Chapter 11: Just a Child in Knockturn Alley Part 1

Dante woke up early in the morning. During these 8 years of his stay in this world, he had primarily studied magic, especially healing magic and a bit of alchemy. Dante spent the remaining time taking care of little 8-year-old Harry, occasionally giving consultations as a healer at St. Mungus Hospital. The rest of his time was spent exercising, mainly fighting and swimming, or making occasional visits to Albus Dumbledore, mainly to discuss reports about Harry Potter or just to chat.

But today was a special day for Dante. Today he was going to visit Knockturn Alley, a relatively dangerous neighborhood associated with dark magic. Visiting these places to provide consultations and donate food and toys to children was a habit that Dante had carried from his past life. The orphanage was the only place where he truly felt good. Despite the fights and lack of everything there, everyone took care of him and they were the only family he knew. That's why, when he became an adult and successful, he created this habit. It was a way for the shy Dante to remember happy times with his friends, and try, even a little, to make these children's lives less difficult.

D_ "Hey Al, I'm leaving, take care of the house and the tower and let me know if there's any problem."

As he said goodbye to the elf Aldar, Dante wondered if he could continue calling Salazar Slytherin's magical construction a tower, since at that moment it was in a huge and deep well below his house. Dante concluded that it didn't matter and picked up the silver mask that allowed him to disguise himself as his adult version. As he crossed the door, for a fraction of a second, little Dante transformed into Prometheus Esposito, healer, writer, and creator of a new branch of magic study, vital forces and their deformation.

Prometheus entered through the door of a very old and dirty-looking bar next to a bookstore.

D_ "Hello Tom, how's business today?"

The man behind the counter greeted Prometheus cheerfully. 

T_ "Good morning, Mr. Esposito. How is old St. Mungus doing?"

D_ "Quite calm lately, although I have attended to some interesting cases a few days ago, and old Professor Kettleburn of Care of Magical Creatures still refuses to reveal what bit his hand. I told him that one more limb and he will have to call me mom, his body will have more alchemical prostheses made by me than pieces made by his mother. Patient medical confidentiality was not even known in the wizarding world."

The bartender laughed and handed Prometheus a glass of mead. Although Dante's real body was 11 years old, he was the result of alchemical experiments and in general terms, he was a chimera. Dante suspected that Slytherin put much more than the blood of the 4 founders in the mix. He never got sick and normal poisons did not affect him. Even being biologically 11 years old, it would take at least a barrel of mead to knock him out, so Dante allowed himself this small luxury sometimes, and mead had always been his favorite drink.

While Dante was enjoying his drink, he tried to get information from the bartender.

D_ "Has anything interesting happened lately, Tom?"

The owner seemed thoughtful as he cleaned a glass.

T_ "Well, lately we have been having reports of werewolf howls in the vicinity, but nothing has really been sighted. Those dirty scoundrels know how to hide, and Knockturn Alley has always had its share of these abominations. Other than that, everything is quite calm. Oh, and did you hear that Mundungo was arrested for smuggling…"

Dante looked at his drink thoughtfully. He had been in this world for 8 years and much of that time was spent studying vital forces. He managed to find a cure for many spells and curses previously incurable in less than 2 years, but even with Remus Lupin being one of his favorite characters, Dante had not even seen a werewolf in his stay in this world.

D_ "You know, it wasn't so much a complicated scientific or magical issue, what really hindered the search for a cure for lycanthropy is prejudice and stigma… just like what happened with HIV, wizards, just like muggles, don't want to study a solution for a disease that mainly affects minorities. The fear of being contaminated and prejudice are as dangerous as the disease itself. With the right help and funds, I believe I can find a treatment if not even a cure for lycanthropy in 3 years…"

Dante was thinking out loud all this time which made the bar owner stop cleaning the glass, and some customers look at Prometheus in astonishment as if they saw a madman.

T_ "Mr. Prometheus, you should not get involved with such a vile beast, they are uncontrollable beasts with evil and beastly eyes, and even with the best intentions, they are not worth your time. You are a winner of the Merlin medal for God's sake, have some sense, man."

