The potions master thought maybe he was still hungover from the firewhiskey the night before when the first years spilled through his classroom doors with their usual gracelessness. He had briefly considered making a grand entrance a few moments after the start of class, but this year, it seemed best to just take it head on. He glared at a Gryffindor girl with loads of blonde hair and a precocious smile on her face. She was going to be trouble. 

"Everyone, take your seats," Snape said loudly enough to be heard above their whispered chatter. 

His alcohol-induced hallucination was taking a seat next to the newest Weasley boy and Snape kept a close eye on it, hoping it would disappear as the class continued. Ronald Weasley turned sideways and Severus felt his mouth fall open when the boy started interacting with his hallucination. 

The illusion of alcohol responded, brilliant green eyes flicking about the classroom in awe. The thing looked like a young Lily Evans - the same auburn hair and delicate features. The Weasley boy then socked the hallucination in the shoulder, causing Snape to startle back in surprise. He tried to regain his composure when a Slytherin student gave him an appraising look, but he felt shaken. He needed to stop drinking the night before school started. It was a tradition he was beginning to regret. 

"You are here to learn the subtle science and exact art of potionmaking," he began, hoping the illusion would fade before any more students could notice it. "I don't expect you will really understand the beauty of the softly simmering cauldron with its shimmering fumes, the delicate power of liquids that creep through human veins, bewitching the mind, ensnaring the senses." He soldiered onward, ignoring the urge to poke at the version of Lily that was now dutifully taking down notes. "I can teach you how to bottle fame, brew glory, even stopper death."

Maybe he shouldn't have prepared his opening speech while affected by firewhiskey. It sounded a bit ridiculous even to his own ears, but he could tell the students were enraptured - or terrified - it was hard to tell with first years. 

Maybe if you'd attended the welcoming feast like you were supposed to, you would know this strange student's name, he thought to himself. Snape had come to the belated conclusion that his hallucination was, in fact, a student. It couldn't be Lily's son - this was a girl - but it was corporeal, so that only meant one thing. 

"Do any of you know the uses of a bezoar?" he asked, sweeping his gaze across the students before leveling it on the Lily-clone. "You, Miss -?"

The child blushed a furious red and ducked its head. "I'm mister... Mr. Potter, sir," the boy replied. 

Snape paled. "I do apologize, Mr. Potter." He adopted a sneer to cover his shock. "Ah, yes, our new celebrity."

Draco Malfoy sniggered and other Slytherins followed suit. Severus felt on better footing, now. Taunting and humiliation he could do in his sleep. Now in familiar territory, Snape let his irritation flow.

"So, how about it, Mr. Potter? What are the uses of a bezoar?" he asked with a nasty smile. 

The blonde-haired girl had raised her hand high in the air, waving it unnecessarily, with a disapproving frown on her face. The teacher ignored her completely and came to stand over the Lily look-a-like, towering over the young boy.

"Well?"

The auburn-haired boy swallowed hard. "Dunno, sir." 

Snape huffed. "Of course not. Too busy answering fan mail to read up on potions, I suspect." 

Harry did not respond, but the Weasley boy looked ready to start a rather tedious tantrum, so Snape whirled around, robes billowing, and strode to the blackboard. Anger was beginning to boil under his skin and he had to keep it at bay for the sake of his young Slytherins, if nothing else. 

Lily Evans, no, Lily Potter had the audacity to produce an offspring so closely resembling her, it was a type of hell. Lily would have known that and he could just imagine the smug smile on her face as she looked down through the veil. 

He began the class and, once the students were busy with their potions ingredients, Snape took a moment to study the Potter boy. He was thin and short, too short for his age, really, with delicate features that were obviously Lily's gift to her son. There was almost nothing of James Potter in the boy, but after a few more moments of studying, Snape noticed that the boy moved like his father. They had the same expressions, too.

That could have been the hangover, though.

It was certainly going to be a terrible year and Severus did not look forward to it. It was Lily Potter's revenge from beyond the grave and as much as he still loved the woman, she always had held long grudges. Harry James Potter, Boy-Who-Lived and son of his most hated school nemesis was standing in his classroom. 

Snape needed a drink.