Lucius Malfoy apparated to the front door of Snape's small, run-down house in Spinner's End. The neighborhood was a bleak, industrial area, its abandoned factories and brick houses casting long shadows in the dim light. The river nearby, with its old mill, added to the dreary atmosphere. Snape's home was a reflection of his lonely life—dark, cold, and neglected.
Lucius rang the doorbell, and Snape answered, his expression as stoic as ever. Lucius offered a faint smile, though his eyes betrayed his discomfort. "I know I've said this before, Severus, but you really should find a new house—or at least renovate this one."
Snape's lips twitched in what might have been a smirk. "I like it this way," he said dryly. "Thank you for coming."
Lucius stepped inside, his polished shoes clicking against the worn wooden floor. "What's so urgent that you needed me to come here?" he asked, his tone light but curious.
Snape gestured for Lucius to sit, then took a seat across from him. "Lucius, you're my only friend," Snape began, his voice low and measured. "And I am the godfather of your sons. But I've received a troubling order from the Dark Lord. He wants me to try and poison your children at school."
Lucius's face turned serious, his smile vanishing. "What did you say, Severus?"
Snape's expression remained impassive. "I didn't refuse or object to the order," he said. "But the Dark Lord seems to be terrified of Dante. He's stopped calling him a person and now refers to him as an ancient, undying monster who has lived for thousands of years."
Lucius's eyes widened slightly, his mind flashing back to the graveyard confrontation. Dante had whispered something to Voldemort that day—something that had left the Dark Lord visibly shaken. Could it be that Dante had revealed the truth?
Snape continued, his voice steady. "If the Dark Lord fears Dante, I need to know why. I don't want to be part of hurting your children, Lucius, but I need to protect myself. What did the Dark Lord mean? Can I rely on Dante?"
Lucius sat in silence for a moment, his mind racing. Finally, he nodded. "You can rely on Dante for protection" he said firmly.
Snape's eyebrows rose slightly. "Why does the Dark Lord fear him?"
Lucius shook his head. "I don't fully understand what Dante did to him or what he told him, but I can tell you this: Dante is indeed a wizard who has lived for thousands of years and truly conquered death."
Snape leaned forward, his curiosity piqued. "How? What can you share with me?"
Lucius hesitated, he wondered how much he should reveal, but then he decided that Severus was a smart person and knew what is good for him, so he spoke. "I don't know much myself, but from the bits and pieces I've gathered over the years, I can confidently say that Dante is the greatest and most terrifying wizard to ever exist."
Snape's eyes narrowed. "Explain."
Lucius's face grew serious. "Over ten thousand years ago, Dante waged a war against the elves and enslaved their entire race. Today, we know them as house-elves, but at some point they were a free race. The enslavement magic he created still works to this day."
Snape's eyes widened in shock. "It is difficult to believe even if you say that" he replied, his voice barely above a whisper.
Lucius nodded grimly. "I understand, I didn't believe at first either but Dante showed me how to destroy the will of any elf. Just a single word, spoken by any wizard, and their wills are crushed, it is the effect of his magic from thousands of years ago. And the scariest thing, he's held a grudge against them for over ten thousand years and is still tormenting them to this day."
Lucius's revelations hung heavily in the air, each word adding to the weight of dread settling in Snape's chest. Snape pressed his lips into a thin line, his mind struggling to process how scary and vengeful Dante really is.
But Lucius wasn't done.
"Dante, in one of his lives, was Herpo the Foul," Lucius continued, his voice low and grave.
Snape's breath hitched. He was familiar with the name. Herpo the Foul was a legendary dark wizard, said to be the first of his kind. His research had inspired countless horrors, and his name was synonymous with the darkest depths of magic.
Lucius saw the shock on Snape's face and pressed on. "Dante is also the reason we have Metamorphmagi and centaurs today. His dark experiments on transfiguring wizards led to their creation."
Snape opened his mouth, then closed it, his mind reeling. "How could one person do all of that?" he finally managed to ask, his voice barely above a whisper.
Lucius smiled weakly, though there was no humor in it. "That's not all, Severus. Armand Malfoy, the founder of my house, is Dante. My son is my ancestor. He created the Malfoy line to serve him in the future when he needed us. Hogwarts, the school we all attended and where you still teach, was created because he ordered the four founders to do it. They were his students."
Snape's eyes widened in disbelief. "Is that why he seems to know so many secrets about the school?"
Lucius nodded. "He's the true founder of Hogwarts. There are secrets about the school that not even Dumbledore or any other headmaster in the past knows."
Snape felt a chill run down his spine. The more he heard the more terrifying Dante became.
Lucius's face turned graver still. "And Dante is Ekrizdis, the creator of the dementors. They worship the ground he walks on."
Snape was numb, his mind struggling to comprehend the magnitude of what Lucius was saying. The dementors, those terrifying creatures that fed on despair and fear, were Dante's creation. And they revered him. No wonder he knew their language.