Dante finished the mead in one gulp, and stood up under the watchful eye of everyone and headed towards the door that led to Diagon Alley but stopped with the door open before crossing it looking into the eyes of each one who stared at him. His eyes were shining with his ability, the room was now populated by deformed humans, some seemed to be rotting while others had gigantic and greedy eyes, the claws on their hands seemed to want to grab everything and take it for themselves, and their smiles had more teeth than a shark.

D_ "We are all monsters, anyone here can draw their wand now and kill, control and torture without prior warning…"

Dante bowed to the now thoughtful customers and gently closed the door, heading towards the famous brick wall that hid the largest wizarding street in Europe. 

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Dante hurried toward his objectives; he had already wasted too much time at the bar. But the magical street was always a feast for the eyes. Everything was colorful, and the shops seemed to compete for attention. Living signs shouted to attract customers, images and rotating signs danced and released fireworks everywhere. It was all so magical that even after eight years, Dante couldn't help but admire every detail.

Prometheus arrived at Flourish and Blotts. D_ "Hello, Florence. How are the sales of my books?"

The bookstore manager greeted Prometheus politely. F_ "Good morning, Mr. Prometheus. Your books on vital forces are doing quite well, considering how complex they are. I believe most healers and scholars have already purchased them. As for your other book… well…" The manager seemed a bit embarrassed. F_ "Let's just say that your book 'A Divided World: How Magical Isolation Will Be Our Ruin' is the target of strong and intense criticism. You might consider toning it down if you plan to reissue it. Currently, Muggle-born or peculiar wizards have been buying it. Of course, the magical ministries around the world dealing with Muggles have requested a large number of copies. And I've heard that the Hogwarts Muggle Studies professor is considering using it for the final-year curriculum. So, let's hope for the best."

Dante nodded. "I understand. It's good to know, but today I came to discuss other matters." The manager's eyes gleamed with greed. It wasn't the first time the famous Prometheus Esposito had visited the bookstore and spent small fortunes on educational materials. "I see you're heading back to Knockturn Alley again," she continued. "It's a kind gesture, Mr. Esposito, but allow me to warn you. That neighborhood, as you well know, has never been very safe. Lately, there have been reports of werewolves in the area, so please be extra cautious."

Disguised as Prometheus, Dante nodded and quickly placed his order. Every year, he assembled kits for Hogwarts first-year students, including all the required textbooks, a voucher for a brand-new wand from Ollivanders, new robes, and an assortment of toys and sweets. All of this was packed into a magical bag created primarily with magical contracts to prevent theft, sale, or loss of its contents. It had been a magical creation that required the assistance of Dumbledore, Dante, and an anonymous collaborator whom Dante was almost certain was Nicolas Flamel.

The idea had originated during one of Dante's countless visits to the headmaster's office. On a particular day, he encountered a young girl in tattered green robes, crying in a corner. It didn't take much effort for Dante to discover that the other children were mistreating her because she had second-hand clothes and books. With a simple wave of his wand, Dante made her clothes and books look new, although the "retro" appearance remained. After calming the girl with some sweets and kind words, Dante felt a pang of guilt. He discussed the situation with Dumbledore, and the solution was to have Prometheus take responsibility for donating these kits to the first-year students. Dante saw no issue with it; he made regular visits to Knockturn Alley, and everyone there knew him well.

Unlike the bustling wizarding street nearby, Knockturn Alley was, for lack of a better term, chaotic. Dark wizards mingled with werewolves, magical creature hybrids, misfits, and the destitute. Initially, Dante wondered how magically gifted people ended up in such circumstances. Albus explained that while wizards possessed magic, not all were equally skilled. In Muggle terms, anyone can become a doctor, engineer, or scientist, but effort, luck, genetics, and talent play a significant role. This held true for wizards as well. Many magically gifted individuals struggled to transform, enchant, or create anything too complex. Combined with prejudice against the non-magical world, neighborhoods like Knockturn Alley emerged across the wizarding world.

Dante focused on helping Knockturn Alley, especially due to the large number of orphans from the last wizarding war who found themselves there—a habit carried over from his previous life. As he stepped into the dirty, crowded streets, he was immediately surrounded by dozens of children, all wearing new clothes with size-adjustment and self-cleaning charms. To Dante, they were failed prototypes, but for the children and their parents or caretakers at the orphanage, these magical gifts kept the little ones perpetually clean. The children's excited cries filled the entire street: "Mr. Esposito!" "Uncle Prometheus!" "Uncle, look, my tooth fell out!" "Did you bring sweets?" "And toys!" 

