Author Note: This is a re-telling of the sorting scene from PS/SS but from the Point of View of Snape. It has previously been posted at COS forums but I am going to put it here too in case it gets purged from the board there. This was actually the very first HP fanfic scene I wrote so please bear in mind when reading.

The Sorting

The Sorting Hat finished singing and McGonagall stepped forward with the list of the new students. Snape looked over the crowd gathered and wondered which would be joining Slytherin House this year. The young Malfoy boy was easy to pick out, he had his father's features and blond hair. A bushy haired girl was whispering to the girl next to her. She looked rather knowledgeable; perhaps she would be in Slytherin.

The sorting began with Hannah Abbott joining the Hufflepuff table. No loss there he thought. Slytherin's great rivals had always been Gryffindor.

The students continued to be sorted. At last someone was chosen to join Slytherin, Millicent Bulstode. Snape looked at her...good grief! That was a girl? Never mind, maybe she would make a good beater on their Quidditch team in the years to come.

Snape watched with a look of dismay as Crabbe too was sorted into Slytherin. He barely looked like he knew how to tie his shoelaces.

He was close to weeping when Goyle cheerfully joined the Slytherin table too.

Snape continued to watch the sorting. The bushy haired Miss Granger went to Gryffindor. That might cause a few problems if she was as smart as she looked. He looked again at Crabbe and Goyle. Oh dear, oh dear.

Next came Neville Longbottom who tripped on his way to the stool. "Gryffindor," shouted the hat. Maybe there was hope of winning the house cup after all.

Draco Malfoy then took the stool and was quickly sorted into Slytherin. No great surprise there. Lucius would be so proud. He must remember to write and tell him. Never hurt to keep him on side. Let's hope he was more talented in the classroom than he was at picking out his friends thought Snape as he watched him join Crabbe and Goyle.

Snape looked back to the remaining students. He could see another Weasley in the line up. Good grief how many of them were there? He just hoped he did not have the twins' penchant for trouble. Some hope there. His eyes scanned the rest. There was no one else left to be sorted who he recognised...except him.

Harry Potter.

He was the image of his father and Snape felt the old anger rise within him. The messed up hair, his height and posture. So like his father at the same age.

Wouldn't it be ironic if James Potter's precious son were sorted into Slytherin House? What would James think if Harry were to have his life long enemy teaching, guiding and watching over his darling little boy. If he were as smart as his father he would certainly help win the house cup this year. Of course it would be torture having to see the living reminder of James every day but what a joy of knowing that he could help mould Harry into someone more like himself.

But what was this? Whilst he had been pondering the advantages of having the young celebrity in his house Potter had been called to the stool. What was that he had said?

"Not Slytherin, eh?" replied the hat to what the boy had obviously been mumbling.

Snape watched as Harry Potter was sorted into Gryffindor, his father's own house. How was it possible that he could have been raised away from the wizarding world, could have known about his heritage for such a short period of time, (at least according to Hagrid's account, maybe he was lying...great oaf), and still have arrived at the school full of the same prejudices his father had had?

Like father, like son.

Snape sneered and scowled at the room in general as the Sorting Hat finished its job for another year.

Taking another look at the Slytherin table he vowed they would win the House Cup this year. Then he looked back at the Gryffindor table and made careful note of who Potter was sitting with. He would be sure to keep an eye on all of them and dock points from their house whenever he could. It would take skill and perseverance, but he was up to the job. He was Severus Snape.