The tall dark haired young man sat on the edge of his bed fully clothed and waited for the seconds to count down to midnight. He smiled at one of his few traditions, one that stemmed from a childhood where only he celebrated the day of his birth. Finally he would be free, he would inherit the legacy from his father and leave this hell hole once and for all. He would never set eyes on his step father, his bitch of a mother nor his prissy perfect half sisters again. He fingered the port key that would take him 3000 miles away to start his apprenticeship in the one place no one would look for him. He had been corresponding in secret for three years with his mentor, his friend, the only reason he was still sane and not knee deep in his so called family's blood. He quashed the unhappiness, the bitterness over the humiliations he had suffered since finding out his dear mother was not dead just a liar, and a whore who had abandoned her son from her first marriage after marrying the bullying piece of shit who had been her lover all along. The clock in the hall downstairs started to chime the hour, when the young man stood and summoned the house-elf.

"Maisie!"

"Yes, Lord Potter, sir, What does you be needing?"

"I am leaving and you are welcome to leave with me it is your choice; but first, I require you to return all my belongings stolen by Potions Master Snape, now."

"Yes Sir, Right away Sir."

The elf was formerly a Potter family elf, one who had tried to protect her true master from Mistress Lily's new husband. Now they would both be free of this house. The elf returned and the larger items and shrunk and stowed with a click of the house-elf's fingers, but the wizard carefully pocketed his a wand, before stowing a cloak, a photo album, and a loose, dirty fragment of parchment in his trunk.

He smirked to think of the fact this house would be rather bare of furniture and ornaments, with no elf to slave over the selfish bastards who lived here. He would not evict his mother from this house but that was as far as his kindness stretched.

He had even written a letter. He left the parchment on the narrow camp bed in the small box room that had been his prison for six years. He grasped the portkey, held Maisie's hand and said in a low voice "Padfoot's Caribbean Retreat"

Lily woke and noted the sun was high in the sky, it was after 10 and breakfast was normally served at 8. She then noted the armoire, the wardrobe and the dressing table were no longer in the room. The tapestry on the wall and the curtains were also gone. She went into the hall and the fine chinese carpet had gone as had the paintings on the walls and the grandfather clock.

"Maisie! Maisie!" she called and the elf did not answer.

Lily walked through a bare and stark house to the basement. Her husband had spent the entire night experimenting on his potions again.

"Sev? Can you come upstairs, please?"

The dour gruff man came into the empty hall and looked about in shock before screaming "Potter!"

She followed Severus upstairs to the attic, to Harry's room. This to was bare, but then again it normally only contained a trunk, a chair and the folding bed. The trunk was gone. The bed perfectly made and the room spotlessly clean. So different from the chaotic mess of the girl's rooms. Lily then picked up the letter and read.

Dear Mother,

I am glad my aunt didn't lie about everything, but she was right about her description of you and the bastard you married. I feel sure you used potions to ensnare my father in marriage. I cannot accept the fun loving, care free and good man would lower himself to marry such a back stabbing harpy as you. I would call you the 'm' word, but that would disrespect his memory and my good friend Hermione.

You left me ignorant and neglected in your sister's care, where I was told you were a whore and my father was an unemployed drunk. On my eleventh birthday you retrieved me and expected a happy, well adjusted muggle loving child, but you did not recognise the fact I had been beaten, starved and abused in your sister's care. Tuney would never do that. For my misplaced honesty I received the first of many beatings from your husband, who then told the staff at Hogwarts I was a liar, an ungrateful brat and so spoilt I made up stories. You never really interacted with me. I was sent to school with the bear minimum of equipment and still wearing my cast offs from Dudley. I hated my step father by then with a true passion, he despised me all the more for being sorted into Gryffindor. I found a few close friends among the misfits and the bullied, Luna, Neville, Hermione and Blaise. I hate you with my whole heart. So, do not write. I do not want to hear from you, unless it is to tell me just why you married the man who sold out James to Voldemort. A man who mercilessly bullied and humiliated your first born, your only son. You always turned away, never stood up for me. Then again I was a stranger in your home. I suppose I should have been grateful for your hospitality, for the clothes on my back and the food I was allowed to eat. You Dear Lily are so like your sister. I curse you both to poverty and ridicule for I am not just leaving your household, I am leaving Britain. Oh I know I am the prophecy child but from what I have seen of magical Britain you all deserve to die long, slow painful deaths. I will be thousands of miles away. I know the International Confederation of Wizards will do everything in their power to isolate the magical enclave in Britain and their Dark Lord from the muggles and the rest of the world. Enjoy your prison. You deserve it.

Your son

Lord Hadrian James Charlus Potter

Lily sat down and then shot up again straight away. The bed was so cold as if a freezing charm had been placed on it. She quickly did a circle of her wand and it was Severus' magical signature. She looked at her husband. "So when I told you two years ago to let him be, you just carried on didn't you. I know you always took his wand, what was that for, to protect the girls from a bully. Well the only bully in this house is you. In your crusade to protect your daughters, Harry never bonded with them. At eleven being in this house two weeks he never came out of his room except for meals and you still found reason's to punish him. I sent Maisie to protect him and you beat her, you only stopped because I threatened to leave but I see my attempts at mediation were for nothing. I kept away from my son to placate you and I have lost him. If he knows of your role as a spy for Dumbledore he does not care." Lily for the first time no longer looked beautiful as her heart broke. She had ended up trapped in a marriage and had tried her best to have a calm and happy home. She had protected her daughters by letting her son take the brunt of Severus' anger and bitterness to a boy long dead, a boy who had grown into a fine man one who died to protect her son. She had been called away that night by Peter, to find he was a traitor. The rat allowing Voldemort into their home, who killed James as he stood in front of the cot to protect his son. Their son had been injured but she in her grief had sent the child, who looked so like James, to her sister's. Dumbledore had agreed with her decision whole heartedly. Severus had always been there for her. Six months later they had married. Her depression slowly lifted but in 1986 she fell pregnant again, it was a difficult pregnancy and birth, then in 1989 she fell pregnant again. When Harry arrived she left the disciplining of the strange quiet boy to Severus. Her first mistake. She only saw the boy with the hate filled eyes for part of the subsequent summers as he stayed for two weeks at his aunts. Severus never allowed him to visit his friends.

Lilly then thought of her own daughter, Philomena was doing to Hogwarts next month, eleven, nearly 12. Severus doted on her, she was bright and happy. She got the girls up, both stayed in their rooms unless called. Lily never thought their behaviour odd, but both had seen their father beat Harry for being in the library or out of his room without permission. Better to stay in your rooms and not incur Papa's temper.

The younger child, little Rosetta, at breakfast piped up, "Where's Harry?"

"Your half brother has left, as is his responsibility at 17. He's an adult and has to make his own way in the world." said Severus with not thunking of the impact of what he had justd said. Both his daughters looked at each other with worry.

Philomena, brave and reckless, then added "So Harry took all his belongings with him. I noticed the furniture in my room has gone, I only have a mattress on the floor now." The girl poked the badly cooked breakfast and looked at her flustered mother. The girl cleared her plate as Harry had been back handed on several occasions for not eating his food. Once he had immediately been sick after eating and Papa had forced him to eat the vomit. Philly still felt sick every time she thought of that. Now, she had to plan, to get enough money to take her last year at school.