The Son of the Stars

☆

Sirius’ least favorite time of year was the beginning of summer. If you asked pretty much any other fifteen-year-old, they would probably say that they were counting down the days until the weather got warmer, school was over, and they were free to do as they pleased for three blissful months. But for Sirius, the shift from spring to summer marked the beginning of the only time of year when his best friend in the entire world, James Potter, was not by his side. Every year at the beginning of summer, James got on a train that carried him to the depths of Long Island to summer camp. And Sirius was left behind. 

The train in question stood before Sirius now, on platform 9 at Penn Station. His best friend was wrapped in his mother’s arms, while his father looked on fondly. Seeing the three of them like this always made Sirius’ chest twist with a combination of love, gratefulness, and a tiny hint of jealousy that Sirius tried his best to push away.

“Remember that you’re taking this train all the way to Montauk,” Euphemia was saying as she pulled away from her son, “and then the taxi will pick you up there to take you to camp.”

“I know, Mum,” James said exasperatedly. “I’ve done this before. I promise I can handle it.”

Fleamont smiled, taking Effie’s hand. “Good luck, James. Don’t forget to write home!”

“Okay, Dad. I’ll write you all letters every day. Twice, even,” James grinned, his eyes shifting from his parents to Sirius, who brightened his own smile in response. He never wanted James to know what his departure did to Sirius’ heart, which currently felt like lead in his chest. On reflex, he stepped forward and wrapped his arms around his best friend. James encircled Sirius with his arms in response, and they stood still for a moment, holding each other. 

“Don’t get into too much trouble without me,” James murmured into Sirius’ ear. “I’d hate to miss it.”

Then stay, every part of Sirius screamed, but he only smirked as he stepped back from the embrace. “How could I get up to anything without my partner in crime?”

“All right, boys, it’s time. James, you’d better get on that train and be off,” Monty said.

James nodded, leaning down to pick up the handle of his suitcase. He gave his parents each a kiss on the cheek before he climbed the steps of the train and disappeared from view. 

Sirius felt a light touch on his wrist. He turned and saw Effie, her right hand still in her husband’s and eyes bright and glassy, reaching her other hand for Sirius’. He silently took it, swallowing the lump in his throat.

Together, the three of them stood hand in hand on the train platform, watching James slowly glide away.

☆

Sirius was very quiet as they left the station. He didn’t speak as they made their way above ground, down 8th Avenue, and into a nearby diner. 

“Sirius? Are you all right?” Monty finally asked after they had ordered their meals. 

Sirius fully intended on saying yes. He wanted to say of course, everything’s fine, I’m just a little tired. Don’t worry about me. But of course, what came out of his mouth was, “Why can’t I go with James to summer camp?”

Or maybe he had meant to say it. Maybe this was the question that had been at the back of his mind for four years, ever since the first summer after he came to live with James, Effie and Monty. 

Sirius had been eleven years old. He had only lived with the Potters for a short time when summer rolled around, and he was in no place to ask them to let him go with James. He knew that they loved him, but as their son’s best friend, not as one of their own. That summer was spent getting to know Effie and Monty, the three of them going to the park on hot July days to throw a Frisbee and then quench their thirst with Effie’s homemade lemonade. Sirius treasured that summer, because it was the first one for as long as he could remember that he had been able to spend with the freedom to act like a child. That summer ended Sirius’ association of the season with dark rooms without windows, old books with tiny words that he didn’t understand, and a hand on his shoulder, nails digging into the skin, words of disappointment and anger whispered in his ear. Sirius wondered about James’ camp, but only to the extent that he couldn’t understand why his best friend would choose anything other than staying at home with his wonderful, loving, beautiful parents. 

When Sirius was twelve, things had changed. He spent more time with the children in the neighborhood than with Monty and Effie, because their jobs kept them later and longer this summer. Sirius bounced from house to house, but he never bonded with any other children as much as he did James. He started to miss his best friend more than ever, feeling his loss every time the neighborhood children looked at him strangely, like he didn’t belong.

Sirius was thirteen when things started to go wrong. He didn’t know what caused it or how it started, but his luck started turning for the worse. One time, he was playing in the street with Cecilia Reid, a girl who lived down the street from the Potters. They were playing a simple game, but when she went to tag him out, she swung her arm around and slapped Sirius across the back so hard that he fell onto the scalding, hard asphalt. Sirius didn’t remember much, only his face growing hot from embarrassment and anger. The next thing he knew, a loud thunderclap sounded, echoing through the quiet air. Confused, Sirius rolled over to a sitting position and looked over to Cecilia. A dense, black storm cloud hovered over her, the only cloud in a vast blue sky. As Sirius watched, the cloud burst, and rain started downpouring onto Cecilia’s head. Sirius had ended up on her doorstep, bone dry next to a soaking wet, shivering and sobbing girl, trying to explain to her mother that he had no idea what had happened. Needless to say, Cecilia didn’t want to be around Sirius anymore, much like most of the other children on their block. Sirius had never been happier for James to return.

