Night
Hogwarts had fallen into silence.
The castle, filled with noise and commotion during the day, now seemed deserted.
Itachi, patiently waiting for the noise in the dormitory to subside, quietly walked out of his room. He was dressed in dark clothing that would help him remain inconspicuous in the shadows of the corridors.
But before he went in search of the Gryffindors, he decided to resort to his secret trump card.
Itachi wasn't just a wizard, he was an animagus.
In this world, animagi were a rare and complex magical art that allowed wizards to voluntarily transform into animals.
Itachi took a deep breath, concentrated, and closed his eyes. His body began to change, his bones crunching and his muscles realigning.
In the blink of an eye, his human form disappeared and in its place was a cat that was an exact replica of Mrs. Noris the Filch's companion cat.
Itachi remembered that animagi were a rarity in the wizarding world, and that they were required to be registered with the Ministry of Magic. This rule existed to narrow down who was suspected of crimes and to ensure that animagi themselves did not abuse their abilities. Itachi realized that if he was caught, he would face serious trouble, but he was confident that he would be able to avoid it.
He wielded animagi with remarkable ease, since in his past life, he was skilled in reincarnation techniques, it was one of his trump cards.
Itachi, now in the guise of a cat, gracefully jumped to the floor and headed towards the exit of the Slytherin dormitory. He realized that in this guise he would be able to move around the castle more discreetly, and that no one would suspect him of being a spy.
Mrs. Noris's cat was a common sight at Hogwarts, and her presence should not raise any suspicions.
In the guise of a cat he felt much freer, he could jump, run, and climb the walls. It gave him a huge advantage, and he was going to use it to its fullest potential.
In this guise, he would be able to intimidate the other students. As soon as he appeared in sight, most of the students, especially the smart and fidgety ones, immediately ran to their rooms. After all, no one wanted to run into Filch, who always followed his cat like its shadow.
Itachi was pleased with his plan. He realized that this guise would give him an advantage and allow him to follow the Gryffindors unhindered. But he also understood that he needed to be very careful not to run into the real Mrs. Noris.
Meeting the original could get him in big trouble.
Wandering through the dark corridors of Hogwarts, Itachi reached the Gryffindor dormitory. The first thing he decided to do was to use his, albeit not the most efficient, tool - his sense of smell.
The cat's receptors picked up hundreds of different scents: the smell of freshly washed laundry, the smell of dust and old books, the smell of food coming from somewhere under the carpet. But among this endless stream of odors, Itachi searched for a specific scent: the smell of Harry, Ron, and Hermione.
But to his disappointment, the cat's sense of smell, though keen, could not pick out the one he was looking for among this riot of scents. The scent of the Gryffindors seemed to have dissolved into the general aromatic chaos of the castle. Itachi, a little discouraged, froze, sniffing. All the odors seemed to blend together, creating the sensation of a solid, impenetrable veil. He could smell thousands, tens of thousands, of odors, but could not distinguish the one he so desperately wanted to capture.
Realizing that his feline sense of smell would not produce the desired results, Itachi decided to scrap the idea and change tactics. He realized that he was wasting his time trying to pick out the right smells in this maze of scents.
He decided it would be better to head straight for Hagrid's hut. If the Gryffindors were already there, he had lost enough time and he needed to find out what they were doing there as soon as possible. If the trio hadn't made it to the hut yet, however, he was sure they would definitely be there soon. Hagrid was their friend, and if they had a meeting planned, they certainly wouldn't miss it.
With these thoughts, Itachi, in the guise of Mrs. Noris, turned around and gracefully jumped off the windowsill and headed for the exit. He moved quickly and silently, trying not to draw attention to himself. He knew that time was his greatest enemy.
He walked through empty corridors, down staircases, and finally found himself outside the castle. The night was quiet and still, and the moon shone brightly in the sky, illuminating his path.
