Author's Note – I'm so glad everyone liked the last chapter. Here is chapter eight it was somewhat difficult to write but I got it finished none the less. Also I apologize if Severus seems a bit OOC. Enjoy and remember reviews are loved.

Thanks to everyone that reviewed you guys are all amazing. It a amazing feeling to know that you all enjoy this story so much.

POLL!! This is the last time for the poll so vote for who you want to be the kid's guardian. Don't worry if the person you wanted isn't the winner I will still have them be a part of Kori and Harry's lives.

A.)Minvera

B.)Remus

C.) Severus

Chapter Eight – The Scarlet Letter

Harry sat down at the Gryffindor table with Hermione and Ron the next morning. "Ugh we have double potions first thing whoever thought of that was just plain cruel." Ron groaned as he began to fill his plate as did Harry and Hermione.

"So Harry have you gotten reply from your sister yet?" Hermione asked as she buttered a piece of toast.

"No I sent Hedwig off with the letter the day before yesterday. I'm beginning to get worried. Maybe the Dursley's wouldn't let her read it." He said. 'Or maybe something happened and she can't get to the letter. No don't think like that. She just kept Hedwig an extra day for company.' He thought to himself. "Here comes the owl post look for Hedwig." He said. '

"I'm sure everything is fine Harry." Hermione reassured him as a swarm of owls entered the great hall but all eyes seemed to zone in on a snowy white owl that's wings where covered in red. Harry felt his stomach drop and his blood run cold.

Hedwig landed in front of Harry and began to peck at him urgently. Harry stared at Hedwig for a moment before Hermione called out his name. Harry quickly took the letter out of the pouch and saw it too had blood on it.

"Merlin…" Harry let out and he quickly scanned the letter. He then stood up and was about to run to the head table but as he turned around he came face to face with professor McGonagall.

"Potter…" Professor McGonagall started.

"Professor you have to help her she's been stabbed you have to get to her as soon as possible!" Harry said his eyes starting to shine with tears.

"Potter slow down. Who's been stabbed? Come with me please." Professor McGonagall said and started ushering Harry towards the head table. Meanwhile, the students where all speculating as to who Harry was talking about. Most were for once correct with guessing it was his sister.

"Professor my sister Korrine she ran away and she says she's been stabbed and she's in Redwood Park you have to go help her please professor." Harry said as they reached the head table all the staff having heard what he said.

Albus frowned. "May I see the letter Harry?" He said and Harry quickly gave him the letter. "Very well. Severus, Minerva come with me immediately." Albus said and stood up from the table handing Harry the letter and began to make his way out of the great hall with Severus and Minerva following as was Harry.

"I want to come with you she's my sister. You have to let me come." Harry said chasing them out into the entrance hall.

"Potter you are to stay here. If your sister is indeed injured then we don't have time to waste arguing with you. Time is of the essence for your sister's life." Severus sternly said to Harry and Harry glared at Snape for a moment before nodding and he stood there in the entrance hall as the three professors walked out the front doors of the school towards the gates so they could apparate to the park.

Harry stood in the entrance hall letter in hand he suddenly felt a hand rest on his shoulder and he turned to see Hermione and Ron behind him. "What if… what if she dies?" Harry said in a whisper.

"Oh Harry." Hermione said and hugged her friend letting him cry into her shoulder while Ron patted his friend on the back comfortingly.

oOoOoOoOoOo

Albus, Minerva and Severus apparated to Redwood park and looked around, it was still early and no other children and their mothers where around yet. They surveyed the area looking for Korrine, "I don't see her." Minerva said as they began walking towards the play ground equipment.

"Over there." Severus said and headed over to a picnic table he found a piece of parchment along with an ink well and quill. "She was here, and look," He said pointing to a puddle of blood on the floor nearby he kneeled down by it looking at it. "Blood." He said confirming their thoughts. He looked around and saw a trail of blood leaving the puddle he followed it to the table and then it continued towards the playground equipment. He walked over the playground equipment following the trail and looked into a yellow tunnel. The site he saw made him gasp there laid Kori; her hair hanging limp around her dirty tear stained and bruised face. Korrine's lips turned blue. "Over here I found her." He yelled to the others and reached inside pulling the small girl out of the tunnel and into his arms.

