Daphne Greengrass sat in the corner of the room, immersed in her reading. Her gaze slid across the pages of the book and lingered on Draco for a moment, but there was no sympathy or agreement on her face. She sensed that there was more behind this than idle talk of jealousy and resentment.
Unlike Draco, Daphne wasn't fixated on blood purity and prejudice. She was intelligent and inquisitive, and she was attracted to people with unusual abilities. She saw that Itachi was no ordinary child, that there was something special about him. She felt that there was some mystery behind his aloofness and calmness.
"He never comes into open conflict," Daphne continued, leafing through the pages of her book.
"He's like a shadow that slips around the castle but leaves no trace. How does he manage it?"
Daphne had also noticed his academic success. She has seen how easily he handles complex spells and how quickly he learns new magical techniques. She had also seen him sit for hours in the library, studying ancient books that most Slytherins found boring and unnecessary.
She knew that many in Slytherin despised him for his origins. She felt that Itachi was not like other Slytherins and that he could be a valuable ally to her.
Everyone in Slytherin was busy doing their own thing, and while some couldn't understand how they could ignore his fame and popularity and obsess over his origins, others studied him and his actions, hoping to one day uncover his secret.
There was a cool silence in the Slytherin dungeon, broken only by the quiet crackling of the fire in the fireplace. Itachi sat cross-legged on the bed, staring thoughtfully at one point. Theodore, sitting on the bed beside him, was excitedly leafing through some thick paper, occasionally casting an enthusiastic glance at his roommate.
"That was incredible!" - Theodore exclaimed, closing the book.
"Did you see their faces when the troll fell? How did you do it, Itachi?"
"It doesn't matter, Theodore."
"Nothing? Yeah, that was amazing! How did you manage to immobilize the troll so quickly and easily? And what were those spells? Did you recognize them in the library?"
"I don't want to talk about it, Theodore."
"But I want to know! I saw you... How you broke his arms and legs."
"Theodore, please stop asking about it. It's none of your business."
After being silent for a couple seconds Theodore still raised his voice.
"I'm just very impressed. It's... That was amazing."
He turned the conversation to another topic, trying to hide his bewilderment.
Itachi softened slightly, though his gaze still remained intense.
"I don't want you to worry about what I'm doing. Fair enough... trust me."
He wasn't going to say anything to Theodore, at least not yet.
Theodore picked up the book again, but this time his attention was focused not on the text, but on Itachi. He had already stopped being surprised by what had happened and was now concerned. It seemed to him that a wall had grown between him and Itachi, and he didn't know how to overcome it. He realized that Itachi was keeping a lot of secrets and it was scary.
Eventually they both decided to go to their rooms to calm down and rest. Itachi didn't say a word goodbye, only nodded coldly to Theodore. Theodore felt himself flinch at this cold attitude.
Itachi reached his bedroom, closed the door behind him and leaned against it. He took a deep breath, letting out the tension he had been holding back while talking to Theodore. But the tension didn't subside.
He took a quick look around his room. It was a typical Slytherin freshman's bedroom: a bed, nightstand, desk, and closet. Everything was neat and understated, nothing superfluous.
He walked slowly across the room, pondering the events that had transpired. He knew that the professors would not let the incident with the trolls go unnoticed. They were too experienced to just let it go unnoticed.
"Dumbledore."
"He's too perceptive to miss anything."
He remembered how the principal had looked at him during the Sorting ceremony, his eyes full of wisdom and understanding. The headmaster probably already sees him as more than just a student.
"So the passage to this room is closed to me in the near future."
This room was an important place for his training, but now that he would be closely watched, it would become too risky.
He mentally pictured what the castle looked like and where Dumbledore's eyes and ears might be. He knew the Headmaster used the living paintings House-elf hid on the cunha and ghosts to keep an eye on his students.
"And I'll have to cut back on my training."
"A shame, but it can be tolerated."
With those thoughts, he took off his robe, threw it on a chair, and climbed into bed. He closed his eyes, trying to relax. He was ready for this game, and no one would stop him on his way to his goal.
He turned onto his side and wrapped himself in the blanket. Despite the mounting tension, he fell asleep almost instantly.
Theodore sighed heavily, left alone in his room. There was silence in the air, even the crackling of the fireplace sounded too loud. He felt a strange heaviness, as if an invisible weight had descended on his shoulders. The usual cheerful and hopeful atmosphere between him and Itachi had melted away, leaving behind only emptiness.
Itachi. The word echoed in his head. He couldn't shake the feeling that something was wrong, something very wrong.
He remembered Itachi's concerned eyes, the cold, almost blank stare when he seemed to meet his gaze.
Theodore replayed the events of the day in his head for the hundredth time. How Itachi had immobilized the troll so easily and quickly. It was like a practiced skill, some secret hidden from view.
Despite all his curiosity, he realized he had overreacted when he started asking around.
Theodore sat down at his desk, trying to occupy himself with something, but his thoughts kept coming back to Itachi. It wasn't just mild curiosity, but a deep, irrepressible interest in the mystery behind his neighbor's mask of calm.
And then a thought popped into his head, sharp and cold as a blade: what if Itachi's parents were...Bad? The thought was so unexpected that Theodore even flinched. Maybe that's why Itachi is so cold, aloof, and incredibly strong? Maybe he grew up in an environment where such things were commonplace?
A cold chill ran down Theodore's body. He remembered how Itachi had calmly immobilized the troll, how it moved like a shadow, how its eyes dimmed when it looked at something. He was beginning to be afraid of Itachi, afraid of the man he considered his friend.
But immediately Theodore pushed the thought away from him. It was absurd! Itachi was serious, sure, sometimes even harsh, but never cruel. He helped him with his homework, protected him from bullies, supported him when Theodore was in trouble. He couldn't believe that Itachi was capable of anything evil.
Maybe Itachi just took his training very seriously? Maybe he was a born genius? Maybe he was just better at hiding his feelings? But... There was something else.
Theodore remembered how Itachi had lowered his gaze for a moment when he asked about his spells. It was the only time he saw anything resembling fear or worry in his eyes. Maybe Itachi was hiding something, but not because he was bad, but because he had a good reason? Maybe he was afraid of not being understood?
"Even if..." - Theodore thought and immediately stopped himself. He didn't want to disprove that assumption, didn't want to give a reason for gloomy thoughts. Instead, he decided to trust Itachi. He believed that if Itachi wanted to, he would tell him everything. In the meantime, he would wait patiently, even if curiosity would tear him apart.
Having made that decision, Theodore felt the tension ease a little. He reached for the light switch, turned off the lamp, and went to bed. He hoped that tomorrow would bring him answers, but for now he had faith in his friend, even if he still had doubts.