AN: I appreciate all the reviews I've received.
I don't own anything.
Shortly after her escapade in the lavatory, Rose played in her first Quidditch match: Gryffindor versus Slytherin. Curious about the sport, Itachi attended. The concept of a three-dimensional sport played by civilians was worth witnessing, if only to see if there were any ways to incorporate the motions into combat situations. He was a bit disappointed; yes, Quidditch may have moves useful in airborne combat, but the current players lacked the skill to showcase them.
Sometime during the match Rose's broom began bucking. It's either a malfunction in the broom's enchanting or someone that wants Rose dead or injured. As there was nothing he could do if it was the first possibility, he thought of who would want Rose was injured. The first name to come to mind was Malfoy, as he frequently conflicted with her, although he kept to verbal insults. The next was the Slytherin team; as they couldn't jinx her broom while playing, they may have bribed another student to do it for them, most likely from Slytherin or Ravenclaw: Hufflepuffs were a less likely possibility that he would check out if his other theories fell out, and Gryffindors would never side with a Slytherin over a member of their own house.
The next group was the teachers: they were the most likely suspects, having years of knowledge and experience that would assist them in harming her without being detected. McGonagall and Flitwick were out; every time they saw her, their eyes lit up in joy. Snape was unlikely; he seemed to have a soft spot for the girl. Sprout was a possibility, but also unlikely; she had no motivation to sabotage Gryffindor as Slytherin often defeated Hufflepuff, so them losing to Gryffindor would be advantageous to the House of the Loyal. Sinistra, Babbling, and Kettleburn were not known to use complex wand magic necessary in overriding the charms on a quality broom. Hagrid wasn't supposed to have a method to use magic and appeared to like the girl. Quirrell seemed the most likely suspect, easily having the knowledge but no discernable motive.
The young Uchiha scanned the stands, beginning with the professors' booth. All of the teachers were staring and pointing, questioning each other about was happening. McGonagall had her wand drawn, pointed down but ready to be raised should Rose fall. Two were staring more intently than the rest: Snape and Quirrell. Snape's mouth was moving slightly, most likely muttering a curse or a counter-curse. Quirrell hand his hand over his, projecting a look of fear and shock, but his eyes were too narrowed for those emotions to be real.
It's most likely Quirrell, but how to disrupt what he's doing? I can't kill him; not only are there too many potential witnesses along with unknown security measures, but I'm not positive that he's the culprit. Got it, chakra strings to pull his turban down, breaking eye contact and possibly disrupting his chant. One of the standard combination moves the Uchiha clan used was launching a fireball and hiding Fūma Shuriken behind it. Advanced users attached chakra strings to the shuriken in case the target managed to avoid them. So that they didn't ruin their surprise, the users were taught to make the strings invisible. Itachi could do so with ease. The problem will be accurately forming the strings at this distance; normally the strings are attached at a close range then lengthened, but I have to try.
He focused chakra to his hand and channeled it through his pinky. Next he targeted the purple turban. A bead of sweat travelled down the side of his face as he focused his chakra string across the seventy meter distance to the target less than a third of a meter in length. He unconsciously activated his Sharingan, given him the perception of slowed time.
Three meters.
Two meters.
One meter.
There.
The string attached itself to the front of the rag just below the center, a prime position for the Uchiha's goal. He twitched his pinky; the turban slid down, covering the professor's eyes. The man jerked in surprise, bringing his hands up to his face and shoving the turban back into place. He looked around quickly, almost fearfully. Either he's worried about why his turban moved or he's hiding something. I'll have to look into that later.
The effects of Quirrell's interruption were immediately obvious: the jinxed broom stopped bucking and Rose recovered. Immediately afterwards Snape's robes caught fire. The teachers immediately shuffled about to extinguish it. "And Potter's seen the Snitch!" the announcer, one Lee Jordan, cried. Rose immediately dove towards the Gryffindor stands. She flew further past them, pulling up a scant few feet from the ground.
She reached out. Her arm was not quite long enough to grab the gold ball. She stood on the broom and leaned forward slightly. She still couldn't reach. She leapt.
A collective gasp echoed throughout the stadium as she hit the ground and rolled at least two and a half meters. She crawled to her knees and hunched over, giving the impression that she was about to vomit. She spat something up and caught it. The object glinted in the sun.
"Potter has caught the Snitch! The game is over! Gryffindor wins!" shouted Jordan excitedly.
The Slytherins near Itachi groaned, but he was unhappy for a different reason: one of his friends was nearly injured, and possibly killed, and by a professor. I was caught by surprise: that is unacceptable. It seems being in this school has made me weak. I cannot be taken by surprise again.
