After hearing her story, Penny's three best friends had rallied around her, putting all their spare energy into supporting their friend. Because of this, Artemis and Tonks hadn't had much of a chance to think about their plan to break into Filch's office. In fact, they had hardly thought about the idea of getting their possessions back. This changed at the end of November, when a parchment was put up on the noticeboard in the common room naming the date of the next Hogsmeade weekend, which was being held on the last weekend before the Christmas holidays.

"Excellent! We can finally get hold of some fanged frisbees," Tonks whispered to Artemis. "Operation Filch from Filch is back on!"

"What happened to getting hold of contraband from Jae Kim?"

"He got caught stealing Boomslang skin from Snape's private store, so he's had to stop smuggling contraband, at least for now. I tried Tulip Karasu in Ravenclaw, too, but she's more of a Dungbomb girl herself," said Tonks. "Tulip had a good idea, though. She said that seeing as you're so good at Transfiguration, that if we go into Zonko's and buy some frisbees maybe you could transfigure them somehow, so we can get them back into the castle unnoticed."

"That's a great plan! Then you release them in the corridor outside his office, and I'll sneak in and get our stuff back."

"You're as good at breaking rules as you are at breaking curses, Hexley," Tonks laughed. "Filch won't know what's hit him."

  At the end of Herbology class the next day, Professor Sprout asked for a list of students who would be staying at Hogwarts over the Christmas holidays. Penny had been the first to sign up, as she had already discussed the issue with Sprout and Madam Pomfrey, the school matron. It had been decided that Penny should stay at school so that she could continue taking the various potions that Madam Pomfrey had prescribed her: Calming Draught and Draught of Peace when she was feeling anxious, Invigorating Solution when she felt drained, and Dreamless Sleep Potion for when she suffered from nightmares. To show their support for their friend, Artemis, Tonks, and Rowan followed suit.

"Artemis," Professor Sprout said to her as she signed her name. "I never had the chance to tell you how proud you made me at Halloween, when you brought Penny to see me. You showed true loyalty and compassion towards your friend. I think you deserve ten house points."

"Thank you, Professor, but I really wasn't doing it for house points," Artemis replied. "I don't even want them. I just want Penny to feel better."

"Well, how about a compromise? Five house points. I insist," she added, seeing Artemis open her mouth to argue. "Think of them as an early Christmas gift, if you like."

It turned out that the four Hufflepuff girls were not the only students who would be at the castle for Christmas. Bill Weasley, who wanted to spend more time studying ready for his Ordinary Wizarding Level exams at the end of the year, had also opted to stay, along with his brother Charlie, who still hadn't told his parents about the Crup bite on his hand.

"I'm trying to convince them to let me keep Dragon as a pet after the end of term," he confessed to Artemis and Rowan. "Mum's worried about the mess, and Dad's not keen because Crups can be agressive to Muggles, and we all know how much he loves Muggles. They'll never agree to it if they find out about Merula's Cruppy biting me."

The final assessment for the Cruppy rearing project was set to take place during the final Care of Magical Creatures lesson before Christmas. In the new year, the Cruppies would be sent to new homes.

Both Artemis and Rowan had already written home to ask their families to allow them to keep Scully and Toto. Rowan's family had agreed wholeheartedly, thinking that the Crup could possibly control the number of gnomes in the orchards. Artemis' mother hadn't replied to her letter, which was disappointing but unsurprising. Artemis didn't think that her mother would have agreed anyway, given the fact that they had Muggles living in the houses either side of their own. Luckily, a second letter to her Uncle Newt had proved more successful, and Scully would now be going to live in Dorset with her great-Aunt and Uncle after the term ended.

"You'll love it there, Scully," she told him, and he wagged his two tails in response. "Just make sure you don't chase the Kneazles."

The rest of the class were not so lucky, and their Cruppies would be going to new owners after Christmas. This had led to tears from Liz Tuttle, and an even fouler mood than usual from Merula Snyde. Even tough-looking Barnaby Lee was visibly upset at the prospect of saying good bye to his Cruppy.

