This was going to be the worst Christmas ever! Harry thought grumpily to himself.

None of the other Gryffindors had stayed for the holidays, all their families too worried that Voldemort might attack the school. Both Ron and Hermione had tried, but Ron’s parents had refused out right. Hermione’s had originally agreed, but last night she had received an owl informing her grandmother had passed and she needed to come home for the funeral.

For whatever reason Dumbledore decided that the Dursleys’ wasn’t safe enough and neither was the Burrow. In fact, Harry wasn’t allowed to leave the castle for fears for his safety. So here he was, at Hogwarts, in Snape’s quarters. It was this last wrinkle that made this whole thing unbearable.

The Headmaster had ordered Snape to look after Harry for the holidays since most of the other professors had gone to visit their families. Dumbledore was afraid that Harry might be vulnerable to attack if let all alone in Gryffindor Tower, so Harry had moved into Snape’s quarters while the other students rode the train to London.

Harry moodily sat on the sofa, his Defense Against the Dark Arts text propped open on his lap. He had read the same sentence at least a half dozen times already. His eyes were getting heavy.

He was walking through a village… All of the buildings were decorated with Christmas lights… He headed down the street… Something told him there was something wonderful at the end of this road… He was in front of the house… He raised his hand to knock…

“Lazing about again I see Potter. It’s a wonder you’ve managed to pass any of your classes with such poor study habits. No, I imagine if it were not for Granger you would have failed to make it past your first year.” Snape hissed somewhere above Harry’s head.

“Sorry sir,” Harry muttered sitting more upright. He readjusted his glasses so they were lying straight on his face once more.

“What are you doing? We are late for dinner with the Headmaster.” Snape snapped before Harry could get too comfortable.

“Right sir,” Harry said jumping to his feet.

Snape hadn’t told Harry about the dinner, but he wasn’t going to point that out. The last thing he needed to do was annoy Snape any further. Harry had seen the Professor giving him some truly disturbing looks over the last several days he’d been staying in the man’s quarters. It was like Snape was trying to figure out the best way to kill Harry and use him in one of his Potions.

Harry quickly found his trainers. He hopped on one foot and then the other, making his way to the portrait hole as he pulled on the shoes.

Snape lead the way through the dungeons. Harry still couldn’t make heads or tails of them even after five days of going up to the Great Hall for three meals a day. Even the Marauders’ Map didn’t seem to help.

The two wizards walked in silence until they reached the first floor. Harry turned towards the corridor that lead to the Great Hall, but Snape bodily redirected him towards the stairs.

“We are dinning in Headmaster’s private quarters tonight Potter.” Snape said speeding up slightly.

“Oh,” Harry whispered doing his best to keep up with the much taller wizard.

They were about halfway up the stairs when Harry worked up the nerve to speak once more.

“Sir…” He asked nervously.

Snape made no response, just continued on his way towards Dumbledore’s office.

Harry stopped walking and asked again, a bit louder than before.

Snape took several more stairs before he realized that the teen was no longer beside him.

“Come along Potter, you are not to loiter in the hallways.” Snape snapped.

“Sir, you told me if I had anymore visions I was supposed to tell you right away,” Harry said.

Snape raised an inquisitive eyebrow. “You have had another vision of the Dark Lord on our walk Potter?”

“Err… Not on our walk sir,” Harry said shaking his head. “It was the last couple of nights… I had another one during my nap. I only just remembered,” Harry explained.

“I see. What exactly did you see?”

“I was in a village. I was walking down the main street, I think. I wanted to get to the end of the lane. There was somebody important who lived there I think. I was about to knock, but I woke up.”

Snape gave the boy his most piercing look. The Dark Lord never knocked. What nonsense was this boy talking about?

“What did this village look like Potter?”

“Well, all the trees and house and stuff were decorated for Christmas … light and stuff you know….There were also elves running around. At least I think they were elves, but they weren’t house elves. They were wearing clothes, little red and green outfits…. There were flying reindeer overhead. You think that I was at Father Christmas’ workshop?” Harry finished excitedly.

“Enough of this foolishness Potter!” Snape snapped. “I have no idea what kind of fool you take me for Potter, but I will not listen to another moment of this nonsense. Besides, you are far too old to believe in such nonsense as Father Christmas. Since your Muggle relatives never bothered to inform you, Potter. There is no such thing as Father Christmas, just parents wasting money on useless things for their spoiled brats. Now move!” Snape said pointing up the stairs.

I bet he only ever got coal in his stocking. Harry thought, a small smile coming to his lips.

***

Harry thought the dinner was pleasant. Or at least as pleasant as it could be with Snape there. Dumbledore had told some amusing stories about his own Christmases as a child, including one with his brother charming a goat neon green, completely on accident of course.

Harry wasn’t looking forward to returning to Snape’s quarters. He was sure the Potions Master was still annoyed with him for earlier, but it was just doing as he was told. Wasn’t he?  But the lack of enthusiasm for returning to Snape’s quarters couldn’t match that for the following morning. Harry was sure that he wasn’t going to get any Christmas presents, not while he was staying with Snape.

Trying to head off any possible lecture for Snape on his visions, Harry wished the Professor, “Good night” as soon as they reached the Potions Master’s quarters.

***

At some point Harry woke up. He could hear somebody out in the sitting room.

Probably just Snape using the loo, but Snape doesn’t laugh. Even if he did, it wouldn’t be that jolly.

Harry thought just before slipping back into unconsciousness.

***

“Up Potter,” Snape called as he rapped on Harry’s door a few short hours later.

Harry quickly pulled on his dressing robe and made his way to the sitting room. What he saw there, he couldn’t believe.

There was a fully decorated Christmas tree. That hadn’t been there the night before. And there were presents under the tree, a whole slew of them.

“It seems the Headmaster is determined to make your Christmas as pleasant as possible.” Snape said nursing a cup of strong tea at his place on the sofa. “Now, why don’t you come and see what your delinquent friends have given you. But be warned, if you leave so much as one speck of wrapping paper on that floor when you are finished, you’ll be scrubbing cauldrons for the next month.”

Harry practically dove under the tree. He had received his usual Weasley sweater, a biting wallet from Hagrid, a pair of mismatched socks from Dobby, a selected arrangement of Skiving Snack Boxes from the Twins (immediately confiscated by Snape), and a book on Quidditch from Hermione .

There was one last gift. It was a photo of Harry’s mother in a plain silver frame. Harry guessed it was taken in her fifth or sixth year at Hogwarts. It hadn’t come with a card, or anything.

Harry looked up at Snape.

“You didn’t do this… Did you sir?” Harry asked holding up the picture.

“Of course not Potter,” Snape said rolling his eyes. “As if I would give a gift to ungrateful Gryffindor brat like yourself.”

“Right.”

Setting the photograph aside, Harry’s eyes fell on another package, this one addressed to Snape.

“Sir, there’s something here for you.” Harry said picking up the wrapped box.

“You got me a gift Potter? Are you really so stupid you believed I could be so easily bribed?”

“What?  No, sir, I didn’t. It was laying next to mine. I don’t know who it’s from though.” Harry said holding the box out.

Snape quickly cast a spell to detect any sort of dark enchantments. Finding none, he took it from Harry. He pulled off the paper and opened the box. A picture, identical to the one Harry had just received lay inside. There was a one small difference however. Tucked in one the corner of the frame was a small note. All it said was, “Believe”.