Itachi returned home. His room, though outwardly similar to the other rooms in the house, bore the mark of his individuality. The bookshelves littered with textbooks and complicated treatises on magic, the pens and ink neatly arranged on the table, even the way the light fell on the specks of dust in the air - everything here spoke of his presence.
It had been a whole month since he had left Hogwarts.
It was already August, the last days of summer vacation were slipping away, and the start of the new school year was only a month away. Time seemed to slip through his fingers, leaving behind only a slight feeling of unease.
He was lying on his bed, immersed in reading a book about magical creatures. The pages were littered with illustrations of outlandish creatures, descriptions of their habits and ways of keeping them, but his thoughts were far away from that. He flipped through the pages, but his mind was spinning with questions he couldn't find answers to.
Dumbledore had taken no action in the past month. There had been no letters, no visits, no direct or veiled threats.
There had been no mention of his lost wand anywhere, not in the press or otherwise. No aurors had broken into his house, no interrogations of his parents, it was as if he had simply vanished into thin air.
This absolute silence on the part of the Headmaster of Hogwarts frightened him more than any direct action.He constantly wondered why.
Dumbledore was up to something, it was obvious.
He had tried to detect surveillance, he had used all his skills, but he had detected nothing. Either he really was safe, or Dumbledore was so skilled that the surveillance was completely undetectable. The second option seemed more likely to him.
What was behind this silence? And why had he been left alone after those events in the dungeon?
His parents weren't home. They had gone to visit one of those couples they kept an official relationship with because of their position in society. He knew they didn't take much pleasure in such visits, but saw them as a necessary part of the social game they had to play.
Itachi reflected on what was happening. He wasn't sitting around waiting for the unknown. He practiced taijutsu from time to time, keeping fit and honing his hand-to-hand combat skills.
He also tried to use magic the way he used to use chakra. But unfortunately for him, it didn't bring much results. This world didn't have the chakra channels he was used to channeling energy through. Magic worked in a completely different way. It seemed to be contained in one particular place, his stomach area, and it required a magic wand to control it.
He realized that magic in this world was much more complex and less intuitive than chakra. To use chakra, all one had to do was concentrate and channel it. Magic, on the other hand, required precise wording, proper wand movements, and a deep understanding of the very nature of spells.
He continued to experiment, trying to find a way around these limitations and use magic more effectively. But so far, his attempts were not yielding the desired results. He needed more information, more knowledge of the magical system of this world.
He sighed, setting aside the tattered textbook, littered with diagrams and formulas. It had been weeks since he had begun his experiments, but little progress had been made. He realized that he was facing a serious problem that required an unconventional approach.
He tried to apply his knowledge of anatomy and physiology to understand how magic interacted with a wizard's body. He studied ancient texts, hoping to find at least hints of alternative ways of using magic. But all his efforts so far remained futile.
It seemed to him that he was missing something important, some key knowledge that could open the door to a new understanding of magic.
In the time that had passed, Theodore could not be distracted by anything. Letters from his friend came regularly, ranging from the ordinary, describing everyday matters, to the extravagant, full of ideas on how to improve his abilities.
He had even suggested that Itachi conduct an experiment together when they met again at Hogwarts to test his hypothesis.
Theodore, as always, was full of enthusiasm. He shared not only his achievements, but also the difficulties he had faced.
He told how hard it was for him to convince his father to reveal the secrets of the family spells to him, how he practiced the movements of his wand long and hard, afraid of making a mistake.
In another letter, Theodore mentioned that his father had shown him a few protection charms, but warned him against using them outside of school. Theodore realized this, but his thirst for knowledge and desire to be prepared for any eventuality took over. He spent hours poring over books, trying to understand how spells worked and perfecting his technique. He even sent Itachi drawings and diagrams that he thought might be useful.
Itachi read Theodore's letters with interest.
Rereading Theodore's letters, Itachi came to the conclusion that his friend's talent was underestimated.
Theodore was undoubtedly a gifted wizard, but his modesty and unwillingness to learn hindered him.
He knew that if Theodore didn't temper his ardor, if he continued to study as hard and expand his knowledge, he could equal Hermione Granger's level of knowledge next year.
And that was truly impressive.
He certainly did not remain indebted to his friend.
He too wrote to Theodore, sharing his thoughts, ideas, and theories about magic.
Though Theodore was more talkative and open in his letters, Itachi carefully considered each word, trying to convey as much useful information as possible.
He described useful spells that he thought Theodore could use.
He realized that Theodore was better at magic than he was, so he tried to choose spells that he could successfully master.
He remembered Theodore lamenting the difficulty of the Impedimenta spell, and tried to find ways to make it easier to learn. He suggested alternative formulas, concentration exercises, and even shared techniques that could help Theodore better control his magic.
Just as periodically, he received letters written in elegant handwriting, stamped in the shape of a snake coiled around a rose. It was a letter from Pansy Parkinson.
Itachi read the letters slowly and carefully.
There was arrogance in every word, in every sentence, as if Pansy Parkinson thought she was doing him a great favor by condescending to talk to him. She wrote of her boredom, of having no one to discuss the complexities of magic with, and hinted that Itachi, as the best student in the class, might be of interest to her.
Her letter breathed confidence in her own irresistibility and superiority. She seemed to have no doubt that Itachi would gladly accept her offer and be honored by her attention.
Each new letter from Pansy Parkinson was drenched in narcissism and braggadocio. She described her summer purchases, not hesitating to mention the costliness of this or that item. She talked about the receptions she had attended, the guests her family had hosted.
She wrote about her successes in magic, mentioning the complex spells that supposedly came easily to her. She also hinted at her family's connections and the opportunities that could open up for Itachi if he maintained a good relationship with her.
