How do you think Mattheo would feel about the whole blood supremacy thing? Idk why but whenever I read fics that mention it, it doesnāt feel right. I donāt imagine him to be all āoh I donāt care about your blood at all, thatās all rubbishā instantly, I need to know more about why he thinks that if he does.ššš
ohhh I love this! Iāve been thinking about this lately!
Źį“į“” į“į“į“į“Źį“į“ ŹÉŖį“
į“
Źį“ Ņį“į“Źs į“Źį“į“į“ į“į“Źį“ŹŹį“į“į“
sį“į“Źį“į“į“į“Ź?
The first thing we have to understand about the whole āPureblood supremacyā thing is that itās a prejudice.
Itās the belief that some wizards are superior to others, depending on who they descend from. Or, in other words, on how much Muggle heritage they supposedly have āstainingā their blood.
And the thing about prejudices is that they arenāt something youāre born with. People acquire them, at least to some degree, as they grow up within society.
Thatās why I think itās complicated to perfectly define how Mattheo Riddle views this particular prejudice.
The tricky thing about Mattheo is that, since heās not a canon character, his entire background can vary quite a bit. And although his personality tends to remain more or less the same across most portrayals, when it comes to something as deeply rooted as ideology, the environment in which someone was raised matters a lot.
The way Mattheo acts towards blood supremacy depends on whether you portray him as growing up on the Muggle World or on the Wizarding World.
I personally prefer to portray Mattheo as being raised in the magical world btw!
If he was raised on the Muggle World:
If Mattheo Riddle was raised in the Muggle World (probably in an orphanage like his father, or passed from one foster home to another), he probably wouldnāt even understand what the whole thing meant at first.
Muggleborns? Half-bloods? Purebloods? Honestly, the most surprising part for Mattheo would be how Pureblood wizards seemed to know every single generation of their family by heart, while not long ago he didnāt even know who his own parents were.
When Dumbledore first came to Mattheoās home to explain the Wizarding World and Hogwarts to him, he had already mentioned a few things about Mattheoās parents. How his father was a very bad man who had done terrible things. Of course, he didnāt go into much detail about Voldemort being a literal psychopathic war leader; Mattheo was just eleven years old, after all, and the whole āyouāre a wizardā revelation was already a lot to digest on its own.
The other kids at Hogwarts, on the other hand, didnāt really bother to show that same level of sensitivity. So it didnāt take too long for him to figure the rest out.
And in every single universe, no matter what background heās given, one thing remains immutable:
When Mattheo Riddle first arrives at Hogwarts, everyone has already decided who he is before he even gets a chance to introduce himself.
And between those who avoided him at all costs, the bullies, and the curious gossipmongers, Mattheo felt completely alone for quite a while. at least until he eventually found his circle of friends.
Since he was raised in the Muggle World, he didnāt quite fit in with the Purebloods.
And because of his last name, Muggle-borns wouldnāt dare set a foot less than two meters away from him.
Hell, even Half-Bloods seemed to either outright bully him with some twisted sense of ārevengeā for his fatherās actions, or simply side-eye him with visible distrust whenever he passed by.
The reason Iām going through all this is because, as tempting as it might be to assume that a Mattheo who grew up in the Muggle World wouldnāt care about blood purity at all, I actually believe itād be exactly the opposite.
Imagine a young boy who never truly had a home, and spent most of his life feeling abandoned by his parents, finally discovering this whole new, magical world that seemed his, only to later realize he was unwanted there too. Surrounded by people who despised him for the crimes of a man he never even met.
All of that, while watching the blatant difference in how people treated him compared to Harry Potter, the boy who, according to what Mattheo had heard, had killed his father.
So I believe that, eventually, all the ache Mattheo felt from this shattered sense of hope turned into the one emotion every version of Mattheo Riddle knows all too well: anger.
But the particularity of a Muggle-raised Mattheo is that his anger wasnāt merely directed at his fatherās legacy; after all, he didnāt even fully grasp the depth of it at first.
His rage was directed toward the only part that he could understand: the kids who messed with him at Hogwarts.
This version of Mattheo doesnāt have anyone. Not even a single person, being them good or bad, to protect him. So he leans into the one thing he does have: the shadow of his fatherās legacy.
As much as he didnāt completely understand why his father was so feared, Mattheo slowly began to lean into that fear people felt. He took some sick, twisted satisfaction in intimidating people with it.
Iām not saying Mattheo would ever be a āYoung Draco Malfoy 2.0,ā walking around freely calling people slurs or whatever just for the fun of it. Thatās not him. And to be completely fair, even in this scenario, I donāt believe Mattheo would actually believe in the concept of blood supremacy.
