Matilda Corner

## Matilda Elizabeth Corner

**Matilda “Tilly” Elizabeth Corner** (born 10 March, 1981) is the only child of half-bloods Albert and Jean Corner. She has a cousin, Michael, who is the son of her father’s brother, John, who is a Ravenclaw in the year above her. She was born in Wigan, Greater Manchester. In her fourth year of school, Matilda joined Dumbledore's Army, an organisation founded by Harry Potter, Hermione Granger, and Ron Weasley. She shared a dormitory with Aquila Black, Ginny Weasley, Maisie Cattermole, Ophelia Brown, and Molly Roper.

She fought in the Battle of Hogwarts on 2 May, 1998, and escaped unscathed. She survived to see Lord Voldemort's defeat by Harry Potter, the Boy Who Lived.

## Biography

### Early life

Matilda was born on 10 March, 1981, in Wigan, Greater Manchester. She was the daughter of Albert and Jean Corner, both half-bloods. She had no siblings, but she did have a cousin called Michael, who was a year older than her.

Her father worked in a broomstick factory for Cleansweep. He was responsible for assembling brooms.

#### Hogwarts years

She received her Hogwarts letter in the summer of 1992. Before attending, she purchased a wand made of hornbeam and unicorn hair from Ollivander's Wand Shop in Diagon Alley, London.

She was sorted into Gryffindor House on 1 September 1992 at Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry. On the train ride, she got caught up in a mischievous plot of Ginny Weasley’s and Aquila Black’s, and got detention from Professor Snape on her first day. That was just the start of her troublemaking ways, and she often played practical jokes on other students with her friends Ginny Weasley, Aquila Black, and Maisie Cattermole.

Matilda was a fan of the Appleby Arrows, who played in the North of England. She was competent on a broom but was not, arguably, the best flier out of her friends. She enjoyed Transfiguration and Charms class, but in her first year, she would frequently forget to do her homework and copy off of Maisie Cattermole.

In her fourth year at school, Matilda joined the student organisation Dumbledore's Army, which was founded by Harry Potter, Hermione Granger, and Ron Weasley from the year above her. Dumbledore's Army (also known as the D.A.) was a secret organisation initiated to teach Hogwarts students proper Defence Against the Dark Arts in 1995. It was founded by Hermione, but taught and led by Harry.

This organisation was made necessary by the refusal of Dolores Umbridge, the subject's professor during the 1995-1996 school year, to teach anything in her classes other than textbook theory.

The group was disbanded during the 1996-1997 school year following the appointment of Severus Snape as Defence Against the Dark Arts teacher, when Matilda was in her fifth year. During that year, she began dating fellow Gryffindor Geoffrey Cresswell.

### Second Wizarding War

Matilda was also apart of the restored Dumbledore's Army in her sixth year, and ended up staying in the Room of Requirement to escape the Carrows. The school year was incredibly difficult for Dumbledore's Army. She, along with many others, started to show the cost of standing up to the new regime at Hogwarts. Her cousin, Michael, was brutally beaten for freeing a chained-up first-year, Neville Longbottom was tortured at length for refusing to perform the Cruciatus Curse, and her boyfriend, Geoffrey Cresswell, also had his own fair share of the fight.

#### Death of Dirk Cresswell

*"But before we hear from Royal and Romulus, let's take a moment to report those deaths that the Wizarding Wireless Network News and Daily Prophet don't think important enough to mention. It is with great regret that we inform our listeners of the murders of Ted Tonks and Dirk Cresswell."*
—Lee Jordan announces Dirk Cresswell's murder in *Potterwatch*
Matilda's boyfriend's father's death was announced on the *Potterwatch* radio programme in March 1998. Geoffrey's hysterical mother sent him letters for news, but Geoffrey did not reply for fear that they were being watched. An explosive argument between Matilda and her friend Aquila Black ensued inside the Room of Requirement, arguing whether Geoffrey should inform his mother of his father's death.

#### Battle of Hogwarts

On 2 May, 1998, at the height of the Second Wizarding War, Matilda, being of age, fought in the Battle of Hogwarts against Lord Voldemort and his army of Death Eaters. She was seen fighting with her cousin Michael Corner and his girlfriend, Cho Chang, alongside Terry Boot in the courtyard at some point during the battle.

She witnessed her cousin, Michael, get struck down by a Killing Curse in one of the inner courtyards, but Cho, Terry, and Matilda survived the first half of the battle.

The battle was called to a halt when Voldemort asked that Harry Potter surrender and come to him in the Forbidden Forest, or else he would enter the battle and destroy all the defenders of Hogwarts. Harry surrendered and entered the forest, where Voldemort seemingly killed him with the Killing Curse. However, Harry survived, as Voldemort had only killed the Horcrux inside Harry. In the final stage of the battle, Harry eventually stood out of the crowd and faced Voldemort one-on-one, and defeated him in a final duel, killing him for good.

## Magical abilities and skills

* **Defence Against the Dark Arts**: Matilda was a loyal member of the D.A. and being so she must have mastered numerous defensive and offensive spells under Harry Potter's exemplary teaching.
* **Charms**: Matilda was capable of producing a non-corporeal Patronus, a piece of highly advanced magic and a mark of superior magical ability.
* **Duelling**: Matilda fought bravely in the Battle of Hogwarts against the Death Eaters and survived, showing her to have been a talented duellist who was proficient in martial magic.

## Etymology

*Matilda*, also spelled Mathilda and *Mathilde*, is the English form of the Germanic female name Mahthildis, which derives from the Old High German "maht" (meaning "might, strength") and "hild" (meaning "battle").