Outside the Ministry, the air was still thick with tension, but Harry found himself smiling. He turned to Dante, gratitude evident in his eyes.
"Thanks for standing up for me back there," Harry said. "Won't this cause you trouble?"
Dante shook his head dismissively. "It's fine. That minister is too incompetent to do anything meaningful. If I didn't already know that many idiots like him followed Voldemort before, I might have been surprised how he made it to being Minister in the first place."
Harry chuckled at that. Dante's blunt words and complete lack of respect for authority were oddly refreshing.
Dante suddenly turned to Harry. "Wait here. I'll be back." Without another word, he disapparated.
A few minutes later, as Harry stood there wondering where Dante had gone, Dumbledore stepped outside. The old wizard smiled lightly. "Harry, the final decision has been made. They voted against your expulsion. It seems Dante's... less-than-kind words swayed many in your favor. However, he's also earned the hatred of Cornelius and his supporters. I wouldn't be surprised if Cornelius tries to have Dante thrown into Azkaban."
Dumbledore sighed and looked around. "Has Dante already left?"
Harry shook his head. "No, he said he would be back and then disapparated a few minutes ago."
At first, Dumbledore simply nodded. Then he frowned, recalling Dante's parting words inside the courtroom. A deep sigh escaped him as he realized what was about to happen.
True to his expectation, within a minute, the entire Ministry turned colder. The atmosphere grew heavier, gloomier, and an unnatural chill settled over the area.
Dante apparated beside them, his expression as calm as ever.
Dumbledore gave him a tired look. "You didn't have to do this."
Dante merely shrugged. "An incompetent idiot like him shouldn't be allowed to remain at the top. This is better than just killing him."
Dumbledore sighed. "Fudge is afraid, and fear makes people act irrationally. Give him a break."
Dante replied. "He'll apologize publicly and, preferably, retire early."
Satisfied with the conversation, Dante turned away. "I assume Harry will be going with you. Then there's no need for me to stay here."
Dumbledore, however, stopped him. "Wait. I'd like you to come with us somewhere first."
Dante raised an eyebrow. "Why?"
Dumbledore smiled knowingly. "It won't take too much of your time."
Dante sighed but didn't argue. Within seconds, the three disapparated.
___________
When they reappeared, Dante glanced around, taking in the old but grand Black family ancestral home. The air of decay mixed with remnants of grandeur spoke volumes about its history.
"This is the headquarters of the Order of the Phoenix," Dumbledore explained. "A place where those who oppose Voldemort gather. This house once belonged to Sirius Black, and he left it, along with all his wealth, to Harry in his will."
Dante raised an eyebrow. "Sirius Black?" The name sparked recognition. He recalled the man—a supposed traitor who had betrayed Harry's parents. More than that, it was the same man whose soul Dante had used to save Ginny Weasley.
Dumbledore continued, "Sirius carried great guilt over his friend's death. Maybe he saw this as some form of atonement. We will never know what he was thinking"
Dante remained silent, absorbing the information as they walked. When they entered the spacious dining room, Dante's gaze then flickered to the people gathered inside the house. He recognized the Weasleys, Professor McGonagall, Snape, Moody, and a few others he didn't know. A young woman with short, vibrant purple hair stepped forward with a grin.
"Hey there, cousin."
Dante turned his gaze toward her and immediately recalled her identity. Nymphadora Tonks—his unapproved cousin, the one his mother disowned.
Tonks smiled wider. "Nice to see you that joined us. I've heard a lot about your achievements over the years."
Dante didn't reply. Instead, he turned to Dumbledore. "Are you going to explain now?"
Dumbledore nodded. "Everyone, this is Dante Malfoy. I've invited him here because I wish to extend an offer. The Order of the Phoenix was created during the first war to fight against Voldemort and his forces. I wish to formally invite you to join."
Dante didn't hesitate. "No."
The response was immediate, blunt, and without an ounce of interest. A few members looked disappointed, while others frowned at his response, it was blunt and lacked respect.
Dumbledore, however, had expected as much. "I assumed you would refuse," he admitted. "But I do hope that if any of those in this room require aid, you will at least consider offering your help."
Dumbledore had two reasons for inviting Dante. One was to demonstrate trust, to show that he saw good in Dante despite his less than savory approach to problems. The other was a calculated move—he doubted Voldemort would leave Dante alone for long. So when time comes, Dante will be more inclined to side with them. Having a wizard of Dante's caliber as an ally in troubled times would be invaluable.
Dante didn't outright refuse but didn't accept either. "I'm going home," he simply stated before disapparating without another word.
He had no interest in this war. Voldemort was doomed regardless. The fool's soul would wither away in a few years, and without anyone telling him, he would never see it coming. Dante had no need to do anything.
