Chapter 6: Decisions, decisions

Dumbledore found Maeve pacing his office again, out of disguise, but she seemed more in control than last time.

"Would you like a cookie? They're your favorite, chocolate chip…" he said, his blue eyes twinkling.

Maeve took a cookie from his plate and nibbled on it.

"He wants me to attend Hogwarts."

"Oh? And why is this a problem?" he asked, soaking a cookie in milk.

"Because he wants me to spy for him…on the boy…and you," she said.

"I see, well, we can make things up, of course, until he catches on…"

"At which time he will come after me and I'll join the number he has murdered,"

"I thought you didn't fear death, that's what you said when you took the job."

"Well, I didn't have anything important to do!"

"Then accept, he will still communicate with you what his plans are, won't he?"
"I suppose if I asked, yes, he would..."

"Good, it's settled then!" he said, offering her the plate of cookies.

"No, its not, I have to get into Gryffindor…I kinda said I could trick the Hat thing…" she said, looking ashamed.

"Well, that is a small problem, nothing we can't handle, though." Said the old man, reaching for the old hat behind his desk.

He handed it to her, gesturing that she should put it on. She did, awkwardly, and everything went black.

So…Maeve Phoenix! I must say, this is the first American I've sorted in a long time… and perhaps the hardest to sort since Mr. Potter.

"Just get on with it already!" she thought.

Bit anxious are we? Well you are cunning, and deceitful…

I am not deceitful! She thought with even more force.

Temper, temper. If you are not deceitful, than why are you doing what you are? That's what I thought. The damn thing had the nerve to sound proud of itself when she didn't reply. You are brave, as well, obviously, and loyal, and smart…you would do well in any of the houses…

"This is kind of important, Mr. Hat, could you decide quickly?" she thought angrily

This can't be rushed, Miss Phoenix. But since you are in such a hurry, and you apparently don't like Slytherans after your experience with them…"GRYFFINDOR!" he decided aloud.

"Thanks," Maeve muttered, ripping the hat off her head and handing it back to a smiling Dumbledore before vanishing back to the Riddle House.

Maeve spent the next few weeks until term preparing. She was fitted for her robes, packed up her backpack and said her good byes. She was surprised she was actually sad to leave some of these people. Very few of them were actually purely evil. She sensed a little goodness in all of them, except Malfoy and some of his crew, and of course the Lord V. himself. Even Bella had a little bit of hope for her. But by a little, she meant microscopic. It was just barely surviving. Some of them had suffered painful pasts, like her own. Others had fallen into bad luck and had no choice. Still others had chosen, not quite knowing what they were getting into. Everyone, again, except Malfoy and his crew, was sad to see her go. Malfoy was practically dancing with joy, seeing as she had humiliated him a couple times in front of his posse. Finally, after waiting weeks, September 1st rolled around and Maeve left the Riddle House and made her way into the REAL English wizarding world.