"Slytherin!"

The occupants of the Great Hall froze.

***

Rosie Carter was eleven years old when she received a mysterious letter one hot July afternoon. She was relaxing in her attic bedroom as it fluttered through her open window, landing on her back as she was strewn across her bed, singing along to the radio.

Startled, Rosie reached behind her and grabbed the thing that had plopped seemingly out of nowhere onto her back. It was a thick and heavy envelope, made of yellowish parchment. Rosie examined the emerald-green inked address which stated it was for 'Miss R. Carter, The Attic, 1 Sycamore Close, Great Malvern, Worcestershire'.

After reading the contents, a bemused Rosie ran downstairs to show her mother who turned out to be just as bemused as Rosie.

"Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry?! This must be some kind of joke played by one of your friends, dear."

It turned out it wasn't. The weeks that followed involved Rosie and her parents discovering a whole new world that they hadn't realised existed. A magical world.

***

"Goodbye darling, please write as soon as you arrive using your... errr... owl." My mother furrowed her brow still getting used to the idea of this new magical world that I have now found myself a part of.

"I will mum, I'll write all the ti- Daaad! Stop it!" I shrugged my father off as he went to wrap his arms around me in a hug, and I took a quick look around in hurried embarrassment in case anyone saw.

"Sorry darling, I'm just going to miss my little girl so much." He looked so sad and I suddenly felt bad for hurting his feelings so I threw my arms around him tried not to care that I looked like a daddy's girl as he kissed the top of my long dark hair.

Moments later I had boarded the impressive scarlet steam train and was tearily waving my parents goodbye as the Hogwarts Express chugged me out of the station towards a new and exciting world.

***

"Do either of you know what house you'll be in?"

I shrugged at the bushy brown haired witch with rather large front teeth. I'd come across her in the train corridor whilst looking for a friendly enough compartment I could sit in. She had been accompanied by a round-faced boy who had apparently lost his toad.

The three of us were now all sharing a compartment and discussing what lay ahead.

"I've been asking around," Hermione continued, "and I hope I'm in Gryffindor, it sounds by far the best, I hear Dumbledore himself was one, but I suppose Ravenclaw wouldn't be too bad."

"I'll probably be in Hufflepuff. I just hope I'm not in Slytherin." Neville shuddered.

"What's wrong with Slytherin?" I asked curiously and a little nervously at the prospect of being landed in a house that no one liked.

"They say Slytherin's the house which churns out dark wizards. You-Know-Who was one."

I gasped; Hermione and Neville had already filled me in on the famous story of Harry Potter and the wizard they called Lord Voldemort who tried to kill him.

He did not sound very nice.

And no, I definitely did NOT want to be sorted into the house associated with such a horrid being.

"But you don't have to worry," Neville said quickly seeing my fearful expression, "you are a muggle-born and Slytherin is all about the pure-blood. Although-" he continued thoughtfully, "they are known to take in plenty of half-bloods."

I relaxed knowing that I was safe with this one. Both my parents were neither witch nor wizard, there was nothing "pure" about my blood.

***

"Abbott, Hannah!"

A pink faced girl with blonde pigtails placed the sorting hat on her head and sat down.

"HUFFLEPUFF!" shouted the hat.

There was clapping and cheering from the Hufflepuff table as Hannah went to join them.

My heart was hammering and my palms were sweaty. I was waiting to be called and it wouldn't be long now. I kept glancing over to the Slytherin table, they looked an unpleasant lot and I vowed I would not have much, if anything, to do with them. I was hoping I would land in the same house as Hermione or Neville. I'd gotten to know them on the train and they seemed friendly enough.

"Carter, Rosie!"

I gulped, it was my turn.

I stumbled nervously towards the stool, aware that all eyes were on me and picked up the patched and frayed dirty hat. I shakily placed it on my head and sat down.

"Hmm," a voice spoke into my ear. "Interesting. Very interesting. You are very just and loyal and would do well in Hufflepuff but I sense something else in you, something I can't quite work out, but it's telling me to put you in..."

I felt panicky and held my breath as the hat paused. And then it spoke to the whole room:

"SLYTHERIN!"

***