what happens when there's no more life in me for you to kill?
Great Hall- Hogwarts Castle
After an odd ride from the train to the castle, where they shared a carriage with Loony Lovegood and Neville, Hermione was glad to once again be in the sanctuary of learning.
Sitting at the Gryffindor table in the Great Hall, Hermione and the boys were excitedly chatting with the rest of their housemates, catching up on the activities of the summer. People throughout the room were casting distrustful glances at Harry, including some house members like Seamus Finnigan. Hermione’s eyes narrowed at their pointed stares daring them to say anything to Harry.
Dumbledore announced the arrival of the new Defense Against the Dark Arts teacher, Dolores Umbridge, sent by the ministry to keep an eye on the Headmaster. Hermione added it to the unending list of things she needed to worry about this year. The ministry woman had the gall to interrupt Dumbledore in the middle of his speech to introduce herself. Finally, she stopped talking and the Headmaster took to the podium once again.
A few moments passed before Dumbledore announced the arrival of a new fifth-year student urging them to welcome him with open arms, and warning the students that the new student had been allowed to bring his preexisting familiar which happened to be a Snow Leopard, that was not to be approached, warning them to call for a Professor if they ran into the beast.
The doors to the Great Hall opened and First years came streaming in, faces tipped up in wonder at the charmed ceiling of the Great Hall. Hermione was filled with a sense of nostalgia, her entire world had opened up when she arrived at Hogwarts, and she wished these students luck in the upcoming years.
In the back of the group strode Mattheo Riddle, in immaculate Hogwarts robes, full of a certain arrogance. As they reached the front of the hall where Professor McGonagall strode up to the dias to place the Sorting hat on the stool waiting there. The hat proceeded to sing its annual welcome song, full of riddles.
In times of old when I was new,
And Hogwarts barely started
The founders of our noble school
Thought never to be parted:
United by a common goal,
They had the selfsame yearning,
To make the world’s best magic school
And pass along their learning.
Never did they dream that they
Might someday be divided
But then discord crept among us
Feeding our faults and fear
Turned upon each other and,
Divided sought to rule.
With dueling and fighting
And clash of friend on friend
At last, came a morning
When old Slytherin departed.
And now the Sorting hat is here
And you all know the score
I sort you into houses
Because that is what I’m for,
But this year I’ll go further,
Oh, I know the perils, read the signs,
The warning history shows,
For our Hogwarts is in danger
From external deadly foes
And internal forces that cause woe.
Heirs returned to do the work
Their ancestors had abandoned,
And left behind a goddess
By who your fate will be decided
Keep an eye out for your friends,
You never know who’s holding a wand out behind you.
Let the sorting now begin.
The students were stunned at the hat’s warning but clapped regardless at the finish of the song, but all clapping died when Professor McGonagall lifted the hat, looked at the scroll in her hand with the incoming student’s names, and read aloud, “We are going to start with the new fifth year, Mattheo Riddle”
You could’ve heard a pin drop in the room, but Mattheo was unfazed, striding confidently up the steps and settling himself on the stool. The hat hovered over his head for a few moments before shouting “Slytherin!” Mattheo hopped off the chair and winked at Professor Dumbledore before quickly pecking Professor McGonagall on the cheek and walking towards the Slytherin table.
Professor McGonagall looked dazed, mouth dropped open in shock before she collected herself and pulled her robes tight to her body before sending him a disapproving glare.
Ron spoke first breaking their silence over the turn of events, “Oi, he’s a cheeky one, aye? No surprise he made Slytherin. Guess it’s good that Harry already took care of the basilisk. Although sounds like he brought another animal with him, better watch after Crooks, ‘Mione, he’s not the largest cat around anymore.”
Harry burst out laughing at his joke, Hermione was ready to give him a piece of her mind but Harry hooked an arm around her shoulder “Lighten up, ‘Mione. In any case, he’s not wrong”
The first years were sorted quickly, and the feast promptly began.