He and the two girls were walking across the snow-covered grounds, much to Itachi's dismay. The freezing temperature of winter was not something he was used to. He had discovered a Warming Charm in one of his books, but that only helped so much.
"So Itachi, what's the deal with you and Rose? Both of you seem so busy recently; we haven't seen as much of you two as we did at the start of the year," Tracey asked.
"I can't say for certain about Rose, but she seems to be busy with Quidditch practice," answered Itachi. "As for me, I have been researching new spells, practicing the old ones and improving my dorm's security."
"Well, we know about that. You did help us with our own rooms, remember," Tracey pointed out. "Though I am sad you couldn't animate an alligator to help protect me. You want some mean person to break in and hurt me, don't you?"
"Ignoring Tracey for the time being," Daphne interjected, earning a 'Hey!' from the girl, "I've seen her and the two Gryffindors she's friends with in the library a lot."
"Quite suspicious, if you ask me," said Tracey.
"Yes, Weasley doesn't seem like the type to willingly spend time there," Daphne agreed.
"Perhaps the Granger girl has been a positive influence," Itachi suggested, more to provoke thought than to state his belief.
"I doubt it; the boy seems quite stubborn," the blonde differed. "I would imagine that if he wasn't interested in what they were doing, he would say so, quite loudly at that."
"Yeah, the Ice Princess is right," Tracey added. "He is still performs at the same pathetic level in class, so whatever they're doing isn't for school."
"Wow, Davis, an intelligent thought. If you're not careful you may grow a brain," Daphne joked.
Before Tracey could respond beyond an indignant spluttering, Itachi asked, "Ice Princess?"
The question brought a smile to the dark-haired girl's face. "Yeah, because she is so cold to other people, they started calling her 'Slytherin's Ice Princess.'"
Daphne scoffed. "Simply because I do not want to be a slut for the upper years does not make me cold. At least they're starting to learn to leave me alone."
While Itachi was surprised that older males would be soliciting an eleven year old girl for sexual acts, Daphne was definitely not the average eleven year old. She had started developing early, and her regal features did nothing to drive attention away. In a few years, Itachi surmised, she would have a figure that would rival Kunoichi seduction experts.
Daphne's eyes sparked as she realized, "Hey, Itachi, you said you've been researching spells, but I haven't seen you in the library a lot."
He nodded, "I practice my spells outside, near the Forbidden Forest."
That wasn't exactly true. He trained in a clearing inside the Forest, deep enough to not be seen but close enough to the edge that he could make his way out should something happen. The clearing was practically devoid of life, only a few birds and strange, winged horse-like creatures with black, leathery skin and red eyes kept him company. A trip to the library had identified them as Thestrals. While frightening in appearance, they possessed a rather gentle disposition.
Tracey shook her head. "I don't see why you practice so much. You're always the first to finish spells every class. Plus you practice a lot after you finish them. Seems like a waste of time to me."
"True, but you never know when you'll need to be able to perform a certain spell. I'd prefer to be able to cast perfectly and not need to than need to and not be able to."
"Whatever, not my time you're wasting," Tracey said. "So, any plan's for Christmas holiday?"
Shaking his head, Itachi responded, "No, I'll probably remain here. How about you two?"
Tracey answered first, "I'm going home. I'm so excited to see my mummy and daddy again. I've missed them."
The face of his father as he killed him flashed before Itachi's eyes. Guilt welled up inside. Why am I feeling guilty? He was an enemy of Konoha and I killed him. It must be some lingering attachment I have to him. That cannot be allowed to continue. I will deal with it later.
"I will return home as well. My mother and father have been invited to the annual ball the Ministry hosts, so I shall attend that with my sister and pray that my father doesn't enter me into a Marriage Contract," said Daphne.
Clearing his head of his thoughts, Itachi asked, "Are those common in Britain?"
Daphne continued, "They're not uncommon. They are used mainly to secure political alliances. They used to be popular as a means to increase a family's wealth and standing, but now all the families that use them already have money and are practically equal in reputation."
"Is your father likely to enter you into a contract?"
"Why, are you wondering what your chances with her are?" Tracey asked.
Replying neutrally, "I was merely curious."
Tracey frowned, upset that he wasn't flustered. Daphne shook her head at her best friend's antics and answered his question. "I don't believe so, unless he feels it is in my best interest or the family needs it to be done. Were there such contracts where you're from?"
"They existed, but they weren't used frequently in my clan. Only arranged marriages for the head family males were used in order to keep the line strong."
The conversation came to a close as they reached the greenhouse their Herbology lesson was located in. Much to Itachi's relief, the inside was heated.
