That night, Maud was shown to one of the guest bedrooms, somewhere above the Great Hall. All her new acquisitions were there already. There was a sort of living room area, with two fireplaces, a couch and many comfy chairs, distributed around wooden tables. It was a rather large room, tall and decorated with paintings of wizards and witches; all eyeing her carefully. On a wall, near one of the largest windows, there was a bookcase packed with a variety of books, giving the place the air of a forgotten study. The far wall opened through an archway, which led to a staircase – presumably to the dormitories.
'You will stay here for a couple of days, until the term starts, then you will move to one of the four Houses' dormitories,' said Dumbledore showing her the way, up the staircase. 'So, I'll be sorted then?' asked Maud, opening the door he had indicated.
'Yes. Headmaster Dippet thought it appropriate that way. You have already read, I presume, about the sorting ceremony and the four Houses?'
'Yes, I have. But, wouldn't it be odd to be the oldest person sorted? I mean… Wouldn't people ask questions? What will I say?' She was placing a handful of books on the desk near the window. The room was small and cosy, with a four-poster bed pushed between the two large windows and a wardrobe on the other side.
'We'll say you are a new student who has been to a private school up until now. Professor Merrythought, who teaches Defence against the Dark Arts, will meet with you tomorrow afternoon, in class 3 C to evaluate your abilities. I have left you a map of the castle on your desk, so you can find your way more easily. Depending on her say, you'll either be placed in the sixth or seventh year, but I have no doubt you will make it into the latter,' he smiled at her warmly. 'If you can, go through some of the school books we have bought today. 'He turned around to leave the room, but stopped in the doorway to say one more thing.
'Breakfast will be served in the Great Hall.' He smiled and turned yet again. Maud looked at the back of his head and remembered she had meant to ask him something else that entire evening. 'Sir? Who was that boy, in Ollivander's shop? Is he a student here?' Dumbledore stopped in front of the staircase; he did not turn to face her.
'That was Tom Riddle, a brilliant, albeit dangerous, seventh year. Best not to let yourself influenced by him, Maud.' Dumbledore's grave voice startled her. Now she was intrigued.
She closed the door and started unpacking, spending quite some time checking her new books. The Charms textbook had immediately become one of her favourites. She tried some of the spells in there and she was quite pleased with what had come out of her wand. She made a pillow fly over the bed and land gracefully on the floor. She dared not try any of the spells in the Defence against the Dark Arts book, for fear she might make something explode; they all looked quite… harmful. Best not to try them in a small room with windows that could shatter. She went through the Transfiguration book as well and even tried turning a quill into a pencil, but she did not pay attention to the entire spell and ended up igniting it. After that, she decided to just read them and not try any of the incantations, in case she might set something on fire again.
'I think I lack some patience,' whispered Maud to herself. She went in bed with the Defence against the Dark Arts book, but she only glanced at the pages for a few seconds before turning them. Sighing, she abandoned that too and threw it on the nightstand.
'I hate being alone...' she looked at the quiet egg sitting in its cage, on the desk and frowned. 'I should've bought an owl; at least I wouldn't have felt like an idiot talking to a bird that actually moved.' She turned off the light and slipped under the blankets, curling into a ball. That young man's face kept haunting her thoughts. There was something funny about him, as if he was hiding something underneath that pale, handsome face. He did, indeed, look dangerous, just as Dumbledore had warned, but for some reason Maud could not imagine fearing him. Or, at least, not while he wasn't standing right there, in front of her. He kind of lost some of his scary quality when he couldn't be in front of you, staring you down. Anyway, she would rather go to sleep analysing a stranger, than thinking about her own situation. It was easier to handle questions without answers when they did not refer to you. She closed her eyes and let sleep take her, praying she would not have any nightmares.
Maud woke up on the floor, tangled in her blanket, her eyes wet. She was clutching her knuckles and digging her nails into her palms. Her heart was hammering against her chest and her eyes stung. She wiped the tears from her cheeks, feeling empty, devoid of any warmth and chased by the shadow of a fear. Anger was swelling up in her. 'I hate nightmares!' she whispered with spite.
She got dressed quietly and then stuffed some books in her bag, took her wand and map from the desk and went to search for the Great Hall. She found it fairly quick, climbing down the large staircase and then turning right. The door to the Great Hall was huge and, had it not been wide open, Maud suspected she wouldn't have managed to open it an inch. She entered the room watching her feet move to the nearest table. Only when she was seated and confident she could not trip and make a fool of herself in front of- what she felt had to be- the eyes of the teachers, she dared look up and inspect the place.
