24

At last!

Severus could hardly believe it. It was the 24th and finally, finally, it was his turn to open the little pink box! He had been looking forward to that for weeks, and today he was going to get his reward.

The potions master called for an elf and ordered breakfast in his chambers. He sat in front of the fireplace with tea, toast, butter and honey and enjoyed. From time to time he looked at the small pink box which sat beside the teapot with a small smile.

When he had finished his breakfast, Severus ordered the elf to remove the dishes and settled down in front of the fireplace with his advent calendar. After a deep breath he opened the lid.

For a few moments silver stars sparkled around the box, but they were gone quickly. Severus peeked inside the calendar.

It was empty.

The potions master turned the box upside down and shook it. Nothing. He stuck his index into it and wiggled the finger into the corners. Nothing. Severus felt like he was falling into an abyss. For more than three weeks he had followed Santa´s orders to the letter. 23 people had gotten a gift, and he, who had searched for Santa – not them, he had! – he got nothing!

Severus felt like crying. He had been cheated. Swindled. Defrauded. Fooled. Again. Why was it always him? Somewhere, a superior entity had to be laughing at him. It had started when he was a boy and never ended. Fate made him work hard, harder than his peers, and in the end made sure he got no reward. He was used to it, but being withheld a simple joy like an advent calendar gift seemed so cruel!

"Professor Snape, Sir!"

The potions master was startled out of his internal lament.

"Dobby is most honoured, Sir!" The elf bowed until his nose touched the floor.

"Honoured? I don´t understand."

The house elf shook a piece of heavy parchment. "Never has Dobby been invited to attend a wizard´s party! Dobby has come to ask whether the professor needs help with the preparations!"

Severus was puzzled. What was the elf talking about? "May I see this, please?"

The elf handed the potions master the parchment. It was, indeed, of excellent quality, heavy and flawless, the stuff only aristocrats used. And it was an invitation. To Severus´s Christmas party at Hogwarts castle. At three o´clock in the afternoon.

The potions master was shocked. Where did this come from? He hadn´t sent out any invitations and he wasn´t planning a party. He never had been and never would be. Severus Snape was not a party person. So now people – Merlin knew how many – were going to turn up for a party! Expecting him to host it!

"I guess a little help couldn´t hurt," he informed the house elf.

Dobby beamed. "Dobby will be honoured!" The small creature disappeared with a crack and a loud knock.

It took Severus a moment to realise that the knock hadn´t been caused by the elf, but by somebody standing in front of his door.

"Headmaster! Filius! What can I do for you?"

"We came to offer help with the party preparations," Albus informed his potions master. "Have you decided which room to use? What about the Great Hall? But no, that´s too big. How many guests do you expect, by the way?"

"I have no idea," Severus motioned his two colleagues to come in. "I didn´t invite anybody. I start thinking it was the advent calendar. When I opened it, it was empty but for some magical sparkles."

"Wow!" cried the small Charms professor. "Santa gave you a Christmas party? Cool! What a present!"

"We still need to decide where to hold it," Dumbledore insisted. "The Great Hall is too big. So, what about your classroom? I could transfigure the workbenches for you."

"And I can help with the decoration," cried Flitwick.

"The classroom seems to be a good idea," agree Severus.

"Excellent!" cried the headmaster. "Let´s get started!"

The three wizards went to the potions classroom, where the headmaster transfigured the workbenches into small tables and the teacher´s desk into a buffet. Filius Flitwick started putting up Christmas garlands, glass baubles and silver stars.

Shortly after they had started, they were joined by the deputy headmistress, who brought several pots of poinsettias.

Dobby, along with several Hogwarts house elves brought platters of sandwiches and a huge bowl of punch.

"How many guests do you expect?" asked McGonagall after she had helped Dumbledore transfigure the wooden students´ stools into comfortable chairs.

"That´s the main problem. I have no idea," sighed Severus. "The advent calendar sent the invitations, not I. I have no idea how many it sent and to whom."

The deputy headmistress was stopped to answer by the arrival of Draco Malfoy, Vincent Crabbe and Pansy Parkinson, who all held invitations in their hands. "I´m honoured to be invited to my head of house´s Christmas party," said Draco Malfoy pompously.

"I brought a guaranteedly gnargle-free mistletoe," the dreamy voice of Luna Lovegood said from behind the blond boy.

"If I may utter a guess, it seems the calendar invited those you gave presents to," mused the headmaster beside the potions master.

"What?" shrieked the potions master. "Have you any idea who I let open that box?"

"Whom can you have chosen? You didn´t take your advent calendar to a deatheater meeting, did you?" Dumbledore looked over his halfmoon spectacles. "Oh no! Don´t tell me you did! Out with it! Who?"

"Lucius. Bellatrix. The Dark Lord." He muttered the last under his breath.

It was Dumbledore´s turn to shriek. "The Dark Lord? Are you telling me that Tom Riddle himself is going to turn up here?"

"Did I hear somebody call my name?" The Dark Lord stood in the classroom door with Lucius and Bellatrix by his side. The dark wizard wore black robes, a Santa cap with a small mistletoe instead of the tassel and a red stole with a green tinsel motive. Bella wore a matching costume while Lucius donned elegant light blue robes.

Dumbledore jumped half a meter back with a yelp and drew his wand.

"Funny you have your wand ready, Albus," the Dark Lord smiled jovially. "I wanted to show you my advent calendar gift." He presented a small velvet ring. "I got a wand polisher!" He stepped closer to the headmaster and set the small item on the tip of the old wizard´s wand.

"Wonderful!" cried the headmaster as he watched the ring slide up and down his wand. "What a splendid gift! Look! I got a nose warmer!" He put it on.

"You´re making me jealous!" cried Voldemort. "May I try it on?"

"Of course!" Dumbledore handed the nose warmer to the other wizard.

Animated by the two wizards' exchange, people started comparing their gifts all around the room. Bellatrix admired McGonagall´s nightdress enviously. Lucius glared over Draco´s whistle enviously. Dobby was beside himself over Flitwick´s fairies.

As the conversation went on, more guests arrived. Hagrid, Rosmerta, Ernie McMillan, Granger and the Weasley girl.

The last to arrive was Harry Potter.

"Voldemort!" he cried, stopping short and drawing his wand.

Several people turned around. "Shut up and take a cup of punch, Potter!"

The Dark Lord himself brought a cup to the Gryffindor hero. "Go ahead, take it! I didn´t poison it! Cheers!" The dark wizard raised his own cup.

"You know, Severus," said Sybill Trelawney, who had left her tower rooms for once, and snuggled up to the potions master´s side. "Of all the gifts yours was the best. What a wonderful, peaceful party."

Severus surveilled the room carefully. The Chosen One and the Dark Lord were having punch together. Albus Dumbledore and Bellatrix Lestrange were discussing techniques of wand polishing. The Weasley girl and Draco had just diappeared to one of the storerooms together (Severus made a mental note to send a teacher after them).

"Indeed," he purred into Sybill´s ear. "But I hope you enjoyed yours, too."

"I did!" whispered the seer. "I use it every day and so far every single prediction was right."

"Really? So, tell me what you predicted for today." Severus smiled.

The witch stood on tiptoe and whispered into the potions master´s ear. Severus blushed crimson. Sybill was right. His gift was the best of all.

The End.