(Next chapter is FINALLY up... Sorry for it being so late. PLEASE RATE AND REVIEW THIS! Please, please! Don't make me beg.. I want at least 28 reviews. 30 would be GREAT. The next chapter will be in Christmas. ^.^ Sorry that it's kind of short, the next one, I hope, will be longer.)

Hogsmeade

The carriage bumped hard, Cleo nearly fell off the seat during the bumpy ride. As they jolted along the path, Cleo hoisted herself up again and.. bump, she was down yet again. Sighing, she gave up and just sat there till the ride was over.

When it finally DID end, Cleo was the first to crawl out, then the others followed along with her. Cleo smiled and looked around, all the same stores were there. Cleo really wanted to start Christmas shopping, and looked at them.

"Why don't we split up, and meet back here in an hour?" James asked, looking up from his watch. The group nodded. Remus and Astra went off together, and Draco and James headed to the Quidditch store. Sirius was going to go with Cleo.. however she was no where in sight.

Cleo, the second he said they'd split up, was off to shop for things for her friends. Cleo figured Sirius would want to tag along, but she wanted whatever she bought to be a surprise. So, Cleo twisted around in the crowd, to lose any followers..

Cleo walked into a clothing store, that sold clothes. Cleo looked around, and found a pretty baby blue top that she thought Astra would like. Cleo paid for it, along with some light blue earrings, and ran into the book store in Hogsmeade.

Cleo wondered what Remus would like. She knew he enjoyed books, so she wanted to get him something big, and a good read. Cleo spotted something that caught her eye. In the shelf, it was a big, thick, scarlet book, and in gold it had on the cover, "The Lone Wolf." It sounded nice, and as she flipped through it, it was a book about wolves, were wolves, and other things that might help Remus with his, er, little problem.

She smiled happily as she paid for it, ignoring the strange look she got from the clerk, and strode out, heading to Zonkos for James' present. This would be easy, since she knew the thing he liked most. Dung bombs and Filibuster Fireworks.

After buying James' present, Cleo walked around, trying to figure out what Draco would like. He had changed a lot during the year, and for the better. She knew he liked Quidditch a lot, so it was off to the Quidditch store she went.

After buying his present, a small snitch in a small circle thing, that zoomed around, turning into different colors in its ball, Cleo had one more present to purchase. Sirius's present. This would be tricky, since she knew he liked Quidditch, and pranks, then quickly remembered something she saw in the Quidditch store, and turned around to get it.

Inside, she went to a corner, and looked at the bludgers, and beaters clubs. She was pretty sure that Sirius' was wearing out, so she decided to get him one. The man at the register had carved the word 'Padfoot' in it for her, and she thanked him after paying, and strode out, carrying her bag of stuff she had bought.

"Cleo!" Astra called, motioning for her to come over. Cleo did so, and by the time she got to her, the others had caught up, each carried a bag or so already. "How about we go get a drink at Hogs Head?" She asked. "Hogs Head?! Isn't that the rougher pub?" Cleo asked, slightly confused and slightly shocked, they never went there..

"Yeah, but just for a change! And it'll be fun.. I guess." Sirius said, shrugging. Cleo gave in and the group went off toward the pub at the end of the street.

"Six butterbeers." Cleo said to the bartender.

"No, I'm buying." Sirius argued but James disagreed.

"No I am." Draco shook his head.

"No, me, I insist." "All right." Everyone said, grinning and laughed. He smirked and put a pile of coins onto the counter, the man grunted in reply and handed them their butterbeers and scratched is side, sitting back on a stool, reading a magazine, 'The Quibbler'.

They grabbed a round table and sat down, chatting quietly and sipped their butterbeer for a minute, and heard some interesting conversation.

"Did you feel the burn?" A man said quietly to his friend at the table. Both of them wore black robes, hoods over their heads. This wasn't all that strange, since you got a lot of strange folk in Hogs Head, like the Leaky Cauldron.

"Yes, I think the Dark Lord is calling us for a meeting." His companion replied, taking a deep guzzle of some liquor. The group each glanced at one another, an eerie silence floated around the group of them.

"He is. I hear were getting some new ones, and he's planning to kill off Dumbledore." The first man replied softly. The group pretended to talk, but quiet enough they could hear the conversation.

"Dumbledore? Why Dumbledore?" The other man, who was a bit smaller, asked curiously.

"Well, everyone knows, Albus is a very, very powerful wizard. With the Flamel thing, and everything else. If we bring him down, the Dark Lord will have a clear path. When he gains power, then WE will gain power." The first man said with confidence, but also a hint of nervousness. Cleo bit her lip. She couldn't help it and turned around.

"Huh?" She asked, stupidly. The men, she couldn't see them, but they turned to each other, and then with a pop, they disappeared.

Cleo leaned back in her chair, Sirius slid down slightly, but everyone had the same, stony, expression on their faces.

"Yeah.." Draco said, everyone looked at him, Cleo and Astra especially. They knew that Lucius was a death eater, and the Marauders were pretty sure he would become on, or was one. Sirius blinked for a minute, then opened his mouth.

"You don't think that Lucius was one of those guys, do you?"

"Nah, I doubt it. Lucius had a much deeper voice, and they disapparated. No fifth year can disapparate. Though, you do know what this means, don't you? Their going to have a meeting with Voldemort -Draco cringed- and the other Death Eaters. And people will be joining." Cleo said, and there was a large, awkward, silence.