A Christmas Gamble: Burning Down the Workshop by Whitetail
Summary: Sequel to A Christmas Gamble. After filling in for Father Christmas the previous year, one would think Severus and Harry would have a peaceful holiday, but all that went out the window when the two of them got talked into taking over the business. It seems like insanity, and it probably is, especially after the workshop burns down and they’re forced to try and find a way to sneak a hundred Christmas Elves into a makeshift workshop in Hogwarts. With twelve days until Christmas, and no time to waste to replace the lost gifts, it’s going to take one big distraction.
     Good thing Severus and Harry have a knack for pulling pranks.
     All the two can hope for is that burning down the workshop is the only black mark their names will get on the naughty list, because if the staff find out who is behind the pranks, Christmas will truly be ruined.
Categories: Teacher Snape > Trusted Mentor Snape Main Characters: .Snape and Harry (required)
Snape Flavour: Snape is Kind
Genres: Action/Adventure
Media Type: None
Tags: None
Takes Place: 2nd Year
Warnings: Abusive Dursleys
Challenges: None
Series: A Christmas Gamble
Chapters: 7 Completed: Yes Word count: 19435 Read: 14939 Published: 20 Dec 2014 Updated: 25 Dec 2014
Story Notes:
To be clear, the Chamber of Secrets has not been opened in Harry's second year, here.  It's mentioned in the story, too.

1. The Hogwarts Grinch by Whitetail

2. Toffee Lends a Hand by Whitetail

3. Campaigning For the Naughty List by Whitetail

4. Dinner and a Show by Whitetail

5. A Bag of Tricks by Whitetail

6. Prankster Down by Whitetail

7. A Simple Miracle by Whitetail

The Hogwarts Grinch by Whitetail

Severus stared at the calendar in the staff room, a chipped mug of tea in his grasp. Minerva, having just filled her own mug, came up beside him.

"You look ill," she said dryly, eyes flicking from Severus to the calendar. He didn't pay her any attention.

"Twelve days until Christmas," Severus said hoarsely, staring blankly and forgetting for the moment just who he was talking to.

"Since when have you cared?" Minerva said, stopping mid sip and lowering her mug. She leaned in slightly, looking into his eyes. "Are you ill?"

"What's wrong with Severus?" Flitwick asked curiously, paying them some attention once he noticed Minerva's strange behaviour.

"He's counting the days until Christmas," Minerva said, narrowing her eyes. Severus slapped her hand away from his forehead as she tried to take his temperature.

"He's definitely sick," said Flitwick.

Severus scowled, cursing himself for forgetting the company he was in. "I'm only looking forward to the majority of these blasted children going home."

"False alarm, everyone," said Minerva, looking exasperated but relieved. "The Grinch is doing just fine."

Severus finished his tea, thumped his mug on a table, and swooped out of the room, Minerva's insistence that she was only joking ringing after him.

Honestly, he actually didn't care all that much about her comment. He only left for the effect. That, and he was furious with himself. He was so furious, in fact, he wanted to hit himself over the forehead. Hard. What was wrong with him? He had been a successful spy for years! And look at him, making comments about Christmas like a normal human being. He'd always cursed the holidays before this. Severus himself, of all people, should know that.

Who ever thought he'd be pretending that he was such a Grinch?

For a moment he pictured the look on Minerva's face if he had told her the truth, and he smirked. She'd be dumbstruck and speechless for days if she knew exactly what task he'd accepted last Christmas.

Right. Severus's stomach clenched again. The task. The task. Twelve days until Christmas, the morning of which everything had to be in order for. Eleven until Christmas Eve arrived, the night Father Christmas was supposed to work wonders.

And Father Christmas was currently scowling at singing suits of armour, and glaring at students drunken on yuletide cheer. Severus Snape, undercover Santa. Dear Merlin.

Had he gone mad?

Severus had considered a few times the possibility that he was delusional. More than a few times, actually. Despite the events of last December, he sometimes wondered if he didn't have brain tumour that accounted for the whole strange idea. But no, there was no denying it. It was real. And right now, the whole being Father Christmas thing was a lot scarier with Christmas twelve days away. It was one thing getting coerced, (more like kidnapped, made to take over a very complicated delivery route with his least favourite student, forced to make children smile - appalling - and then coerced) into taking over the business by a friendly old man looking to pass on the title, but to actually run the operation yourself, in secret? Extremely intimidating. Severus was definitely out of depth.

But even so, he had to admit, things were going well. They were on schedule at the workshop, and had only encountered minor mishaps. He'd dropped by the workshop nearly every evening this month just to make sure things were going well. All the gifts were being made, and they were even ahead. Completely aware of the cliché nature of his decision, Severus had spent hours the other day double checking the list in the big book to make sure that every child in Great Britain recorded as having no gift coming to them by others was marked down so Father Christmas could make up for that. It looked like they had everyone marked down as having a gift set to come to their location recorded on the list (his list, Merlin, that was something he still couldn't get used to). Looking at the sheer numbers, he was very glad for the other Father Christmases covering their own countries.

It made Severus feel secretly good, though, to know that he was making sure that magical children without a gift coming to them this Christmas would receive one, like he had as a child. Of course, he'd never dare admit this. He'd also never dare admit that it filled him with an odd sort of wonder at the fact that a child's magic could be located with that amazing book, and that this magic could reveal whether they were loved or cared for, or in this case, whether they have someone in their life able and willing to give them a gift.

The deadline for delivery of these gifts was approaching fast, and for the first time in his life, Severus actually felt in the spirit for the most part. Maybe it was because Christmas had always meant loneliness for him, even as a child. He'd been forced to watch everyone else partake in Christmas, either in getting gifts, or in having family to love them. He hadn't really had  that either, his only joy that mystery of Father Christmas' gift at the foot of his bed. Now, he sort of felt like was making up for all the sadness. It was strange to feel so little heart-ache this time of year, so little emptiness. It almost scared Severus how good of a mood he was in because of this. Besides the heart-stopping terror of knowing he was responsible for giving gifts to more children than could fit in Hogwarts, of course.

Still, he could not deny he was rather enjoying the atmosphere this particular year (not for lack of trying). The castle was decked out in tinsel and wreathes and the twelve tall trees were set up. The students would be going home in eight days, and Severus could hardly wait. That would give him a few days to really get things sorted out, when it didn't matter if he was gone most of the day. Besides, it would be easier to steal Potter to the workshop.

Another part that made him wonder if he had a tumour in the more vital regions of his brain. He'd agreed to let Potter be his assistant.

He also blamed the previous Father Christmas for the fact that he actually liked the boy now. He liked Potter. Now that was a shudder-worthy realization. Severus supposed he wasn't entirely to blame, as Potter had shown a much less bratty ride after being dragged along into the whole fiasco with Severus last year.

So, a few classes more, and then he would be going off to the workshop.

Later during class, Severus could not help but notice that Potter was practically vibrating in his seat with the excitement for Christmas. Severus, as they'd agreed a few days previously, gave Potter detention. It was the perfect cover to whisk him off to the workshop tonight. Potter made an excellent show of scowling (Severus noted the eerie similarity to his own scowl, and congratulated himself for Potter's progress). Previously, Potter hadn't done quite as good a job of looking upset, and his friends had asked him what was up with him, nearly smiling when he got detention. Thank goodness the boy hid it better now.

 

***

 

Evening came around, and as soon as 7:00 hit, Potter showed up, more punctual than he ever had been for a real detention, something mildly irksome to Severus.

"Ready to go?" Severus asked him, and Potter practically jumped up and down with excitement. Severus handed Potter the pot of floo powder, then took a handful himself.

"The Workshop!" Potter cried as he stepped into the emerald flames.

Severus followed immediately, and after the dizzying sensation of travelling by floo, he stepped out of the giant, ornate fireplace and into the main workshop. Potter was already standing at the railing.

"Father Christmas, sir," said a familiar house elf, dressed in red and green over the gold of the rest of the house elves working below.

"How many times, Merry - you don't need to bow every time you see me," Severus said, although he made sure his words didn't come across as irritable, for the Christmas Elves got rather mopey if you did, he'd found.

Severus stood at the wood railing and looked down to see how things were going. All around elves were looking up, and grinning toothily, waving if they could. Potter waved back eagerly, and even Severus nodded his head.

"Father Christmas, sir, your jacket, and Master Harry's," Merry said, holding up the deep red jacket made for within the workshop, which Severus took and threw over top his robes. Potter got the smaller green one. Severus had thought it odd at first (stupid, actually), but the house elves insisted that wearing the colours around the workshop helped them spot Severus, and made them feel more in the spirit. These jackets were similar to the warm, fur-lined ones that were in the cloak room for outdoors, but thinner.

"How's production going?" Severus asked Merry, who strode alongside them as they went down the large, spiral staircase that wrapped around a great tree trunk, harvested to use as the support.

"Very well, sir," Merry said eagerly. "We only have the Z's to go through, and then we are done all the gifts. We double checked the A-N gift storage room up front of the workshop, and it is complete. I have someone doing a check of the O-Z room. "

Severus glanced to his right, for this storage room was in the back of the shop where they were, and sure enough he could see a small set of ears and Christmas hat darting around in it.

"Can I go check on the reindeer?" Potter asked, and Severus nodded.

"I will join you when I am finished here," Severus called over his shoulder as Potter ran for the staircase. "And it's cold - put on all your winter clothes, not just the coat and boots!"

Merry gave him a warm smile, and Severus rolled his eyes.

"Just watch, he won't put on the hat, and he'll forget his mittens," Severus said.

"Master Harry is lucky to have someone watching out for him," Merry commented serenely, although the statement, as always, seemed to hold more meaning beneath it. Severus swore that elf would have Severus adopt Potter if he had his way.

He followed Merry in front of the face of the enormous clock, its gears clacking away smoothly behind them, in rhythm with the hundred or so elves working steadfastly. Severus had decided the big book should stay inside the workshop for reference, rather than have the elves make a list from it and then bring that to the workshop. The previous Father Christmas had been able to live in the workshop, and had made a detailed list for the elves with suggestions for individual gifts for each child. Severus didn't have as much time, so in addition to himself giving suggestions, he'd moved the book in here so the head elf, Merry or any of the twelve Star Elves (Severus thought the name was supremely stupid, but he supposed he'd inherited it) Merry managed could decide what to give the children based on descriptions of their likes and dislikes in the big book.

The Star Elves were the elves best at making toys. They were nominated and voted to become the managers for each Christmas season, and became part of the Head Elf's team to manage the other elves. It was stunningly democratic. Completely opposite of Hogwarts' happily governed Elf population. Even Merry, head elf due to his wisdom and age, could be given a change of position if the elves petitioned for a new Head Elf. Severus had yet to meet any other group of house elves that were more keen on rights than this one. He decided it must have something to do with the first elves to have joined the Order of Christmas' branch in Britain did so by their own volition. Apparently some even managed to get themselves freed by doing very terrible jobs - in the places where bad house elves were given clothes rather than beheaded, of course.

Severus did the usual tasks he did when visiting, approving gifts and charming a quill to skate over the tags for today with a note to the children and a Love Father Christmas.

He'd inherited that part too. Though he did agree that it worth something, having remembered reading the tag on his gift as a youngster bearing the same message.

The elves could have done that part. But Severus, loathe though he would be to admit it, insisted on doing that himself. It was a simple spell, and while it made his writing look different from if he did it by hand (probably a good thing considering how illegible his writing was) the message did come from the heart. Even if Minerva joked that he was a Grinch who didn't have one.

