NOVEL NEXT Chapter 30: Aftermath
After Dante left the headmaster's office, the room remained silent for a moment, the weight of his words and actions still hanging heavily in the air. Professor Sprout was the first to break the silence, her voice tinged with confusion.
"How did he even get in here?" she asked, her brow furrowed. "Did someone tell him the password?"
No one answered. The professors exchanged uneasy glances, but no one had an explanation.
Snape, standing in the corner with his usual scowl, broke the silence with a sarcastic remark. "Yes, how he entered is our greatest concern at the moment."
His dark eyes shifted to Dumbledore, his expression sharp. "Headmaster, what was the warning Dante mentioned? And what was the 'first strike' he spoke of?"
Dumbledore sighed, his aged face showing a rare hint of weariness. "I made a mistake that put me on Dante's bad side," he admitted. "It seems he does not take such things lightly."
Snape's lips curled into a faint smirk. "Only 'bad'? He just threatened you, and I have no doubt he will act on it if provoked."
Professor McGonagall's face was full of anger. "His behavior is completely improper," she said, her voice sharp. "How did he change so much? He was always so respectful and diligent."
Flitwick nodded in agreement, his expression troubled. "Indeed. This sudden shift in his behavior is deeply concerning."
Snape, however, shook his head. "I don't believe he's changed," he said, his tone thoughtful. "Lucius has told me how much Dante values learning and how relentless he is in his pursuit of knowledge. Even when helping Draco, he expects nothing but the best. I think he simply gave you his respect because you earned it. Lockhart, on the other hand, earned the Unforgivable Curses for his incompetence."
The room fell silent as Snape's words sank in. The professors exchanged uneasy glances, realizing the possible truth in his assessment.
Snape turned to Dumbledore, his expression serious. "What should we do? I'm willing to bet Dante has the guts to attack you if he views the outcome as undesirable."
Dumbledore's face was thoughtful, but deep down, he was troubled. He didn't want to admit to the other professors that he wasn't confident in his ability to rein Dante in with strength. His instincts told him that Dante was extremely dangerous—possibly on par with him, if not more. And the boy was still young, with immense room for growth. A mistake now could result in the birth of one of the strongest dark wizards the world had ever seen.
After a long moment of silence, Dumbledore finally spoke. "We will handle this carefully," he said, his voice calm but firm. "First, I will review Lockhart's material ahead of time and help him prepare for his classes. As for Dante…"
He paused, his gaze sweeping the room. "We will subtract 50 points from Slytherin for his behavior. He will also no longer be allowed to attend Defense Against the Dark Arts classes. Lastly, as punishment, he will write detailed books about his Magic Circuits and store them in the library for future students to study."
The professors exchanged surprised glances. While the punishment seemed lenient—almost a slap on the wrist—they understood the reasoning behind it. Dante was a brilliant but volatile student, and pushing him too hard could have disastrous consequences.
Professor McGonagall sighed, her anger giving way to concern. "We must tread carefully," she said. "Dante's mentality is extreme, and he has the power and skill to back it up. The best course of action is to try to change his thoughts slowly and make him see force as a last resort, not a first response."
The other professors nodded in agreement, though the tension in the room remained palpable. Dante Malfoy was no ordinary student, and dealing with him would require more than just discipline—it would require wisdom and patience.
As the meeting concluded, the professors left the office one by one, each lost in their own thoughts.
___________
When Dante walked into the Great Hall for lunch, the room fell silent. Students stopped eating and turned to stare at him, their expressions a mix of awe and fear. The whispers began almost immediately, spreading like wildfire.
"That's him," someone murmured. "The one who used the Unforgivable Curses on Lockhart."
"He made a professor shake like a child," another student added, their voice hushed.
Dante ignored the stares and whispers, his expression as calm and unreadable as ever. He made his way to the Slytherin table, where the atmosphere was markedly different. The Slytherins looked at him with pride and respect, their admiration evident.
Draco, seated at the table, glanced up as Dante approached. "Was it really that bad?" he asked, his tone a mix of curiosity and amusement.
Dante sat down and replied matter-of-factly, "Lockhart is an incompetent idiot." He paused, then added, "If he still has the face to stay, let me know if he does anything. I'll deal with him permanently."
Draco chuckled, shaking his head. "I told you it could get very bad."
Their conversation was overheard by the other Slytherins, who exchanged impressed glances. To them, Dante was a legend—a student who had the guts to attack a professor and openly declare he would kill him if necessary. The Gryffindors might pride themselves on courage, but Dante Malfoy was redefining what it meant to be fearless.
Not long after, Dumbledore entered the Great Hall, his presence commanding immediate attention. The headmaster stood at the front of the room and announced Dante's punishment.
"Mr. Malfoy's actions, while understandable in context, were unacceptable," Dumbledore said, his voice calm but firm. "As such, Slytherin will lose 50 points. Additionally, Dante will no longer attend Defense Against the Dark Arts classes and will instead write detailed books on his Magic Circuits for the Hogwarts library. Let this be a reminder that there are proper channels for addressing concerns. Force should always be the last resort."
The students exchanged incredulous looks. This was Dante's punishment? It felt like a slap on the wrist. Even the 50-point deduction was offset by the 20 points Lockhart had already given Slytherin, leaving a net loss of only 30 points. Students fighting in the corridors could lose more than that.
Dante, however, didn't seem to care. The points were meaningless to him, and he had no intention of returning to Lockhart's class anyway. As for the books on Magic Circuits, he had already planned to share his research with the public.
___________
After lunch, the students headed to their next classes. Dante made his way to Transfiguration, where he sat at the back of the room, writing in a notebook instead of paying attention to Professor McGonagall's lecture.
When McGonagall called on him to demonstrate a spell, Dante performed it flawlessly, then immediately returned to his writing. The other students watched in awe, their respect for him growing even further.
After class, McGonagall approached Dante, her expression stern. "Mr. Malfoy," she said, "what were you working on during my lesson?"
Dante looked up, his silver eyes calm. "A new Magic Circuit," he replied. "A counter for the Cruciatus Curse."
McGonagall's eyebrows shot up. "A counter for Crucio? That's no small feat."
Dante shrugged. "I had the idea while torturing Lockhart."
McGonagall pursed her lips, her disapproval evident. "Mr. Malfoy, even if Professor Lockhart's performance was unsatisfactory, attacking him was wrong. And speaking of torturing him as if he were an insect rather than a human being is deeply disturbing."
Dante met her gaze, his expression unchanging. "I find tolerance toward incompetence like Lockhart's to be the truly disturbing thing," he said. "To allow someone to destroy the next generation and do nothing about it makes no sense to me. A teacher should be a model and inspire students. If they can't be that, he must be made into an example. There's no in-between. That's how important your job is."
With that, Dante left the classroom, leaving McGonagall standing stunned by his uncompromising mentality. She disagreed with his logic, but a small part of her couldn't help but acknowledge the truth in his words.