Dante Malfoy was born into the world for what he believed would be his final rebirth. This life, he was certain, would be the one in which he achieved mastery over death itself. As a member of the Malfoy family—the very family he had founded centuries ago as Armand Malfoy—he expected to find a legacy of power and progress. Instead, he was met with disappointment after disappointment.
From the moment he could move and speak, Dante began exploring the world, eager to see how it had changed since his last life. His first disappointment came when he learned that the Malfoy family, once a beacon of magical excellence, had fallen under the sway of a delusional fool who called himself the Dark Lord. The family he had built had become a pawn in the schemes of a petty tyrant.
His second disappointment followed swiftly. The creatures he had sacrificed his life to create—the Amplexus Mortem, now called Dementors—had been twisted into symbols of fear and oppression. They were not accepted as beings capable of healing or aiding wizards but as jailers and bringers of death. The work he had done to give them purpose and a second chance had been erased, replaced by fear and misunderstanding.
The third blow came when Dante realized that the wizarding world had stagnated. In the four centuries since his last life, there had been little progress. Magic, once a force of boundless potential, had become stagnant, its wizards and witches content to live in isolation and ignorance. The world he had hoped to see flourish had instead fallen into complacency thanks to the very spells he created.
Despite these disappointments, Dante found solace in his family. His father, though a coward, had a good heart and cared deeply for his family. His mother, while prejudiced against muggles, was a kind and devoted parent. His younger brother showed remarkable potential, and his godfather, a responsible and knowledgeable man, provided support in Dante's early years. They were far from perfect, but they were his, and he resolved to help them in his own way.
Dante wasted no time in reclaiming the fragments of his soul. He noticed that the process of assimilation took time, but he was patient. Time was on his side in this life, and he would use it wisely. When he finally returned to Azkaban, he found that the Dementors had stored the souls of countless criminals over the centuries. Though they had been vilified, they had fulfilled their purpose in a way he had not anticipated. Their actions, though misunderstood, had aided him in ways he could not have foreseen.
His next disappointment came at Hogwarts. The school had raised the age of acceptance, robbing children of years of potential growth. The wizarding world had fallen so far behind the muggles that it was almost laughable. Dante's encounter with the current headmaster, Albus Dumbledore, only deepened his frustration. The man had attempted to read his memories without permission, prompting Dante to retaliate with overwhelming force. Only after seeing Dumbledore's memories—his genuine concern that Dante's detachment might lead him down a dark path—did Dante spare him. The headmaster's intentions were good, but his methods were flawed.
Dante's time among muggles was an eye-opening experience. Their ingenuity and progress fascinated him, offering a new perspective on the potential of magic. But his optimism was short-lived. After completing his first Magic Circuit, things took a turn for the worse.
The incompetence at Hogwarts was staggering. The school had hired the most inept Defense Against the Dark Arts teacher Dante had ever seen. Attacks on students, the desecration of his and his student legacy, and the emotional torment of Helena Ravenclaw that could have robbed her of the chance of peace—all of it was a testament to the headmaster's failure. The near-disabling of a bright muggle-born girl was the final straw. Dante seriously considered ending Dumbledore's life for his incompetence, the headmaster was saved by the sudden backlash of absorbing thousands of years of memories.
Two years later, during the Triwizard Tournament, Dante allowed—and even facilitated—the resurrection of the so-called Dark Lord. He had intended to punish the fool himself, to put the terror in him and make him die in futile resistance, but an unexpected dark prophecy complicated matters, the world was against him now. Still, Dante was confident. He had reached a level of power where no one could pose a threat to him.
When the centaurs, creatures he considered friends, were attacked because of him, Dante intervened, helping them against the wizards. But the worst news came when Luna Lovegood, a child who had called him a friend, was killed. Her death shattered something in Dante. He had lived for centuries, enduring the destruction of his legacy and the vilification of his work and name. He had loved the world and magic, but each life brought more pain and disappointment. Luna's death and seeing her father state reminded him of his state after Baldr's death, it was the breaking point of all the negativity he bottled up.
