The next day, Dante couldn't help but notice the sea of badges adorning the robes of every Slytherin student. Each badge proudly displayed the words "Support the Real Hogwarts Champion: Dante Malfoy." When pressed, the badge would change to "Potter Stinks." Dante raised an eyebrow, mildly impressed by the sheer level of pettiness his house was capable of. It was almost admirable in its absurdity. He shook his head, deciding not to comment, though he couldn't deny a small flicker of amusement at the lengths his housemates had gone to.
As he made his way through the castle, he encountered Luna Lovegood again. She greeted him with her usual dreamy smile and thanked him for the Defense Against the Dark Arts class. "It was the best class I've ever seen," she said, her voice filled with genuine admiration. "When are you going to do another one?"
Dante shook his head. "I won't. It was a one-time thing."
Luna's face fell, her disappointment evident, but she didn't press him. Instead, she tilted her head thoughtfully and asked, "Why not teach another class? Like Care of Magical Creatures?"
Dante was about to respond when Luna paused, her eyes widening as if she'd had a sudden realization. "Or you could try to find the Crumple-Horned Snorkack! You might be the one to discover it and prove its existence."
Dante couldn't help but chuckle lightly at her enthusiasm. "I'll leave that quest to you, Luna. I'll focus on what I'm good at."
Luna smiled, seemingly content with his answer, and the two continued walking together. As they entered the courtyard, a sudden scream pierced the air. Dante's head snapped toward the sound, immediately spotting Alastor Moody in the distance. The professor was levitating a ferret up and down, his face twisted into a cruel grin. The scream had come from Draco, and it didn't take Dante any effort to know what happened.
Without hesitation, Dante strode toward Moody, his wand already in hand. With a swift motion, he blasted Moody into the nearby wall, the force of the spell sending the professor sprawling. Dante then pointed his wand at the ferret, reversing the transfiguration and turning it back into Draco, who collapsed onto the ground, coughing and looking thoroughly humiliated.
Dante turned his cold gaze to Moody, who was struggling to get up. "Do you think that was funny?" Dante asked, his voice low and dangerous.
Moody's face twisted with anger as he stood, his wand pointed at Dante. "You'll pay for that, Malfoy!" he snarled.
But Dante was faster. Another spell shot from his wand, slamming Moody back into the wall. Dante walked closer, his eyes glinting with menace. Moody tried to stand again, but before he could, he was lifted into the air by an invisible force, his wand slipping from his grasp. Dante brought him closer, the professor floating helplessly in front of him.
Dante leaned in, his voice a whisper but filled with icy authority. "Do that again, and I'll stop turning a blind eye to you. I'll find another way to end the buffoon's hide-and-seek game. Do I make myself clear?"
Moody's eyes widened, his resistance halting as the realization hit him[He knew]. The thought raced through Moody's mind, his heart pounding in his chest. Dante dropped him to the ground just as Professor McGonagall arrived, her expression a mix of concern and frustration.
"What happened here?" she demanded, her eyes darting between Dante and Moody.
Dante looked at her calmly. "It was nothing," he said, his tone dismissive. He turned to Moody. "No more magic against students."
Moody scoffed, brushing himself off. "Five points from Slytherin," he said, though his voice lacked its usual bite.
"Glad we agree" Dante replied, then turned and walked away.
McGonagall frowned, her gaze shifting to Moody. "Did you use magic against a student?" she asked, her tone sharp.
Moody waved her off, his expression dark. "No need to say anything. Malfoy made it clear." He limped away, pausing only to tell Harry Potter, who had been watching the scene unfold, to follow him.
McGonagall turned to the nearby students, who were more than happy to fill her in on what had happened. As she listened, her anger grew. One professor had attacked a student, only to be retaliated against by another. She sighed heavily, lamenting what Hogwarts had become.
___________
The day of the first task had arrived, and the atmosphere was electric with anticipation. The students and faculty gathered around the arena, their excitement palpable as Ludo Bagman stepped forward to address the crowd. His voice boomed through the enchanted microphone, explaining the rules of the challenge. Each champion would face a dragon and retrieve a golden egg from its nest. The crowd cheered, but then Bagman added a twist.
