Every morning Alexander and Hermione would wake up, get dressed in their working out clothes and meet up at Nye's stable. After spending a few minutes with the Golden Pegasus, they would go for a jog around the neighbourhood, their distance and speed increasing every day. That would be followed by a brisk swim in the Grangers' pool then shower and breakfast. What they would then do was up to the three adults in their lives. If Wade and Kelly wanted to do something as a family, then they were off with them, but most days would consist of reading or helping Severus with his potions, which he didn't mind in the least.

A month into their first summer, it was Lex's 12th birthday, the three who knew different willing to keep to it as habit. They all spent the day at the beach; even Nye had joined them with a Disillusionment Charm on him. The horse grew larger every day, making the family believe that he would be close to 20 hands when he finished growing finally. His wings were already strong enough to carry both tweens around while an inch off the ground and he would carry them as a normal horse too.

Though not allowed to use their wands, it didn't stop the pair from training their innate abilities and even attempting wandless magic, something they had found mentioned in their 3rd year texts. Severus nearly had a heart attack when he saw Lex summoning a rock in the backyard, followed shortly by Mia doing the same. That night he was certain he found more greying hairs in his black, and more wrinkles on his face, but it didn't stop the pride that welled up inside of him. He had them train wandlessly starting back on 1st year things, which they weren't happy about but didn't fight him, they just trained harder.

Training in the sun had given the kids healthy tans, both were growing their hair out, and had already nearly outgrown their regular clothes. Severus had taken their measurements again and ordered them new school uniforms while the dentists had taken them shopping for normal clothes, getting some a few sizes larger to help their growth spurts. The potions master had restocked their supplies, and bought them both a broom each, knowing that they were both excellent flyers, they just preferred to study than fly.

The day that the man went into Flourish and Blotts to purchase more books that had been added to the list, all of them that idiot Gilderoy Lockhart's, Severus had witnessed a brawl between Arthur Weasley, a good bloke even though he did whatever his money hungry wife wanted, and Lucius Malfoy, one of the evillest people he knew, just after the Dark Lord himself. The professor had just gotten the books, sent a sneer to the fraud up front signing said books, and left, walking over the two men wrestling like Muggles on the floor; they were for Mark to stop.

When the tweens had heard that they were going to stuck with Lockhart as their DADA professor, they were very grateful they had already read through their texts for that subject for 2nd year, though the punching bag that Severus had conjured for them needed replacing a few times. Dumbledore was cursed out as they let loose with their anger at not having a competent professor, and Severus had joined them in that, he hated the fraud, having attended school with him, so knew he was incompetent at everything he did, except lying, which he had made a career at.

Wade and Kelly were feeling pangs of lose, knowing that their daughter was growing up much faster than they had hoped. Once a week the witch slept outside with Lex, stargazing until they nodded off, and while the two Muggles weren't completely aware of what was going on, in their hearts they knew that their little girl was more than just a witch and it meant she would be going off before they were ready for her too. Many hours were spent with Severus, reassuring themselves that at least when the young pair did go off they would be cared for by their friend.

The day after Severus had gone in and gotten their school books, Lex had been visited by a house elf. He was extremely nervous, afraid but not of him. He had warned the demigod not to return to Hogwarts before leaving. Lex had sat down with Mia and Severus to discuss it but neither could make heads or tails of it, so let it off. Until it happened again, this time the night before they were to return to school.

Lex and Mia were spending this night out in the yard; Nye curled up beside them, one of his large wings covering them from the slight chill. Mia had gotten much farther along in her reading of the stars, while Lex was just happy to spend time with his friend and point out the constellations.

"We've got an interesting year coming up Lex," the brunette muttered.

"Interesting good or interesting bad?"

The witch turned to look at him, "What else when it concerns us? Can't tell what but it won't be good, that's for sure."

"Bloody brilliant," Lex groaned before sensing they had company, "You can come out if you want, we won't bite."

The nervous house elf showed himself, wringing his ears tightly, "You are in danger Harry Potter, grave danger. You must not return to Hogwarts."

"What's your name? We can help you if you want," Hermione told the elf softly.

"Dobby," the green house elf said, "Want help. NO! Bad Dobby! Can't think that about master."

The pair were stunned by the outburst but quickly grabbed him before he could run into a nearby tree, holding him just tight enough to keep him in place, "Don't do that, you'll hurt yourself."

"Must punish myself… Master is evil… Bad Dobby… Harry Potter in trouble…" Dobby then vanished from their hold.

"Where the hell did he go?"

Hermione shrugged, "No clue but whoever his master is has him dreadfully scared. We should tell Severus."

Knowing the man would still be awake, the demigods raced back to the house, entering the potions lab, finding Severus searching for an ingredient, "Whoa, what's the rush?"

"The house elf appeared again. He said that Lex is in trouble, that his master was evil and his name is Dobby."

"Dobby?" Severus' ears perked at that, "I know that elf, he's one of Lucius'. If he was risking his life to warn Lex then it must be something really bad, most of the Malfoy elves are to punish themselves if they even think of betraying the family. Did he say anything else? Like what the danger could be?"

The pair shook their heads, "No, just that there was danger. He does want our help though; he asked but then tried to punish himself."

Severus got the demigods busy, readying his ingredients as they spoke, "If it is that bad and involves Lucius, it has to do with the Dark Lord. As for saving Dobby, only way that will happen is if Lucius releases him, which I don't see happening as he would know all about that blonde pompous jerk's secrets. All we can do is hope that whatever it is, it doesn't come after you both."

Lex and Mia looked at the man, their expression saying, 'Yeah, right' before they got back to work, all three of them knowing that whatever was going to happen would impact the two demigods' lives no matter what.