Hermione and Ron had to help escort the First Years to Gryffindor Tower, standing from her seat Hermione locked eyes with Mattheo. He was watching her, standing with Draco who was also preparing to escort the new students, the blonde noticed where he was looking and lifted the corner of his mouth in a sneer. She sneered back at him and returned to her task. She was determined to be the bigger person, for now. She didn’t have the time or energy to combat Malfoy’s attitude this year, there were bigger things to worry about.
Classes started and Hermione found herself alone in Ancient Runes and Arithmancy, the boys opting out of those classes. Unfortunately, luck was not in her favour and she found herself sitting next to or near Mattheo in both classes.
He didn’t say much of anything to her, just smirked when he noted her displeasure at having to sit next to him. Her plan to avoid this very situation was completely obliterated.
She found herself unsettled by him, her magic harder to reign in. It tried to break from her hold and reach for him. She wondered if this was what Harry felt like all the time.
That afternoon at lunch Hermione met up with the boys at the Gryffindor table, joined by the twins, Ginny, and Luna. Hermione didn’t understand Luna, and that made her uncomfortable. She tended to make cryptic and nonsensical comments, completely throwing off the people around her.
They discussed continuing their training from the summer. Hermione initially lashed out at Ginny for making the suggestion in mixed company, but Harry waved her off and invited Luna on his own. Luna rewarded his kindness with a suggestion that they use the Room of Requirement to train. Harry called over Neville, who had defended Harry in the Gryffindor common room last night, when Seamus accused Harry of lying about Lord Voldemort returning and quickly invited him as well.
While Hermione had no personal qualms with Neville or Luna it made her nervous to include so many people. It was a variable Hermione couldn’t control. As if having read Hermione’s thoughts, Luna spoke “Don’t worry about the wands Hermione.”
Hermione was dumbstruck, she gripped her wand in the pocket of her outer robes, “What do you mean Luna?”
“I could see the nargles swarming, I just wanted to put you at ease,” she responded before bounding off to speak to someone at the Ravenclaw table.
Hermione was in a state of shock. There was no way Luna could know about the wands she’d procured for herself and Harry. Hermione kept hers locked in a secret compartment of her trunk, and she knew Harry had most likely hidden his as well. Hermione looked at Harry in panic, but he just shrugged, “It’s just Luna, ‘Mione, not everyone is an enemy”
Hermione pulled at her hair out of stress everyone is a threat Harry, everyone that isn’t us, or did you not hear the hat’s warning? she thought.
It had always just been the three of them with the addition of the other Weasleys and now Luna and Neville, Hermione was worried about being displaced. She didn’t want to lose her role and her importance to Harry and Ron.
The trio all had Defence against the Dark Arts together after lunch and made their way to class with the new professor, unsure of what to expect from her. The class was shared with Slytherin so once again Hermione was stuck in the same class as Mattheo, and once again he deduced her disquiet at that fact. He winked at her as he sat down at the desk diagonally across from the one she shared with Lavender. Harry and Ron sat together at the desk across from hers behind Mattheo and Draco.
Finally settled into their seats, they pulled out their new textbooks, which looked like they belonged in a magic primary school, and wands. Professor Umbridge quickly stated that they needed only their text, parchment, and ink, to which Hermione was confused “Aren’t we doing any practical magic?”
“Why would you need to practice? This is a class on the theory of Defence, that’s all you need to know.”
“What if we get attacked? All the reports of missing people in the Daily Prophet this summer…”
“Five points from Gryffindor. You would do well to not interrupt in class young lady. I wouldn’t want to have to remind you of your place in this world. Reports in the Daily Prophet have been wrong before. As we learned after all, the claim of a certain Dark Wizard returning the past school year, was in fact, false.”
Harry pushed back his chair “It was not false! How else did Cedric die then?”
“It was an unfortunate consequence of the Tri-Wizard Tournament, it is very dangerous as you know.”
