“It doesn’t count if the other person doesn’t believe in the custom.” I smiled back, pointing a finger at him triumphantly. Scrooge leaned forward.

“Why don’t you try and convince me?” He husked in my ear, making my cheeks turn as red as Santa’s suit.

“I’d rather not!” I responded sharply, finally managing to push past him. I would finish my preparations later, right now I just wanted to escape from Scrooge’s freezing gaze, I heard him call out behind me.

“I hope your not looking forward to Christmas too much.” I swivelled round.

“What’s that supposed to mean?” I sighed, my foot hovering on the first step.

“I heard it might be off this year.”

I let out a derisive snort, before dashing up the stairs to the main corridor.

That night in my grotto- AKA my tinsel-smothered dorm room- I couldn’t sleep. I kept having weird nightmares, and it was all Noel Pringles fault. Every time I managed to nod off all I dreamt about was Christmas being cancelled. In my dream there was no presents, no mince pies, no Santa, it was just Winter without the fun. There wasn’t even Hanukkah!

Waking up in a cold sweat for the third time that night, I gave up on sleeping and went to the window. There was something about Noel that unnerved me, why had his words affected me so much? Christmas could never be cancelled, that would be impossible.

Sitting on my window seat, I gazed out into the inky night. My room was on the ground floor of the dorms, so escaping into the grounds was pretty easy. Clambering out into the cold air, I wrapped my dressing gown around me and set off for a stroll. I don’t know how long I walked for, but then I saw it.

A snowman.

Now you may think that’s not too unusual, since it was nearly Christmas and all, but the fact was, the weather this week had been pretty warm for December, there was no way it could have snowed. Inching closer I inspected the peculiar white figure, at over six foot tall, it looked quite dapper, wearing what appeared to be a pink silk top hat with a jaunty cerise scarf. This snowman was fierce!

Suddenly, It’s head swivelled round to stare at me with coal eyes. I stared back stunned. Its huge white hand moved towards me, Grabbing a dead twig at my feet I pointed it up at it’s face.

“Stay back Frosty, or I’ll use you’re nose to dip in my Hummus!” I growled, feeling my legs turn to jelly beneath my pyjamas. The snowman raised it’s eyebrow, which appeared to be made of turquoise glitter glue.

“Calm down honey! Santa sent me!”