When this was done he bade the elves good luck, and told them to get some rest, for goodness sakes (they didn't listen much to that, he'd found) and then went to find Potter.

He went to the coat room, and threw on his own winter clothing. He'd honestly rather have had the green jacket and trousers, but unfortunately red was the colour that he was supposed to wear by tradition. Potter got a small green jacket and trousers. He pulled on the warm, fur-lined hat, and the mittens, and tromped out through the thick snow and to the barn, where the Reindeer would likely be getting some love from Potter.

Sure enough, Potter was brushing them. All the Reindeer had their own stalls, but they were open and they were free to roam and visit each other. Thankfully they were very friendly creatures, and did not fight.

Atlas, the head reindeer, pranced over to Severus, and nuzzled his pockets.

"I haven't got carrots, you great lump," Severus said, but as he said so he reached for a brush gave him a scratch on the back.

"I think Atlas missed you," Potter said, laughing as the reindeer twitched and snorted happily as Severus rubbed his back.

The gate to the outside pen was open, and Royal and Rain, the two oldest reindeer and long-time mates, came in, stamping and huffing, though evidently with pleasure.

"Ah, Rain, how are you, old girl?" Severus said fondly, scratching her forehead slightly. She closed her eyes to his touch, her spotted coat silky smooth to Severus's hands. Royal bunted Severus slightly. "I know, I know, she's all yours."

Royal snuffled, bowed slightly as reindeer were apt to do, then led the way through the small group of reindeer around Harry so Rain could lay down. Halcyon, Rain and Royal's foal, long grown, paused in chewing to bump noses with Rain.

There was a slight commotion as Severus felt his hat lifted off his head. To his amazement, one of the reindeer had it on his antlers, and was running coltishly around the stable. Potter doubled over, laughing as the reindeer came back and held the hat too high for Severus to reach. Severus jumped slightly, trying to get it.

"For the love of Merlin, Pants, give me back my hat," Severus said exasperatedly.

"Pants," wheezed Potter between laughs.

Pants looked down, hearing his name being laughed at, and stared at Severus' big doleful eyes.

"I'd change it, but you know that doesn't work," said Severus dryly, recalling last year's Father Christmas saying that the first thing you call a reindeer is the only thing it will respond to for the rest of its life. "It isn't my fault you stepped on the old Father Christmas' foot."

Pants snorted a little, but lowered his antlers enough for Severus to get his hat.

"Yes, it's good to see you too," Severus said to Pants, whose ears perked up a little. Potter had finally stopped laughing, and now lay in the straw, being nuzzled by Calypso and Caspian, who had recently become inseparable as a couple. "Well, Potter, we had best get back."

"Awwww," Potter moaned.

"I do not want to hear it. Get your mittens and hat." Potter's eyes widened. "Potter, I told you not to forget -"

A loud, siren-like wail filled the air. Severus jumped badly, and the reindeer snorted and stamped their feet. Severus paled.

"Sir, what is it?"

"Fire," croaked Severus.

No. No, no, this wasn't happening, Severus thought.

Severus ran out of the stable. Already an orange glow was painted across the snow, the dark night sky illuminated. House elves had come streaming out, and were grouping according to their work teams.

"Merry, what's going on?" Severus shouted, fear infused in his voice.

Merry ran over. "The kitchen, sir, something caught. The alarm didn't go off as soon as it should have -"

Severus watched in horror as flames burst out of the back of the shop. Already house elves were snapping their fingers, shooting huge streams of water into the air where the fire was around the back.

"The big book was saved," said Merry. There was a loud whistle, which appeared to have been made by one of the elves. Merry relaxed at the sound. "That means we're all accounted for."

"Good," Severus said, and with no further, printed down to the side of the house. He pulled his wand out, and shouted aguamenti.

Potter ran to his side. The fire roared up above the wooden shingles. The entire back half of the workshop was going to be ruined.

"No - go to the barn. Stay there." Severus gave the boy a small push, as all around more house elves were joining in. The flames were dying fast now, but the damage had been done during the evacuation. Potter let out a choking sound, but he did as he was told.

The house elves had it covered, so Severus stumbled back, the heat searing his face as he watched the scene. The sooty steam rose up in a fog, hot and turning to great billowing clouds as it cooled in the winter air.

It had been so fast. It had all been so fast.

After about ten minutes, the wreckage was out, and the fog had cleared somewhat, giving Severus the first glimpse of the wreckage. He stared in disbelief at the sooty, blackened pools of slush all around. Portions of the roof had caved in where the kitchen was in the back end, and the workshop had gotten it, bad. The building was wood, and old. Severus felt a stabbing, painful jab in his chest when he realized that one of the gift storage rooms was directly parallel to the kitchen. The flames, put to an end, left just smoke and ash. A burned out shell was what had become of half the workshop.

The elves stood around, their Christmas aprons blackened by soot, tears running down their dirty faces. Severus nearly followed suit, his eyes prickling from more than smoke as he went first into the back of the building. The kitchen he avoided completely. Through the hall he went, in through the door to the floor of the workshop, built into the hillside. The whole interior was scorched, water ruining what wasn't. However, it looked like the front sitting room, office, and cloak room, and the Yuletide Time Turner survived, for the flames did not reach past the far end of the workshop, where those rooms lay above it and behind the walls. The spiral staircase was burned and blackened, but still able to reach the portion of the workshop above the hill. There was another toy storage room near there. But the toy room at this end, was a sight to behold. Severus entered it.

Dolls lay melted, books sodden wrecks, toy cars were blackened, and stuffed animals lay sad and limp in the sooty puddles. The wreckage sizzled, and Severus looked above as the snow started fall in through the ceiling, turning to slushy sleet as it got closer to the warm wreckage. This was half of the gifts. They not be salvageable.

Severus stumbled out of the workshop, and stood at the back door, staring down the sloping hill at the elves, standing there in masses, sobbing bitterly. Apologies floated up at him. Merry was standing in the snow, looking at him.

"They're waiting, sir, for you to say something," he said quietly.

Severus stared at the masses, at the wide, teary eyes looking up from under Christmas hats.

"What do I say?" whispered Severus, feeling as though he had fallen into cold, icy water, and found there was no bottom.

"Anything." Merry looked up at him, determination on his eyes. "Master Jeremy, the old Father Christmas, picked you for a reason. I believe in his decision."

Severus nodded, but he had to look away, for the intensity of Merry's gaze hit him hard like a punch in the stomach, for the belief in his eyes was evident. Severus stepped forward slightly and cleared his throat nervously.

What could he say? The elves were weeping, holding each other, and some even looked like they were prepared to be scolded. Severus found a few words, and he ran with them.

"I do not want to hear apologies," said Severus, his voice carrying easily in the dead silence left following the fire. "I do not blame any elf for this. I am merely grateful everyone came out alright. The workshop can be salvaged ... in time."

He searched for more to say, wishing he knew what to do. But he didn't. So he floundered on, hoping what he was saying was the right thing.

"As you all know ... there are eleven days until Christmas Eve," he said, his words catching in his throat. He caught sight of Potter, broken like the elves, having returned to see what was left. "I know that isn't much time. Many of the gifts are destroyed. The room storing gifts for surnames O through Z is finished. Magic will not save those gifts."

There were gasps, and murmurs.

"I ... right now ... I do not have an answer. I wish I did, but I will have one soon. But for now, we should be grateful that the stable up the hill, and the houses for all of you elves remain intact. I propose you return to your dwellings. Take the evening off. The workshop will have to be fixed another time, and I will search for place where we may resume our activities in the meantime, and hopefully make up for what is lost. The gifts for children with surnames M through Y are gone, yes, but we still have gifts from A through N. That is a blessing we should count." Severus paused, thinking. "The elves at Hogwarts have been helping with gift distribution within the castle for a very long time ... and perhaps, if we are lucky, I can persuade some of them to come and help as extra hands in the coming days."

"Tomorrow evening I will return, hopefully with a solution. When morning comes I would like a crew of elves to make sure that the first gift storage room is fully accounted for as it appears to be. Another crew may board off sections of the workshop that were damaged, to protect the remaining undamaged areas. Some clean-up can begin while I search for another place with the space and resources for us to work with."

The Elves nodded morosely, and Severus could tell what they wanted was hope.

Hope, how could he ever give hope? He'd never been good at hope.

"We are still here, are we not?" he said, his voice lowering, causing the elves to shuffle inward. "Christmas is still Christmas without gifts. Even if it means we can only give children cards bearing a message from Father Christmas, it is the message that is important. The knowledge that they are cared for and thought of. Every Father Christmas has left that legacy of love, and ... we shall too. No matter what."

The elves murmured, nodding and agreeing.

"As for communication, any messages to me can be given to Merry, the most urgent being priority. That is all, for now. I will keep you updated."

Severus stepped through the crowd, the elves watching him go, already getting into their groups and looking to Merry and the Star Elves for support and guidance.

"That was good," Potter said to Severus, although it was evident he was upset. Severus was not surprised he'd returned from the stables. He didn't have the energy to chastise him.

"The fireplace in the sitting room should have survived," muttered Severus. "We will be able to get to Hogwarts without notice that way."

Severus' head swam as he led Potter there. They removed their winter clothing, and hung it in the coat room, which was untouched as well. Potter went through the floo first, and then Severus followed. For a moment, they stood there, not knowing what to do.

"We'll think of something," Potter said. "We will."

"You should be getting back to your common room. If anyone asks, you cleaned soot off the bottom of cauldrons. That will explain the smell of smoke, to some degree."

Potter nodded, and left.

Severus stared out the small window in his quarters, and closed his eyes. He had half a mind to floo call the old Father Christmas. Jeremy, that was. But he would not be able to help anymore than Severus, and there had never been any mention of a spare workshop.

Besides. Severus was Father Christmas now.

He lay down in bed that night, staring at the ceiling, not bothering to clean the soot off his face and get the smell of the fire from his hair.

His very first year, and already he was letting everyone down. Minerva was right. He was the Grinch. Only he hadn't meant to steal Christmas. The way things were going, it was looking that way.

"I should have just stuck with what I know," muttered Severus. "I should have just stayed a teacher, and nothing else."

He shut his eyes tightly, and tried to forget the image of the workshop, all orange and flames against a dark sky.

The End.
End Notes:
Well, I was totally going to do the Christmas fest, and then I didn't want to do any of the challenges ... and this sequel hit me over the head. Hard. Chapters (multiples, probably) will come hopefully every day, finishing just before Christmas. Cheers!
Toffee Lends a Hand by Whitetail

Harry slouched through the halls of Hogwarts, blinking back tears. He was twelve, for goodness sakes. Twelve year olds most certainly did not cry, even if Christmas was to be ruined. Harry rubbed his eyes slightly, the very faint smell of smoke still on his clothes as he returned to the common room. He muttered the password, and the Fat Lady let him in, looking very sorry for him but knowing better than to say anything. Ron winced slightly when he saw Harry, looking up from his chess game with Hermione.

"Bad detention, huh?" Ron said. It was a testament to how bad he felt for Harry that he didn't even groan when Hermione's piece destroyed one of his.

Harry could only nod. He sunk down in a chair nearby.

"What did Snape have you do?" Hermione asked, her eyes wide with concern.

"Clean the soot off the bottoms of cauldrons," Harry told her.

"That must have sucked," Ron said. "On the plus side, Christmas is only twelve days away."

Harry felt like someone had pulled the air from his lungs. "I guess, huh?" he said, his words coming out strangled and choking, much to his dismay. "I'm ... I'm going to go upstairs."

