Staring out the window as the train took off towards Hogwarts, she allowed the memories to keep her company. The earliest memory she had was of her Aunt Petunia screaming at her and burning her small hands on the stove. It seemed every day brought more chores and punishments despite her small age and frame. One particular punishment stood out vividly but that could also be because her savior arrived that night as well.

"Girl get in here and pick up this mess you made!" A scared trembling five year old stumbled into the room. She had been in her cupboard where she was suppose to stay so how could she have made a mess? Instead of remaining silent and doing as she was told she made the ultimate mistake and spoke up.

"I didn't leave my cupboard Uncle. I promise I didn't make a mess. I didn't….." She was about to say more but a huge fist came out of nowhere and hit her upside the head. It knocked her clear across the room into the wall and she landed in a limp heap. Blood dripped from the back of her head from where she had caught the corner of the china cabinet her Aunt had in the room. It was only the magic within her tiny body that kept her injuries from taking her life.

That didn't stop the man from lifting her up by her long ratty hair and shaking her back awake. After flinging her in the mess that his own son had made he forced her to clean it up and then threw her back in her cupboard and locked her in. Around the time she was being locked in another conversation was being held in secret in a castle hidden by magic.

"Severus please be reasonable. I know you detested James and his friends but his child is not them." The pleading look on McGonagall's face was slowly causing the acerbic man to cave. At least she was hoping it was since his scowl wasn't so pronounced.

"Minerva if I do this for you then you will owe me big time but tell me why you believe the child is in danger and why you don't go to Dumbledore." Snape had his own reasons for not liking Dumbledore but he never let on to the others. If he was honest he would admit that he is rather shocked that she is going against the old coot.

"Arabella has sent in several reports that sound rather disturbing and still Dumbledore refuses to check up on the child. He refuses Remus Lupin the right to see her even though he was great friends with her parents and her second godfather. Please just ease my worries Severus." Grunting softly he nodded.

"Very well Minerva. I shall leave at once to get this over with. When I bring back the report of how spoiled and annoying the child is you will leave me alone." Minerva smiled tightly knowing in her heart that the child was not being taken care of. Watching Snape leave she couldn't hold back a slight laugh as she realized that he truly did look like a menacing bat like the children of the school claimed.

After walking across the grounds of Hogwarts he apparated to number 4 Privet Drive. Being rather irritated that he was conned into this he didn't bother with knocking. Instead he just walked right in…well after a simple spell unlocking the door that is. When he came face to face with a purple faced Vernon he cast yet another spell to ensure his silence.

"I'm looking for your niece, Haley Potter. As soon as I see the child I will leave this house." The anger slipped from Vernon face and he became chalk white. This man had already proven he was one of them so there was no way for him to deny the child. Instead he just stood there but that was when his own son betrayed him.

Dudley Dursley came waddling into the hallway and spoke up in his very irritating voice. "She's in her cupboard Mister." Pointing with one fat finger he grinned and then went back to eating his large piece of cake. Needless to say the rest of the evening did not go as planned. Upon opening the door to the cupboard he saw the state she was in.

The head wound she and gotten early was still bleeding and she was covered in filth. Though it was obvious the child did try to keep her little cupboard and herself as tidy as she was allowed. Seeing a strange man stare at her she started to whimper and shrink into the smallest corner of the cupboard. The sight broke large chunks of ice from around Severus' heart. In what he would later call his Gryffindor moment he scooped the child up and carried her from the house. That moment would change her life forever.

Coming out of her thoughts she saw that it was probably getting to be late in the afternoon and it was time to eat that lunch her father had made her. As she ate her rather thick turkey sandwich she thought of her first few months with her father with a fond smile.

Severus had to take a few days off of work so that Dumbledore wouldn't know that he had the child. In those few days he had 'convinced' Petunia to give up her rights to the child and had adopted her. Since the adoption was a private affair and regarding on who it was he was able to ensure the utmost secrecy was kept. Though things on that front went smoothly nothing else did.

Haley was skittish and constantly fearful of the man that never smiled. Eventually he had to go back to work so he racked his brain for a solution. That was when he swallowed his pride and his own childhood memories and contacted Remus Lupin. Several fights later the man moved into Spinner's End to take care of Haley while he taught. A year later they freed Sirius Black and since that moment they became a family. Though Snape was a bit softer around Haley he was still his sarcastic and scary self. Haley and her two Uncles had just learned how to read the man.

For years she would be trained in many areas and would meet many wonderful creatures that ended up claiming her as their own child as well. Despite a rough beginning in life she now had a huge family, one that loved her and protected her while giving her the skills to survive. How she would survive the year at Hogwarts without them, she did not know, but she did know that it had to be done.

With another fond smile as she thought about her friends and family she noticed that the train was slowing. Smoothing out her uniform in her nervousness she stood and grabbed her trunk. Once the train was stopped and she let most of the other children get off before her, she stepped out into the corridor and walked off the train with her head held high and muttered to herself. "Well here's to a new adventure."