The first semester of classes ended, and the winter holidays had arrived. The entirety of Slytherin House besides Itachi went home. The school itself was all but empty; less than a dozen students remained altogether, most of who were in Gryffindor.
For some reason he couldn't abolish the guilt he felt. In fact, the more he tried to let it go, the more pronounced it became. Whereas he barely thought about the revolt before, now he rarely slept without seeing his father. As the holiday progressed, his brother, eyes full of hate, appeared as well. Soon he was haunted by thoughts of his mother every time he let his mind wander. He didn't even know if she was alive.
To deal with the problem, he spent most of his time training to exhaustion. Because of this, and she being busy doing something with Ron and Hermione, he didn't spend time with Rose. It bothered him as he had become accustomed to being near his friends. To counter the blossoming loneliness he felt, Itachi further busied himself with training. It was a vicious cycle: he trained because he was lonely and he was lonely because he spent all of his time training. He practiced everything but Mangekyō Sharingan techniques, remembering the legends of how overuse of the 'perfect Sharingan' lead to blinding his clan founders. Maybe I should research eyesight restoring techniques, just in case I wind up losing my eyesight. Besides, my strongest techniques are ocular based and I will be rendered weak should I lose my ability to see.
With a new goal in mind, he frequented the library, even going so far as to bring books on healing to the Great Hall during meals. Two weeks into December and he couldn't find anything substantial. They had magical glasses and charms that temporarily granted perfect vision, but nothing that healed the eyes. Crestfallen, he decided that if the library had something worthwhile on the topic, it was in the Restricted Section. He assumed it wouldn't hurt to pay a visit to Madam Pomfrey to see if the resident healer had a solution and had a new plan of action.
Pomfrey was checking the stock of Pepper-Up Potions when Itachi entered. "Ah, hello young man, I don't believe we've met. I'm Madam Pomfrey, is there some way I can help you?"
"Itachi Uchiha, and I hope so. You see, poor eyesight runs in my family, with a few cases of blindness. I felt it was prudent to see if there was a method to heal my eyes should I begin losing my vision," he asked, his words a steady stream without any inflection, giving no sign that he wasn't being entirely honest.
Pomfrey thought on the subject. "I can't say I know of one of the top of my head, but if you'd like I can ask some of my associates at St. Mungo's."
"I would appreciate it if you would; as you may imagine, my eyesight is very important to me. Practically all of my interests involve being able to see clearly. Thank you for taking the time. Have a nice day."
A bit disappointed but not surprised, Itachi left the medical wing. It's not that important at the currently anyway. My eyesight is still nearly perfect, so no need to worry unduly. With nothing better to do, Itachi went to his clearing and experimented in mixing magic with chakra based techniques. He succeeded explosively when he combined the Katon: Gōkakyū no Jutsu with an Incendio Charm. The Kage Bunshin he was smart enough to have used died horrifically in an inferno that torched have the clearing. Quite an accomplishment when he had only used enough power in both to have burned a desk. While he was disturbed to witness being burned alive thanks to his clone, seeing the flame from a safe distance excited him in ways he didn't understand. He could feel a maniacal smile on his face, but no matter what he tried he couldn't remove it. He just felt so tingly all over!
If that can be used without killing the user, it would be an exceptional technique.
Creating another clone, Itachi continued his experiments, his smile widening with eachattempt, despite continuously being unsuccessful. After an hour of trying , he still couldn't mix the two. He decided to stop for the day, before he started a forest fire.
On his way back to the castle, he couldn't keep a small smirk off his face. This had been a good day, despite completing either of his objectives.
Christmas day was depressing for the lone Slytherin. Every other student had at least one other person to be with but not him. The gifts he received from Daphne and Tracey, while generous and plentiful, just served to accentuate the fact that he was alone. The constant nightmares involving his family took a great deal out of him. He spent most of the day in his room, only leaving for a quick meal.
Sleep once again evaded him; every time he closed his eyes he would see his father's burning body, or Sasuke proclaiming him a traitor. Tears poured out of his eyes and the now-familiar guilt turned his stomach. This would be a long night if he couldn't change his train of thought. May as well put my sneaking skills to work, he thought at about one in the morning.
Dressing in the dark grey shirt and pants he used to wear in Konoha, he left the common room. He cautiously crept past hollow armor and up the stairs; it was entirely too cold to sneak around the dungeons. Upon reaching the third floor, he heard Filch, the caretaker, on the floor above. He was grumbling to someone about students out of bed. Although Itachi most likely could stay undetected most of the time, he wasn't in a right state of mind at the moment. He instead decided to head further into the third floor corridor.