He quickly took off his outer robes and wrapped them around the pale cold girl then checked her pulse. "She's still breathing but barely she's lost a lot of blood." Be said and glanced at the tunnel again that had a mass puddle of blood.

Minerva let out a gasp as she saw the blood soaked girl and brought her hand up to her mouth as she and Albus reached them. "Goodness gracious. What on earth happened, the girl is black and blue Albus!" She said.

"I do not know what happened but we must get her back to Poppy immediately. Severus you take her back Minerva and I will clean up the mess here." Albus said to his colleagues.

"Yes that would be best." Severus said and lifted the light frail girl into his arms.

"Harry…" A soft voice said and all three adults looked at the small girl and saw green eyes staring back at them.

"Hush child we are here to help you." Severus said in a surprisingly soft voice. Kori just nodded slightly and closed her eyes again her head leaning against Severus's chest as he held her. Severus stood up and apparated back to Hogwarts.

"Albus…" Minerva started.

"I know Minerva I know." Albus said. "Well we better begin to clean up this mess we can't have muggles finding blood on a children's playground." He said pulling out his wand, Minerva copying his actions and they began using cleaning spells to clean away the blood then apparated back to Hogwarts.

oOoOoOoOoOo

Severus apparated to the front gates of Hogwarts and set off at a brisk pace towards the front doors of Hogwarts with the small girl in his arms he looked down at the girl he walked he was surprised to see green eyes staring back at him. It unnerved him and for a moment he almost uttered the word Lily. Emotions long ago forgotten seemed to be resurfacing in the man's heart and mind as he looked at the daughter of his dead best friend and he felt as if he was actually looking at Lily again.

"Are you an angel?" Kori whispered the man as he carried towards the castle.

Severus couldn't help but let out a chuckle at the girl's question, despite the grim situation. "No child I am not an angel. Rest now you need it." He said to her and Kori simply closed her eyes again.

He reached the huge double doors of the castle and entered and was about to begin his journey to the infirmary when he was met with the sight of Harry, Ron, and Hermione sitting on the grand staircase. Harry bolted up from his spot on the stairs and hurried towards Severus his eyes red from crying. Hermione let out a gasp as she caught site of the state Kori was in while Ron's eyes were wide and he looked pale.

"Is she alive? Please tell me she's alive. Kori can you hear me?" He asked.

"Harry…" Kori muttered and turned her head a bit and saw her brother. Harry gave her a watery smile and she gave him a weak one back.

"Don't worry Kori everything is gonna be ok now." Harry said to his sister.

"Mr. Potter I hate to break up this heartwarming moment but I must take your sister to the infirmary before she bleeds to death." Severus snapped out although it was lacking its usual bite.

Harry nodded and stepped out of the Professor's way and followed him as they made their way to the infirmary, Ron and Hermione following behind as well.

Severus burst into the infirmary and set the girl down on the nearest bed while yelling out "Poppy we need you immediately."

Poppy exited her office and gasped at the site before her and rushed over to the girl and set to work casting a diagnostic spells. "What on earth happened to the girl Severus?"

"She was stabbed as for the rest of it I'm not sure." Severus said and looked at Harry who was solely focusing on Kori.

"Severus please get these children away from here so I can do my work." Poppy said and went back into her office and came out with an armful of potions.

"What? I'm not leaving she's my sister! I'm not leaving her!" Harry stated fiercely with a look of pure determination on his face. Poppy sighed but nodded in understanding.

"Fine Potter can stay but Weasley and Granger need to leave. You should be in your classes anyway." Poppy said then tilted Kori's head up. "I'm going to need you to drink this alright." She said in a soft tone and Kori nodded a bit and opened her mouth allowing Poppy pour a potion down her throat. She continued the process with a handful of other potions.

"Harry we'll see you later, she's here now. Madam Pomfrey will fix her up and everything will be ok." Hermione said to her friend and gave him a hug.

"Cya later mate." Ron added and the both left the infirmary.

Harry nodded to his friends and took his sister's hand and began to rub circles on it with his thumb. "Everything's gonna be ok now Kori." He whispered to his sister.

