Mattheo Riddle One Shots

The Boy Who Just Wanted a Friend

Warnings: FLUFF

Summary: mattheo riddle in his first year of hogwarts, trying to be outgoing and make friends as a little 11-year-old kid, but being pushed aside and left all alone because of the rumors he had yet to understand. looking around all confused when he walks up to people, asking to be friends, only to be left with all the kids his age outcasting him and looking at him like they're afraid. he'd just be hearing the whispers and seeing the eyes on him & wondering what it was that he did wrong.

Words: 1216

Mattheo Riddle had no idea what he was doing wrong.

It had only been a few days since he had arrived at Hogwarts, and already, something felt off. He'd been so excited to start his first year—just like every other eleven-year-old, eager to make friends, learn magic, and find his place. But that hope was quickly diminishing as he wandered the halls of Hogwarts, unsure of why no one seemed to want to talk to him.

As he walked through the corridors, he tried to smile and greet the other first years, but every time he did, they either looked away or, in some cases, actually took a step back as if they were afraid of him. Some whispered in hushed voices, casting furtive glances in his direction. Mattheo couldn't make out the words, but the tone was unmistakable. Fear. Apprehension.

He had never been a very outgoing kid, but he knew how to say "hello" and ask questions, just like anyone else. But every time he tried, it felt like he was pushing against a wall.

"Hey... uh, do you want to be friends?" Mattheo asked a group of giggling Gryffindor girls as they passed by him in the hallway, his voice a little more hopeful than he meant it to be.

The girls froze, glancing at each other awkwardly, their faces tight with discomfort. They quickly moved past him without saying a word, and Mattheo stood there, feeling the sting of rejection already. He felt his face flush and his stomach twist in confusion.

"What did I do wrong?" he muttered to himself, rubbing his face in frustration.

The rumors. That's what they were whispering about. He'd overheard snippets of conversation as he passed by: words like "he's got the same name as the Dark Lord" and "you know, he's probably dangerous too"—but none of it made sense to him. He didn't even understand what the big deal was. Sure, his name was similar to that name, but he wasn't that person. He wasn't anyone special. Just a boy trying to fit in.

Mattheo wandered further down the corridor, clutching his books tightly to his chest, feeling smaller with each passing step. It was as if the entire school had decided he was someone to avoid—someone to fear. He didn't know how to change that.

When he rounded a corner, he stopped in his tracks. A lone figure stood by the windowsill, humming softly to herself. It was a girl, a Hufflepuff, if he remembered correctly. Y/N, she was called.

Y/N was the only one who hadn't looked at him like he was dangerous. She'd smiled at him when they'd been sorted into their houses together and even waved from across the room when they'd bumped into each other in the Great Hall a few times. He had been grateful for her simple kindness, but at the same time, he didn't know how to approach her again without seeming too forward. After all, everyone else had been avoiding him, so surely, she must have heard the rumors too.

He hesitated for a moment, but then, feeling the loneliness gnawing at him, Mattheo pushed aside his self-doubt and walked toward her.

"Hey... Y/N, right?" His voice was soft, almost hesitant, as he stood a few feet away from her.

Y/N turned her head, offering him a warm smile that made Mattheo's heart skip a beat. Her eyes were kind, not like the others who had turned their backs on him.

"Yeah, that's me! How's it going, Mattheo?" She didn't hesitate. She wasn't scared or uncomfortable.

Mattheo blinked, surprised. She knew his name? And she wasn't pulling away?

"I... I was wondering if, um," he stammered, suddenly unsure of what he was even asking, "maybe you wanted to hang out sometime? I know we're in different houses, but it seems like you're the only one who hasn't, uh, avoided me."

Her smile didn't fade. In fact, it grew just a little bit wider as she considered his question.

"I'd love to," Y/N said easily, like it was the most natural thing in the world. "I mean, it's silly, right? We're just first years, we don't need to worry about rumors. Hogwarts is big enough for everyone to find their own place."

Mattheo let out a breath he didn't realize he had been holding. "You're not... you're not afraid of me?"

Y/N shook her head. "Afraid? Of you? Why would I be? You're just a kid like the rest of us. The only difference is, you've got a name people talk about." She paused, her eyes bright and sincere. "But names don't tell you who someone really is. Actions do."

Mattheo felt his chest loosen, the tension he'd been holding on to for days starting to unravel. For the first time since he'd arrived at Hogwarts, he didn't feel so alone.

"Thanks," he said quietly, looking down at his shoes for a moment. "No one really... wants to be my friend. They just... they think I'm dangerous, because of my name. But I didn't choose it. I didn't—"

Y/N cut him off, her tone gentle but firm. "Mattheo, people are stupid sometimes. They don't understand that names don't define us. And even if they did, we can still choose who we want to be. Don't let their whispers make you feel less than you are."

She looked at him with such sincerity, and in that moment, Mattheo realized how different she was. She wasn't like the others. She didn't care about the rumors. She just cared about him.

"Thank you," he repeated, the weight of the day lifting off his shoulders. "I... I really needed someone to say that."

Y/N grinned. "I'm happy to be the one to say it." Then, with a teasing glint in her eye, she added, "And if it makes you feel better, I'd say you're the least dangerous person I've met at Hogwarts. You should see some of the Slytherins. They have way scarier names than you."

Mattheo laughed, a light sound that felt foreign in his chest after all the isolation.

"Alright, then," he said with a little more confidence, "what do you want to do? I've got no idea how to make friends here."

Y/N shrugged, her eyes sparkling with mischief. "Well, I was thinking we could start by avoiding the Slytherins and grabbing some pumpkin juice. Sound good?"

"Perfect," Mattheo replied, feeling the smallest spark of excitement. Maybe, just maybe, Hogwarts wasn't going to be as lonely as he thought.

And for the first time, he was sure of one thing: he had found a real friend.