Harry, Pansy, Tracey, and Theodore made their way down Diagon Alley. Violet had met up with some of her friends after they had left Madam Malkin's, and Draco had vanished along with Crabbe and Goyle not long after. The street was filled with crowds of busy shoppers, wrapped in heavy cloaks and fur robes against the frosty air. Snow was piled on the roofs of the shops, trickling down onto the heads of unwary shoppers as it melted in the heat of the day, and the streets were filled with slush. Harry was surprised to find that his new robes kept him perfectly warm, though he still felt somewhat ridiculous in them. He kept glancing around to see if anyone else was dressed as outrageously as he was. Almost everyone was, of course. Perhaps not all were quite as gaudy as his, but everyone was wearing similar robes. On them, however, it looked perfectly natural—what else would wizards wear but robes? Oh him, they just looked silly.

"Oh, Diagon Alley's always so beautiful in the winter, isn't it?" Pansy said, gazing around at the snow covered street and grinning.

Theodore rolled his eyes. "Oh yeah," he said sarcastically. "All covered with muddy sludge and ice, Just charming."

"No, it's beautiful," Pansy protested. "You just have to look at it the right way."

"How?" Theodore asked. "By ignoring all the mud and dirt and cold? The poverty stricken, starving wretches teaming in the streets? Oh, but I forgot. Diagon Alley doesn't have any dirt, or poverty; Mudbloods aren't poor. The Ministry sees to that—Dumbledore sees to that. No, shove all those money-less sods over to Knockturn Alley—let the Purebloods deal with them. The only reason Diagon Alley's so pretty is because they shove all the poverty over us purebloods. After all, we're rich. We can afford to be plagued with worthless drunks and beggars and worse. We live for the dark arts, and who better to help us with that than the scum of society. And what filth the Mudbloods and Muggle-lovers can't dump on us, they hide beneath an shiny veneer of quixotic speeches about 'love' and 'charity' and 'equality' and other such Muggle-loving nonsense. You know, the only reason Knockturn Alley is such a mess is because every poor, drunken, homeless sod ends up there. Because Diagon Alley doesn't have poverty; the Wizarding World doesn't have poverty. Only us bigoted, old fashioned Purebloods. But you know who those poor arses are, who litter our streets? Mudbloods, squibs, half-breeds, all of them! Are there any purebloods begging and homeless on the streets? No! Why not? Because we work hard and think with our brains, not our stomachs or our hearts or our dicks. And yet, it's always us who get saddled with—"

"Oh, give it up already, will you?" Pansy cut him off. "You're preaching to the choir here. Save it for the Ministry."

Tracey snorted. "Yeah, like they'll listen. Everyone's all pro-Muggle, ever since You-Know-Who. Out of guilt, you know? Spineless sods. And if anyone raises any objection to Muggles or Mudbloods, you're automatically labeled as one of His supporters. A neo–Death Eater or whatever. And never mind fact that Muggles have gone around bloody burning us at the stake for centuries! Never mind that Mudbloods would offer up their own spouse or child to avoid being burned. Oh no, that's in the past. That could never happen again. Muggles are people too, you know. Yeah, right up until they start burning us again."

"But they won't," Theodore said. "Not as long as they don't know about us. See, that's why we can't let Muggles know. Cause if they do find out, no one'll be left to say 'I told you so'."

Pansy glanced at Harry. "Didn't you grow up with Muggles?"

"Yeah," Harry said.

"Well, they weren't so bad, were they?"

Harry hesitated. "Well … the Dursleys aren't exactly, uh, typical Muggles. I mean, they were pretty wretched people, but it's not like all Muggles are like that."

"Of course not," Theodore said sarcastically. "I bet you've met loads of nice, wizard-friendly Muggles."

"Of course i have," Harry said, trying to think of some. Well, the Grangers count, don't they?

"Who weren't parents of mudbloods?" Theodore persisted.

"Sure," Harry said. "I mean, I went to Muggle primary school until I was 11."

"And I'm sure everyone there was nice to you, not knowing you were a wizard or anything."

