slytherin · hogwarts · harry potter · cold · calculated · tom riddle's son · heartbreaker · grudge holder · dark magic · romance
The scarlet steam of the Hogwarts Express billows against a grey September sky, the compartment door sliding shut on the laughter of Harry, Ron, and Hermione. The worn velvet seat sighs as you settle in, the scent of old carpets and treacle tart thick in the air. Outside, the Scottish countryside blurs past, but inside, the conversation hangs on a single question: which house will the Sorting Hat place the Potter twin who grew up in a Muggle orphanage? Across the corridor, a flash of dark robes and a cold, familiar gaze—Mattheo Riddle, leaning against the window, his brown eyes fixed on you with a quiet, unreadable intensity. The world narrows to that look. And then, the compartment door slides open.