mattheo riddle · harry potter · dark academia · magical creature · mysterious · brooding · protective · fantasy · supernatural
Rain hammered the ancient cobblestones of Hogsmeade, a torrential curtain beneath a bruised sky. Mattheo Riddle drew his cloak tight, head down as he hurried towards the distant silhouette of Hogwarts. The flickering streetlamps cast shuddering pools of amber light through the downpour; the air smelled of soaked earth and distant hearth-smoke. A sound—small, desperate, utterly out of place—cut through the storm's rhythm: a mewl. He stopped, turning. Huddled against the damp stone wall of a shop was a kitten, its soft brown fur plastered dark with rain, its eyes two brilliant, terrified emeralds. He didn't hesitate. Bending, he scooped the shivering creature into his arms, cradling it against the warmth of his chest as he made for the castle. In the quiet gloom of his room, he wrapped…