Well, actually no, they weren't, but…. "That doesn't mean they wouldn't have been nice to me if they had known. It's not like they've had a chance to prove themselves either way."

"Yeah," Tracey muttered. "'Cause if they had, you wouldn't be here to talk about it."

"Oh come on, it's not like a bunch of teenaged muggles are going to kill me," Harry protested. Not even the Durlseys have gone that far. Yet….

"Sure they won't," Nott said, not sounding particularly convinced. "Well, most of them won't. But what about the nutcase who does?"

"I can take care of myself. I'm a wizard—"

"Yeah, and get kicked out of Hogwarts," Nott pointed out. "Defend yourself once, loose your wand forever. Where're are you then?"

Harry looked away.

"And a merry Christmas to you, too, Theodore," Pansy said in annoyance. "Why, isn't it such a lovely day to be threatening Draco's boyfriend with death? I wonder the rest of the school thinks Slytherins are all bloody arses?"

Theodore rolled his eyes. "Hmm… Maybe because we actually have a sense of dignity?"

Pansy shook her head in disgust and turned to Harry. "So, have you bought Draco a present yet?"

"I haven't really had a chance…."

"Then you'd better get on it," Theodore said. "Draco's very big on presents."

Pansy grinned. "Draco still hasn't forgiven Theodore for 'forgetting' to get him a Christmas present the year the Notts weren't invited to the Malfoys' Christmas party. Six years ago."

"They were best friends before that, you know," Tracey said in amusement. "But Draco wouldn't even speak to Theodore for years. Not until Snape forced him to on our second day after starting at Hogwarts. Said he didn't want Slytherin House to start off divided. It wouldn't look good."

"Actually," Theodore said, "Lucius forced Draco to forgive me that summer, but as soon as we got to Hogwarts he stopped talking to me again. And he still brings it up every chance he gets."

Harry winced. That would be a lame way ruin their relationship, and he could definitely see Draco holding it against him for the rest of his life, at least.

"Know what you're going to get him?" Tracey asked.

"No," Harry admitted. "I haven't really thought about it…."

Theodore grinned. "Better be impressive, or Draco'll never forgive you. Beating him half to death and tormenting him nonstop for three years, yes. Getting him a less-than-amazing gift, no."

"I've never beaten him half to death…."

"No," Theodore said. "But Crabbe did once."

"What?"

Pansy smiled. "We were four. Draco wouldn't share his cookies."

"Draco ended up in St. Mungos for two days," Theodore continued. "Mrs. Malfoy wouldn't let any of us see him again for months."

"And Draco forgave Crabbe?" Harry asked, appalled.

"After Crabbe gave him some cookies."

"…I haven't tormented him for years, either."

Theodore raised his eyebrow. "Really?"

"He wouldn't leave me alone."

Theodore blinked. "That's not what he said."

"What did he say?"

Tracey shrugged. "Usually, that you were a hypocritical, stuck-up, Muggle-loving little brat and wouldn't stop harassing him about every little thing he did."

"I never harassed him about anything," Harry protested. "It was always him—"

Pansy cleared her throat. "Presents. For Draco."

"Hmm…" Tracey said. "Something special…."

"Yes, I think we already established that," Theodore said.

"Something unique," Tracey continued, ignoring Theodore. "Something you can't just walk into a store and buy."

"Or rather, something he couldn't just walk into a store and buy," Pansy said. "And he can buy anything he wants. Well, except those dark magic books his parents won't let him have, but he usually has Vincent or Gregory buy him those."

"Something shiny…" Tracey murmured.

"What?" Harry said, startled.

"He likes shiny things," she said. "And glittery things. And pretty things in general."

"Well, except for boyfriends, apparently," Theodore muttered.

Harry glared at him.

"Theodore," Pansy said in irritation.

"What? It's true. Or was Harry covered with glitter when Draco met him?"

Tracey looked at Harry thoughtfully. "I don't know; his glasses are kind of shiny."

"And his eyes are all green and pretty," Pansy added.

Theodore rolled his eyes. "I'm sure."

Harry squirmed under the girls' scrutiny. "Er… presents?"

