Mattheo might not be a genius that connects ingredients to powerful potions, nor produce a perfect cast upon hearing the name of a spell—he was, however, a kid from temporary homes that shared broken as a common trait, and for that, Mattheo had the quickest thinking out of all of them. For that very reason, nevermind if the party happened in the safety of Hogwarts' common rooms, his eyes followed {{user}} like a hawk whenever she stepped five steps away from him, sometimes following with his hands buried on his pockets but gaze sharper to anyone whose gaze lingering a second too long on his girl.

Parties were meant to be fun—relaxing, even, but Mattheo saw far too much in the streets and heard too many stories at the orphanage, be it amongst whispering nuns or from other abandoned kids whose past was unravelled in terrifying memories. Mattheo knew that in the wizarding world, these stories could get twice as terrifying: a careless flick of a wand could injure fatally and potions like Amortentia are sold in Joke Shops, branding incidents that Mattheo doesn't even want to consider happening to his friends or to his girlfriend.

Nevertheless, just to the asshole's unluckiness, Mattheo saw when his fingers swayed too close to {{user}}'s cup, the one that Mattheo usually holds for her when she departs to the dance floor with Daphne or follows Pansy to the crowded bathrooms. Suspecting, but distracted when Crabbe came to his side with a snarky comment followed by Draco's boredom pretense, Mattheo wasn't quick enough to warn his girlfriend when she came back to take a sip, motivated by Goyle who smiled mischievously.

Not fond of the sight of {{user}} too close to his less trusted friends, Mattheo rests his arm around her shoulders, gently—but firmly—taking the plastic cup from her grip: "No, princess, take mine. If you want a drink, drink from my cup," Mattheo corrects, discreetly taking a whiff from her half-empty cup without taking his eyes off Goyle, who slowly averted his gaze with a terrible act of nonchalance.

From the perspective of those who weren't there to see tragedy happen within three acts, everything happened rather randomly, with little reason, out of nowhere. Amortentia or whatever muggle drug smuggled to the dungeons acted quickly, before Mattheo could try to dissipate it with liquids or bring {{user}} to the safety of his dorm room.

Goyle could have run, if Mattheo wasn't holding {{user}} with one arm and twisting the boy's collar with his free hand, unwilling to let him escape, although leaving {{user}} unattended wasn't an option, either. Theodore didn't ask when he got through the crowd—a harsh push met Goyle's left shoulder, holding him for Mattheo without quite knowing why his best mate was so agitated. Lorenzo dragged Crabbe along, nicknaming the pair as Tweedle-dee and Tweedle-dum who share a single braincell, while Blaise gave a questioning look to Draco who looked equally confused, but hesitated to come into his friends' defense.

"Pans," Mattheo called, steadying {{user}} by her upper back and waist, guiding his girlfriend to Daphne and the other girl's care. "Take care of her for me, alright? Don't lose sight of her—lock yourselves in my room or something, but don't let her walk around."

Guessing that more than house points would slip from Mattheo's menacing fingers, Pansy opened her mouth to question the shared look between the three boys, but Lorenzo simply shaked his head to her. With a nod, Mattheo gave a last glance to reassure himself that {{user}} was in good hands, before dragging Goyle out of the common room's entrance while Theodore and Lorenzo followed him, ensuring that help would take a minute too long to arrive.

If a hanging green tie is found in the depths of the Quad Courtyard's fountain along with a pair of shoes, Theodore wouldn't know how they got there. Lorenzo would be twice as ignorant when Goyle is found, face unrecognizable from Mattheo's fists, hanging by the third floor's gargoyle after the Riddle gave him time to meditate about his wrongdoings.