Before Ron or Hermione could say anything, Harry was already on the stairs up the boys' dorm.

"Ron," he heard Hermione say. "As if reminding him of a holiday that his family ignores him during is going to help -"

Harry felt a warm rush of affection for Hermione, even if she wasn't overly accurate in her reasoning for Harry's poor mood.

Harry put on his pyjamas and got into bed. He did not sleep, and instead spent hours imagining what it would have been like if Father Christmas had just not shown up one year. Sometimes all he'd managed to keep going for had been that surprise gift on Christmas. Harry knew exactly how devastating it would be if it didn't come, and he figured that Snape did too.

They had to find a way to get the rest of the gifts made, but how?

 

***

 

"Toffee!" called Severus from the window in the wee hours of the morning, having finally gotten up after hours of being unable to sleep.

The familiar house elf popped into view beside Severus.

"Father Christmas, sir!"

"Not here!" Severus said, panicky. "Severus! Severus!"

Toffee, old and to the point that he was much less uptight than the other elves, just laughed. "It is just us here, sir. We is alone. What is it you is requiring, and at such an hour too?"

Severus sunk down at the kitchen table, and put his face in his hands. He waved at the other chair, and Toffee sat. He was quite used to being informal with Severus, given their collaboration for many years in getting some of the forgotten Slytherins gifts on Christmas in secret. Toffee was the inside connection to Hogwarts for deliveries too. Given the wards, the sleigh couldn't get to the castle, so he met Father Christmas at the gates every year, which had given Severus quite the surprise when he was coerced into filling in for Father Christmas last year. He'd believed Toffee had only been helping him deliver gifts to the Slytherins, let alone be in cahoots with the real Father Christmas and had his hand in getting gifts to the forgotten children in other houses too. Toffee had been over the moon to find out Severus had decided to fill the position.

"Toffee, the workshop burned down," he said at last, his words grating and hoarse. "We lost all the gifts from O through Z. The elves are all fine, and all their families were spared in their housing over the hill, thank Merlin, but it's only twelve days until Christmas and what on earth am I supposed to do! Merlin, Toffee what if it all just - I mean, these children deserve more than a just bloody note on Christmas - they're the ones that don't get anything, that are too poor or not loved or -"

"Master Severus, slow down," Toffee said gently.

"Sorry."

"So, what Toffee is hearing, is you needs extra help, and a place to work?"

"Yes, if Hogwarts has any elves to spare. But a place to work ... I've thought and thought, and there's nowhere that has the space, or the supplies like what we had stockpiled at my shop. We are hopelessly out of depth. I'm out of depth."

Toffee hummed slightly, swinging his legs and twisting the hem of his crisp Hogwarts tea towel. He put his hand to his mouth, great ears flapping as he let out a loud gasp.

"Come with Toffee, Master Severus!" Toffee practically screamed, grabbing Severus' hand, to his great surprise.

It was after curfew now, thankfully, so the halls were empty as Severus followed the elf. He nearly had to run to keep up with Toffee, who despite his age was rushing down the halls like was on the hunt for buried treasure and knew exactly where to dig.

"Where are we going?" Severus gasped, clutching a stitch in his side.

"Oh, you'll see!"

Toffee finally stopped outside a tapestry of Barnabas the Barmy.

"What?" Severus said. "A tapestry?"

"It's the come and go room," said Toffee. "It appears when someone is in great need! Toffee and the other elves don't understand it completely, but places open for us when we must have them."

"I am not seeing a door, here," said Severus, frowning and crossing his arms as he scrutinized the tapestry.

"Walk three times, back and forth, and think of your workshop," Toffee said. For a moment, Severus stared at him, but after deciding that he was pretty much willing to try anything if it ensured he could get the gifts done on time, he did just as Toffee told. Besides, He trusted Toffee more fully than most people.

He pictured the workshop, and supplies, and the clock. All of it.

To his amazement, a door handle appeared. Severus grasped it quickly, and turned it. Breathless, he stared as the door swung open to reveal a vast, sprawling room decked out in green, silver, gold, and red, long tables ready and shelves upon shelves of toy-making supplies. A giant time piece was the crowning jewel.

"This ... it's perfect," Severus said. "But Toffee ... wouldn't it work if I ... requested a room full of gifts, exactly like we need? I'm still not sure we'll have to time make everything, even with a workshop."

Toffee frowned. "It is worth a try. This room will return if it does not work."

Severus shut the door, walked three times, thinking of all the gifts, from O to Z.

He reached for the handle, relief flooding through him. This would work. They would be right on schedule. The door opened, and he simply stared.

"It's the same," said Severus, looking at Toffee.

"You did it correctly," said Toffee.

"Then why would it not do as I asked?" Severus asked, crestfallen. "There's so much to make, and so little time ..."

"The room is funny, Master Severus," Toffee said. "As Toffee is saying, it gives you what you is needing. Sometimes what you is needing isn't the same as what you is wanting."

Severus frowned thoughtfully. "Well, it was a long shot, but this is still great," he said, relief making him feel oddly feverish. "Now we just need to get all one hundred or so elves to Hogwarts."

"Well, floo powder is not working for that," Toffee said thoughtfully. "Elves get very, very sick by floo powder. Elves is not like humans."

"But there's always apparition," said Severus, amused, thinking it funny Toffee would even suggest getting that volume through the fireplace.

Toffee looked very grave indeed. "At the start of the year Master Dumbledore is speaking with young master Potter about his summer. He'd said that a house elf got into Master Harry Potter's home."

"Yes, Harry mentioned it," said Severus, frowning. "Led to that the mess in the paper, with Lucius being arrested for slipping the cursed book in Arthur Weasley's daughter's cauldron. I suspect Arthur was only paying attention because Harry had told him about the warning, and he'd been on a lookout for anything suspicious. But how does that have anything to do with us getting elves in?"

"Master Dumbledore realized that house elves who isn't working for Hogwarts can get in by their own Masters' orders. After the Ministry realized how dangerous the book is, Master Dumbledore made sure Hogwarts house elves is only allowed to apparate within the school, or in and out of the grounds, no passengers allowed."

Severus groaned, leaning against the wall of the Hogwarts workshop. He looked around at the empty space, devoid of all elves. There was no apparent magic solution to getting any of the elves here.

"What if I can't pull this off, Toffee?" muttered Severus. "How can we get that many elves here, let alone that many gifts made? What if I fail?"

Toffee hummed quietly. "It will work out, Master Severus."

"But what if it doesn't?" Severus asked, rubbing his chin nervously, the bristly surface rough to his touch. "What if I do fail?"

"Then you will do twice as good next year," said Toffee. "Toffee does not think you will fail."

"Why?" muttered Severus, sinking down against the wall, resting his head against the stone. Toffee stood a few inches higher than he did, and Severus glanced over at him, imploring him, begging him for some reason why everything would work out. "What makes you think I won't?"

"Because you is never failing your Slytherins, not once," Toffee said stoutly. "The ones without gifts got one thanks to you every year, even before this."

"Yes, but had I failed then Father Christmas would have gotten them gifts."

"No, he wouldn't have," said Toffee.

"What?"

"Toffee talked with the old Father Christmas lots," said Toffee. "Toffee told him about our arrangement, how Toffee helps you get the gifts to the foot of the beds of Slytherins who hasn't any gifts. And you know what he told Toffee?"

Severus looked up from his lap, glancing at Toffee.

"He told Toffee that he knows he never needs to worry about those children again, not so long as Severus Snape is remembering them. They don't show up in his book, alone, like the others is. They is not alone, because Severus Snape cares enough to make sure they isn't left out on Christmas."

"He told you that?"

"Yes, Master Severus, he did. Toffee agrees."

"It's a nice thing to hear, Toffee," said Severus quietly, twisting his hands in his lap, "but I don't see how that means I won't mess it up this year."

"Master Severus, what Toffee means that even before all this if you had gotten busy, and Toffee knows how busy you is, and you hadn't gotten those gifts done, Father Christmas wouldn't have had time to make them gifts. But that never happened, because he knew Master Severus would always get it done."

Severus swallowed thickly. "I just wish I could have that much faith that things will work out."

Toffee took a deep breath. Severus, curiously, saw a strange sort of fire ignite behind the elf's eyes. He'd placed his hands on his hips, and his chest was swelling like he was about to start a lecture.

"He believes in you. And Christmas is believing. And you are Christmas." Severus' eyebrows rose as Toffee poked him hard in the chest. "You are what they believe in, the children who isn't having anyone to care for them or is being left out because they is poor and hungry. That is a the strongest magic of all, and it can make miracles happen, and ... and Toffee isn't going to let Severus Snape forget it even if it means Toffee has to hit him over the head with it!"

Severus, eyes wide, stared at the elf, whose arms were crossed, his chest heaving. Severus opened his mouth out to speak, but found he lacked the words. He felt like he imagined one would feel after being scolded by a parent who cared about them. He felt strangely ... emotional.

What was wrong with him these days?

Toffee's gaze softened, and he gave Severus an encouraging look. Severus cleared his throat slightly, and got to his feet.

"Well ... I suppose I have a plan to come up with," he said, "if I'm going to get a Christmas elves in here."

Toffee beamed. "Toffee will think hard about it too."

Toffee made to leave, but Severus spoke. "Thank you ... Toffee. Really."

Toffee bowed slightly, his eyes watering slightly, and then he left Severus standing there in the empty room, feeling oddly like he'd just been privy to some sort of cosmic wisdom.

The End.
Campaigning For the Naughty List by Whitetail

"You look dreadful," said Minerva, pouring Severus a cup of tea, her lips thin and her mothering look pinned on him as though asking what he'd done to himself this time. He swore he'd never stop being a student to her.

"I was up all night, what do you expect?" Severus said through a jaw-splitting yawn, taking the tea gratefully.

"Oh my, why?"

Severus drained half the tea in one scalding gulp, trying to give himself time to think of a reason. "Just thinking," he said at last.

"What were you thinking about?" Minerva started piling scrambled eggs on his plate, and buttering him toast.

"Minerva, really, I'm not twelve," he said, rolling his eyes and feeling himself go red. "I can butter my own toast. If the students see my reputation will be ruined."

Minerva fixed him with that glare of hers again, toast still in hand. "You haven't been sleeping, you've been leaving the school at all hours, and you've been falling asleep at dinner - don't think I didn't see you the other day. Severus, you know very well I have no children, but if I had one I would tell him or her that sleep is highly important, and if they are worried or ill they should talk to someone or -"

Severus placed his hand gently on Minerva's, forcing her to stop mutilating his toast by scraping it ever faster with the knife. He surprised himself by giving her a reassuring look, and she fell silent immediately, equally as surprised at his reaction.

"Sorry," she said, placing the slice of toast on his plate. "I got rather carried away."

"Thank you," he said quietly.

Pomona, who had been sitting a seat over and had been paying attention to her good friend's distress, set her tea down with a clatter and stared. Severus pointedly didn't look her way. Minerva, went still. Severus picked the toast up, and took a bite.

"I'm not sick," he told her through a mouthful of toast. "Just working on a project. Figure if I work hard I can get it done over the holidays with the school quieter."

It was a lie, but he couldn't exactly have told her he'd spent the whole night trying to figure out a way to break a hundred house elves into the school without anyone seeing.

"Well, take a break every once in a while," Minerva said, her words still dropping out one by one as though she wasn't sure what was happening.

"I'll try," he said. "Pass the jam?"

Minerva did so, still looking at him like he'd grown another head. Severus, amused, added a blob of strawberry jam to his second piece of toast.

