Chapter Sixteen

Changing The Rules

"Come outside."

"I really don't want to go outside like this."

"There's not enough room to practice inside! Sagittari, come outside!"

Arcadia stood in front of the door of Sagittari's hut with her arms folded and her expression as stubborn as a ram. Sagittari sighed from where he clung to the doorway, knowing that he was unlikely to win this one.

"Just come out slowly... stop hanging on... oh wait! Watch out for the..." Arcadia winced in sympathy when Sagittari ended up flat on his face. "Step," she finished. She went over to help him up.

"I feel utterly ridiculous. It took me all summer to learn how to turn into this awkward, gangly creature as it is. What makes you think that I can master walking in the last two days before students get here?" Sagittari asked with a scowl as Arcadia managed to get him onto two legs.

"Human children often learn how to walk in a couple of days. I'm certain you can do it in less time," Arcadia said, stepping away from him.

"They also typically learn when they are barefoot. These shoes are as uncomfortable as they are ridiculous."

"Stars and comets, Sagittari, they're basic sandals. As much fuss as you're making over them, they may as well be high heeled boots. Now, walk and don't shuffle."

"Can I at least try it with a cane first?"

"Don't be silly."

"Too late," Sagittari muttered. Arcadia gave him her stubborn look again.

"Walk," Arcadia ordered. "Or I stay in this form for the next two days. And I'll sleep in the castle," she added for good measure.

"You are taking advantage of my position," Sagittari accused her.

"Yes I am!" Arcadia said proudly. "Now, hurry up and show me some progress, because I still have some potions to brew. And don't shuffle like you did inside. Left! Right! Left!"

"Don't patronize me, Star," Sagittari said dangerously.

"You can't get even with me if you can't get to me," she taunted him.

"Then I won't help you finish that medicine order!" Sagittari snapped.

"Your loss, then. You'll start the year low on supply," Arcadia said, backing up a step after he had taken a step.

"Oh, so that's why you wanted to do the patient prescriptions first," he scowled.

"Right in one," Arcadia laughed, taking another step back as he took another simply to balance himself again.

"If you take one more step away from me, I'm getting out my wand," Sagittari warned.

"You wouldn't cast at me in front of students, would you?" Arcadia teased. Sagittari blinked.

"What students?" he asked flatly. She pointed over at the open barn door where Leu and Noah were watching with interest. Sagittari turned bright red.

"I asked them to help take care of the barn so we could work on this," Arcadia explained.

"Come on, Doctor! You're doing great!" Leu shouted encouragingly. "Quintin took five steps his first time, so let's see if you can match it!"

"And he was a lot younger," Noah put in. Arcadia laughed at that.

"I really am going to get even," Sagittari promised her.

"Come at me then," she teased.

Sagittari took a few more steps but went a little too fast in his attempt, ending up flat on his face again. Noah and Leu clapped.

"Better that time. Six steps," Leu said.

"Good job! This time try not to fall," Noah suggested.

"Go clean the barn!" Sagittari barked at them. Sheepishly, they went back inside. "Next time, we do this without an audience," he glowered at Arcadia.

"They're gone now! Do it again," she suggested, helping him up and turning him around to face the hut, knowing he would be much more motivated to go in that direction.

Severus watched from a distance, smirking with amusement in spite of himself as Arcadia attempted to get the good doctor used to his new human form. Sagittari stumbled his way to the hut, getting a round of applause from Arcadia, Leu, and Noah when he actually arrived at the wall without falling. Well, he might have it down before the start of school, Severus mused, then became distracted when he saw movement at the gate. Andrew stepped in with his tennis bag over his shoulder and holding Quintin's hand. Seeing his father walking over to them, Quintin ran to greet him.

"And just what have you managed to get stained on your shirt this time?" Severus asked critically.

"Uncle Pyther is teaching me how to bake!" Quintin explained.

"My guess is it's chocolate, since that's what was splattered over their kitchen," Andrew replied as he caught up. "Have you ever noticed that their entire house looks like one of Alicia's palettes just after she's finished a project?"

"I hadn't thought of it like that, but I admit that is an apt description," Severus replied. "How was the tennis lesson?"

"Alright, I guess. I'll be glad when we're done with them, to be honest, but at least I can say I know enough of the basics that I can play with Mum now," Andrew replied as they went into the castle. "I'll also be glad when school finally starts."

"Yes, you and me both. Lunch?" Severus asked.

"Thanks, but I'm meeting with Hermione and Danny to go over the sports schedule," Andrew explained.

"Very well, see you later," Severus replied, leading Quintin to the Doorlift and into the Study.

"Go change and get washed up for lunch, Quintin," Severus said.