"Right," Pansy said. "Well, I'm giving him one of my great-great-great-grandfather's world domination instruction booklets. They aren't very practical, of course, but they are fun."

"My uncle's smuggling him in a miniature dragon from Japan," Theodore said.

"And I'm giving him some photos of the Weird Sisters," Tracey said. "My cousin's dating Donaghan Tremlett, and she managed to get some awesome pictures of Kirley Duke."

"Your cousin's dating Donaghan Tremlett?" Theodore said incredulously.

Tracey nodded.

"And your family's okay with this? Isn't he a mudblood?"

"Well, yes he is, and her parents were a bit weird about it at first, but they've gotten over it. They just never talk to her anymore. But my parents don't mind me hanging out with her."

"Have you actually met them?" Pansy asked. "The Weird Sisters, I mean."

Tracey shook her head. "Only Donaghan. He's pretty nice, as long as you don't bring up the subject of parents—his or Lina's."

"What'd his parents do?" Pansy asked.

"They're Muggles," Theodore said. "Of course they were horrible to him."

"They wanted him to get a job in the Muggle World and forget about the Wizarding World," Tracey explained. "He refused."

"Didn't Witch Weekly say they beat him when he was a kid?" Pansy asked.

"No, I asked him about that and he said his parents were perfect, other than the whole wizard thing."

"See?" Theodore said triumphantly. "Muggles hate us. Even the best of them are fine until you get to the whole magic thing. Then they start beating the crap out of you."

"But he said his parents didn't beat him." Pansy protested.

"Well, who knows what really happened," Theodore said. "I mean, would you tell people if your parents were beating you? He probably wants to be pro-Muggle and popular and everything. Arsehole."

"Theodore!" Pansy glared at him.

"You should get Draco Kirley Duke for Christmas," Theodore said suddenly.

"Er.…"

"Petrify him, tie a bow on his head, and stick him under the Christmas tree." Theodore continued. "Draco will be thrilled. Ecstatic even."

"That would definitely outdo my gift," Tracey said.

Pansy shook her head. "I don't think they sell him anywhere on Diagon Alley."

"How about Knockturn Alley?" Tracey suggested. "They've got all sorts of stuff there."

Pansy shook her head again. "I don't think they sell guitarists from popular bands."

"Any other suggestions?" Harry asked.

"Well, what can you give him that no one else can?" Pansy asked.

Theodore and Tracey exchanged a look and Harry blushed.

"That you wouldn't mind giving him in front of his parents," Pansy amended.

"Damn, that narrows things down," Theodore muttered.

Tracey kicked him.

"I don't know," Harry said.

"What do you have? What can you get him that he can't get himself?"

Well, Hagrid might be able to get him something, Harry thought, ignoring Tracey and Theodore's knowing glances. But Theodore's already getting him a dragon….

"Money isn't what counts," Pansy continued, glaring at Tracey and Theodore. "Anything expensive enough to impress him is well out of your price range, unless your parents left you an entire country or something."

My parents left me a lot, but not that much.

"So it has to be something that only you have access to."

Harry frowned, thinking. The invisibility cloak? No, he could probably get one on his own. And anyways, it was my father's. It's all I have left of him. The Marauder's Map? But I left it at Hogwarts. And it was a Christmas present from Fred and George. I can't just give it away. "I don't really have … anything," Harry said after a moment.

"How can you not have anything?" Tracey asked. "I mean, I know Draco's hard to shop for, but really…."

"Hey, I grew up with Muggles who didn't give me squat, okay?" Harry said defensively. I guess I could probably get him a TV or something, but I don't think he'd be thrilled with that. After all, what does he need with a TV? He's a wizard.

"Well, what do you have?" Pansy asked patiently.

"Let's see: some text books, some school robes—now a bunch of other robes, too; oversized, worn out, colorless Muggle clothes—think he'd like those?"

"Harry," Pansy said in annoyance.

"What? That's what I've got."

"Okay, what else?"

"My Nimbus 2000? My owl, Hedwig? A few Famous Wizards Cards? My wand?"

Theodore snorted.

Harry blushed. "I meant—oh shut up, you know what I meant."

