Call of the Snakes

Pets

Have you ever seen any rivalry between Slytherins and Hufflepuffs?

I didn't think you would have. The reason?

It just doesn't exist. But the reason that it doesn't is a carefully kept secret.

Slytherins have 'pet' Hufflepuffs. Someone that they can be close to without being stabbed in the back. Someone that can also help them into the kitchens at whatever point. Someone who was not biased about that "oh no! They are slimy snakes!" Stuff that the other houses are like.

Someone they could call a friend - But they don't have 'friend' in their shared dictionary; it was pet instead. Hufflepuffs would stay with that Slytherin through the whole of school and often afterwards.

Ever wonder why Hufflepuffs all wear a scarf, each looking slightly different from the other? It is what the Slytherin gives the Hufflepuff when they choose them as pets.

It's a sacred ritual called shoving all the first years together and waiting a couple of hours for them to choose.

-----

"Come on, little brother, it's the ritual night!" Naz shouted up, "you got to come out."

"No!"

"Don't make me come up there!"

"No!"

"Fine, you leave me no choice," Naz sighed, "get ready because I'll be dragging you down there!"

-----

"Who you got there?" The Slytherin Prefect asked, pointing to the wriggling blanket in Naz's hands.

"My little brother, he's going through the ritual tonight," Naz stated, bouncing the blanket slightly and hearing his little brother hiss.

"Solitary snake! Solitary snake!"

"That's not how it works, snakeling," the Prefect cooed, opening the door for Naz to step in.

-----

Afton whistled as he made his way around the room; he held a Slytherin scarf in his hand. Many of his fellow Puffs told him that the scarf is not his job, but he wanted to make one, so he did.
But it seems like this was a turn away for many, deciding that their pet could not do that.

He continued to make his rounds when he came across a snake, curled tight in a blanket, right in the corner. They were still holding a Hufflepuff scarf—perfect!

He strode across the room and held out his scarf to the little snake. "Hi! My names Afton!" He chirped - not chirped, he's not a Raven - and waved the scarf, "I think this will look nice on you!"

"I– er, thanks?" The little snake stuttered.

"What's your name?" Afton asked.

"Zan," Zan replied, "I– I think this will look nice on you as well."

Afton slowly took the scarf, careful not to spook the snakeling before carefully tying it around his waist.

"I thought they went around your neck?" Zan asked.

"Well, I like it here; I think it suits me!" Afton declared, igniting a giggle from Zan, "here, let me place this on your shoulders."

Zan watched as Afton placed it around his neck, ending up wrapping it so many times it felt like he'd developed the hood of a cobra.

"My little cobra!" Afton exclaimed, pulling Zan up to his feet.

"I- thanks?"

-----

When Naz strode into the room to collect his brother, he was not expecting a sight that would freeze him in his footsteps. "I guess I should have expected this to happen," he sighed, beginning to walk over again.

"Naz!" Zan chirped, seeing Naz approach.

"Who's this, little cobra?"

'Oh Merlin, that's almost cute,' Naz thought, seeing the hood-like scarf around his brother's neck.

"This is my older brother, Naz," Zan stated, "Zan, this is Afton."

Naz's mask only just stayed in place when he noticed that the scarf was around the waist of the Hufflepuff.

"Pleased to meet you," Afton stated, holding out a hand to shake.

"Likewise," Naz replied, shaking the hand firmly.

"Is it time to go now?" Afton asked.

"Yes," Naz stated, "if you would go back to your common room, and I'll lead my brother back to his. You'll be able to see each other tomorrow."

"Okay! Bye-bye, little cobra!" Afton stated, hugging Zan tightly before moving away to where the Hufflepuff Prefect was collecting the Hufflepuffs.

-----

While that was a story that no one could have predicted - as it went against the foretold tradition, it went towards creating a myth.
A honey badger and water cobra worked in tandem with each other - beyond that of the regular snake and pet.

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