Shitza, it wasn't that difficult to make out the new Lucia, and thanks so much for your help. I am so sorry this chapter took such a while to write, but school is up again, I don't think I need to explain further.
This chapter will contain differences from the last time I wrote Lucia, maybe because I found better translations this time. To make things quick of explanations why I am doing this is because I think the legend and the songs give us something. Here in Sweden time is rather dark as the winter pass, the sun only stays up for 6 hours a day here where I live, up in Kiruna (the closest town to the north) it never shows until later, so for my part I ma happy as long as the sun shows.
First part I thought would contain the parts from what I know of the legend, yet I believe every Italian knows it better as it took place there. Please forgive me if I don't recall it as it really was since many of the details has slipped my mind. Most of our traditions though, come from other parts, yet there is one theme in it all, Light in darkness. Yet I hope you'll enjoy reading this.
Chapter 31 Light in Darkness
---The Legend---
In Italy, there was a woman who went to her neighbours to bring light and joy to all her neighbours. But the higher powers in her little town didn't like the idea and many times did they try to get rid of her. They tried to burn her with fire, yet the fire wouldn't burn her, it didn't harm her at all. In the end she was killed, by her own love, with a sword through her throat.
She was declared as a Saint, year afterwards, yet her legends continues to live through us all.
---End Legend---
(Shitza: That was horrible written, please forgive my short memory.)
(Hogwarts)
Hark! through the darksome night
Sounds come a winging:
Lo! 'tis the Queen of Light
Joyfully singing.
Clad in her garment white,
Wearing her crown of light,
Santa Lucia, Santa Lucia!
Through the two doors a line of white dressed girls entered. At the front stood the short first years and at the end walked all seventh years or really tall sixth years. Harry watched them pass him, he sat beside Ron and Neville. Draco sat on Neville's other side. Their usual table had been removed, to make out the scenery, so they sat on a bench watching. Harry, now really curious on who the Lucia could be, leaned forward to have a closer look.
Deep in the northern sky
Bright stars are beaming;
Christmas is drawing nigh
Candles are gleaming.
Welcome thou vision rare,
Lights glowing in thy hair.
Santa Lucia, Santa Lucia!
Dressed in a white nightgown, bound by her waist with a red silk ribbon, a crown of candles in her red hair. Ginny Weasley smiled towards everyone who gazed at her. Harry saw Ron's jaw drop, both of them had believed one of their girls would win, yet it looked like Ginny had been the winner after all. At least it wasn't Pansy.
Harry looked at the row of girls, now lined up in front of the teachers' table. Indeed Pansy sent Ginny death glares enough to have killed the girl a hundred times, if looks could kill.
Not to far away he saw Cassandra, Sabina, Iris and Hermione. All four wearing similar robes like Ginny's, except they didn't have the crown of candles, instead they, like the other girls, wore a ring of tinsel. They also held a light each in their hands, lightening up their faces.
The magical music stopped. The hall was quiet. Ginny opened her mouth to speak, the same verse he had heard one year before.
"Midwinter night's frost takes hard
Stars they glitter and glimmer
All the sleep in lonely farm
In the hour of the midwinter
Silently the moon wanders round its path
Snow shines white on pine and spruce
Snow shines white on the rooftop
Only little Santa is awake."
Once more the music started, tunes of old Swedish folklores reached them.
Look, the elves are coming out of their holes, out of their holes.
They listen, look around, going on tippitoes, going on tippitoes.
Tipp tapp tipp tapp tippetippetipp tapp
Tipp tipp tapp.
Once more, like last year, small heads wearing Santa hats looked out through the small gapes between all the girls. They looked around to see if the coast was clear, that everyone was yet to be found asleep.
Kind people have left delicious food, delicious food,
Standing on the table for a host of elves, host of elves
Tipp tapp tipp tapp tippetippetipp tapp
Tipp tipp tapp
The pack of elves, as they were called in the translated song, ran from their holes towards a table, not the House tables, but the teachers' table. Harry watched Snape, whose eyes looked they could pop out any second.
How they smile, jump up to the dishes, up to the dishes,
Whisper and rustle: The Christmas food is good, food is good.
Tipp tapp tipp tapp tippetippetipp tapp
Tipp tipp tapp.
As the girls sang, the dressed up elves did jump up to the dishes. Dumbledore laughed as one of the elves, recognisable as Dennis Creevey, took the headmaster's goblet and stole the content of it burping loudly afterwards. Just then the music stopped and nine drunken elves started singing…
Hi, tomtegubbar, fill your glasses
and let's be jolly together.
