the Icelandic Sheep and its herd proudly presents the winner of the first Icelandic Christmas Fanfiction contest on Hugi/hp of the year 2006. The theme was, of course, Christmas. Along with the translation, I edited it a tiny bit, just for the sake of the story. Please point out my spelling and grammar errors, I'll hopefully learn from my mistakes. (Hopefully.) Oh, and I completely ignored the Half Blood Prince (and the Deathly Hallows, although it didn't come until months after I wrote this). It's kind of funny, I was sure everyone would think of Charles Dickens Christmas Carol when the contest began. Hm, anyway, enjoy and tell me if it was worthy of winning!
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Severus Snape wasn't much for merry christmas spirit. In fact, he wasn't much for any merry spirits. Even if the war was over it didn't change the fact that he was still unfair, sour, grumpy and just overall not a pleasant person. He hadn't got any better, not in the least. Although he had, to everyone's surprise, agreed to take Hermione Granger as his apprentice in Potions. She then found out that there was nothing positive about the company, simply the knowledge she got.
"Hurry up with this! Cut this smaller! You didn't crunch it enough, now it won't mix well enough with the rest! Be careful, don't be so clumsy!" Those really were the only things he said to her.
"Professor," she said one day, "would you mind terribly if I had the day off tomorrow? It is Christmas after all, I must be allowed to skip one day."
"Christmas? Nothing but waste of money and time!" he snapped at her and continued to go through old scrolls with complicated formulas, written centuries ago.
"But professor..." she started, but the doors were thrown up and in waltzed Albus Dumbledore, reminding them distinctly of a Christmas tree in his colouful robes.
"Are you still sitting here? Honestly... I thought you'd like to know, the teachers will celebrate Christmas in the teacher's lounge tomorrow. You are of course free to come Hermione," he said and smiled. As always he was like Santa Clause or a little child.
"Professor, can't I have my day off? You must be going to attend to this party," said Hermione excited. Snape looked between his apprentice and his superior.
"You may have your day off, but you have to come early the day after," he grumbled and snapped his book shut with a bang. Hermione and Albus grinned.
"Wonderful! I'll see you tomorrow then," said Dumbledore and walked out. Nothing more happened that day, until Snape was going to his quarters. He could have sworn that he saw the face of Lucius Malfoy on the painting before his doors. Obviously something funny had been on the scrolls. These old Potions masters often put venom or poison on their precious scrolls. He muttered the password, walked inside and threw himself into a chair in front of his fireplace. Damn it, he didn't bother to light it up, no reason to have any warm, it was winter, you were supposed to be cold! He stood up and looked at the clock. It was ten o'clock. He could just go to sleep now, he didn't have anything better to do with his time.
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He had been lying in his bed for some time when he heard some noise. Unnerving noise that gave him goosebumps and made the greasy hair at the back of his head rise.
"Who's there?" he called. If it was someone trying to make a joke on him, then that person was in trouble!
"Show yourself, you coward!" he called again. Not the most wise thing he had done in his life, because suddenly appeared... the ghost of Lucius Malfoy!
"What the...?" he muttered. Lucius had chains on both of his legs and looked far worse than when he had been in Azkaban.
"You should be glad to see me, old friend," he said.
"Glad? Why did you decide to become a ghost?" snapped Snape back at him.
"I'm not exactly a ghost and it certainly wasn't by my choice. I'm a spirit. And thought it was fair to give you a warning," said Lucius. Snape watched him suspiciously.
"Give me a warning about what?"
"That there are worse place than hell..."
"I know, I happen work there."
"... and you are actually a quite nice guy and I don't want to see you have the same fate as me. You see, you have a chance of escaping from the same fate as me, I actually think that yours will be worse," explained Malfoy. "Tonight three spirits will come to you. They will... show you something. I recommend you keep a close watch, otherwise you will end up like me," said Lucius. Then he disappeared.
"Then I know that, I'm going mad. I see spirits everywhere!" muttered Snape and threw himself back on his bed and went to sleep.
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It echoed around the whole school when the clock chimed one. Severus Snape turned in his bed. He felt as if someone was staring at him. He opened one eye and sat quickly up. Indeed, someone was staring at him. Good Lord, it was the rat Peter Pettigrew!
"Who the... what... why on earth..." he gasped.
"I am to show you the christmas of the past. Come," he said. Snape continued to sit and stare.
"We don't have the whole night, Snape. Get up," said Pettigrew. Snape stepped slowly out of his bed. It was simply a dream and nothing else. This wasn't reality. He walked closer to Pettigrew and a moment later they were in the Slytherin common room.
"Why did you take me here? There's no one here," said Snape.
