Chapter 4: Out Numbered
AJ stood and walked over to his son kneeling in front of him. "You know what you did was wrong yes?" he asked.
Brandon nodded, "Yeah…no stabs cause we wan right?"
"Right. You don't stab someone just because you want a color someone else has. We have to ask nicely," AJ nodded.
"Otay daddy," Brandon smiled.
"Good boy," AJ grinned.
"Daddy….mummy still love me?" Brandon asked.
"Of course she does. She loves all four of you to pieces. Now go back and play nicely okay?" AJ stated. Brandon nodded and hugged his son before sending him back to the table with the other children.
"What are their names?" Hermione asked watching Jessica quietly complimenting her four children's drawings they were working on. AJ had returned to his seat on the floor.
"Esmeralda, Isabella, Brandon, and Landon," Clara answered.
"They're the youngest grandchildren," Albus added.
"New questions!!!" Aphrodite shrilled.
"Yes, yes okay here it is…. Everyone on the Professor side of this game tell us what house you were in and what positions you held as a student or in Quidditch," Artemis stated.
"I'm beginning to think that Artemis child is the leader in this nonsense," Horace gruffed.
"You better believe it buster!" the four voices cackled.
"Well I suppose I will start," Lorna stated flicking her dark crimson hair over her shoulder. Ron could help but think she seemed even more vampirish then Snape.
"I was a Ravenclaw and a prefect. I never played Quidditch though and quite frankly Mr. Potter I know how you are about your father from Sev's stories and I have to admit he was rather arrogant and immature in his younger years."
Harry glared at her as Jessica interjected.
"I remember James and Sirius," she stated standing from the little table and walking over to everyone. Amazingly she sat herself in Albus Sr.'s lap this time, "I was about four I guess when they, Lorna, Severus, and the others were sixth years. Sirius snatched me from mother when I and father were visiting after a Quidditch match. He took me and ran off to the lake threatening to throw me to the squid if my brother William didn't admit that he was actually the one that destroyed Professor Cameron's office."
"Yes I remember that now. I'm not a violent man normally but I certainly beat the devil out of that boy that day," Marshall stated.
"You nearly knocked him unconscious Marshall!" AJ exclaimed.
"Well if Black had been smart he would not have held a girl terrified of cephalopods over a lake with one as an inhabitant," Severus frowned.
"You're kidding right? I mean…Sirius wouldn't actually threaten his head of house's toddler would he?" Ginny stated. Harry looked in shock.
"You better believe it. I don't think he would have dropped her in though," Clara replied, "He was just being an idiot."
"You all seem really close are you?" Hermione asked.
"Very," Clara laughed, "Minerva was Albus' favorite student and protégé. He came over ever other weekend just gushing about the 'Brilliant Miss McConnell.' I first met her for the first time at her graduation. I had to agree on looks alone she looked quite brilliant."
Minerva blushed a pink color and buried her head in the crook of Marshall's neck. This side of Minerva they were seeing was very disturbing to Ron but the other three seemed to like the fact.
"Back to the ghostly questions," Horace cut in, "I was a Slytherin of course and a prefect though I was not on the Quidditch team either."
"Of course not. The brooms wouldn't be able to hold you," Minerva stated sitting up.
"Go pluck a chin hair," Horace snapped angrily.
"Why you fat lump of a waste of space!" Minerva hissed.
"How dare you twig of idiocy!" Horace shouted.
"Whoa, Whoa hold on time out now," Apollo shouted, "Headmaster please continue with the questions before we have a bar brawl."
"Certainly," Albus nodded, "I was a Gryffindor of course. Prefect as well as Head Boy also and I was a Keeper for the team."
"You were quite good dear," Clara smiled.
"Thank you love," he smiled and kissed her lips sweetly.
"Why does it not surprise me you were head boy?" Horace asked.
"I was a prefect and a Gryffindor," Clara interjected, "I was the Quidditch Captain and a seeker."
"A Seeker?" Harry asked interestedly.
"Certainly. I still play every now and then with some of the children. We all do really," Clara stated, "You all are of course invited next time we get together for a game."
"Actually my eldest sister was the youngest seeker…until you came along," AJ grinned.
"I was a Gryffindor as well," Marshall stated, "I was Quidditch Captain my last year and played beater."
"I was Gryffindor of course," Minerva sighed, "Quidditch Captain my sixth and seventh year, prefect, head girl, and I played beater."
"I loved watching when Minerva and Marshall were beaters together," Albus sighed dreamily, "I haven't seen anyone as in sync as them till Fred and George came along."
"Yes but headmaster they were twins," Lorna cut in.
"True," Albus nodded still thinking back to when he taught Minerva and Marshall.
"Well he's lost for a good ten minutes. Who else do we have?" Clara asked.
"Slytherin and prefect is all," Severus stated.
"I was a Gryffindor and a chaser," AJ shrugged.
"Keeper, head girl, prefect, and Gryffindor," Jessica answered.
"I am vastly out numbered here," Lorna stated, "Six lions and two snakes is not fair for this little eagle at all."
"Could be worse. Could be all lions," Clara shrugged.
"There's an idea. If they're going to ask us questions let's ask them," Horace stated looking to the ceiling.
"Last time we did that they filled the room with spiders," Clara shivered.
"Spiders!?" Ron squeaked.
"I'm asking anyway," Horace stated.
"All right I have a question for you children. If two of you are from Slytherin why are there so many Gryffindors here?" Horace asked.
"Because kitties are always more fun. Even daddy knew that," Aphrodite stated.
"Whose kids are whose?" Ginny asked turning to Albus.
"If I remember correctly Artemis and Hermes belong to Rowena and Godric while Apollo and Aphrodite belong to Helga and Salazar," Albus replied.
"And they all do what ever Artemis says?" Severus asked.
"Yes," Clara nodded, "she's the eldest and sometimes I think the more responsible."
"Yeah responsible. Have you forgotten they locked us in here!?" Horace snapped.
"It seems very sad though. How old were they when they died?" Hermione asked.
"Fourteen I suspect. It was one of the few times they were allowed out of this corridor," Albus explained.
"How's Sebastian, Lorna?" Jessica asked changing the subject.
"Annoyed as ever that his Potions homework is so long," Lorna laughed.
"He'll never learn if he doesn't study," Severus snapped.
"Oooh Sebastian sounds fun. Let's bring another toy sister!" Hermes laughed.
"One, two kiddledoo!" Artemis shouted as there was a flash of light and there stood yet another child.
This one though was tall and lank. He did in fact look like a fourteen year old boy. He had a regular nose with coal black eyes and black hair. His hair was cut short and messy in the back and long in the front covering his eyes. He wore blue jeans that had several ripped holes all in the front and he wore a plain black t-shirt with a black vest and black gloves with the holes cut out of the top so his fingers showed through. His shoes were black converses and he had a spiked dog collar around his neck.
"Seb!" Jessica squealed and ran to the boy; who was about as tall as her, hugging him tightly.
The young teen laughed and hugged her back before she actually jumped on his back. That was a sight; McGonagall's daughter getting a piggy back ride from Snape's son.
"Are we going to have all of their families show up?" Ron asked to no one in particular.
"We don't have enough room," Apollo stated.
"Well we do but not everyone in the families are a lot of fun to play with. You will just have to settles for stories and pictures…maybe videos," Artemis laughed.
The three adults who had bee in the room before gave low moans at this.