Alex sat down in the shade of a large tree in the school courtyards. She was never one to like crowds, but she did enjoy watching others interact with one another. She was also hiding from the heat of the hot day, and she found that the shade of this large tree she sat in was the best.

"Morning, young lady. Would you mind accompanying me on stroll through the grounds this morning? I have a few errands and wouldn't mind the company, if you like."

Alex looked up when the headmaster approached her and nodded her head once when he addressed her. She was momentarily distracted by the circling owl overhead. She looked away once more to see the process of a small group of students that had gotten her attention. When Headmaster Logan spoke once more, she was to say rather shocked that he would invite her on a stroll. Of course, she was starting to tire of her current activity. "Of course I will accompany you, Headmaster." She answered and politely bowed her head in respect before scrambling to her feet quickly, and gathering her things.

Alex walked along side the headmaster. She knew he was looking at her, as her hair and eye color were unusual. Especially when they were combined like they were. She smiled shyly up at him. She was actually enjoying the scenery around her as they walked, and it was enough to take her breath away. She bet the grounds would be beautiful at night.

"So, Miss Yates, how do you like it here at Hogwarts?"

His voice brought her out of her own thoughts and she smiled up at him as she thought of what to say. She nodded her head slowly at first. “I do, but I miss my father.” She told him truthfully. She needs him for a reason that she doesn’t think he would understand, even if he knew her secret and her ‘condition’. During her downside of the month, her father has to sneak into the castle to Help her, and she was always afraid that he would be found out and she would be in so much trouble.

Alex walked quietly along Headmaster Logan and pondered with nothing much else to occupy her mind. She saw as he charmed two students away from each other, and she hoped that he doesn’t find something she does that causes him to treat her in the same manner. She only hoped that she never does show any affection for anyone in that manner. She was sure the final results were not good.

"I remember when your mother, Alyssa Yates, I believe she is called now, first came to Hogwarts. At that time, I was the Defense Against the Dark Arts teacher, and Professor Lewis was still Headmistress. I don't believe I've ever met your father, however. Care to tell me about him?"

She looked up at him then and noticed that he was looking at the greenhouses instead. Good, then it gave her sometime to think of what to tell him. She doubted that saying ’My father is a Wizard of the living dead, or rather the Undead, and I’m half there…’ would Help her any. So instead she decided to stick to what she knew of him outside of his ‘condition’.

“He is a very kind, noble, and loving man. He is also a wonderful father that anyone could ask for, and he is very supportive. I would catch him looking at me, as if he never deserved me, or as if I was a miracle. I also got the impression that I should have never been born, but here I am. He treats me as if I am something to be cherished and protected, but more so than normal children.” She replied to the headmaster with a sad little smile.

Alex followed him without a word and took in the wonderful sights and sounds of the courtyards. She nodded her head in answer to his statement about the relationship and love between father and daughter. She did love her father, and she knows that he loves her. She looked up into the sky at the climbing sun and sighed. Her ‘downside’ as she likes to call it, was coming closer. Only a few more days, and she would get worse.

"Miss Yates, I want it to be understood that everything you see from this point on is to be kept to yourself. Whether it be object or knowledge, tell no one what you see at the bottom of these stairs. Do I make myself clear?"

She had followed the headmaster until they had reached the end of the Courtyards, and she was about to turn around. She stopped when she noticed he made no effort to do so. He then pulled out his wand and made a very old staircase appear in the wall. She was curious and looked up at Headmaster Logan when he turned to look at her. He explained that she needed to keep this a complete secret, and she began to wonder why he was telling her this. She had no knowledge why she needed to keep this a secret, but out of her need to know she agreed. “Yes, Headmaster. But tell me, what is it?” She asked him showing him nothing but the need to learn and understand.

As Alex followed the headmaster, she realized that there was something more to this walk than meets the eye. She could see clearly in the dark and could see that they had a long way’s to go before reaching the bottom. As they walked, she heard a hammer striking metal as if there was a blacksmith somewhere down here. She could also tell that something was bothering the headmaster, and she wondered what that was. She had an uneasy feeling about being there, so instead she moved closer to Headmaster Logan as she followed him further into the Earth.

The further they went, the more sounds met her ears. The hammering became louder and clearer as the sound of grunting and a fire joined in. So she was right that a blacksmith was down here somewhere. She had also noticed that for every three steps they took, it accompanied the strike of the hammering. Alex heard more sounds supplement the striking hammer. She heard creatures of all sizes scurry back and forth, the gossiping wind, men shouting what sounds like orders, and metal clanging against metal, breaking glass, and other sounds she could not identify. She had let her sight wonder and she saw that there were doors built into the wall around the staircase, and there were no landings for them. She however would have no trouble getting to one of them, if she did want to see what was beyond them. She looked back up to the headmaster and quirked an eyebrow. “Sir, where are we? Why are we down here?” She asked him as her uneasiness increased drastically. It felt as if someone was watching her every move, and it has always been the tension between her shoulder blades on her back. This time it was the worst it has been, and it felt like there were bricks and butterflies in her stomach. If she needed to boil it down to the core of her feeling, she would just say that she had a bad feeling about this.