The Great Hall was everything Hogwarts. A history had said it would be; a vast room, with floating candles lighting an enchanted ceiling, imitating the sky. There were four, long, wooden tables placed parallel one to another, guarded by a fifth one which stood at the far end of the room; and that was where all the professors were seated. Maud felt their eyes settling on her, studying her, than moving back to the food in front of them. She looked up at them and saw professor Dumbledore smiling reassuringly to her. She smiled back.
Breakfast was just as delicious as the previous one, not that Maud had any time to think about it. She ate as fast as she could and then ran out of the Great Hall to check the castle. It was huge. And even with Dumbledore's excellent map, she still nearly got lost twice. There were corridors upon long corridors, staircases after staircases- and moving on top of that!-, and chambers and rooms and hallways, connected to each other through a series of intricate passageways and tunnels. It made her feel dizzy.
She loved the towers, especially the Astronomy one; it had a magnificent view over the castle grounds, but she hated the dungeons. They were damp and poorly lit and she could swear, on a few occasions, she had felt herself being watched. It made the hairs on the back of her neck stand and her skin prickle.
She was so engrossed in exploring the castle that she nearly forgot about her appointment with Professor Merrythought. She had to run to get to Class 3C on time, but she made it.
'So, you're here,' said Professor Merrythought, eyes twinkling and all. She was a tall, old woman and she carried herself with an almost palpable dignity, her head held high. She seemed strong and confident, but also warm and kind-hearted. Her eyes were a light brown and moved constantly, never fixing themselves on an object or a person for more than a few seconds. She was neither thin nor fat and the wrinkles on her face did not steal any of her vitality. She looked full of life, yet there was a hint of tiredness in her mouth. Galatea Merrythought seemed like an interesting woman.
She gestured for Maud to take a seat in front of her.
'Albus told me all about you and your…odd parents. So you've never actually been properly taught magic, ey?' Maud shook her head, not daring to say a word. She was terrible at saying lies, even if they weren't harming anyone.
'Well, no worries, Miss Wulfric. We will soon fix that. Dumbledore thinks you will fit just fine as a seventh year, so I will go with you through the basics of…well, magic, and see how you're catching up. If, after today, I think you fit for a seventh year, I will let Albus put you up-to-date with the rest and prepare you himself for the start of term. Understood?' Maud nodded once more. She did not see how she could learn the basics of 6 years in one afternoon, or why Dumbledore had so much faith in her abilities. However, Professor Merrythought spoke with such a voice, it exuded efficiency, and Maud dare not contradict her, or Dumbledore's reasoning for that matter.
The rest of the afternoon, Professor Merrythought wrote down on the blackboard spells and incantations, which she then produced as an example for Maud. Maud, then, had to do the spell herself a few times, before Merrythought was satisfied. However, there was something familiar about those spells and she had no problems with them after trying a few times. She wouldn't have known the wand movements or the incantations, had the professor not written them down beforehand, but once she had seen how they were done, it was easy. It was almost as if there were echoes of those spells buried somewhere, in the back of her mind. However, when she reached some of the incantations taught in the sixth year, things changed. Especially when it came to Defence against the Dark Arts; charms had been relatively easy. But things were different with Professor Merrythought's subject. Maud kept putting too much power into the spell and things got blown up, or shattered.
'I don't understand. You've done brilliantly up until now. It's almost as if you have done it before. But when it comes to duelling spells, you simply lash out unnecessarily. What are you afraid of? No one here's actually attacking you.' Professor Merrythought had written down some combat spells on the blackboard and they were now having a go at a duel. The woman had to constantly deflect the curses, which then exploded in various parts of the classroom. It was enough for Maud to whisper Stupefy and a blazing red light would go flying across the room, bouncing off of Merrythought's shield and shattering a desk or a chair in some distant corner.
'Sorry!' cried Maud ashamed. 'I don't know how I do it…' She was desperate. She wasn't even thinking about the force of the spell, she was simply muttering the word, waving the wand in a specific manner and …BOOM. Merrythought frowned. Maybe I should change tactics, thought the woman. She didn't say anything, not a word of warning or an incantation, but, suddenly, a blue light burst out of her wand. Maud widened her eyes in surprise and flicked her wand, causing the light to vanish. Merrythought, however, did not stop there. She was sending spell after wordless spell, holding little back, cornering the girl. It was a quiet fight. No one was muttering a single incantation. Maud was deflecting curse after curse, multi-coloured lights and smoke filling the room. After a few minutes, the girl was sweating and her eyes were sparkling with annoyance. She waved her wand upwards and sent Professor Merrythought flying on top of a pile of books. She gasped in pure horror and ran towards the woman, who was now trying to get back on her feet.
'I…I'm so sorry, Professor. I didn't mean to. Well I did, but I don't...know. I didn't mean to harm you.' Maud helped the Professor back on her feet, her face was blood red.
