Brightest Star

Prologue

The cloaked man ran, carrying the wailing bundle of a child in his hands, dodging the spells thrown towards him.

"Stop! That's my child!" the father cried, barging out of the door of the cottage by the sea. "Petrificus Totalus!"

A woman carrying a shrieking baby boy in her arms ran towards the front door. "No! Athena!"

The man dodged around a corner. The father followed, running and firing spells all the time at him. Some muggles stopped and stared at the red sparks coming out of the father's wand. But the cloaked man kept running, the bundle sometimes nearly falling out of his hands. It looked like both the men didn't care whether they were seen or not.

The man rounded the corner and apparated with a wave of his wand, taking the crying child with him.

Sirius sank onto the floor, knees weak. They were all asleep when it happened. Why did he have to take Athena? Why didn't he take Henry as well? What value does his newborn daughter have to the man?

Sirius closed his eyes, fighting back a tear and felt his body shift and transform into a black dog. He lifted his head and howled towards the crescent moon and the stars, shining in the dark night sky.

It was one huge mess of a holiday, for sure.