“How dare you, I was there! Saw it with my own eyes, the Dark Lord has returned, Peter Pettigrew cut me with a ceremonial knife I still have the mark” Harry rolled up his sleeves, students in the class looking around each other to catch a glimpse.
“That is ENOUGH! I will have no more talk of this rubbish. Another ten points from Gryffindor, and you will see me for detention Mr Potter tomorrow evening.”
Umbridge turned around and proceeded to assign reading for the remainder of the class.
Once the day was over, Ron and Harry met Hermione in the library where she was reading Hogwarts a History.
“Hermione, it’s the first day of classes, why are you already in the library?” Ron asked.
“I think Luna might be right.”
Harry put a hand on Hermione’s forehead, and she quickly brushed it away, “What are you doing Harry? Seriously?”
“I’m just checking to make sure you’re alright. Are you feeling ill? How many fingers am I holding up? Ron, do you think she’s come down with something?”
Ron, never one to shy away from an opportunity to take the piss joined in “I don’t know Harry, she may need to go see Madame Pompfrey.”
Hermione was laughing along, she couldn’t help herself.
“As I was saying, Luna is right, the Room of Requirement would be perfect. Do you think you can ask her to show you after dinner? I need to get some homework done before rounds.”
“Hermione, it’s the first day,” Ron repeated.
“Yes, Ron I know, but it’s O.W.L. 's year and I need to begin preparing. Time tables, for studying, class and training, S.P. E.W. let’s not forget we have prefect duties as well. I can’t let my studies fall behind.”
“Hermione, leave the elves alone, you’re going to make them mad and their anger will spread to us.”
“How exactly am I going to anger them? I’m trying to fight for them.”
“Hermione, not everyone needs a champion,” Ron spoke quietly, tucking a loose strand of hair behind her ear, “Some just need kindness and understanding.”
Hermione scoffed, “Of course, you don’t understand, it’s SLAVERY.”
“It’s not me who doesn’t understand the cultural implications of what they’re doing, Hermione. Why don’t you ask the elves themselves and ask them how they feel? Not every elf is like Dobby”
Hermione was about to respond when Harry wrapped a hand around her mouth “Right, that’s enough bickering you too, I’ll ask Luna to show me later.”
That night Hermione and Ron met Harry in the common room and asked him about how things went with Luna. Harry confirmed it was the perfect place and would supply everything they would need.
__________________________________Sinner, Pt. 3 Phora
Mattheo occluded so hard as he walked down the aisle to be sorted he could barely hear the sounds around him. Everything was muffled, like having your head under water.
During the summer he’d helped train Draco, Theo, and Blaise. He didn’t mind their company surprisingly, though they were softer around the edges than his friends from Drumstrang.
They were willing to wreak a little havoc with him in any case. Helping him steal fifty-year-old liquor, finding spots on the grounds to build the bonfires they’d gotten drunk around. They told him stories of Hogwarts, and Draco mentioned Harry Potter quite a lot.
Mattheo had been actively avoiding his father and the man, if you could even call him that, seemed content to leave him alone for the most part.
He’d requested Mattheo’s presence a few days after he’d arrived at Malfoy Manor, wanted to test him, his strength, duelling, and occlumency.
He’d managed to keep his walls up under the mental assault. He’d tried every approach, a whisper against occlumency shields, then progressively got more brutal, attempting to shatter them with magic from within Mattheo’s psyche. Then, the one that shouldn’t have shocked Mattheo at all, he crucio’d him while also casting Legilimens, but he’d held his shields firm. He’d trained like this before, with Regulus and Evan, though they weren’t half as brutal as his father was, and would each have to cast one spell.
Lord Voldemort commanded him to duel directly after, Mattheo realized this was a clinical assessment in his Father’s mind. It didn’t occur to him to try to get to know Mattheo at all. At least not until he had tested him and found him worthy. This tempted him into letting him win, just so he could watch his father rage about his incompetence but he found he wanted to prove him wrong, anger him with his capability.
