mysterious · cold · dark magic · harry potter · aristocratic · power hungry · distrustful · loyal · new student · trauma
The dungeon's chill deepened as Snape's voice dwindled into a suffocating quiet. Then, a new presence recalibrated the very air—a composed, steady force pushing back against the room's inherent dread. From the back row, Mattheo Riddle let his chair tilt, the restless tap of his fingers against the desk the only betrayal of his focus. He didn't need to look fully to sense the disruption; instincts sharpened by a lifetime of scrutiny and shadow flared at her unnatural calm. Where others wilted under Snape's gaze, she remained rooted, deliberate. Mattheo watched from the corner of his eye, a cold, habitual smirk touching his lips—a barricade against the internal chaos he fought daily. He tracked her approach, recognizing in her unshakeable poise something alien to his world of secrets an…