Harry Potter: The Progenitor Of Dark Arts

The Malfoy garden was bathed in the soft glow of the afternoon sun. Dante sat comfortably on a wrought-iron chair, sipping tea from a delicate porcelain cup. His gaze was fixed on Draco, who stood a few meters away, his wand pointed at a teacup resting on a small table.

"Depulso!" Draco incanted, his voice firm. The teacup shot into the air and landed a few meters away, clattering slightly on the stone path.

Dante took another sip of tea, his expression calm but critical. "Try again," he said. "You're half a meter off from the target location."

Draco nodded dejectedly, his shoulders slumping slightly as he prepared to try again.

Just then, Narcissa and Lucius emerged from the manor, strolling into the garden to check on their sons. Narcissa's eyes softened as she watched Draco practice the Banishing Charm, a spell typically taught to third-year students at Hogwarts.

"Dante, don't you think you're being a bit harsh on Draco?" Narcissa said, her tone gentle but firm. "He's already doing exceptionally well for his age. This charm is advanced for someone his age."

Dante set his teacup down and turned to his mother. "Doing the same as everyone else won't get him ahead of them," he replied evenly. "Only by being better, by seeking what others can't, can one surpass those around him."

Narcissa sighed, too familiar with her eldest son's relentless mentality. Lucius, however, chuckled, clearly amused by Dante's response.

"Speaking of surpassing others," Lucius said, stepping closer, "I received a bunch of letters today. One of them might interest you." He waved a letter in his hand, a mischievous glint in his eyes.

Dante raised an eyebrow. "Who's the sender?"

"Gilderoy Lockhart," Lucius replied, his tone laced with amusement.

Dante frowned slightly. "Who is that?"

Narcissa gasped, her hand flying to her chest. "How do you not know Gilderoy Lockhart? He's as famous as you are!" She quickly launched into an explanation, her voice filled with admiration. "He's written so many books about his adventures against dark creatures. Magical Me, Wanderings with Werewolves, Gadding with Ghouls—they're all bestsellers! He's a legendary wizard with countless achievements and even has an Order of Merlin medal."

Lucius nodded in agreement, though his smirk suggested he found the situation amusing. "Gilderoy is quite the celebrity. Almost a household name."

Dante's curiosity piqued, he took the letter from Lucius and opened it. His eyes scanned the contents quickly, his expression unreadable. After a moment, he flicked his wrist, and the letter burst into flames, disintegrating into ash.

Narcissa stared in shock. "Dante! Why did you burn it?"

Dante shrugged. "It's a waste of time. This Lockhart person wants to co-write a book with me and share the profits. He claims we're two of the best wizards of this era."

Lucius looked puzzled. "Isn't that a good thing? Collaborating with someone of his stature could elevate your reputation even further."

Dante shook his head. "It's a waste of time. I have no interest in working with someone like him to write entertainment books."

Narcissa, still unconvinced, summoned a copy of 'Magical Me' with a flick of her wand and handed it to Dante. "Read this," she insisted. "You'll understand how great Gilderoy Lockhart is."

Dante sighed but obliged, taking the book and settling back into his chair. As he read, Narcissa and Lucius sat nearby, enjoying their tea and discussing some of Lucius's recent work at the Ministry. Meanwhile, Draco continued practicing the Banishing Charm, determined to meet Dante's expectations.

Nearly an hour later, Dante closed the book and set it aside. He turned to Draco first. "End your practice for today and have some rest. You did well, I believe you will master the charm tomorrow."

Draco beamed, clearly relieved and proud of his progress. Narcissa, however, looked at Dante eagerly. "Well? What do you think of Mr. Lockhart now?"

Dante's expression remained neutral as he replied, "The book is good overall. It has accurate details about dark creatures and how to deal with them. The only problem is that Gilderoy Lockhart is probably a fraudster."

Narcissa blinked, stunned by the accusation. Lucius and Draco, who had both heard of Lockhart's fame, were equally baffled.

"Are you joking?" Narcissa asked, her voice tinged with disbelief.

Lucius, who understood Dante better than anyone, asked. "Why do you think he's a fraudster?"

Dante explained calmly, "Lockhart was born in 1964, and this book was written in 1990. That means he was only 26 years old at the time. In the book, he describes an encounter with a banshee, based on the encounter and the state of the banshee, it has to be during an eclipse. The last eclipse occurred in 1982, meaning he would have been 18 during that encounter. He also claims to have had other adventures before that, which would place his exploits during his Hogwarts years. However, his biography in the same book contradicts this, as there's no record of such activities during his time at school. Either he's lived multiple lives and gathered knowledge from countless encounters, or he's a fraudster. I'm inclined to believe the latter."

The garden fell silent as Dante's reasoning sank in. Lucius was the first to recover, chuckling softly. [As expected of the ancient ancestor], he thought [He uncovered Lockhart's deceit just from reading a single book].

Narcissa, however, frowned deeply. "To think I wanted my son to work with such a fraudster," she muttered, clearly disappointed in herself.

Draco, meanwhile, looked at Dante with newfound admiration. His older brother's sharp mind and unerring judgment never ceased to amaze him.

Dante stood up. "I'd rather spend my time on something meaningful than waste it on such trash," he said, his tone final. With that, he headed to his workshop, leaving his family to process his revelation.

As Dante disappeared into the manor, Lucius chuckled again, while Narcissa sighed, still processing the truth about her favorite author. Draco, inspired by his brother's brilliance, picked up his wand and began practicing the Banishing Charm once more despite feeling tired, he was determined to live up to the high standards Dante had set.

__________

Dante stood in his workshop, he had been contemplating his next project for some time. The creation of Magic Circuits had already revolutionized the wizarding world, but Dante was not one to rest on his laurels. He wanted to push the boundaries further, to make magic more accessible and practical for everyone, not just the elite or the exceptionally skilled.

As he paced the room, his gaze fell on a broken vase sitting on a shelf—a relic from one of his earlier experiments. It had been shattered for months, a reminder of the limitations of even the most skilled wizards. Repairing such damage required 'Reparo', which all wizards can perform, but if the damage is to a much bigger object then 'Reparo Maxima' is needed, an advanced spell that demands immense magical power and precise control. Many adult wizards struggled with it, and very few could perform it flawlessly.

A smile tugged at Dante's lips as an idea crystallized in his mind. [Why not create a Magic Circuit to perform Reparo Maxima?] he thought. It was the perfect challenge—a spell that was both complex and universally useful. By embedding the spell into a circuit, he could make it accessible to wizards of all skill levels, democratizing a form of magic that had once been the domain of the elite.