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Dumbledore sat in his office, in his hands was the latest edition of The Daily Prophet, its front page dominated by the headline: "Dante Malfoy Wins Triwizard Tournament!" The article praised Dante's unparalleled skill and intelligence, but Dumbledore felt no pride in his student as he read it. Instead, a heavy weight settled in his chest. He sighed deeply and set the paper aside, turning to his two most trusted allies—Professor McGonagall and Professor Snape.

"Barty Crouch Jr. is in St. Mungo's," Dumbledore began, his voice weary. "The healers are unable to undo the curse Dante placed on him. His condition deteriorates with each passing moment. He won't last more than a few days at best."

Snape's expression was grim. "I'm afraid only Dante has the knowledge to undo the curse," he said, his tone clipped. "And I highly doubt he would assist, no matter what you tell him, Headmaster."

Dumbledore leaned back in his chair, rubbing his temples. "What do you make of Harry's recount of events?" he asked, his blue eyes piercing as he looked at Snape.

There was a moment of silence before Snape replied. "There are multiple concerning points," he said slowly. "Dante noticed a Death Eater in the school and, instead of reporting him, colluded with him to deliver Harry to the Dark Lord. Harry could have died, and I have no doubt someone as intelligent as Dante would have realized that. Then there's his apparent mastery of the dark arts. From Harry's… jumbled account, Dante spoke to the Dark Lord as if he were lecturing him on the subject."

McGonagall's lips tightened. "And the spells he used," she added. "An ice spell capable of freezing Fiendfyre and its surroundings, a spell to redirect the Killing Curse—these are unheard of. Where did he learn such magic?"

Dumbledore nodded, his expression troubled. "Dante has shown unparalleled intelligence and an ability to develop magic far beyond his years. I fear he has dabbled in the dark arts but chose to keep his discoveries hidden, limiting himself to 'useful' magic to maintain his reputation."

McGonagall's voice was laced with worry. "Albus, the boy helped revive the Dark Lord—a dark wizard responsible for countless horrors—solely to torture him and give him a painful death. And from Harry's account, he succeeded in his goal. Dante is still a boy. If he can do all this with a cruel smile while still in school, what will he be capable of in the future? We must do something."

Dumbledore sighed heavily, his shoulders sagging under the weight of his thoughts. "I don't know what to do, Minerva," he admitted. "I don't understand what Dante is thinking. I don't know what he wants or wishes for. Every time I think I've begun to understand him, he does something entirely out of character."

He stood and began pacing the room, his hands clasped behind his back. "Harry told us that Dante claimed he didn't care about Voldemort initially but took an interest after learning of his deeds. That raises several questions. Who is this 'Helen' Dante spoke of?"

Snape's eyes narrowed. "The only one who matches the name is Helen Dawlish from Ravenclaw. She lost her father during the war over a decade ago. I tried to pry information from her, but she has never spoken to Dante before."

Dumbledore paused, his brow furrowed in thought. "And what about tarnishing Slytherin's legacy? Dante doesn't strike me as the kind to care deeply about house rivalries."

Snape nodded. "While Dante is willing to help his housemates, he isn't particularly invested in Slytherin's reputation."

McGonagall interjected, her voice sharp. "And there's the matter of Voldemort and his followers giving Dante's 'work' a bad name. What work is he referring to?"

Dumbledore's eyes gleamed with a flicker of insight. "Dante has spent considerable time with muggles and has expressed admiration for their advancements. I suspect his 'work' may be related to them. His sudden interest in Voldemort seemed to arise after the Chamber of Secrets was opened, where muggle wizards were attacked. Perhaps Helen was a muggle he met at some point, and the 'work' he mentioned is connected to them. Voldemort and his followers have long insulted and harmed muggles for sport."

McGonagall's eyes widened in disbelief. "That's ridiculous, Albus" she said firmly. "To help revive the Dark Lord for such trivial reasons is insanity."

Snape's lips curled into a faint smirk. "Perhaps the Headmaster is right. You can't fathom such actions because you view the Dark Lord as dangerous and dreadful. Dante, on the other hand, sees him with disdain—a pathetic fool he can crush with ease."

McGonagall pressed her lips into a thin line, clearly unconvinced.

Dumbledore resumed his pacing, his expression grave. "My greatest concern now is not Voldemort but Dante himself. The boy is cruel and capable of nursing a small grudge silently for months. Worse, he is delving into the dark arts in secret. His battle against Voldemort is proof of how far he has walked down that path."

