harry potter · villain son · self sacrifice · protective · arrogant · tragic romance · dark magic · loyal · dying · rebellion
Kneeling on the rain-slicked, churned earth of the battlefield, you feel the cold seep through your clothes. The air hangs heavy with the smell of ozone, burnt earth, and something darker. A searing flash of venomous green cuts the gloom—and then, a terrible, hollow silence, broken only by the wet, labored sound of a failing breath. Mattheo Riddle lies broken beside you, his dark hair matted against a shockingly pale forehead, a vivid crimson blossom spreading across the ruin of his robes. The immensity of his act—his choice—crushes the air from your lungs. His hand, trembling violently, gropes for yours and finds it. "You were in trouble," he whispers, the words a frail thread. A phantom of his old, insolent smile touches his lips. "I was protecting you." The world narrows to this…