He passed sleeping paintings and empty classrooms with closed doors. Near the end of the hall was a door, much like the rest, except it was somewhat ajar. Curiosity getting the better of him, he moved to investigate. Inside the room, among dust covered chairs and desks, in front of a large, ornately designed mirror, sat Rose, still in her sleep-wear. Her red hair was disheveled and a slivery cloth sat of to the side.
He silently walked and sat down beside her. She gave no indication that she knew he was there. Her cheeks had trails of tears and her eyes shone with longing as she stared at the glass. Curious as to what she was looking at, for a normal reflection couldn't cause such a reaction, he looked into the mirror.
His family looked back. Sasuke stood beside him, glancing happily at both Itachi's; his father was behind him, gazing proudly at his children; his mother was to the side, smiling happily at her complete family. Surrounding his family was his three friends, Daphne, Tracey and Rose, each a visage of beauty and joy.
He forcefully turned his head, wanting nothing more than to continue watching the scene but knowing it wasn't real: he had killed his father and his brother probably hated him, after all.
Rose was regarding him with a pained expression that Itachi wanted to change. "What do you see?"
Itachi remained silent; his training told him that sharing something like this was exposing an easily exploitable weakness, but a small part of him wanted, no needed, to confide in someone. "I see my family, complete and happy, with my friends nearby. Yourself?"
"I see my mum and dad, standing behind me, happy to have me as a daughter. And you're…"she trailed off.
"I'm what?"
"You're standing there, being my friend, helping me when I need it," Rose answered meekly, averting her eyes. "I've missed spending time with you."
"I have too."
"I don't want to lose you, you're my first friend," she said emotionally.
Itachi didn't know what came over him for he gently placed his arms around her and tightened slightly. "I promise you, Rose, that you won't lose me; you may not see me, and it may seem as though I'm not there, but I will be, supporting you from the shadows."
A muffled 'thank you' was her response. The two stayed like that for a couple minutes before Itachi regained his composure and withdrew from the hug. He wasn't how to act now so he decided a tactical retreat was in order, "I'm off to bed. Have a good night." Back in his bed, he drifted into a dreamless sleep.
The remainder of the holiday was more enjoyable to Itachi than the first half. He felt like a burden had been lifted; he still ached for his family, but his conversation with Rose had somehow eased the pain he felt. He practiced his Transfiguration, unsatisfied with taking an average of five tries to successfully cast a new spell. He continued to excel at Charms and had taught himself several useful new charms including the Alohamora Charm, a low-level unlocking spell; the Flame-Freezing Charm, a spell that made fire not burn; and, more to his liking, the Bluebell Flame Charm, a fire that only burned what was held above it. Nothing else of interest occurred, though witnessing the Weasley twins charm a snowball into repeatedly bashing itself on the back of Quirrell's turban was entertaining.
Like everything else in the world, the holiday season had ended and the students soon returned, classes following shortly thereafter. The new semester picked up where the last one finished and things returned to normal. He got along decently with his housemates, but only remained friendly with Daphne and Tracey. Malfoy, Crabbe and Goyle continued to antagonize the Gryffindors, primarily Rose, Ron and Hermione, although Neville was a frequent target as well.
"I'm glad we started spending time together again," Rose stated as she, Itachi, Daphne and Tracey sat in an unused classroom one Sunday night, a tradition they started sometime in January.
Tracey pulled her into a one-armed hug, "I know! It's great! Too bad you're so busy though."
Uncomfortable in the embrace but not wanting to hurt Tracey's feelings, Rose said, "Wood has been having us practice a bit much…"
"'A bit much?' He's practically killing you guys! During class you look like you're barely keeping your eyes open! " Tracey nearly yelled in outrage.
Daphne added, "I have to agree, I heard from a few third years that your Chasers found you asleep in the locker room after a session."
"That was one time, and I was tired. It wasn't his fault."
"The slap marks on his face that lasted three days said otherwise," Daphne deadpanned.
"Why are you making such a big deal of this? He's only doing this because Snape is refereeing the next match; he'll go back to normal after the game."
Tracey declared, "It's because we're your friends! We care about you and don't want you to get hurt! Right, Itachi?"
"It would be rather foolish to let your health suffer for a game," he said calmly.
Tracey took it like he made a passionate speech about friendship and caring, "See, even Itachi cares about you! Listen to him, he's never wrong!"
Rose sighed, "Wood has taken it a bit easier after I fell asleep in the locker room." Tracey stared at her with impossibly wide eyes. "And I'll make sure to catch up on sleep and relax a bit, happy?"
The brunette chirped, "Yes."