He stopped and turned to face his colleagues, his voice softening. "The only silver lining is that Dante still cares for his family and doesn't go out of his way to harm or bully others. He even brought Harry back with him, which suggests he still possesses a moral compass that can be guided."

McGonagall's expression softened slightly, but her worry remained. "And if it can't be guided, Albus? What then?"

Dumbledore's eyes grew distant, his voice barely above a whisper. "Then we may be facing a threat far greater than Voldemort ever was."

The room fell silent, the weight of Dumbledore's words hanging heavily in the air. Dante Malfoy had become a puzzle none of them could solve—and the consequences of failing to do so were too dire to contemplate.

__________

Harry sat in the Gryffindor common room, the fire crackling softly in the hearth. Across from him, Ron and Hermione listened intently, their faces pale and their expressions troubled. Harry had just finished recounting everything that had happened in the graveyard—Dante's arrival, his mocking of Voldemort, the brutal torture, and the curse that left the Dark Lord screaming in agony.

Ron was the first to break the silence. "I always knew Dante was an evil dark wizard," he said, his voice trembling with a mix of fear and anger. "All his good deeds—helping others—it's all just a front to hide his true nature."

Hermione frowned, her brow furrowed in thought. She couldn't help but agree with Ron internally, but something about the situation didn't sit right with her. "If Dante wanted to hide his true nature," she said slowly, "the best course of action would have been to get rid of Harry. He's the sole witness to everything that happened. But Dante didn't harm Harry. He didn't even seem to care when Harry shared the truth with everyone. That doesn't make sense if he's just a dark wizard trying to hide his actions. There's something else going on."

Harry shook his head, his green eyes filled with frustration. "What else could there be, Hermione? You didn't see it. Voldemort was scary—his presence was dreadful. Even the Death Eaters were afraid of him. But when Dante showed up, it was like Voldemort was nothing. Dante made him scream, Hermione. He tortured him like it was nothing. And the fake Moody—Barty Crouch Jr.—he's in St. Mungo's now, rotting away because Dante cursed him. All because he humiliated Draco months ago. How can you not see that Dante's evil?"

Hermione lowered her head, her fingers twisting nervously in her lap. Harry's description of events painted Dante as a monster, a dark wizard of unparalleled cruelty. But Hermione couldn't reconcile that image with the person who saved her when everyone gave up on her, who had helped her stay in school, without any expectation. He even saved Ginny, everyone knew how much the two families hated each other and Dante didn't hesitate to save her.

"I'm not saying Dante isn't dangerous," Hermione said carefully, her voice soft but firm. "But there's more to this than meets the eye. If Dante were truly evil, why let Harry live? Harry's a threat to his image, to everything he's built. But Dante didn't harm him. He even brought him back to Hogwarts. That doesn't add up if he's just a dark wizard trying to hide his true nature."

Ron snorted, crossing his arms over his chest. "Maybe he's just arrogant. Thinks he's untouchable. Or maybe he's got some twisted plan we don't know about."

Hermione shook her head. "It's not that simple, Ron. Dante's too clever to be arrogant in that way. And if he had a plan, why reveal so much to Harry? Why let him see everything? It's like… it's like he doesn't care if people know what he's capable of."

Harry leaned forward, his voice low and urgent. "Hermione, you didn't see him. The way he smiled when Voldemort was screaming, the way he cursed Barty without a second thought—it was like he enjoyed it. How can you defend him after that?"

"I'm not defending him," Hermione said quickly, her tone defensive. "I'm just saying there's more to this than we understand. Dante's actions don't fit the pattern of a typical dark wizard. He's not hiding, he's not scheming in the shadows. He's out in the open, doing things that make no sense if he's just evil. There's a reason behind all of this, and we need to figure out what it is."

Ron rolled his eyes. "Or maybe he's just a nutter who likes torturing people. Not everything has to be some big mystery, Hermione."

Hermione shot Ron a glare but didn't respond. She knew arguing with him wouldn't get them anywhere. Instead, she turned back to Harry, her expression softening. "Harry, I'm not saying Dante isn't dangerous. He clearly is. But we need to understand why he's doing these things."

Harry sighed. "I don't know, Hermione. All I know is that Dante's dangerous, and he's not someone we can trust. Whether he's evil or just… twisted, we need to be careful around him."

The fire crackled softly, casting flickering shadows across the room. Harry couldn't shake the image of Dante's cold smile or the sound of Voldemort's screams. Whatever Dante's reasons, one thing was certain—he was far more dangerous than any of them had realized.