Bludger
Mattheo Riddle
Today was a big day for Mattheo. The quidditch performance of Slytherin today would determine their performance for the rest of the year, and possibly their chance of winning the House Cup.
Mattheo was captain, and he called all of the shots. If they made a wrong move, he was the one to blame.
He was also a chaser, which meant that he was responsible for scoring the points, outside of the seeker of course.
Blaise was their keeper, and fucking good at it. Astoria and Theo were the other two chasers, while Enzo and Theo were the two beaters. There were alternates to the team of course, but Mattheo and his friends were usually the ones playing, and it worked really well.
They approached the entrance to the stadium, and Mattheo turned around to face his friends. "Alright guys, let's go kill some fucking birds."
The game went smoothly at first. The only concerning thing that happened was Mattheo saw a sharp blonde in the staff stands, and sitting with Lucius were Narcissa and Tiberius, which was not a good sign because they never came to their games.
Draco had seen this too but Mattheo caught his eye and shook his head, pointing to the snitch box Madame Hooch had yet to open. Stay focused on the snitch, Draco.
Mattheo was playing one of the best games of his life, scoring 9 goals within the first twenty minutes, and Astoria and Theo scoring a combined 7. The only thing that could end the game now in Ravenclaw's favor was a snitch, or so Mattheo thought.
Mattheo had noticed a bludger acting off around him for the past couple of minutes, but either Pansy or Enzo usually managed to get it off of him.
It was a little hard to ignore, however, when the bludger dove straight towards him and followed him even as Mattheo turned and ducked and looped around the stadium.
There was a roar of protest, but nothing happened to stop the bludger.
Mattheo didn't get scared often, but as fast as his broom was he couldn't outrun a missile bludger. It was somehow charmed to follow his every move, and it was speeding up.
Eventually Mattheo tried swooping under the stands, but the bludger just followed and repeatedly tried to hit Mattheo as he ducked and swerved.
All it took was one final hit to send him flying off of his broom into the wooden beam of the Gryffindor stand, and everything went black from there.
-
Lorenzo Berkshire
Enzo watched as his brother flew into the stand, and fell easily 40 feet onto the sand pit below.
He tried, he really really tried to stop the bludger, but it was like nothing could stop it from hitting its target.
Enzo watched, horrified as the bludger swerved toward Mattheo lying unconscious on the ground, but Snape finally sent a spell to explode it. Enzo sped toward the ground and jumped off his broom, checking his brother's pulse.
Mattheo was alive. He was alive.
Snape ran over and pushed Enzo out of the way. How did he get here so fast? Snape measured Mattheo's pulse and examined his brother before shouting "Lucius! He needs to go to St. Mungoes!"
Shit, Lucius was here? Mattheo would be so pissed when he woke up that Lucius saw him almost die.
And yes, when he woke up, because Enzo's brother could not fucking die. He wouldn't leave him alone.
Enzo was vaguely aware of Aunt Narcissa grabbing his shoulders and directing him toward Lucius, but he just stared at Mattheo's unconscious body. Mattheo was covered in blood. A lot of blood. Enzo couldn't see him like this.
Sometime in the next 15 minutes Enzo ended up at St. Mungoes with Uncle Lucius and Aunt Narcissa, but he was disassociating and not at all aware of his movement. He was vaguely aware of mediwitches and wizards frantically rushing around his brother, but Enzo just stared ahead. He thought he could hear voices shouting, maybe Snape's, and thought he felt Narcissa's hand on his forehead and arm.
He only really came back to the present when one of the people he hated the most on this planet walked in.
"Enz my baby I have missed you so much" said the voice of Bellatrix Lestrange, infamous killer, general psychopath, occupant of Azkaban until yesterday morning, and Enzo's very own mother.
Enzo just let Bellatrix embrace him. There was no fighting her. He needed to play the perfect son now that she was out. Mattheo and him both did.
"What happened, you have blood all over you! They won't let me see Mattheo. I think I should kill them but Severus won't let me," Bellatrix said, still holding Enzo.
"He fell," Enzo said, still very out of it and not realizing that Mattheo had been moved out of the room.
