Voldemorts Merry Christmas
It the night before Christmas, and all was quiet at Hogwarts. Nothing was stirring, not even an elf. The sky was dark and clear with stars, snow thick snow covering the ground. The conditions were ripe for a Christmas Eve and in a few minutes, it would turn Christmas Day.
Not all was well however. A few hundred miles away, a sinister cackle erupted and was heard by a student of Hogwarts, though not by his own choice. He was being forced to watch what Voldemort was doing through his body. A gigantic cauldron bubbling away was being stirred by Voldemort himself.
After checking the time Voldemort hissed, "Now, it is time for the final incantation: Finite Tempus!" A sickly orange/purple flash of light shot into the cauldron, causing it to erupt into billows of thick acrid smoke. After a couple of moments the smoke shot upwards into the open sky, blotting out the stars and the moon. The smoke spread, and was going at such a rate that it wasn't slowing down. When the sky was completely covered, flashes of orange and purple lightning covered the ground, creating a cacophony of noise. Finally, the lightning stopped, and silence reigned.
"See the beauty of it Potter?" the snake face hissed, "look at the time." The white bony hand held a muggle clock. The time was 11:59:59. The seconds hand had stopped just before midnight. It wasn't moving. "I have stopped time for good. It will never be Christmas Day, it will be an eternal Christmas Eve, and do you know what the best thing is? It requires at least one million people to radiate love to break through the spell. Hah! In this world that will never happen! I can rule on people's misery! If I find one person radiating love, I will destroy them!" Voldemort cackled, breaking off the link.
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Harry shot up in his bed, gasping for breath. He cursed himself for not clearing his mind before going to bed, but then again, he didn't even remember touching the pillow before falling asleep.
Harry looked at the time. 11:59:59. Cursing Voldemort in several colourful languages, Harry padded over his 7th year dorm room, and shook Ron. He didn't wake. "Ron, wake up!" Still no response. Panicking, Harry pulled on his robes and dashed out of the dorm room. No one was awake in the common room. Harry ran up to the 7th year girls dorms and knocked on the door. No answer. "Hermione?" Still no answer.
Harry tentatively opened the girls dorm door, there was fortunately only Hermione staying over this Christmas. Harry padded over to Hermione's bed and shook her, "Hermione!" still she wouldn't wake.
Now Harry was really panicking. Harry darted out of the door and out of the common room. Dumbledore had to know about this. Running down the corridors, he nearly got there when Nearly Headless Nick managed to intercept him. "Harry! Thank goodness you're awake."
"Nick! I'm sorry but I have to see the Headmaster!"
"Yes, it's about that... you see the headmaster is asleep and won't wake either because of the time stop."
"You know about that?"
"Of course I do, ghosts never sleep!"
"What's happening then?"
"Someone has caused a time stop spell. It can only be cast when there are so many grievances in the world. The spell works from peoples bad emotions, and can only be countered by people radiating love."
"How can people radiate love though if everyone is asleep?"
"That I do not know Harry, but I expect that the library will be able to help you."
Harry thanked Nick and dashed off to the library. Earlier in the year, Hermione had found a spell that summons all books that has something referencing what you had written down on a piece of parchment. Thanking Hermione for this bit of knowledge, he wrote down 'Finite Tempus' on a piece of parchment, and Harry pointed his wand at it and said "Fiaccio Books!" The parchment flew off round the library and after a few moments a single book was returned. Harry found the passage in the index, and began to read.
The time stop spell could only be cast on Christmas Eve night, before Christmas Day, and it would only work if there was enough fear and despair in the world. Controlling the flow of time is extremely power consuming, so the spell works with a potion that if a large enough quantity of it is produced, it covers huge distances, maybe even the world, and saps from people their fear and despair, powering the spell. However, people are constantly regenerating emotions, so the cycle never breaks.
Only if there is enough goodwill and love can it be combated. The simplest method to achieve this is to work on an existing belief caused by the spell used: Santa Claus. Using Leglimens you can find out from the mind of a child what they want, and transfigure an existing item, such as a turnip into the present that they want. Then you can use the following spell illustrated below to link the present to the child, and "charge" the present will the emotions of goodwill and love, thereby making the child radiate goodwill and love.
You have to keep doing this however until the Time Stop spell is broken, and this can be extremely taxing, fortunately, most homes now "expect" Santa, and leave him milk and cookies. This is extremely fortunate as it provides you with the instant energy needed and sustains you through the night. If ever this happens and you have to perform the Santa Claus counter, please visit 244 Diagon Alley, as we wait for Santa every year.
