In less than a week, Amelia Bones was officially selected as the next Minister for Magic. Despite the chaos Dante had caused, Amelia chose to act as if nothing had happened. It was clear to her that the best course of action was to avoid provoking the monster who had so effortlessly dismantled the Ministry's forces. Even Dumbledore had advised her to let it be, admitting that he had no confidence in facing Dante, even with the combined might of the Aurors. To Amelia, there was no sense in picking a fight she could not win—especially when Dante's focus remained solely on teaching at Hogwarts.
For the rest of the magical community, Dante's overwhelming strength inspired some level of fear, but in truth, no one really minded his actions. The young professor had shown no desire for conquest; rather, he had made it clear that his only interest was the protection of Hogwarts and its students. In the end, the only real casualties were Cornelius Fudge and Dolores Umbridge, both of whom had been utterly ruined. With the former Minister and his secretary now squibs, their fates were sealed. Life moved on, and Hogwarts returned to its usual routine.
For weeks, things remained peaceful, with the students and staff slowly settling into the reality that their Defense Against the Dark Arts professor was an unchallenged force of nature. Then came Christmas, and with it, an unexpected visit to Dante's office.
Hermione Granger, accompanied by Ron Weasley and Harry Potter, arrived at Dante's office with a determined expression. She held a small badge in her hands—one colored in green and silver, the emblem of Slytherin house. As soon as she entered, she strode toward Dante and held it out to him.
"Professor Malfoy, I'd like to invite you to join S.P.E.W.," she announced with conviction.
Dante, who had been grading assignments, slowly raised an eyebrow and took the badge from her. He read the letters on it: S.P.E.W.
"What exactly is this?" he asked, his tone neutral.
Hermione straightened her posture and began explaining, "S.P.E.W. stands for the Society for the Promotion of Elfish Welfare. I founded it after seeing the terrible treatment of house-elves in the wizarding world. They have no rights, no freedom, and they live in complete servitude. No creature should have to endure such injustice. I believe we need to fight for their rights, and with your influence, Professor, we could—"
"You want to give rights to elves?" he asked.
The temperature in the room seemed to drop slightly. Hermione flinched at the sudden shift in atmosphere. Even Ron and Harry tensed behind her, sensing that something was wrong. Dante stared at the badge for a long moment before setting it down on his desk.
Taking a deep breath, he closed his eyes for a moment before reopening them. "They won't get rights. They won't get freedom. Not as long as I live. I won't live to see those creatures treated as equals."
Hermione frowned but did not back down. Gathering her courage, she said, "Their state is too pitiful. No living thing should have to live like that."
Dante sneered. "They are in that state for a reason. It is their fate for the crimes their ancestors committed. Your pity is misplaced."
Hermione looked confused. "What did they do to deserve this? They have been slaves for as long as history records."
Dante's expression darkened. "The creatures you pity now were once the rulers of this world. Long ago, elves were not servants—they were predators. They hunted humans, killing without mercy. It did not matter if one was a Muggle or a wizard. To them, we were nothing more than prey. They nearly drove our kind to extinction."
Hermione's breath hitched. "That… that can't be true. If something like that happened, wouldn't there be records?"
"There were," Dante replied. "But after a war that lasted over a century, the elves were finally defeated. The leader of the wizards at the time chose to show them mercy rather than wipe them out completely. With the help of his brother, he crafted a powerful magical contract that bound them to servitude, ensuring they could never harm humans again. And how did the elves repay this act of mercy? They twisted the story. They portrayed themselves as tragic heroes, turning the wizard who saved humanity into a villain while making themselves appear as the victims."
Dante's eyes gleamed, his voice steady but laced with disdain. "Because of their lies. Their history was stripped away so they would forever be remembered as slaves. They will never escape their fate. They will never have the right to dream or the dignity of believing they were once free."
Hermione stared at him, her mind reeling. "How do you know all this?" she finally asked.
Dante's piercing gaze met hers. "I know things not written in books, Miss Granger. That is why I am here—to teach what others cannot. In due time, you will learn more. But for now, drop this foolish idea. No amount of badges, petitions, or giving them clothes will break the contract that binds them."
Hermione clenched her fists. It wasn't fair. Even if everything Dante said was true, the elves of today had nothing to do with those ancient crimes. Why should they continue to suffer?
Seeing her dejected look, Dante made it clear, "I don't want to hear about S.P.E.W. ever again."
Hermione knew she had been dismissed. She turned and left the office, Ron and Harry following silently behind her.
Outside, Ron scratched his head. "He really hates elves, doesn't he? But… how does he know all this?"
Hermione still looked troubled. "I don't know. But I'm not stopping just because he told me to. Even if what he said is true, that was long ago. Today's house-elves had nothing to do with it. It's unfair to continue punishing them for things they don't even know about."
Ron and Harry exchanged glances. They both knew Hermione wouldn't back down. Even if her fight was impossible, they could only stand by her side and support her.
As they walked back to the Gryffindor common room, Hermione clenched the S.P.E.W. badge tightly in her hand. She wasn't going to give up—not yet.
___________
Back inside his office, Dante let out a slow, measured sigh. He leaned back in his chair, fingers interlocked as he stared at the assignments. He could already predict Hermione's thoughts, the arguments she would mull over in her mind. That the house-elves of today knew nothing of their past sins, that they had been born into servitude without knowledge or choice. That it was unfair to punish them for crimes lost to time.
She was right.
Dante knew it. He had known it from the moment she had spoken, from the moment she had looked at him with those determined, defiant eyes, refusing to let the weight of his words crush her ideals. The logical part of his mind whispered that there was no justice in condemning a race for the sins of their ancestors. That the house-elves of today had done nothing to deserve their shackles.
But the hatred in his heart was deeper than reason. More powerful than logic. He had been there. He had seen it. Lived through the war. Watched as humans were slaughtered like cattle, as elven carved through entire tribes without mercy. He had felt the cold despair of a dying race, had seen families wiped out, children torn from their parents' arms only to be butchered like animals. And then—
Then the break of their oath.
The rewriting of history. The twisting of truth. The so-called victims painting themselves as the oppressed, while the man who had spared them was remembered as a monster.
No.
Dante's fingers tightened around the arms of his chair. Even if fairness dictated otherwise, even if he understood the injustice of it, he had made his decision long ago.
So long as he walked this earth, he would never see a free elf. Not in his lifetime.