Milk_Is_My_Drug
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Chapter 41: Something Is Wrong
🕑 Added 2025-04-01 19:20:40 +0000 UTCThe Great Hall was alive with chatter as usual during breakfast, but the Slytherin table was particularly loud today. Draco and the rest of the Slytherins had surrounded Dante, their voices overlapping as they bombarded him with questions.
“First, you disappear for a week to publish your research,” Draco said, his tone a mix of awe and frustration. “Then you vanish for a whole month and come back with Ravenclaw’s diadem. And just when we thought you’d stay, you disappear again for nearly a week! How is any of this okay?”
Dante shrugged, his expression blank. “I’m more productive this way. I don’t need the classes to begin with, and the professors know that. They’ve asked me to let them know when I plan to leave, and that’s it.”
The Slytherins stared at him in disbelief. Sure, Dante was leagues ahead of them in magic and intelligence, but to blatantly ignore the rules and have the professors allow it? It felt unfair, and they couldn’t help but feel a pang of jealousy.
Dante ignored their protests and headed to his Charms class, his mind already wandering to what he should do next. When he entered the classroom, Professor Flitwick greeted him with a warm smile.
“Dante, thank you for retrieving Ravenclaw’s lost heirloom,” Flitwick said, his voice filled with gratitude. “I should have thanked your earlier, but I was too shocked to act properly as the head of Ravenclaw House.”
Dante waved his hand dismissively. “No need. I did it for Helena.”
Flitwick’s eyes widened at the mention of the Grey Lady’s name. He wanted to ask how Dante knew her and why she had sought his help, but he stopped himself. Dante clearly had no intention of sharing, and Flitwick decided it was best to be grateful for his help.
Not long after the class began, Professor McGonagall appeared at the door. “Dante, the headmaster would like to see you in his office.”
Flitwick nodded, not objecting, but Dante frowned. He wasn’t looking forward to another meeting with Dumbledore, especially after the last one. He wondered how the headmaster still had the nerve to face him. But in the end, he stood up and followed McGonagall, silently resolving that if this was about another problem caused by Dumbledore’s incompetence, he wouldn’t hesitate to end the man’s life.
As they walked, McGonagall glanced at Dante. “Thank you for saving Miss Granger. What you did was… extraordinary.”
Dante’s response was calm but blunt. “No need. It was partially my fault for not killing Lockhart earlier.”
McGonagall frowned, finding his reply unsettling, out of place even. But she recalled how he had cursed Hermione’s parents to sleep without a second thought and decided this was just another example of his extreme logic of what is the right thing to do.
She sighed. “I don’t approve of the way you act, think, or speak, but I am thankful that you are our student. Everyone else had given up on Hermione, it was hopeless, but you found a way to save her. You stayed for days, tirelessly healing her and left the moment she woke up. I honestly don’t understand why you are in Slytherin—you’re anything but a Slytherin.”
She smiled faintly. “You would be the perfect wizard if not for how heartless you act.”
At her words, Dante froze. His eyes dilated, his jaw clenched, and for a moment, he stopped moving. He closed his eyes, took a deep breath, and when he opened them again, his expression was back to its usual blank state. He continued walking, now two steps behind McGonagall. She didn’t notice the change in him.
When they entered Dumbledore’s office, they found Hermione sitting with her parents. The moment they saw Dante, Hermione’s parents stood up, their faces filled with gratitude.
“Thank you for saving our daughter,” Hermione’s father said, his voice choked with emotion. He looked apologetic. “And I’m sorry for how we spoke to you when we first met.”
Dante shook his head. “It’s fine. You were stressed.”
Hermione stood beside her parents, her expression a mix of relief and guilt. “Thank you for saving me. And I’m sorry if I ever offended you with my behavior in the past.”
Dante’s response was as blank as ever. “It’s fine.”
Hermione’s father turned to Dumbledore, his expression serious. “The other reason we wanted to come here is to say that we don’t want our daughter to stay at Hogwarts. This place isn’t safe, and we can’t risk losing her again.”
Hermione’s eyes widened in shock. “What? No! I want to stay here!”
McGonagall stepped in, her voice firm. “Your daughter is one of our brightest students. What happened was an isolated incident, and we’ve taken steps to ensure it won’t happen again.”
Hermione’s mother began to cry. “I can’t bear to see her like that again. I just can’t.”