"I just hope whoever takes Chloe loves her and takes good care of her," Artemis overheard him saying to Liz, his face forlorn.

The weeks leading up to Christmas passed in a blur, and the day of the next Hogsmeade trip soon came around. Penny, who was still delicate, but becoming more like her normal bubbly self each day, thanks to the care she'd been receiving from Professor Sprout and Madam Pomfrey, dragged the Weasley brothers over to where Artemis, Rowan and Tonks were sitting at the Hufflepuff table before they all left to go to the village.

"Seeing as we are all going to be here over Christmas, I thought it would be nice to get each other presents," she beamed at them all.

"That's a really sweet idea, Penny," Bill smiled, but he was shaking his head, his cheeks turning a little pink, "but I know Charlie and I definitely won't be able to afford to buy everyone presents."

"I hadn't finished," Penny's smile didn't fade, and she pulled out a silver cauldron barely bigger than her fist from the pocket of her robes. "Now, I've written everyone's name on a strip of parchment. What happens is each of us pulls out a name, and you just get one present for the person whose name you pick. You can't tell anyone who you've got, though, it's a secret."

"Alright, I'm in," nodded Bill. "How did you come up with that?"

"Oh, well, I can't take credit for the idea," Penny replied, looking very pleased with herself. "The Muggles at my dad's work do it every year."

"I think it's excellent, Penny," Tonks leaned forward, and shoved her hand into the cauldron. "I'll pick first."

Each of them took a turn picking a name from the cauldron, with Bill having to go twice after he picked out his own name. When it got to her turn, Artemis unravelled a tiny roll of parchment. On it was written the single word, 'Charlie', in Penny's familiar neat cursive. She frowned, feeling a little disappointed. She had been hoping for Rowan. She considered for a moment pretending to have picked her own name, like Bill had, but immediately decided against it.

When they arrived in Hogsmeade, the girls split up, with Rowan and Penny heading straight to Tomes and Scrolls, and Artemis and Tonks to Zonko's Joke Shop to buy the fanged frisbees, a task that would have taken hardly any time at all, if it weren't for Tonks getting distracted by every single trick or joke product in the shop.

"Look at these," Tonks said, holding out a packet of Hiccough Sweets. "If you picked my name out of Penny's tiny cauldron, please can you get me some of these?"

"Sorry, Tonks," Artemis replied, "but you're asking the wrong person, sadly."

"Why, who did you get?"

"I can't tell you. It's meant to be a secret."

"Yes, that's right," Tonks said, nodding sombrely. A wicked smile started to spread across her face and she leaned towards Artemis. "So, who did you get?"

Artemis laughed and shook her head.

"Fine, then. Keep your secrets. I got Rowan," Tonks told her, even though she hadn't asked. Artemis groaned quietly. "So that's pretty easy. I'll just get her a book. She loves books."

"There's one she really wants. 'Accounts and Archives of Human-Animal Transfiguration' by Gwydion Samsa," Artemis said, wishing more than ever that she had picked Rowan's name out of Penny's cauldron. "She's been talking about it ever since we had that lesson on Animagi with Professor McGonagall," Artemis paused as she had an idea, then continued, "Actually, Tonks. I got Charlie Weasley, and I was thinking maybe you'd like to swap with me."

"Why would I want to swap?"

"Because you're friends with him."

"So are you."

"Am I, though?" Artemis asked, wrinkling her nose. "I don't think I've ever had a conversation with him that's lasted more than five minutes."

"That's because you never talk to anyone."

"I do talk to people," said Artemis, indignantly. Tonks made a disbelieving noise. "I do! It's just that whenever I talk to him, he sort of shrugs and wanders off."

"Yeah, he does do that sometimes," said Tonks. "I get your point, Artemis, but I'm still not swapping with you."

"Why not?"

"Because you just told me exactly what to get Rowan. You really should have thought about that first," Tonks pulled a face at her, and returned to browsing the shelves.

Artemis sighed.

"Fine," she muttered. "Well, seeing as I helped you out, do you want to return the favour? Any bright ideas about what to get Charlie?"