"Severus, did someone give you a Kindness Concoction?" asked Pomona bluntly after a long silence, saying what Minerva seemed to be too polite to say.

"No," Severus said slowly, her words cutting through the all-nighter haze he was currently operating within.

Damn. That was it. He was being too polite. He was used to talking with house elves at work. They were so sensitive ... Damn. The workshop. Snarky Potions Bat was his real job. Not being Father Christmas. He'd been so tired he'd forgotten to act ... snarky. Odd though that was, he'd had to change his attitude to advise a bunch of house elves who looked so terribly disappointed if you acted like a Grinch in general. He really was letting himself go.

He could feel himself going slightly red as Pomona stared.

"Well, what are you looking at?" he snapped, and she looked almost relieved.

"If I didn't know better I'd say he's been reading self-improvement books," Severus heard Pomona mutter in Minerva's ear. Severus smirked slightly when Minerva glared at her. He didn't take Pomona's comment as an insult, though. She was a Hufflepuff. The very honest sort of Hufflepuff. Sometimes he rather liked it, actually. You always knew where you stood with her.

 

***

 

Harry nearly jumped out of his socks as he passed Snape's office after potions and the door swung open with a loud squawk.

"Potter, in here, now," Snape said with a deep scowl, sticking his nose out of his office, which was adjoined to his classroom. He'd disappeared the moment the bell rang and everyone began to pack up, the end of the theory session regarding their next potion having been met with a flurry of eager movements. Harry had suspected something of Snape's sudden departure.

Hermione and Ron gave Harry an alarmed look, but he just waved them off. There were a few "ooohhs" from his classmates, and Harry took them gladly. Let them think he was in trouble. He knew better.

"See you at dinner," muttered Harry in a low voice to his friends before following Snape into the office and forcing himself to look appropriately miserable.

Snape shut the door swiftly, and pointed to the chair in front of his desk. He then began pacing.

"I found a place for the elves to work," said Snape, rubbing his chin nervously, as he was apt to do.

"Awesome!" Harry cried, sitting up eagerly in his chair, which he'd shifted outward so he could face Snape despite his pacing. "Where is it?"

"Here. The school. Toffee found a room that will do."

"So, we can just get the house elves to what is it - apparate here, right?"

"Not after your little visit with Dobby," Severus said.

"But he came to Privet drive, not Hogwarts -"

"But after that little book of the Dark Lord's showed up," Snape said patiently, as though he had explained this a thousand times. "Dumbledore made security tighter. Hogwarts elves can come and go only, no passengers."

"So, how are we getting the Christmas elves in?" Harry asked, frowning. "They hate the floo."

"How do you know that?" Snape asked, eyebrows shooting upward as he ceased in his pacing.

"Oh, I asked Merry something and he brought it up," said Harry, shrugging. "You didn't know that?"

Snape grumbled slightly, an action Harry took as a yes.

Snape sunk down in his chair at last. "My reason for calling you here, Potter, is I have decided what has to be done to get the elves in the castle."

Harry shifted his chair back so it was facing the one behind Snape's desk, where Snape was currently shifting restlessly in. Snape sighed, and pinched the bridge of his nose. "I need to prank the whole school to get them in."

"What?"

Snape glared.

 "Wait, prank the whole -" Harry began.

"Yes, are you deaf?" Snape said, sounding almost hysterical. "The only way to get all those elves in here by the front doors. The lake is partially frozen, so the boats won't do, which leaves the boathouse entrance out. Any other door is too far from the workshop. I know. I looked for hours last night. So, we need a distraction big enough to ensure the whole school is watching, otherwise students or staff may see even if it's the middle of the night. Someone is always awake in this school."

"You really aren't joking," Harry said in awe. He could scarcely believe it. Severus Snape, Hogwarts Professor was discussing with Harry Potter, a student, his plans to prank the school. Hell had surely frozen over. The whole idea was absurd, and Harry, despite his best efforts, burst out laughing.

"What?" Snape barked, "what's so funny?"

"This will get you on the naughty list for sure," Harry said, gasping for air.

Snape's lip twitched, but he remaining frowning. "Actually, Potter, we'll both be on the naughty list." His voice was uncharacteristically dangerous, given the situation, only adding to the overall absurdity of the statement.

"Sorry?"

"You will be my accomplice," Snape said distastefully.

Harry's jaw dropped. "You're sure this isn't a joke?

"Do I look like I'm joking?" hissed Snape, looking mildly deranged with his fingernails dug into the surface of the desk.

"No. No sir." Snape relaxed. "But, what if I get caught? What if you get caught?"

"I am still thinking about that one," Snape said, looking rather green. "But for now, we need to decide when, how, and what we are doing as a distraction. I can have Toffee meet Merry and the elves at the gates. The elves will be able to sneak on the grounds just fine, and if they just take cover in the edges of the forest, the time to get from there to the workshop is approximately fifteen minutes, at the most. We will have to strike when it's dark, in a place where nearly everyone is guaranteed to be -"

"So, dinner time," Harry said, cutting him off.

"Yes. Exactly, Potter." Snape looked rather impressed.

"Alright, what are we going to do?" Harry asked.

An alarming grin grew on Snape's face.

The End.
Dinner and a Show by Whitetail

"Are you sure this is going to work?" Harry hissed at Snape as they stood in an abandoned classroom.

"Positive," Snape said back, checking his watch. "I'll go in first to dinner, then you go in. Everyone who is going to go to dinner should be there in about a minute"

"And then I stop to tie my shoe in the doorway," Harry said, rehearsing what they'd talked about all day long since Snape had first brought it up yesterday after class.

"Yes. Then you press the Draught Dough against the floor - just a tiny ball of it will do," Snape said. They knew the plan inside and out, but Harry got the sense Snape was saying it again more for his nerves than for Harry's benefit. "From the second that you press it against the floor, you have two minutes to sit down and look busy before I do my part. The Draught Dough will activate in a line, sealing the doorway. It won't activate until someone gets within a few feet of it, intending to leave."

"One of the elves is getting the candles?"

"Yes, Dory is. She's in there already, under your invisibility cloak. She'll wait for my signal. Toffee's down on the grounds now, and will begin leading our elves in the moment the lights in the hall go out. I'll do my best to stall if we need, but I am confident the commotion will last longer than fifteen minutes."

Harry shifted nervously, and Snape glanced at his watch again.

"Alright, I am going," said Snape. "Wait about a minute until I have gone in."

Harry shuffled nervously, watching Snape go. Snape glanced over his shoulder, giving Harry a curt nod before leaving the room. Harry could hear his footsteps echoing as he left.

Harry flipped the tiny tin in his hand. It was disguised as burn salve, the most common kind sold at apothecaries for potions burns. It would go well with Harry's story, as he really had burned his hand in potions the previous day. Snape had remembered, and put the Draught Dough inside of a tin to make it fit with the story. Draught Dough looked enough like burn salve, anyway. Harry flipped the tin over in his hand.

He couldn't believe that Snape came up with all this himself. There was definitely a prankster in the man dying to come out. It was almost Fred and George-ish of him, his whole plan. He'd made one of the components for the prank homemade the previous night. He'd even broken into Filch's office for the Draught Dough, which he'd said was all the rage when he was a student, although still produced today. Luckily the stuff he found hadn't been too outdated (roughly five years). Snape had tested it in a side classroom to make sure.

Harry untied his right shoe, took a deep breath, and left the classroom. As he neared the Great Hall doors, he opened the tin, grabbed a tiny ball of the Draught Dough, massaged it between his fingertips to activate it, then walked into the door way. He bent down to tie his shoe, and quickly swiped the draught dough in a thin, short line parallel to the arch of the doorway above him. He finished tying his shoe, then walked casually to the Gryffindor table.

"Harry, about time," Ron said through a mouthful of shepherd's pie, spraying slightly and causing Hermione to wrinkle her nose.

"Sorry, Snape made me finish writing out that set of old detention cards from Filch's office," Harry said dismally. He'd told them that Snape called him into his office after class the other day because he noticed some of the dates were off on the cards, which Harry had claimed he'd been copying out for the past few "detentions".

It was kind of awesome getting to mouth off in potions class and only have to do fake detention, other than the fact that he actually got along with Snape now and didn't mean most of what he said. Still, how many students could say they got to go play with reindeer for being an idiot in class?

Or pull pranks with the head of Slytherin House.

Harry's heart fluttered slightly, the seconds ticking in his head. He glanced at the head table. Snape would be making his move any moment.

 

***

 

Severus reached for his goblet of wine, which he'd placed deliberately close to the edge of the table.

"Oops, sorry Sinistra," he said, knocking the goblet over and spilling wine on her robes.

Sinistra growled slightly. "Snape you bloody -"

The signal given, Severus held his breath for the next part of the plan to commence. A half second later, the candles spluttered and died all at once, causing screams to erupt throughout the hall. Severus, delighted by Sinistra's repertoire of swear words still whizzing past his head, had to forcibly push his glee from his mind over having a legitimate reason to douse her with wine.

He probably could have just dropped his fork to alert Dotty, but this was more fun.

The voices of the students and staff rose in crescendo in the seconds following the candles being doused, and wasting no time, Severus uncapped the phial in his pocket and poured the contents on the floor. A sudden chill erupted in the hall, and the sound of cracking ice could be heard. A few pounding heartbeats later, Dumbledore had waved his wand to light the candles again. They burst into life, row upon row up above, illuminating the scene before them. Sinistra, in the process of syphoning wine off of her dark blue robes, stopped.

"Merlin," muttered Severus for effect as the other staff members exclaimed aloud. The entire hall was consumed with ice. The windows were coated in thick, impermeable frost, blocking everything outside from view. The floor too was frozen over with a shining layer of ice. Light from the candles reflected in the surface, and one by one, students started to get up and test it. Laughter erupted amongst them as they started to slide across it, their shoes clacking loudly against it. Potter, delight written on his face, was pulled to his feet by one of his friends.

"Don't think this makes me forget what you've done to my robes you -" Sinistra hissed at Severus.

Severus smirked. "Cold yet?" he asked.

Sinistra swore at him.

"Well, I supposed it doesn't do any harm," said Minerva a few chairs down, having finally regained her voice. "Whoever this Holiday prankster is."

"A foolish pursuit," Severus said, scoffing, "but I see your point."

"Oh, lighten up Severus," Filius said. "What harm does it do?"

Severus had to contain his inner glee as a student began to slide too close to the door. He could see it coming from a mile away.

There was an unearthly roar, and the Draught Dough activated. A rattling gust of air blew down from the door through the centre of the hall, sending students sliding at an even pa pace toward the top table. There were screams of both terror, and delight. A few students tried to come at the door from the side, seeing if they could leave. They only managed to get caught in the wind, which was blowing handfuls of snow drifting from the ceiling across the hall. Severus had to hold back a laugh as they lost their balance and slid on their bottoms across the ice, pushed by the incredibly strong wind.

"Draught Dough," Minerva said. "Dear Merlin, that brings back memories, doesn't it, Severus?"

"Hmm?" Severus said, panicking internally. Did she guess? He caught a glimpse of her expression, which was not accusing, but nostalgic. He relaxed. "Oh, Draught Dough, that is quite a blast from the past."

"Filius snorted. "Was that a joke?"

"Er, joke?" Severus muttered, not catching what Filius meant.

Minerva rolled her eyes.

"Oh," Severus said, annoyed.

 "You really need to work on your sense of humour," said Minerva, chuckling good-naturedly.

