only you mattheo riddle

~~~~♤11♤~~~~~

### **Chapter 11 - First Strike**

The castle halls were empty, the only sound the faint dripping of water somewhere in the distance. Midnight crept through the stone corridors like a living thing, wrapping us in its secrecy.

I moved silently, my boots barely making a sound against the cold floor. Behind me, Mattheo and Draco walked in sync, their expressions shadowed but determined. Blaise, Daphne, and Theo followed a few steps behind, their footsteps muted by the enchantments I had placed.

This was our first move. And if we were going to challenge the Ministry's grip on magic, we had to start somewhere they wouldn't see coming.

"The Restricted Section?" Blaise whispered. "Really? Not exactly the most *dangerous* place to start."

I shot him a smirk over my shoulder. "That's because you don't know what you're looking for."

He opened his mouth to retort, but Mattheo cut in. "Let's just get in and get out. No distractions."

The library loomed ahead, dark and cavernous. Even Filch and his mangy cat were nowhere to be seen, which meant the only obstacle left was the enchanted lock sealing off the Restricted Section.

I knelt in front of it, brushing my fingers over the metal. Wards. Old ones. Woven tightly with magic so subtle most wouldn't even notice.

But I wasn't most people.

Drawing a dagger from my boot, I pressed the tip to my palm, letting a single drop of blood fall onto the lock. The enchantments shivered, sensing something unfamiliar-something they weren't designed to resist.

A soft click.

The door eased open, revealing rows of forbidden knowledge.

Draco let out a low whistle. "And here I thought you just liked stabbing things."

I grinned, stepping inside. "Who says I don't?"

The others followed, fanning out through the aisles. Dust hung thick in the air, swirling in the faint light of our wands. Shelves stretched high, filled with books that had been hidden away for centuries.

We weren't here for just any book. We needed proof-something tangible that showed what magic the Ministry had buried.

"Over here," Daphne whispered, pulling a heavy tome from the shelf. The title was barely visible under layers of dust, but when she opened it, the words inside gleamed faintly, written in ink that shimmered like liquid shadow.

*Rituals of the Old Blood.*

A thrill ran through me. This was it.

Mattheo leaned over her shoulder, eyes scanning the pages. "Blood rites. Binding spells. Necromantic ties." He looked up at me. "This is exactly what they don't want anyone seeing."

"Which is why we're taking it," I said, shutting the book with a soft thud.

Theo glanced toward the entrance. "We should go before-"

A loud *bang* cut him off.

The doors to the Restricted Section slammed shut behind us.

A slow, deliberate scraping sound echoed through the library. Footsteps. But not human ones.

I tensed, my hand already reaching for my dagger. "We're not alone."

The shadows between the shelves shifted, and a pair of glowing yellow eyes flickered into existence.

The castle had noticed us.

And it wasn't happy.