Harry Potter: The Progenitor Of Dark Arts

The following months passed quietly for Dante. He spent his time exploring various topics, researches, and theories in the Hogwarts library, taking mental notes on anything he found worth investigating in the future. As the new year approached, Dante decided to return to Malfoy Manor. However, it wasn't out of a desire to see his family or spend time with them. Lucius realized this on their first meal together after months of Dante's absence.

The family gathered in the dining room, the atmosphere initially warm and welcoming. But the mood shifted abruptly when Dante made an unexpected announcement. "I need your help, Father," he said calmly, setting down his fork. "I want to move to a muggle school. I've decided to drop out of Hogwarts."

The statement was so absurd that it left the entire Malfoy family—and even the house-elves serving them—utterly flabbergasted. Lucius stared at his son, his fork frozen mid-air. "Are you serious right now?" he asked, his voice tinged with disbelief.

"Yes," Dante replied, his tone unwavering. "I don't plan to return to Hogwarts for now. There are more important things I need to investigate on the muggle side."

Narcissa's face flushed with anger. The idea of her pure-blood son attending a muggle school was beyond inappropriate—it was shameful and unthinkable. "This is absurd!" she exclaimed, her voice sharp. "How could you even suggest such a thing? A Malfoy, studying with muggles? It's outrageous!"

Dante looked at her and sighed. "My decision is final," he said firmly. He turned to Lucius. "The sooner I move, the better." He paused, as if another thought had occurred to him, then added, "I will also be living among the muggles for a while."

Narcissa's anger reached its peak. She slammed her hands on the table, her composure shattered. "This is madness!" she shouted, her voice trembling with fury. She turned to Lucius, expecting him to put an end to this nonsense. To her horror, Lucius nodded reluctantly.

"I'll look into it," he said, his voice quiet but firm.

Narcissa's eyes widened. "You are actually agreeing with this madness?" she said in utter disbelief, her voice rising. "Have you both lost your minds? Sending our son to study and live among muggles? This is unacceptable!"

Lucius, however, defended Dante. "He's old enough to make his own decisions," he said, though his tone lacked conviction. "If this is what he wants, we should support him."

Narcissa was speechless. She stared at her husband as if he were a stranger. Without another word, she stood up, her chair scraping loudly against the floor. "You have both gone mad," she said, her voice cold and cutting. She turned to Draco, who had been silently watching the exchange, and pulled him away from the table. "I won't let you corrupt him," she said, glaring at Lucius and Dante before storming out of the room.

Dante watched her leave, his expression unbothered. "Her reaction was over the top," he commented. "It's not that bad."

Lucius sighed, feeling utterly helpless. "From a pure-blood's perspective, it is," he said. He leaned forward, his voice lowering. "Why, Dante? Why leave Hogwarts so suddenly? And why a muggle school of all places?"

Dante's gaze was steady. "While Hogwarts has some interesting research and theories, none of it is substantial for now. I've also found information about muggles that piqued my interest. I want to study them firsthand—to live among them and learn from them."

Lucius nodded, though deep down, he didn't believe a word of it. What could an ancient and powerful wizard possibly learn from muggles? He couldn't shake the feeling that Dante's true intentions were far darker—perhaps even unspeakable. But he knew better than to press the matter.

"Very well," Lucius said finally. "I'll do my best to help you move to a school after the New Year."

Dante nodded, satisfied with the answer.

__________

In Hogwarts, the end of the holidays was approaching, and the professors gathered in the staff room to discuss the upcoming exams. The atmosphere was lively as they shared their expectations and hopes for their students. Then, Minerva McGonagall brought up Dante Malfoy.

"Dante has shown exceptional advanced skill," she said, her tone a mix of awe and concern. "I am certain he will have no competition"

It was then that Severus Snape interjected, his voice cutting through the conversation like a knife. "Dante won't be participating in the exams."

The room fell silent. All eyes turned to Snape, including Dumbledore's, who looked both confused and curious. "What do you mean, Severus?" Dumbledore asked, his voice calm but probing.

Snape focused his eyes on the headmaster, his expression stoic. "I visited Malfoy Manor yesterday at the request of Narcissa Malfoy. Dante is dropping out of Hogwarts. He's planning to attend a Muggle school instead. She called me to try to change his mind, but he is adamant about leaving Hogwarts."

The professors stared at Snape, their faces a mixture of shock and disbelief. The idea of a pure-blood wizard, especially a Malfoy, leaving Hogwarts to study among muggles was beyond absurd. If anyone other than Snape had delivered this news, they would have assumed it was a joke.

Minerva was the first to break the silence. "Severus, this had better be some sort of joke," she said, her voice sharp.

Snape shook his head. "It's true. Dante is not coming back."

The room erupted into murmurs of disbelief. Dumbledore leaned forward, his brow furrowed. "What about Lucius Malfoy? Couldn't he stop Dante?"

Snape's expression grew even more peculiar, as if he were struggling to make sense of what he had witnessed. "That was the strangest part," he said slowly. "Lucius not only agreed with Dante's decision but defended it stubbornly and argued against us. Narcissa was beside herself—she nearly lost her mind. It was as if Lucius had become a completely different person."

Snape paused, his eyes narrowing thoughtfully. "I agree with Narcissa. Both father and son have gone mad. Which sane person will choose a muggle school over Hogwarts?"

The professors sat in stunned silence, their minds reeling. Even Dumbledore, who had been extremely wary of Dante especially after their meeting, didn't know whether to feel relief or worry. On one hand, Dante's departure might remove a potential threat to the students in Hogwarts. On the other, the idea of such a prodigious and scary young wizard immersing himself in the muggle world was deeply unsettling, it can be the catalyst to create the next dark lord.

Dumbledore leaned back in his chair, his fingers steepled. "This is… unexpected"

"We must speak with Lucius Malfoy, we can't allow a promising child to ruin his future" Minerva spoke with indignation. She couldn't accept what she heard.

"I agree, we should write to Senior Malfoy… No we should pay them a visit" Professor Filtwick joined in, he was in a similar state of mind.

Dumbledore observed the discussion silently, all he could think of was why Dante was leaving Hogwarts. Why a muggle school? Is he going to do something to the muggles?