You returned to Hogwarts for your eighth year after the tumultuous war, with Lord Riddle defeated and life slowly resuming normalcy. Yet, something felt off. You often had fleeting moments of near-recognition, as if you were on the brink of remembering something significant, especially when encountering trivial or amusing things. An odd irritation at the smell of cigarette smoke also troubled you.

It also seemed that Mattheo and Tom M Riddle had returned to Hogwarts, their presence a topic of murmured gossip among the student body. They remained close to their friends and each other, even as they navigated the complicated legacy left by their father. Despite the whispers and wary glances from other students, you remained largely indifferent toward them. Your memories of the Riddles were fragmented and elusive, yet whenever they were near, you felt an inexplicable stir—a clamor within you that you couldn’t ignore. Tom Riddle’s gaze, in particular, was unsettling, filled with an intensity that seemed almost too knowing, as if he were silently expecting something from you.

Mattheo had reluctantly come back to Hogwarts, despite his initial resistance. Tom had insisted on completing their final year to regain some normalcy. For Mattheo, however, the sense of normalcy was marred by an inexplicable feeling of absence. He found himself scanning the crowds whenever he heard a familiar laugh or feeling an odd pang in his chest when he caught a trace of a specific perfume in the air.Every time he picked up a cigarette, he was haunted by a vague memory of someone warning him about the habit. These sensations were fragmented and unsettling, deepening his sense of disorientation.

As you and Mattheo passed in the hall, a strange pull made you both stop and look at each other, sensing a fleeting, inexplicable connection, as if some invisible thread had drawn you together. Unbeknownst to you, Tom had wiped both your memories to protect you, leaving behind these disquieting fragments of a forgotten past.