December 21st
As it was the last school day before the break and everybody but Severus Snape was in Christmas mood, lessons were purgatory. Snape had to take more points than in the last three weeks altogether. Nevertheless the lessons were not very effective, the students spending most of them in Lala-land. So the potions master was even more relieved than the youths when the bell announced the end of lessons (half an hour early because of the feast).
At six pm sharp the whole school gathered in the Great Hall and five minutes later a tiny tingling announced that something was going to happen. The sound grew louder and louder until at last a Hufflepuff first year pointed up to the ceiling from where a sleigh, which was pulled by seven magical reindeer, descended on the waiting witches and wizards. The students oohed and aaahed when they became aware that the sleigh was steered by a man in a red suit with white fur embroidery and a long white beard. The man cracked a black leather whip happily, crying "HoHoHo" from time to time. Behind him was a huge brown sack, which was being held by a blonde elf. The elf, who was supposed to look snarky, looked sick, or maybe scared, or maybe both. Snape wasn´t sure. On second sight he wasn´t even sure whether the elf held the sack or held on to it.
The students clapped enthusiastically when Dumbledore landed in front of the head table. The headmaster hinted a bow and waved his wand. The sack opened and small parcels hovered to the kids and staff until everybody present had one. Another flick and the parcels opened. Everybody had got a Christmas hat. Red with a white tassel.
The children put the hats on happily. Most of the staff smiled, too, but the potions master had to fight down an urge to slap the old man with the ridiculous hat.
When everybody was dressed what Dumbledore considered festively, the headmaster signalled the choir to raise and the band to come to their leader.
They performed the Christmas carols the old wizard had chosen, a dozen altogether, and considering the chaotic rehearsals everything went really well. Only the Lovegood girl vomiting during ´Rudolph the rednosed reindeer´ was a bit of a backdraw, but then it settled the question whether she had been feeling sick in the sleigh.
The feast was delicious. The house elves had outdone themselves. They served about two dozens of different starters – from A for asparagus to Z for zebra – along with a variety of delicious wines. The main courses were even more various. There were more kinds of meat than Snape could identify, several kinds of fish and a multitude of vegetables, dumplings, salads and rice dishes. Again, each dish came with a different wine, at least at the head table.
The students amused themselves with guessing what they were eating, which occupied them and granted the teachers an undisturbed meal until somebody who had been on vacation in Sweden identified roast reindeer.
"Shouldn´t there be nine?" a Ravenclaw asked.
"You´re right!" cried a muggleborn Hufflepuff. "They roasted Santa´s reindeer!"
Pandemonium ensued. Dumbledore had to use a spell to be heard over the havoc.
"Quiet!" he shouted. "Quiet! Of course your Christmas roast was NOT, I repeat, NOT made from magical reindeer! Everybody will get their presents in time!"
As the desserts were served, the wines became sweeter and goblets of punch appeared on the head table. Snape witnessed with concern that Pomona had become quite giggly. He made a mental note to avoid the woman for the rest of the evening.
When the last piece of cake had been eaten – which took amazingly little time – the brats were sent to their houses to pack their trunks. The teachers stayed at the head table and the elves provided another helping of punch. And then another.
Pomona and Minerva were both very giggly by that time.
"I really liked that mistletoe," snickered the herbology teacher, "the other day. Strictly for professional reasons, of course."
"Professional reasons?" echoed the deputy headmistress. "Do you mean to tell me that you didn´t kiss him?"
Snape saw the danger and tried to leave for his quarters, but Dumbledore poured him another goblet of punch.
"We can´t have that," cried Flitwick and Minerva nodded vigorously.
Snape stood no chance. McGonagall transfigured a fork into a mistletoe and Flitwick sent it hovering over the potions master´s head.
"Be our guest, Pomona," he chuckled.
The herbologist approached the potions master clumsily and the latter would still have made it to safety, hadn´t Dumbledore chosen to take advantage of the situation. When the old wizard let go of the shocked potions master, Pomona took over and then there was no escape. All Snape could do, was have a big glass of schnaps afterwards to get rid of the bad taste.
Again, the advent calendar proved unbeatable in providing what Snape needed. On Friday, 21st, the potions master found a vial of hangover potion very late in the evening.