The atmosphere in the castle had been tense ever since Dolores Umbridge's arrival, but the tipping point came after her humiliating treatment of Professor Trelawney. That evening, the four Heads of Houses gathered in the Headmaster's office, their patience finally exhausted.
"This is unacceptable, Albus," Professor McGonagall stated firmly. "Her presence in this school is a disruption, and her behavior toward the staff and students is deplorable."
"She's interfering in lessons, belittling our methods, and now she's trying to drive a professor out of the school entirely," Professor Sprout added, her usually gentle tone edged with frustration.
Flitwick nodded. "She's been nothing but a nuisance in every class she's observed."
Dumbledore sighed, rubbing his temples. "I understand your frustrations, truly. But she was appointed by the Ministry, and removing her will only cause more problems. The best course of action is to remain patient and not escalate the situation."
Snape let out a sneering chuckle. "Then I suppose I should remind you who is next on her list. Professor Malfoy. Frankly, I'm looking forward to this."
McGonagall, recalling Dante's treatment of Lockhart, Fake Moody, Rita Skeeter, and even Cornelius Fudge, allowed herself a rare smile. "For once, I'm rather curious to see how this will unfold."
Flitwick and Sprout exchanged glances, their expressions betraying similar amusement. If there was one person in Hogwarts who would not tolerate Umbridge's antics, it was Professor Malfoy.
Dumbledore exhaled deeply. "It seems we have reached the point where my staff is actively anticipating trouble."
"He's going to cause trouble, and you know it," Snape said, smirking. "Let's just hope he doesn't kill her."
___________
The next morning, the inevitable confrontation arrived. When Dante entered his classroom, he found Dolores Umbridge standing near his desk, a smug smile on her face as she waited for the students to arrive. He didn't even bother acknowledging her presence, walking straight to his desk and preparing for the lesson.
The first class of the day was Fifth-Year Gryffindors and Ravenclaws. As the students filed in, their eyes widened at the sight of Umbridge. Then, as if by unspoken agreement, every eye turned to Dante, eager to see how he would react.
"Should we warn her?" Hermione whispered to Harry and Ron.
Ron scoffed. "Are you mad? I want to see Dante go full Dark Lord on her."
Harry nodded in agreement. "At this point, no one likes her."
With all students seated, Dante stood and, as usual, began distributing the prepared lesson materials. He was even courteous enough to hand Umbridge a copy.
Moments later, Umbridge let out her signature high-pitched cough.
Dante raised an eyebrow but said nothing.
"The material you are using," she began in her saccharine tone, "is not the one designated by the Ministry for Fifth-Year Defense Against the Dark Arts."
Dante's expression remained indifferent. "That material is not up to standard. I do not teach garbage."
Umbridge's smile stiffened. "The material has been carefully written and reviewed by the best experts in the Ministry. If you cannot understand that, perhaps the issue lies with you rather than the material."
Dante's eyes flickered with amusement. "It was written by incompetent fools who clearly have no understanding of actual Defense Against the Dark Arts. But then again, with a cowardly idiot running the Ministry, that's hardly surprising." He waved a dismissive hand. "Now, shut up and stop wasting time."
Umbridge's face twisted in fury. "How dare you speak to me like…"
Before she could finish, Dante lazily flicked his wand. The wall behind her transfigured, opening a hole that led outside. With a casual motion, he sent Umbridge flying through it.
A loud, high-pitched scream echoed through the classroom, followed by a solid thump and then silence.
The class sat in stunned silence, staring at the now-intact wall where their Ministry-appointed inspector had been standing moments ago.
Hermione slowly raised a trembling hand. When Dante's gaze landed on her, she asked hesitantly, "Is she… dead?"
Dante sighed. "Unfortunately, no. The impact wasn't enough to kill her. A loss for the world, but we must live with it for now."
The class remained silent for another moment before Dante clapped his hands. "Alright, the comedic relief is over. Open your notes; we've wasted enough time already."