"Let's take a look at this stab wound shall we." Poppy said and lifted up Kori's dirty shirt she couldn't help but let out a gasp as she saw the girls black and blue ribcage.

Harry saw them and his jaw tightened and tears began to fall again. "I'm so sorry Kori, I never should have left you and let this happen." Harry muttered to his sister.

Severus heard the boy and he tore his eyes away from the awful site and looked at Harry. "Potter you know how your sister acquired these bruises?" he asked in a demanding tone and the look he gave Harry told him he better not be lying.

Harry looked at Snape then back at Kori and nodded, "Yes sir, it was my uncle. He… he beats us sir." He said then added although he seemed to be talking more to himself then Severus. "I never should have left her alone. It's all my fault."

"Mr. Potter it is not your fault. It is your uncle's fault but certainly not yours." Severus told the boy who gave him a weird look wondering why the man who seemingly hated him was being nice but Harry nodded in understanding none the less.

Poppy continued to wave her wand over Korrine's body healing the stab wound and broken rib, "I've healed her rib and closed the stab wound luckily it didn't hit any vital organs. I will have to put a healing salve on her bruises when she is more stable. Severus I'm going to need more blood replenishing potions do you have any in your stores?" Poppy asked the man who had been silently staring at Korrine.

Severus nodded. "Yes I'll go and retrieve them immediately." He said and walked out of the infirmary robes swishing behind him. Severus left the infirmary to get the blood replenishing potion and his mind was racing. All his preconceived thoughts of Harry Potter had been wrong the boy wasn't treated like a prince at his home like he had thought. No instead the boy and his sister had been abused and judging by how Korrine looked they had been abused badly. If there was one thing Severus Snape hated it was child abusers.

He reached the dungeons and grabbed the potions and began to head back to the infirmary. Snape obviously had been wrong about Potter and he felt bad about how he had treated the boy simply because he was the spawn of his childhood nemesis. 'But he is also Lily's son' a voice in the back of his mid told him. He shook it off he'd think about it later, there were more pressing matters at hand. Like the fact that the spitting image of his best friend was close to death. Yes it was by far more important than thinking about how wrong he had been about the elder Potter.

He reached the infirmary and entered to see Albus and Minerva had arrived. "Poppy here are the potions." He said and handed them to the medi witch who went over to Korrine and got her to drink a couple vials of it. Then Severus picked up another vial. "Now dear this is a sleeping and pain potion it should put you to sleep and relieve your pain." Poppy explained to the girl.

"Alright." A still weak Kori said and took the potion and drank it she began to get sleepy and soon closed her eyes falling into a medicated slumber.

"How is she Poppy?" Minerva asked her friend.

"Well she's out of immediate danger at the moment, if she were a muggle she would have died of blood loss. Her magic kept her alive so she is suffering from a magical drain. She had a broken rib which I fixed though it will be sore for a couple of days and I healed the stab wound thankfully no vital organs where hit. I will have to give her a healing salve for the bruises when she wakes up." Poppy told them.

"Did she say how she got all those bruises?" Minerva questioned.

"No she did not but Potter seems to know. He says his uncle beats them." Severus bit out to his colleagues, a small of amount of anger showing in his obsidian eyes.

"I'm not lying if that's what you're thinking! I wouldn't lie about something like this!" Harry said standing up from the chair next to Korrine's bed.

"Harry my dear boy no one was accusing you of lying we are simply trying to gather all the facts. Now are you sure your uncle caused the bruises?" Albus said.

"Yes sir I'm sure I'd bet my life on it." Harry said to the headmaster and the look on his face proved that he was in fact telling the truth. Dumbledore simply nodded at Harry. "Very well. Minerva, Severus if you'll follow me to my office we have much to discuss. Poppy when she wakes up please inform us." He said.

"Of course Albus." Poppy said as Minerva, Severus, and Albus exited the infirmary and made their way to the headmaster's office.

Harry stayed standing until the professors left he then sat back down and took his sisters hand again. Using the other one he brushed back some of her hair from her bruised face. "I'm so sorry Kori. But don't worry I won't let this ever happen to you again. Ever." He said softly to his sleeping sister a small smile appeared on Kori's face.

Author's Note- Well there you have it chapter eight I hope you liked it. Let me know what you think.