As the argument grew heated, Dante’s breathing became uneven. His eyes dilated, his heart rate spiked, and a suffocating feeling tightened his chest. Voices overlapped in his head, growing louder and more erratic. He clenched his teeth, his hands gripping the sides of his head.
Dumbledore was the first to notice. “Mr. Malfoy, are you okay?”
The room fell silent as everyone turned to Dante. His face was pale, his body trembling as if he were fighting an invisible battle. His eyes glowed faintly before he closed them, taking a deep breath. When he opened them again, his expression was calm, though his face was still pale.
“I’m fine,” he said, his voice steady.
His eyes locked onto Hermione’s parents. “Accidents can happen anywhere and anytime. This one happened at Hogwarts; the next might be in your own home. Your best bet is to let your child learn how to handle things and hope she’s ready when things go wrong. If she wants to stay here and learn, she’s going to stay. If you can’t see reason, I can remove your memories of this ever happening. Your choice.”
Without waiting for a response, Dante turned and left the office in a rush.
As soon as Dante stepped out of Dumbledore’s office, he closed his eyes, his face still pale. He took a deep breath, then opened his eyes and cast a Disillusionment Charm on himself. His form shimmered and faded from view as he made his way through the castle.
He moved quickly, his steps silent and quick. Soon, he reached the entrance to Gryffindor Tower, he stopped in front of the Fat Lady’s portrait. With a flick of his wand, the door swung open, and he slipped inside.
The Gryffindor common room was filled with students, some studying, others chatting. A few glanced toward the door, puzzled by its sudden opening and why no one was there, but they quickly dismissed it.
Dante didn’t waste time. He moved through the room, his invisible form dodging students until he reached the stairs leading to the boys’ dormitories. He climbed to the second-year room and entered, his eyes scanning the beds until he found the one he was looking for. In front of the bed was a storage box. Dante opened it and retrieved a cloak—the Invisibility Cloak.
He placed the cloak in his pouch and left the room as quietly as he had entered. Once outside the Gryffindor common room, he walked a short distance before stopping again. His breathing grew uneven, and he clutched his head, the voices in his mind growing louder. He spotted a nearby classroom, its door closed. With a wave of his wand, he unlocked it and slipped inside.
Dante dispelled the Disillusionment Charm and sat down, his face pale and his hands trembling. He rested for a while, his eyes closed as he fought to regain control. The voices in his head subsided, and his breathing steadied. After a few minutes, he stood up, his expression calm again.
Dante began moving again, he made his way to the Great Hall, only to realize it was past lunchtime and classes had already begun. He turned and headed toward the dungeons, his destination clear: Snape’s Potions class.
When he reached the classroom, he knocked once and opened the door without waiting for a response. Snape looked in his direction, his expression darkening at the rude interruption. The class, a mix of Gryffindor and Slytherin second-years, turned to stare at Dante.
Dante ignored Snape and scanned the room. His eyes landed on Hermione Granger, who was sitting at her desk. Her presence confirmed that her parents had made their choice, but Dante didn’t care about that now. His gaze shifted to Draco, and he called out, “Draco, come outside.”
Snape’s face darkened. “What do you think you’re doing?”
Dante turned to Snape, his voice calm but firm. “Not now. And I won’t be around for the rest of the year.”
Snape paused, finally noting Dante’s pale complexion and the faint tremble in his hands. Something was clearly wrong, but before Snape could say more, Draco stood up and followed Dante out of the classroom without a word.
Outside the classroom, Dante turned to Draco. “I won’t be around for a while. Tell our parents I’ll come back on my own. I’ll be gone for months this time.”
Draco’s eyes widened. “Where are you going?”
Dante didn’t answer. Instead, he turned and walked away. Draco watched him go, a knot of worry forming in his chest. Something was wrong with Dante, and he didn’t know what it was.
Draco returned to the Potions class, where the students were staring at him with curiosity. Even Snape’s usual scowl was replaced by a look of concern. As the class resumed, Snape’s eyes lingered on Draco, and when the lesson ended, he called out, “Malfoy, stay behind.”
Draco nodded, his mind still preoccupied with Dante’s strange behavior. As the other students filed out of the room, Snape approached Draco, his voice low. “What did your brother want?”
Draco hesitated, then said, “He said he’ll be gone for months.”
Snape’s brow furrowed. “Did he say where he was going?”
Draco shook his head. “No. But… something is wrong with him.”
Snape showed a rare look of concern, but said nothing. He dismissed Draco with a nod. Snape wondered what happened, Dante was okay this morning.