"Yes there is. You," answered Pettigrew. Snape looked around and what did he see? Himself, 13 years old, sitting in a corner. There were Christmas decorations around but no Christmas-spirit.
"Why... oh," whispered Snape. Pettigrew nodded.
"I was here every Christmas. Father didn't even try to contact me or try to get me home. I think mom would have liked it," whispered Snape. Pettigrew nodded again. Snape didn't understand exactly where they were, this was a memory he had tried to forget completely. He got the same feeling as when he travelled with a Portkey and a moment later he was in the Great Hall. It was the Yule Ball in his 7th year! He could see himself, sitting in a corner and trying to kill everyone with his look.
"Look. Lily!" said Pettigrew pointing. Lillian Evans could easily be seen in the crowd of people because of her red hair, approaching his younger-self cautiously.
"Severus?" she whispered carefully. Snape of the past eyed her with suspicion.
"What?" he grumbled through gritted teeth.
"Come and dance, you're missing all of the fun!" she said smiling. He shook his head.
"Haven't I told you already that I didn't want to speak with you again. Didn't I tell you to go the hell away from me?" he hissed at her.
"But, Severus..." she began. The older Snape could see the tears forming in her eyes.
"Go away mudblood," his younger-self said and walked briskly away.
"How could I do this to her?" he whispered to Pettigrew. Another memory surfaced. They were in a graveyard. Everything was grey and dark, it rained and heavy clouds hung over the place. Again, his past-self, crying over the grave of his mother, the only person who had ever loved him.
"Stop it. I don't want to see more of my past!" he yelled at Pettigrew. He simply nodded and Snape was standing in his room.
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"That... Dear God! This was nothing but a nightmare," he said and sat down onto his bed. Then, as he looked at the clock, he went rigid. It was just past midnight. Yes, now he was completely sure that this had just been a dream... until he was almost asleep and the clock chimed one, again.
"Severus... Severus Snape!" was whispered. He looked around and saw Bellatrix Black watch him with a smirk.
"Nice to see you again," she said.
"What are you going to show me?" muttered Snape.
"Just the present and how some peoples life is this moment," she explained. Snape nodded slowly, although he wasn't quite sure what she was talking about, but he'd most likely find it out. She smirked even more and they were in a very poor-looking house. Snape almost knew where they were.
"Where are we?" he whispered.
"You'll see soon," she answered and continued to smirk. Two redheaded boys entered the room.
"Do you think she'll get any better?" asked the larger one. The other shook his head.
"The Weasley family!" exclaimed Snape. It were Bill and Charlie who were talking together. But who should get better? He tried to think, but then remembered... Ginerva! Of course, the Weasley girl had gotten some curse from the Dark Lord himself in the Final Battle while protecting Potter. He had died in the process of killing the Dark Lord, but had still succeeded. Voldemort had died along with several others Death Eaters, including Lucius, Bellatrix and Pettigrew. But why wasn't the Wealsey girl alright? He hadn't really be interfering with what had happened to her after the battle, but he still thought she would get better.
"Boys, don't say such things! You have to hope for the best, she'll be alright," said Hermione Granger. They didn't answer, but Snape and Bellatrix followed Hermione to Ginerva's room. Snape gasped as he saw her, she was as pale as death! It was as if her whole life had been sucked out of her.
"Here Ginny. Drink this," said Hermione and handed her a cup of something.
"Thanks," whispered Ginny back. She tried to smile, but didn't really succeed.
"She'll die if nothing is done. Professor Dumbledore has tried all he can, but of no avail. You could help her if you wanted," said Bellatrix.
"Hermione... ha-have you tried to find anything in Snape's books?" whispered Ginny with her eyes full of hope. Hermione shook her head.
"Dearest Ginny, allow me to ask him. He'd surely help," said Hermione.
"He hated me and Harry. I... I can't really imagine that he'd want to help me, I wasn't very pleasant to him through my school years," answered Ginny.
"He is very nice, really. Deep down, I'm sure he's a wonderful person" said Hermione affectionally.
"It's too late now anyway. I've seen the look on Bill's and Charlie's faces, they're not as hopeful as they were. Even mom is beginning to lose faith," continued Ginny. Snape could feel the tears starting to form in his eyes.
"I remember her since in school. She was always full of life and very intelligent, even if she was nothing but trouble. She deserves to live, she was so full of life once!" he said to Bellatrix. She nodded.
"You think I don't know what she's capable of? It was she who killed me, dammit!" grumbled Bellatix. "But still, she would be able to do great things with her life... if she survives." Couldn't the woman stop smirking for one minute?
"You should beware. To ignore others isn't always the best option. Neither is a selfish longing for something." And he was back in his bed.
