Author's Note: I have absolutely no ownership whatsoever on the Harry Potter characters! Never have, never will. I just like to play with them. Okay, that sounded so, so wrong... However, I do lay claim over original characters that are from my own imagination.

Thank you Allen Pitt for your review. Yes, going in the third year. Just not sure how true to the books this will be, if I am to be really honest. The story I am hoping for is simply for fun of sorts. Like most of my stories really. But I will be using the teachers that were for the third year, however, meaning Professor Remus Lupin would like to be seen at some point, just not sure when and how.

Chapter Two

It was an Accident

Once Ainsley was given something to help subside her discomfort in the gums, she was a little more settled; she allowed Snape to carry her, a small sign to her becoming a little more comfortable and familiar with her Uncle.

Walking on either side of the Potions Master, Gabriel and Victoria managed to keep up.

"What happens now, Uncle?" Do we go with you to the classroom?" Victoria decides to ask.

Snape mentally kicks himself, he had thought of the ways to help ensure Gabriel and Victoria didn't fall behind in their schooling, but he completely neglected to think of how to divide himself between them, (and Ainsley), and being a teacher to the students of Hogwarts.

"For the time being, until I can think of a better solution to how to keep you supervised, you will come with me to my classroom," he decides to say. "It would mean I am going to need you to help in making sure Ainsley doesn't get underfoot."

"May we use our magic if we need to?" Victoria asks politely.

Snape got a small reminder just then on how schooling in Australia was so vastly different compared to that of Hogwarts and, even, Durmstrang.

"Only, and I mean only, if it is really needed," he replies, hoping he was sounding fair.

The children accepted that as a compromise.

Snape's second year students were waiting and chatting until they saw him enter. Even when he was accompanied by three much younger children, Snape was still able to create the wave effect of silence.

"Now that I am here, I trust that you have gotten yourselves ready and organised to begin with the class without further delay?" he voice in his infamous tone, but dampened a little, as he was still holding Ainsley; who was going between taking about the sights of about her and putting her head on Snape's shoulder, rubbing her face.

Snape could see from his view point at his desk that not everyone was prepared.

"Those of who do not get themselves organised to begin will have two minutes to do so, or I shall have to start deducting points and detentions."

This crack of the verbal whip got the remaining disorganised students to fix themselves; it also gave Snape enough time to arrange a safe area for the three young children. Setting them up with a few tasks that, he hoped, suited their age groups, including some of the subjects Gabriel and Victoria were doing within their school, before coming here. Snape even included a colouring-in book for Ainsley, he even made sure he had packed a couple of toys to help amuse.

"Something tells me Uncle Severus is a strict teacher," Gabriel mutters to his older sister when Snape was out of earshot.

"Ya think?" Victoria replies.

Snape addresses his students and sets them to their work.

Amongst the students was Ginny Weasley, who had the same opinion as her brother, Ron and his friend, Harry, when it came to Snape. But she didn't know what to make of the way he was dealing with three children.

She did take note that the older girl was quite close to her own age. She, like many who were at the breakfast that morning, had witnessed the screaming tantrum from the however month old toddler was, and the three older children helping Snape.

"Eyes on your work, Miss Weasley," Snape's voice cuts through.

Ginny was quick to turn back around and get on with her potion making.

Keeping Ainsley occupied in one spot proved to be more challenging than first thought. She got bored with the selected items that were provided, either that, or she just wasn't interested in the first place. She stood up from her spot on the floor and went to toddle off away from her older siblings.

Victoria was too busy assisting Gabriel with a problem he was trying to work out, that neither had noticed straight away.

Snape saw movement from his spot in the classroom; quickly, his glanced over to the corner Gabriel and Victoria were, noticing Ainsley wasn't with them. He swept between the gaps of the work benches and caught the wandering toddler, just before she could get into Ginny Weasley's school bag – thankfully, Ginny also saw the small child and moved her bag out of reach.

Ainsley didn't like this at all, and started struggling to get out of Snape's still outstretched hands, for he was still in the process of picking her up. In doing this shouting out and near arching her back trying to be freed from her Uncle's grasp, Ainsley kicks out, knocking Ginny's cauldron, spilling the entire contents over the work bench and gushing over the edges.