"Yes but I heard it was a nasty mudblood. The ball was hexed!" Bellatrix said.
"I tried to hit it away" Enzo said, his voice cracking as he realized he couldn't stop it.
"Oh my darling, it is alright," Bellatrix said, holding his face. Bellatrix never consoled him, it was always that Mattheo and Enzo had done something wrong, never the other way around.
Enzo almost let himself give in to his mother. He just wanted someone to tell him it would be alright, to tell him it wasn't his fault. But Bellatrix wasn't that person, she never was and she will never be. She is trying to manipulate him, and Enzo has to pretend like it's working, so he placed his head on her shoulder and closed his eyes, letting his mom comb through his hair and his Aunt rub his arm.
He sat like this even as Death Eaters started filing in, even some of the Dark Lord's knights like Dolohov, Rosier, Avery, and of course, Nott. Each man addressed them, but hurried over to the room that Enzo thought Snape and Uncle Lucius were in.
Enzo surprised himself when he didn't move a fucking inch when the Dark Lord himself walked through the doors, flanked by Rookwood and Yaxley. Enzo just continued staring at his hands while Mattheo's father kissed his and Bellatrix's foreheads. They were talking about something but their voices were muffled in Enzo's mind. All he could see was Mattheo's unconscious body while staring at the blood covering his shirt and hands.
Someone muttered a scourgify, and the blood disappeared. Enzo blinked and looked up to find the Dark Lord, Narcissa, and Bellatrix all staring at him.
"You'll be going home tonight, Lorenzo" Narcissa said, in a way that made him think she had said it previously and he just hadn't heard her.
Enzo didn't respond, and the Dark Lord went off to the room that he knew the Death Eaters were all in.
-
-
Mattheo Riddle
Mattheo woke up and the first thing he thought was pain.
The second thing he thought was fuck.
Mattheo was laying in his bed at Riddle Manor. A bedroom Mattheo wasn't supposed to be in until Friday. Except, it was Thursday. Or was it? Mattheo didn't remember shit.
Mattheo was playing quidditch and there was this annoying bludger and... oh. He must have been hit. Mattheo tried to sit up, but Beanie the house elf suddenly appeared.
"Young master must lay back down. Young master is not well. Master ordered Beanie to make sure Young master did not leave bed." Beanie hurriedly said.
"What time is it?" Mattheo groaned.
"13:27 Young Master." Beanie answered.
"What? It's been a day since the match? Who won?" Mattheo asked.
"Beanie does not know who won your match, but Beanie does know that today is Monday," she answered, rushing to cover Mattheo with the blankets again.
"What??" Mattheo half-yelled.
"I am sorry young master, did Beanie do something wrong?" The house-elf asked.
"What? No Beanie. I just mean...it's been four days? I've been here four days."
"Yes young master. You spent a day at the wizard hospital but your father moved you home." Beanie answered.
"So I missed the vote? How much of trouble am I in?" Mattheo asked.
"Master Crouch was set free after the voting, so Beanie doesn't think you are in trouble." Beanie said.
Mattheo didn't know if he should be relieved.
"Beanie must tell the other masters you are awake," Beanie said.
"No, wait Beanie. Is Enzo here?" Mattheo asked.
"Yes young master is here" Beanie confirmed.
"Call him here please Beanie, let me talk to him before you call everyone else," Mattheo requested.
3 seconds later Enz burst through their shared door, grinning when he saw Mattheo was awake. "Bro, you've been fucking gone."
"I heard," Mattheo responded.
"The bludger, it was apparently Umbitch as revenge for it getting out about the detentions. Somehow she washed up dead in a lake in Estonia on Sunday. Who would have thought?"
They shared a laugh, but they both knew it was the Dark Lord's doing.
"How is it here?" Mattheo asked.
"Your dad's been coming back and forth from somewhere to check on you. They brought Draco home as well, but he had to go back to Hogwarts this morning. It's mainly just been mom acting insane and the Malfoys and I putting up with it. Mom insisted I stay here until you woke up, but she's been super crazy about being the world's #1 mom. It's scary, she's trying to act nice."
They laughed at that.