After reading Harry grimaced. He was going to be in for a very long night. Harry noted with a wry grin that the method cast was the same as the Patronus, except the incantation was "Santa Claus".
Harry left the library and was pondering how to do the job of Santa Claus. As he was of age, one of the first things he had done after finishing the job that Hagrid started years ago was learning to Apperate. After a few days he had his licence and was highly thankful of that. However Apperating more than a few feet was taxing. He needed a different method. His broom? No, that was far to slow. He needed to be able to travel the length of the country extremely quickly... Thestrals? Maybe they wouldn't be affected by the spell as they are animals and not humans, and thereby not being fed on by the spell.
Harry wondered how they were attached to the school carriages, and when he got to the stables court yard, he saw how. In the middle of the yard, there was a pillar with a lever marked "Thestral Caller". Harry pulled the lever, and watched about fifty Thestrals appear in the yard. The Thestrals looked at Harry as if sizing him up before looking up at the sky and nodded before most of them disappeared, leaving just six behind who were walking to one of the stables. Harry followed and stopped when entered. A red and gold sleigh was gleaming, and the Thestrals had moved into position, the harnesses magically attaching to the Thestrals, and then transforming the Thestrals into reindeer.
There was a red Santa suit by the side of the sleigh which when Harry approached fitted itself onto Harry. Harry then felt a slightly familiar feeling of a polyjuice transformation coming over him. Harry broadened outwards, his hair turned white, and a big bushy white beard grew. After a few moments, Harry felt the transformations stop. Conjuring a mirror, Harry looked at the new Santa Claus. Now complete with a lightning bolt scar on his forehead. "Why me?" Harry groaned to no one in particular. Harry got into the sleigh and took the reigns. Harry tentatively said "Ummm... Go?" Harry shot back in the seat as the combined power of the six Thestrals pulled the sleigh forward.
Somehow the Thestrals seemed to know where to go, arriving outside each bedroom, where Harry apperated into the child's bedroom, cast Leglimens and transfigured the turnips for the Thestrals (as if they would eat Turnips Harry mentally snorted on a few occasions) into the present they were wanting and cast the Santa Claus spell with the child touching the present, breaking them from the Time Stop spell and in a few cases waking them up only to see Santa Claus disappear and the reindeer pulled sleigh move off from their window.
Harry lost count of the amount of children he had visited, but with each child Harry could feel a change in the air. Hope, love and goodwill was starting to fill the air, fighting away the despair and fear. After a long time, Harry was apperated into another child's bedroom. Only to find someone else there as well.
"Sssanta Clausss" The white faced, red slit eyed monstrosity hissed. "You cannot have this child. I will not allow it. It will break the spell and ruin my plans."
Harry tried to laugh, but all that came out was a jolly "Ho ho ho!" Harry frowned at this, but didn't say anything.
"You laugh at me fat man? I am the greatest wizard to have ever lived!"
"No, Dumbledore is the greatest wizard to have ever lived."
"Avada Kedavra!"
Harry rolled out of the way gripping his wand before hearing a small girl of four years old whimpering behind Voldemort, her bright blue eyes conveying fear, tears making her eyes glisten. Resolution strengthened him, "Leglimens!" Harry cried. Voldemort was not expecting this method of attack, and by the time he had prepared to push Harry out of his mind, Harry was already out of it. Harry took one of the three Turnips, and transfigured it into an intricately crafted box. Harry handed the box to Voldemort. "Merry Christmas." Harry whispered.
Voldemort shaking took the box and opened it. Beautiful music echoed through the room. Voldemorts eyes closed, and a smile twitched on his lips. Harry then took the moment to cast "Santa Claus" and Voldemorts eyes snapped open, horror being conveyed by the feeling radiating through him, a scream left his lips before Apperating away.
Harry turned to the little girl who simply rocketed to him, and hugged him, her tears flowing freely. "Shhh, it's alright, it's alright; he's gone now."
"I was so scared Santa, he hurt me bad!" the little girl sobbed.
Harry cast the Leglimens and groaned silently. She was witch... wanting a Harry Potter doll! Still, to see a smile on her face...
"Here you go Lucy, Merry Christmas." Harry quietly said, putting the present into her hands. "Remember: Santa Claus!" Harry cast the final spell on her, and then the clock struck midnight. The spell was broken.
"You were my last visit Lucy, I have to go now. Bye bye!" Harry said before Apperating to the sleigh outside. As the Thestrals pulled away, Harry saw the little girl waving in the window. Harry grinned and waved back before disappearing into the night back to Hogwarts.
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Voldemort was shaking with the conflicting and painful emotions coursing through him, before finally screaming out loud, "MERRY CHRISTMAS AND GOODWILL TO ALL!"