"You have no idea," muttered Severus under his breath so nobody could hear, snow piling up on the tables.

"I suppose we will have to find a way to get the students out of the hall eventually," said Dumbledore, getting up from his chair. Severus winced slightly, Dumbledore's age burning brightly in his mind. "It would be quite a chore to get them all though the floo in the room behind our table. Best inspect the front door."

"Sir, perhaps I should go? You might -"

"You're right Severus. I think a cushioning charm on my backside is in order."

Severus snorted slightly, and Minerva turned rather red as she tried to hold back a giggle.

"I imagine I will have to have a stern talk with the Weasley twins," Minerva said, her laughter dying into a sour scowl. "Best go interrogate them now."

She followed Dumbledore's lead, and slid carefully across the ice, having also cast a cushioning charm.

Severus, thinking it would be suspicious of him to stay in his chair, got up and started to move around the hall as well, as though scoping out the scene.

"We never did find a spell to remove Draught Dough," said Filius as he followed behind him, although judging by the delightful screams of the students as they ran into the wind to be blown across the ice for fun seemed to be destroying any sense of urgency of his.

"Oh, I remember," said Severus. "I swear my entire senior year that stuff was everywhere."

"Personally, I enjoyed the one where someone managed to make it blow vertically upward and proceeded to cast a Neutral Buoyancy charm on Sirius Black and James Potter. Whatever buoyancy charm they used wasn't compliant to the usual counter spell, if I recall. Took us an hour to get them down."

"Yes, that one was good," Severus said, a gleeful warmth filling him from the inside.

"We never did catch who did it," said Filius, giving Severus a rather pointed look.

Severus' lip twitched. There was no sense in denying it now. What could Filius do, give him detention? Filius would never suspect him for this prank anyway. Something twenty odd years ago wouldn't condemn him now. He glanced sideways at Flitwick, smirking. It was all Filius needed as confirmation.

"I always thought so," said Filius, rolling his eyes. "But Slughorn vouched for you. Said you were down in the dungeons brewing."

"I bribed him."

"What?"

"Crystallized pineapple. He could never say no, especially if you gave him a sample first. It was a harmless prank after all."

"That scoundrel - and you -" Filius caught himself as Severus gave him a withering look. Flitwick chuckled to himself. "Bribery ... dear me. But it was expert spellwork, I will give you that."

"Thank you," smirked Severus.

"Thank goodness you grew up. You were quite the handful, you know."

Severus choked slightly, but Filius didn't seem to hear him.

"Now help me get this ice off the floor," said Filius after a moment, waving his wand in a few complicated patterns. "It won't respond to usual methods."

The End.
End Notes:
Hope you guys liked the prank! More shenanigans to come!
A Bag of Tricks by Whitetail

Harry dropped by Snape's office early the next morning on the pretence of returning a library book. He'd gotten a note from Snape on his bed, courtesy of Hedwig.

"I have a job for you," Snape said, bustling around his office, tossing papers into his briefcase for classes that day. His tie wasn't done up yet, and he was looking quite haggard.

Harry sat down obediently, waiting patiently.

"I need to keep the staff away from the Hogwarts kitchens, and laundry," Snape said, rummaging through his desk drawer. "Half of Hogwarts' house elves decided to help, which is great, but we need to stop Dumbledore or any of the staff from noticing where they went."

"What do you want me to do?"

"Pranks. Lots of them."

Dizzy excitement hit Harry as he took a moment to comprehend the statement.  "So, pranks to stop them from going down to the kitchens? So like, on the way?"

"I'll have a few last line defences set up, but in general, keep the pranks as far away from the kitchens and laundry as possible to draw staff away. Keep them too busy and confused to notice that the classrooms are not being cleaned as much as they usually are and that laundry is taking longer."

Harry grinned. "What should I do, though? I don't know a lot of good spells for pranks. Not like Fred and George."

"Happy Christmas," Severus said brusquely, shoving a bag at Harry and starting to tie his tie. "Invented some of it myself as a student. I unearthed whatever recipes I could brew short notice. There's descriptions of what they do. Should be enough to last you a while if you pull one off every day. See me for more."

Harry took the bag, and opened it. It was so small, but it wasn't as it seemed. His jaw dropped when he opened it, as it was at least the size of a rucksack on the inside, stuffed full.

"Undetectable extension charm. Now get out of here before someone gets suspicious."

"Thanks sir!" Harry said.

"Do not get caught, do you hear me? Use the cloak."

"Yes, sir."

Snape looked almost anxious to Harry, his fingers stopping tying for a moment. It was like Snape was concerned, or something.

"Well, get to breakfast," Snape snapped, and Harry, sensing not to test his mood, ran off to the Great Hall.

Harry had to pinch himself to make sure he wasn't dreaming. Snape, designating him official Holiday Prankster. Awesome. He wished he could brag to Ron.

He checked his watch. Fifteen minutes until the doors opened for breakfast.

Perfect.

 He had time. It would be discovered just in time for classes. McGonagall's office was nowhere near the Transfiguration classroom, that was for sure.

In an abandoned classroom, Harry sifted through the prank material.

"Snape made this?" Harry said in awe. He could tell by the fancier labels which ones were bought, and which ones were Snape's. Most of them were his, potions and bottles of compounds labelled carefully.

"Instant Blizzard?" Harry muttered, grinning.

Lasts two days. Resistant to every known cancellation spell. Storm has 120 metre diameter if given room to spread. Instructions: pour on floor. Run. Activates in sixty seconds. Will fill corridor or area sixty metres on each side of where poured.

Harry threw the cloak on, pocketing the right bottle and stuffing the bag of tricks in his rucksack. He went into the Transfiguration corridor, which was thankfully empty. The classrooms were still locked, no lights on beneath the door. Harry went to the centre of the corridor, uncapped the bottle, and poured. It was like a strange sort of glittering gel, and it soaked into the stone like the floor was a sponge.

He capped the bottle, put it in his pocket, and then sprinted, the cloak flapping around him. Once he was at the very end of the corridor, he could see it starting. A cloud of white was frothing from the floor, rising up in a swirling, howling mass. He wanted to watch it fill the corridor, but Transfiguration was second period, and he would see it later. He walked slowly and casually toward the Great Hall, taking off the cloak. This way he wasn't hot and didn't look like he'd been running.

He arrived at breakfast a minute after the doors opened, and was able to save a spot for Ron and Hermione. His heart hammered wildly from excitement.

Nobody had noticed a thing. There was no murmuring in the hall, no rumours or news. Just people discussing the Great Hall prank the previous day. It filled Harry with great pleasure to hear everyone referring to it as the best prank all year. He had a feeling he might trump that as he dug into his oatmeal, considering all the things he would be able to pull off in the next few days.

It would only be a matter of time before the first Transfiguration class arrived, and the first prank would be known. By Harry's class, the news would surely have spread over the school.

The magic from that blizzard potion was way too complicated. No place sold this stuff either. Harry was starting to see why Snape had given him what he did. Nobody would suspect a second year of being able to create product of that complicated all by themselves. And with his dad's cloak, how could he possibly get caught?

 

 

***

 

"Class, please, I have an announcement," Flitwick said nervously in charms, standing upon his pile of books.

Harry looked up, trying to hide the fluttering excitement in his stomach.

Ron stopped prodding his snail with his wand, and looked at Harry. "What's got into him?"

 The class fell into quiet muttering, and Flitwick made his announcement.  "Second period Transfiguration has been cancelled for today, due to ... a blizzard."

"But it isn't snowing outside," said Seamus.

"Well spotted, Mr Finnegan," Flitwick said. "However, it appears as though a blizzard has arisen in the Transfiguration corridor. It has gotten too severe for class. Relocation will likely occur for the next class if the matter is not dealt with."

Gleeful shouting broke out. The uproar was glorious, and Harry felt like he was walking on a cloud.

"A blizzard, seriously?" Harry said, allowing his happiness to finally show through.

"We have to go see," Ron said. "You don't think Fred and George did it?"

"Sounds like them, doesn't it?" Harry said.

Hermione sniffed.

"Yeah, I know," Ron said, "interfering with class should be a capital offence, but come on, Hermione, just accept it as a Christmas Miracle."

"I'm with Ron here," Harry said.

"Well, I suppose the spell work must be excellent if they've started a blizzard indoors, Hermione said stiffly.

"Great, let's go," Ron said, the bell ringing.

Harry followed Ron gladly.

They arrived in the Transfiguration corridor, and it appeared to be like one enormous whiteout. At the mouth of the corridor there was a sheer wall of blowing snow, howling. Harry reached his hand forward to stick his finger into the storm. It disrupted the wind ever so slightly so bits of snow flew out at him. Ron was toeing the snowdrifts that were coming out from the opaque mass, slowly making their way into the warm intersection of the corridors where Harry, Ron and Hermione stood. McGonagall and Dumbledore were there too, staring into the storm. They had been there when the trio arrived, surveying the damage.

"Professor McGonagall, when will classes be resumed?" asked Hermione anxiously while Harry and Ron tried not to look too pleased.

"Goodness knows," said McGonagall. "Whoever did this was an expert prankster. I am thinking, Miss Granger, given the strength of the blizzard the next class shall have to be held elsewhere."

"I hope Severus hasn't gotten lost in there," said Dumbledore, frowning.

"Snape's in there?" Harry asked, shocked.

"Yes, we sent him in to look for traces of potion residue. If we can determine if this is spellwork or potions expertise, we may have a clue as to how to end it."

A shadow moved slightly behind the snow, and Harry squinted to make it out. Just then, a figure covered head to toe in snow and bundled up warmly stumbled out of the white, snow-drift strewn space.

"Potter! Shouldn't you be in class? Do I have to give you another detention?" Snape barked as well he could through the scarf he'd wound around his head. He stamped his feet, and uncovered his face with the scarf, scowling deeply.

Harry could almost see the twinkle in his eye, the mischievous look Harry had learned to see.

"No sir!" Harry said, shaking his head vigorously.

"Severus, really, transfiguration was cancelled," said McGonagall, crossing her arms. "He is not skipping class."

"Well then you three should be doing the homework I assigned yesterday with your free time," he sneered, glaring at them.

"Come on," Hermione said to Harry and Ron, grabbing the back of their robes, "Before we get points taken for getting in the way."

"Excellent idea, Granger," Snape said distastefully, watching them as they rounded the corner and went out of sight.

"Wait, my shoe's loose," Harry said, bending down to retie it. Hermione crossed her arms, an indication that she knew very well he was eavesdropping.

"- is indeed potions residue somewhere near the centre of the storm," Snape was saying, his voice hard to make out over the sound of the storm. "It is nothing I have seen before, however. It must be a new product, or worse, probably something created by an upper year student -"

Harry, unable to stall any longer, allowed Hermione to drag him and Ron away from the scene.

Harry ended up letting Hermione convince him to do homework with her in the library, out of sheer glee that the prank had gone off well.

He flipped through his book, pretending to read as Hermione scribbled feverishly. In reality, he was doing nothing of the sort, instead going over all the possible uses he could find for the contents of the bag of tricks.

There was no doubt in Harry's mind that this was going to be the best Christmas ever.

 

The End.
Prankster Down by Whitetail

A corridor filled with hundreds of floating balloons refusing to pop; a spray that made portraits talk in high pitched voices for days; pellets that when put in water made a mist that stuck all who passed through it to the walls and ceiling for a minute at a time; a rushing river down the marble staircase complete with magical rafts.

