On the night of Boxing Day, Dumbledore was not the only one spending the holiday alone. It was fair to say that every professor who taught at Hogwarts had some sort of family trouble.
Leaving aside Professor Jobana, who had just lost her last remaining relative-though she had used special means to preserve Tiago's soul before it dissipated completely-most of the other Hogwarts professors had almost no immediate family left alive either.
Marriage and children did not seem to be popular among these professors. Most of the others around Professor McGonagall's age had no children and had never even married.
Come to think of it, Professor McGonagall's husband had passed away only a few years earlier. These days, she generally spent Christmas at her nephew's home. Having grown up in her uncle's house, she had always been very close to her cousins. To them, Professor McGonagall had always been part of the family.
The remaining professors were much the same. Although they had lost their immediate relatives, most chose to spend Christmas with their extended families. After all, the holidays were about getting together and enjoying some festive bustle. Except for Snape.
The people closest to Snape in this world were Lucius Malfoy and his wife, Narcissa Black. During his time at Slytherin, he had looked up to them as an older brother and sister. They had also been the first to recognize his potential and invest in him. In return, after becoming a Potions Master, Snape had become Draco Malfoy's godfather and helped Malfoy make connections with the Hogwarts Board of Governors, allowing him to become its leading figure and giving him a way to exchange money for privileges.
Even so, the reclusive Snape still declined the Malfoy family's invitation to the banquet at their manor. Even now, when