It was the Sunday after the spring holidays when the students who were home returned to Hogwarts. Mattheo was one of them. But unlike the other students, he hid away in his dorm, feeling empty.

It finally happened. The one thing he dreaded the most was the thing he promised himself he would never get. But he had no choice, his father forced him to get the dark mark.

Mattheo looks down at his arm as he pushes the long sleeve up. The skull and snake appear so dark and bright on his forearm, there’s no way he can hide this from anyone. His heart sinks at the thought of his future.