"Anything else?" Pansy prompted.

"…Socks?"

"Right," Tracey muttered.

"Okay, so what can you do?" Pansy asked.

Tracey and Theodore choked.

"Minds out of the gutter, if you don't mind," Pansy snapped.

"Play Quidditch? Kill Voldemort?"

The other three winced.

"—Not to mention saying his name."

Theodore shook his head. "I wouldn't suggest doing that for Draco.

"No," Tracey agreed. "I don't think he'd like that.

"So, what else?" Pansy persisted.

"Get Snape pissed at me?"

"Oh, any non-Slytherin can do that," Tracey said. "Hell, any Slytherin can do that."

"According to Trelawney, die painful and gruesome deaths."

"I don't think Draco would like that very much," Tracey said.

"Though the rest of us might," Theodore muttered.

Pansy glared at him. "Shut up, Theodore. If Draco's not happy, no one's happy. He'll make sure of it. Anything else?"

"Um… fly hippogriffs? Pass out whenever I see a dementor?"

Pansy made a face. "Ugh, I hate dementors. They're horrible, horrible creatures."

Harry couldn't help but agree. "Speak Parseltongue?" he offered.

"So, can you talk to any snake with Parseltongue?" Theodore asked, glancing at Harry's crotch.

"Er… any real snake—you know, with scales and everything."

"What about—"

"Theodore!" Pansy snapped.

Harry felt himself blushing. "No, I can't. Not with Parseltongue, anyways."

"That's too bad," Tracey commented. "I think it would fun to have a lover who spoke Parseltongue whenever they saw you naked."

"I don't know," Pansy said. "I think it would get annoying after a while. I mean, you'd never know what they were saying…."

"You could get him a snake for Christmas," Tracey suggested.

"A big snake," Theodore added.

"Doesn't Mrs. Malfoy have that ghastly fear of snakes?" Pansy asked.

Theodore sighed. "Yeah. When Draco and I caught a snake and hid it in her closet, I think she nearly had a heart attack. She grounded Draco for ages."

"That explains why Draco's an only child," Tracey said. Pansy glared at her.

"So much for the snakes then," Harry said. "Any other suggestions?"

For a time, they walked in silence, pondering.

"How about a Pensieve?" Theodore asked after a few moments.

Harry blinked. "A what?"

"A Pensieve," Theodore repeated. "A bowl that catches your thoughts or memories so you can look over them and organize them, or share them with other people."

"Yeah, so you could share your memories with him, since you don't seem to have much of anything else," Pansy said, nodding.

"…And where exactly would I find a—Pensieve?"

Pansy, Tracey and Theodore looked at each other.

"Do you think Krell's sells them?" Tracey asked.

Pansy shrugged. "I don't know."

"Of course he sells Pensieves," Theodore said. "He sells all sorts of junk like that—and if he doesn't, I'll bet he can get one for you by Christmas."

"Anyways, I haven't had a chance to go there since school started," Tracey said.

"Isn't there somewhere else we could buy one?" Pansy asked. "I hate going through Knockturn Alley. It's so—creepy."

"Come on, I barely ever get to see Krell during the school year," Theodore said.

Tracey nodded. "Yeah."

"Who's Krell?" Harry asked.

"And Harry needs to meet him," Tracey added.

"Yeah, come on Pansy."

Pansy sighed. "Oh, all right."

They turned onto Knockturn Alley, making their way down the street. Tracey and Theodore seemed perfectly comfortable walking past barrows of dried scalps and stores windows proudly displaying jars of pickled dragon livers or harpy scalps. They didn't even seem to see the starving, toothless old men sitting at street corners, begging for food or money; the drunks lying unconscious in the gutters; the blind old women, reaching out to grab at the robes of passersby. Only Pansy seemed ill at ease here; she was looking around with a frightened, nervous expression that matched Harry's own feelings. However, Harry was relieved to see even Tracey and Theodore move a little closer to each other as they walked.

After a few minutes, Tracey glanced at Harry, giving a reassuring smile. "Krell's awesome," she said. "He has the most amazing shop—all sorts of random trinkets everywhere."

Harry nodded. "I'm sure."

