'Twas the night before Yule, when all through the castle,
Not a ghost was stirring, not even Moaning Myrtle;
The House Banners were hung by the chimney with care,
With hopes that Peeves would leave them there;
The students were nestled all snug in their beds;
While visions of Chocolate Frogs hopped in their heads;
And Dumbledore in his woolly socks, and McGonagall in her cap,
Had just settled themselves for a well deserved night-cap,
When out in the grounds there arose such a clatter,
Harry sprang from his bed to see what was the matter.
Away to the window he flew like a flash,
Tore open the shutters and threw up the sash.
The moon on the breast of the new-fallen snow,
Made the lake dark and menacing, who could know what lurked below,
When what to his wondering eyes did appear,
But a great ghostly sleigh pulled by eight Thestrals clear,
With a luminescent driver so lively and quick,
Harry knew in a moment he must be Sir Nick.
More rapid than Centaurs his Thestrals they came,
And he whistled, and shouted, and called them by name:
"Now, Dasher! now, Dancer! now Prancer and Vixen!
On, Comet! on, Cupid! on, Donder and Blixen!
To the top of the courtyard! to the top of the Astronomy Tower!
Now dash away! dash away! dash away all!"
As leaves that before the Whomping Willow fly,
When they meet with an obstacle, mount to the sky;
So up to the top of Hogwarts the Thestrals they flew
With the sleigh full of toys, and Sir Nicholas too—
And then, in a twinkling, he heard on the roof
The prancing and pawing of each great hoof.
As Harry drew in his head, and was turning around,
Through the chimney Sir Nicholas came with a bound.
He was ghostly and pale from his head to his foot,
And about him flew great clouds of ashes and soot.
Peeves came in behind him a bundle of toys flung on his back,
"Kickey scratchy, tweaky, pokey."
His eyes—how they twinkled! And the toys poured out the sack!
"Stick your fingers up his nosey!"
His droll little mouth was wide showing teeth white as snow,
"Draw his cork and pull his earsies!"
And the hat on his head was brightly coloured for show;
The stump of a Firework he clamped tight in his teeth,
And the sparks, they encircled his head like a wreath;
He had a pointed face and on the air he hopped
He flew up when he laughed, like a balloon being popped.
He was chubby and plump, a right jolly Poltergeist,
And Harry laughed when he saw him, in spite of himself;
A wink from Sir Nicholas and a twist of his hanging head
Soon gave Harry to know he had nothing to dread;
Sir Nick spoke not a word, but went straight to his work,
And piled gifts under the House Banners; then turned with a jerk,
And laying his finger on the side of his nose,
And giving a nod, through the chimney he rose;
Peeves sprang up behind him to the sleigh and away,
And Harry gave them both a jaunty bow and a wave,
And away they all flew, but he heard Sir Nick exclaim, ere he drove out of sight—
"Good Yule to all, and to all a good night!"