11. Christmas shopping.

The second weekend of November the Quidditch match against Slytherin was held. Harry cursed the weather, overcast so it was gloomy but not a drop of rain. Both sun and rain would cause the Snitch to glint, but a dark, gloomy day like this one would not make the Snitch any easier to spot. Of course it was just as hard for Draco, but still, he wasn't too happy with the weather.

He ate breakfast, then he and Ron didn't even start on their homework like they had last time. They spent the morning going over various strategies with the rest of the team, and trying to keep from getting too nervous.

After a light lunch they went out to the Quidditch field to find the Slytherins already there, Draco triumphantly on a brand new Firebolt II.

"I told you he had one!" Ron exclaimed.

Harry nodded. "Figures."

"You're still the better Seeker," George encouraged him. The entire team fell in with him and feeling bolstered by their confidence, Harry mounted his own Firebolt and flew off to do a little warming up.

The other students streamed out of the school and onto the stands, and soon Madam Hooch called them all down.

"Remember, I don't want any foul play from anyone," she warned them. "That goes for both teams."

Reluctantly, Harry nodded. It wasn't as if they didn't try to play fair, but sometimes you had to do something when the Slytherins pulled every dirty trick in the book.

George, captain for this game, also looked grim as he shook hands with Draco, and Draco barely managed to hide his sneer, but they both quickly looked blank as Madam Hooch frowned.

"Then let the game begin." Madam Hooch released the Bludgers and the Snitch, then blew her whistle and threw the Quaffle in the air. Harry pushed off quickly.

No matter what the rest of the team said, Harry knew he and Draco were pretty evenly matched. He was good, but Draco had years more experience on a broomstick. They could stay close together to reduce the chances of a lucky win, but if the Snitch appeared anywhere further from where they were flying, it would be a close call. And it'd give Draco more opportunity to do something nasty. So Harry flew out alone, scanning the field.

Draco seemed happy to do the same, and for a while little happened, or little that affected them directly at least. The Chasers were in top form and scored the first goal again, but the Slytherins didn't allow Gryffindor to get as far ahead as they had against Hufflepuff. Ron stopped the first attack but let the second slip through. Both teams scored again, taking turns until it was 80-70 for Gryffindor.

Harry saw the Slytherin Beaters trying to send the Bludgers after him, but Fred and George were too good for them, and he only had to duck out of the way once.

And he still hadn't spotted the Snitch. He suspected it was hiding somewhere in the stands, if it'd been out in the open he'd have seen something by now, sun or no sun. He started a slow tour of the perimeter of the field.

Draco saw what he was doing and cut in front of him, circling the field in the same direction. Harry sped up and slipped past Draco, Draco passed him again, and they kept it up, going faster and faster as they both did their best to keep the other from scanning the stands for the Snitch.

They'd almost circled the field without seeing anything when suddenly something shot out from behind a pole, almost hitting Draco in the chest. With a cry, Draco grabbed it and whooped, flying out into the middle of the Quidditch pitch, holding the treacherous little ball in his hand.

The Slytherins cheered, and Harry groaned. His idea had been correct, but more luck than skill Draco had won.

"The Snitch has caught Draco," Lee Jordan announced morosely as he saw what happened, drawing a few brief laughs from the Gryffindor side of the stands, but they cut off quickly. Lucky hit or not, the game was lost.

Harry pulled up and his team mates gathered around him.

"Tough luck, man," Fred said.

"I bet they enchanted it," Katie complained.

George scowled. "Since that time with the rogue Bludger Madam Hooch makes sure none of the balls can be enchanted, and she checks them just before the game. It was terrible luck, though."

It was a subdued group that made their way to the broom shed, and back to the Gryffindor dorms. Harry hated to lose for his team, and he hated it even worse when it happened in such a stupid manner. Once it'd been the Dementors, causing him to fall while Cedric caught the Snitch, and now the blasted little thing practically flew into Draco's arms. If he had to lose from a team that was better than they were it'd be one thing, but this? It simply wasn't fair. Well, life wasn't fair, he'd learned that time and again.

-0-

Little happened the next month. They had classes as usual and spent a lot of time studying. The last weekend before the Christmas holidays was another Hogsmeade weekend. Harry, Ron and Hermione went out together as usual, but split up once they got to the village. They all needed to do some Christmas shopping for each other.

Ron and Hermione were both pretty easy to shop for. Harry found a large, new poster of the Chudley Cannons in which the team flew proudly on the latest Firebolt II's. Harry knew Ron had mentioned it and his own was several years old, cracked from the frequent moving and it didn't even have the newest Chaser who'd been recruited last year.

For Hermione he bought a book –what else? He browsed a long time, considering various subjects, but finally settled on 'Experimental Charms to Emulate Muggle Devices'. It showed spells that would propel a bicycle without having to put any weight on the pedals, light a ring of magical fire on the stove –saving gas and heating the food quicker- and other useful ways to do magic in the Muggle world, making things easier without being noticed.