Finally, after what seemed like hours, they finally came to a stop. In front of the same, dingy old store that Draco had taken him to. At least, Harry thought it was the same—he couldn't actually remember it that clearly, but how many nameless stores could there be on Knockturn Alley. They entered the store, and Harry saw that it was, indeed, the same shop. And there was the same young man, lounging behind the counter and reading a magazine.

"Isn't it wonderful?" Theodore asked, gesturing broadly at the cheery clutter inside.

"Yeah. Draco took me here right after we got off the Hogwarts Express," Harry said.

"And he didn't bother to introduce you to Krell?" Tracey asked, appalled.

Harry shook his head.

"Arse," Theodore muttered.

"Well, this is Krell," Tracey said, nodding at the man behind the counter.

Krell, Harry thought, rolling the strange name around inside his head. So that's his name….

Krell looked up, idly pushing up his glasses. He smiled at them. "Hi." For a moment, he glanced at Harry, his eyes flickering over Harry, briefly focusing on his forehead before fixing on his eyes again. Harry felt his stomach flip under the man's scrutiny. "Harry Potter?"

Harry nodded. Of course he knew who Harry was; everyone in the Wizarding World knew him.

"You're the boy who came here with Draco, right?" Krell asked.

Harry nodded again, suppressing his elation at the fact that Krell had remembered him.

"Yeah," Tracey said. "Harry's staying with Draco over Christmas break. They're dating." She paused, giving Krell and expectant look.

Harry's mouth went dry as he waited for Krell's response.

But he simply smiled and said, "I thought Draco hated you." He looked more amused than anything else, much to Tracey's disappointment and Harry's relief.

Harry hesitated. "Er… It's a long story."

"Where is Draco, anyways?"

"He wandered off with Gregory and Vincent a while ago," Tracey said. "So Harry's here to buy him a Christmas present."

Krell smiled. "Of course. So, were you looking for anything in particular?"

"Actually," Pansy said, "he wanted to get him a Pensieve. Preferably one small enough to carry around easily."

Krell lead them over to one of the tables, one in the corner of the shop. It was covered with jars filled with insect bodies and powders; bottles of various multicolored fluids; bowls filled to the brim with liquids glowing in a variety of colors; cauldrons in a range of different sizes, some empty, some filled countless different substances. He began looking through the bowls, which Harry assumed must be Pensieves, occasionally stopping to inspect one before moving on. "So, how's school been? Anything interesting happen? Other than Draco finally finding himself a boyfriend, of course."

"What do you mean 'finally'?" Theodore asked.

Krell ignored him, picking up another Pensieve. It was one of the smaller ones there, small enough that Krell could hold it comfortably in one hand. It was made of a smooth, dark green material that shone like glass in the warm light of the store, and it was filled with a glowing, silvery liquid. "How about this one? Room for over thirty-seven years of memories and small enough to fit in your pocket. It even comes with a lid, so you don't have to worry about it spilling."

"Er…." Harry said, feeling incredibly stupid.

"Thirty-seven years of memories?" Tracey asked. "You really think they'll ever have that many memories? I mean, even if they each recorded every waking hour of their lives, it would still take them twenty-four more years to fill up."

Krell blinked. "I thought you were terrible at math."

Tracey shrugged. "Yeah, but Arithmancy's fun. And you have to do a lot of arithmetic in Arithmancy."

"Of course."

"It's perfect," Pansy said, looking at the Pensieve.

"That'll be 17 galleons."

"Seventeen?" Theodore said, appalled. "You could buy a unicorn horn for less than that."

Pansy blinked. "Since when?"

Theodore shrugged. "You just have to know where to look."

Krell laughed. "But you can't record thirty-seven years worth of memories with a unicorn's horn. However, since it's Christmas I'll give it to you for 9 galleons and 16 sickles."

Theodore stared. "Nine? That's almost half the original price."

Krell smiled. "'Tis the season."

"Come on, Theo," Pansy said in annoyance. "You're not going to argue with him over that, are you?"

"So, do you know how to use this?" Krell asked Harry.