Lucius leaned forward, his voice low and urgent. "You can trust that if Dante protects you, not a single being in this world can threaten you. He's a wizard who shaped the history of our world and knows its secrets. And to this day, he still lives and works tirelessly."
Snape nodded weakly, his mind racing. "But to what end? What is he planning?"
Lucius shook his head. "I've shared everything I know about him. But I can assure you this: if you take the Dark Lord's side, there's nothing in this world that can save you from Dante's wrath."
Snape remained silent, too numb to speak. Lucius stood, his expression solemn. "Think carefully about this, Severus. I'll tell Dante about our conversation. I truly hope you'll know which side to pick when the time comes, because I have no control over what Dante decides to do."
With that, Lucius left, the sound of the door closing echoing through the cold, dark house. Snape sat there, the weight of Lucius's words pressing down on him. The implications were far more dreadful than he had ever imagined.
After a long moment, Snape stood weakly, his mind racing as he prepared to inform Dumbledore. He prayed he was doing the right thing. Because if even half of what Lucius had said was true, then Voldemort was a saint compared to Dante.
___________
Snape strode through the halls of Hogwarts with uncharacteristic urgency, his black robes billowing behind him. His mind was a whirlwind of thoughts, each more troubling than the last. When he reached the headmaster's office, he didn't bother with pleasantries.
Dumbledore looked up from his desk, his blue eyes narrowing in concern as he took in Snape's pale, nervous expression. "Severus," he said, his voice calm but tinged with worry. "Are you all right?"
Snape ignored the question and launched into his explanation. He recounted his meeting with Lucius, detailing everything he had learned about Dante's true nature. The more Snape spoke, the graver Dumbledore's expression became. By the time Snape finished, the headmaster looked as though he had aged a decade.
Dumbledore sank wearily into his chair, his fingers steepled as he processed the information. "No wonder Dante told Voldemort he is the progenitor of the dark arts," he said weakly. "He is far more dreadful than I ever imagined. The scariest thing is that he has remained hidden in our history despite all he has done. But this raises a question: why do we know about him now?"
Snape frowned. "What do you mean?"
Dumbledore leaned forward, his eyes piercing. "If Dante has left so many legacies and changes in the world, and his true nature has been kept hidden for millennia, why is he revealing himself now? Does it mean he has been planning something, and now it is about to be achieved?"
Snape lowered his head, his mind racing. "Yes, that's true. Why now?"
Dumbledore stood, his expression resolute. "We need to visit Helena Ravenclaw. She knew Dante in person and might be able to tell us more."
The two of them made their way to Ravenclaw Tower. It didn't take long for them to encounter the Grey Lady, her translucent form gliding gracefully through the air.
Dumbledore greeted her with a respectful nod. "Helena Ravenclaw," he said, his voice gentle. "I would like to ask you about Dante Malfoy."
The Grey Lady's expression grew guarded. "You can speak with Dante on your own," she replied curtly, turning as if to leave.
Dumbledore stepped forward, his tone earnest. "I know Dante has been living for a very long time. I know he is the teacher of the four founders. I just want to ask you if you know what he is planning. Why has he lived for so long?"
The Grey Lady stopped, her ghostly form turning back to face them. Her expression was one of surprise, and for a moment, she seemed to hesitate. Finally, she spoke. "I don't know what Grandpa Armand is planning," she said, her voice soft but firm. "The only person who truly knew what he wanted was my mother. She was his favorite student, but she never revealed what she knew."
Helena paused, her gaze distant, as if lost in memory. Then she looked back at Dumbledore, her expression serious. "If you are asking because you intend to cause trouble with Grandpa Armand, I would strongly advise you against it. The four founders of Hogwarts, in their prime, combined, were not his match. Let alone you. If he wants to do something, nothing in this world can stop him. He is truly the greatest and most powerful wizard our world has ever seen."
With that, the Grey Lady turned and glided away, leaving Dumbledore and Snape standing in stunned silence.
Snape broke the silence first, his voice low and tense. "Grandpa Armand? She called him that. Does that mean…"
Dumbledore nodded, his expression grim. "It seems Dante's influence extends even further than we thought. If Helena Ravenclaw, the daughter of one of the founders, holds him in such high regard—and fear—we must think a thousand times before acting."
Snape's mind raced. Helena's words added to Dante's scary image. He wasn't just a powerful wizard; he was a figure of myth, a being who had shaped the very foundations of their world. And if even the four founders of Hogwarts combined couldn't oppose him, what chance did they have?
Dumbledore placed a hand on Snape's shoulder, his voice calm but firm. "We need to proceed with caution, Severus. I am afraid Dante is planning something of unheard magnitude and has been in motion for a very long time. We cannot afford to ignore him. We must uncover his plans—before it's too late."
Snape nodded, though his heart was heavy with dread. As they left Ravenclaw Tower, the shadows of the castle seemed to grow darker, as if they too were aware of the looming threat.