Another day had come to an end at Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry and professor Severus Snape was calmly walking down to his chambers in the dungeons. It had been a good day. Longbottom had messed up a lot in classes and he got an excuse to take a lot of points from Gryffindor, he had given him and Granger a detention (to bad for her for trying to help him *evil grin*); Slytherin had won the quidditch match against Ravenclaw and he even managed to scare some first years off while he was going through a rather dark corridor... how could it be more perfect?
He was just imagining Potter's face the day he finally got him expelled when something unnusual came to his atention... his bedroom door stood open and he thought he had seen, for a brief moment, something moving inside... The potions master took out his wand («Lumus!») but saw nothing. Well, so what, it was probably some stupid ghost, wandering around where it wasn't supposed to be, anyway...
Severus closed the door and lit a fire, sitting by it. Tomorrow was Cristmas day and thinking of it made him sick... he would have to sit by all those foolishly happy people at lunch, talking and smiling, being friendly and... huughh!!! The simple thought was terrifying! And Potter would be there, sided by Weasley and Granger, as always, earning the Headmaster's you're-such-a-nice-boy smiles... Why wouldn't Dumbledore see he was just a look-at-me-I'm-the-boy-who-lived-and-keeps-saving-the-world-and-I'm-House-Team-player-too nasty irritating boy???
Now, this had been a perfect day and he wouldn't let something like Potter ruin it. He knew just what he needed to relax... In no time his private dungeon (as he affectionately liked to call his chambers) was dancing to the sound of «I'm Popeye in Azkaban» while Severus was wearing his favourite pink nigth gown (a present from Trelawney he wouldn't admit he wore); He was just correcting some homework (all under five out of ten) and shaking his head like a maniac to the sound of the music while singing along ( «give me spinach, greeny spinach, oh yeah!») when suddenly all the candles went out, as well as the fire, plunging the room into darkness. He looked around, startled, and had only grabbed his wand when he heard a faint whisper ecoing through the room... «Severuuuuusss»... «who is this?» - Snape asked, a note of worried confusion in his voice - «identify yourself! Lumus!». A small light iluminated the room and Snape could finally see a hooded figure standing in front of him, floating, inches from the ground. «who are you?», he asked again, a puzzled look on his face. «Don't you recognize me anymore, Severus?» the strange figured said, in the same misty voice. An entirely different expression crept on Snape's face, as he recognized the feared voice. «Lord, L...Lord voldemort?!?...» he asked, seeing his days among the living coming to an end, «what are you doing here??». «I came to warn you...» («Oh, for Popeye's sake, he IS gonna kill me!!») «...you have to open your heart to Christmas before it's too late...» Snape was alredy covering his face with his hands, knealing before Voldemort («please, no, don't kill me, I'll be a good death eater this time and I'll never ever steal your teddy-faced slippers again!») when he suddenly got up and looked at him as if not believing what he'd heard. «you WHAT?!?»