Dante might have been cold and indifferent toward adults, but children were his weakness. He never planned to have kids, yet he appreciated their honesty and lack of filters. After gaining his new power through his eyes, children became fragments of hope in a world of monsters. To him, they were simply humans, while the adults around him seemed like nightmares in various forms, representing countless traumas.

Prometheus crouched down to speak with the children. "Calm down, calm down. Let's head to the park first. You're bothering our dear dark item vendors around here." The children nodded, while the hooded and menacing-looking adults averted their eyes in shame.

Years ago, Dante had purchased a large plot of land near the orphanage and residential areas in Knockturn Alley. It had been remarkably cheap. With magic and the help of some contacts and Hogwarts professors, he transformed the old, decrepit building into a park. Professor Sprout was delighted to assist and took care of all the plants in the park. On her days off, she would visit to tend to the plants and teach some of the children. Professor Flitwick contributed by creating a wide range of spells that kept everything orderly, clean, and organized. He also taught self-defense classes during his free time. Some of the children had already mastered protective barriers like Protego at the level of a novice Auror.

Minerva, surprisingly, designed magical games. The famous giant wizard's chess set had been modified to be made of cotton, but Dante admitted that the oversized pieces were still intimidating—even to him. Additionally, Minerva single-handedly enchanted a miniature, automated Quidditch stadium—an absolute masterpiece of magic. She frequently gave Quidditch lessons at the park.

As for Dumbledore's contribution to Prometheus's project, it was worthy of the greatest white wizard. Dante sat on the ground, stunned, when he saw a silver and fire fence materialize as if dancing in the air, encircling the entire park and forming a magnificent gate. What frightened Dante wasn't the fence itself, but the ancient and complex enchantments inscribed on every inch of the colossal structure. He only understood a portion of the incantation, but it was enough to grasp its purpose. In layman's terms, it was a barrier, but calling this magical monstrosity a mere barrier would be a crime. Within its boundaries, anyone with ill intentions toward the children would be expelled. Any fights or vandalism resulted in being thrown out of the park with the force of a punch. This magical aberration was almost sentient and conscious.

Dante sat there, admiring the fence, until the old man's laughter snapped him out of his thoughts. "You still have a ways to go, Mr. Esposito, but I believe in 80 or 100 years, you'll do even better." Dante couldn't find words to respond. His eyes shifted from the old man to the barrier in shock, and his voice seemed to have taken a vacation. Dumbledore patted Prometheus's shoulder twice and walked away, laughing, to appreciate the park.

This memory haunted Dante whenever he visited the park. Over the years, it had become popular in the wizarding world, leading to hundreds of letters from the Minister of Magic, urging Prometheus to relocate to a "less controversial" neighborhood. All of which kept his fireplace well-heated during the winter. 

Dante arrived at the park and, as always, began distributing sweets and toys, which, as the children had been reminded countless times, should be his priority. After that, he started attending to the line of people that had formed when they discovered that Prometheus had arrived in the neighborhood. Many avoided St. Mungo's Hospital for Magical Maladies and Injuries because they asked too many questions, and when they tried to treat themselves, they usually made the situation worse. Gradually, people seeking help from Prometheus spread the news that he didn't ask questions, resulting in a queue every time Dante visited the children.

By the time he finished treating the patients, it was already late afternoon. After playing games with the children, distributing kits, and preparing snacks and meals with the help of the orphanage staff, it was around 6:30 in the evening when Dante finally said his goodbyes and prepared to leave Knockturn Alley. As he was getting ready to Apparate, he heard a noise coming from a nearby bush. Quickly drawing his wand, Dante spoke calmly, "Who's there? Reveal yourself, or I'll attack." Before he could finish the sentence, a small, emaciated figure stumbled out of the bush. At first glance, Dante thought it was a house-elf, but he nearly dropped his wand when he realized it was a child with a massive wound on their shoulder. It looked as if the bone had been exposed, and where there had once been a shoulder, there was now only a gaping, putrid crater of coagulated blood. "What the hell?" Dante barely took a step toward the child when they collapsed on the ground, utterly exhausted.