Harry really had to hand it to Snape. He could open his own prank shop. Harry had been making mental notes all week to ask Snape where he got all the ideas, and what he did during his school years to end up with such a bag of excellent tricks. Pretty much all of them had been made by Snape, and all the pranks had gone smoothly. As intended, chaos reigned throughout the school, and Harry was loving every second of it. Fred and George were beside themselves trying to figure out who was doing it and how, spending long hours observing the scenes trying to figure out how they were done, and insisting to anyone who congratulated them that they only wished they had done them.

The only trouble with that was that by now, the Professors seemed to know it wasn't the Weasely twins. Fred and George had come back to the common room two days ago, exhausted and irritated. Apparently they'd been called down to a full staff room of Professors trying to get them to admit they were behind it, until Dumbledore had pointed out that there was no amusement involved with their denial.

Harry felt bad about it, but he reminded himself that the twins thought the pranks were awesome, and would be one hundred percent behind Harry if they knew it was him and why he did it. After all, the Weasleys had once had some mysterious gifts show up under their tree when their parents claimed they couldn't afford anything for Christmas.

Now only were the pranks setting Fred's and George's brains churning, but it seemed that the Christmas pranking spree had inspired others too. Pranks of other kinds sprouted everywhere as others joined the bandwagon, though none as elaborate. The staff were being run ragged, naturally, including Snape. Snape's exhaustion was for entirely different reasons, of course. Standing in the workshop during lunch break, Harry couldn't help but marvel at how hard he was working.

"I think the staff are starting to get suspicious about the house elves," Snape said hastily as he checked off a long list he'd wound around a clip-board before getting back up on the ladder.

Harry had to run to keep up with Snape, who was sliding back and forth on an enormous ladder on rollers, which accessed a hundred or so wide, giant shelves on the workshop wall, all stacked with gifts.

"This is a brilliant system, sir - we should do this in the real workshop," Harry said, gasping as he ran after Snape once again, who was sliding from the R shelf to the S shelf in one smooth glide.

Snape made sure the clip of the clipboard was secure, then slung it over his shoulder with a piece of rope he'd attached to the clip. He put his hands on the sides of the ladder, making sure his palms were covered with his sleeves, then slid down the two metres to the floor. He landed gracefully, removed the clipboard from around his shoulder, and put a few more checkmarks on the paper. He didn't seem to have heard Harry's comment.

"I have to say, the pranks are going well, Potter," he said curtly, on the move again as he wound through the busy elves with ease, dodging their movements expertly as they darted through the aisles with various tools and items. "However, I heard Minerva in the staff room complaining about the laundry being slow. I doubt there is anymore that can be done to prevent the staff from getting suspicious - careful with that, Floppy, it's fragile - and so it is only a matter of time before someone triggers the defence I have set up near the kitchens.

"I think we need another protective measure to avoid loss of working time, which is why I am giving you this," Snape pulled something from his pocket. It turned out to be a simple silver sickle. "It's charmed to heat up and vibrate in your pocket the moment that someone gets close to the kitchens and laundry. That means there will be only a few seconds until my defensive measures trigger. The first line of defence triggered on the way to the kitchen will stall them long enough for me to get the Hogwarts elves to return to their posts for the person's visit to the kitchens or laundry. But the person can't keep all the Hogwarts elves there long, or work will fall behind. So at the moment you feel the sickle heat up in your pocket, I need you to find a way to get to the Entrance Hall or another highly visible place and pull another very noisy, very large prank to draw them away as quickly as possible so we can resume work. Right now, minutes could make the different between us getting done or not."

"Alright," Harry said, taking the sickle Snape had waved at him.

"Keep the sickle with you at all times - I don't care if you're taking a bath, you need to have it one you no matter what."

"Yes sir," Harry said gravely.

"Good. Now get out of here before someone suspects something. I have some matters to discuss with Merry before I have to leave for class."

Harry did as told, and left to hunt through his back of tricks, now considerably lighter than it was a few days ago. He would select the prank now, so he didn't have to rush. In the privacy of an empty classroom he sifted through the remaining items, looking for the perfect prank.

The Ultimate Exploding Noisemaker, Harry read at last. This was something Snape had to have bought somewhere. He flipped over the box and read the back.

Foghorns! Squealing pig noises! Flameless, heatless pyrotechnics bright enough to make you see stars! Just snap the Ultimate Exploding Noisemaker stick in half, plug your ears, and find a place to watch the thirty minutes of chaotic fun!

Harry paused for a moment, trying to decide how to make it easy to find this particular box among the others in a rush. He scratched his nose thoughtfully. Harry pulled off his sock, stuffed the box inside of it, then shoved the socked box inside the trick bag.

There, all he would have to do would be to grope around for something fuzzy.

He made sure the sickle was in his pocket, and then left the classroom to go meet Ron and Hermione for Herbology class.

"You know," Hermione began as they focused on adding fertilizer to the pots, "whoever is doing these pranks is going to be in some serious trouble."

"I doubt they'll catch them though," Harry said, trying to ignore the smell of dragon dung as he packed the dark fertilizer mix into the nearest pot with a trowel. "I mean, tons of people are pulling pranks now."

"That's exactly it," said Hermione, wide-eyed. "Whoever started this got all those other people to start pulling pranks. I was talking with McGonagall this morning, and she said they were talking about drastic measures for the initiator. She said it would definitely be more than just a week of detention."

"Well, let's hope they don't catch them, then," Ron said. Harry made a mental note to allow Ron to borrow his homework more often.

Still, despite Ron's words Harry's stomach squirmed slightly, Hermione's statements echoing in his mind. He was pretty sure the flip-flopping in his guts he was experiencing had nothing to do with the smell of dragon dung.

He forced the feeling away. Everything would be fine. Besides, Snape was a genius. He'd figure out a way to help Harry if he got into trouble.

 

***

 

It was early morning. Severus stumbled down the hallways, exhausted after having spent most of the night overseeing gift-making. If they kept with this pace, there was a chance everything would be made for Christmas. The students were due to go home tomorrow morning, and then there were only three days until Christmas.

  Severus's thoughts stopped immediately, for the sickle Severus kept in his pocket grew warm. It was identical to Potter's.

"Master Severus!" said Toffee, popping into view in the corridor the moment Snape noticed the sickle. "Professor McGonagall is trying to go to the kitchens!"

Severus felt as though he had missed a step going downstairs. "Have you alerted the Hogwarts elves?"

"Yes sir, they is apparating to their posts now."

"Make sure Potter knows - now," said Severus.

"I cannot - at this time he will be in his dorm and the others will be too. House elves is not to be seen! Toffee could give Master Harry away."

Severus' chest got tight, but he nodded. He had told Potter to keep it on him at all times, had he not? Surely the boy would wake up with the vibrations and heat of the sickle.

Toffee disappeared with a pop, and Severus walked through the corridors with baited breath.

Knowing Minerva she could be down there talking over the decline in quality of work with the elves for at least twenty minutes in the laundry, and it would be even worse if she had breakfast in the kitchens as she sometimes did. That could take forty minutes depending on whether she'd brought the paper and how much peace away from students she desired. One hundred Hogwarts elves had come along to help the project, so that was a hundred elves missing for the duration Minerva was in the way. That was a lot of gifts not being made.

Severus could picture the detour signs with Filch's sloppy writing right now, materializing on the way to the kitchen. Minerva would be forced to go the long way around to her destination. It was the only thing Severus could come up with that didn't interfere with the House Elves cleaning and movement in that area of the school. Hopefully all the elves would be there when she arrived. And even more so, Severus hoped that Potter would answer the call, or Severus could be forced to do something drastic. On top of it all, the other students would be moving around the school now, making Potter's job harder.

Severus jumped badly, for there came a distant cacophony of explosions, animal noises, and what Severus supposed must be a foghorn. He never thought he would be more relieved to hear such an awful array of noises. Teachers all around would come running, and Toffee would do his duty and find Minerva, alerting her to the commotion.

Severus had been fairly far from the scene so he was not the only teacher to arrive in the Entrance Hall at that moment. Students were crowding around before breakfast, holding their hands over their ears and watching the spectacular firework show. Severus narrowly dodged a sparkler, crashing into a wall with his shoulder in his efforts. A gaggle of students held back laughter, and he glared at them. They stopped.

"WHAT ON EARTH IS GOING ON?" Minerva bellowed over the racket from where she was standing, having arrived the same time as Severus. Her hair coming undone from her bun and her face red. She must have sprinted all the way here, much to Severus' glee.

The elves would be working again. Excellent.

"INTO THE GREAT HALL, ALL OF YOU -" Severus shouted, doing his part.

Students hesitated, but as Severus began to march toward them, they scattered and left. Pomona had arrived on the scene with a pair of pink earmuffs. She pulled a few more out of her pocket, and tossed them toward Severus and Minerva, who put them on gratefully. Dumbledore motioned to Severus, Minerva, and Pomona, asking silently if they were on it. They nodded to him, so he closed the Great Hall doors to keep the students in.

The three of them shouted back and forth, trying to decide if there was a counter spell that would work. Severus had no trouble going along, relief making his legs and arms like rubber.

Finally, Minerva opted for a very strong silencing spell.

"The prank should wear off," Minerva said hoarsely, watching the fireworks exploding over and over in complete silence. She frowned half-heartedly, as though she was too tired to do so with more heart.

Severus, who was returning his set of earmuffs to Pomona, did not notice Minerva bending over to pick something up. It was a sock.

"I know who did this," Minerva said, eyes looking suddenly damp. "I can't believe it ... Harry Potter."

"POTTER?" Severus barked, but thankfully his shock was mistaken for rage.

"I thought you were just being biased, Severus," Minerva said, looking crestfallen. "You've been saying it all week, but I didn't listen." Severus felt a twinge of guilt inside. But he'd known he would have to go ranting to Dumbledore about Potter being to blame. It wasn't supposed to lead to Potter being found guilty - the complexity of the pranks would exonerate him immediately!

"How can you tell it was Potter?" Severus said, trying to sound gleeful like he used to when Potter was found guilty of things.

"Every piece of clothing has last names on it, if you recall," Minerva said, passing the sock. Severus felt as though he was trying to swallow a rock as he examined the tiny label inside the sock, which spelt out quite resolutely, Potter.

"But please, these pranks are way too advanced for a second year," Pomona said. "Someone might be trying to frame him."

"Perhaps you are right, Pomona," said Minerva.

"Sprout's got doubt - hee she shouldn't - not one bit!" said a cackling voice above.

"Peeves," Severus growled, looking upward.

"Guess who I saw, poking out of that fancy cloak of his?" said Peeves, laughing raucously. "Invisible too under it, just like Peeves!"

"Who?" Minerva said, irritated.

"None other than a teenie second year whose name rhymes with otter!"

"You saw Potter?"

"I saw Potter!" Peeves spat. "Taking that nasty prank out of a sock he'd hidden in his bag - ooh nasty Potter!"

Peeves gave a cackle, then zoomed away.

Severus felt the ground disappear beneath his feet, and Minerva's lips grew so thin they just about disappeared.

"I am going to go talk to that boy right now," she said stiffly, the sock stuffed in her grip.

"I could interrogate him instead -" Severus began, "the damage he's caused -"

"No. He is in my house. I will punish him."

By the stiffness in her walk, Severus knew there was no way to argue. He leaned up against the wall, and shut his eyes.

This was all his fault. Every last bit of it, his fault.

 

***

 

Harry's eyes were blotchy, and his nose was stuffed up, and his bag had been thoroughly searched. The bag of tricks was hidden in his dorm, and had so far escaped. But there had been a sticker from the balloon prank he'd forgotten to throw away.

