Alex went back to Mahoutokoro and finished the rest of the term without many bumps. She took Cedric's advice and told Haru and Emiko the truth. That Venus had sensed her in trouble, the way Alex had sensed when she was ill. That her bond with the unicorn sent her to safety. She didn't tell the headmistress the full story, though. The fewer people who knew about Venus and Kichiro, the better.
Her summer holidays began a handful of days earlier than her siblings, which meant she was free to go with her parents to pick them up. That was an exaggeration- she didn't exactly have a choice. Both of her parents were going and Molly Weasley would not have let her stay at home on her own. Finding out about this, Hermione asked her a favour to which Alex very reluctantly agreed.
"Alex!" Hermione called, giving her sufficient warning before flying towards her, a blur of wild hair.
"Oof." Alex said. "I am not as strong as I used to be, remember?"
"Oops." Hermione didn't look very sorry.
"It is nice to see you." She said with a smile. "In person that is."
"You too. How were Emiko and Haru?"
"Emiko's excited and Haru's bitter. Emiko's going to come to Hogwarts for a couple terms in September."
"Really?"
"Yeah. Haru's upset because his mother says he's too young."
"Well, we won't look much more than a bunch of primitive oafs to them, anyways."
"Especially if they meet Ron." Alex smiled sweetly at her brother. He pulled a face.
"Alex!" Hermione chided. She turned before catching sight of someone. "Look! He's over there."
"Yeah." Alex huffed and turned to her parents. "Mum, dad, can I quickly go to Harry? I just want to thank him and it's not something I want to say over a letter."
"But didn't you- ow!" Hermione elbowed Ron quite harshly and he rubbed his side.
"Of course." Arthur smiled kindly and Alex skipped away to where Harry was being dragged along by his uncle.
"Harry!" She called. He caught sight of her and tried to hurry away but she caught up to him and stood in front of the pair. She glared at his uncle, before turning to him. She held out a vial. "You forgot your draught of living death with Professor Snape."
"He doesn't need it." The rather large, angry man said.
"I don't believe that's for you to decide." She presses the vial into Harry's hand. "Now, I'm sure you already know, having brewed the potion perfectly, but it's very delicate. And of course poisonous to muggles." She flicked a momentary glance at Vernon Dursely. "Just to be safe, I wouldn't let them touch the vial at all. And make sure it gets a healthy dose of sunlight. I think your windowsill ought to do, or you know. It'll turn into gas and send all the muggles in a five mile radius into a coma. I don't know why I'm telling you all this. You're the one who brewed it after all."
"We will not have poison in our household." Vernon snarled.
"And what are you going to do about it? Really, any methods of disposal require you to touch it and a single drop could kill you. It's like one of your muggle stuff that has to be handled carefully. Radioactive material, I think it's called. Now of course, as long as you don't disturb it, you should be fine. Well, that, and as long as Harry doesn't decide he'd like you to go to sleep for a very, very long time."
"Er, thanks."
"Just make sure you write to your friends. I couldn't hear the end of it from Hermione last summer." She said, before giving him a hug. She whispered into his ear. "Relax, it's just dreamless sleep potion. I just needed something to convince your uncle it was poisonous. It hasn't got any effect on muggles." She let go and saw him grin widely. "Have a lovely summer, Harry."
"You know what, I think I will." He said and she jogged back to her family. She saw Snape talking to her parents not too far away from her siblings and Hermione. Before she could approach them, Hermione intercepted her.
"It worked?" Hermione asked and Alex nodded.
"He'll be fine."
"What was that?"
"I asked Alex to intimidate Harry's family a little." Hermione shrugged sheepishly.
"Why?"
"Because I'm the most intimidating person she knows." Alex said, waving to Maxine as she walked by with her parents. "I didn't think mum would approve, so you'll have to keep that on the down-low."
"What did you say to them?"
"I just gave Harry a poison he could use against them, should the need arise."
"You what?"
"Technically dreamless sleep. Totally harmless to muggles, but they don't need to know that."
"I see why Hermione asked you, now." Ron said, his eyes wide. "Wait, why'd you hug Harry?"
"It wasn't fun for me either. I just needed a way to let him know it wasn't poison." She shuddered. "Why is Snape talking to mum and dad?" Alex asked but her brother shrugged. "I'm going to find out." She said and strode over to the trio. "Hello."
"Alex, sweetheart." Her mother grabbed her shoulders and pulled her close so Alex was standing in front of her. Alex froze for a moment before forcing herself to relax. She saw Snape watching her, slightly concerned. "Professor Snape was extending an invitation for you to join him in a summer advanced potions course. It'd be for a week from the first of August."
"Potions course?" She asked. He glanced at her siblings subtly and nodded. "Yeah, that'd be nice."
"Draco will be there too." She scowled without any real frustration.
"Can I get away with accidentally spilling bobotuber pus on him?"
"No. And I'll be sure to keep that out of your grasp."
"Do you have to take all the fun out of it?" She huffed, more for the sake of being dramatic than anything else. He raised a brow. "I suppose I can survive Malfoy's presence for a week." She turned to her parents. "Can I really?" Her mother looked hesitant, but Alex's enthusiasm seemed to convince her.
"Of course. But we'll be having a little chat later, deal?" Alex nodded.
"Yes!"
A/N- End of book two!!!! The first chapter of book three should be up immediately. I might be a hyping it up too much, but I'm honestly pretty excited. A lotta stuff's gonna be happening. It's a veryyy busy year for Alex.
