Harry comes to Hogwarts, but is not at all who Severus Snape is expecting.
Firstly, he strongly favors his mother. Secondly, he gets sorted into...Slytherin?
Severus Snape had been dreading this moment for eleven years. The day the Potter spawn would "grace" Hogwarts with his "heroic" presence. Sound the trumpets! The Savior of the wizarding world is here! He had prepared himself all day for the welcoming feast this evening. If he had to at least appear to not hate the little maggot, he needed to tamp down on all the hatred he had accumulated over the years toward James Potter. Mentally, Severus knew the son was not his father, but rotten apples don't fall far from the tree now do they? This child, surely, would be mediocre in all ways that matter, but would undoubtedly still be fawned over by half the student, and teacher!, population. No doubt, once the brat settled into his new surroundings he would be swaggering about and accumulating adoring fans. As the new first years shuffled in, he knew the time had come. He willed his features to show as little expression as possible as his black eyes tracked through the crowd to find Hogwarts' newest celebrity.
He didn't immediately find a clone of James Potter prancing down the hall. Where is the child? How hard can it be to spot one little vermin? There was one boy almost hiding behind what was most likely a Weasley, but that couldn't be him. The boy he was looking for would surely be trying to draw as much attention as possible to himself. Finally he heard Minerva call "Potter, Harry" and his eyes snapped over to catch movement from, sure enough, behind the supposed Weasley. What he saw was a complete shock. He looked down upon the child, painful as it was to do, and noted all the features that had unmistakably come from not the despised, ingrate father, but from the only woman Severus had ever loved. The clear, pale skin, subtly arched eyebrows, well-defined cheekbones, and narrow chin were all carbon copies of Lily. It was not these features however that made his throat constrict and breath catch. It was the unexpected smooth, chin length, auburn red hair and deep, emotive, green eyes. Countless nights he had spent haunted by those very eyes, and here they were now in his waking hours to torment him here as well. But no, he would not look away. He would endure more than he cared to admit to look upon those eyes just once more. Could she ever have forgiven him? Would he have been able to redeem himself in those eyes? Now he'll never know. Brought out of his reverie by the scuff of wooden stool legs upon the stone floor as Harry sat down for his sorting, Severus began to wonder. How can this child not resemble James Potter in the least? Perhaps the wire framed glasses are similar, but that doesn't exactly qualify as a genetic feature, now does it? He probably inherited his father's arrogant personality and "charming" ways. Severus mentally sneered. Still, how is it that I've never heard how much he looks like his mother? I most likely would not have listened anyway, Severus told himself. James Potter had always been a bitter pill to swallow, but Severus would have kept his peace to his dying day if that was what Lily required to be happy.
Slowly, the sorting hat was placed on Harry's head. Severus could almost hear the collective intake of breath throughout the hall. He knew what proclamation he was expecting to come out of the Sorting Hat. No matter how much Harry favored his mother, there was no chance of a child sired by James Potter going anywhere but Gryffindor. This, unfortunately, would turn out to be one of many times he was caught making incorrect assumptions where Harry Potter was concerned. The moment the hat shouted "SLYTHERIN!", he knew nothing in his highly ordered life would ever be the same again.
AN: This is my first attempt at a multi-chapter fic. Please let me know what you think! I would like to hear your opinions/constructive criticism! I am thinking of trying to also incorporate some of Harry's experiences and point of view.