"So, what's my punishment?" he asked, sinking miserable into the chair as McGonagall stared at him with a look so disappointed his eyes welled up every time he looked at her.

She'd been silent for a good five minutes thinking.

"I'm sending you home to your family for Christmas break," she said quietly. She sighed. "I'm writing them a letter as well. There aren't enough of us professors to supervise you given your current behaviour."

Harry leaned into the top her desk and placed his head in his arms, and started to cry.

McGonagall was silent.

 

The End.
End Notes:
Harry's in deep trouble now, eh?
A Simple Miracle by Whitetail

"I talked with Albus but he won't listen," said Severus. "I know they are cold toward you, and I know about the cupboard, but Albus already knows that was where you used to sleep. He seems content that they've moved you upstairs, the stubborn old moron. And he still maintains it's the safest place for you away from the school because of the blood wards. I haven't been able to convince him to let you stay."

"But sir, Aunt Petunia and Uncle Vernon will be furious!"

"I have tried, Harry, really," Severus croaked. He felt as though a giant boulder had crashed into his stomach. Just sick. "Unless you tell me more, or go to Dumbledore yourself and give him proof that it isn't safe for you to go back, I cannot do anything."

Potter pursed his lips tightly.

Severus sunk into his desk. The boy had hardly said a word about his summer. What was he supposed to do?

"I will still come for you on Christmas Eve. We are still in this together. All you have to do is hang on long enough for me to get there. Forty-eight hours, roughly, that's all. As soon as it gets late enough, I will be there."

Potter scuffed his toe against the floor, but he nodded.

"Harry, I am sorry. I really am. This is all my fault."

Potter looked up, surprised. "I agreed to do it, didn't I?"

"But I'm the Professor," Severus snapped. "It isn't your fault. I wish I could take the blame for all of this, but that would mean giving away the whole thing."

"I know, sir. Christmas is more important," Potter said quietly. "See you."

Before Severus could get another word in, Potter had left.

He didn't see the boy anywhere all that evening, and when morning came and the students going home left, Potter gone without a trace.

 

***

The fields rushed by, and Neville tried to cheer Harry up. He even bought two chocolate frogs when the trolley lady came, and gave one to Harry. Neville was a good friend, but Harry still felt down. All he could think about was what Uncle Vernon and Aunt Petunia would say when he got home. They would probably do what they had this summer, and lock him in his bedroom. Only this time there was no Ford Anglia coming to rescue him. At least with the resolution of Malfoy Senior's attempt to get that dangerous book into Hogwarts, Dobby the house elf wouldn't keep blocking Harry's mail.

Oh well, it wasn't as though things could get any worse than they had during the summer.

Harry looked out the window as Neville read aloud the Quidditch stats from the paper, still trying to lighten Harry's mood. Harry didn't listen, instead watching the world go by. He remembered Snape's words, that he couldn't give away the secret. Christmas was very important for everyone who desperately needed it, like Harry had before he made friends who cared enough to remember him on Christmas day.

He knew how important it was. That it was more important to keep it going even if it meant things going wrong for himself.

So why did he feel so disappointed that Snape thought so too?

 

***

 

The last two days before Christmas Eve passed by in a blur. With fewer people in the school the Hogwarts elves remaining to work in the kitchens and laundry could keep up enough that nobody noticed that there were so few.

The Christmas Elves however noticed something was missing, that thing being the absence of cheer in Severus. They seemed concerned, for things had taken to showing up in his office drawers, like cookies, and tiny tins with instant hot chocolate powder or mints in them.

It was sort of sweet, really, but Severus couldn't get his mind off of Potter. He wanted to run and get the boy right now. Not only did he feel guilty, but he also missed the boy. What a strange thought that was. But he couldn't allow Potter to go missing. He couldn't just go down to the house and scoop Potter up to come here. No, it wouldn't do.

It was tempting, though.

At last, when he thought he was going to march down there any second, Christmas Eve came. The elves were still working steadfastly. They were only a hundred or so gifts away from completion, which would happen around nine-o-clock. The magical bag for the gifts was brought by Severus from the old workshop, already filled with the ones that had been spared by the fire. It was charmed to be light enough for him to carry. With the aid of a disillusionment charm, he crept through the halls of Hogwarts, and brought it to the elves to begin filling with the freshly made gifts.

Nine-o-clock came, and they were finished. There was no time for celebration, no time for speech making. Severus took the gifts and the big book, and left for the old workshop with a sense of urgency.

The Reindeer needed to be readied as quickly as possible if he was going to go get Potter. Severus put on the winter clothes that still resided in the shop, and grabbed Potter's too. The boots, charmed so nobody would hear his steps, were silent as he walked through the snow to the reindeer. They were stamping restlessly in their stalls, and at a sharp whistle from Severus, all of them thundered through the gate into the room with the sleigh.

Rain came up to Severus as the other reindeer lined up with much stamping and snorting. She nuzzled his sleeve, and poked her nose into the sleigh to prod the small jacket that was Harry's, sitting in the passenger seat.

"I know," Severus said, feeling like he was being scolded. "Don't look at me that way. We're going to get him now. I would not forget Harry, I promise."

She nickered slightly, and pressed her wet nose against Severus' cheek before going to stand beside Royal. Old thought those two were, they were lined up anyways as they always did.

Atlas and Calypso brayed up front, and Severus started to do up all the straps and buckles on the harnesses. He opened the huge wood doors from the barn, and jumped into the sleigh.

"Get her lined up for launch," he said, slapping the reigns a bit, and the reindeer pulled out slowly, easily taking the sleigh into position. Severus frowned, glancing sideways at the passenger seat. He wished Potter was here now, but it would be quicker to go to Potter than bring him here then get ready.

He glanced up, noting the clear skies. Luck was on their side today, for visibility would allow them to travel easily. Only those who believed in Father Christmas could see the sleigh, so it didn't matter there was no cloud cover.

Severus tightened the reigns in his grip, and slapped them against the dash of the sled.

"On Atlas, on Calypso, Royal and Rain, Comet and Caspian, Halcyon, and on Pants!" he bellowed, and the reindeer thundered forward, fighting for flight. The sleigh rattled and shook, hitting bumps in the snowy ground. Then, with the crashing of silver bells they rose into the deep blue sky.

"To Harry Potter's!" bellowed Severus. Sparks sizzled in the air and the bells shuddered once more as the reindeer apparated. Little Whinging burst into view below, the reindeer shooting into a banked turn as they spiralled down through the air and onto the roof of Privet Drive with surprising grace. Severus jumped out of the sleigh, took a pinch of floo powder from his pocket, and standing next to the chimney, threw it at his feet. The whirl of flames took him into the fireplace, but all was not as it should have been.

Severus resisted the urge to swear, thinking it would not do to for Father Christmas to swear. It was very difficult not to, though, as the stupid Dursleys had boarded up their fireplace. They must have put some sort of electric one in front. Severus took a pinch of floo powder from his pocket and tossed it at his feet again, reappearing on the roof. He spun on the spot once up there and apparated, then landed on the front doorstep.

Thank goodness for the failsafe. Children who believed in Father Christmas even just a little bit worked wonders. The door just about always unlocked at his touch. A little bit of Christmas magic. Potter knew he existed one hundred percent, so there was no way he'd even have to do magic to get in. Severus' Christmas jacket, boots, mittens and trousers would do their magic in silencing any sound he or the things he touched made. The Dursleys wouldn't hear him.

Severus reached for the handle, and turned.

The door was locked.

Locked.

Severus felt a strange sort of chill settle in his stomach. But Potter knew he existed, so how could he not believe? Unless ... he'd stopped believing in Severus ... believing that he could do as he said, or that he would even come. Severus didn't know a word to describe the feeling he was experiencing, other than emptiness. It was emptiness, but worse.

He forced himself to move on. There were other ways to get in, though he avoided them at all costs. But now he had no choice. Severus turned on the spot, thankful he had been here once before last Christmas with Potter so he wouldn't apparate into the middle of a wall. He appeared in the sitting room. The Dursleys had gone to bed presumably, though it was not too late. Severus was glad for this, even though Potter's jacket would hide him from the Durlseys. Severus made to go upstairs, where Potter's bedroom was. He stopped, however, for he heard a slight knocking noise.

"In here," said a dismal voice and Severus took his foot off the stair silently, and walked to the cupboard, anger bubbling inside as he thought of Petunia upstairs, sleeping in a roomy bedroom. "It's locked."

Severus tried the door. It still wouldn't budge.

But he was here, right in front of Potter. How could he not believe?

"Is there a key?" whispered Severus, pushing away his thoughts, heavy and dragging at his mind.

"Yes, first drawer by the stove in the kitchen," Potter said. "But why not just use your wand?"

"If you recall, you got the blame for a hover charm used by an elf this summer," Severus said.

"Don't remind me," Potter said darkly.

"If I do magic the same thing will happen. I'm going to get the key."

"Wait, sir, actually, I've changed my mind - I don't want to go -" Potter said suddenly, panic in his voice.

"What?" Severus said.

"I'm too tired -"

"Nonsense." Worry festering inside, Severus left before Potter could say another word. He found the drawer in the kitchen in just a minute, and rummaged around for the key. He found it quickly, and then came to the cupboard and slid it in the lock.

"No - I don't want to -"

The door opened soundlessly as Severus pulled on it, and Potter stood back in the shadows.

"Come on, I know you want to come," Severus said, puzzled. "What are you hiding? What did they do to you?"

Severus flicked on the light. Potter put his arms over his head.

"Lower your arms, Harry, please," Severus asked, his voice shaking slightly.

Potter sniffled.

"Please. I want to help."

Potter turned away slightly, but lowered his hands.

It was like looking seeing his twelve year old self in a mirror. Black eye. Blood crusted around the nose. Empty eyes.

"Harry, you said they didn't do this," Severus said faintly. "I wish you would have told me -"

"This is the first time," Harry said with bitterness the cut straight to Severus' core. "

"We're going to see Albus, now," Severus said, feeling like a ghost, and like his legs would collapse. Flashes of his own father ran through his head a hundred times. "This is all my fault -"

"But the children won't get their gifts -" Potter said, shocked.

"We will be late, yes, but this -" Severus gestured.

"No, sir, please, I want to go give gifts, please," Potter whispered. "Don't let the Dursleys ruin this. It's the only good thing right now."

Severus hesitated.

"Please."

Severus sighed. "Alright. But we are stopping by the workshop. I have bruise balm in the first aid kit there. And the moment everything is delivered, we are going to see Dumbledore."

"Yes, sir," muttered Potter.

"Do you have any other injuries?"

"No. Just the eye."

Severus surveyed Potter, and deemed him to be telling the truth. "Get anything of yours you need. Bring it to me. You aren't coming back here. If I can make any miracle happen this Christmas, that's going to be it."

Potter looked at him in shock.

"Get your things," Severus repeated gently. 

"I left everything important at Hogwarts," said Potter. "My wand too. It would've been snapped by my Uncle. He's threatened before."

"Right ... er, put the jacket and things on," Severus forced himself to say, handing the bundle of warm clothing to Potter. "I will be back in just a moment."

 

***

 

Harry leaned up against the front door, suited up and ready to go.

Snape seemed to be taking a long time. Curious as to where he went, Harry ventured into the sitting room. To his surprise, Snape was bustling around the Christmas tree.

"What are you doing?" asked Harry, curious.

"I went out to your Uncle's garden shed," Snape said, bending down under the tree. "I used one of the keys in the drawer to open it. Found a good herbicide."

