyle guardians. She injected Griff with Veritaserum and had the students and Brooklyn use a Blood Quill."

Slughorn looked disapproving. "So she did all that, did she? Foul woman. Never liked her."

Brooklyn nodded, he and Harry held up their hands, still showing the fading scars of the Blood Quill's effects, and Slughorn shook his head in disapproval.

"She got what she deserved in the end, though," Brooklyn said, grinning as he remembered chasing her out. Slughorn chuckled, imagining what might've happened.

"Also, Them Death Eaters have been trying to get me on their side, so I normally don't stay put in one place, the Muggles who owned this place are in the Canary Islands. Could be a shame to leave their nice house in a shamble when I leave."

Dumbledore spoke up. "Then we should probably put it back in order for them, wouldn't you agree?" Slughorn nodded. The two men drew their wands, and immediately the house began repairing itself down to every detail. Brooklyn smiled at this kind of magic that he usually liked, especially if it involved doing difficult tasks like reaching for something from a high place.

And in a matter of two minutes, the house was fully repaired, and Brooklyn made himself comfortable by sitting on the now fixed couch.

Dumbledore smiled at thei handiwork. "That was fun! You mind if I use the loo before we depart?" Slughorn said yes and he left the three of them alone together.

Slughorn gazed interestedly at them both. Brooklyn wasn't sure what to make of Dumbledore's friend, he seemed a bit too interested, but nice enough.

"You're very like your father, except the eyes, you've got—."

Harry nodded. He heard this many times. "My mother's eyes, yeah."

Slughorn had a reminiscent smile. "Lily, lovely Lily. She was exceedingly bright."

Brooklyn sat up with interest. "You taught my brother's parents?" He questioned. Slughorn started at Brooklyn's words, but responded.

"Sure! His mother was one of my favorites! Look, look on the wall! All the ones I've added to my collection of favorite pupils!"

The brothers studied the photos, Brooklyn smiling at Lily's, she looked so young. He could even see Sirius, James, and Lupin.

"I have deeply wished that Lily had been in my house, one of the best out of all of them, extraordinary talented considering she was Muggleborn."

Harry turned from the wall. "One of our best friends is Muggleborn, the best in our year."

This caused Brooklyn to fold his arms in suspicion. "Your house wasn't Slytherin, wasn't it?" He asked in an accusing tone, but Slughorn looked quite flabbergasted.

"Yes, but, don't think of me as prejudiced, I loved Harry's mother, I didn't care if she wasn't pure blood. Talent, heart, and study mattered to me when teaching them!"

Brooklyn relaxed a little. At least he wasn't like Flint or Malfoy, thank goodness.

Slughorn began pointing out the names besides Lily, including Gwenog Jones of the Holyhead Harpies, and Sirius's brother, Regulus Black, who was in Slytherin while his brother was Gryffindor. Brooklyn remembered sleeping in his room his first time staying at Grimmauld Place.

"Do you two know Sirius?" Slughorn suddenly asked. Brooklyn nodded.

"Yeah, he was convicted wrongly and nearly got murdered last year, but me, Harry and Dumbledore helped proved his innocence, and he's Harry's godfather," he explained as much as he could.

"Ah, so that's why he isn't in prison anymore, I'm quite glad that Sirius isn't falsely accused no more. Well done, you two. And I have to say, Brooklyn, you're quite the interesting gargoyle," Slughorn complimented. Brooklyn grinned a little awkwardly, but fortunately Dumbledore returned with a magazine from the bathroom.

"Horace, do you mind if I take this? I do love knitting patterns!"

Brooklyn chuckled to himself. Dumbledore did know how to lighten the mood.

Slughorn's face fell. "Yes, but, you aren't leaving already?"

Dumbledore beckoned Harry and Brooklyn to him. "Yes, I feel we've taken up your hospitality, and I know a lost cause, it would have been a great triumph for you to return. Oh well. Let's make our leave, you two."

Brooklyn glanced back at Slughorn once more, who's eyes sparked slightly. They hadn't gone more than a few feet when he opened the door, looking rather insulted for being called a lost cause.

"Alright, I'll do it! Satisfied? But I want a raise, and a fresh office!"

Dumbledore smiled back. "How wonderful, thank you, Horace. See you September 1st!"

Slughorn muttered coherently under his breath when he closed the door, leaving the trio to st last Apparate to the Burrow.

"Brooklyn, Harry, you are aware of how different things are going to be this year, right?" Dumbledore asked. The brothers nodded.

"I read a flier about safety precautions along with what dark creatures are out there, Inferi, and breeding Dementors," Brooklyn said, remembering that the Inferi were dead people brought to life by dark magic.

Dumbledore nodded in approval. "I hope you two can be strong together during this time, even with the Chosen One prophecy. And since Horace showed Harry his photos, he would want to try and collect him."

Brooklyn was confused. "But why?" He asked.

"I'm going to be giving Harry lessons, and Slughorn plays a vital part. And for you, Brooklyn, I suppose you could join in our lessons, if you wish."

The gargoyle felt deeply honored to be a part of this, he couldn't pass it up. Who knows what he could learn from the ancient Headmaster! "I-I would like to, Sir, thank you," he responded. The headmaster smiled at his enthusiasm.

With that, Dumbledore knocked on the door of the Burrow, and Mrs. Weasley's voice came

"Who is it?"

"Albus Dumbledore bringing Brooklyn and Harry Potter," He replied, as Mrs. Weasley opened the door, a hand over her heart at the sight of them.

"Oh, gracious, Harry! Brooklyn! Albus, you gave me quite a fright, you said not to expect you until morning!"

"We proved lucky, Horace Slughorn was a much harder person to convince than I thought. Hello, Nymphadora!"

Peeking in, the red Gargoyle spotted Tonks at the table, bags under her eyes, and her usually colored hair now a mousey brown, holding a mug in her hands. Brooklyn wondered what was wrong with her. She looked up at them, a sad smile on her face.

"Hello, Professor. Wotcher, Harry and Brooklyn." Brooklyn grinned back, hoping that their presence would cheer her. "Hey!"

Dumbledore then proceeded his goodbyes, and Mrs. Weasley guided Harry and Brooklyn in, much to the enthusiastic greeting of King Arthur and the London Clan. Brooklyn was glad to see them again, they had a lot to talk about.