___________
When Dante apparated back home, he immediately sensed a guest's presence. As he stepped into the sitting room, he saw his mother engaged in conversation with a black-haired woman. Narcissa, noticing him, waved him over.
"Dante, come and meet your aunt Bellatrix," she said smoothly.
Dante walked closer, his gaze analyzing the woman before him. A memory flickered in his mind, Bellatrix Lestrange striking him with the Killing Curse during the Battle of Hogwarts, her horror when it failed to harm him, and the fear in her eyes before he ended her life. So, she was his aunt.
"Aunt Bellatrix," Dante greeted neutrally.
Bellatrix's sharp eyes assessed him before she smirked. "So, this is my prodigy of a nephew. I've wanted to meet you for quite some time."
Dante sat beside his mother, keeping his expression unreadable. Yet, Bellatrix's gaze burned with unmasked anger, and that puzzled him. He had never met her before, not in this timeline, at least.
"Why are you angry?" he asked bluntly.
Bellatrix's lips curled as she leaned forward. "Since I left Azkaban, all I've been hearing is how my nephew dares to speak the Dark Lord's name and insult him. Lucius betraying our Master is one thing, he has always been a coward, but you? You insult our Master so openly. However, he is forgiving. If you apologize and serve him faithfully, he will not punish you."
Dante now understood. His aunt was a fanatic, just like Barty Crouch Jr. He gave her an unimpressed look. "I have spoken nothing but the truth. The Dark Lord you worship is not as great as you think."
Bellatrix's eyes blazed. "He is the greatest wizard to ever live! I will not allow anyone, not even family, to slander him!"
Narcissa, looking worried, placed a gentle hand over Dante's as if silently pleading with him to de-escalate the situation. But Dante merely cast a glance at his mother before addressing Bellatrix again.
"Fine. I'll humor you," he said. "Enlighten me. Why is he the greatest wizard in the world?"
Bellatrix calmed slightly, seizing the opportunity. She began listing Voldemort's achievements, his mastery of the Dark Arts, his transformation of his body, his conquest over death, and his understanding of true blood superiority.
Dante let her speak without interruption. When she finished, he finally responded.
"His body transformation? That originated with Tetrius and Circe nearly three thousand years ago," Dante said, waving his hand. A book floated from the nearby shelf into Bellatrix's lap. "His magical transformation is incomplete and serves as an example of what not to do."
Bellatrix's eyes narrowed, but Dante continued.
"His spells? All invented by others. His so-called conquest over death? He didn't conquer death, he created a few Horcruxes, which merely anchored him to this world temporarily. And even that, he did improperly."
Dante waved again, and another book landed before Bellatrix. "This contains instructions on how to do what he did. It was not his original creation, nor was it done correctly."
Bellatrix's fingers tightened around the books, her disbelief growing.
"And the blood supremacy theory? It's a lie you choose to believe. Argus Filch, the caretaker of Hogwarts, was a Squib. I made him into a wizard this year. Likewise, I can turn a Muggle into a wizard." Dante's voice remained calm, measured. "And just as easily, I can take away your magic and make you a Squib. Tell me, dear aunt, will your blood save you from the fate I can bestow upon you?"
Bellatrix's breath hitched. "Impossible."
"Check the news. Argus is a wizard now," Dante said. "And the books in your hands detail how Voldemort's greatest 'achievements' are nothing more than incomplete or misused legacies of greater individuals."
Bellatrix's mind reeled. She had worshipped the Dark Lord for years, devoted her life to his cause. Yet here was her nephew, systematically dismantling every reason she had believed in his superiority. Her mouth opened, but no words came.
Dante watched her silently for a moment before rising to his feet. "To me, Voldemort is just an ordinary wizard who read more books than others without understanding them completely. So unless you can show me something he accomplished that was truly his own, I will continue to see him as such, no matter how much you worship him."
Bellatrix clenched her jaw, desperately trying to defend her master. She listed a few more of his supposed accomplishments, but each time, Dante countered with older, more refined magical theories and evidence of wizards who had accomplished the same feats, only better.
By the time he was finished, Bellatrix sat numbly, her world shaken. For the first time, she wondered if her Master should have been sorted into Ravenclaw instead of Slytherin, given how much he had relied on others' knowledge.
Dante gave her one last look. "Voldemort and his cause are a waste of time. I hope you rethink your choices, Aunt. Otherwise, it would sadden my mother if I had to kill you this time as well."
Bellatrix barely registered his words, too caught up in the earth-shattering realization that the foundation of her beliefs had crumbled.
Narcissa, however, did. And she understood. She recalled Dante's breakdown in the garden upon his return from the past. If what he said was true… then Dante had already killed Bellatrix before.
A shiver ran down Narcissa's spine, she was now worried for her sister. She had always known her son was powerful. But that day in the garden, she truly understood how terrifying he really is.