"Do you think they will let me go back to Hogwarts? I feel fine. Plus, what the fuck happened with Barty?" Mattheo asked.
"I think Voldy's got more pull in the ministry than he lets on. Barty's in the east wing right fucking now, I don't even know why your dad wanted your votes. Probably a power play, maybe he even wanted to see you." Enz said, grinning.
"No way," they said in unison.
"I don't know how soon they'll send us back. You might feel fine but you look like shit. I don't know, it probably didn't help that Snape and aunt and uncle watched the whole thing happen. It was pretty bad, at least it looked pretty bad, and I'm sure your dad's seen the memory of it. It was a bad hit and a bad fall, and they have been kind of crazy about our security lately," Enzo said.
"What do you mean?" Mattheo asked.
"I mean the only people who have seen the two of us or have even been allowed in this wing over the past 4 days are family and Snape, and the house elves of course. Do you know how hard it is to only see Malfoys and Snapes? I mean I had Draco but there were always adults there," Enzo said, picking at Mattheo's pillow.
"Did we win the match?" Mattheo asked.
"I don't know" Enzo sighed, "I think it was forfeited."
"I can't stay here Enz," Mattheo said.
"I know, me neither. It'll be fine. Snape and Narcissa will insist we return to our studies or something. We'll be fine and out of here soon," Enzo said.
"We'll be fine," Mattheo echoed.
-
"Beanie" Mattheo called.
"Yes young master?" Beanie arrived with a pop.
"Did you tell them I'm awake?" Matheo asked.
"Yes young master, but Lady Lestrange is not home so Beanie could only tell Lady Malfoy." Beanie said.
"Is my dad here?" Mattheo asked.
"Beanie thinks so," the house elf responded.
"I'm going to see him" Mattheo said, starting to sit up.
"Are you sure that's a good idea? You fucking hate the man and you're not exactly in a state to keep that concealed," Enzo warned.
"All that I have to to do is play perfect son and beg him to send me back to school. How hard could it be?" Mattheo said, grinning at his brother.
"Fine bro, your funeral. I wish you the best of luck," Enzo said, saluting Mattheo goodbye as he stumbled over to the door.
Mattheo hated how big his fucking house was. He went across the hall and pushed upon the door to his father's bedroom, not bothering to knock. No one there. How excellent.
Mattheo then continued his trek down the hall to the parlor, but after 15 minutes of walking his dad wasn't in his parlor, second parlor, office, dining room, kitchen, ball room, or meeting room. If he wasn't in the library Mattheo was going to give up.
Mattheo pushed open the doors to the library, and was met with the sight of his father, back turned in his armchair. He hated this. He hated him.
"Mattheo, what are you doing out of bed?" His dad asked, turning around in the chair to face him.
"I woke up. I heard I got hit by a bludger, but that happens quite a bit in quidditch. I feel fine now," Mattheo said.
His dad looked unimpressed.
"Mattheo, I will send you back to school when I feel that you are ready. Come, take a seat," his dad said, motioning to the armchair across from him.
Mattheo sulked over, feeling entirely unready for the conversation about to occur.
"I am a busy man. I have been leading troops in Eastern Europe. Of course, I returned to England when I heard of your injury, but the events prior to the injury required time that I could not waste. When I send a letter requesting something from you, I expect a response. What I do not expect is having to organize for further eyes in Hogwarts to watch you."
Mattheo avoided his dad's eyes, "When you send a letter to me, I'll respond," he deadpanned.
His dad only sighed, "The letter was from your mother and I, and you know this."
"No actually, I don't," Mattheo said.
"Mattheo I'm your father and I expect respect, even while you are away at school. If you assume that you can avoid your obligations while there you are mistaken," his dad said, his voice rising.
"My obligations? You just wanted my votes in a trial that was already rigged. They're my votes dad," Mattheo said. He knew he shouldn't be talking to his father like this but truthfully he didn't give a fuck.
"Mattheo you're 14 and until the day that you have your own manor and your own money then everything you own is mine, including your votes. I expect total obedience, yet Severus has been reporting otherwise," his dad said, fuming now.
Mattheo should be scared of his dad right now, but he was too busy being fucking furious.