"No!" the redheaded girl exclaims, watching the books she owned and that of her friend's being destroyed by the potion she had been working so hard to make.

Victoria and Gabriel had both heard their sister's shouting and were quick to go over.

"We are so, so sorry!" Victoria stresses, almost terrified of what her Uncle would do, as she'd been watching him during the segment of the class, and was afraid of how he would address her.

But it was Ginny who snips; "Stupid brat!"

"Ainsley is not a brat, you yobbo!" Gabriel snaps glares at Ginny. "It was an accident!"

"An accident that is your fault for not watching the brat!" Ginny argues.

"Ten points from Gryffindor!" Snape speaks up, glowering at Ginny. "While it may be distressing for you to lose your work, Miss Weasley, I strongly suggest you watch your tone." He looks his niece and nephew; "Yes, you ought to have been watching, but that was not entirely on you, I saw what you were doing to be distracted." He turns back to Ginny; "If I hear you speak such a way toward Ainsley again, I will not be pleased. Do I make myself clear?"

Ginny glared at the Potions Master, replying; "Yes, Professor Snape."

Snape, after managing to get a better hold of Ainsley, pulls out his wand and clears the mess; making the books undamaged, as though they hadn't been touched by a single drop. He then herds the three children back to the area he had them at;

"We're sorry," Victoria was visibly upset.

Snape shakes his head; "Not your fault. I hadn't been as watchful, either. You may use magic if it helps keep her for the last fifteen minutes. After this, I'll try and arrange someone to help watch you for the afternoon once lunch is done."

Victoria and Gabriel pull out their wands and starting made an image of stars, bubbles and butterflies, which turned out to be the most useful thing they could come up with to keep Ainsley happy.

Ginny's friend whispers something into her ear; "How can they be using wands at their age? They shouldn't even be here."

Snape, by chance, walked by at this point, and heard this.

"Problem, Miss Blaire?"

Lacy Blaire looks at the Professor, startled.

"Do you know of the reasons why they are here?" he asks the second year student.

Ginny was trying to signal her friend to not answer, but knowing Lacy;

"No, sir, but they still shouldn't be at this school."

"Do tell me why you believe this?" Snape's voice was silky, many eyes on them, including his own nephew and older niece.

"They're too young! They should go back to where they came from!"

"How do you suggest they do that?"

"You're only their Uncle! Their parents should be looking after them, not you!"

This was loud enough for the young children to hear.

"Well, let us hope that you are never in a position where you find both of your parents dead with no one else having to take care of you, Miss Blaire," Snape said, eyes glowering at the Gryffindor student, before moving away to continue supervising the other students and their work.

###

Elijah notices the upset expressions on his siblings' faces when he reached the bottom of the grand staircase that led to the ground floor, where the Great Hall and Great Entrance was, meeting up with them as they were exiting out of the doorway that led to the dungeons.

"What happened?" he asks them.

"There was an accident and we were told that we don't belong here," Gabriel was trying not tear up; Victoria had her arm around the back of his shoulders to try and comfort him.

"Who said that?"

"Some girl with blonde pigtails in Uncle Severus's classroom," said Victoria.

"And the redheaded one called Ainsley a brat, all over an accident," said Gabriel.

"I have spoken to the two girls you are referring to," spoke the voice of their Uncle, who had now just appeared behind Victoria and Gabriel, carrying Ainsley.

They all looked at him, in doing so saw Ginny and Lacy slipping passed, looking rather displeased. Their eyes narrowed on the Snape children for just a moment, before heading to the Great Hall.

"Seems you are not the only one feeling a little out of water," Elijah comments.

"What makes you say that?" Snape asks, between concern and interest.

Elijah hesitates to answer.

"Elijah?"

"It is nothing I cannot handle, Uncle Severus," Elijah then decides to say to him.

"Are you sure?"

Elijah nods. "Yes."

Though he was not entirely convinced, Snape decides to let it go, instead he tells Victoria and Gabriel they are allowed to sit with their older brother if they wish to, or they may sit with him and Ainsley at the staff table in the Great Hall.

"Why can't we just go to the apartment and have lunch there?" Gabriel asks, not feeling like being seen right now.