At fourteen, Sirius had asked James if he could come with him. It was a week before James was scheduled to leave, and Sirius didn’t want to face another summer alone. James got very quiet when Sirius asked, and Sirius could tell that he was trying to formulate a response that wouldn’t hurt his friend’s feelings. Knowing it was out of the question, and uninterested in being lied to, Sirius blurted out quickly, “It’s fine. Forget I said anything. I don’t even really care either way.” He had stood up and left the room, hiding in the bathroom for ten minutes, head in his hands. When he came out and saw James again, they both acted like the conversation had never happened. 

Summer camp was one of the only things that James didn’t talk about with Sirius. He told him fleeting details, like his heroic victory in a game of capture the flag or a canoeing trip gone wrong, but he was always eager to change the subject whenever it was brought up. Sirius didn’t know why, because James clearly loved his time at camp. He began to glow with excitement as the school year ended every year, just as Sirius started falling into a gloom, and he never took off his camp necklace. The necklace was simple, just a leather cord with five clay beads, with a new one appearing at the end of each summer along with a tanned, smiling James. Sirius always wondered why James didn’t share this part of his life with him. At fourteen, Sirius started to wonder if maybe James was afraid. That if Sirius heard all about his wonderful times at summer camp, he would want to join him. That maybe James didn’t want him to come. 

But the question still remained, waiting at the back of his mind. 

“Why can’t I go with James to summer camp?”

Effie and Monty exchanged glances, as if they were having a silent standoff over who was going to have to address this. Eventually, predictably, Effie won, and Monty turned to face Sirius. “Why haven’t you ever asked before?”

Sirius sighed, sitting back in his chair. “I asked James once.”

A silent moment passed as Effie and Monty shared a glance. Eventually, Monty prompted, “What did he say?”

“He didn’t say much, but he made it pretty clear it wasn’t an option,” Sirius answered, allowing his frustration to give his voice an edge. 

Effie looked at Sirius with regret in her eyes. “James’ camp… the process to be accepted is difficult. Not many campers get in. We didn’t pursue it with you… because we weren’t sure if you were the right fit.” 

Sirius tries to ignore how much that stings. Why? What is it about me that makes me not good enough? 

Monty exhaled, shifting in his seat. “I am sorry, Sirius. Truly. The last thing we want is for you to feel like you aren’t included in this family.”

And that cut deep. Sirius felt those words right in the center of his heart, because he knew them to be true. Effie and Monty were two of the most giving and caring people Sirius had ever met. When their son’s best friend showed up on their doorstep, terrified and alone, they took him in without a second thought. Effie and Monty never made Sirius feel like he wasn’t cared for and loved. But at the same time, in a secret, hidden, selfish part of himself, Sirius feared that they wouldn’t see him as their son. Not in the same way James was. 

When Sirius found out that James was adopted, they were six years old. They had met a few months earlier, when Sirius started attending James’ elementary school. James had said it so matter-of-factly, like he knew that it didn’t matter, because his parents had never treated him like anything less than their beloved son. Sirius understood then the unwavering, tenacious nature of the love of Fleamont and Euphemia Potter. Perhaps that was what drew him to their door at the age of eleven, when all he wanted was unconditional love from a mother and father. Even if they weren’t his own. 

And at this point, Effie and Monty loved him. No one could deny that. But this was the first time in years Sirius truly doubted if they viewed him as their son. 

He wasn’t sure he wanted to know the answer.

☆

“Welcome to the Met!” their chipper tour guide exclaimed as she led Sirius, Effie, Monty, and a group of five German tourists through the doors of the exhibit dedicated to Ancient Greek and Roman art. “My name is Kimberly, and I’ll be introducing you to one of our most unique exhibits. Today, we’ll be taking a look at art that dates all the way back to the 5th millennium BCE, from the great ancient Greek and Roman empires. We received our first ancient object about 150 years ago, but the permanent exhibit was not established until 1935. What you see today is the latest version of this exhibit, which we renovated extensively in 2007…”

Kimberly’s voice faded into the background as Sirius took in the exhibit around him. He usually couldn’t stand museums, hating the never-ending white hallways and homogeneous artifacts. Sirius always got restless in situations like this, and couldn’t wait to escape into the daylight again. This room, though, Sirius had to admit was beautiful. White columns held up a portico that surrounded the room on all sides, with a glossy black marble floor and an arched glass ceiling that let in the sunlight and the blue sky. Surrounding them were statues, vases, and paintings, placed on tall marble pedestals that loomed over Sirius. 

