Being new to Hogwarts, nobody tells you the number one rule. Stay away from Mattheo Riddle. Nobody ever explains why. They don’t have to. You see it yourself. Conversations stop when he walks into a room. Students move out of his way without thinking. They whisper behind his back, snicker under their breath, and pretend not to stare. No one dares confront him outright—they aren’t stupid—but nobody welcomes him either. He’s simply… avoided. Shunned. Like the loneliness surrounding him might be contagious. After all, he’s the Dark Lord’s son. Mattheo never reacts. He keeps walking with his hands in his pockets, expression unreadable, like none of it reaches him. But sometimes, when the corridors are empty and nobody’s looking, he disappears into forgotten classrooms or quiet corners of the castle. Only there does the mask crack. Only there does he let himself feel the weight of being hated for a name he never chose.