However, I do think he would use it to hurt people when he wanted to. I can definitely see Mattheo spitting out āMudbloodā or something just as cruel when heās seething with anger. Even if he regrets it later, even if deep down he doesnāt even believe in the prejudice at all.
Mattheo is ridiculously impulsive, sometimes his body acts before his brain can even try catching up to it. And when heās angry, itās even worse. He knows exactly what to say to make it hurt badly, and when heās blinded by his anger, thatās exactly what he wants to do.
I think Mattheo is definitely the type to go really low mid-fight, say the most unbelievable, horrible, stupid things, and then instantly regret them, and absolutely hating himself for it right after.
Still, I donāt think this behavior would have anything to do with him actually believing in āblood superiority.ā Itās not about the ideology, but more of a weapon. A way to strike back when he feels cornered or powerless, which he used to feel a lot as a kid.
In addition, I strongly believe that a Muggle-raised Mattheo would be far more vulnerable to being manipulated by Voldemort in his hypothetical return.
Again, not because heād ever believe in the cause itself, but because of his HUGE abandonment issues and the complete lack of any parental figures in his life. Voldemort would see right through that, and heād know exactly how to manipulate that desperate need for belonging and approval.
I think this version of Mattheo is the most likely one to be pushed to extremes by Voldemortās influence, even if it meant betraying his morals and hurting people close to him. Even if he realized how awful his father truly was.
(I could spend hours going on about how complicated is Mattheo and Voldemortās relationship)
And if, in this scenario, he ended up falling in love, or at least forming a close bond, with someone who was Muggleborn, things could get really heavy. It would turn into a real, ugly internal war between Mattheoās desperate craving for his fatherās approval and his care for those close to him.
But if we take away the whole āVoldemortās returnā situation, things would definitely be a lot less complicated. In that case, I really donāt see Mattheo caring about someoneās blood status at all. The problem, however, would be his terrible tendency to speak before he thinks, saying things he canāt take back.
As I said, I donāt think heās a genuine believer in the concept of blood purity, but he can absolutely act like he did sometimes. As fucked up as it is, thatās always been something Mattheo falls back on when heās feeling unsafe or insecure. Especially if you meet him when heās still young and doesnāt know how to deal with everything he feels.
But, like everyone, he grows. Thanks Merlin. He meets people who make him feel safe and wanted, and little by little, that behavior starts fading away. And even though Mattheoās a hard person to get close to by default, once you manage to break through those walls, he becomes fiercely protective of the people he loves. He would never let anyone disrespect them, let alone call them a slur.
Do I think Mattheo is a believer of blood status as a measure of greatness? No. If anything, heās met enough Purebloods to know that many of them are, quite frankly, as dumb as a rock.
But I do believe this version of Mattheo might occasionally act in ways that mirror blood supremacist behavior. Not because he believes in it, but because when Mattheo Riddle is angry or insecure, he likes to hit where it will hurt the most.
Even if, deep down, heās utterly disgusted by his fatherās actions, this version of Mattheo is, in my opinion, way less bothered to result to these behaviors, or even to his fatherās reputation, when heās spiraling into one of his raging, self-destructive fits.
Does he care about your blood status? I donāt think so. As I said, I donāt think he actually believes in the concept of blood purity. But in a scenario where Voldemort returns and messes with Mattheoās emotional, everything could become very complicated.
Now, if he was raised in the Wizarding World:
(iām not going to deepen much on his background details in this version because this already is how I always portray him and described in my mattheo riddle portrayal.)
This version of Mattheo already grew up knowing damn well who he was and the reason he was brought into this world for. He was raised not as a kid, but as a soldier, expected to follow in his fatherās footsteps, with unfair expectations built around him from the moment he was born.
And if in the first scenario, where Mattheo was raised away from the Wizarding World, as a boy who didnāt have anything before, suddenly being the son of the most feared Dark Wizard in history made him feel somewhat special, even if in a bad wayā¦ in this one, it makes him feel cursed. Trapped. Doomed to live his entire life in the shadow of a man he barely knew and absolutely despises.
So, consequently, he hates it more than anything. Mattheo hates being compared to his father, and even the slightest idea of resembling him in any way makes his stomach twist.
This Mattheo grew up wanting to be as different as possible from his family. Everything his insane mother and psychotic father stood for, he wanted to run in the opposite direction. And that, of course, includes their ideals.
But hereās the thing: I donāt think Mattheo is against it in an āactivistā kind of way. Heās not the type to go out of his way to start a fight with someone just because he overheard them spouting blood-supremacist nonsense to a random stranger. Heās already heard enough bullshit from everyone his whole life, and no one ever lifted a finger to defend him!