Every year after dropping James off at the train station, Sirius and the Potters spent some time exploring the city. They never did the same thing twice, always wanting to try something new. This year, Fleamont had suggested they visit the Met’s exhibit of ancient artifacts. Sirius would’ve put up more of a fight, if he hadn’t also been somewhat curious. Something about ancient history had always intrigued him, more so than any other subject in school. He assumed it had something to do with his and James’ history teacher, Professor Dumbledore. The old man spoke about history and mythology with such knowledge and authority that Sirius and James couldn’t help but be drawn in. Not many of their fellow students felt the same, with most of their classmates staring blankly at their instructor with glazed eyes, as if the words from Dumbledore’s mouth weren’t quite sticking in their minds. 

Sirius made a mental note to tell his teacher about the exhibit when he saw him in the fall, as he refocused on the tour guide, who was leading the group over to a terracotta slab. 

“...from the sixth century BCE,” Kimberly was saying, her blonde ponytail bouncing as she turned around to face the group. “As you can see, there are chariots painted along the bottom of this funerary plaque. This was common in Attic funerary monuments, and it also represents the chariot games that were held in commemoration of ancient heroes. One example of this is Patroclus’ funeral celebrations in the Iliad, led by his friend Achilles.” 

Sirius snorted at that. He remembered the day that Dumbledore told their class about Patroclus and Achilles, about a tragic love story between two men. The way Dumbledore talked about the pair was very gentle, in comparison to his usual energy and passion about ancient history and myth, almost as if he had known them personally. The story had stuck in Sirius’ mind long after class was over. Yeah, they were really good friends, he thought to himself. 

As if she had heard him, their guide turned her gaze toward him. It was just for a brief moment, but it made Sirius’ hair stand on end. He quickly looked away and back at the plaque in front of them. 

The group moved on to the next artifact, a large vase with intricate designs. Sirius could see a picture of two men standing atop a mountain, one holding a trident and the other what looked like some kind of flaming spear. Water flowed beneath them, carrying the forms of human beings, along with one small boat. Further along the body of the vase, Sirius saw a man and a woman holding stones in their hands. 

“This vase represents the story of Deucalion,” Kimberly told them. “He was the son of Prometheus, the Titan who created the human race from clay. On the left side, you can see the king of the gods, Zeus, deciding to exterminate the entire human race. He asked his brother Poseidon for help, and together they raised an enormous flood that completely wiped out humankind. Deucalion, with his father’s help, built an ark for himself and his wife Pyrrha, and they were both able to survive the flood. If this is sounding familiar, this is where Christianity gets its story of Noah and his ark.”

Sirius gazed at the picture. Both of the gods towered over the flood filled with human bodies, their faces set with anger. 

“After the flood, Deucalion and Pyrrha consulted an oracle about how to save the human race. They were told to gather the bones of their mother and cast them over their shoulders. The oracle meant the earth mother, Gaea, one of the oldest gods, and the couple realized that her ‘bones’ were stones. After following their instructions, the stones that Deucalion threw became men, and Pyrrha’s became women. Their actions were able to create a new generation of the human race, which would become the Ancient Greeks.”

Kimberly turned away from the vase and surveyed the group. “Greek myths like these served a very different purpose to most modern-day religion. Sure, they demonstrate the power of the gods. But they also represent their abuse of that power, as well as their personal flaws and mistakes. This story highlights Zeus’ unjustified anger with humankind, and his rash decisions that followed. Furthermore, it tells a story of humans overcoming the wrath of the gods. Deucalion’s story is a reminder that the side of the gods is not always right.”

The tourists in their group chattered amongst themselves in rapid-fire German, not seeming especially invested in the story. Out of the corner of his eye, Sirius noticed Effie and Monty look at each other with apprehension.

Sirius instinctively moved forward to get a better view of the vase, and his elbow collided with Kimberly’s. A sudden jolt of static electricity passed between them as his skin brushed against her skin. Sirius turned to face her to apologize, only to see her hardened eyes already on him. She looked him up and down, in a way that made Sirius’ skin crawl. 