"He likes dragons."

"Oh, brilliant. I'll get him one of those, then."

"You know, sarcasm doesn't suit you, Artemis," Tonks muttered. Suddenly, she grabbed an item from a shelf, knocking three others onto the floor, and her face lit up. "Ah, you should get him this!"

"What is that?"

"It's Frog Spawn Soap," Tonks said, thrusting it out towards Artemis' face. "It turns bathwater into frogs."

Artemis frowned.

"I'm not sure that Charlie would like a bath full of frogs," she said.

"You don't put it in your own bath, you put it in someone else's bath. It's a prank, Artemis. It's fun."

"Not for the person who has to wash themselves with tadpoles. And I can't imagine the frogs would like it that much, either," said Artemis. She was unconvinced, but she took the bar of soap from Tonks anyway, and turned it over in her hands. "Do you really think that Charlie would want Frog Spawn Soap?"

"Who wouldn't want Frog Spawn Soap?"

Artemis looked up at Tonks' earnest face.

"You want the Frog Spawn Soap, don't you?"

"I do," Tonks nodded, staring at it longingly. "I really, really do."

"Tell you what," said Artemis, putting the bar of soap back on the shelf, along with the others that Tonks had knocked onto the floor in her excitement, "if I find out who has got you, I'll let them know to get this for you. Just promise you won't put it in my bathwater."

"Deal," grinned Tonks. "As if I'd do a thing like that, anyway. Right, want to go halves on these frisbees?"

After paying for the frisbees, Tonks and Artemis went straight to Tomes and Scrolls to buy Rowan's Animagi book. While they were there, Artemis spotted a new release on the shelves about the ancient curses of Mesopotamia. She sighed. She knew for a fact that Bill would find that book fascinating.

On the way to The Three Broomsticks to meet Rowan and Penny, they passed Dervish and Banges, and Artemis saw an exquisite leather Potions belt in the window.

"That would be a perfect present for Penny," she said, pointing the belt out to Tonks.

"Shame you didn't pick her name out of that cauldron," replied Tonks. "Come on, I'm parched."

Penny and Rowan were already at The Three Broomsticks when they arrived, and were very coy about where they had been all morning. Artemis wondered who they'd been buying presents for: herself, Tonks, or both of them.

"I'll get the Butterbeers, shall I?" she offered, seeing Jacob's old friend Madam Rosmerta at the bar.

Madam Rosmerta greeted Artemis warmly, and when Artemis asked for four glasses of Butterbeer, the landlady served her four large flagons of the drink, along with two large bowls of chips, at no extra cost.

She was carrying a tray holding the chips and the flagons of Butterbeer back to her friends' table when she encountered Merula Snyde, along with her Slytherin cronies Ismelda and Barnaby. Before she could change course to avoid them, Merula bumped into her tray, tipping the Butterbeer all down Artemis' front.

"Merula!" she shouted, dripping in Butterbeer.

"Oh dear," Merula laughed cruelly, and Ismelda cackled. Barnaby just looked confused. "How clumsy of me."

"That will teach you for hitting people with Bat Bogey Hexes when their backs are turned," Ismelda hissed as the Slytherins swanned off.

"Merula can be so hateful sometimes," Penny sighed, as the soaked Artemis returned to the table. "I do feel bad for her, though. I've heard she has a terrible time at home."

"You don't have to be so nice, Penny. Lots of people have bad home lives, it doesn't excuse their bad behaviour," Rowan replied, with a knowing look at Artemis.

Penny sighed, "Poor Charlie's going to feel dreadful when he finds out that Artemis is taking the blame for him hexing Merula."

"Well, he shouldn't," Artemis shook her head. "Merula deserved to get hexed." she looked down at her sodden, sticky clothes and continued, "I suppose I'd better find something else to wear."

"You should go to Gladrags, Artemis. Rowan and I were in there earlier and they had some really lovely things."

"Thanks, Penny. I'll go there now. Tonks, I'll meet you before we go back to the castle."