Itās completely different, though, if it happens to someone he cares for. If you ever disrespect one of the few people Mattheo genuinely cherishes, he WILL get violent ā and if thatās the case, you better hope the Hospital Wing has a spell to glue your teeth back into your mouth.
I think Mattheo despises blood supremacy in a rebellious kind of way. Itās not only a rejection of the ideology itself, but of the entire legacy his family tried to force on him. Itās his ultimate way of saying: Iām not like them. Iām not him.
Also, Mattheo hates self-righteous people who think theyāre better than everyone else for the stupidest reasons. The only one he remotely tolerates acting like that is Draco, for the sake of their friendship. But even then, if Draco or his little parade of followers ever start saying blood-supremacist nonsense around him, Mattheo will definitely mock them.
Heāll scoff, roll his eyes, and say something like, āYeah, because blood purity clearly makes you superior,ā while pointing at Crabbe and Goyle.
Seriously, Mattheo often says how Crabbe and Goyle being Purebloods is the āliving proofā that blood supremacy is complete bullshit.
For Mattheo, there are countless things that can make a person interesting but the absence of Muggle heritage definitely isnāt one of them. Actually, he grew up around plenty of Purebloods he despises in every way.
As a matter of fact, Mattheoās actually a pretty democratic guy. He doesnāt make distinctions, he hates almost everyone equally!
He doesnāt care who your great-grandmother was or who she screwed a century ago. If he likes someone, he likes them. And if he doesnāt, heāll punch them in the face just the same, and he couldnāt care less if the blood dripping down their nose is part Muggle or not.
Mattheoās also a shameless enjoyer and consumer of Muggle culture. Music, films, books... Thereās something deeply comforting about losing himself in a world where no one knows who his father is, where his last name means absolutely nothing.
As beautiful as it would be to say this version of Mattheo doesnāt care about blood status at all, I think it would be incredibly unrealistic to assume that someone who was raised in an environment soaked with prejudice and indoctrination as Mattheo was, wouldnāt absorb at least a trace of it, even if subconsciously.
One situation this would surface, for example, is if Mattheo ever found out heās actually a Half-Blood.
Although itās not specifically addressed in canon, Iām a strong believer that the fact Voldemort is not a Pureblood is very unknown by most people.
This discovery would affect him in a way he never expected, and he would absolutely HATE himself for caring about it.
Of course, heād never say it out loud. Heād joke about it, mock the hypocrisy of his fatherās entire movement, and how stupid his followers were. Heād pretend he couldnāt care less. But deep down? It would eat him alive.
Heād absolutely hate that it bothers him. And heād hate himself even more for letting it bother him. But unfortunately, hating this feeling wouldnāt make it any less real.
And you can be damn sure this would torture him ā just like everything else that ties him, even if remotely, to his father.
Itās ironic, really. At the same time Mattheo would switch families with literally anyone in a heartbeat ā wizard or not ā he still feels uneasy about being anything less than āpure.ā
And if he happened to be dating a Pureblood? That feeling would only get worse.
Heād feel a horrible twist in his stomach, scared they might see him differently now, even if he knows theyāre not like that. Even if he doesnāt believe blood makes anyone better. Even if he never once looked down on others when he thought he was one of them.
ā¦Or did he? Hell, he doesnāt even know anymore.
Does a Mattheo Riddle who grew up in the Wizarding World believe in blood supremacy? No. Or at least, he desperately doesnāt want to. He hates everything his family stands for, every ounce of ideology that shaped his childhood. But after being raised in it for so long, surrounded by it, a part of it stuck. Involuntarily.
Does he care about your blood status? Absolutely not. Especially if heās in love with you. Mattheo Riddle doesnāt just love, he obsesses. And once he lets himself feel it, really feel it, you become untouchable in his eyes. For him, you are perfect, and heāll do everything in his power to make you feel like the most special human being in the world. Once Mattheo Riddle cares about someone, heāll protect them. No matter what it costs, or who he has to stand against.
Mattheo when raised in the Muggle World: Doesnāt really believe in it, but sometimes acts like he did.
Mattheo when raised in the Wizarding World: Doesnāt act like a blood supremacist, but a part of him carries some of these internalized beliefs, even if he doesnāt want to.
Again, this is just my interpretation and there could be a thousand more, especially in different contexts.
Mattheo Riddle is not a saint. Heās a flawed person. And I think that portraying these nuances makes him feel even more interesting and realistic. :)
Hope you enjoy it, and that it helps!! Sorry it took me so long to respond, things have been kinda crazy lately and I wanted to make it detailed so I had to think about it for a while hehe
thanks for the ask!! :) let me know if this is what you had in mind!
divider link @enchanthings-a