"To keep things exciting and challenging," Bagman announced, "we've added an additional rule specifically for Dante Malfoy. He has a time limit of five minutes to complete the task."
The audience erupted in mixed reactions. The Slytherins booed loudly, their voices filled with indignation. Bagman quickly raised his hands to calm the crowd. "Dante has accepted the rule and is looking forward to the challenge!" he added, his tone cheerful but firm. The Slytherins reluctantly quieted down, though their displeasure was still evident.
What Bagman didn't mention was the real reason behind the rule. He hid it to avoid the backlash Harry Potter would face and to prevent further tension between the schools. It was a diplomatic move, but one that left Viktor and Fleur feeling slighted and underestimated. Harry, however, agreed with Dante. "Competition needs equals," he muttered to himself. "Where's the spirit in having him here?"
Inside the tent, the champions waited nervously. Barty Crouch Sr. entered, carrying a small bag. One by one, the champions reached in and pulled out miniature dragons, each representing the beast they would face. Fleur drew the Welsh Green, Viktor the Chinese Fireball, and Harry the Swedish Short-Snout. Dante drew the Hungarian Horntail—the most dangerous dragon of them all.
Fleur was the first to face her dragon. She used a charm to put the dragon to sleep, but it only half worked, resulting in her robes getting burned before she retrieved the egg. Her total time was approximately 10 minutes, and the judges awarded her 39/50.
Viktor went next, using the Conjunctivitis Curse to blind the dragon. He retrieved the egg quickly but received deductions due to the dragon's subsequent rampage. His total time was 8 minutes, and he earned 40/50.
Harry followed, using his broomstick to outmaneuver the Hungarian Horntail. His performance was daring and earned high praise from the judges, though it was clear he had taken significant risks. He was the fastest to complete the challenge in 5 minutes, and his final score was 45/50.
Finally, it was Dante's turn. The crowd buzzed with excitement, eager to see how the prodigy would handle the Hungarian Horntail. Even the other champions watched with interest, especially after his boastful words.
When the cannon fired, signaling the start of the task, Dante walked calmly into the arena. The golden egg sat in the center of the rocky terrain, but before he could take another step, the Hungarian Horntail landed just ten meters away, its massive form casting a shadow over him. The dragon roared, its fiery breath already building in its throat.
Dante glanced at the dragon, his expression unreadable. As the dragon unleashed a torrent of fire toward him, Dante raised his wand and pointed it at the flames. The audience gasped as the fire compressed into a single point in front of Dante's wand. Then, with a flick of his wrist, the fire shot back toward the dragon at an alarming speed. The moment it made contact, it exploded, sending the dragon crashing into the rocks behind it.
Dante didn't bother checking on the dragon. Instead, he pointed his wand at the golden egg. The rock platform beneath it broke apart, and the egg floated gently toward him. Dante caught it casually in one hand, his movements effortless. The entire task had taken him just twenty seconds.
The arena fell silent for a moment, then erupted in cheers. The other champions exchanged stunned glances. Viktor muttered under his breath, "We're competing against that?" Fleur shook her head in disbelief. "He's the danger, not the poor dragon."
Dante walked toward the judges, the golden egg tucked under his arm. The judges conferred briefly before announcing their scores:
Madame Maxime: 10/10
Barty Crouch: 10/10
Ludo Bagman: 10/10
Igor Karkaroff: 8/10 ("I saw no strategy, just overwhelming brute force.")
Albus Dumbledore: 8/10
Dumbledore's reasoning caught Dante's attention. "You were cruel to the dragon,"
Dante raised an eyebrow. "I held back to avoid killing it. I only knocked it out."
Dumbledore nodded then said, his tone gentle but firm. "You could have restrained it without causing it pain. But you chose the quicker solution when you could have shown restraint. You once restrained a thirty-meter basilisk in your fourth year. You could have done the same here."
The crowd murmured in shock. A thirty-meter basilisk? In his fourth year? The implications were scary. Igor Karkaroff and Madame Maxime exchanged uneasy glances, their earlier confidence gone. Their champions, Viktor and Fleur, looked equally stunned. If Dante had been capable of such feats in his fourth year, what did that say about his current abilities? Was this even a competition?