Brighter Than the Sun

Chapter Twenty-Three

With every ounce of strength I could muster, I raised my head a few inches and saw an animal amid the light, galloping away across the lake... Eyes blurred with tears, I tried to make out what it was... It was as bright as a unicorn... Fighting to stay conscious, I watched it canter to a halt as it reached the opposite shore. For a moment, I saw, by its brightness, somebody -- no, not just someone -- there were two people there, welcoming it back... raising their hands to pat it... two people who looked strangely familiar... but it couldn't be...

There was a young man with messy black hair and round-framed glasses and a young woman with long blonde hair on the opposite shore. I staggered to stand next to Harry, and he slung an arm around me to keep me steady.

"Are you seeing this?" He asked. Stunned, I nodded.

"My mom and your dad," I replied.

Then a golden light descended from the sky. A young man, about twenty, floated in front of us. He had azure blue eyes and sandy hair. His smile was as bright as the sun, which wasn't really saying something. After all, he was the sun.

"Dad," I breathed, kneeling before him.

Harry's eyes widened in surprise. "Wait -- he's your dad? I thought Sirius--"

Apollo placed a hand on my shoulder. "Aisling. Tonight your actions can change everything. Make your decisions sagely. And as for you, Harry Potter..."

Harry was staring at him. "Who-- who are you? I thought--"

"The time is not right for you to know me," Apollo said. "Make sure my daughter stays alive. She's got an older brother to give some Chocolate Frogs to."

"Brother?" Harry asks, absolutely shocked. "You never told me you had a--"

"How did you know?" I asked.

Apollo pointed at himself. "God of the prophecy. I know all."

I was skeptical, but I didn't say anything.

Thunder suddenly rumbled in the sky. Apollo rolled his eyes and glared. "Yes, father, I'm coming!" He turned back to us. I thought he was going to say something deep and meaningful, but instead, he recited,

"Bye, whippersnappers,

Hope everyone believes you.

Apollo out. Sleep."

Because of course no appearance involving my father would be complete without one of his trademark terrible haikus. The last thing I saw before blacking out was Harry's bewildered face and my poet of a father disappearing and returning to Olympus with a bright flash.

"Shocking business. . . shocking. . . miracle none of them died. . . never heard the like. . . by thunder, it was lucky you were there, Snape. . . "

"Thank you, Minister. "

"Order of Merlin, Second Class, I'd say. First Class, if I can wangle it!"

"Thank you very much indeed, Minister. "

"Nasty cut you've got there. . . Black's work, I suppose?"

"As a matter of fact, it was Potter, Weasley, Granger, and McKeon, Minister. . . "

"No!"

"Black had bewitched them, I saw it immediately. A Confundus Charm, to judge by their behavior. They seemed to think there was a possibility he was innocent. They weren't responsible for their actions. On the other hand, their interference might have permitted Black to escape. . . They obviously thought they were going to catch Black single-handed. They've got away with a great deal before now. . . I'm afraid it's given them a rather high opinion of themselves. . . and of course Potter has always been allowed an extraordinary amount of license by the headmaster --"