For the first time, Dante was consumed by hatred. The world had vilified him, destroyed his legacy, and taken the life of an innocent child. If they wanted evil, he would give them evil—a force so overwhelming that resistance would be futile. In a single hour, Dante slaughtered thousands of wizards, leaving the world shaken in terror.
When the time came, Dante marched on Hogwarts to complete his plan and become the Master of Death. He stood before thousands, confident and eerily relaxed. No one could stop him. He would reshape the world into the perfect image he believed, he would have his family back.
The magic stored for thousands of years erupted shaking the land and flooding it in light. Dante summoned the dementors, souls and memories collected in centuries will facilitate his ascendence, he will go where no one else dared to dream.
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In the depth of darkness, where nothing existed, a voice called out, soft and uncertain. "Who am I?" it asked, echoing through the void. The question hung in the air, unanswered, as if the darkness itself was waiting for a reply.
Then, images began to appear, each one a fragment of a life lived and lost. They flickered like stars in the void, each one carrying the weight of memories and emotions.
The first image was of the old man Hogwarts. Behind it, flashes of a life unfolded—a life of war, loss, and sacrifice. The voice spoke again, stronger this time. "I am the oldest wizard who lost his life and himself in war."
The image shifted, replaced by the towering figure of Odin. His eyes burned with wisdom and sorrow, and behind him, scenes of a family torn apart played out. "I am the father and husband who lost his most precious."
The image changed once more, revealing Herpo the Foul, his face twisted with bitterness and despair. Behind him, the world crumbled under the weight of his disillusionment. "I am a wizard who lost his hope in the world."
Next came Tertius, his expression haunted by fear and uncertainty. Behind him, the endless quest for knowledge stretched into eternity. "I am the one who feared losing myself in this endless quest."
The image of Sun Simiao appeared, his face serene despite the hardships he endured. Behind him, the world moved forward, indifferent to his struggles. "I am the one who kept going regardless of my disappointments."
Armand Malfoy's image followed, his eyes filled with joy as he taught and guided young wizards. Behind him, the laughter of children echoed. "I am the one who found joy and satisfaction in teaching and helping children."
Ekrizdis's image emerged, his expression thoughtful and determined. Behind him, the dark experiments of Azkaban unfolded, a testament to his search for good in the face of evil. "I am the one who tried to find meaning and good in evil."
Finally, the image of Dante Malfoy appeared, his face hardened by centuries of pain and anger. Behind him, the world burned, consumed by his wrath. "I am all of them," the voice declared, now firm and resolute. "And I will be the Master of Death. Nothing can stop me."
The images merged together, their colors and shapes blending into a brilliant silver light that filled the darkness. Within the light, Dante Malfoy opened his eyes. His entire body shimmered with the radiant glow, and with a wave of his hand, the darkness around him shattered.
Behind the broken void, the world came into view. The sky was dark, heavy with clouds that blotted out the stars. Dante raised his hand and spoke a single word: "Disperse." The clouds receded, revealing the night sky in all its glory. He looked down at the people who had stood against him, but silence and ruins met his gaze.
As he floated in the air, the devastation below became clear. Hogwarts lay in ruins, its once-proud walls reduced to rubble. People were crushed beneath the debris, their lives extinguished in an instant. Outside the school, those who had survived the initial destruction had been turned into sculptures, frozen in expressions of fear and despair.
Dante teleported to the ground, his presence causing the sculptures to crumble into dust. He touched the statue of the despairing headmaster, and it turned to salt, falling to the ground still. He looked around him, the trees were dead, their branches brittle and lifeless. The ground had turned to grey sand, barren and lifeless.
He teleported to Malfoy Manor, only to find the same sight. His family and the house-elves had been turned into sculptures, their faces frozen in expressions of shock and sorrow. Dante moved from one place to another, each location telling the same story. The world was empty, devoid of life. The sky remained dark wherever he went, and when he tried to sense the Veil of Death, he found it was gone. Life and death had merged, and only he remained.
Dante laughed, the sound echoing through the desolate world. "He endures—the witness of all that wanes," he said, his voice filled with bitter irony. "In his shadow, all is lost—only silence reigns. Both came true…"