The days at Hogwarts stretched slowly, like autumn leaves swirling in the wind.
Lessons, classes, homework - all of it made for a routine that Itachi treated with his usual restraint. However, the anticipation of Halloween was already in the air, adding a touch of excitement and anticipation to the daily routine of Hogwarts life.
Anticipating fun and pranks, Theodore was especially active these days. He was constantly trying to play pranks on him, trying to stir up some emotion in him. He remained calm and unperturbed, but began to realize that this holiday was not just an ordinary day of the year.
One day, while walking to potions class together, Theodore suddenly jumped out from around the corner, shouting:
"Boo!".
Only slightly slowing his step, Itachi didn't show the slightest bit of surprise. Calmly looking at Theodore, he uttered:
"Theodore, you shouldn't waste your energy on pointless yelling. It's better to concentrate on your studies."
Pouting, Theodore replied:
"Well, at least I was a little scared! It's Halloween, the time of horrors, and it's like you're not scared at all!".
Itachi shrugged.
The next day, as they sat together in the library, Theodore slipped a drawn spider web under Itachi's book.
"Look, Itachi! I brought you a surprise!".
Without blinking an eye, he took the web and examined it closely.
"Theodore, the spider web isn't such a scary sight. It's just the product of spiders."
"Well, yes, of course it is. But you have to shudder at least a little, don't you! Or aren't you afraid of anything at all?".
"I'm not saying I'm not afraid of anything. It's just that I don't show my fear."
Throughout these days, Theodore continued his attempts to tease him, but they were all in vain. Itachi remained unfazed, analyzing each of Theodore's attempts and trying to understand his motives.
Behind all the banter, there was a sense of tension in the air. The students were discussing the Halloween banquet, rumors of upcoming events, and of course, the recurring Hogwarts ghost stories.
He also noticed the strange behavior of some of the teachers, especially Professor Quirrell and Professor Snape, who seemed to be hiding something. He realized: he needed to be prepared for more than just possible jokes.
Halloween day began at Hogwarts with joyous excitement. Students dressed in their best costumes chatted merrily in the corridors, waiting for the festive banquet. For him, this day was just another day.
There was a festive atmosphere in the Great Hall. The tables were decorated with pumpkins and candles, and the scent of pies and sweets wafted through the air. Gryffindor and Slytherin students sat at their tables, exchanging jokes and laughing, while professors dressed in their best robes watched them with smiles.
He saw Theodore chatting merrily with the other students and Draco Malfoy dressed in his most pompous outfit and trying to get attention.
At one point, Itachi noticed Draco Malfoy, who was sitting at the Gryffindor table, start teasing Hermione Granger, shouting hurtful words. He watched the scene with little interest, but his gaze became a little sharper and he became more attentive. He could see how Hermione was getting more upset with every word Draco said, and how her eyes were filling with tears.
When Draco threw a brownie in her face with a disdainful smile, Hermione couldn't stand it anymore and jumped up from the table and ran out of the Great Hall in tears. All the students were silent as they looked at her, but most of them laughed, not supporting her.
There is no room for weakness in this world, and those who cannot stand up for themselves become easy prey for others.
Shortly afterward, when the banquet was in full swing, the door of the Great Hall thundered open and Professor Quirrell burst into the hall, shouting:
"A troll! There's a troll in the dungeons!".
All the students froze, watching the professor, who was running around the hall like a madman, yelling about the troll.
The teachers quickly oriented themselves, trying to organize the students and get them out of the hall, but some of them, especially Professor Snape, looked suspiciously calm.
He also noticed Harry Potter and Ron Weasley and a few other students leaving the hall, but not in the order the teachers were leading them out. He immediately realized that they were going to do something and decided that he should follow them.
He exchanged a quick glance with Theodore, and as if on an unspoken signal, they left the Great Hall and headed towards the dungeons, trying not to draw attention to themselves.
They soon caught up with Harry and Ron, who, as he had suspected, had deviated from the course prescribed by the professors.
They saw that Harry and Ron, along with Hermione, had gone into one of the empty rooms, and from the sounds coming from there, they realized that they had stumbled upon a troll.
He activated his Sharingan and quickly scanned the situation and realized that the situation was critical.
The troll, huge and vicious, had Harry by the legs and was about to swing his huge club.
Itachi, realizing there was no time, rushed forward and, standing between the troll and Harry, shouted a spell
"Brackium Emendo!".
The spell hit exactly the troll's hand holding the baton. The troll, letting out a roar of sudden pain and bewilderment, dropped the baton and let go of Harry. He turned his horrified face toward Itachi, but before he could react, he cast his Sharingan-covering spell again
"Genjutsu!" - he said mentally, and the troll lost touch with reality for a moment, falling into an illusion in which he was completely disoriented.
Taking advantage of the troll's confusion, he quickly used a second spell, "Brackium Emendo!" and took aim at the troll's legs. The spell worked flawlessly, the troll's legs instantly gave out and he collapsed to the floor, unconscious.
He instantly deactivated his Sharingan and quickly looked over Harry, Ron and Hermione, making sure they were unharmed.