"Have you finished you're little project with Weasley and Granger?" Daphne asked. "You three haven't been in the library whispering conspiratorially, so I can only assume…"
Itachi listened more intently, he was curious about what they were doing.
Rose's pupils dilated and she began fiddling with her hands, "What project? We only go to the library when we need a few books for homework."
"Right and the way you all kept looking around to make sure no one would overhear you discussing the many properties of the Belladonna plant. Don't lie."
Making a quick decision, Rose acquiesced, "Fine, but don't repeat this. We think Dumbledore is keeping the Philosopher's Stone in Hogwarts, hidden in the forbidden part of the third floor. There is a three-headed dog guarding a trap-door at the end of the hall and Hagrid mentioned Nicholas Flamel."
Tracey asked, "Who's this Nicholas Flamel guy?"
"He's a famous alchemist that taught Dumbledore," answered Daphne. "I'm assuming that that was what you three were reading about?"
"Yeah, we couldn't find anything though. It turns out Hermione had borrowed the book that had the information in it and forgotten about it."
Tracey giggled. The three looked at her questioningly. "Sorry, I just think it's funny that Granger, the girl that is pretty much in love with books forgot about one, especially one she needed."
Itachi nearly smiled, Daphne giggled slightly, and Rose had to fight from doing the same. "Don't be mean. Anyway, it's getting late I'm going to head back. Good night."
The day of the Gryffindor versus Hufflepuff match arrived. Itachi only went to watch in case someone attempted to harm Rose again. Five minutes later he was returning to the castle. In possibly the shortest amount of time in Hogwarts' Quidditch history, Rose had caught the Snitch; whether it was Rose's innate skill, luck, or the result of Wood's trademark training sessions from Hell was debatable. He saw McGonagall scolding Ron, Malfoy, Crabbe and Goyle, all of whom were slightly bloody. Nothing close to what he considered bloody, but that's beside the point. Neville had apparently been sent to the Hospital Wing to recover from injuries obtained while fighting Crabbe and Goyle, from what he overheard from the Headmistress. Not the boy's smartest decision, Itachi thought regarding Neville, but he certainly earned his spot in the House of the Brave.
Once again life settled into a routine for a couple months. There was only one discrepancy, the cause of which could only be speculated upon. The Gryffindors had, overnight, gone from leading the House Cup to being out of the running. The distraught grumbling of the House and the celebratory smiles of the other Houses was amusing. The Lions took to glaring at Rose, Hermione and Neville. Itachi decided to confront her.
"Is there a reason why your housemates blame you for taking them out of the House Cup competition?" he asked after Transfiguration that day.
"Yeah, there is."
"Are you going to tell me?"
"Not here, I don't want to be overheard."
"Fair enough."
The pair retreated to the classroom they meet at Sundays. After sitting down and giving her a moment to settle, Itachi prodded, "You were going to explain how you became one of the most unpopular students in your House…"
"Hermione, Ron and I went to Hagrid's house to confirm that the Stone is here, it is by the way, and found that he had a dragon's egg. This was a couple weeks ago. A few days later it hatched."
He nodded, motioning her to continue.
"Since owning a dragon is illegal, we sent a letter to one of Ron's brothers that works at a dragon reserve in Romania. He told us he would come pick it up but we needed to take it to the top of the tallest tower. So last night the three of us sneaked down to Hagrid's to get the dragon. It bit Ron's hand, which then swelled up, so he had to go to the Hospital Wing. Not willing to give up, Hermione and I took the dragon ourselves.
"Going up was pretty easy, since I had my Invisibility Cloak, though we were almost caught by McGonagall. Seems Draco found out about the dragon and tried to get us in trouble by sneaking out and informing her where we would be. Luckily she didn't catch us and he got a detention for being out after curfew. We made it up no problem and were happy to have helped a friend. Unfortunately, on the way down Filch found us. We stupidly left the cloak at the top of tower so he saw us no problem. We lost the points and now have detention."
"How does Neville fit in?"
"He was walking back from the Hospital Wing and managed to get lost. Snape found him, gave him a detention and took more points from Gryffindor."
After getting an explanation, they separated; Itachi went to his clearing and Rose went to Quidditch practice. In his clearing, the Uchiha performed his daily physical regime, practiced the spells he knew and tried a few new ones. Today, however, something caught his eye. In the Forest, a few meters from where he stood, was a puddle of a glistening liquid. The rest of the ground was completely dry. He approached cautiously; the liquid was potentially poisonous and the source could be dangerous.
