Disclaimer: All rights go to the lovely J.K. Rowling
The rest of the feast flew by like a blur. Everyone was chattering about how the Sorting hat had spoken aloud. Layla talked among her actual 7th year classmates until Headmistress Professor Mcgonagall dismissed the students. After prefect Sam Corner answered the riddle the Ravenclaws filed in to the common room. Layla heads up to her dorm chattering with Cassandra and Prita. Once they reached the dorm and closed the door Layla spoke up.
"How is this dorm guarded against the boys?"
Cassandra giggles, "you have your eye on one of our blokes?"
"No, not at all, it is because of my religion, the whole hair thing." Prita nods.
"Well, you're safe, not to worry, the staircase changes to a slide if the attempt to climb up," she replies with a smile.
The next day, Layla wakes up early and heads off to the library. After chatting with Madam Clearwater she sat and began looking through Hogwarts: A History. After an hour, Rose walks in and spots Layla reading. She walks over with a smile, her footsteps cause Layla to look up, and she smiles back.
"Hello, I'm Rose Weasley, Head Girl, you can come to me for any questions." she says with a smile. She had deep red hair, tinged with brown, which was wavy and flowed just beneath her shoulder. Her eyes were a midnight blue framed by short thick lashes. her nose was thin and slightly pointed, and had a sprinkle of freckles across her upper cheeks and nose.
"Thank you," Layla replies sincerely, "this place is amazing."
She smiles, "it really is, how is the school is the States?"
"Oh it was nice, not as large as this castle, the school is actually rather new."
"Really? What else is different?" she asks eagerly.
"Well, we don't bother with the whole houses thing. No offence but it goes against everything the Sorting Hat and teachers say. If you want unity then you should do what we do, we separate by years, and gender for the dorms. So it's around 30 girls that I was sharing with, and it actually wasn't that bad, the rooms were large enough so everyone had there own bed, dresser, and desk space."
Rose's eyes widen,"wow."
"Yeah, its not that bad here, just different, and really isolated." Layla says looking around her.
Rose smiles, then frowns a bit, "do you mind me asking, why you left?"
"Not at all, my parents got job offers here."
"At the Ministry?" she guesses.
"Yes but not what you think, my parents are Muggles."
"Oh okay, pardon me, but I'm quite a reader and I know that you practice the religion of Islam, and I was just wondering do your parents mind? about you being a witch?"
"Ah, well at first they were horrified, me too as a matter of fact, but they figured that it might be good to learn it, it is just forbidden if it is dark magic."
"Well that's good."
She laughs softly, "yes, I suppose it is."
Rose glances around, "oh it is time for breakfast, Layla, why don't you come sit with the Gryffindors today?"
She smiles, "sure."
They walk towards the table, as all the Gryffindors stare up at the 7th years curiously. Albus, Emily, Lily, Alice, and Jack look up at Rose and Layla as they reach her end.
"Alright you lot, this is Layla Ali, Layla, these are my friends Emily Finnigan, Alice Longbottom, Jack Thomas and my cousins Albus and Lily Potter,
"Nice to meet you," Layla says with a smile.
"Likewise," says Alice moving over.
"Thanks," Layla said as Rose sat on her other side.
"So," Lily starts staring at Layla, "what are those headthings called?" they stared at her, horrified.
"What? I know you all want to know," she says taking a bite of an apple.
Layla laughs, "well Lily, its called a hijab, but you can call it a scarf, or head thing," she says with a wink.
Lily grins, "do you have other colors? why do you have to wear it?"
"Yes as a matter of fact I do have other colors, sadly this school has a uniform code so I'm limited to black, or grey. Oh, and I wear it due to your brother, your cousin Hugo, and Jack," she adds glancing up with a small smirk. They blink in confusion, as Rose giggles, and the others look on with raised eyebrows.
"You can ask why you know," she says to the boys.
"Right," Albus says, "erm why?"
"Well what I said is not entirely true, it's not just you three, just males in general, I have to cover up in front of males."
"So in your dorm?" Alice asks timidly.
"No thank God, and the magic staircase, genius. This is a good fruit salad." She adds. Lily smiles and turns to Hugo and talks to him about Hogsmeade. Emily and Alice talk about their Herbology lesson, while Albus and Jack were discussing their chances for winning the Quidditch cup this year. Rose and Layla were glancing around the room: Rose for any signs of trouble, and Layla for any signs of unity. Nothing, every house kept to themselves except for her.
"Ready for your first charm lesson?" Rose asks rising from the bench.
"Yep, great meeting you guys." she says smiling at everyone.
"Yes it was," Lily says, "I love your accent"
Layla laughs lightly again, "are you serious? I love yours, American accents are boring," Lily rolls her eyes.
"We will break you into an English accent by next term," Jack promises.
"Maybe even an Irish," adds Emily, with just a hint of an Irish accent.
She grins, "deal."
Next chapter up, hope you all enjoy. I myself am a Muslim and have always wondered what it would be like if I went to Hogwarts, however, Layla is most defiantly not like me at all, except for being in Ravenclaw :)
~ Rose