Our time is brief
Upon the earth,
with troubles many
and little mirth.
Hi, tomtegubbar, fill your glasses
and let's be jolly together.
They drank the rest of the wine and once more, the Song for the elves continued.
Porridge and ham, little bits of apple, bits of apple.
How lovely it tastes, little Elf, little Elf
Tipp tapp tipp tapp tippetippetipp tapp
Tipp tipp tapp.
The elves started tearing the food apart, and if you thought their manners were disgusting as they drank, they were at least five times as disgusting now. Now for games! Happy laughter rings out, laughter rings out.
Around the Christmas tree the crowd cheerfully dances, cheerfully dances
Tipp tapp tipp tapp tippetipppetipp tapp
Tipp tipp tapp.
The elves started dancing around the Christmas trees, joking around, causing plain havoc.
It's getting late. Soon the kind elves, the kind elves
Quickly and prettily put everything in place, everything in place.
Tipp tapp tipp tapp tippetippetipp tapp
Tipp tipp tapp
And as much they had destroyed, the same things the cleaned and repaired just as quickly.
Then once more into the quiet holes, quiet holes,
The elves sweetly tippitoe, sweetly tippitoe.
Tipp tapp tipp tapp tippetippetipp tapp
Tipp tipp tapp
Here the song ended, and the elves hurried back to the corners were they had come from. The music stopped and it became a silent night for all…
'Silent night, holy night
All is calm, all is bright,
Round young virgin mother and child
Holy infant so tender and mild
Sleep in heavenly peace
Sleep in heavenly peace.'
It was followed by another song.
All: We wish you a Merry Christmas;
We wish you a Merry Christmas;
We wish you a Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year.
Girls: Good tidings to you wherever you are;
Good tidings for Christmas and a Happy New Year.
Boys: Oh, bring us a figgy pudding;
Oh, bring us a figgy pudding;
Oh, bring us a figgy pudding and a cup of good cheer.
Boys: We won't go until we got some;
We won't go until we got some;
We won't go until we got some, so bring some out here.
Girls: We wish you a Merry Christmas;
We wish you a Merry Christmas;
We wish you a Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year.
The whole Hogwarts had joined into the song. Even some Slytherins had managed to sing. Harry watched the girls and boys singing. Even if it all was beautiful, when would they be allowed to eat?
Joy to the world! the Lord has come:
Let earth receive her King.
Let ev'ry heart prepare Him room,
And heav'n and nature sing,
and heav'n and nature sing,
And heav'n and heav'n and nature sing.
---
Joy to the world! the Savior reigns:
Let men their songs employ,
While fields and floods, rocks, hills an plains
Repeat the sounding joy,
repeat the sounding joy,
Repeat, repeat the sounding joy.
---
He rules the world with truth and grace,
And makes the nations prove
The glories of His righteousness
And wonders of His love,
and wonders of His love,
And wonders, wonder of His love.
Yet one eve didn't last forever and now they had finally reached the last of the songs.
When you wish, upon a star
Makes no different on who you are
Anything your heart desires
Will come to you
If your heart is in your dream
No request is to extreme
When you wish upon a star
As dreamers do
There the song ended, Lucia and her maids returned outside. The hall rang with applause as they walked out.
To Reviewers: Sorry this chapter must have seemed short, yet I haven't found any translated lyrics for other well-known lyrics. I could have offered more, but translating old Swedish lines to English is not easy, so this may have been lame of me, but please I just hope you liked the chapter.
robo22: Thanks, hope you liked this too.
Draco's Wife Lover: Thank you so much, I am happy you liked it, and with the spelling, well I am from Sweden and so I have English as second language. Also usually when I write, it's not impossible to make mistakes, happens too often though. Hope you liked this chapter and thank you for reviewing.
Ps: Your own story was really good, I wish you good luck and I am looking forward for a new chapter on it.
NazfoMo: Thanks for telling me, I didn't notice the mistake, but it's changed now. Hope you liked the story and hope I didn't make any more mistakes.
End Notes:
Tomtegubbar is the same as elves in one of the songs, yet it really can't be translated to elves so it had to be as it was. Elves are the younger version while "tomtegubbar" is the older. Yet they still work for Santa that is.
If you want me to write the original version, which I doubt you will understand, tell me. Hi Tomtegubbar or Hej Tomtegubbar, the Swedish original version as it is called is actually made as drinking song.