"I can't, I just… 'Mione I don't know what to think." He threw the envelope on the ground and headed to lake's edge, then turned around and waved his wand. A few minutes later his Firebolt was in his hands and Harry was flying about the pitch. Hermione sat on the rock and looked at the parchment that was peeking out. She could barely make out the signature, and was sure she saw the word Potter. She watched her friend a moment more and reached down to pick it up. She sat in the stands to be nearby in case anything happened, but curiosity got the better of her.

Dearest Harry-

Since you are reading these words, it means the spell has fully canceled and you know who your real father is. Make no mistake, I was your father; at least I felt every bit that. I loved you like you were my own, and I always considered it true; blood made no matter. The love your mother had was immeasurable. I count myself lucky that she was in my life in any capacity. Her love was what changed me. She was like a sister, Lily was. When the war began, we came to a helpful understanding that I will forever be grateful for, for it brought you into my life. Lily has a hunch, and since they are very rarely wrong, I feel compelled to write to you.

Since you are reading these words, it means that I am gone. I hope beyond hope that you will not know this war, but I fear that you will be at the center. Trust your instincts and make sure you can count on the ones you keep close. It appears I trusted too easily and I would not want you to make the mistake I did. Keep your friends and family close. I placed Sirius Black as your godfather, and I will forever stand by that pledge. I know Lily had her reservations, and so Remus Lupin is officially your godfather, but you can completely trust in Sirius. He's hard headed and impulsive and runs off at the mouth sometimes, but there is no other person, save your mother, that I trust with your life. She and I just had to agree to disagree on that point. I loved you from the start Harry, and I wanted you to have everything you deserved and more. Everything my name has brought me is yours. I left the details with your father. Know that you were your mother's pride and joy, son. Know that because of you, she was happiest. Even in the darkest of times, you were her ray of light, as you were mine. Live well son, and take care.

Forever Love,

James Potter

Tears were streaming down Hermione's face. She glanced up and saw that Harry had slowed, but was still flying through his emotions. She folded the letter and placed it back in the envelope. She sealed it with a spell that would ensure only those who Harry trusted could read it. She wasn't sure what Harry was going to do with it, but wanted to make sure it was safe.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~SRH~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Severus Snape was sitting in his favorite chair with his favorite glass full of his favorite brandy, until he opened the envelope. Because the spell didn't register anything hazardous, he felt confident in opening the envelope and gazed down to the signature so he knew whose words he was reading. The glass flew into the lit hearth and the flames grew momentarily until the alcohol dissipated. It took all of his self-control to not stand and pace. He closed his eyes for a moment to gather his bearings and began to read.

Severus-

I know you will not heed these words unless absolutely necessary and I beg of you to listen. You cannot destroy the letter until you have acknowledged the contents, so please, do not try.

"I must be losing my touch if the thought of destroying this wasn't at the forefront of my mind." Severus was seething, but he sat back and began to read, strictly for curiosity's sake.

Nothing I can do or say can make up for the way I treated you while we were in school. Nothing could have when I was alive, and surely nothing can now that I am dead. These words are not easy for me to say, as I am sure they are not easy for you to take in. I am truly sorry for everything that I did to you. A foolish boy I was, and I can safely say that even back then you were the better man. Know that as much as I love Lily, there is nothing between us. She is like a sister to me. Even if I felt that type of love for her, her heart belongs to you as it always had. I loved your family as best I could, and I took care of them like they were my own. Your son is an amazing boy, even at just a year old. He is most certainly yours I should tell you. The way he looks at me sometimes, it is as if I am looking into your eyes. This boy means everything to me and I want him to have the world. Everything my name has given me now belongs to him.

"Oh, I would say so." Severus stood and moved to Harry's room, parchment still in hand. He watched through the charmed window at his son flying through his emotions and Severus' heart lightened despite the words from his long dead rival.

The vaults should be transferred to Harry's name through Lily's will. You are set as his trustee until he has turned seventeen. There is a vault that is solely yours, number 623. You should have to do no more than walk into Gringotts and allow them your wand for proof, as all should be set to your magical signature. If there is a problem, there is a master key for all of the vaults. It should be in your vault.

Severus narrowed his eyes at the paper. There was nothing in his vault save the coin he has earned all these years, last he checked. He rarely used money for anything. All potions ingredients were on the school's tab. He raised an eyebrow and kept reading.

