Draco C. Malfoy

Having my own owl has made Christmas shopping loads easier this year. I've already sent Freyja out with several orders to deliver to Harrod's, Dervish and Banges, and some other New London shops, and by the time I'm back home all of the gifts should be taken care of. Except for yours, Mother - since it's the best, it'll take a little longer.

A few notes, just because sometimes it's easier to get them down here than to chase everyone down in person...

Pansy: I think the song sounds really smashing, but I've been playing around with a new tune that I'd like to get your opinion on. I just keep thinking about how Mr Tenebridge might ask if we have any other songs besides "Hey Merlin." It's not very likely, I realise, but what if he does?

Patil: If you're not busy with Page one of these days, I've something to follow up with you on.

Baddock: I've found that magazine you've been asking about. It's yours to keep, if you still want it. I was getting bored of it, anyway.

Dinner's just ended and I can't believe how hungry I still am. When the quidditch season started I was trying to eat as much as I could so that I could make up for how much taller I've got. Weedy doesn't work so well when you're playing chaser, but it's better to be light when you're seeker, so now I'm trying to eat less. Seems like all it's done is make me think about food, constantly - even the transfigured kind. I don't know how girls get by on one poached egg and a half-slice of toast. It's probably less food than my owl eats.

Oh, and before I forget, when we get back from hols I'll try to speak with Professor Slughorn about organising more potions workshops in the dungeon classrooms, since everyone liked the one we did last month so much. Teddy, Blaise, let me know if you want to be in on it. You too, Harry.

I hope that you're holding up all right, Mother. I told Father to send along my well-wishes, and I know that he will, but I also know that he's busy, so I figured that it would be fastest just to say something here.

It's stupid because it's all just too late now, but I wish I would have got to know him better. I could never tell if he was being serious or not, though, and even when I was little he always seemed to be teasing all the time so I figured he didn't like me children. Secretly, at least. So I never wanted to be around him all that much. Maybe that would have changed in time, though. I'd like to think that it would have.

I hope that you're all right too, Pansy.

As you might now, my birthday is today, and my parents sent me a hamper of sweets and other nice foods from the Harrod's food halls. There's fancy cheeses with quince chutney and figs, truffles, chocolate marzipan, biscuits with grapefruit marmalade and strawberry conserve, macaroons, little pies with either venison, stilton and orange, or chicken, ham, and walnut. Oh, and turkish delight. I've not ever tasted grapefruit before, I don't think, so it must be really hard to get and expensive. And of course there's not very much it. But I want to share it with friends, and also to play the new game that Nanella sent me, Imploding Snap. I don't know what it does yet or how it's different from Exploding Snap, but I want to find out.

So if you're someone I consider a friend, you should come to my party tonight. It will start at eight tonight in the empty classroom where Pansy used to make people listen to music.