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"I'm going mad," whispered Snape. It was right past twelve. He felt a cold wind blow through the room. What was happening now?
"Hello," was whispered. An icy whisper that gave him goosebumps. He could have known this voice anywhere. It was the Dark Lord, Voldemort!
"Would you like to see your future?" he whispered. Each word stung as an icicle.
"I... no. I would not like to see it!" stammered Snape. He didn't like this at all.
"That was too bad, because you don't really have a choice," answered Voldemort. A cold wind blew again and they were suddenly in a graveyard. Voldemort pointed in one direction, where the whole Weasley-family was standing along with several others, crying. On the gravestone was written "Ginerva Molly Weasley, member of the Order of the Phoenix, may she rest in peace after a terrible experience."
"He could have helped her... it wasn't too late..." whispered Arthur. The others nodded. Snape shook his head strongly.
"No! It can't be!" he whispered. He watched the family walk slowly away. He shook his head again, this couldn't be happening. No, it wasn't happening! It was just a possible future, nothing that would necessarily really happen, he could change it. Hermione Granger lingered behind.
"I'll never forgive Snape for this Ginny. Never," she whispered and walked away.
Voldemort pointed in another direction where two men were digging.
"Now then! Lets take lil' rest gents, it's not as the bastard is goin' to go somewhere," said the bigger one. It was Hagrid!
"He deserves to lie here, rotting without anything to cover him, but it's not fair that the others have to stand the smell," said the other. It was Michael Corner, a boy that had dated Ginerva once. (Yes, he had noticed, it was hard not to when finding them in some corner shagging each other each night!)
"Exactly. For everythin' 'es done. And 'asn't done!" said Hagrid and went away with Corner behind him. Snape went closer. Whom had they been talking about and whose grave was this?
"Merlin help me!" he said as he saw what was written. Severus Snape, Potions Master, ex-Death Eater and a member of the Order of the Phoenix. What had he done with his life? He looked up into the white face of Lord Voldemort. He moved his hand, was he going to point out something more?
"What now? Is... AAAA!" he screamed when he was pushed into his own grave.
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"No! I don't want to die like this! NO!" he screamed and fought around in his bed and got tangled up in the sheets. Then he calmed down. He was safe, he was in his bed, he was in Hogwarts... he had a terrible conscience! If this was the future waiting for him, he was going to change it! Ginerva Weasley was young and had the whole life ahead of her. He knew what curse she was under, he was able to make the antidote. He knew where the formula was kept, he could finish it before the New Year came. He jumped out of his bed and ran towards the library. On his way he ran into McGonagall.
"Merry Christmas!" he said and kissed her cheek. Then he continued to run for his life. Or as the devil was behind him, but both was partly right. He was running for the Weasley-girl's life and from his own devils.
"Where is that book... where is it... I know it's somewhere here... it's right... here!" he yelled and grabbed a heavy book from one of the shelfs. It was in the forbidden section in the library where everything was full of dust and dark magic. He flipped quickly through it until he found the right page, marked it with a bookmark, put the book under his arm and ran away with the same speed as when he had come. Now then, what was the name of the house again... the Cottage... the Carrot... the Bureau... it started with a B, he knew that much...
"The Burrow!" he called and was transported through the fireplace and came falling out the fireplace at the Weasley family.
"Merry Christmas!" he said and slammed the book down and opened where the bookmark was.
"This can easily save her, it's even possible to finish it before the New Year if it's started right away," he said, grinning. Damn, this was a good feeling! Although, the were giving him some strange stares...
"Who put him under the Imperius?" muttered Bill to his mother. She waved her hand at him.
"Save her? Ginny? How? It costs money to buy those ingredients, surely it's all very complicated in the making and..." she began, getting scared.
"Never mind about the money, I can easily pay for it. At least I have something to do until next year because my apprentice will be having her holiday," he said and looked at Hermione. She had obviously stayed there over the night. She also stared at him, but was closer to smile than anyone else at the table.
"I just wanted to let you know about this, but I have to leave now, I think I'm missing a Christmas party at the teacher's lounge," he said and was almost gone, when he remembered...
"Will you come, Hermione?" She had often asked him to call her Hermione, but he had never done it until now.
"Right away... I'm just going to tell Ginny this," she managed to say. Snape smiled. It was strange to use those muscles again, but to tell you the truth, he had missed it terribly much to have nothing to smile over in more than twenty years!
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My bad, I didn't remember it until I had sent it to the contest that the last spirit wasn't supposed to speak. My mistake. Sorry folks. Merci. Undskyld. Afsakið. I didn't really want to change it anymore, so I let it be. Don't bite my head off! (Although, if you do, could you please replace it with a larger one? And I'd like to have my brain back! AND my eyelashes!)