The morning at Hogwarts began with the usual routine, but today, the arrival of The Daily Prophet brought an unprecedented stir. As the owls delivered the newspapers, the students eagerly grabbed their copies, their eyes widening at the bold, black title sprawled across the front page: 'Hogwarts Dark Lord'.
The article recounted, in dramatic detail, the events that had unfolded at the Ministry of Magic. It spoke of Dante Malfoy, the professor who, alone, had taken on the entirety of the Ministry's law enforcement, hit wizards, and aurors, along with the employees who had rushed to assist. It described how a single wizard had overwhelmed them all before proceeding to torture Minister Fudge in front of everyone and then stripping both Fudge and Umbridge of their magic, reducing them to mere squibs. Most chilling of all was his final declaration—Hogwarts was under his protection, and any interference would be met with merciless retaliation.
While the wizarding world reeled in shock, the students of Hogwarts had a different reaction. They knew something even more incredible, Dante had returned from his conquest and had simply resumed his lectures as though nothing had happened. No grand statements, no acknowledgement of his actions, just another day of teaching. To them, this wasn't just impressive; it was legendary.
At the professors' table, Minerva McGonagall had been in the middle of sipping her pumpkin juice when her eyes landed on the headline. She choked, coughing violently as her gaze darted between the newspaper and the man sitting calmly beside her. Dante, as usual, was enjoying his breakfast in silence, unfazed by the attention.
McGonagall finally set her goblet down and, with an expression of exasperation and disbelief, turned to him. "Professor Malfoy," she said, her voice strained but firm, "we need to talk. Now."
Dante didn't even look up. "Alright."
The rest of the faculty, equally stunned, exchanged glances before collectively deciding to follow. As they stood and exited the hall, the students erupted into cheers. It was clear, Dante's actions hadn't instilled fear. Instead, they had cemented his status as Hogwarts' guardian. Why be afraid of a Dark Lord when he was on your side?
On the Gryffindor side of the Great Hall, Ron Weasley shook his head in disbelief. "Okay, I wanted Dante to go all Dark Lord on the pink frog, but that's… Merlin's beard, that's too much. Even You-Know-Who wouldn't dare pull that off!"
Hermione Granger, still staring at the newspaper in shock, said, "Can you imagine if Professor Malfoy was an actual Dark Lord? That would be far worse than You-Know-Who."
Ron snorted. "I dunno about that. I think he'd just be the Dark Lord of the library or something. Hoarding books all day long and people will stop daring to say the word 'book' instead you-know-the-thing"
Harry, who had been listening to their exchange with amusement, remained quiet for a moment before speaking. "You know… he did all of this because of what happened to me."
Ron and Hermione fell silent at that realization.
Harry glanced down at his still-healing hand, the scars left by Umbridge's cruel punishment barely faded. A small, rare smile appeared on his face. "It's nice," he murmured, "having someone who won't hesitate to back you up when you are treated unfairly."
No one disagreed.
___________
McGonagall led Dante and the other professors into the nearby Trophy Room, her sharp gaze locked onto him as she turned to face him. The room was silent, the tension heavy in the air.
"What were you thinking?" McGonagall demanded, her voice laced with frustration. "Attacking the Ministry and torturing the Minister? Even the Dark Lord, at the height of his power, didn't do something so brazen, and yet you, a professor at Hogwarts, did it. Do you think that was fun or impressive?"
Severus Snape, standing slightly apart from the others, had a rare glint of amusement in his eyes as he spoke slowly, "I, for one, enjoyed the article very much. Barbaric, yes, but impressive nonetheless."
McGonagall turned sharply toward him, her lips pressing into a thin line. "Severus, this is serious."
Dante remained unfazed, his expression calm. "It solved the issue of the Ministry interfering with Hogwarts," he replied. "Now they will think a hundred times before annoying us or the students."
McGonagall let out a sigh, clearly exasperated. "Your actions will bring fear and doubt," she countered.
Flitwick, who had remained quiet until now, spoke up. "Judging by the noise in the Great Hall, I'd say the students seem to like this very much. They are not afraid."
Dante nodded. "That's the point. If you had a powerful wizard protecting and teaching your children in Hogwarts, would you be afraid to send them here? This is the safest place in the world."
He let his words settle before continuing, "As for the Ministry, they now know better than to try anything foolish. I alone could wipe them out, and I still have hundreds of Dementors under my command. It's in their best interest to avoid me."
