Dante and Snape arrived at St. Mungo's, their steps purposeful as they made their way to Hermione's room. The atmosphere was heavy with despair. Hermione lay motionless on the hospital bed, her face peaceful as if she were merely sleeping. But the stillness of her body told a different story—she was disabled to never open her eyes again.
Her parents sat nearby, their faces etched with grief. Hermione's mother clutched a handkerchief, her eyes swollen and red from crying. Her father sat stiffly, his hands clenched into fists, his expression a mix of anger and helplessness. Professor McGonagall stood beside them, her usual stern demeanor softened by the weight of the situation. She had come to check on her favorite student, though there was little she could do.
When Snape and Dante entered the room, all eyes turned to them. McGonagall's brow furrowed in confusion. "Severus? What are you doing here? And… Mr Malfoy?"
Snape stepped forward, his voice low. "I brought Dante to check on her. He might be able to figure something out."
Hermione's parents looked up, their eyes briefly igniting with hope. But when they saw Dante—a boy a few years older than their daughter at best —their hope faded as quickly as it had appeared. Hermione's father spoke, his voice tinged with bitterness. "Is this a joke? You bring a child to fix what your best healers and wizards couldn't?"
McGonagall opened her mouth to respond, but Dante beat her to it. His voice was calm, yet carried an undeniable weight. "I am, by far, the most capable wizard in this world. Even if you combined every wizard in this hospital, they would still be beneath me."
The room fell silent. Snape and McGonagall exchanged surprised glances. They had always known Dante was confident, even had a bone of arrogance in him, but this declaration was on another level. The sheer certainty in his voice left no room for doubt, he truly believed himself as superior to everyone.
Hermione's father snorted, but he said nothing more. Dante ignored him and stepped closer to Hermione's bedside. He raised his wand and began casting a series of intricate spells, each one more complex than the last. The air around him seemed to hum with magic as he worked.
The parents, unfamiliar with magic, didn't react at all. But Snape and McGonagall were different. Their eyes widened as they recognized some of the spells—and failed to recognize many more. Dante's knowledge and skill were beyond anything they had ever seen. Afterall, Dante is a genius who has been around for thousands of years and mastered magic and arts lost to time itself.
Finally, Dante lowered his wand and turned to the room. "Her body, soul, magical core, and memories are all intact. The damage is primarily to her mind. It's not completely destroyed, but broken into pieces. It can be fixed, but it will take some time."
Hermione's parents didn't react, their faces blank. They had been through too much to allow themselves to hope again. But Snape stepped forward, his voice filled with curiosity. "How do you fix a mind in that state?"
Dante's response was calm and measured. "By feeding it memories and stories. The broken pieces will grow stronger and eventually will join other pieces and mend themselves."
Dante had absorbed the Resurrection Stone not long ago, and with it, he had gained access to countless memories and stories from those who had passed. He planned to duplicate these memories and feed them to Hermione, carefully selecting those that would help her mind rebuild itself.
Dante turned to Snape and McGonagall. "I'll stay here for a few days to work on this. Her parents should leave."
Hermione's father immediately objected. "We're not going anywhere! She's our daughter!"
Without a word, Dante raised his wand and both parents dropped to the ground sleeping. McGonagall gasped, but Dante's voice cut through her shock. "It's better this way. They don't need to worry. Once Hermione recovers, we will undo the spell and wake them up."
McGonagall and Snape exchanged uneasy glances but decided not to argue. They carefully moved Hermione's parents to a corner of the room and laid them on beds. McGonagall couldn't help but mutter under her breath, "Madman logic."
Once outside, McGonagall turned to Snape, her voice low. "Do you really think Mr Malfoy can help Ms Granger?"
Snape hesitated, then nodded. "He's proven himself capable time and time again. At this point, there's nothing to lose."
McGonagall sighed, her expression troubled. "I hope you're right, Severus. For Hermione's sake."
As they walked away, McGonagall couldn't shake the feeling that Dante's presence was both a blessing and a curse. His skill was undeniable, but his methods were cold and unorthodox. All she could do now was pray that he could mend what had been broken.
___________
For five days, Dante worked tirelessly in Hermione's hospital room. He pointed his wand to his head, drawing out silvery strands of memories, and carefully inserted them into Hermione's mind. Each time, he waited patiently for her mind to digest the memory before repeating the process. His powerful soul and mind allowed him to function on just an hour of sleep a day, his focus unwavering.
Every evening, Professor McGonagall would arrive after her classes to check on their progress. Each time, she found Dante performing the same ritual, his expression calm and determined. She couldn't help but wonder what kind of memories he was feeding Hermione.
On the fifth day, as McGonagall stood silently behind Dante, Hermione groaned. The sound was faint but unmistakable. McGonagall's eyes widened, and she rushed to Hermione's side. Dante stepped back, allowing the head of Gryffindor House to take his place.
Hermione's eyes fluttered open, and she looked up at McGonagall, her voice weak. "Professor McGonagall? What happened?"
McGonagall didn't answer immediately. Instead, she asked, "How do you feel, Miss Granger?"
Hermione winced, bringing a hand to her head. "A severe headache… like someone is hitting me with a hammer."
McGonagall instinctively glanced at Dante, who stood nearby.
"That's expected," Dante said calmly. "She'll recover to her normal state by tomorrow. She just needs rest today." He turned to leave, adding, "You can wake the two now," as he gestured to the corner of the room where Hermione's sleeping parents are.
McGonagall nodded, her relief evident. She quickly cast the counter-spell to release Hermione's parents from their sleeping state. As they stirred, their eyes immediately sought out their daughter, their faces filled with a mix of confusion and joy.
___________
Dante left St. Mungo's and headed straight to Professor Snape's office. When he entered, Snape looked up from his desk, his expression as stoic as ever. "How is Miss Granger?" he asked.
"She woke up and will be fine," Dante replied, his tone matter-of-fact. He then asked, "What's the state of Lockhart?"
Snape's lips curled into a faint sneer. "He was sentenced to Azkaban for his actions."
Dante nodded, his expression darkening. He turned to leave, but Snape hesitated, then called out, "Where are you going?"
Dante paused and looked back, his silver eyes glinting with cold malice. "Lockhart won't live to see tomorrow."
With that, he left the office, leaving Snape to process his words. For a moment, Snape considered stopping him, but then he relaxed. Let it be, he thought. He doesn't care what happens next.
The next morning, the news spread like wildfire: Gilderoy Lockhart had died in Azkaban on his first night. His corpse was found with a terrified look on his face, and the official report claimed he had died of fear. But no one could explain what had scared him so much that it killed him.
In the Great Hall, Snape read the news in the Daily Prophet, his eyes flicking to Dante, who sat at the Slytherin table, eating silently as if nothing had happened. Snape's gaze then shifted to Dumbledore, who sat at the head table, his usual twinkle absent.
Snape couldn't help but wonder: If Dante could go into Azkaban and kill Lockhart without leaving a trace then come back to Hogwarts undetected, what would stop him from doing the same to anyone else? Would even Dumbledore survive Dante's wrath?