"Potter, Harry," Professor McGonagall called. Instantly there was silence, as the hall processed what they'd just heard while the teachers were stunned, barring Professor Babbling.

Headmaster Dumbledore's eyes looked like they were about to pop out of their sockets, while Professor Lily Potter, one of the Charms teachers, looked horrified and stunned.

Harry Potter, or as he had been known, Michael Cooper, had had the whole month to process the fact he had been unwanted and it had taken that length of time to think of himself as Harry Potter since the Hogwarts register recorded his real name, and not anything he had been adopted with.

Not only was he considered to be an orphan, yet another kid, a little mouth to feed and to teach, but he had been found right on top of a still smoking bonfire pyre by a jogger who'd taken him to hospital and reported the matter to the police, but nobody had found out anything.

Finally, with a sigh, Harry walked up to the podium where the stool with the Sorting Hat was. He stopped and sent a glare towards Professor Lily Potter, a look filled with such bitter loathing.

She was his mother, and yet she had abandoned him….

Xxxx

"Oh, wow, Lily, he's so small and yet he's adorable!" Alice Longbottom squealed while she took in her best friend's sweaty face.

Lily grinned up at her. "I know," she was tired but delighted at the same time as she held onto her baby boy, her heart filling with love as she took in the beautiful child.

He was small, with a tuft of the Potter's hair.

"He's so small I bet I could use him as a Quaffle right now," James whispered as he looked down at his son, the pain in his hand from where Lily had crushed it forgotten as he looked at his child. "Aww, Lily, he's gonna be a heartthrob when he's older. Just like me."

"James!" Lily rolled her eyes, but the smirk on her face told him she wasn't really mad at him for that comment. "Still, you're right," she began.

"Yes!" James cheered. "Knew it!"

"I know, if he weren't a baby, then I'd want to date him!" Lily joked.

"Lily!"

Alice giggled, "What are you gonna call him?"

Lily pouted as she bit her lip. "I dunno," she admitted.

Sirius chuckled and clapped his brother in all but blood on the shoulder. "I thought Fleamont or Charlus was on the list."

"That's too confusing!" Lily protested.

"Well, what are you going to call him?"

"How about…Harry? Harry James Potter?"

Xxxxx

Harry took the seat on the stool and the stunned Professor McGonagall dropped the hat on his head.

"Mm, interesting," a deep voice spoke into his mind an instant later. "Oh, don't worry, nobody else can hear me. It's just us."

"You're going through my thoughts, aren't you?" Harry had read more than a few books on the subject over the years, and wasn't it dangerous?

"Don't worry, my lad. I won't tell anyone about your secrets. They're all yours. I'm merely here to sort you."

"How will you do that?"

"By gauging your personality."

"Don't sort me into Gryffindor or Slytherin. I don't want to be roped into their pathetic, pointless conflicts. I just want to be left alone," Harry said to the Sorting Hat.

"I can understand that, but you might be roped in any way because you are the brother of the Boy-Who-Lived," the Sorting Hat reminded him. "Remember that!"

Harry grimaced at the mention of his brother. His perfect younger brother, who'd defeated the Dark Lord while he was just thrown to the side, or in this case a frozen doorstep somewhere before nearly being burnt to death. Too young to fight back, and too young to remember his name. And all that time his parents were having fun somewhere, to tell with them!

The Sorting Hat felt his rage and hurt. "I can see you are suited to Slytherin; your wit and cunning to survive have shaped you quite well, but at the same time you are extremely smart and you've found solace in the written word, so that leaves…RAVENCLAW!" The Sorting Hat called out.

Harry took off the Hat and went to join his new Housemates. Not once did he look back at his mother, but he knew she was staring at him.

Xxxx

Harry's first year at Hogwarts was reasonably quiet. Once everyone got over their shock the Boy-Who-Lived had an elder brother, and when they learnt he didn't want to even talk about the famous younger wizard who was going to be attending the school in 3 years time, they backed off and he studied magic. By far his best classes were Charms, Transfiguration, and Defence Against the Dark Arts, although the first subject was a tricky one because his mother taught it.

In the first lesson, Lily, who was teaching the first three years, stopped Harry from leaving at the end of her first lesson.

"Harry, can you please stay?" She called.

Harry stopped and he turned back. "What can I do for you, Professor Potter?"

Lily licked her lips. "Harry…Bathsheda, that is, Professor Babbling, told us you had been living in an orphanage and that you didn't know your real name. How can that be? Didn't my sister treat you well?"

"I never knew your sister, but I think she was one of those people who tried to burn me alive," Harry replied.

Lily hadn't expected this, "What? No, she wouldn't, she couldn't-."

"How do you know? Did you really know her, and what she was capable of? Was she one of those people who hate magic, and doesn't know what it does?" Harry asked. "Did she take one look at you and deemed everything you did as 'freakish' Professor because that's what so many other people have done to me."

Lily felt her eyes sting with tears as she was given a good look into her son's background, and what he'd gone through. What had she done? Not only had she and James screwed up with the St Mungo's visit and getting him checked out thoroughly, but he had gone through a life of pain. "Harry, I am so sorry. Please, I want to make it up to you, you are my son-."

"No, I'm not. I don't know you. I was Michael Cooper long before I was Harry Potter. As far as I'm concerned, it's a name I'll put up with until I come of age, and then we can go our separate ways, seeing as you never wanted me in the first place," Harry interrupted sharply.

Lily felt her insides chill. "What do you mean, you'll put up with your name until you come of age? You…you don't mean you'll change it, will you?" She squeaked out, feeling her heart break.

Harry felt her agony and delighted in it. "Yes. Now look, you are not my mother. I don't know you, nor do I wish to know you. Stay away from my personal life, and don't get involved because I don't want it. As far as I'm concerned, you're just my teacher. Nothing more." With that, Harry coldly walked away, leaving his mother sobbing in the classroom.

Xxxxx

For the rest of the year, Harry enjoyed his time in Hogwarts, although one or two incidents annoyed him. Harry didn't understand Dumbledore's need to meddle in other people's business when it didn't concern him. The old wizard told him he should forgive his family and to hold grudges was no way to live, but Harry dismissed him.

The second incident was at Christmas. Harry had stayed for the holidays, much to his relief and he had been prepared to just have a quiet one, but he received several presents from his parents, his brother and his sisters. But he had sent them back with a polite, but firm note telling them to stop trying to be his friend, and that he wanted nothing to do with them. The look of utter heartbreak on his mother's face didn't make him guilty.

The third and final incident was something he expected since he had come to see the Potters as determined. Harry had gotten off the Hogwarts Express and he had needed to change his appearance he had to slip by the Potters, who were clamouring to take him away but he left them to head back to the orphanage.