Chapter Sixteen; The Best Christmas Ever

A few months later Harry returned back home for the Christmas holidays. Hermione went with him since her parents had their own plans for the holidays. For it looked like Hermione was going to get her wish having a little brother after all. Her aunt and uncle had passed away and left her five year old cousin Elvis an orphan, so her parents were now going through the process of adopting him.

"Now if only my parents will give in and let me get a dog." She said as she stepped inside the house behind Harry. Cowboy and Katie got reacquainted with each other while Harry greeted Tobey and his other siblings with hugs and kisses. Then he heaved a heavy sigh and hauled Hedwig's cage back to his room.

"Harry?" Hermione questioned as she followed him down the hall. "Are you alright?" she asked him as he set the owl cage on top of his desk.

"Yes, it's fine, it's just that_" he began. "I thought that I saw my other dad out on the lake since his patronus was a stag."

"But Harry, your other father's dead." She told him.

"I know, that's why I feel so foolish about it. I only found out later that I was the one who did it. It was my future self." He explained.

"Well Harry that's good! You must be a very powerful wizard to conjure a patronus like that!" she exclaimed.

"I know that's what my father said." He began before Hermione suddenly realized that Snape was standing behind her.

"Uh Hermione, is it alright if I have a moment alone with my son?" he asked her.

"Sure." She replied with a slight nod before she turned around and left the room while Harry stared out the window as his father walked over to his side and placed his hand on top of his shoulder and rested it there.

"I just wanted to say that it took a lot of courage for you to be able to do what you did. You proved me wrong, and that's really hard to do. I'm proud of you son." He told him as Harry suddenly felt his eyes fill up with tears before his father wrapped his arms around him and hugged him tightly. "I know what you're thinking, but you can't bring him back Harry." He told him.

"I know," Harry began with a sniff. "and I don't want to. He's with the angels. And besides, I've already got a father." He finished as he smiled up at him while Snape smiled back down at him. "I love you." He told him.

"I know that," Snape began with a nod. "and I love you too. But really can you blame me? It's sort of impossible not to." He finished as Harry chuckled before they finally broke apart.

"Harry come quick!" Tobey cried as Harry rushed back down the hallway and out into the dining room.

"What is it?" he asked him.

"You've got a package, and there's a letter with it." He explained as Harry grabbed the envelope out of his hand and tore it open. A wide grin fell back onto his face as he read it silently to himself.

Dear Harry,

I figured that you could use this is your Qudditch games.

Merry Christmas!

Love, Sirius

Harry quickly tore into the long package that sat upon the table next to it and discovered that it was a Firebolt which was supposed to be the newest and fastest modeled broomstick yet. He smiled back up at his parents before his mother smiled back down at him and placed her hand upon his shoulder. "Well go on then, take it outside and try it out." She told him as Harry grinned and grabbed ahold of his new broom inside the palm of his right hand and then swung his legs over it and shot up into the air.

"Woohoo!" he cried as both of his parents stepped out into the doorway and tilted their heads up towards the sky grinning and waving at him.