"You're pouring herbicide into the water dish for the tree?" Harry asked. "To kill the tree? Why?"

"It's all I can do to stop myself going upstairs and destroying your uncle and aunt. Given that most people leave their tree up a day or two past Christmas, your Aunt's going to be furious for all the dropping needles."

"Brilliant," Harry said slowly, surprised at Snape. Although, the man who invented half the pranks in that bag of tricks, naturally, would think of this.

"I wanted to fill their Christmas presents with dead spiders or frog guts, but that would require magic," Snape said, looking severely disappointed. He brightened considerably. "Next year, I suppose, when you aren't here."

Snape smiled wistfully, and Harry watched Snape pass him on his way to the front door, frozen staring from the tree to Snape and back again.

"Next Christmas?" Harry asked faintly.

"Of course."

Snape didn't elaborate, so Harry followed him out the door. Snape then took Harry's arm, and apparated onto the roof. Harry, grateful for his magical boots on the slippery roof, grinned at the sight of the reindeer. Rain looked over at them. She fixed her eyes on Harry, then stared at Severus. She tossed her head and made such a displeased noise Harry nearly jumped.

Snape winced.

"She's been giving me heck all evening," Snape explained.

Harry went over to Rain, and placed his hands around her aged head. She looked dolefully at him, her big brown eyes looking sadly into his.

"I'm okay, girl. Things'll work out."

Royal bunted Harry gently as well, and Harry gave Rain one last pat before jumping in the sleigh.

"Are you ready?" Snape asked, sounding more formal than usual.

Harry nodded.

The sleigh launched into the sky, and they were off.

After that, to Harry, the night passed in a blur, the deliveries going off without a hitch. With the help floo powder Harry crept through houses, getting immense satisfaction with every gift he delivered. Seeing the homes, some barren of furniture or anything, and then being able to leave a wonderful gift for the child that lived there did more to cheer him up than anything anyone could have done.

 

***

 

The houses rushed by Severus' eyes, and Potter hardly said a word throughout the journey other than the names of people on the list. Severus tried to think of something to say, some word to tell Potter just how sorry he felt for what had happened, but words failed him.

He'd talked with Dumbledore. He'd tried all year to convince him. He'd gone to Dumbledore more times than he could count to argue the angle that Potter's delinquency was a cry for help, which had surprised Dumbledore at first, but still, the man didn't listen. He'd pointed out to Dumbledore how cold Petunia had been, that Potter probably wasn't cared for as well as Dumbledore thought.

But Dumbledore had known. He'd known the Dursleys had kept Harry in a cupboard as a child, but he insisted the boy had never been beaten, that he was healthy physically according to Poppy. He knew that the world was a dangerous place for Harry, but Severus felt that a decrease in ward strength in a home was worth the gamble for Potter to have a safe place to live.

Severus had longed for more proof all year, ever since Potter had brought him to number four last year when they were missing a gift. Potter had found a book Father Christmas had given him as a child with the intention to use it as the missing gift, and Severus had seen the cupboard.

Yes, ever since then he had longed for more proof, but not like this. He glanced sideways at Potter, who was rubbing the bruise balm they'd stopped to get over his eye every so often.

Every child Severus saw after that stop at Privet Drive tonight, fast asleep in homes that were either too poor in money or love for gifts, he saw only Potter. Last year he'd seen himself as a child, and now, with every broken home he could only see Harry's. And before Severus could come up with some way to say this, some way to tell Potter how he felt, the night was over. The gifts were delivered.

They did not bother with any breakfast as they had last year. The Christmas Elves had returned to their homes at the original workshop, leaving Hogwarts a few at a time covertly all throughout the night, time allowing them to be careful now. The elves were asleep, the kitchen was still damaged from the fire, and neither Severus nor Potter felt overly hungry.

"We should go to the yuletide time turner," Severus said. "Then, straight to Dumbledore's office."

Their warm Christmas clothes put away, they walked in silence to the time turner, a huge series of rings and hoops with a crystalline bubble surrounding it. They stepped through the magical line, and into the space where it was capable of working.

Snape checked his watch. He made a series of taps against the bubble with his wand, and the arms began to move.

The light changed, and evening, the day before Christmas arrived, the time turner having spent up its only use for the year.

 

***

 

Exhausted, the clocks turned backward, Harry allowed himself to be led to the fireplace in the sitting room of the workshop. Harry waited as Snape put his head through the fire to see if Dumbledore was in his office.

"He's there - you first," said Snape.

Harry swallowed thickly, but took a handful of floo powder. He was well aware of the fact that the bruise hadn't completely faded from his face.

"Harry!" Dumbledore said, rising from his desk. "What happened?"

Snape appeared in a whoosh of flames, and placed his hand over Harry's shoulder. It felt heavy.

"Albus, sit down," said Snape. Dumbledore did so, conjuring chairs for Harry and Severus as well, which they took.

"Why is Harry here? Who did this to him?" Dumbledore's voice was shaking.

"His relatives."

"Merlin ... Severus, thank goodness you found him - however did you know?"

Harry's eyes flicked up from the floor. The secret of Christmas was more important than anything, Snape had said. So how would he explain this? But to Harry's amazement, Snape didn't lie.

He launched into the full tale, about what happened last year with the old Father Christmas coming to get them, him being talked into taking over as the new Father Christmas (Dumbledore looked ready to faint when he heard this), how Harry had been helping him all year off and on. He even mentioned the workshop burning down, and how he instructed Harry to pull all the pranks. Snape said it was all his fault.

Harry couldn't say a word. He just watched as Snape told one by one all the ways in which his mistakes had led to Harry ending up at Privet Drive, and how he'd found him when he came to pick Harry up.

"Harry, is that correct?" asked Dumbledore hoarsely after a long silence, his shock evident. It was a sheer testament to how much he must have trusted Snape that he didn't once stop accuse him of making things up.

"Yes, sir," whispered Harry, looking at his lap.

"I am so sorry, Harry," said Dumbledore. "I knew things weren't well ... but I thought it was the safest place for you. There are still so many who would try and -" he fell silent, as though debating how much to say. "No, I must tell you, so you will understand. There are many of Voldemort's supporters who would still very much like to have you killed. We saw only this summer that Lucius Malfoy was trying to get one of Voldemort's possessions into the school to cause great damage. You must understand ... I did not know they were hurting you physically. I only saw a fairly healthy - if somewhat ignored - boy. You may never forgive me, and that is alright. But know that I am sorry."

Harry looked up at Dumbledore, and nodded. "Where ... where will I go?"

Dumbledore frowned. "I do not know, as of yet."

"He can live with me ... if he wants. Permanently."

Harry cricked his neck looking over to Snape, trying to discern if he was hearing him correctly. "Live with you?" Harry said, his voice barely a whisper. Dumbledore too looked like Snape with as much shock as he would if Snape suddenly professed that he wanted to take up knitting doilies.

"Yes," said Snape firmly.

Nobody said anything for a solid minute, and then Dumbledore broke the silence.

"Harry? What are your thoughts? Others will take you, if you desire, of course -"

But Harry was looking at his feet, and he had to take off his glasses because tears were dripping onto the glass. "Yes, please. I want to live with Professor Snape."

"Then it is as good as done," said Dumbledore. "I will meet up with a few connections the moment they are back from holidays. We can do this quietly, I am sure. For now, I would suggest a nice quiet Christmas for you two."

"It's a little late for that," Harry said, laughing suddenly as he wiped his eyes, unsure still if he was dreaming or not.

"We could go to Spinner's End," Snape said thoughtfully. "It may not be ideal, but it is quiet. And I am sure we can spruce it up a little bit for Christmas. It still is technically Christmas Eve, you know ... of course, if you want to stay at Hogwarts with your friends, I would understand."

"No - no ... I don't want to stay at Hogwarts ... I ... I want to go home, with you."

Snape smiled slightly, and Dumbledore continued to look as though he too wasn't sure if anything that just happened was real. But Harry, by the hardness of the floor against his feet and the warmth of Dumbledore's office, knew it was.

 

***

 

They arrived at Spinner's End after a short trip to the Hogwarts kitchen for a bite to eat and a chat with Toffee, who had met them to discuss their night. The house was closed up for winter, but a few charms and Severus was able to get it looking semi-alright. To his vast surprise, there was a Christmas tree standing in the sitting room.

"What the -" Harry muttered, staring at the tree. "How did you know to get a tree?"

"I didn't," Severus said, staring blankly.

"Well, there's a card," Potter said, picking it up and handing to Severus.

"It's in Merry' writing" Severus said, amused. "It says, ‘It's about time you kept him. Happy Christmas, Love Merry, Toffee, and all the Christmas Elves'."

"Toffee must have gone to tell Merry," Harry said, laughing. "But what does he mean it's about time?"

"Merry was only bothering me all year that I should just ask you to live with me," Severus said, amused. "He seemed to think your relatives were no good too."

Harry shook his head. "That elf really is wonderful."

Both of them were so exhausted they decided to go straight to bed after that. Severus made up the spare room for Harry, making a note to himself that they would have to redecorate it eventually.

He couldn't believe it all. Had he really asked Potter to live with him? Of course, Potter was more Harry now than anything though (he had been for a long time, really), and the answer to this question, was truly yes. He had asked him to live with him, and Severus couldn't believe how natural it felt to him. He supposed he and Harry had been collaborating for an entire year now, and the secret they shared had been like some sort of crazy, insane kind of glue to bridge the gap that they had believed existed when they first met.

Harry had gone to bed, and Severus, in his pyjamas and getting ready for bed too, had a thought. There was no wood in the box by the fireplace. What was Christmas morning without a warm fire?

Quickly, he darted out of bed, and went to the side door that led out to the back garden. He pulled on his shoes and went out into the cold, pulling his cloak on as he did so. The stack of firewood in the back garden lay beneath an old green tarp, and Severus dug around in it to pull out a few choice pieces of split wood that had been there for a very long time. He placed them in the box, and carried it over to the back door.

He cursed quietly and set the box down. He'd closed the back door, which locked automatically the moment it was shut. The front door was locked too, and he'd left his wand inside. He would have to knock very loudly for Potter to hear him, something he really did not wish to do. Potter had looked half dead with exhaustion.

Severus let out a puffing breath in the cold air, which turned to steam. He frowned for a second. Then, an idea hit him, the memory of the deliveries tonight still fresh in his mind. He was Father Christmas, and it was Christmas Eve again. Tonight he could open any house door if anyone inside believed in him. Of course, that hadn't worked with Potter today, at Privet Drive. He hadn't been able to get in. Severus couldn't blame the kid for losing faith in him, after what happened to him at Privet Drive, and Severus being unable to stop him being sent home.

Still, he didn't want to wake Harry if absolutely necessary, and though he knew that the door would stay locked, Severus reached out in some vain hope that it would open, and turned the knob.

The lock clicked, and Severus breathed in sharply.

The door swung open silently on hinges, the lingering feeling of that Christmas magic Severus knew well still at the ends of his fingers. Warmth that began in his toes spread into his chest, because it meant one, simple, yet amazing thing.

Harry believed in him. And somehow, his own open back door, with its shabby view inside, was the most miraculous thing Severus had ever seen.

The End.
End Notes:
Well, hope you guys liked that one! I never thought I'd get it finished in time, but thank goodness, it was a miracle. Hopefully the chapter wasn't too rough. A Merry Christmas to all!


This story archived at http://www.potionsandsnitches.org/fanfiction/viewstory.php?sid=3150