Theodore, who had been watching with his mouth open, muttered:
"That was... that was incredible, Itachi! You saved them! How did you do it?"
"I did what I had to do. We need to get out of here. The teachers are coming here now."
Theodore, nodding, agreed with him. He realized that Itachi was right and that they shouldn't linger here.
Harry, Ron, and Hermione, still in shock, looked at them. They couldn't comprehend what had just happened. Their brains refused to believe what they had seen. They had expected anything but that a Slytherin would save them from a troll, and so quickly and efficiently.
"Thank you," Harry muttered, still in a state of shock.
"But... why are you here?"
Hermione, who was usually very eloquent, remained silent, looking at Itachi with a confused look. She, like Ron, didn't understand why a Slytherin would choose to help them. All the Slytherins they knew always acted arrogant and rude to Gryffindors, and Itachi seemed even more mysterious and aloof than the rest of them.
Ron looked at Itachi with disbelief.
"You... you're Slytherins, right?" - He muttered, as if asking what the catch was.
"Why did you help us?"
Itachi, didn't answer their questions.
"We should go."
He didn't want to jump into an explanation.
He wasn't going to explain his actions to others.
Without waiting for them to come to their senses, he reached for the door. Before they could make a move, the door swung open with a crash, and Professors McGonagall, Flitwick, and Snape burst into the room, their faces serious and worried.
Seeing the defeated troll and the bewildered children, Professor McGonagall froze for a moment. Then her gaze, like a razor blade, turned to Itachi and Theodore.
"Uchiha, Nott," she said in a stern voice.
"What happened here?
The situation is ticklish.
Slightly nervous, Theodore muttered:
"We just... We just... We just heard a noise and came to see what was going on."
Adjusting his glasses, Professor Flitwick looked around the room with a quick glance. He spotted the defeated troll.
As always, Professor Snape showed no emotion, but his gaze was fixed on Itachi and it seemed as if he was trying to read his mind.
"Miss Granger, Mr. Potter, Mr. Weasley." - Professor McGonagall addressed the Gryffindors.
"Explain to me what happened here."
Still not fully recovered, Harry explained how they had encountered the troll and how Itachi and Theodore had rescued them.
After listening to them carefully, the professors shifted their gaze to Itachi and Theodore. Professor Snape was silent, but his gaze was full of suspicion.
"Mr. Uchiha, Mr. Nott." - Professor McGonagall pronounced, her tone firm but not hostile.
"Now it's your turn. How did you get here and what happened here?".
"We heard a noise and came to see what was going on," he replied in a steady and calm voice.
"We didn't expect to see a troll, but we knew we had to act."
"Act?" - Professor McGonagall asked, raising an eyebrow curiously.
"And how exactly did you 'act', Mr. Uchiha?".
Without changing his facial expression, Itachi looked at her and answered:
"We used our knowledge and skills to neutralize the troll."
Snape couldn't take it anymore and hissed:
"No fairy tales, Mr. Uchiha. No freshman can defeat a troll."
Sensing the tension, Theodore intervened:
"Professor, we were just trying to help! Itachi is very talented, and he just did the best he could."
"Used his knowledge and skills?" - Professor Flitwick repeated, squinting his eyes.
"Mr. Uchiha, could you elaborate on exactly what knowledge and skills you used?".
"I studied the basics of magic and combat and used my knowledge to protect myself and my friends."
Watching Itachi carefully, Professor McGonagall analyzed his every word and gesture.
She realized: he wasn't saying everything, and there was something more behind his calmness and restraint. But she couldn't figure out what it was.
The professors exchanged glances
"Mr. Potter, Mr. Weasley, Miss Granger," McGonagall said in a stern tone.
"You have shown extreme carelessness and recklessness. Not only have you disobeyed a direct order, but you have put yourself in mortal danger. For this, fifteen points will be deducted from Gryffindor."
Lowering their heads, Harry, Ron and Hermione realized that their behavior was wrong.
Professor McGonagall shifted her gaze to Itachi and Theodore.
"Mr. Uchiha, Mr. Nott," she said, softening her tone but remaining stern.
"Your actions were timely, and you have shown not only bravery, but also incredible skill in magic. For this, Slytherin receives fifteen points for saving your life and ten points for the incredible feat of defeating a freshman troll."
Professor Snape was silent, but his gaze was fixed on Itachi.
Shaking his head, Professor Flitwick added:
"Mr. Uchiha, you do possess outstanding abilities. I hope you will use them for good."
"Now, everyone to their rooms. And no adventures for today. Uchiha, Nott too, don't let your pride tear you apart!".
After these words, all the students, headed to their respective buildings. The professors, with the help of spells, lifted the unconscious troll and carried it to a special fortified dungeon, designed to hold especially dangerous magical creatures. They realized that it would be extremely risky to leave the troll in an ordinary office.
There, the professors intended to examine the troll thoroughly to find out how it had gotten to the castle, and who or what had sent it there. They were concerned that the troll had been able to get this far, and understood: it could have been the result of someone's evil intentions.
Itachi also realized that he was now the object of the professors' attention, and he needed to be even more careful.