When he had his presents, he shrunk them so they fit into his bag and went to the Three Broomsticks where he'd meet with his friends. Hermione was already there, chatting with Ginny, and Harry joined them. He ordered a Butterbeer while they waited for Ron to come in. Soon he, too, arrived and they had lunch together. After lunch they went out again, shopping for Ron's and Hermione's parents and other family.

Harry also bought the Weasleys a present, a tie with dozens of small, flying Snitches for Mr Weasley and the latest cookbook with the collected recipes from the Witch's Weekly for Mrs Weasley. For Hagrid he found a funny dragon figurine that breathed a real, tiny flame. He found a sturdy shrinkable backpack for Sirius in the pet shop –it was meant for dog owners to be carried by large dogs or their owners, and it would of course be handy for Sirius in that he could use it in either form. Of course, he bought some socks from Dobby, striped toe socks in bright colors with smileys on the toes.

Ginny had come with them after lunch, something which once would've irritated Harry but she no longer fawned over him and he liked her well enough. He started to look surreptitiously for a present for her, and after a while he managed to slip off pretending he'd forgotten something, and bought her a pretty, moving owl brooch. Then he rejoined the group.

While they were browsing the shelves at Dervish and Banges, Harry tried to think if he'd missed anyone. He had never bough as many people Christmas presents, he'd never had many people to buy them for. His eye fell on a mortar and pestle set. A few weeks earlier a Hufflepuff first-year had put some undiluted Bubotuber pus in the one in Snape's office during a detention, and Harry had noticed the other day that Professor Snape hadn't replaced it yet.

"Maybe I should get this for Professor Snape," he said aloud. "Do you think he'd like it?"

Ron looked at him as if he'd gone nuts. "Buy a present for Professor Snape? Are you crazy? Why, nobody does."

Harry shrugged. "Dumbledore probably does. But that's the point. I know what it's like not to get anything much for Christmas."

"Ron, sometimes you're such a dork," Ginny exclaimed. "I think it's a great idea. In fact, I think we should all go in on this."

Ron looked at his sister as if he saw water burn, but Harry liked the idea, and to his relief Hermione nodded.

"He hasn't been nearly as bad lately. Anyone can change," she said.

"He, well, he'd probably think we're trying to get better grades or something," Ron said.

"Last year, yes, but not anymore," Harry said after a moment. "You don't have to be in if you don't like it. I just thought it'd be a nice thing to do."

"Al right then," Ron gave in. As they picked up the set and walked over to the counter to pay for their purchase he trailed behind and Harry could hear him mutter, "A present for Snape, I can't believe it."

Finally, the time came to return to Hogwarts. The trip had been quite enjoyable, and Harry was glad they had not run into Draco this time, or seen anything else to distract them from their Christmas shopping.

-0-

Returning to Hogwarts, they quickly went back to their studies. Most teachers knew they would be distracted by the upcoming holiday, the Christmas decorations, and the general excitement, but there was still homework to be done.

Harry helped Ron and Ginny with History of Magic; many of the events of Grindelwald's reign in Europe had been intertwined with the Muggle Second World War, and while it was all new to them he had at least heard of several names and places in Muggle school, before Hogwarts.

He noticed Lavender and Parvati giggle as he also offered to help Ginny with Transfiguration, which he thought was really silly. Ginny was a good friend and he was just helping her out in a subject she had trouble with. No one –except maybe Hermione- could be good at everything. Then again, he was glad those two would be gone for Christmas. He blushed as he thought what they'd say when they heard he had bought her a Christmas present.

Okay, he did like her. But he was terribly clumsy when it came to expressing his feelings to girls, and no matter how she'd doted on him in her first year, he wasn't entirely sure of her reaction now. He'd rather not risk her friendship by moving into something he wasn't ready for.

-0-

Hogwarts, in the meantime, looked like Christmas had already arrived. Hagrid brought in a giant Christmas tree for the Great Hall, as well as a number of smaller trees for the common rooms of each house. Professor Flitwick decorated the one in the Great Hall with live fairies, twinkling stars, brightly colored birds, glowing balls of light and sparkling tinsel. Like at Halloween, Harry was amazed that the splendour surpassed last year's, however wonderful it had been then.

They decorated their own tree in the Gryffindor common room, and since everyone wanted to take part it was the fullest tree Harry had every seen. Not a branch was without some ornament, and whenever no one was looking one of the twins would turn the tree itself some strange color, only to have it turned back green by some of the more traditional-minded students.

He was certain Professor Dumbledore was the one to add some of the stranger touches; the neon coloured garlands, and the miniature sleigh, pulled by the tiny reindeer, which floated through the halls while the tiny Santa sang out loud 'Grandma got run over by a reindeer!'. Its first appearance had been during a History of Magic lesson, and Harry wasn't sure what had been better; the sleigh or the expression on Professor Binns' face as it interrupted his lecture.

And the morning when most of the students were leaving, Peeves showed up wearing a Santa hat, pelting everyone with Christmas ornaments.

Finally, almost everyone was gone, and Harry, Hermione, Ron, Ginny and Colin and Dennis Creevey had the dorm to themselves.