“Careful, sweetie,” she sneered.

Sirius stepped back, confused. Next to him, Effie’s expression was becoming increasingly concerned. She elbowed her husband lightly and said under her breath, “Flea, I think we should leave.”

Monty turned to her, confused. “Now? We can’t just walk out, we’ve got a whole other—”

“Yes, now,” Effie interrupted, taking her husband’s hand and stepping backward. “Sirius, come on.”

Sirius opened his mouth to protest, or at least ask what was going on, when Kimberly’s head snapped in their direction. “Leaving so soon?”

Effie froze. “Yes, sorry, we— we have another commitment to get to. Come on, boys, we’ll be late.” She tugged at Monty’s hand. Sirius noticed that her other hand was surreptitiously digging around in her purse. 

Kimberly took a few steps towards them, inching closer to Sirius. As she walked toward him, Sirius registered that she smelled strongly of roses, and something else that Sirius couldn’t entirely place, something natural and wild. It made his brain feel a bit fuzzy, and he blinked, trying to refocus. “Were you not impressed with my tour?”

“No, um— it was great,” Sirius replied, glancing between Kimberly and the Potters, his mouth dry. “We just— we have to go.”

“Surely you can stay a little longer.” Kimberly was right next to him now, her eyes piercing. Every instinct in his body was screaming at him to run, but he was frozen in place, unable to free himself from her gaze. “We haven’t even gotten to the most exciting part of the tour yet! You can’t miss the immersive experience. Come on, Sirius Black. The fun’s just getting started.” 

Distantly, Sirius’ foggy mind realized that at no point had anyone mentioned his last name. 

“How do you know who I am?” he asked, stepping back from Kimberly and towards the door. 

“Oh, honey,” Kimberly growled. “Don’t play innocent. You know what you are. You know why you’re here. And I’m sure you know why I can’t let you continue.”

Sirius knew his mind still needed to catch up to him, but even that couldn’t explain why Kimberly’s eyes suddenly turned a fiery red. He stumbled backward, bumping into Effie and Monty, as their tour guide began to transform. Her eyes glowed like embers as her skin drained of color. She grinned at the three of them, and Sirius could see her teeth sharpening into a set of long, vicious fangs. 

Is she a vampire? Sirius thought to himself. Almost immediately, he dismissed the thought. Vampires couldn’t exist. 

Then again, the fanged creature in front of him was very, very real. 

The room was getting darker. The sun disappeared, and Sirius could see through the glass roof that dark clouds were beginning to swirl above them. He felt Effie’s hand on his arm, pulling him towards the door. He turned around in an attempt to follow her, but a screech rang out behind him.

“You don’t really think you can escape me, do you, Black?!” 

Sirius glanced behind him to see Kimberly’s head engulfed in flames, lunging straight at him. 

He dove to the right, Kimberly’s hand closing on the air where his arm had just been. Sirius landed on his left arm, pain radiating through his shoulder. He bit the inside of his cheek and rolled over, finding his footing and standing up. Kimberly was still closing in on him, her hair aflame and a wicked sneer on her face. Every time her left foot stepped on the ground, a small clang rang out. Sirius glanced down, and saw that her left leg was made of some kind of metal. Her other leg was covered in brown fur and ended in a hoof. Before Sirius had time to process that whatsoever, he heard his name being called.

“Sirius!” Effie shouted. Sirius looked past Kimberly at her and Monty, standing about ten feet from the door. “Run!” 

Sirius didn’t need to be told twice. He took off running through the exhibit, hoping Kimberly would follow behind him so he could get a clear shot at the exit. Above him, a rumble of thunder cracked across the sky. The clouds were almost black now, ready to unleash a storm at any moment. But Sirius couldn’t look up, couldn’t look back at Kimberly, only focused on running as fast as possible.

After running through the center of the room, Sirius rounded a corner, nearly running into a pedestal displaying a bust of Augustus, and saw the exit about fifteen feet away. Effie and Monty stood just outside the room, panicked expressions on their faces. Kimberly was nowhere in sight. 

Sirius sped up, running harder than he ever had in his life. When they saw him, Effie and Monty’s faces melted in relief, but only for a moment. Effie’s eyes shifted from Sirius to the space right behind him, and she gasped. “No!” 

Before Sirius had time to react, he felt fingers close around his left arm, claws digging into his skin, and then a jolt that sent shockwaves of pain through him. Kimberly lifted him up into the air, turning him around to face her. Sirius could feel the heat rolling off her fiery hair. 