"Are you going to play with me today?" Quintin asked. Severus paused to make certain nothing unexpected was in his journal.

"Yes, after lunch," Severus confirmed. "You may come back into the study as soon as you're done, Quintin. Don't linger about in the nursery if you finish a few minutes early."

"Yes, Dad!" Quintin said excitedly, running off. By the time he came back into the study, there was a plate with a sandwich, carrots, and grapes waiting for him. "Are we going to play draughts today?"

"No, I thought today we'd play one of your games," Severus replied. "One of the games you play around the castle."

"You haven't done that before!" Quintin said in surprise.

"Yes, I know, but I think I'll catch on," Severus said calmly. "Are you looking forward to school this year?"

"No, I wanted to be in Pyther's class. They put me in Mrs. Thorn's class," Quintin complained.

"Yes, I know, Quintin. Some schools don't like to put children in the same classroom with a teacher who is a relative. It's quite understandable. I'm certain you'll be seeing him often enough when your classes are doing things together," Severus said. "Now, eat your lunch so we can go out to play."

Quintin couldn't help but be excited about the idea of his father playing pretend with him and his crew. His father, it seemed, wanted an opportunity to teach him something in the process. He decided that he could probably eat in ten minutes if he timed it right, carefully chomping each grape before swallowing them and making short work of the rest of the food.

"I'm ready!" he declared. Severus stared at him, since he wasn't even halfway through yet.

"That is a first. Since when do you gobble like that? Wash up and play in your room for ten minutes," Severus told him. Quintin reluctantly shuffled to the nursery, his father shaking his head at him and finishing up. After washing his hands, Quintin tweaked the Hat off its shelf.

"We're going to play with Dad!" Quintin informed the Hat. Then he peered under his bed and hissed, trying to mimic how his Dad did it. Rasputin's nose stuck out from under the bed. "Do you want to play?" Quintin asked. Reluctantly, Rasputin came out too, yawning as if attempting to wake up.

"What are we going to play?" the Sorting Hat wondered.

"One of our games," Quintin replied. "What did we play last time?"

"Wise Professors," the Hat said.

"Good, that wouldn't be any fun anyway," Quintin decided, fiddling with a building kit until it had almost been ten minutes and he got up and marched into the Study with the Hat on his head and Rasputin not far behind. "We are ready!" he declared.

"Is the Hat going?" Severus asked disapprovingly.

"The Hat can't go? I don't want to go if the Hat can't go," Quintin said, looking disappointed. Severus sighed.

"Fine, but this is the last time the Hat can come on an adventure for a while. I need to put it up after today so it doesn't cause a stir during the Sorting Ceremony like it did last year. For some reason, I suspect that you had something to do with it," Severus said, squinting at Quintin, who raised up his chin. "Do you understand? I need the Hat to be ready to do its job."

"Yes, Dad," Quintin said.

"What do you want to play?" Severus inquired.

"We played Wise Professors last time. We should play Cunning Agents, Dutiful Princes, or Brave Knights!"

"I suddenly sense that there is a theme to these games of yours," Severus said drolly. "Yes, well, I've had enough playing Agent to last me years, so how about one of the other ones?"

"I choose Brave Knights!" said the Hat.

"You always choose Brave Knights," Quintin said.

"I am Sir Hiss," Rasputin hissed.

"Apparently that is what Rasputin wants to play as well," Severus translated.

"Oh. Well, okay," Quintin decided. "I am Sir Quintin, this is Sir Hat, and this is Sir Hiss!" Quintin said. Rasputin hissed in confirmation. "You are Sir Dad!"

"Are we having others join the game, Sir Quintin?" Sir Dad inquired.

"Yes, the ghosts like to play too," Sir Quintin confirmed.

"In that case, since I am not their Dad, perhaps I should go by Sir Snape," Sir Snape suggested.

"Good idea, Sir Snape. We need to go find the other knights. There aren't any students yet, so I am still allowed to go to the Great Hall!" Sir Quintin explained.

"Very well. Sir Armando, perhaps you should let the ghosts know what Sir Quintin is up to," Sir Snape said.

"Yes, Sir Snape," Sir Armando said with amusement as Sir Quintin marched to the Doorlift and down to the main floor and towards the Great Hall. John, who had heard the procession coming from where he was doing inventory of shipping boxes sitting next to the storage closet, couldn't help but look up in surprise at seeing the headmaster in the mix.

"So you have a new recruit, I see," John said as they went by.

"That is Sir Snape!" Quintin declared. "We are searching for more knights in the Great Hall!"

"Aye, go ahead. But Bethia is in there, so be careful not to sneak up on the lass," John warned.

