In which, apparently, I get to please a whole continent...and lazy_neutrino writes fic!
There won't be snow in Africa this Christmas time,
The greatest gift they'll get this year is dolabellae.
Do They Know It's Christmas
from the Christmas Song Generator.
On a less megalomaniac note, I have to draw your attention to the lovely ficlet which lazy_neutrino made of the Christmas card fragments she chose in the poll I did a couple of weeks ago. Reproduced below so no-one misses it:
Torchlight glittered on snow in the Durmstrang courtyard as the party from Hogwarts hauled in their Christmas gift. Millicent Bulstrode put her shoulder to the Yule log and pushed. It was typical of Snape, she reflected, to stand there and watch when he could be helping.
In front of her, little Dennis Creevey lost his footing on the uneven flags and slipped. Laughter rose up from the gathered Durmstrang students. Millicent gritted her teeth, helped Dennis to his feet and wished she had a wand. So much for detente, she thought. They're laughing at us. Another of Dumbledore's stupid ideas, doomed to failure.
At last they had heaved the huge shaft of oak up the stone steps and into the inner courtyard. A group of Professors came out to greet them. Millicent recognised Karkaroff among them. He went straight to Snape, clasping his hand in apparent warmth and drawing him aside for a private talk. Millicent clutched her goblet of mulled wine in both hands and sipped at the hot liquid gratefully, wondering how anyone could live somewhere as cold as this. She watched Karkaroff whisper in Snape'e ear, saw Snape shake his head and step back. Karkaroff opened his mouth to speak, but Snape interrupted him.
'I am nothing like you,' he said, and turned away.
Oh, you are, Millicent contradicted in silence. Much more than you think. And then they were walking back through the stone arch, through the outer courtyard to where the sleighs were waiting. In his arms, Snape carried an oddly shaped package, wrapped in a white cloth - a present from Durmstrang to Hogwarts. Millicent had no idea what it was, but she hoped it was heavy.
They were back at Hogwarts just in time for the Feast. Compared to term-time, the Great Hall looked empty; Millicent suspected it had never been so full at Christmas before. She looked at the small groups of children scattered along the House tables and pretending to be cheerful and wondered suddenly if they missed their parents as much as she did. Only the Purebloods get to spend Christmas at home, she thought bitterly. For the rest of us it's safer here.
Carrying the package as carefully as if it were a living thing, Snape crossed the Hall to where Dumbledore was standing beside the biggest Christmas tree. Just as he was about to hand the guft over, Alastor Moody, covered in tinsel and ribbons, jumped out from behind the tree and blasted it to smithereens.
'Don't open that!' he bellowed. 'CONSTANT VIGILANCE!!!'
Millicent grinned. Maybe Christmas wasn't going to be so bad after all.