I don't own Harry Potter, just this one-shot series. It was inspired by the story of the same name by BloodScorpion, long since abandoned itself, ironically enough.

Xxxxx

"FIRST YEARS! FIRST YEARS!" A massive man with a hairy face and bushy beard holding a lantern in his enormous paw of a hand bellowed up and down the length of the Hogwarts Express as the magically-enhanced steam locomotive finished pulling the train into the platform of Hogsmeade station.

Once the train had stopped, the carriage doors opened and the upper years of the four Houses kept the doors open and let the 11-year-olds jump off of the train.

Unnoticed by his fellow first years, Harry Potter slowly poked his head out of the door. He waited for a moment, his face caught in the magical light of the lanterns.

He briefly looked up and down the platform. According to Hogwarts, A History, the station was linked to Hogwarts and was the traditional stopping/starting terminal for the Hogwarts Express. The village didn't need the station but maintained it for Hogwarts.

It also appeared to be in the middle of nowhere. It was also cold, but he barely felt it.

Harry relaxed when he realised there were no other kids nearby and he jumped out of the carriage doorway.

"I've made it," Harry muttered under his breath as he followed the few straggling first years."

He smirked.

He followed the line of first years as they went to the massive man.

"FIRST YEARS! FIRST YEARS, TO ME!" The massive giant of a man called before he was surrounded by the giant figure. Harry likened the image to a man surrounded by dozens of mewling cats. "C'mon, follow me. Any more first years? Mind yer step. First years follow me."

Harry cursed irritably as he stumbled and tripped in the darkness, cursing the lack of light. Hadn't these idiots ever heard of health and safety? Not caring if any rules were stopping him, Harry took out his wand, "Lumos," he whispered.

Some of the first years were stunned by the bright light that suddenly lit their path and they turned to face the boy responsible for it. "That's more like it," Harry said cheerfully.

"Are you allowed to do that?" A bushy-haired girl with large front teeth asked.

"Dunno, don't care," Harry shrugged with the same smirk on his face. "Rules are meant to be broken, anyhow. 'sides, if there's a rule saying you shouldn't you magic near a magical school, what kind of witch do ya reckon you're gonna be?"

The girl blushed.

The massive man blinked a little bit at the bright light. Didn't he have any common sense? "Uh, yeh, yer can light yer wands around 'ere," he said awkwardly.

"We wouldn't need to if there were lights already here, ya lumbering prick," Harry whispered, but he made sure some of the first years heard what he said. He didn't care if he offended the massive man. But it seemed he hadn't heard, and Harry thought it was a pity.

"You shouldn't say things like that," the bushy-haired girl said.

Resisting the urge to be rude, Harry turned slowly to face the girl. He recognised her for what she was, he'd seen dozens like her when he had been living with the Dursleys; kids who sucked up to parents and teachers alike, spouting off rules and other things to appear cleverer, but were so blind and spiritually weak it wasn't funny. Harry remembered how he had burgled the house belonging to one such kid before setting the place on fire. Oh, the screams were glorious.

This girl would likely not last long, her strident attitude would not do her any favours.

"Why? It's not my fault the school can't be bothered to care for their students, is it?" Harry demanded before he walked on; by this point, several of the other students had followed Harry's example and lit their wands. In the distance, the giant looked surprised, as if this simple solution had never occurred to him, not once. Harry snorted at them, wondering if the magical world just lacked common sense. For the giant, he reserved him a nasty sneer.

The first years followed the massive giant to a dock overlooking a massive dark lake. There was some distant light, coming from a magnificent castle sitting proudly on a hill, lighting up the lake.

"No more'n four to a boat!" The large man called out again, dragging the first year's attention to a small fleet of wooden boats sitting placidly on the surface like lily pads.

Harry got into one of the boats, followed by the bushy-haired girl and a blonde girl and a chubby boy. Harry ignored them and focused on the large man, who had a whole boat to himself. Once all of the first years were sitting on their boats, they gently glided across the lake. The boats soon reached a dark tunnel and soon they disembarked on a shingle beach. Harry jumped out slowly and rolled his eyes when the boy blubbered for help. Harry gripped him tightly but gently and hauled him out.

"Thanks," the boy blustered.

"Don't mention it," Harry said, and he walked off with the others. A long flight of stone steps led to a huge oak door. The giant man raised his paw and pounded on it. The door opened revealing a woman with dark-green robes. She had the demeanour of someone who should not be messed with.

Harry barely listened to her speech and he stood back in the background, listening to the chatter.

Harry was too deep in thought, glancing around himself. There was no doubt about it now, these kids - for better, for worse - would be his House/class/year mates for the next 7 years.

Why didn't he feel happy about it?

