When Dante returned to the Slytherin common room, he was met with a roaring cheer from his housemates. The students surrounded him, their faces filled with excitement and pride. "Open the egg!" they urged. Dante, though indifferent to their excitement, obliged. He opened the golden egg, and an ear-piercing screech erupted from it, causing the students to recoil and cover their ears in pain.
Dante closed the egg quickly, the sound cutting off abruptly. The students stared at him, their expressions a mix of shock and fear. "What was that?" one of them asked, their voice trembling.
"That," Dante replied calmly, "is merpeople magic." He waved his wand, transfiguring a nearby chair into a large tub of water. He placed the egg inside and opened it again. The students braced themselves for the screech, but this time, the sound was muffled and melodic, echoing softly through the water.
Dante leaned over the tub, submerging his head for a few seconds before pulling back. "The next challenge is probably in the Black Lake," he said, his tone matter-of-fact. He then added, "I'm keeping the egg here if anyone wants to hear it." Without another word, he walked away, leaving the students to gather around the tub, each eager to experience the underwater melody for themselves.
___________
Later that night, in the headmaster's office, the four professors aware of Voldemort's potential return gathered for a private meeting. Dumbledore sat at his desk, his expression thoughtful as he addressed the group. "Has anyone noticed anything out of place?" he asked.
The others shook their heads. Dumbledore turned to Moody. "How is Harry doing?"
Moody's magical eye swiveled toward Dumbledore. "He's holding on, but he's nervous. He feels outmatched. After seeing Malfoy's display today, I can't blame him. I'm afraid only a few in the wizarding world could do what that boy did."
Dumbledore nodded, his expression serious. "I actually agreed with Dante the night of the champion selections. He's an overkill and shouldn't be part of this competition. I never considered the possibility of him putting his name forward. He doesn't strike me as the type to care about such things."
Snape spoke up, his voice low and measured. "He probably did it on behalf of his family, specifically his father, I can see Lucius asking something like this. Dante doesn't care about the triwizard challenges, he doesn't bother to prepare for it, the other champions are ridiculously out matched and he knows it. After he returned to the common room earlier, the other students asked him to open the egg. He figured out the clue was merpeople magic and put the egg in water immediately. He's already concluded the next challenge is in the Black Lake."
McGonagall sighed, her expression sympathetic. "I feel sorry for Harry. Most of the house was present when Harry opened the egg, but no one else could understand what it was or what to do with it. Meanwhile, Dante figured it out instantly."
Dumbledore nodded again, his eyes distant. "I'm not surprised by that. Dante showed us multiple times that his intellect and magical attainments are unparalleled. He's operating on a level far beyond his peers—and, frankly, most of us."
Moody leaned forward and said with his gruff voice. "Should we tell him to hold back? He's going to ruin the competition at this rate. Not to mention if Harry's involvement is related to the Dark Lord, then he might be an unstable factor"
Dumbledore considered the question for a moment, then shook his head. "He's already holding back, and we've added rules specifically for him. Asking him to do more would come across as too humiliating for the other two schools. We can't go too far with the self-challenging reason. As for Voldemort, we don't know what is he planning but I believe Dante is smart enough to judge the situation and act accordingly if unexpected events were to arise"
Alastor clenched his jaw, Dante was his biggest obstacle and he couldn't do anything to him.
"I find it concerning that Dante seems eager to meet the Dark Lord, he is obviously looking for trouble with him, but the question is why? Dante didn't experience the wizard war and the Dark Lord era, his parents were followers of the Dark Lord, so at worst he should have neutral opinion. But when he spoke of him, there was disdain and anger toward him" Snape spoke slowly, making his thoughts clear.
His words were met with silence. Mcgonagall finally said, her tone filled with worry "I am afraid Dante might do something rash. He is a prodigy of the like we have never seen before, but the Dark Lord is someone who walked the path of dark magic more than anyone else in history. Combating the dark arts is completely different from research or healing"
There was silence again. Snape and Alastor agreed with Mcgonagall, but Alastor prayed for the day the Dark Lord would return and promised himself that Dante will be the first to be punished by his lord for his insolence. On the other hand, Dumbledore's mind drifted to his first meeting with Dante and the dread he experienced that night. He didn't say it to the others, but deep down he thought Dante is far scarier, far more dangerous than Voldemort could ever be. He also wondered, What did Voldermot do to anger Dante?
___________
Lucius Malfoy sat in his office, the soft glow of candlelight illuminating the stacks of paperwork on his desk. His work was interrupted by the sudden appearance of Dante, who apparated into the office room with the same effortless grace that always left Lucius both impressed and slightly unnerved.
"Dante," Lucius greeted, setting down his quill. "How do you leave Hogwarts whenever you want? The school has protections against apparation."
Dante leaned casually against the edge of the desk, his silver eyes glinting with amusement. "You can leave the school's perimeter and then apparate. But what I do is mask my apparation as a house-elf's. The wards and protections don't pick up on it. It's a rather advanced trick—problematic if others mastered it, but useful for me."
Lucius nodded, his expression thoughtful. "I see. And what brings you here today?"
Dante's demeanor shifted slightly, his tone becoming more serious. "Have you been contacted by Voldemort?"
Lucius shook his head "No, I haven't. Why do you ask?"
Dante crossed his arms, his gaze steady. "One of his subordinates is at Hogwarts, masquerading as Alastor Moody. He's probably the one who got Harry Potter into the tournament."
Lucius's eyes widened in surprise. "How did Dumbledore allow that?"
"Dumbledore didn't realize it," Dante replied, his voice calm but firm. "The Death Eater is using Polyjuice Potion nonstop. He's drinking himself to an early death. But more importantly, I suspect Voldemort is going to return soon. If he contacts you, you should go."
Lucius shifted uncomfortably in his seat, the weight of Dante's words settling heavily on his shoulders. The thought of facing the Dark Lord again filled him with dread, but he knew better than to argue with Dante. "What do you suggest I do?" he asked, his voice barely above a whisper.
Dante stepped closer, his expression calm. "Extend your arm," he instructed.
Lucius obeyed, rolling up his sleeve to reveal the Dark Mark etched into his skin. Dante raised his wand and traced a new mark near the existing one, an intricate symbol that glowed faintly before fading into Lucius's skin. "This mark will allow you to summon me," Dante explained. "If you're called and the caller turns out to be Voldemort, use it. I'll be there."
Lucius nodded, feeling a small measure of reassurance. If Dante was there to confront Voldemort with him, perhaps things wouldn't be as dire as he feared. Still, the thought of standing in front of Voldemort alone even if for a short while was daunting.
Dante stepped back, his tone final. "I'll return to Hogwarts now. Remember what I said."
With that, he apparated away, leaving Lucius alone in his office. The room felt colder somehow, the shadows longer and more oppressive. Lucius stared at the new mark on his arm, his mind racing. He couldn't help but wonder how a meeting between Dante and Voldemort would go. Both were forces of nature in their own right, but Lucius had no doubt who the true darkest and scariest wizard was—there was no comparison.
As he sat there, Lucius couldn't help but wonder why Dante was going after the Dark Lord? For years, he displayed no interest in the Dark Lord nor put him in his eyes, but suddenly he was looking for him and his eyes seemed to promise pain. What did Voldemort do to gain the ire of Dante?