20

The twentieth was a very cold day and it was snowing. Snape could tell because his hiding place was on the shoulder of the snowman Dumbledore had built the day before. Within minutes he was covered in a thick layer of snow. The potions master was sure that he was going to fall ill. In puppet form, he had no warm clothes on. Oh, what he would give for his winter cloak now!

As time passed, the snow covering the puppet's face became lighter. The sun must have risen.

Snape resigned himself to having to wait for the bell to free him. In this weather, only few would be brave enough to go searching outside and he was covered in snow. Whoever came looking was going to overlook him.

Suddenly Snape was grabbed by his leg. He hoped with all his heart that he had not been kidnapped by a squirrel again. As he was tugged through the snow, he became aware that his kidnapper was not a squirrel but a cat. Great. Cat bites were said to be especially dangerous.

"Crookshanks!" a girl cried, "You bad boy! Have you caught a bird? Let it go immediately!"

Snape was relieved to hear the steps of Hermione Granger coming nearer. "Bad Crooksie!" she admonished the cat.

Suddenly the girl squealed. "You good boy!" she enthused. "You found me a present! If I get cat food, I will share with you! – Oh, Professor, you are hurt!" She cast a quick Reparo spell at Snape's leg and the threads which had been ripped by the cat's sharp teeth were repaired.

"Snape in a Cape!" the girl cried.

"Thank you, Miss Granger!" Snape moved his leg this way and that to check for injuries but everything was fine. "Now, let's go and see whether you get cat food. Would you mind casting a warming spell for me?"

The girl answered that she didn't mind at all and once the potions master was warm, they went to the Great Hall together. The girl was carrying her cat. Snape watched the twitching tail with worry. Was the feline going to attack him?

Once they reached the Great Hall, Snape went up to the Head Table, while Miss Granger sat down at the Gryffindor table.

Snape prepared a cup of tea for himself and after his first sip reached into his pocket for the girl's present.

"Good morning, Master," the apprentice sat down beside him. "Who won today?"

Snape told her and the pink clad witch gave the young Gryffindor the thumbs up.

"Strange," said Snape as he pulled two boxes out of his pocket. Was one for the cat? Then he realised that one of the boxes had a little tag. It read "Harry Potter".

"It seems Santa works fast," he told the apprentice as he showed her the tag. With a swish of his wand – the girl had brought it – he sent the boxes to their intended recipients.

Miss Granger got a book on healing spells.

"I had no idea she was interested in that," said Dumbledore as he arrived for breakfast.

Snape told him how the girl had known that she had to heal his leg in puppet-form to help him. Dumbledore listened intently and nodded from time to time. "I think I have a book or two I could lend her," he mused.

"Is that Potter's replacement present?" asked the Dark Lord. He arrived just in time to witness the boy wonder open it.

Snape confirmed that, yes, it was.

Potter found a gaudy red cloak with white fur lining in his box.

"Are you going to grow a beard?" drawled Draco Malfoy from the Gryffindor table.

"I, at least, have beard growth, little boy," spat Potter. "Have you even shaved yet?"

"Of course," cried the younger Malfoy. "my stuble is a noble blond. Not like that black shrubbery you develop every day."

"Noble blond," snorted Potter. He put on his new cloak and turned to Ginny Weasley. "Would you like to tell Santa what you want for Christmas?" He wiggled his brows suggestively.

"Your potions lesson starts in a quarter hour. There will be no excuses!" Snape made himself heard.

"Yes, Sir!" cried Potter and left the hall, followed by his girlfriend.

The potions master made a point at arriving exactly on time for the lesson. Disappointingly, Potter was already there, and he still wore his new cloak.

"Twenty points from Gryffindor for contaminating the potions classroom with ermine hairs." Snape smirked. It was not much but he had gotten something out of Potter's present and that was a good thing.