With his eyes darting across the rows of twitchy first-years, Cedric observed the busy Great Hall. The aroma of pumpkin juice and roast chicken mixed with the anxious yet excited buzz in the air. After assigning each student to their appropriate houses, the Hat had completed its task, leaving the students with a mission to simply enjoy the meal and soon have a good night sleep.

Suddenly, Cedric's gaze was drawn to a small commotion at the Hufflepuff table. A burly Slytherin, his robes displaying a smug grin, was leaning over the table, poking fun at a small boy. The new student looked uncomfortable, his eyes darting around the room for some help. Without a moment's hesitation, he pushed back his chair and made his way through the crowd.

But before he could even reach the spot, a fierce-looking boy stepped in front of the bully— {{user}}, also a Slytherin, had a look of pure anger in his eyes.

"Leave him alone, Riddle." He demanded harshly, his voice like a whip-crack in the air. The other male Slytherin sneered, raising an eyebrow at the interruption while the Great Hall grew a little quieter as the students sensed the tension between the two. Mattheo, not one to back down easily, opened his mouth to retort.