"Not really," Harry admitted, once again feeling painfully ignorant of the Wizarding World. Draco's friends had a way of doing that to him.

But Krell just nodded, smiling at him and moved around behind the counter. He set the Pensieve down and looked at Harry. "Okay," he said, brushing his hair back out of his face. "First think of a memory you wouldn't mind sharing with a few people."

"Erm…" Harry frowned, trying to come up with an appropriate memory. Finally, he settled on the memory of flying Buckbeak during Care of Magical Creatures. He thought that was innocent enough, without being overly boring.

"Have one?" Krell asked.

"Yeah."

"Okay, look into the Pensieve. Now hold your wand over it and start stirring, like this." Harry tensed as he felt Krell's hands on his, guiding them into a slow, gentle circular motion. His hands were pleasantly warm and dry against Harry's; his fingers were slightly calloused, but other than that, his palms were surprisingly smooth. "Now, close your eyes and focus on the memory," he said softly, his voice sending shivers down Harry's spine.

Harry obeyed, carefully picturing the events in his mind.

"Now say, 'memoraim relego'."

"Memoraim relego!" Harry repeated. Almost instantly, he felt a tugging running up his arm and to his head, pulling at the memory.

In a matter of moments, the entire memory flashed before his eyes, like a movie on fast forward, only with sounds and feelings and smells, too.

When it was gone, Harry opened his eyes. He stared into the Pensieve, which now contained his memory, playing like a soundless television.

"It's as easy as that," Krell said. "Now, if you want to get rid of a memory, focus on blankness and say 'memoriam deleo'. And if you want to clear all the memories, you say 'memorias deleo.'"

Harry closed his eyes, blanking his mind. "Memoriam deleo!" he said. The memory vanished and Harry handed Krell the money as Krell found a box for the Pensieve and bagged it. "Anything else?" he asked, handing over the bag.

Tracey shrugged. For a while, they browsed the shop. Harry still had to find gifts for Hermione and Ron.

"So, where's Blaise?" Krell asked conversationally.

"He's been pissed at Draco ever since he found about him and Harry," Tracey said.

"Really?"

"He has a point, of course," Theodore said. Harry stared intently at the stuffed dragons squirming on the rack in front of him. "I mean, a couple months ago Potter and Draco were beating each others' brains out. Now they're screwing each others' brains out."

Harry felt his face heat as he willed the conversation to move on to something else.

"Theodore," Pansy said in annoyance.

"Yes?"

Pansy gave an irritated sigh.

"There're dementors all around the school now," Tracey said after a moment of uncomfortable silence.

"So I'd heard," Krell said.

"I hate them," Pansy said. "They're so creepy. And you can't leave the castle without running into them."

"They don't even stay where they're supposed to be," Tracey added. "They showed up at the game between Gryffindor and Hufflepuff."

"It was supposed to be between Slytherin and Gryffindor," Pansy said. "But Draco got attacked by the hippogriff Professor Hagrid was showing us during Care of Magical Creatures, so they had to reshuffle the games so he could play."

"Got attacked?" Krell asked. "I thought hippogriffs were usually pretty docile unless you attacked them."

"Draco insulted him," Harry said.

"Ah."

"Anyways, Harry passed out when the dementors showed up and Hufflepuff won," Theodore said, sounding thrilled.

Harry stiffened and picked up a small, squirming toy mouse from a pile of stuffed animals. The moment he touched it, its legs began moving wildly in the air, as though it were trying to run away.

"It was horrible," Pansy said. "Watching Harry fall like that—"

"It was amazing," Theodore said. "I thought he was going to hit the ground and die."

Harry picked up postcard, watching intently as a clear, blue-green ocean lapped at white, sandy shores.

"But he didn't," Tracey said. "Dumbledore saved him."

"If the dementors hadn't been there, Gryffindor might have won," Pansy said. "It's not fair."

"Yeah, but now we have a chance at winning the Quidditch Cup this year," Theodore pointed out.

"And better to be surrounded by dementors than attacked by a serial killer," Krell pointed out.

"But they couldn't even keep out said killer," Pansy protested.

"What?" Krell sounded horrified.

