…7…

Severus Snape was surprised to find his superior, Albus Dumbledore, at the Head Table when he arrived there at the crack of dawn the next morning, on Friday the seventh of December.

"Good morning, Albus," Snape greeted the old wizard and reached for the coffee pot.

The headmaster moved the pot out of Snape's reach with a flick of his wand. "Severus Snape," he snapped, "is it true that you participated in a despicable plot to fool our students out of their money?"

Snape did some quick thinking. "Headmaster," he then replied, "fool is the wrong word. Mr Malfoy and Mr Creevey of Slytherin and Gryffindor respectively, started selling pictures. I considered forbidding it but then I thought it was a delightful show of house unity and decided to permit it. Nobody was fooled. Everybody knew what they were going to get for their money."

"Rumour has it," the headmaster glared at his potions instructor, "that you were a partner in their so-called business. Did you or did you not take money from students?"

"Of course I did!" Snape made himself sound scandalized. "First I had to assist them with the developing potion – do you have any idea of the injuries they could have got if something went wrong with that? – and second I had to use school property for it since they had not enough ingredients. Of course I took money from the boys' earnings to replace what the school has lent them!"

"School property, you say?" Dumbledore lowered his wand and Snape snatched the coffee pot before the old man could change his mind. "The money will be used to replace everything?"

"Of course!" Snape hid his smirk behind his coffee cup. It was not his fault if the headmaster assumed that ALL the money was going to be used to buy ingredients for the school. What he had used from the store cupboards could actually be replaced for less than three galleons. But of course the potions master was not going to point that out. "Was this why you came here so early?"

"I was worried," Dumbledore admitted. "What if parents complain? What if the board of governors insists on removing you from the school? It would make your work in Voldemort's camp so much more difficult!"

Snape snorted. "Difficult? He'd probably kill me!" He helped himself to a hearty portion of pancakes and drenched them in syrup. Speculating about his untimely death always gave Snape a craving for sweet food.

Snape was just chewing on his first bite of pancake – he had covered them in a whipped cream and added a sinful amount of blueberries – when the first students arrived.

"So, who will get to open the window today?" Dumbledore asked. He looked at Snape hopefully.

"I was thinking a Hufflepuff," Snape replied. He certainly was not going to let the old coot open the calendar after the awkward discussion they just had had. "Hufflepuff house gets too little credit."

"I agree," nodded Pomona Sprout as she sat beside the potions master. "Those children are so hard-working and sweet; they deserve a reward. I'm sure they will be thrilled if you choose one of them."

This was why a half hour later, Snape announced Susan Bones the lucky person to open the calendar this day.

The girl fetched her prize from the Head Table – the sweet was wrapped in yellow – and returned to her seat. Her housemates applauded good-naturedly.

"Cedric," the girl said for everybody to hear and blushing vigorously, "since today is your birthday, would you like to share this with me?"

The Hufflepuff Quidditch captain beamed at the girl. "I'd love to, Susan!"

The two badgers made a show of dividing the chocolate in two and popping their piece into their mouths at the same time.

The assembled witches and wizards waited with baited breath.

They didn't have to wait long.

"Dance with me!" cried Cedric Diggory. He jumped onto the house table and held his hand out to Susan invitingly. The girl took it and Cedric helped her climb onto the table. "Music!" Diggory demanded.

Pomona Sprout waved her wand and music filled the hall.

"Tango!" squealed Susan, "my favourite!"

The Hufflepuffs grabbed dishes and plates to save them from what was to come. A couple of house elves appeared out of nowhere and helped the children empty the table. Meanwhile Cedric had conjured a red rose which he now held between his teeth. Susan had transfigured her school robes into a dancing dress.

The two Hufflepuffs beamed at each other for a short moment before Cedric pulled the girl in and off they were.

It was clear from the beginning that the chocolate had not only given them the desire to dance but also the ability. The young couple moved smoothly, as if they had been training for months. There was not a single step out of place.

Even Snape, although not a fan of ballroom dancing, had to admit that they looked good. The girl's dress hugged her figure in all the right places, the boy had a look of concentration and passion in his face like a professional tango dancer. Their movements were elegant and passionate and although certainly complicated, they were so expertly performed, it looked easy.

Dumbledore started the applause and the students followed his lead.

Cedric and Susan were not deterred. They continued their dance and when the first song ended they just moved on to the next one.

"Pomona, allow me," Dumbledore got up and beamed at the witch.

The Head of Hufflepuff curtsied and off they were, too. Of course the headmaster didn't dance on the table but behind it.

Again, the students followed his lead and soon the Great Hall was filled with tangoing couples. Somehow Snape ended up with Poppy Pomfrey in his arms.

"Severus," the witch breathed after a couple of steps, "I had no idea you knew how to dance!"

"My apprentice taught me," Snape reminded the matron. Pomfrey had certainly been the person to work most closely with the girl apart from himself. Once the small blonde had reached a certain point in her work, she had brewed most of the supplies for the hospital wing.

"Have you heard from her?" Pomfrey asked.

Snape shook his head, no. He certainly was not going to tell the school nurse – who was a close friend of McGonagall who was currently dancing with Filch – that he had written the girl a Christmas card in a bout of nostalgia.

The potion lasted for a total of five dances. When the effect ended, Diggory and Bones climbed down from the Hufflepuff table, both blushing.

"That was delightful, Weasleys!" cried Dumbledore after leading Sprout back to her seat and kissing her fingers in thanks. "Twenty points to Gryffindor!"

Snape glared at the old man. Of course he was going to use the advent calendar to help Gryffindor with the house cup. He made a mental note to award Slytherin an equal amount of points later.