“That was a mistake, sweetheart,” she hissed, before tossing him in the opposite direction. Sirius flew through the air before slamming into the marble floor, skidding along until his back collided with a statue base. 

“Don’t touch him!” Sirius heard a voice scream. He raised his head slowly to see Effie approaching Kimberly, who had turned to face her.

“Stay out of this, mortal,” she spat. “Don’t get involved in situations that don’t concern you.”

“The hell I won’t!” Effie countered. “If you think I would ever let any harm come to Sirius, you are gravely mistaken. What has he ever done to you, anyway? He’s just a boy!”

Kimberly threw her head back and cackled, the sound echoing through the hall. “Just a boy?”

“Yes,” Effie insisted. “A human. A mortal.”

Kimberly’s gleeful expression shifted to one of intrigue as she turned to face Sirius, who had started to push himself up off of the ground. “Oh, this is unbelievable! Do you really not know?” she said with a grin. Sirius couldn’t tell if she was talking to Effie or himself. 

When no one answered her question, Kimberly turned back to Effie. “No matter. If you’re choosing to defend him, you’ll have to be dealt with.” 

She lunged at Effie, knocking her to the floor. Every bone in Sirius’ body screamed No!, but he wasn’t even back on his feet yet before Effie’s arm shot out, holding a small copper canister. She pressed a button, and a stream sprayed from the canister directly into Kimberly’s face. 

Kimberly screeched, digging the heels of her hands into her eyes. Her hair seemed to erupt, the flames shooting higher as she stepped back. “You’ll pay for that, you bitch!” she screamed, her voice thick with fury. Baring her teeth, she snarled as she brought her clawed hand up, ready to strike. 

Before Sirius could even think, he heard a deafening BOOM!, as the brightest light he’d ever seen filled the room. He squinted as spots swam in his field of vision. 

After a few moments, he could make out Effie still sitting on the ground. Above her— Sirius couldn’t tell if his vision was still playing tricks on him. It looked like Kimberly was disintegrating, fading away into dust. What was left of her was smoldering and charred black. Her red eyes met his from across the room one final time before dissolving into nothingness. 

Sirius felt something wet dripping down his face. He looked up at the ceiling, only to find the glass panes had shattered. Rain poured into the room, trickling down Sirius’ cheeks and extinguishing the scorched floor where Kimberly had been standing. A bolt of lightning arced through the clouds.

Sirius heard Monty’s footsteps, turning to see him rushing over to his wife. “Are you okay? Are you hurt?”

Effie gave him a strained smile. “I’m fine, love.” She shifted her eyes from her husband to Sirius as he approached them. “The lightning… it only struck her.” 

Monty exhaled, pulling her to his chest. “You can’t be running into fights with monsters without anything to defend yourself. You’ll get yourself killed.”

“Hey, I defended myself fine,” Effie replied, holding up the canister in her hand. “Emergency Celestial bronze pepper spray. Now we know it works in a pinch.”

Sirius’ mind was moving a mile a minute. How could Effie and Monty be talking about monsters like they were a normal occurrence? What was celestial bronze, and why did Effie have an emergency stash of it in her purse? What did Kimberly mean when she said she knew what he was? What was he? What exactly was she? 

He heard voices in the background. The group of tourists was staring at him. They didn’t look afraid at all, more confused. They were pointing at the ceiling, chattering to each other in German. Their eyes looked slightly unfocused, like they were trying to see something that wasn’t there. Behind them, two museum security guards approached, taking in the scene with astonishment on their faces.

“Sirius.” Monty’s voice was stern, his arm still around Effie who had made her way to her feet. “We need to go.”

Not needing to be told twice, Sirius followed them out of the room and through the winding halls of the museum. 

No one spoke until they had left the building, escaping into the daylight. Sirius looked up at the sky in bewilderment. There was no sign of the storm that had caused the lightning strike. In fact, there was not a cloud in the sky, brilliant blue as far as the eye could see. 

Sirius was struck with a memory of Cecilia Reid, which sent a cold shiver down his spine. When he met Effie and Monty’s eyes, they were both looking at him the same way Cecilia’s mother had on that cloudless summer day years ago, like they knew this couldn’t be a sheer coincidence, and they were starting to wonder whether Sirius really had nothing to do with it.

Sirius opened his mouth to speak, although he wasn’t truly sure what he was going to say. The words died on his lips as Effie stepped in.

“Sirius.” Her voice was apprehensive, as well as somewhat regretful, almost apologetic. “I think it’s time you started going to summer camp.”