Before the day ended, every student and professor had heard of Dante throwing Umbridge out of his classroom like discarded trash. The woman hadn't lasted a full minute in his presence. Students roared with laughter, whispering among themselves, "As expected from the fearsome Professor Malfoy." Even the professors, though they maintained their usual decorum, couldn't fully hide their satisfaction at Umbridge's humiliation.
Dolores spent the night in the infirmary, recovering from her rough landing, before vanishing early the next morning. However, the students' celebrations were short-lived when news spread that she had returned with even greater authority. This time, she was appointed as Hogwarts' High Inquisitor.
Armed with the ministry's backing, Umbridge now had the power to implement new rules at her discretion. Any violation could result in expulsion for students or even imprisonment for adults, including the professors. It was clear she was itching for a confrontation with Dante. But to her frustration, he remained utterly indifferent to her presence. He saw her actions as nothing more than petty and idiotic.
Over the next two weeks, Hogwarts found itself drowning in an avalanche of new educational decrees. She sought to control everything, the students' dress code, the way they walked, the way they talked, and even how many could gather in a group. Each decree was more ridiculous than the last. However, the worst offense was her enforcement of physical punishments, particularly on those who dared to oppose her, Harry Potter being one of the prime victims.
One morning, Draco Malfoy came rushing into Dante's office. "Dante, there's a problem in the Great Hall," he said urgently. "Umbridge is harassing Lovegood."
Dante's eyes narrowed dangerously. Without a word, he grabbed Draco by the shoulder and disapparated, appearing instantly inside the Great Hall. A tense scene greeted him, Dolores Umbridge stood fuming, her face flushed with anger, while Luna Lovegood was shielding her beloved Crumple-Horned Snorkack pet as if it were her child.
Dante's voice cut through the tense atmosphere. "What do you think you're doing?"
Umbridge visibly flinched at his voice but quickly regained her composure. "This student has broken the dress code by wearing those ridiculous earrings and has brought that disgusting creature into the Great Hall," she declared.
Dante raised an eyebrow, glancing at Luna. She looked unbothered, as usual. He turned back to Umbridge. "Her earrings are fine. And Loony…" he gestured toward the pet "is harmless. If you want to talk about violations of dress code, start with yourself. Your fashion sense and that horrid pink color should be considered a crime in itself."
Laughter erupted among the students, filling the Great Hall with echoes of amusement. Umbridge's face turned red with fury. "I am here under the direct order of the Minister of Magic! Any insult toward me is an insult toward the ministry!" she shrieked.
Nearby, Hermione Granger couldn't hold herself back any longer. "That doesn't give you the right to make up stupid decrees and physically punish students!"
Dante's head snapped toward her, his expression darkening. "What physical punishment?"
Hermione hesitated for a moment before pulling Harry forward, showing Dante the scars on the back of his hand.
Dante's silver eyes narrowed as he studied the words etched into Harry's skin. "Did she do this?" His voice was unnervingly cold.
Harry nodded, and that was all it took.
Dante turned back to Umbridge, his eyes now glowing with a terrifying light. A suffocating pressure filled the Great Hall, sending a ripple of fear through everyone present. The oppressive force pressed down on Umbridge, forcing her to her knees. She screamed as she collapsed onto the stone floor, the tiles cracking beneath her weight.
Dante ignored her suffering and turned to Luna. "Your class is first today, Luna"
Luna nodded.
"Tell them the first half of the lesson is self-reading," Dante instructed. "I have to pay a visit to the Ministry."
With a flick of his wand, a thick chain materialized around Umbridge, binding her like a prisoner. Before she could so much as protest, Dante grabbed the chain and disapparated, vanishing from the Great Hall with her in tow.
As the students processed what had just happened, Ron broke the silence. "It's been a while since I saw his eyes glowing," he mused. "What do you think he'll do this time?"
No one answered, but they all knew one thing, Dante Malfoy was furious. And when Dante Malfoy was angry, the world tended to feel it.