A closer look revealed that the liquid was silvery and opaque, and trailed further into the Forest, much like a blood trail from a wounded animal. He broke a branch of a nearby tree and dipped it into the pool. Removing it, the viscous liquid clung to the wood, much like blood would. He lifted his head and searched for animal life: there was none in the immediate vicinity. Whatever caused this was a good distance away by now. He would have to investigate at a later time, perhaps that night. Most magical creatures had parts that were incredibly useful in a variety of ways and therefore could be sold for a large amount of money if Itachi had no need of them.
After an hour after curfew Itachi snuck out. Making it to the Forest was child's play for a ninja of Itachi's caliber. Hagrid was waiting at the edge of the woods; Itachi wondered if he had been caught, but the large man made no indication of looking for him. He returned to where he found the blood and followed the trail, searching for signs of the animal such as fur or footprints. There were a few hoof-prints, but he lost them in the underbrush. He made his way back towards the castle; it probably wasn't worth wandering deeper into the unexplored woods at night. He heard a scream and saw red sparks go up into the air about half a kilometer away. He went to investigate, keeping out of sight and making no noise.
Near where the sparks were launched Itachi saw Neville, Hermione and Hagrid, but no animals, magical or mundane. He continued on, the trio ignorant of his temporary proximity. A couple minutes later there was a feminine shriek. He saw a head of pale blond hair running in the general direction of Hagrid. Only one person had that color of hair: Malfoy. The ninja progressed further, reaching a small clearing held a dead or dying horse-like creature lying in a growing pool of the silver blood. He found the prey. A black wraith launched itself in the direction Malfoy ran from.
The sound of something hitting the ground was heard in the direction the wraith was heading. Someone was still there. It didn't take a genius to infer that it was most likely Rose, everyone else that received detention last night was here, why wouldn't she. Itachi was enraged: this piece of shit was attacking one of his best friends.
He pulled a kunai.
An arrow landed in front of the wraith. The spectral being pulled back and fled; more arrows followed it. A centaur approached the fallen Rose.
"The Forest is a dangerous place for you, Rose Potter," informed the centaur.
"You know my name?" the girl asked.
"The stars reveal many things, Miss Potter."
The response confused her, but she figured it wasn't important at the moment. "What was that?"
The centaur appeared not to have heard, "Do you know what unicorn blood is used for?"
"No, er, sir," she answered, unsure of how to refer to her savior.
"Unicorn blood is capable of staving off death; even if just a drop is consumed by a man with the most grievous of wounds, he will not perish. But the act of killing such a pure creature for such a selfish reason gives the blood a curse: while whoever drinks the blood shall not die, he shall not live either. He will be doomed to live a cursed-life, a half-life."
"But who would want to exist like that?"
"Can you think of no one that would do anything to live?"
After thinking for a few seconds it dawned on her. "Voldemort."
The centaur nodded.
"But why would he be so close to Hogwarts. I mean, Dumbledore is one of the few people that he fears."
"Is there not something in the castle that would restore life to anyone?"
"The Philosopher's Stone!"
"The stars shine brightly for you, Rose Potter. You will play an important part in the events to come. Your teacher nears, stay safe."
The centaur turned to leave, but Rose called out, "Wait, what's your name?"
"I am called Firenze."
Hagrid was indeed nearby and encountered Rose, making sure she was alright. Seeing that the predator was long gone and Rose was safe, Itachi returned to his dorm. While he didn't gain what he set out to, he did learn a few interesting facts. Voldemort was alive and would likely return to power in the coming years. Undoubtedly there would be another wizarding war. He had much to think about.
The end of the year was soon among them. A good portion of Itachi's, Daphne's and Tracey's free time was spent reviewing for the final exams. While they would undoubtedly cover topics they had mastered previously, it never hurt to be prepared. The entire school was subdued as the other students did the same. It seemed only the Weasley twins had any life to them, maintaining their pranks, mainly against Slytherin House. In fact, they seemed to have increased the tempo at which they pranked as the exams drew nearer. Itachi allowed himself to be pranked, they were harmless and beign the only one that constantly avoided them would draw undue attention to him that he would rather avoid.
The world seemed brighter as exams let out. Students fled the school, eager to relax by the lake or take advantage of the expanse of grass. Itachi was on his way to meet Daphne and Tracey outside when he witnessed Rose, Ron and Hermione once again acting suspiciously.
"Why wouldn't McGonagall listen to us?" asked a distraught Hermione.
"Well, they did say that there were more defenses, maybe it really is safe," offered Ron.
"Even still, it wouldn't hurt to post a guard," said Hermione.
"There's only one thing we can do," stated Rose with conviction. "We have to steal the Stone first."
The other two looked uneasy at the prospect.
"Look, Snape obviously wants the Stone for Voldemort. If the adults won't listen to us, then the responsibility falls to us. We cannot let him return, you both have heard how bad he was before. Because of this, we will sneak out tonight and protect the Stone ourselves."