Gladrags had a vast array of clothing to choose from, and Artemis, having never been overly interested in fashion, didn't know where to look first.

She browsed a rail of robes, all of which looked far too big for her, and wished she had asked Penny to come with her. Penny was much better at picking clothes than she was.

"What happened to you?"

Artemis lifted her head and saw Andre Egwu, a Ravenclaw boy from her own year, standing near the same row of clothes as her. Artemis had never spoken to Andre before, but she knew his face and reputation. Andre was known for being handsome and impeccably dressed, for being on the Ravenclaw Quidditch team, and for having been trapped in Cursed Ice the year before.

"Oh. Just Merula."

"Right," Andre raised his eyebrows and nodded sagely. "So you're finding some new clothes?"

"Trying to find."

"Have you tried looking in the witches' section?"

Artemis looked closer at the rack of robes she'd been browsing, and it became clear that these were wizards' clothes.

"Ugh. I'm rubbish at shopping," she groaned.

"Well, I'm not," Andre linked his arm with hers. "Come on, I'll help you. It's the least I can do after you broke the ice curse last year."

Artemis spent longer than she had intended shopping in Gladrags, thanks to Andre. He really was quite the fashion expert,  and even managed to make the whole ordeal fun. Artemis left the shop with not one, but two new outfits.

"Thanks for that, Andre," she said, as they left the shop and walked out into the snowy street.

"Any time, darling," Andre said, and he smiled brightly. "Now, did you need help with any other shopping?"

"Not unless you can think of anything I can buy Charlie Weasley for a Christmas present," replied Artemis. "Penny has got us all doing this secret gift game, and just my luck, I've got the one person I barely know."

"Tricky."

"Very tricky. Any ideas?"

Andre considered for a moment.

"I mean, Charlie has a real thing for dragons, but that's not really a practical present."

"This had crossed my mind already."

"I did notice his Quidditch gloves were looking a bit shabby last year," Andre said, and he looked very excited all of a sudden. "Let's you and me go to Spintwitches, their flying gear is always gorgeous."

Artemis could have hugged Andre.

"Andre, you're a genius."

Artemis and her newfound fashionable friend went straight to the sports shop, Spintwitches, and having bought a smart pair of brown leather Quidditch gloves, Artemis raced away from Andre, back to meet Tonks.

"What are you going transfigure them into?" Tonks asked, handing the fanged frisbees to Artemis.

"I'm not," she replied, pointing her wand at the frisbees. "Reducio!"

The frisbees shrunk to the size of Artemis' palm, and she hid them inside one of the Quidditch gloves.

"Cracking. Let's head back."

Luckily, Filch didn't find the frisbees inside the glove. Later that evening, the two girls waited outside his office.

"Ready?"

Tonks had metamorphosed herself to the point that she was unrecognisable. She had shrunk herself to the same height as Artemis, turned her face into a boy's, and changed the colour of her hair to a very light blonde. Artemis handed her the frisbees, and Tonks took them, and pointed her wand at them.

"Engorgio!" said Tonks, and threw the frisbees into the corridor towards a group of second years, who scattered, screaming as they ran from the ferocious frisbees.

Artemis stood back along the corridor and Tonks knocked on the door of Filch's office. The caretaker emerged with his equally cantankerous cat.

Tonks-not-Tonks pleaded with him, "Mr Filch, help us! Someone's released a load of Fanged Frisbees in the corridor!"

Grumbling about "impudient brats" and "shackles", Filch sloped away down the corridor, Tonks and Mrs Norris the cat hot on his tail. Artemis slipped over to door and pointed her wand at the lock.

"Alohamora!" she whispered, and the lock clicked. Quietly, she entered Filch's office.

  Inside there were shelves upon shelves full of confiscated goods, along with a filing cabinet, inside which she found several files with students' names on. She noticed that a particularly large one had 'Nymphadora Tonks' scrawled in the top left hand corner.

  Realising it was going to take much longer than anticipated to search the room, she raised her wand, calling out the incantation for the Summoning Charm that Bill had taught her the year before.