Itachi, moving quickly in the silence of the night, was approaching Hagrid's hut. He could already feel the slight breeze carrying with it the smell of smoke and freshly cut twigs that characterized the giant's dwelling. But, as always, his instincts were on guard. Suddenly, a shadow flashed into his field of vision, in the light of the moon. A small, but distinct, shadow lurking outside the window of the hut. Itachi stopped abruptly and pressed himself against the tree, concentrating on the sensation. It wasn't just a silhouette. He saw... Malfoy.
Itachi noted bitterly to himself that he had probably wasted his time wandering aimlessly around the castle. The Gryffindors were probably already here. Blaming himself for being careless and wasting valuable time, he took a deep breath.
This wasn't just an observation. Malfoy was apparently watching someone or something as well, and it made Itachi wonder.
Itachi realized that he needed to get closer, but in a way that didn't draw attention. There was no way Malfoy would notice him.
Itachi, barely taking a step forward to approach Hagrid's hut, froze.
Malfoy, as if sensing his presence, swiftly turned around and darted away, hiding in the night shadows.
"Damn," Itachi thought, "I've been spotted.
But at the same instant, he saw the door of Hagrid's hut swing open.
From inside, a bright flame burst from the crackling hearth, illuminating the figure of Hagrid, with a huge, gleaming dragon nestled on his shoulders. Behind Hagrid's back stood, almost hidden by the shadows, the figures of Harry, Ron, and Hermione.
Making sure the trio seemed to notice Malfoy he calmed down.
The Gryffindors, having finished their meeting with Hagrid, said their goodbyes and apparently headed back to the castle. Itachi, watching them, felt a growing frustration. His nightly stakeout, which had begun with such determination, had once again failed to bring him any significant results. Once again he had learned nothing new, and all his efforts had been in vain.
But, in addition to the frustration, Itachi felt another, unsettling feeling.
His magic was weakening. Staying in Cat form required immense concentration and considerable reserves of magical energy.
Animagic, as such, was a new technique to him, and, he realized, not yet fully honed. All the time he had spent in Mrs. Noris' form, he had been using his magical energy to maintain that form, and his reserves seemed to be inexorably depleted.
Itachi had never been known for having a large supply of magic especially now that his magical core was not yet fully formed... In his past life, he had made up for it by being able to control his chakra.
He could feel his form becoming unstable and his muscles began to tingle, warning him that he was nearing his limit.
He realized that he needed to stop tracking and return to his room as soon as possible to replenish his magic reserves. He couldn't take any chances. If he didn't recover, he wouldn't have the energy to train or continue watching the Gryffindors.
His body needed rest and his magic needed replenishing. He had to get back to his room before it was too late.
Itachi reached the castle walls and felt his body shaking with fatigue. He realized that he could no longer maintain his animagus form and needed to change into human form immediately.
Stepping into the shadows under the archway, he concentrated and whispered a canceling spell. In the blink of an eye, his fur disappeared, his bones took their former shape, and he was human again. His body tingled from the exertion and his head rattled, but he knew that the most important thing now was to get to his dormitory.
He leaned against the wall to catch his breath and tidied his clothes. He realized he was too close to failure.
Stepping out of the shadows, he headed towards the Slytherin dormitory. He walked quickly, but trying not to make any noise, and hoped that he would be able to avoid seeing any of the teachers or head teachers. But just as he stepped out of the hallway, he bumped into someone. He took a step back and looked up.
It was Professor McGonagall, her face was frowning and her eyes looked at him with surprise.
"Mr. Uchiha, what are you doing here at this late hour?" - Professor McGonagall asked, her voice was stern and harsh.
Itachi, upon seeing McGonagall, felt a wave of irritation rise in him. He realized that he had been caught, and that he would have to explain himself.
He needed to make it to his room in the guise of Mrs. Noris. Then no one would suspect anything.