"By ourselves?" Hermione asked.
"Yes, who else is there?"
"What about your three friends in Slytherin?"
"What?" Ron exclaimed loudly. "Why would we tell snakes about the Stone? They would probably steal it for themselves!"
Shaking her head at Ron's presumptuousness, she answered, "The Cloak can only fit three people under it. Even if it could fit more, it would take too long to make it to their common room then back to the third floor. Come to think of it, we don't even know where their common room is. No, we have to do it alone."
Itachi had heard enough; he would be busy tonight. Not only did he need to keep Rose safe, but if there was a chance he could get the Stone, it would be worth it. Outside of keeping the user healthy, nothing was known about the Elixir of Life. It may even stop his eyesight from deteriorating from using the Mangekyō Sharingan.
In his room, Itachi prepared for the night. He equipped his infiltration clothing, double checked his supply of kunai, shuriken and bandages, and stretched. He made his way to the third floor corridor. The door was closed; not sensing anyone in the hall, he activated his Sharingan and opened the door. A large Cerberus lunged at him, three heads ready to tear him to shreds. Saliva flew from its mouths. He dove forward, the center head missing him by a centimeter. Recovering rapidly, he looked for the trap-door. There! It was closed, but not locked in an obvious way. He formed a chakra string and used it to open the door while he dodged the monstrous canine. He formed a Kage Bunshin. It ran at the opening, and then slid into it. A second later he received a memory of landing on a plant that squeezed him; he recognized it as Devil's Snare. He dove into the hole and used chakra to stick to the ceiling. He closed the door; darkness enveloped him.
He slowly made his way down to the exit, mindful of traps. He reached the door and proceeded to the next chamber. The next room was filled with flying keys. A locked door barred passage to the room beyond. He saw a key with two injured wings 'limping' through the air. As its color matched the rusted lock, unlike every other key, he assumed it was the one he needed. He ascended the wall using chakra then leapt of, grabbing the key in midair. He opened the door slowly. The room seemed to be designed as a giant chessboard. In the middle of the floor, among the remains of over-sized chess pieces, was Hermione Granger leaning over an unconscious Ron Weasley. Rose was nowhere to be seen.
He entered cautiously, closed the door behind him, and then hid behind a Rook. Sparing a quick glance revealed that Hermione didn't seem to have noticed him. She struggled to pick up Ron then carried him back to the room with the flying keys in a fireman's hold. Hiding from her wasn't a challenge; she didn't focus on anything besides carrying Ron and where she stepped. Once the door behind him closed once again he moved. The next room possessed a dead troll; someone was here before the trio.
When he stepped into the next room the way back was blocked by flames. A collection of potions sat in the center of the room with a parchment. One vial was empty. Probably contained the potion I needed, he mused. The passage ahead was blocked by black fire. He read the parchment, figured out the riddle but didn't drink any of the potions. It would be too easy for someone to have swapped the order of the potions, increasing the odds of picking a poison. Instead, he activated his Mangekyō Sharingan and whispered, "Mangekyō Sharingan: Susanoo."
Pain enveloped him as orange and red chakra swirled around him forming the Uchiha's ultimate defense. He strode through the flames, each step increasing the pain. As soon as he made it through he cancelled the technique, the pain vanishing. Shaking off the urge to relax, he advanced.
The entire room was dark minus the center where the mirror he had encountered on Christmas stood. Romanesque pillars circled the room, providing cover for Itachi. Quirrell was yelling at a bound Rose. He stuck to the shadows, ready to intervene if Rose's life was threatened.
"Tell me what you see, girl!" Quirrell demanded.
"I-I see myself surrounded by friends. I just won the Quidditch Cup and we're celebrating," she claimed, her pitch fluctuating slightly.
"She lies!" a raspy third voice cried.
"Tell me the truth!" Quirrell shouted.
Rose remained silent, glaring defiantly at Quirrell.
"Let me speak to her."
"But master, you are too weak," Quirrell protested, then winced.
"I have strength enough for this."
Quirrell turned his back on Rose and unfurled his turban. On the back of his head was a second face, this one with red eyes, no nose, elongated nostrils and a thin mouth. It began speaking.
"Rose Potter, we meet at last."
"Voldemort," she ground out.
Itachi tensed, ready to strike out at the slightest provocation.
"Ah, quite brave, to speak my name like that, much like your parents. A pity they had to die, they would have been quite useful in serving me."
"Don't speak about them, you bastard! It's your fault they're dead!" she yelled.