"Does she ever play, Sir Quintin?" Sir Snape asked.

"Sometimes," Sir Quintin replied.

"Then let's see if we can recruit her too," Sir Snape suggested and they continued on to the Great Hall, the doors opening wide in front of them. Sir Quintin marched in.

"I am Sir Quintin! I am looking for more knights! And Ladies!" he added.

"Or ladies who are knights," Sir Snape suggested.

"Ladies can't be knights! They're ladies!" Sir Quintin protested.

"Of course they can be," Sir Snape said. He listened for the broom and walked over in front of the fireplace where the broom was sweeping. "Do you want to play, Bethia?" Sir Snape asked. Bethia slowly materialized. "Do you want to be a knight?" he asked, but she shook her head. "Or a lady?" Bethia nodded at that, setting her broom against the wall. "Very well, Lady Bethia it is."

"We want to play! Don't forget about us!" Sir Nicholas' voice rang out. Both he and the Bloody Baron materialized in front of Quintin, followed more slowly by Lady Charlotte, who peered in to see which game they were playing. Next to her, the Fat Friar appeared.

"Is the headmaster playing too?" the Friar asked curiously.

"He is Sir Snape," Quintin explained.

"Obviously," Sir Baron said.

"Lady Charlotte, do you want to play a lady or a knight?" Sir Snape asked.

"Oh... I've never played a knight before," she admitted.

"She'd make for a very silly looking knight in that dress," Sir Baron protested.

"And you look like a knight who has already been skewered. Don't be so critical," Sir Snape said, causing the Baron to huff at him. "Sir Quintin, this is Sir Charlotte," Sir Snape introduced, and Sir Charlotte smiled unsurely at this strange new development.

"Okay. I guess we could rescue Lady Bethia then," Sir Quintin decided.

"No, I have a better idea. But first we need a villain," Sir Snape said. The Baron immediately raised his hand to volunteer.

"Villain?" Sir Quintin asked.

"A bad knight," the Baron translated, still with his hand up.

"Very well, Sir Baron, you can be my bad knight, and I will be a bad Lord," said Lord Severus.

"You're the bad guy?" Sir Quintin said, not liking the sound of that.

"Yes, now close your eyes for exactly three minutes, Sir Quintin, so I can make a 'bad Lord' plan," Lord Severus said, getting out his wand.

Sir Quintin sighed and closed his eyes for the designated time. Then when he finally opened them, his eyes went quite wide indeed.

Because right in front of him, where the Professor's table had been, was stone castle with a drawbridge and windows with bars across them. The battlements looked very similar to the parapets in the castle proper, and the ground seemed to be grassy except for a rocky path leading to the castle. Quintin couldn't help but be impressed with the knight garb he found himself wearing. Sir Hat looked more like a helmet than a wizard's Hat, and Rasputin had a tiny set of wings on his back that were impressive to look at even though they were much too small for him. Even some of the ghosts looked different; Sir Nick and Sir Baron looked much the same, but Sir Arvid now was wearing armor of his own, as was Sir Charlotte, and Lady Bethia had a beautiful gown on.

"I am a dragon," the Dragon hissed.

"This is some game!" Sir Quintin said, impressed with the illusions going on around him.

Lord Severus stepped up and looked over the castle battlements.

"Sir Baron, I command you to arrest Sir Hat and Sir Quintin at once," Lord Severus ordered.

"On what charge, sir?" Sir Baron asked curiously.

"Kidnapping my dragon," Lord Severus explained. The Dragon hissed. "Not that I need a reason, really. I'm an evil Lord, remember?"

"Oh, right," Sir Baron said and began floating that way with a ghostly sword in hand.

"Hark! Who goes there? I, Sir Nick, am protector of these valiant knights and you shall not pass!" Sir Nicholas said, presenting the sword, and the two of them immediately got into a sword fight. Despite the fact that neither sword was real, the sound of swords clanging could be heard through the room.

"Those two are going to be at it all afternoon now," said the voice of Icarus beside Severus.

"Yes, I suppose that wasn't well thought out of me," Severus agreed.

"I'll take care of it," Icarus said.

A moment later, Sir Quintin felt himself being picked up under his arms and was floated over the castle wall and into the prison cell.

"Who did that! That's not how this game works!" Sir Quintin protested, looking out the bars.

"It is I, Sir Icarus, who came down on my flying steed and procured you," Icarus improvised.

"Come, Dragon, guard the prisoner," Lord Severus said, and the Dragon lumbered over to the drawbridge and laid down on top of it.

"Do I get a mouse later for guarding?" the Dragon hissed.

"Dragons don't eat mice," Lord Severus hissed back.

"This dragon does," the Dragon replied.

