Christmas with Severus Scrooge
Chapter 2: James Potter
Severus appeared in the Great Hall after dinner to announce that Dumbledore has left, and that he, Snape was now in charge. He also demanded lessons the next day. Snape was carrying out his plan to take Christmas away from Hogwarts and it was working like a charm. All the students thought this was very bad luck, and felt envious for the few students that went home for the holidays this year. That was until Snape announced to them something that made everyone hate him. Even Harry thought Privet Drive would be better than this.
“I will also send for the students who went home for the holiday,” Snape said without pity. “It’s about time we all start from scratch. I demand all the teachers to get back to work tomorrow.”
“But sir,” began tiny Professor Flitwick. “We need Christmas itself off.”
“I am master here,” Snape yelled. “I am saying there is no Christmas.”
“Can’t we just have tomorrow off,” Colin asked trying to be reasonable. “Dennis is sick.”
Snape sighed, “Very well,” he said. “Take tomorrow off. But on Boxing Day, we work double as hard.”
Yes, Snape knew Dumbledore was coming back the next day, for Christmas and the students pointed this out, but Snape knew more than what he told Dumbledore. “The Dark Lord is planning more cunning things than what I told him, he’ll be gone a lot longer,” Snape yelled back. Everyone was shocked, even Malfoy and his gang thought this was unfair, as they all liked Christmas.
“Now, we all go to bed,” Snape yelled. “I will be inspecting all the letters that are sent to you people,” he added. “To make sure none of them contain rubbish.”
“That’s unfair,” Harry yelled.
“Detention Mr. Potter,” Snape shouted back. “I am taking fifty Points from Gryffindor.”
Everyone was ordered to bed and Snape went back to the dungeon. He way lying down in his bed, when a great gust of wind blew, despite the fact there were no windows.
“What the…” Snape began, but was never able to finish, because right in front of him, a spectral form of James Potter appeared. This wasn’t James as Snape remembered him though; this was an eleven-year-old James, the Head of Marauders.
“Snivellus Snape,” James said, laughing. “We meet again, even after my death.”
“No…” Snape said, looking amazed. “It can’t be. You’re dead.”
“I am alive as an eleven-year-old,” James said. “I come in the heart of a child. This is why I come to you like this, when we first began Hogwarts and when you first started hating Christmas for a very stupid reason,” James added with a scowl.
“This is impossible,” Snape yelled. “This is some stupid trick of Potter’s.”
“My future son, Harry,” James said, losing the scowl and replacing it with a proud smile. “He is the only student within the school who’d actually stand up to you. Very brave if you ask me, considering all the evil things you do to the students, since Dumbledore left,” James said to him. “You told him what Voldemort was planning, but didn’t tell him everything. This’ll keep Dumbledore away from Hogwarts longer. You lift up everyone’s spirits when you told them he’d be back by tomorrow, and then push them back down by keeping a secret from Dumbledore, who might’ve been able to undo what Voldemort did, and would never need to leave,” James said. “I am, of course, talking about Dennis Creevey.”
“I’m not listening to you,” Snape spat. “You’re dead, so you can’t do anything to me.”
“I might be dead, but I come back to you now, to show you the past,” James said. “When you first hated Christmas………………………
_______________________________________________________________________________________________________________
Dumbledore was conducting as many teachers and students sung different Christmas Carols. Snape was looking from a dungeon entrance. Since childhood, the dungeon was Snape’s favorite hangout. He looked at everyone singing carols, and wished he could join in. His girlfriend, Shella Potassy looked at the singing with him.
“Come on, Snape,” Shella pleaded him. “Let’s join in, we’re being left out.”
“Singing is not in my nature,” he said. “The presents are all I care about.”
“Well I think that’s a bit selfish of you,” Shella replied. “I’m going to sing with them.”
“No,” he begged. “Come back to me, please.”
“I refuse to be with someone who hates the spirit of Christmas,” she yelled.
“I don’t hate the spirit of Christmas,” Snape yelled back.
“All you care about are the stupid presents,” Potassy shouted. “Something any Christmas could go without.”
With that, she turned her back on him, and went to join the others. Since then, Snape refused to go anywhere near a Christmas tree. He hated Christmas from that day forward, because it reminded him of his past. A past he never liked to share with anyone.
“Hey, Snivelly,” a voice said behind him. It was James and his friend, Sirius.
“Go away,” Snape snapped.
“Naughty, naughty,” Sirius said smiling an evil grin. “Let’s teach this guy a lesson.”
It was bad luck that the Christmas Carols were done at this time, and only the students were left. The teachers went to decorate their classrooms. Snape could do nothing to prevent it, he was cursed, jinxed, and charmed. Everyone laughed, and was the first time he was ever made fun of in front of the whole school.
_______________________________________________________________________________________________________________
“So, basically you started hating Christmas more than you usually did, ever since you lost the only girl you loved and Sirius and I made fun of you,” James said, laughing.
“It’s because of you I hate Christmas so much,” Snape yelled.
“But you never liked the spirit of Christmas,” James said back to him. “It was only the presents you cared about.”
“But since you and Black humiliated me…” Snape began.
“It doesn’t matter what Sirius and I did,” James said, with a look of disgust on his face. “It matters that you deserved everything you got that day,” he continued. “You deserved more, and you aren’t grateful that you might’ve gotten worst. I even saved your own, ungrateful life,” James added.
“Only because you would’ve gotten expelled,” Snape talked back.
“But you still would’ve died,” James said calmly.
“I’ve repaid the debt. I saved your sons life. I’ve reformed,” Snape said.
“Not totally,” James said. “If you truly reformed, you would’ve given The Potion of Evil’s Bane. The Ghost of Christmas Present will see you soon.”
Sill, Snape had no intention of providing the Potion. And he was not going to listen to anything any ghost had to say either.
*I request that Seren moderate this story.*