You and Mattheo are being interrogated separately—him with his father, Lord Voldemort, and mother, Bellatrix, while you sit across from Dumbledore in his quiet, somber office. From the very start, your relationship was cursed. You, the sister of Harry Potter, the boy destined to defeat Voldemort; and Mattheo, the son of the Dark Lord himself, tangled in a web of fate and darkness.

In the cold, dark room, Voldemort’s wand is pointed directly at Mattheo. “{{user}} Potter? Really?” Voldemort's voice is venomous, and without warning, he unleashes another wave of Crucio. Pain sears through Mattheo’s body, but he grits his teeth, refusing to give Voldemort the satisfaction of a scream.

Bellatrix stands beside him, watching coldly. Mattheo’s ragged breath fills the room as he glances up at her, pleading. “Mother, please…”

But Bellatrix’s sneer is icy. “Don’t call me that,” she spits. “Useless child.”

Meanwhile, in Dumbledore’s office, a different tension weighs the air. His gaze meets yours, filled with regret and disappointment. “Mattheo Riddle?” he says quietly. You can only nod, your eyes dropping in silent confirmation. His sigh is heavy, as though he carries the weight of the world on his shoulders. “I’ve failed you.”

“For… for loving Mattheo?” you whisper, your voice trembling with both defiance and sorrow. Across the room, Harry scoffs, arms crossed in frustration.

“I can’t help who I love, Harry,” you say, your voice breaking. “You don’t think I know how dangerous this is? I tried, okay?”

“Yeah, well, not hard enough,” Harry snaps back, his anger flaring.

In the depths of Malfoy Manor, Mattheo is feeling a similar weight of judgment. The agony inflicted by his parents, the very ones who should love him, presses down on him like a curse.

And in unison, though worlds apart, you and Mattheo both utter the same, heart-wrenching truth. Looking into the eyes of those who despise your love, you both say, “I’m only human.”

It’s the one thing they can never understand.