'The apartment' was what the children decided to call the located area of which Snape stayed whenever he was at Hogwarts. He had managed to get some extensions placed to make it possible for his nieces and nephews to stay, without having to fully relocate all together.

"I have some business to sort out, including finding some extra hands for to help watch you, as I do not believe it would be a good idea to bring Ainsley back in the classroom, unless it is an emergency," Snape says.

"I am not so sure about Ainsley, but maybe, if the teacher doesn't mind, Gabe and Vicky might come with me to Care of Magical Creatures?" Elijah suggests.

Snape was not sure if he wanted to allow such an idea.

"I will give you an answer before the bell goes for class," he says, again wanting to be fair.

When they entered the Great Hall, Gabriel decided that he wanted to stick close to his Uncle, plus help with Ainsley where needed. Victoria goes with Elijah to the Gryffindor table, where she sits right next to him.

"Ignore them, Vicky," Elijah says to Victoria, when he notices his sister looking at Ginny and Lacy, who were whispering to each other and looking at them.

"I'm trying, Eli," she says; "How were you treated in your first two classes?"

"I was mostly ignored by my peers," Elijah answers. "That was until Hermione Granger started talking to me."

"Was she mean?"

Elijah smiled a little. "Nah, she was actually really nice to me."

Victoria sees the glint in her brother's eye. "What happened?"

"Nothing to concern yourself with, Vicky."

Victoria was not convinced. "Eli..." she goes to push.

"You are so like how our Dad was, you know that?" Elijah chuckles when he hears the tone she was using.

"Don't change the subject!" Victoria points a finger at him.

"I just don't wish to talk about it right now, okay?" says Elijah, picking up a large bowl of food and scooping a bit on to his place

Victoria sighs. "Fine! Then why don't we talk of why you just decided to put steak and kidney pie on your plate!"

"What?" Elijah then looked. "Oh! Ew! I thought it was normal mince pie!"

"Mmm, dead horse on a dog's eye," Victoria grins.

"What?"

Elijah and Victoria both look to see Neville Longbottom standing on the opposite side of the table in front of them, unsure on whether to be shocked or not.

"Dead horse on a dog's eye is the Aussie way of saying tomato sauce on a meat pie," Elijah tells him.

"Oh," said Neville.

He still stayed standing.

"Are you trying to impersonate a statue?" Elijah jokes.

Neville takes this as a sign to sit down.

"Listen, I... I'm sorry for what Ron said to you... and Seamus..." he decides to say.

"What did they say?" Victoria asks.

"Why are you speaking to them, Neville?" Ron cuts in before Neville could answer.

"Because I want to," Neville replies.

Ron makes a face at this. "Why would you want to?"

"Wow, not even a full day here and already hated for some crime we have no idea we've even committed," Elijah says sarcastically. "Dad would be rolling in his grave to know his fellow Gryffindors are acting like such drongos."

"No Snape was ever a Gryffindor!" Ron spits. "The only Snape ever here is a Slytherin!"

Elijah raises an eyebrow; "Yet, you're talking to a Snape... in Gryffindor... whose father was in Gryffindor House, starting out a few years before his brother... who is the Slytherin you're begrudging about."

"You're a liar!"

"And you're a jerk!" Victoria speaks.

"Ron, don't you think you need to back off," Harry suggests.

Ron whirls on Harry; "Are you serious? You want me to back off, after what Professor Snape has done to you all these years, even just last week? He threatened to kill Neville's toad!"

"But they aren't Professor Snape!"

"Doesn't make a slight of difference!" Ron stubbornly crosses his arms, as though to make it final.

"Oh, go talk a long walk off a short pier," Elijah grumbles, pushing himself up from his seat, snatching his bag up, losing his appetite. "C'mon, Vicky, we know when we're not welcome."

Victoria quickly follows Elijah out of the Great Hall.

Author's Note: Yobbo is another way of saying idiot.

I also do not think I intended this chapter to go the way it did, it just happened. Guess I saw Ron to be a bit of a jerk toward the Snape kids, just didn't expect his sister and some friend I made up, (since we only know of Colin Creevey in the books), to be the same. Will they get over themselves and grow up? Hard to say really.