"Sirius Black got into the castle somehow and slashed up one of the portraits," Harry told him, looking up from the table of old magazines he'd been looking at.

Krell looked appalled.

"We all had to sleep in the Great Hall that night," Pansy said.

"Dementors all around the castle and Black still managed to get in," Krell murmured, sounding both frightened and impressed.

"Well, he did manage to escape from Azkaban," Theodore pointed out. "He got past them once; quite clearly he can do it again."

"And Dumbledore's allowing you to wander Knockturn Alley unsupervised?" Krell asked Harry, dismayed.

"Well, he doesn't exactly know…."

Krell shook his head. "Do you know how much danger you're in, wandering around without anyone knowing where you are? With him on the loose? He killed your parents, Harry. He's going to try to kill you."

"But he doesn't know where I am," Harry pointed out.

"He got past a million dementors. Who knows what he can do?"

"Oh come on, there are tons of people around," Theodore protested. "Black wouldn't dare attack him here."

"You want to bet?" Krell asked. "He killed an entire street full of innocent people—"

"What?" Tracey's eyes widened.

"How do you know that?" Theodore asked.

Krell shook his head. "Never mind. My—" He sighed. "My sister was there. She was just out—to do some shopping. And then…." He shook his head again, pushing his hair back and sighing. "He won't hesitate to kill in broad daylight, or in a crowd. If he wants you dead and he sees you, you're dead. He spent twelve years in Azkaban, Harry. He's hardly stable."

Pansy looked terrified. Even Tracey and Theodore looked uneasy.

"So, how's the new Defense Against the Dark Arts teacher?" Krell asked after a moment, breaking the silence.

"Professor Lupin? He's all right," Theodore said.

"He's the best we've had so far," Tracey said.

"That's not saying much," Theodore replied. "He always wears such ratty clothes—can't he afford anything better? And he's so pro-Muggle."

"He's really nice, though," Pansy said. "And he's a good teacher. Everyone likes him."

"Everyone?" Theodore asked, raising an eyebrow.

"Well, Snape doesn't," Pansy acquiesced. "And you don't, really. And neither does Draco, but I think that's just because Snape doesn't."

"But he is a good teacher," Tracey insisted.

"He is," Harry agreed, smiling slightly. Lupin was an amazing teacher.

One of the tables was heaped with board games. In the center, there was a box filled with loose pieces, Harry supposed in case you'd lost some. A few of the boards didn't even have boxes, though the pieces seemed stuck to the surface with some sort of adhesive spell. Harry watched in fascination as chess pieces shaped like dragons danced across one such board.

He looked up, startled, as the door opened and an annoyed-looking Draco entered the shop, followed by an exasperated Violet, and then Crabbe and Goyle, both of whom were carrying several bags filled with presents.

Draco's irritated frown faded to a smile when he saw Harry. "Oh, hello Harry," he said, walking over and kissing him. Tracey and Pansy grinned. Theodore rolled his eyes and looked away in disgust. Harry blushed. "I see you've met Krell."

"Yes."

Draco walked over to one of the tables and lifted a fancy, silver brooch. "Think Mother will like this?"

"Ten galleons," Krell said.

Draco handed him the money. "We should probably get going—before Mother has a fit."

Harry quickly paid for the gifts he'd picked out for Ron and Hermione—the toy mouse for Hermione, which he thought Crookshanks might like, and one of the chess sets for Ron, since his was so old it was practically falling apart, not to mention that the pieces of this one still stuck to the board which would make playing without a table easier—and they left the store.

A/N: Isn't Christmas Break wonderful? No school for a whole week. ; D See what I can do without school? Chapter 21, about twice as long as 20, and just in time for 2005. (...now, about finishing those other fics ::sweatdrop::)

Anywho, thanks for the reviews.
Amanda-panda161: Thanks. And who knows what'll happen with their relationship? They can't be all lovey-dovey forever, you know--it'd get boring. (well, maybe not, but...)
Meg5390, Angel, and OniyuriGaaru: Thanks
And Orange: Thanks so much for beta-ing, and for letting me nag you to death about characterization and such. XD Love ya.