Do not be so surprised, Lily is quite the charms expert. As per Lily's will, Remus has also been noted as Harry's true godfather. I will tell you that I will stand by my stating Sirius Black as such. As much as the two of you loathe each other, he can be counted on. If I ever believed in anything so fiercely, it is that fact. He can be a trusted ally, once you rein him in. Remus should know that better than anyone. I wish I could have told you all of this personally, especially the apology. Should you still feel hatred, I beg of you to release it. It will only damage you. I do not want the responsibility of causing you further pain, especially after so long. I know I do not deserve your forgiveness, Severus and I would not be so bold as to ask for it. What I will ask of you is to let the past remain where it is. Nothing can be done to change it. Look to the future, to your son. I trust by now he looks as he was meant to so there should be no more reminders of me. Love him as best you can. Take care of him as I will try to do from my side.

James Potter

Severus clenched the fist not holding the parchment. He walked out of Harry's room and set the parchment back into its envelope and into a drawer of his desk. He then proceeded to ward such drawer against any and all.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~SRH~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Ron should have seen the signs, but he was too far into his own world to pay any attention. In all honesty, he didn't even know why he was mad at Harry. You really couldn't pick your family, after all. Merlin knew he would have taken Percy out of his own long ago if he could. So he sat and watched their Defense professor stalk around him, the usual kind eyes as gold as the sun and not a smile to be seen for miles. When his professor spoke, gone was the carefree man he had grown to respect. Here was a man that meant business and did not seem to be capable of emotion; at least not positive emotion.

"We need to discuss your horrid behavior." Ron flinched at both the words and the tone. He really felt horrid. He was just stuck in his own head and he didn't know how to get out. He simply nodded.

"Yes sir." Remus continued to circle Ron. He knew he was terrifying the poor kid, but he needed to get ahold of his emotions. He was furious and elated all at once about the turn of events. He loved Harry more than anything and he always considered him as his own. He was furious that Lily's words weren't taken into consideration to begin with and he was so excited to officially be a part of Harry's life. He spent a better part of the school year being involved with the boy, but having it official gave him an extra spark. It was that spark that had him circling the youngest male Weasley.

"Would you care to explain your behavior?" He had calmed somewhat. His protective instincts hit hyper drive and he needed to back off. Scaring Ron witless would not help anything. He mostly needed to know what path to take to make sure Harry and Severus remained safe. Ron shook his head and shrugged.

"I… I don't…" He just kept shaking his head. Remus took a deep breath, grabbed a chair, and set it in front of the desk Ron was sitting in. He straddled the chair and clasped his hands across the back and waited. Silence ensued for ten minutes. Remus was going to give him five minutes more when the boy finally spoke up.

"I wish he would have told me." He knew it was coming.

"Do you blame him for not? The way you have been acting proved he was right in not telling you." He wasn't going to let the blame be pinned on his cub. Ron took a deep breath and met Remus' eyes for the first time since walking into the room.

"I suppose I have been a right git. I just don't understand. Why did it have to be Snape?" Remus was no Legilimens, but he didn't need to be to see what it was Ron was thinking.

"Professor Snape, Ron. And that is not my story to tell. What you need to do is ask Harry that himself. Then again I do not even think that is the entire issue." He left the words hanging to see if the boy would come out with it. Ron narrowed his eyebrows in thought. Remus leaned slightly to stretch his back and waited to see if Ron was going to come up with the answer. After several minutes, Remus discovered that the boy himself didn't even know. Not consciously.

"Ron, look at me. You were having problems with Harry coming to see me as well, weren't you?" He could recall the small arguments earlier in the year about Ron begging Harry to skip their Dementor lessons so they could play chess or exploding snap. It was now crystal clear what Ron's problem was and Remus sighed in relief.

"Not really. I mean, at first it was okay because I felt bad he didn't have anywhere to go when we went to Hogsmeade. But then it was all the time. He didn't want to play chess or anything." Ron suddenly looked disgusted. "I sound like a whiny brat, don't I? Hermione tried to tell me, but I wouldn't listen." Ron crossed his arms over his chest in frustration. He couldn't believe what he had been doing to his best friend.

"Ron, listen. Harry is still going to need you, need your family. He has his father, yes. But he still needs his friends. That would be like saying you didn't need him because you have your family, large that it is." Ron's eyebrows were lost in his hairline. He hadn't thought about it like that before. He still had reservations because after all, it was their feared and hated Potions Master. But Harry had seemed happy these last few weeks. He wasn't even having nightmares anymore. That should have been the first sign that he was okay.

"Professor, will he ever forgive me?"