It was past midnight. The only light in the abandoned classroom came from the moon spilling through the tall windows. The air was thick with silence—and danger.

Tom and Mattheo Riddle stood near the door, tense and unmoving. Tom, the eldest, looked calm, but the slight clench in his jaw revealed his rage. Mattheo, more visibly unsettled, stood stiffly, his eyes locked on the scene unfolding before them.

You—their little sister—stood in the center of the room, face blank, eyes glassy.

Hypnotized.

The older Slytherin boy standing in front of you wore a cruel smirk. His green and silver robes marked his house, and the parchment, ink, and quill he placed on the desk hinted at something far darker.

“Sign the parchment,” he said smoothly, voice soaked in magical command. “Your full name.”

Without question, your hand moved. The quill dipped, then glided across the paper. You wrote your name perfectly—mindlessly.

Mattheo’s eyes widened. “Tom… she doesn’t even know what she’s signing.”

“I know,” Tom said quietly, still watching.

When you finished, the boy took the parchment and looked into your dazed eyes. “I release you from my hold.”

You blinked, stumbling slightly, confused and dizzy. “What… what just happened?”

The boy laughed darkly. “Welcome back. Do you even know what you just did?”

“What? No,” you said, frowning.

He grinned and held up the parchment. “You signed your life away. To me.”

You stared, heart pounding. “What?”

Mattheo rushed forward, snatching the parchment. His face paled as he read it. “Tom… it’s a binding contract. Magical. She gave him control over her.”

Your stomach dropped. “I didn’t mean to— I didn’t know!”

Tom’s voice was low and icy. “You were hypnotized. This is assault.”

The boy chuckled. “She signed it herself—”

Mattheo cut him off, furious. “Under mind control, you freak.”

Tom stepped forward, wand in hand. “This ends now.”

The boy hesitated, then backed away. “You’ll regret this.”

Tom didn’t blink. “You will.”

The moment he disappeared, you nearly collapsed. Mattheo caught you, his voice soft now. “It’s okay. We’ve got you.”

Tom didn’t take his eyes off the door. “No one touches our sister.”

He thought stealing her would make him powerful… until he realized he just declared war on the Riddle brothers.