He, reading these lines, felt only boredom and irritation. He was completely uninterested in hearing about her outfits, jewelry, and entertainment.
He realized that for Pansy it was a way of asserting herself, a way of showing her superiority. Perhaps she hoped that he would envy her, admire her luxurious life.
He was forced to answer her letters to avoid incurring her wrath. He wrote short, polite replies, avoiding any hint of interest in her stories. He tried to be as tactful as possible, but at the same time made it clear that he was not interested in discussing her social life.
He hated to waste his time on such idle correspondence. He was much more interested in minding his own business, learning magic and training. But he realized it was best not to fight with Pansy Parkinson right now. He didn't want to make her his enemy, especially given her connections and influence.
Similarly, he had received letters from Daphne Greengrass. Unlike Pansy's pompous letters, Daphne's messages were characterized by restraint and a businesslike approach.
Daphne went straight to the point, not wasting time on idle talk. She wrote about the desire to cooperate, offered to join forces in the study of complex sections of magic and share her knowledge. She even expressed her willingness to introduce Itachi to her parents and discuss the possibility of further interaction between their families.
There was the usual diplomatic side to her letters.
She saw Itachi as an outstanding magician, a talented student who could benefit her family. She treated him as an equal, as a partner with whom she could conduct mutually beneficial business. There was no admiration or contempt in her letters, only cold calculation and pragmatism.
But He did not object to this approach. He understood that in the world of magic, connections and cooperation played an important role. He was willing to consider Daphne's offer, but first he needed to make sure she was honest and reliable.
Daphne didn't try to charm him or flatter his ego. She got straight to the point, stating her thoughts clearly and concisely. In one letter, she suggested that they study ancient runes together, claiming that knowledge of runes could help decipher artifacts.
In another letter, she talked about her work on creating new potions and suggested that Itachi share his knowledge in this area.
Daphne also wrote about her parents, mentioning their connections and influence in the magical world.
She hinted that her family could support Itachi in his endeavors and help him advance his career. But she did so in a non-pushy way, as if by the way, making it clear that this was just one of the possibilities he could consider.
Itachi realized that Daphne Greengrass was more than just a beautiful and intelligent girl.
She was a skilled player in political games, able to manipulate people and use them to her advantage.
The correspondence with Daphne continued. Itachi, as he had planned, studied her closely, trying to understand the true motives behind her actions. He noticed that Daphne often asked him for help in solving complex magical problems that, judging by her letters, she couldn't do.
Itachi answered her questions with his usual scrupulousness, but he did so without revealing all of his cards. He gave her hints, guided her thoughts in the right direction, but left it up to her to find a solution on her own. He wanted to test how smart and capable she was and see what she would do with the information she got.
Eventually Daphne suggested they meet when they got back to Hogwarts. She wanted to discuss things in person and make plans for future collaboration.
He saw no reason to refuse. A meeting with Daphne could bring him useful information and help him better understand her intentions.
He was also genuinely surprised to find a message from Hermione Granger in the stack of letters. He hadn't expected her to write to him. They had barely spoken to each other over the past year, save for a few brief conversations in the library.
He opened the letter and began to read. It had something of Theodore's enthusiasm, something of Parkinson's easy boastfulness, and something of Greengrass's seriousness. Quite an odd combination, Itachi thought.
Hermione wrote about how she had spent her summer, what new books she had read and what spells she had mastered. She spoke proudly about her academic success and how she was helping her parents with work. Her letter felt sincere and eager to share her accomplishments, but at the same time it had a slight smugness to it.
Itachi wondered what could have made Hermione write to him. Perhaps she just wanted to brag about her accomplishments, or perhaps she had some other motive. He decided to read the letter all the way through to see what she wanted.
Hermione had mentioned Ron in the letter, telling him how often they talked and discussed summer assignments. She wrote to Harry Potter as well, but to her disappointment, he never replied to any of her letters.
"Harry Potter doesn't answer? Strange..."
At the end of the letter, Hermione expressed her desire to meet Itachi in the library when they returned to Hogwarts. She wrote that she would like to study Potions with him, realizing that Itachi was much better at them and would be able to help her. She also suggested that they study Muggle Studies together, believing that Itachi would be able to share his unique view of the Muggle world with her.
Itachi hesitated for a moment. Hermione's suggestion was unexpected, but it made sense. He was really good at potions, and his ideas about the Muggle world were much broader than most wizards.
A thought flashed through Itachi's mind: working with Hermione could be a great way to bond with Harry Potter and keep up to date with their company's plans. He certainly wasn't going to become Potter's friend, but the opportunity to use his surroundings to gain information seemed very tempting.
Deciding to act, He picked up his quill and began to write a reply to Hermione. He politely thanked her for the offer, agreed to study Potions and Muggle Studies together, and offered to set up a time to meet after he returned to Hogwarts. He had been discreet in his letter and had not given away his true intentions, trying not to scare Hermione away with too much frankness. He hoped that his agreement would help him gain her trust and gain access to the information he craved.
Itachi broke away from his musings and put the book aside. The day was drawing to a close and his mind was a chaos of thoughts and plans. He decided it was time to go to bed. Tomorrow he had to go to Kosoy Lane to buy textbooks for the new school year.
However, buying books was only part of the plan. His mother, who had a weakness for celebrities, was going to drag him to Flourish and Blotts to see her idol, Gilderoy Lockhart.
Itachi sighed. He didn't share his mother's enthusiasm, but he realized there was no taking no for an answer.
So he decided to comply, seeing it as an opportunity to observe the situation in Diagon Alley.
Tomorrow promised to be an interesting day.
P.s-updates will be twice a week, Monday and Friday.