Two weeks later he was called into his father’s study and offered a glass of firewhiskey, he took the tumbler but looked at it suspiciously.
“I know you’ve been stealing bottles to drink with those boys. I’d scold you but I don’t necessarily blame you. I was doing much worse at your age.”
Mattheo just looked at him, surprised by his attitude. He watched as his father sat at his desk and moved forward to sit in a leather chair across from him. He mirrored his father as they both took a sip from their glasses. Mattheo sat back against the chair, relaxing his body and widening his legs, his father on the other hand just leaned forward, placing his elbows on the desk and holding the glass in both hands.
“Not that I’m not grateful for the libations but is there a reason why you called me here?”
The Dark Lord shook his head and his lip lifted slightly in the corners, he was visibly amused and Mattheo didn’t know if he should begin ducking in case a crucio came flying at him or laugh.
“I supposed I can’t exactly blame you for your attitude, but you’ll need to tone it down in front of the others Mattheo. I can’t have you visibly disrespecting me.”
“Respect is earned, Father, and you’ve yet to earn mine. This is the first you’ve called on me that doesn’t include torture. What exactly do you expect me to feel towards you? Grateful?”
Standing to his full height the Dark Lord's chair slammed back against the floor-to-ceiling windows that had a beautiful view of the gardens, “I expect you to leash your impulses. Every thought that comes into your head does not need to be spoken. You do not understand the person I am, and that’s fine, I wouldn’t expect you to, nor I, you, but we are family. You are the last male heir of two distinguished lines. You have greatness flowing in your veins, do not squander it. Harness it." He took a breath.
“You want me to be your villain? Fine, It won’t hurt me to be the monster everyone paints me out to be to one more person but you are my son, my progeny, and I refuse to send you out into the world already more vulnerable than you’ve been for the last 14 years. Hogwarts will not be the same as Drumstrang, magical prowess is not celebrated there. Everyone outside of Slytherin’s house will see you as the enemy for simply existing. You will continue to train, you will train until your core screams and your hand holds splinters from your wand. You will become proficient in wandless and silent casting. You were born of blood, prophecy, ritual, and sacrifice. Do not let that sacrifice be in vain to spite me. Do this for yourself, prove to everyone you are not a shadow of my accomplishments or the lesser-born child.”
Mattheo was furious; he threw the tumbler at the windows behind his father and stood abruptly leaning forward over the desk, bracing his hands on the top of it. With a cold and detached tone, he responded, “Has it occurred to you that you’ve painted this target on my back and now you want me to fend off the hunters alone? Sending me into a den of snakes. What cause have I to be afraid of them Father? I am the heir apparent of Salazar Slytherin. I have duelled against darkness that would make these Brits soil their sheets in the north. I wrap myself in the hides of bears I’ve slain with my bare hands. I am not afraid of them, I will be a basilisk among garden snakes and they will get in line, whether I have to show them the way or they do it willingly.”
He stepped back staring unflinchingly at his father, he had no doubt now that he’d receive a crucio for his insolence, if not an avada, but his father barked out a laugh, came around the desk, and placed an arm on his shoulder and whispered the words of house Gaunt in his ear in parseltongue “Always in power, son”
Mattheo laid in bed that night pleased with himself, he’d passed another test and despite the conflicting feelings he held towards the man he wanted to prove himself. He wasn’t a spare, he was powerful in his own right, and he was here, while his sister was in the wind.
The remainder of the summer was full of individual training with his father and more training with Draco and his friends, as well as Severus, one of his father’s Death Eaters. His father had told him the man was to be his head of house at Hogwarts and to go to him if he needed to contact his father directly. He was also informed Evan would be accompanying him to Hogwarts in animagus form. How Lord Malfoy managed to get a Snow Leopard as an approved familiar Mattheo didn’t know. He assumed bribery.
