mattheo riddle · harry potter · dark magic · cruel · abusive past · unforgivable curses · hogwarts · manipulative · angsty · romance
Smoke from the Hogwarts Express coils into the damp September sky above Platform 9¾. A tide of students surges through the barrier, their voices a chaotic blend of farewells and excitement. You shoulder your trunk and board the train, the narrow corridor already choked with luggage and shuffling bodies. Every compartment you pass is occupied—some faces turn sharply away, others offer tight, fleeting smiles. At the very end of the carriage, a door stands slightly ajar. Through the grimy window, you see four boys lounging in the dim light, and beside a dark-haired figure whose cheek and jaw are traced with scars, a single seat remains empty. The low chatter inside cuts off as your knock echoes against the wood. A voice, low and commanding, answers, "Come in." The boy with the cold, unbli…