NOVEL NEXT Chapter 10: First Day
The next day, Dante walked through the halls of Hogwarts, his eyes scanning everything around him. The castle was familiar yet different, its ancient stones bearing the marks of centuries of change. He noted subtle alterations—new portraits, rearranged corridors, and updated enchantments—but nothing drastic enough to make the place unrecognizable. To Dante, it was like revisiting an old neighborhood after a long absence.
He was heading to his first class of the day: Transfiguration. According to his schedule, the class was shared with Hufflepuff. Dante walked at a slow, relaxed pace, his calm demeanor drawing the attention of his fellow Slytherin first-years. Many of them, unsure of the way to the classroom, instinctively followed him. To their relief, following Dante ensured they arrived on time, a rarity for first-years on their first day.
When Dante entered the classroom, he noticed a cat sitting on the teacher's desk. He approached it, his gaze locking with the cat's. After a moment, he said, "Interesting, you are better than I expected. I didn't think you were an Animagus."
The cat's eyes widened slightly, clearly surprised by his words. Dante, unfazed, turned and took a seat without another word. His praise had been genuine; he recalled the Transfiguration professor from four centuries ago, whose skills had been merely acceptable and who had never achieved the feat of becoming an Animagus. Professor McGonagall, it seemed, was a significant improvement.
Not long after the last student arrived, the cat transformed back into Professor McGonagall, startling the class. She admonished the latecomers for their lack of punctuality and praised Dante, awarding Slytherin five house points for being the only one to recognize her. The students glanced at Dante with a mix of awe and curiosity, but he paid them no mind.
The lecture began with an overview of Transfiguration and what the students would learn throughout the year. Dante, however, had no interest in listening to the basics. He pulled out a book he had brought with him and began reading, his focus entirely on the text. Professor McGonagall noticed but chose not to call him out immediately, opting to continue with the lesson.
When it came time for the practical demonstration, Professor McGonagall showed the class how to transfigure a match into a needle. "By the end of this class," she said, "I expect all of you to be able to perform this spell." She then turned to Dante. "Mr. Malfoy, would you like to demonstrate what you have learned?"
Dante looked up from his book, his expression calm. He drew his wand and, with a single, precise motion, transfigured the match into a flawless needle. The class gasped, and even Professor McGonagall was momentarily speechless. After a pause, she awarded Slytherin another five points for his flawless performance.
What she didn't know was that Dante could have performed the transfiguration without a wand or even a spoken spell. A mere wave of his hand would have sufficed, but he didn't want to discourage the children around him by showing too much of his abilities.
When the class ended, Professor McGonagall asked Dante to stay behind. "Mr. Malfoy," she began, "you are clearly talented, but Transfiguration is a dangerous subject. Talent alone is not enough. You must pay attention to the lectures."
Dante met her gaze evenly. "With all due respect, Professor, I can already perform all the Transfiguration spells taught up to the seventh year. I'm not here to listen to lectures. I'm here to study from the library and fill the gaps in my knowledge."
Professor McGonagall pursed her lips, clearly skeptical of his claim. It was, by far, the most audacious statement she had ever heard from a first-year. Sensing her doubt, Dante raised his wand and waved it at a nearby table. In an instant, the table transformed into a living pig, which oinked loudly before he transfigured it back.
The headmistress stared at him, her mouth opening and closing repeatedly. Finally, she nodded, a mix of helplessness and amazement on her face. "Very well, Mr. Malfoy. I… won't take offense to your behavior. But do inform me if you ever need assistance."
Dante left the classroom and headed to his next class: Charms. The scene repeated itself. Professor Flitwick lectured on the basics of charmwork, while Dante read a book. When Flitwick asked him to demonstrate the Levitation Charm, Dante performed it flawlessly, earning Slytherin another five points. This time, however, Flitwick didn't call him aside after class.
After Charms, Dante made his way to the Great Hall for lunch. The afternoon brought History of Magic with Professor Bins, a class Dante surprisingly paid attention to. The lecture covered events he was unfamiliar with, and he found himself intrigued by the gaps in his historical knowledge.
The final class of the day was Potions with Professor Snape. Snape, ever the vengeful opportunist, used Dante to his advantage. For every question a Gryffindor failed to answer, their house lost two points. For every question Dante answered correctly, Slytherin gained two points. By the end of the class, Gryffindor's point total had taken a significant hit, much to Snape's satisfaction.
As Dante reflected on his first day, he realized something significant had changed since his last time at Hogwarts. The house points system, once designed to foster friendly competition and encourage collaboration, had become a source of division and resentment. Students and teachers alike placed an excessive value on points, turning what was meant to be a motivational tool into a battleground. It was a stark contrast to the system he had known in the past.
Dante shook his head slightly as he walked toward the library. Hogwarts had changed in many ways, but unfortunately most of them are to the worse. He hoped there is an improvement to be found in the library content.
___________
In the headmaster's office, the office was filled with the soft hum of conversation as the Hogwarts professors gathered for their annual meeting to discuss the first day of the school year. It was a tradition of sorts—a chance to address any issues early on and ensure the smooth running of the year.
Albus Dumbledore sat at his desk, his half-moon spectacles glinting as he listened intently to the discussion. The professors took turns sharing their observations, from the usual first-day jitters to the occasional troublemaker who needed a firm hand. But it was Minerva McGonagall who brought up an unusual topic.
She spoke about Dante Malfoy's behavior in her Transfiguration class. "He spent the entire lecture reading a book instead of paying attention," she said. "When I called on him to demonstrate the match-to-needle transfiguration, he performed it flawlessly."
Professor Filtwick nodded in agreement. "I noticed the same behavior in my Charms class. He was reading a book the entire time."
Minerva turned to Filtwick. "Did you see the extent of his skill?"
Filtwick replied "When I asked him to demonstrate the Levitation Charm, he performed it perfectly."
Minerva nodded. "I believe he can do much more than that. After class, he performed a seventh-year transfiguration to prove he doesn't need the lectures. It was flawless."
The professors were shocked by this, no first year should be able to do that. Albus Dumbledore, who had been listening quietly, narrowed his eyes. He turned to Minerva. "How would you describe Mr. Malfoy's behavior? How did he come across?"
Minerva thought for a moment before answering. "Polite, but detached. He wasn't disrespectful, exactly, but he made it clear he had no interest in the lectures. He did, however, acknowledge that he has gaps in his knowledge and expressed a desire to study in the library to fill them."
Dumbledore leaned back in his chair, steepling his fingers. His mind raced with possibilities. Dante Malfoy was clearly a prodigy, but prodigies could be dangerous—especially when they believed themselves above the others. He couldn't help but recall Tom Riddle. Like Dante, Tom had been exceptionally talented, but his ambition and disregard for others had led him down a dark path.
"What are you thinking, Albus?" Minerva asked.
"For now," Dumbledore replied, "let's keep a close eye on him. If he continues to excel in your classes, perhaps we can find ways to challenge him without alienating him. We should strive to play an active role in teaching our students regardless of how talented they are."
The professors nodded in agreement and the meeting continued.
Sometime later, as the professors filed out of the office, Dumbledore remained seated, his mind still turning over what he had heard. He stared out the window at the darkening sky, his expression thoughtful.
"A second Dark Lord," he murmured to himself. "With even more talent than Tom Riddle. I cannot allow that to happen."
For now, all he could do was wait and watch. But one thing was certain: Dante Malfoy was another brilliant student, he won't allow another one to go down the wrong path.