A witch came to the manor to fit Mattheo for school robes, Lady Malfoy insisted they stay at the manor and not venture out into wizarding Britain until after his announcement back into wizarding society at Hogwarts.
Finally, it was time to board the train to Hogwarts and they stood at Platform 9 ¾, Regulus accompanied him, Evan was arriving via floo, the conductor refused to have a predator on board. Mattheo scoffed at that, there had been bigger predators than a Snow Leopard on board this train before.
Looking across the platform he noticed a girl with untamed curly hair talking with her friends, she turned and locked eyes with him before frowning, realization dawned on her face before she stalked off into the train. He was intrigued by her and turned to Malfoy to inquire as to her identity. “Who was that girl Draco? With the bushy hair?”
“Must be Granger if she was standing near scarface over there. Filthy little mud-blood, the girl is a menace.”
“You’ll introduce us on the train,” he said, before stalking towards the Hogwarts Express. He didn’t need to tell Draco to follow, he would do that willingly, regardless of his former position as a leader in their house, Slytherins were nothing if not self-preserving and knew when to cede ground.
They made their way to a compartment where Theo and Blaise were already waiting with a girl who had black hair cut in a severe bob and a slightly upturned nose. The boys rose as soon as they saw Mattheo in the doorway and dipped their heads, the girl looked at them confused, “Who are you?”
“Pansy,” Theo lightly tugged on her elbow in warning and whispered in her ear. Whatever he said must have gotten through to her because her face paled and she did a slight bow quickly.
“I assure you, that’s not necessary, we are all going to be great friends,” Mattheo said, giving a winning smile, before choosing the seat Blaise had vacated.
After some time Draco came back to the train compartment, finally released from his meeting, and nodded to Mattheo motioning towards the door.
Mattheo followed him through the train cars until they stopped in front of the bushy-haired witch. Now that Mattheo was in close proximity to her, he felt her magic reach out to his, just a slight brush, but her magic was soothing, like a balm. It felt familiar to him, but that was impossible because he'd never met this girl before. Despite what Draco had told him about her being an insufferable swot Mattheo thought she looked just as lost as he was, and he wanted to break through the facade she showed everyone to the actual person who lurked underneath.
After the sorting ceremony, where he was predictably sorted into Slytherin house, and dinner he followed Severus down to his office, where Evan was waiting.
He clearly wasn’t pleased he’d been given this babysitting job, Mattheo wasn’t keen on being babysat either, but better Evan than Reggie, who would be scolding him left and right. After a short debrief, Evan shifted into his animagus form and followed them through the halls growling at students if they got too close or started to approach him. Mattheo had luckily gotten a room to himself in the Slytherin dungeons, the fifth-year rooms were taken and Severus convinced Dumbledore it was best, due to his “familiar.”
When he walked into the common room all noise ceased and the students lined up, Severus addressed them as a whole “As you have probably deduced, recent events will probably prompt some of the other houses to look on us even more unfavourably. Whatever issues you have with each other do not leave this common room. When you walk the halls, you are united. Do not pick unnecessary fights, or pander to the Gryffindorish attitudes. I expect you to help your housemates should they need you, if you cannot interfere, or offer adequate assistance then come find me. Last order to business, I’d like to extend the warmest welcome to our newest snakes, as well as to Mattheo Riddle who, as you know, transferred this year. That will be all, the prefects have your schedules and will hand them out.” he turned quickly and left the room, robes billowing.
Everyone in the room turned to look at Mattheo once he was gone, expecting something, a lot of the older students bowed their heads when he made eye contact with them. Their families must have worked for his father or have some ties to him anyway. As useful as it was, he wanted to earn their respect on his own, not because they didn’t want to anger his father. He’d have to teach them he was the one they needed to worry about upsetting, not his father.
Mattheo flashed a smile “I guess I should properly introduce myself, Mattheo Riddle, heir of Slytherin.”