Staying over Christmas A Slytherin's POV

She knew that they probably wouldn't believe her, but she had always wanted to do something worse doing, and getting the Malfoys would definitely help her stand out, not just here at Hogwarts, but even in the whole Wizarding world! She couldn't stay still, and ran to her dormitory.

"Well, we certainly heard something interesting tonight!"she told her cats. "You know, the problem is how are we going to get people to believe us!"

She ran out of the common room to find Hermione, Harry and Ron. She ran in, breathless.

"I never knew that the Malfoys would do something like that! Well, I wouldn't put it past them, but, oh well. We should report them, shouldn't we?"she exclaimed. "Where's Hermione?"

Hermione came out. Her face was covered in black hair, her eyes were yellow, and she had a tail.

"What happened to you! I always had the impression that Millicent was one of the ugliest people I've ever seen, but this is ridiculous! I mean, I don't mean its ugly, I love cats, but…well, the look isn't you, Hermione."said Layla.

"It was a cat hair. Millicent Bullstrode must have a cat."

"Yes, she does. It's a very beautiful cat, though. Maybe you should go the hospital wing, should you? I don't know what Madam Pomfrey will say."

"Why didn't you tell us she had a cat?"exclaimed Ron.

Layla shrugged.

"I didn't know it was important. After all, I've always been able to tell between cat hairs and human hairs, it's not hard, you know."

They took Hermione to the hospital wing. Madam Pomfrey didn't ask many questions, but Hermione insisted that the curtains around her bed be drawn so no one would see her with a hairy face. They also brought her her homework at the end of each day. Layla enjoyed this a lot, since it gave her an excuse to be out of the common room, and she always enjoyed nursing people or animals, especially when they were younger.

"Proffesor Lockhart asked when you would be out of the hospital wing almost five times!"she told Hermione, handing her her Potions homework.

"Really?"

"Yes."

"Well, he's send me quite a few get well cards, too, you know."

"None of the other teachers have asked, though. Just him."

"I'm glad."

"I guess so. Why is he sending you cards, though?"

"Well, isn't it obvious! I am after all, in the hospital wing."

"I guess so."

The next few weeks passed without incident. There were no more attacks, so everyone was much more calm. On Valentine's Day, however, when Professor Lockhart decided to boost up the school's morale, Layla thought it was just a tragedy. Classes kept being interrupted, and all the teachers seemed to be in a bad mood. Layla couldn't exactly say she blamed them. Now that Hermione was out of the hospital wing, she showed Layla a book, which she said that Harry and Ron had found in the girls' bathroom.

"It's completely blank."she said. "I would have liked to read the diary, though. I've always wondered what life was like fifty years ago."

"Do you have any idea what it could be hiding?"

"No, I don't."

"Tom Riddle got an award for Services to the School."said Ron. "And he was a Head Boy."

"Wow! Now it's definitely a pity that there isn't anything in the diary. I would have liked to read it. I would do anything to get an award and be Head Girl. He sounds like an example to be followed. Very…idealistic."

Ron rolled his eyes.

"But what good is it if we can't find what's in it."

"I don't know. Maybe just keep it and fill it out yourself. Maybe…could you give it to me? I mean, I would love to have something that once belonged to a person like Tom Riddle! What happened to him? Is he working for the Ministry? I've never heard anyone who goes by that name."

"I don't know."

"No."said Harry. "I'm going to keep it."

Layla walked away, disappointed.

A few weeks later, Harry said that Hagrid was the Heir of Slytherin. That he had seen it in Riddle's diary. As soon as they told her this, Layla went straight to the Ravenclaw table to talk to her brother, Manuel.

"Did you hear?"she asked, sitting next to him.

"What?"

"Hagrid's the Heir of Slytherin."

Manuel looked at her.

"But don't tell anyone."

"Why do you think Hagrid's the Heir?"

Layla shrugged.

"He was arrested and the attacks stopped the last time the Chamber was opened."

"Then why is he gamekeeper today?"

Layla shrugged again.

"I don't know. I'm just telling you what I know."

She left the Ravenclaw table.

On the day of the Quidditch match, Layla went out to watch. She always watched when Gryffindor or Slytherin played. Today, Professor McGonagall came out and said the match was canceled. Layla looked shocked. Not another attack, she thought. McGonagall took her Harry and Ron to the hospital wing, and Layla saw that Hermione had been attacked.

"Oh no!"she said. "They will be able to cure her, won't they, Professor? Can she hear us?"

"I don't know, Ms.Dominguez. Now, we must go back to the common room."

"I'll stay with Hermione a little longer."

"I'm sorry, Ms.Dominguez, but that will not be possible. You must return to your common room."

"When can I come back and visit her?"

"I don't think that will be advisable."

Layla was quiet all the way back to the common room. Professor Snape told them that teachers had to accompany them everywhere, all evening activities were canceled, and they had to be in the common room by six o'clock. As soon as he left, the chatter broke out, as if nothing had happened. Usually, Layla would be reading, or working on her handiworks, or homework. Today, she just stared at her lap, hardly aware of what everyone was saying, when usually, she would be eavesdropping. Draco Malfoy was going on about how the school needed ridding of all that Mudblood filth, and how the teachers couldn't see that. Layla sighed and went to bed. They had to go to lessons escorted by a teacher, and Layla found this annoying. After all, everyone moved slower than snails in her opinion. She always got to class faster than anyone by going at her own pace. She didn't get a chance to talk to Harry or Ron, or visit Hermione. Classes kept on as usual. She learned that they had exams as usual, also.

"Shouldn't they put off exams? I mean, isn't there a slight chance that we might be attacked?"asked Blaise Zabini one night.

Layla didn't mind the exams much. They were a means of distraction, as now even her favorite books didn't do much to help her. On the night before exams, after Professor Snape said that there was going to be no more Hogwarts, they were suddenly woken up, informed that there was a feast. Everyone was in their pajamas, and the headmaster and Hagrid were back. Hermione and everyone else was also cured. Layla ran toward the Gryffindor table and hugged Hermione, saying how glad she was that she was all right. She would have liked to listen to how they defeated the monster. Draco Malfoy seemed upset that the monster had been stopped. But outside of him, everyone else was perfectly happy.