"Fine, but don't let anyone pass but the girls," Lord Severus hissed, then looked up.

"I have placed a spell on the castle to keep anyone from rescuing Sir Quintin. No Wizard knights will be able to save him!" declared Lord Severus. Sir Charlotte, who along with Lady Bethia was just standing around watching, finally became interested and looked up at him.

"I am not a Wizard Knight," Sir Charlotte pointed out.

"Yes, but you are nothing but a silly witch, so I'm not worried at all," Lord Severus replied.

Sir Charlotte frowned and look at Lady Bethia, grabbing her arm. Just before she could be pulled along, Bethia grabbed her broom.

"You probably should have an escort," suggested Sir Arvid, but as he stepped over to them, The Dragon hissed at him.

"Don't come near me. I bite," the Dragon hissed.

"Oh dear. Sir Nick, some assistance, please?" Sir Arvid suggested.

"Can't you see I'm in the middle of a duel?" Sir Nick said as he and Sir Baron jumped up on what must have been an invisible table.

Sir Charlotte daintily tip-toed past the Dragon, still pulling Lady Bethia behind her. Lady Bethia looked at the Dragon nervously as they passed him and went inside. Then they worked their way over to the door with the bars on it. Icarus materialized in front of it.

"I am the Black Knight Sir Ick, and I am guarding the prisoners," Sir Icarus declared. Sir Quintin ran over but he could barely see through the bars on that side; Sir Hat had a much better view.

"Oh," Sir Charlotte said, and then looked around and saw a mace on the castle wall. She grabbed it and swung it around menacingly as if trying to take Sir Icarus' head off while Sir Icarus dodged it deftly.

"Sir Icarus, play right," Severus warned, and the ghost paused just long enough for Sir Charlotte to swing the mace straight through him,

"Oh! Ugh! You got me! You got me! I'm dying... I'm dying, cough... cough... just why do mortals cough when they're dying?" Icarus asked where he lay hovering near the floor.

"Spare us," Lord Severus said, and Sir Charlotte decided to whack the mace through Ick's head for good measure.

"Yes, I'm probably dead from that," Icarus decided, and faded out.

"Not so fast, Witch Knight and Lady," said Lord Severus. "You can't get in that cell even if you snuck past the dragon and vanquished the guard, because I have the only set of keys. What do you say to that?"

Sir Charlotte and Lady Bethia stared at him, noticing the keys on a ring tied to his belt. Glancing at each other speculatively, Lady Bethia suddenly disappeared and then whacked Lord Severus across the head with the bristles of her broom. Sir Charlotte grabbed the keys while he was distracted and hurriedly unlocked the door.

"Next time we play, how about you not bring the broom?" Lord Severus suggested to Lady Bethia critically. Lady Bethia smiled triumphantly at him while Sir Quintin and Sir Hat ran out. Sir Charlotte followed him out of the castle and Lady Bethia hurried to catch up.

"That was fun!" Quintin declared happily. Suddenly there was a large group of cheers, causing Severus to peer around. He dispelled the illusions and saw that several curious staff members were watching from the doorways. Andrew, Anna, Hermione, and Danny were all clapping in one doorway, while Laura, John, and Sally Scribe stood in another, apparently having enjoyed the show.

"You can stop fighting now! Lady Bethia and I rescued Sir Quintin ourselves!" Lady Charlotte declared loud enough that Sir Nick and the Baron stopped fighting and looked over.

"What? That's not how the game is played," the Baron protested.

"Baron, you are playing by the old rules," Severus informed him. "From now on, we'll be playing by the new and improved rules."

"Does that mean you're going to play again?" Quintin asked excitedly.

"Yes, on occasion, but next time we'll have to play outside or somewhere out of the way that won't disrupt classes," Severus said.

"Chamber of Secrets?" inquired a disembodied voice.

"Shut up, Ick," Severus said crisply. He heard a 'hurrumph' in response.

"Come along, Quintin, back upstairs for reading time, and make sure you put that Hat back," Severus said, walking to the front doors where Laura was still lingering, smiling at them curiously. Severus paused long enough to hiss at Rasputin to follow.

"That was quite some game," Laura couldn't help comment.

"It was fun!" Quintin declared again. "I got kidnapped and rescued and everything!"

"I saw that," Laura chuckled.

"Yes, I thought it was high time that Quintin learned that damsels are not always in distress and are allowed to be the heroes too," Severus explained.

"That is definitely an important lesson to learn," Laura agreed with a chuckle.

"Yes," Severus said thoughtfully. "Sorry I didn't figure that one out sooner," he said sincerely before coaxing the trio towards the Doorlift, Laura watched them go, wondering exactly what Severus meant by that.