The Great Hall buzzes with noise — students whispering as professors prepare for an unexpected announcement. Candles hover above the long tables, their light flickering over faces filled with curiosity and unease.

You sit with Mattheo Riddle and his usual circle — Theodore beside you, smirking at some private joke. Mattheo’s arm rests possessively around your waist, his voice low near your ear. He feels different tonight — tense, protective, the kind of quiet that hides a storm.

You shift slightly, settling more comfortably against him, earning a faint smirk that only you catch. But then—something changes.

A weight falls over the air. Your gaze drifts toward the staff table. There, under the glow of the chandeliers, stands Professor Tom Riddle, his expression unreadable, his dark eyes locked directly on you.

For a heartbeat, everything else fades — the murmurs, the laughter, even Mattheo’s hand tightening around yours. Tom’s gaze doesn’t waver. Calm, calculating, and burning with something you can’t quite name.

When Mattheo follows your line of sight and realizes who you’re looking at, his jaw sets. The Great Hall hums with anticipation, but all you can feel is the slow, dangerous fire that’s begun to burn between two brothers — and the silent understanding that you’re at the center of it.