"That's what I thought," Mattheo blankly said.
"You thought what?" His dad replied, a hint of confusion in his voice.
"In case you forgot, I'm fucking 15 dad, just like you wrote in your letter," Mattheo said, getting up and storming toward the doors.
Mattheo tried opening the doors, but no unlocking spells would make them budge.
"Mattheo, listen to me. I have just been occupied with the Death Eater troops. We are so close to a victory," his dad sighed while standing from his chair.
"Let me out," Mattheo demanded.
"No. We aren't done with this conversation. I will not send you back to school until I can ensure your safety and compliance," his dad said.
"Oh really?" Mattheo laughed. "The lady you sent to keep me safe tried to kill me and carved fucking letters into my arm. You want me to comply? She wrote into my arm that I must not disobey. Believe me dad, the message has fucking sunk in, now let me the fuck out," Mattheo demanded.
"No-" His dad started but was interrupted by the explosion of floo from the library fireplace.
Oh perfect fucking timing Mattheo thought as his mother walked out of the fireplace.
"Mattheo my darling," Bellatrix exclaimed as she walked over to hug him.
Mattheo felt sick, like he was going to pass out any second. He felt his mother's arms wrap around him, and it felt like he was being suffocated.
Mattheo felt her pull away as he heard a voice saying something to his mom. It was his dad. Mattheo couldn't hear what they were saying, he was completely out of it and probably having a panic attack, but he couldn't bring himself to focus or breathe or move.
A hand rested on his back and he blinked into some focus.
"Mattheo? Are you alright baby?" his mother said, standing too close to him.
"I think he needs to go rest," his dad said from behind him.
Mattheo blindly let his dad lead him back to his room, staring at the ground the whole time and still slightly out of it. He had forgotten how terrified he was of his mother. I mean, she is an insane person, but her hugging him genuinely felt like the end of Mattheo's life. Like he was constricted in a snake's grasp, which Mattheo guesses he was.
Mattheo should be more terrified of his father, but the only thing truly scary about the man is how much control he possesses, over Mattheo, over his friends, over the whole fucking continent. His mother, however, was erratic and unpredictable and insane. Mattheo would take his dad over her any day.
His dad opened the door and Mattheo walked into his room, finding Enz sprawled across his bed and playing cards with Beanie.
"Oh Master Beanie is sorry just Beanie was ask-" Beanie started, but his dad interrupted, "It's alright Beanie, carry on."
His dad let Mattheo go and looked at the two boys, seemingly contemplating something for a moment. "You may return back to school tonight when I have Tiberius collect you, I must leave then for Belarus and I believe I will bring your mother, so there is no point in you remaining. Do keep in mind what myself and Lucius have told you," his dad said before exiting and closing the door behind him.
"Dude...what the fuck just happened?" Enz asked.
"I think I freaked out when mom came through the floo, and my dad thinks I should just leave" Mattheo said, "Oh and I screamed at him and he forgot my birthday and I yelled at him about Umbitch," he added.
"Dude, never letting Pansy say you don't have balls again. What the fuck. He might kill you," Enzo said.
"I don't care," Mattheo said, "let him. It would be better than this fucking family."
"Hey don't say that, I'm not in hell and that's where you're going, you'd miss me too much," Enzo said, grinning.
Mattheo only laughed and hit him, before Enz hit back and they got in a pillow fight.
"Beanie says young masters don't fight!" Beanie yelled.
"Sorry Beanie," they said in unison.
"I don't know how you pull this shit Matty, any Death Eater so much as breathes at your dad in the wrong way and bam avada fucking kedavra, but you scream at him and he gives you a personal escort back to your room and saves you from your insane mother," Enzo said, shaking his head.
"He told me everything I owned was his," Mattheo said.
"Damn, he owns about 50 empty firewhiskey containers and 3 packs of cigarettes. The man's living the life," Enzo joked, and they both burst out into laughter.
"Dude, he owns a box of muggle condoms" Mattheo said through his fits of laughter, and the boys were both dying.
"Beanie doesn't understand you two" the house elf said, shaking her head, which only made them laugh harder.