Author's Note and Warning:
Due to multiple people commenting on the prologue containing too much information, I have decided to revise it. The revision will be ongoing and starts here.
1st: I am American.
2nd: I may not know all the British terms.
3rd: I don't own Harry Potter.
4th: Harry and Severus and others may be OOC. See below.
This takes place in an Alternate Universe where Severus Snape resolved his differences with James Potter in their 6th year; Severus never became a Death Eater, was a Ravenclaw, Sirius got mind-healing for his Snape issues, and Snape and Lily made up, and Snape realized that, even though it hurt him a lot, he was glad she was happy with Potter.
Albus shared his plans to put Harry in the Muggle household of the Dursleys, should his parents die. Severus knew that Lily and Petunia did not get along and by observing Vernon, he knew Harry would not be treated well. Because of his love for Lily, he could not allow that to happen. He argued with Albus Dumbledore until he quit Hogwarts over the issue. He took Harry that night (as mentioned in the Prologue) and fled to America to live with a cousin of his. He got a job as Potions Expert at the American Council of Magic (an organization I made up) and hired a squib to look after Harry.
I also made up that Squibs are treated better in America. This is nothing against Great Britain, but I know our (USA) history of civil rights, so I figured that maybe the Magical American Community had a parallel history of civil rights. I don't know anything about Great Britain's history of civil rights, so I am NOT putting down Great Britain in any way, shape, or form; I simply do not know as much information about Great Britain as I do America. Please do not take offense.
There are almost no house elves in America, because they did not leave Great Britain when the half-bloods, muggleborns and Squibs left. Therefore, most jobs, cooking, cleaning, nanny, go to Squibs; they are treated better than house-elves because of the Magical & Muggle Governments having Parallel laws. Also, the Magical Capitol is in Boston, with each state/city having their own council much like the Muggle Government.
Also please note, this is my own creation. Harry is for, all intents and purposes Severus's son. Severus also never became a Death Eater and this left his friendship with Lucius Malfoy strained, at first. Severus was, in this AU, an Auror at one point because of Lily. He swore his life to the Order of the Phoenix because of his love for her. He was never Dumbledore's spy. He was Potions Master for Hogwarts for two years, after which he spent 3 years as an Auror, which ended when he fled with Harry.
As a twist, Lucius is NOT a pureblood fanatic in this AU; in fact, his great-great-great-great grandmother was a half-blood; the daughter of a squib who married the King; he is still an 'aristrocrat' but his magic and sanity are both strong due to the tradition which will be explained later. Be that as it may, he joined the Death Eaters because he thought it was a political movement, and not a Nazi-like group. When he found out what it really was, he took his family and fled to Australia.
Harry Potter's formal legal name is Harold James Potter.
His name in America is Harold James Salazar Snape.