A/N: Hey everyone! I'm glad to see I've got some new readers—very, very cool. I'm also glad that you're all enjoying this story; I can't wait to post all the scenes from the Shrieking Shack, when Harry and gang come in, because I know that you'll like reading them as much as I liked writing them. But, let's not jump the gun—it's only Christmas, after all…(or at least it is for Sirius…)

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Chapter 9

A Present for 13 Birthdays

November passed by, and Sirius didn't hear another word from Crookshanks. He thought it was odd that he could communicate with a cat—and it was even more odd that the cat could communicate with him. But he knew that kneazles were incredibly smart, so he guessed that was why it could tell that he was an Animagus. But how did it know he was innocent?

Sirius also found himself thinking of Belle often. He wanted her to come see him again. He never really realized how much he missed having her around until she was gone. He missed lying on her couch, while she scowled at him for leaving dirty footprints on her pillows. He missed drinking his tea in silence, while Belle scowled at him over the Daily Prophet for slurping. But mostly he just missed her. And he never really got a chance to show his appreciation for taking him in, when nobody else would have even considered it.

But Christmas was approaching, and Sirius wanted to see Harry too. He wanted to get him something to make up for the 13 birthdays that Harry had gone parent-less and godfather-less. It was more than unfair, and Sirius wanted to get him something that Harry could cherish for years to come. But nothing came to mind, until he remembered what happened to Harry's Nimbus 2000.

He decided to buy Harry a new broomstick. He could afford it… the only question was how to get it? Which model to buy was not a question, however. The newest model around was the Firebolt. It was the fastest, most amazing broom the wizarding world had seen—it came complete with its own identification number and everything. It would be the perfect gift. But how do I buy it?

One morning, determined to get a Firebolt catalogue, as a dog, Sirius ran into the post office. The man working there yelled at him to get out, but Sirius grabbed one of the catalogues in his mouth, and ran right back out again. The man didn't follow him, which was lucky for him, because Sirius was on a mission, and there was no way he could have been caught.

Later that night, Sirius transformed into a man for the first time in about a month. With a stolen quill in his hand and stolen ink well next to him, Sirius started to fill out the order form.

He wrote his name as Harry's, for he knew that no one would accept a purchase from a run-away murderer. But since this was a gift, Sirius wrote down his own Gringotts account number, hoping that no one would notice or care that it was his.

When the sun was down, and the owl-post office was closed for the night, Sirius transformed back into a dog to deliver his order. He slipped the order into the mailbox, so that it would be picked up at delivered the next morning. Hopefully Harry would receive his Firebolt on Christmas. Sirius only wished that he could tell him who gave him the new broom, and why he gave it to him… and how sorry he was that all this happened, and that I've never been there for you when your aunt and uncle were ass-holes…

But he left the mailbox happily, knowing that Harry would be in for a little Christmas miracle, a la Sirius.