As the sunlight shined through the window right into the eyes of the occupant that lay on the floor, he began to stir. Harry was engulfed in pain as he sat up, the fresher wounds on his back still oozed, but not as bad as they had only hours before.

X X X

Pushing himself up off of the floor, he didn't look in the mirror that adorned the wall, already knowing that his pale skin was adorned with various colored bruises that would take a few weeks to completely disappear. The welts would most likely stay and become scars like the ones before them.

Harry peeled the oversized shirt over his head and put on a fresh one, he didn't really think a shower would be a good idea for he would only end up the same way again. After repeating the actions with his jeans, Harry headed down stairs to begin his chores.

Elizabeth sighed as she looked out of the window to the sun shining down upon them, but the outside atmosphere was just the exact opposite of the way she felt. Maybe it was the fact that her father was down stairs having a nice argument with the headmaster over something that most likely happened decades ago or maybe it was over Harry Potter. The young Slytherin's mind would have kept wondering until she heard her name come from within the sitting room.

". . . . Elizabeth would be safer out of the country and away from the war." The voice of Albus Dumbledore stated. Then the sound of something crashing to the floor echoed throughout the building.

"I will not let you tell me what is best for my child Albus." Severus's voice stated filled with anger. "She is the only real thing I possess and I will never send her away just to make anyone happy."

"I was not implying it would make me happy. . ." But that was as far as Albus made it.

"Albus I do believe it is time for you to leave." Severus sighed, the sound of his chair scrapping against the floor as he left the headmaster to find his way to the door.

The house was silent again as Elizabeth made her way down the narrow staircase. There was no need to search the ground floor for she knew where her father would be, and sure enough as she reached the bottom of the stairs the smell of a freshly brewing potion attacked her senses.

"He wants to send me away?" Elizabeth asked startling the man hard at work.

"I didn't see you there dear." Severus replied as he turned the fire off from under the completed potion.

"He wants to send me away." Elizabeth stated this time. "Does he not know what that can possibly do?"

"You're not going anywhere." Severus said as he grasped his daughter's hand in his and brought her into an embrace. "I'd never let anyone take you."

X X X

A small smile touched the battered boy's cracked lips as he examined the unopened letter that he had just received. Anxiously he ripped open the envelope and let his eyes devour its contents.

Harry,

You will be removed from your uncle's home in a week's time.

-Albus Dumbledore.

Harry should have been happy, but it was going to be a week, an entire week. That was a long time by his books, but maybe the letter was a sign of good things to come.

X X X

Author's notes: Another chapter. Thanks for the reviews and story alerts.