McGonagall pursed her lips, clearly struggling with his logic. "That's wrong. None of this should be okay."
Dante merely shrugged. "That's the benefit of being unstoppable. You decide how things play out."
Turning to leave, he added, "Relax. I didn't kill anyone, despite the scale of my attack. That should make it clear to everyone, I'm not some deranged killer to be feared unnecessarily. And death can not be fixed after all"
The last part is spoken in a lower, serene tone.
___________
The news of Dante Malfoy's attack on the Ministry of Magic spread like wildfire. Within hours, every corner of the wizarding world had heard of the young professor who single-handedly brought the Ministry to its knees. His power was undeniable, and the sheer scale of his actions left many in awe and others in fear.
But none were more shaken than Lord Voldemort himself.
In the dimly lit chamber of his hideout, Voldemort sat in silence, his red eyes scanning the pages of the Daily Prophet. He read and re-read the article, unable to fully grasp the absurdity of what had transpired.
"One man," he whispered to himself. "One man attacked the Ministry… and won."
It was incomprehensible. The Ministry, for all its incompetence, still housed some of the most skilled enforcers of magical law—Aurors, Hit Wizards, and countless spellcasters trained to subdue dark forces. Even at the height of his power, Voldemort had never entertained the thought of attacking the Ministry head-on. Such an act would have required an army, years of planning, and devastating sacrifices. Yet Dante Malfoy had walked in alone and crushed all opposition with overwhelming force.
What disturbed Voldemort even more was the method of Dante's retaliation. The article detailed how he had tortured Minister Fudge in front of hundreds, how he had turned both Fudge and Dolores Umbridge into squibs, stripping them of their magic as if it were a mere trinket to be taken away. The idea was horrifying. The Unforgivable Curses were feared for a reason, but what Dante had done was beyond them. It was something else entirely.
Voldemort clenched his fist tightly. Stripping someone of their magic? That was something even he had never heard of. No book, no ancient spell, no lost ritual had ever described such a power. Was it a new form of magic? A lost secret? Or was Dante Malfoy simply a force beyond the understanding of normal wizards?
Then there was the Killing Curse.
Voldemort's greatest weapon, the curse that had granted him his reputation as the most feared Dark Lord in history, had been used against Dante during the Ministry battle. And it had failed.
The thought sent a cold shiver down Voldemort's spine. He had dismissed Barty Crouch Jr.'s earlier report that Dante was immune to the Killing Curse, assuming it was a mistake or exaggeration. But now, with multiple witnesses confirming it, Voldemort could no longer deny the truth. The very foundation of his power, the one spell that guaranteed his dominance, was useless against this man.
"What… is he?" Voldemort muttered, his voice barely audible.
The article described more of Dante's abilities—his control over ice and crystal, the ability to create monstrous creatures from them, his command of black lightning that struck down dozens in an instant, and a strange purple orb that absorbed and reflected spells. None of these were things Voldemort had ever encountered. They weren't part of any known magical discipline. It was as if Dante played by a different set of rules altogether.
And worst of all, he had declared Hogwarts under his protection.
Voldemort had once viewed Hogwarts as a battlefield to be taken, a place of strategic importance. Now, it was a fortress guarded by an entity more terrifying than any dark force Voldemort had ever encountered. Attacking the school meant facing Dante directly. And that…
For the first time in decades, Voldemort felt something unfamiliar creeping into his mind.
Fear.
His thoughts drifted to Snape's warning months ago: 'Avoid Dante.'
Voldemort had originally dismissed the caution, thinking it an unnecessary exaggeration, it was only when he heard of Dumbledore's strange behavior toward Dante that he decided to wait and see. If not for that, he would have paid a visit to the Malfoy Manor to punish Lucius for his lack of loyalty long ago. Now, the mere thought of being caught off guard by Dante sent an involuntary shiver through his body. Snape had saved him. Had he ignored the warning, he might have walked straight into a death trap.
Even Dumbledore, for all his wisdom and power, never dared to antagonize Dante. The old man always kept a careful distance. [Perhaps he knew all along].
As Voldemort sat in his dark chamber, pondering this newfound threat, he realized that Dante Malfoy was not just another powerful wizard. He was an anomaly, something beyond comprehension, beyond control. And for the first time in his long reign of terror, Voldemort questioned whether he truly held the title of the greatest dark wizard in the world.