Dante apparated back to Malfoy Manor, his heart heavy with the weight of his oldest regret. The moment he materialized in the grand foyer, his mother, Narcissa, was nearby and saw him, she rushed toward him, her face a mixture of relief and worry. She threw her arms around him, hugging him tightly, but Dante stood motionless, his arms hanging limply at his sides.
"Where have you been?" Narcissa cried, her voice trembling. "What happened to you?"
Dante's vibrant silver eyes had dulled, now darker and shadowed. Strands of dark silver streaked his once-blonde hair, and his face was pale and gaunt, with deep black circles under his eyes. He still wore his Hogwarts robes, now tattered and worn. Narcissa could tell that wherever he had been, he had endured something harrowing.
Dante looked at his mother, but her face was a blur of intricate light patterns to him. The world around him was strange and unfamiliar, a tapestry of magical traces rather than the solid forms he once knew. He recognized her only by her voice.
"How long have I been gone?" Dante asked, his voice quiet and distant.
Narcissa wiped her tears. "Seven months. We… we began to think you wouldn't come back."
Dante nodded slowly. "I see."
Narcissa gripped his shoulders, her eyes searching his. "Where were you? Why didn't you contact us?"
Dante didn't answer. Instead, he said, "I'm tired. I need to be alone." He gently pulled away from her and walked toward his room, leaving his mother standing in the foyer, her protests echoing behind him.
Narcissa immediately contacted Lucius, her voice frantic as she explained that Dante had returned but something was terribly wrong. Lucius rushed home, his usual composure replaced by urgency. When he arrived, he and Narcissa went to Dante's room, where they found him standing near the edge of his bed, his hands moving strangely as he touched objects around him.
"Dante," Lucius said, his voice firm but laced with concern. "What's wrong?"
Dante turned his head toward his father, though his eyes didn't focus. "Something unexpected happened. I don't know how to explain it. Right now, I'm blind. I can't see the world as I used to be. But I think my sight will return… in time."
Narcissa stepped forward, her voice trembling. "We should take you to St. Mungo's. They can help you"
Dante shook his head. "This is beyond their understanding. I'll stay here and recover. Don't ask where I've been. I won't answer."
Lucius and Narcissa exchanged uneasy glances but decided not to press further. They left the room, closing the door softly behind them. Outside, Narcissa turned to Lucius, her face pale. "What could have happened to him?"
Lucius didn't answer but his mind raced, recalling the fragments of knowledge Dante had shared with him over the years. Could it be another soul fragment? Had something gone wrong, even for someone as skilled and powerful as Dante? He kept his thoughts to himself, merely shaking his head.
Narcissa, still worried, decided to write to Draco to let him know his brother had returned.
It didn't take long for the news of Dante's return to reach Snape, who promptly informed Dumbledore. The headmaster decided to visit the Malfoy Manor, accompanied by Snape. When they arrived, Lucius greeted them with thinly veiled irritation.
"As the headmaster of Hogwarts and the head of Slytherin House, it is only right we check on our missing student" Dumbledore explained himself, his tone calm but firm.
Lucius crossed his arms. "He's not in a state to receive visitors. Since his return a few days ago, he's remained in his room."
Dumbledore frowned. "If something is wrong, I might be able to help him."
Narcissa, who had been silent until now, stepped forward. "Please, let them see him. I'm worried."
Lucius hesitated but finally relented with a sigh. He led Dumbledore and Snape to Dante's room. When they entered, they found Dante sitting on his bed, his wand moving in strange, deliberate patterns in the air.
Lucius cleared his throat. "Dante, Headmaster Dumbledore and Professor Snape are here. They're concerned about you."
Dante turned his head toward them, his dull eyes unfocused. He nodded but said nothing, waiting for them to speak.
Dumbledore studied Dante closely, his sharp eyes noticing the changes in the boy's appearance and demeanor. "Dante," he said gently, "is something wrong with your eyes?"
Dante's voice was calm but distant. "I'm somewhat blind right now. I'm trying to figure out how to navigate the world without my sight."
Dumbledore fell silent, his expression thoughtful. Snape, however, stepped forward, his voice sharp. "What happened to you?"
Dante's response was curt. "It's personal. I don't plan to share."
Snape's frown deepened, but he said nothing more. The room was filled with an uneasy silence as the weight of Dante's condition hung heavily in the air.
Dumbledore studied Dante carefully "Dante," he said gently, "if you don't mind, I'd like to examine your eyes. Perhaps I can help."
Dante shook his head, his expression calm but firm. "My condition is beyond your understanding. Only I can deal with this."
Dumbledore's brow furrowed, but he didn't press further. Instead, he asked, "Will you be returning to Hogwarts?"
Narcissa stepped forward, her voice hesitant but hopeful. "He's going back. He's going to graduate." Her eyes flicked to Dante, as if silently pleading with him to stay at the school and not disappear again.
Dante sighed, his tone resigned. "I'll go back later. For now, I need to figure out how to fix my eyes—or find a replacement for them. Once that's done, I'll return to Hogwarts."
Snape, standing beside Dumbledore, frowned. "You have your O.W.L. exams this year. What are you going to do in your current state?"
Dante's lips curled into a disdainful smile. "I can pass those exams even when I am blind. It won't be a problem. Just let me know when they start."
Snape shook his head in exasperation. "Fine. We'll make a special case for you—again." He emphasized the last word, his tone laced with frustration.
Dumbledore, however, remained silent, his expression thoughtful. He had hoped to speak with Dante about Lily Potter's protective magic, Horcruxes, and, most importantly, Ginny Weasley's dire condition. But seeing Dante's current state, he knew it was futile. All he could do was pray that Dante would recover in time to help the poor girl.
After Dumbledore and Snape left Malfoy Manor, Dante remained in his room, alone. He continued his experiments, his wand moving in precise patterns as he tested different spells. His new vision, though disorienting, was not random. The intricate patterns of light and magic held meaning, and he was determined to decipher them.
In Hogwarts, news of Dante's return spread quickly. At first, there was relief that the prodigy had come back. But soon, whispers of his blindness began to circulate. It became common knowledge that Dante Malfoy, the boy who had achieved so much, was now blind.
When the news reached the Weasleys, their hearts sank. Their last hope had returned, but he was in no condition to help himself, let alone their daughter. It felt as though fate was playing a cruel joke on them.
For the next few months, Dante remained secluded in Malfoy Manor, his presence confined to his room. No one knew what he was doing behind closed doors, and his strange behavior left even his family puzzled. Narcissa grew increasingly worried, her maternal instincts driving her to check on him frequently. She would often find him sitting silently, his wand tracing invisible patterns in the air, or muttering to himself.
Lucius, however, remained calm. "He said he's working on fixing himself," he reminded Narcissa one evening, placing a reassuring hand on her shoulder. "We need to trust him. He's never failed before."
Narcissa sighed, her worry still evident, but she nodded reluctantly. She had no choice but to trust her son, even if his methods were beyond her comprehension.
Time passed swiftly, and before anyone realized it, the O.W.L. exam period had arrived. Snape, true to his word, sent a message to Lucius, instructing him to bring Dante to Hogwarts. The moment had come for Dante to prove his claims—that even blind, he could pass the exams with ease.