He opened his mouth to say something, but then his gaze caught on a silhouette standing at the end of the hallway. It was Malfoy. His eyes were wide with surprise, and he was clearly as stunned to see Itachi as McGonagall was.
Itachi noted, with annoyance, that not only had the professor caught it, but Draco had seen it too.
"It's... not what you think, Professor McGonagall," Itachi tried to explain, but his voice, coupled with his fatigue, sounded strained and unconvincing.
"Mr. Uchiha, I will hear your explanation later," Professor McGonagall interrupted him sharply, her voice firm and allowing no objections.
"Right now, please follow me." She turned around and, without waiting for Itachi's response, headed towards the hallway.
Itachi gritted his teeth and realized he had no choice but to obey. He couldn't argue with Professor McGonagall, and he needed to come up with some convincing excuse. He took a deep breath, trying to calm himself down, and followed the professor.
They walked in silence, but Itachi could feel the tension hanging in the air. He was well aware that Professor McGonagall suspected something, and that his situation was rather unenviable. He really didn't understand why she was dragging him along, or what was going on right now.
But as soon as they turned down one of the side corridors, Itachi realized everything. In the moonlight streaming through the tall windows, he saw the Gryffindors.
Harry, Ron, and Hermione were walking down the corridor, talking animatedly and clearly not expecting to see Professor McGonagall.
Itachi couldn't help but notice that Malfoy, who was standing a little farther away, had a smug smile on his face. That smile was clear and unmistakable, and Itachi immediately realized that Malfoy had decided to rat them out.
He had probably followed the Gryffindors on purpose
Itachi gritted his teeth. He realized that the situation was even worse now. He had been caught with the Gryffindors, and all his attempts to go unnoticed had failed.
Professor McGonagall, after giving all five of them a stern look, filled the corridor with her harsh voice.
"Do you really think I don't have the intelligence to realize what's going on here? I can see perfectly well that you've broken curfew, and that you don't have a single valid reason for walking around the castle in the middle of the night!"
She paused, circling everyone with her gaze, as if trying to burn their guilt right onto their faces.
"There is no reason at all why a student should be free to walk the corridors at this hour. This is a blatant violation of the rules, and it will not go unpunished!"
The professor's voice was filled with anger, and each of them involuntarily cringed.
"Mr. Potter, Mr. Weasley, Miss Granger," she continued, turning to the Gryffindors,
"For your irresponsible behavior, Gryffindor will be deducted 50 points, each!"
The Gryffindors snickered, realizing the gravity of their transgression. Malfoy, on the other hand, broke out into a smug grin as he looked at his rivals. But Professor McGonagall didn't let it go unnoticed.
"And finally, Mr. Uchiha," Professor McGonagall addressed Itachi, her voice dry.
"I do not know what brought you to this corridor, or what you were doing here, but your presence here is no excuse either. For your inappropriate behavior, and breaking Slytherin rules, 50 points will be removed!"
Malfoy's smile instantly slid off his face
''Therefore, all five of you, you will be punished, and will serve your punishment with Mr. Filch. Now, please all of you follow me."
But Malfoy, unexpectedly, put in his own word.
"Professor, all five of you? Is it my fault they broke the rules?"
Professor McGonagall, frowning slightly, looked at Malfoy.
"Mr. Malfoy, your presence here does not excuse your behavior either. You have, also, broken the rules, and seem to have tried to take advantage of the situation to hold others accountable. Even good intentions cannot justify breaking the rules!"
Malfoy, clearly surprised by her answer, opened his mouth to object, but the professor interrupted him.
Professor McGonagall's eyes stopped on Itachi, something more than disappointment flickering in them.
"Both of you, Mr. Uchiha and Miss Granger, are role models for your peers! You are constantly in the public eye. That is why your behavior is a prime example of how not to act! Your infractions, especially in light of what is happening this year, are particularly outrageous." She took a deep breath
Professor McGonagall, without waiting for further protests, directed the five offenders to Filch.