"Accio Zonko's tricks! Accio notebook!"

Her brother's notebook and several bags full of Zonko's products lifted off the shelves and soared through the air towards her. She grabbed the notebook and two of the larger Zonko's bags. Hiding the Zonko's bags under her robes and pocketing the notebook, she ran out of Filch's office as silently as she had entered it.

"It bloody worked!" Tonks exclaimed, as they ran from the scene of the crime. Once they were safely far away from Filch and Mrs Norris, Artemis handed her the Zonko's bags. "And this is more than twice the amount of stuff I had confiscated!"

"I'm just glad I've got my brother's notebook back," Artemis said. "Hopefully Rowan will be able to decode it for me."

The last day of term had arrived, and it was time for the final assessment for the third year's Care of Magical Creatures project: the Cruppy obedience test.

Artemis woke up to a strange hissing noise. She opened her eyes and squinted through the winter morning darkness to see Fergus standing at the foot of her bed, his hackles raised and his fur on end. He was hissing at something on the floor.

She threw her covers off her and crawled to the end of the bed, wand in hand. Leaning over, she saw that Toto and Scully were rolling on the floor, chewing on and ripping apart something.

"Lumos!" she said, and shone the light from her wand at the Cruppies, her heart sinking. "Oh, no! Bad Crups!"

She must have scolded the Cruppies louder than she had realised, because the rest of the girls were woken by the sound of her voice.

"What have they done?" Rowan said, yawning and rubbing her eyes.

"They've escaped from their run and destroyed the Quidditch gloves!" Artemis pushed the Cruppies away and held up the tattered scraps of leather.

"Maybe Madam Hooch will know how to fix them," Penny suggested. "We can ask her at breakfast."

But Madam Hooch said that the gloves were beyond repair.

"You'll just have to think of something else to get Charlie," Rowan told Artemis, as the pair of them walked the two Cruppies through the grounds to Care of Magical Creatures. "It doesn't bode well for our final assessment, though, does it?"

Thankfully, it seemed that in ripping up the gloves, Toto and Scully had gotten the worst of the mischief out of their systems. Both of them were on their best behaviour during the obedience assessment, and Artemis was thrilled to learn that she'd passed the project with flying colours.

"Your Scully will make a fine Crup for your Uncle," Professor Kettleburn told her in a low voice. "Do tell old Newt I send my regards."

Scully and Toto might have behaved themselves for the test, but no one's Cruppy did as well as Dragon. Charlie Weasley's Cruppy displayed an impressive array of tricks, jumping through hoops, rolling over, and playing dead. The performance more than made up for any marks he might have lost when he was bitten earlier in the term.

At the end of the class, Artemis and Rowan went to congratulate him.

"Thanks. Your two did well, too."

"They have their moments," muttered Rowan, looking darkly at the Cruppies, and then at Artemis.

"Besides, Scully and Toto were nowhere near as good as you, Dragon," Artemis laughed, and bent down to pat an angelic looking Dragon whilst Scully started to chew a hole in one of her socks whilst it was still on her foot. "I mean it, that was brilliant."

"Cheers," Charlie nodded, with a small, pained smile.

Artemis looked up and frowned at him. She had expected him to be thrilled, having just come top of the class, but for some reason, Charlie was miserable. Maybe he had heard about his Christmas present being ruined, she thought.

Pushing Scully away from her ankle, Artemis stood up and asked, "Charlie, what's wrong?"

"My parents wrote back to me this morning. They said that keeping Dragon will be too much work and too much money, and that it just wouldn't be appropriate for us to have a Crup, what with dad's job in the Muggle Office at the Ministry. So Dragon will have to go and live with a stranger, and I'll never see him again."

Artemis' heart almost broke for him.

"Oh, Charlie," she said. "I'm so sorry."

"It is what it is," he shrugged as if he wasn't really that bothered, but Artemis could tell that he was more than just bothered; he was bereft. "At least they aren't going to their new homes until the end of the holidays, so I'll have him until then. I'm going to take him for a walk, anyway. I'll see you around."