For a moment he considered which House he'd be in. Gryffindor and Hufflepuff were almost certainly out; while he was brave, he had limits. He didn't throw himself in danger. He ran away and would look for a better way out. He had never been loyal to anyone but himself, and he cared for himself and the little cat he had bought in Diagon Alley. He'd named her Lucie.

Ravenclaw was a possibility, as he loved books and he frequented libraries and he loved puzzles, jigsaws. But he was also cunning, but his ambitions were rather limited.

Oh, well. He'd soon find out.

When the teacher returned and ordered the first years to follow, Harry followed from the back into a massive hall that was easily larger than the Dursley's house collapsed onto one floor and broken apart, so each room was exposed. He slowed down when he caught sight of three people whom he hated more than the Dursleys themselves.

Professor Lily and James Potter, and Albus Dumbledore. His parents and the old bastard responsible for his life. Harry Potter had been abandoned at the age of one when Dumbledore and his parents concocted a plan to kill Lord Voldemort, the worst and most evil Dark Lord in history.

Voldemort was gaining power all the time, and soon the Ministry and Britain would have fallen, so the Order was desperate to fulfil a prophecy told about a child who would have the power to defeat the Dark Lord.

With the whole world on one hand and a small child on the other, the needs of the many were more vital.

Dumbledore had released edited details of the prophecy, believing that the wizarding world deserved to know how and why Voldemort died. Harry had somehow survived, shocking Albus Dumbledore, who left him with his muggle aunt and uncle, the Dursleys without a thought.

For 10 years Harry had lived in the muggle world, but he was not happy. The Dursleys had treated him like a slave, and one day Harry had snapped. He had discovered his magic early, experimented with it and he learnt how to steal to survive.

One night, Harry left. He took what he had and what he thought he could use, and he went into muggle London, and he lived on the streets, educating himself as he loved to learn. One of his long-term plans was to get himself put in foster care and get himself put through higher education, and since he would be with kids who didn't know him, he would have nothing to do with another Dudley Dursley. For years, he was a pickpocket, earning a living by stealing and it had helped him survive.

But his Hogwarts letter surprised him. He could do….magic? When he met the professor assigned to meet with him and discuss magic with him, Professor Babbling, one of the runes' teachers, was astonished to see him, and from there, Harry learnt the full scope of his history. He had begged Professor Babbling not to say a word because Lily and James were not his parents, not after he'd gotten over the anger he felt when he learnt the truth.

Poor Professor Babbling, she hadn't wanted to be dragged into this mess, but she agreed.

After that day, Harry had gone back to Diagon Alley a few times to explore the place and to make more sense of the place. He had discovered that his mother had a flat, but she had not used it since. While he hated his mother, the news of the flat gave him a place to be. So he moved in, and he planned to stay there until he was 18, by then he should have a good job and he could leave Britain and look for greener pastures.

Bye-bye, Potters.

But looking at them now, Harry felt nothing but disgust the three of them looked as though they'd never sacrificed/abandoned a child.

Oh well, they would soon.

Professor McGonagall took out a wooden stool and an old hat which sang a song and told the first years when she called their names she would put the hat on their heads to sort them into their Houses. After sorting many of the students, she finally reached the letter 'P.' McGonagall got a slight hitch in her voice and paused as if she had seen a ghost, or believed her eyes were playing tricks on her.

Harry smirked when she saw the look of confusion she sent to the Potters and Dumbledore, before looking back at the Potters. They had a child..?

Harry grinned, rubbing his hands gleefully.

Let the games begin.

McGonagall quickly regained her composure after her lapse and called out, "Potter, Harry."

The name rang out in the Great Hall and Harry basked for a moment in everyone's confusion before groups and people muttered to themselves. But his eyes focused on the Potters and Dumbledore. He was delighted to see their looks of astonishment and fear. Dumbledore's twinkling eyes dimmed, and he slouched as he realised he'd forgotten the boy for a decade.

Harry ignored it after a moment and he walked slowly towards the stool, and he waved mockingly at his parents, his jaw twisting in a feral smirk, and his eyes glinted with malevolent anger. The Potters recognised the rage and they were nervous. Harry then let his expression become calm, cold, but for the more observant, it was anything but.

Harry sat on the stool.

"Harry Potter? Interesting, I thought you were dead."

"No, I'm not. I'm alive and I plan to stay that way," Harry said aloud, his voice carrying while everyone wondered what he was talking about; some of the muggle-borns asked what was going on, while the purebloods and half-bloods admitted they'd heard rumours, but just that.

"Indeed you are. Now, for the House…mm, I see you've discounted Gryffindor and Slytherin and Hufflepuff, however Gryffindor and Slytherin are close to what you are. But you will certainly do well in RAVENCLAW!" The sorting hat called.

There were no cheers. The school was too stunned by his appearance for that. Harry ignored it and he walked to the House table, and he sat down. Many cast him a confused look. Many of the new muggle-borns were confused, while the pureblood and half-blood students didn't know what to think.