'I think Dumbledore might have left out something. There is no possible way you have never performed such magic until today. I don't know what he and you are hiding from me, but there was no point in me testing your abilities,' she was panting. 'You are clearly a seventh year, and a bloody talented one at that. All you needed was to be reminded of the wand movements and incantations. 'The woman eyed Maud with a mixture of suspicion and admiration, deep down, she couldn't wait to teach her more. However, there was a lingering sensation in her heart, that Miss Wulfric knew more than she let on. Professor Merrythought did not understand Dumbledore's reasoning. What was the point in that afternoon? If a bit of reminding was all the girl had required, then why not do it himself? And still, of what she had seen that day, the woman was certain Maud didn't even need reminding. The girl was a natural at non-verbal magic; of what she had seen her do, Maud would have had no problem managing without actually knowing the incantations.
Merrythought dismissed the girl without another word. She shivered at the sight of her walking away. She was just like Albus had been ever since his first year at Hogwarts, just like Tom Riddle was now; capable of great magic. However, she was in serious need of some discipline.
Dumbledore had been very pleased by what Professor Merrythought had told him. The following days, he had taken it upon himself to prepare Maud for the start of term. After a few lessons in Transfiguration, the girl had become fascinated with the subject; it now numbered amongst her favourites. She still had problems with Defence against the Dark Arts. She was constantly oscillating between being too afraid to use her magic, and forgetting to contain her power when casting spells. It was either not enough, or too much. And it confused Dumbledore, because he believed she could do wonders in a duel, especially with her inclination towards non-verbal casting. However, her fear prevented her from being herself at that particular subject and it remained that way until the term started.
Oh the day of the Feast, Maud had been terrified. She had a feeling she hated being in a crowd, and she begged Dumbledore to sort her in Dippet's office.
'Nonsense, my dear. There is nothing for you to fear. It will only take a few moments and then all will be over, 'Dumbledore had said. But he had been wrong. She was the last to be sorted, and the minute Dumbledore had called her name, she could feel every single pair of eyes turn to her. It was a wonder she managed not to fall down the small flight of stairs. Once she had been seated on the stool, things did not get easier for her. She felt silly to close her eyes, so she had to stare at the Hall. The Great Hall. And how great it was, indeed! A multitude of faces stared right back at her. She took a deep breath, and reprimanded herself mentally. You will not be intimidated by an ocean of nameless faces! Not nameless, not all of them. Look, it's Tom Riddle. Oh, great. Now I can be stared down at from across the Hall, while literally being seated above everybody else. Why is he frowning at me? Does he want to make a whole in my face? What an insufferably handsome bully. I'll stare right back at you. There! And while she was having that childish rant inside her head, Dumbledore put the Sorting Hat on her head and her train of thoughts was interrupted by a booming voice.
'And what do we have hear? You don't know? Well, that's a first. Shall I tell you? You know, I can sense everything. No, not names, I do not see your name. My dear, don't you even know your own name? Isn't it Maud Wulfric? Oh, well… never you mind. Let's see. Where shall I put you? I see power, yesss. And a guarded desire for knowledge. Hmm, oh dear, you don't seem to know what you want. Do you, or do you not want to know? Hmm, you have determination and courage, even when afraid, and a kind, pure heart. Too pure. And so innocent in your emotions, you could be a raging Slytherin... Hmm, or a chivalrous Gryffindor. You are anything but a Hufflepuff, but you could just as well go to Ravenclaw. And yet, I don't see you there. Nooo.'
The voice kept ranting for several more minutes, analysing her. Maud, in the meantime, kept staring at Tom Riddle who did not, even for a second break eye contact. She imagined she could feel his mind pressed against hers.
'You are a contradiction, my dear. Oh, this is so exciting! Where do you want to be? Ey? D'you know, you resemble so much two wizards I sorted some time ago. Very special wizards. You could go down either of their paths. Do you want to choose it? Or should we leave it to faith? Faith hmm…Alright. If that's what you want.'
'GRYFFINDOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOR!' cried the ragged voice of the Sorting Hat. The Gryffindor table cheered up, crying enthusiastically and applauding. Tom broke eye contact, seemingly bored. Maud got up from the stool, looked confused at Dumbledore, who smiled at her, gesturing towards the cheerful table. She glanced back at Tom, who was now staring into his plate.
She frowned in a mixture of annoyance and confusion and went to the Gryffindor table where people were pushing one another to make her room. She smiled politely and thanked, taking her seat between a seventh and a fourth year. Everyone was talking to everyone, yelling, laughing, whispering, cheering, eating and drinking. The entire Hall was intoxicated by the celebration of a new year.