Voldemort chuckled, "No, I offered to spare them. It is their fault. They were defiant to the end. But enough talk of the past, there is no need for us to fight." The ropes that bound her dropped. "As you can see, I mean no harm to you. I merely believe you have my Stone. In fact, I believe it is resting there in your left pocket."
Rose brought her left leg back, giving Itachi a perfect view of the oddly shaped bulge that was located in it.
"Give me the Stone, Rose. I am not evil, Rose, quite the opposite, really. It is only to my enemies that I am merciless. To my followers I am exceptionally benevolent. Give it to me, Rose, and I can grant you wealth and power beyond your imagining. Give it to me, and together we can bring your parents back to life. Together, you and I can conquer the world; reshape it as we see fit.
"Together, we can bring an end to prejudice and abuse, to senseless discrimination and violence. Join me, and all your dreams can come true. It's simple, Rose, just give me the Stone and receive the world."
Rose was conflicted, all her life she wished that she could meet her parents, and here he, the person hailed as the most evil wizard of the century, was offering to resurrect them. Not only that, but he was also guaranteeing that no one would grow up like she did. Her hand subconsciously went to her pocket.
Voldemort's eyes proclaimed his inevitable victory; the Chosen One, the one responsible for his downfall, was about to hand him the key to immortality.
She paused.
She recounted what was written in the history books: countless killed, thousands of women, some her age or even younger, raped and brutally murdered, families torn apart for being born a certain way or for believing a certain thing. Did she want to help the man that caused this return to power just to get her parents back, parents that died fighting to stop him?
"I would never join you," she stated coldly.
"Kill her!" Voldemort hissed.
Quirrell turned charged her. She moved to the side, unknowingly placing herself between Itachi and her assailant. He repeated his effort, this time succeeding. He lifted the girl up by her neck, intent on strangling her. Itachi was about to reveal himself when Quirrell dropped her. Smoke rose from his hands.
"Ah! Master, my hands!" he cried in obvious pain.
"Kill her! Kill her!" his master ordered, uncaring of the fate of his loyal host.
Rose backpedalled, but tripped on the ropes used to bind her.
Itachi drew a Kunai.
Quirrell advanced on her, intent on wringing her neck.
Itachi connected a chakra string to it.
Voldemort strained, focused on the girl.
Itachi saw his opening
Rose struggled backwards, trying in vain to escape her would-be murderer.
Itachi threw a kunai.
It sunk into his target, the base of Quirrell's skull.
Quirrell opened his mouth to scream, but no noise escaped.
Itachi pulled back on his chakra string. The kunai flew towards him.
Quirrell's body slowly fell backward, hiding the knife from Rose. Both Itachi and Rose relaxed, Rose more so than Itachi, despite her ignorance of what had occurred seconds before. They both tensed when the body began to burn to dust. In moments Quirrell appeared to be made of sand. Rose stared at the body in abstract fascination. The body collapsed as an intangible, dark grey thing flew out of the late professor's head, straight at Rose.
"Potter!" screamed a hoarse, malice-filled voice. The spectral head of Voldemort flew through Rose. She screamed in pain and collapsed. The spirit then fled.
The silence was deafening. Itachi quickly made his way down and checked Rose's vitals. Her pulse was strong and steady; there were no lacerations or broken bones that needed to be set. Seeing that she would be fine, Itachi removed the Sorcerer's Stone from her pocket.
It appeared to be nothing more than an uncut ruby, if a bit darker and more opaque. Taking a kunai, he chipped a small corner off; nothing that would be noticed easily, but enough to be studied. He replaced the stone in her pocket then left before the inevitable staff member appeared.
Rose was unconscious for a week. Daphne, Tracey, Hermione, Ron and Itachi all visited her, worried for their friend. A mountain of gifts and a multitude of cards surrounded her. She woke up an hour before the End of Term Feast and had a talk with Dumbledore, who explained how Quirrell's evilness caused Rose's love to kill him. Her Slytherin friends were unaware of her recovery until they saw her in the Great Hall.
"So Itachi, have any plans for this summer?" Tracey asked.
"Nothing outside of finishing the assigned work and preparing for next year."
"That's boring. Daphne and I will probably get together, you should join us. Ooh, maybe we can invite Rose too!"
"That's a good idea," supported Daphne. "What do you think?"
Itachi shrugged, "It's possible. If you inform me of the dates, we may be able to set something up."
The train ride back to King's Cross was uneventful. The Slytherin three spent the first hour in a compartment with the Gryffindor trio before Ron caused an awkward period, resulting in them finding a separate one. After saying goodbye to his three friends, Itachi returned home using the Knight Bus. Quite an eventful year, I'm curious what the next will hold.