SAFE HAVEN

Slytherin Pride

Nikki Haven

The carriage ride up to Hogwarts was rather quiet but still buzzing with the excitement of being back to school. They knew they would have to sit through the sorting of the first years, but they really didn't mind, knowing there was an enormous feast to follow.

Nikki had to separate from the group, considering she was the only non-Slytherin, but happily caught up with her fellow puffs.

Finding Ainsley right outside the Great Hall, they took in the magnificent sight together. Making their way towards the table with the yellow banner above, the girls smiled as they always did upon arriving back at school. Nikki plopped down to the right of Ainsley even closer to the entrance than they had the year before; another perk of being a sixth year.

Chatter filled the Great Hall, leaving the two girls to themselves. That was, until their fellow Hufflepuffs joined. Appearing directly across Nikki was Ryder Kelley, a dark haired boy they had been close to since first year. Next to him was the redheaded Hannah Abbott; she joined the group a bit later in their school year, but it was just as fun. She always seemed to know everything about everyone. It was never a mean sort of gossip though, simply keeping the rest of the group informed about everyone else's whereabouts.

"I'm starving," Hannah said as she sat.

Ainsley replied, "Me too, I feel like I haven't eaten all day"

"Nice to see you again Nikki" Ryder jumped in.

"Same to you Kelley" she smiled back at him. She really had missed her Hufflepuffs.

Luckily for them, the sorting ceremony went rather quickly. There had been a few times she had cheered for a few Slytherins in honor of her friends, which earned her a few chuckles from fourth years. It wasn't that she didn't love Hufflepuff; she just loves all of her friends and their houses. After a first year named Thomas Preston was sorted into Slytherin, Nikki found herself cheering loudly smiling over at her friends. Instead of the usual smile returned from Ethan or Parkinson, she was met with the stare of none other than Draco Malfoy. It wasn't a smile, but it wasn't the usual scowl either. He seemed to be pleased with her cheering, or maybe her Slytherin pride. It seemed like he almost smirked as he turned his head back to the people at his table.

Was that a content acknowledgement from THE Draco Malfoy? Maybe this year really is magic...

She had to quickly brush it off. Back at the front of the great hall, a familiar name was called.

"Lettermen, Lacy" McGonagall announced, and a small blonde first year girl walked up to the stool at the front of the Great Hall. There were a few glares from the popular Slytherin sixth years. Following their eyes, Nikki could see that they were staring at none other than Marlee Lettermen, a mean looking sixth year Slytherin, with the same long blonde hair as the young girl up at the front. The Lettermen's were a well-known pureblood family, known for being distinctly Slytherin.

The young Lettermen caused such a hat stall, the group could see Marlee's smile start to drop. The hat hadn't taken nearly as long with her. After almost three minutes, the sorting hat had finally come to a decision.

"Ravenclaw!"

Lacy looked nothing less than terrified, as she made her way to the blue and bronze table. While the current Ravenclaws cheered for their new housemate, Marlee had sent a deathly stare towards the Slytherin group in retaliation to Beth's sneer.

"Her little pureblood Slytherin family isn't too pure now with a Ravenclaw is it?" Beth whispered to Theo next to her. Calling over to the eldest Lettermen, "Congrats to your sister Marlee!" she said with a sickly sweet smile.