If any of you have any questions about anything in my story, "Why does this character do that?" "Who is that character?" "How come he can do that?" "How does that concept work?" just let me know and I will answer your questions at the start of the next chapter, or PM you if you prefer.

Ddragon: Are there OC's? Because I don't recognise some of the names.

No, all the characters in Harry's year are all in his year in the books, movies and any of the many games. Example, Bem Bello is featured in the third movie talking about the grim during divination class. His name is featured in the credits I think...

As for any students in other year groups,

All characters featured within this story are purely fictional. Any relation to any persons living or deed is purely coincidental. I own none of the characters features within this story. All rights reserved to their respective owners.

The woman in the portrait smiled sadly down at Harry for a moment before nodding. "That's right. Why don't you come inside and we can talk." The portrait swung open and Harry stepped around it into a short corridor, no longer than a few paces. The door swung shut behind him and head heard Raine say "I need to speak to him alone. Passwords and such, you understand." There was the sound of someone walking which was abruptly cut off followed by Madam Pomfrey's indignant spluttering before more footsteps.

Harry walked into the main room and gasped as he looked around in awe. The wall opposite him was one big window, looking out over the grounds. There were red drapes across the window that could be pulled across if he wanted to. In the back right-hand corner there was a spiral staircase going down. To his left there was a fireplace with another portrait of Professor Sage smiling down at him framed above it. On the far side of the left wall was a closed door. The right hand wall had two doors leading off from it, both closed.

In front of the fireplace was a large comfy couch and a plush armchair, both a deep reddish-brown. There was a brown fluffy blanket thrown over the back of the sofa and several bright red cushions. There was a fuzzy, pale brown rug on the floor around the fireplace and seating that Harry knew would be lovely on bare feet. There were a few more portraits around the room, each depicting a different landscape. A couple of empty bookshelves lined the corner just to his left. There was a silver light fixture on the ceiling that spread out like ivy, illuminating the room in a soft glow.

Harry grinned at the sight of the computer between the two doors on the right hand wall. He stepped over to it and couldn't help but compare it to the ones the Desians had in their ranches.

He looked back over to Raine and tilted his head, coming over to sit on the couch. She sighed and sat on the chair in her portrait. "You recognise me?"

Harry nodded. "You're a character in the game, Tales of Symphonia."

Raine sighed. "I see, and that's where you got the name Irving from? Alistair did mention... well, welcome to your rooms. The door on this wall leads to your bedroom and bathroom. That door their leads to a kitchen, the other door leads to a study. There are large bookcases and a big desk with everything you might need. Downstairs you will find your training room. It can only be accessed by this room and is soundproof and completely protected against any damage you might do to it. There is an instruction booklet inside on how to use the special functions it provides."

Harry nodded. "Alright. So, you know about my special abilities?"

Raine nodded. "Yes. The Sorting Hat had imformed us of some of the information it learned from you. Not all, mind, just enough to keep us informed but not enough to breach your privacy. We won't tell anyone though. Since you recognised me you will recognise the other people in the portraits. They will be here in the morning, they are elsewhere for now. I suggest you get a feel for the layout of the room and make yourself at home. You will be living here, bar the holidays, for the next seven years."

Harry nodded and Raine stepped out of her portrait and disappeared. He sighed and looked around the room for a while, placing his belongings in places around the room. He smiled at the perches he found in the bedroom and when Hedwig fluttered in she had him placing them just so in each room. Harry chuckled quietly as she spent a good ten minutes ordering him to 'move that this way' or 'turn it that way a bit' before he was allowed to place the next one.

Finally she flew to his bedroom and settled down in the nest box on the wall. It was more comfortable for sleeping for long periods of time than a perch.

She glared at Harry when he started putting some items around the bedroom but otherwise ignored him. He found the huge walk in wardrobe a bit much but at least none of his clothes would get wrinkled. When he was finished with the bedroom he went back into the sitting room and sat down on the couch before looking the room over again. It looked much better now, with a much homier feel to it. It felt lived in despite him only being here about an hour. Harry sat up straight when a small creature popped into existence in front of him and placed the sorting hat on the couch beside him before popping out again. Harry looked at the empty space for a minute. "That was a house-elf?"

The hat nodded. "Yes. Now then, I believe you have some questions for me?"

Harry nodded hesitantly. "Um... yeah." he shook his head. "Yes. I have some questions. What did you mean by 'gamer' when you were sorting me?"

The hat chuckled. "Every child plays games. Some children have more of an imagination than others. But occasionally, I will find someone who has changed who or what they are based on a game. You have initiated the angel transformation from your game, thus giving you skills and abilities no one else would have otherwise."

Harry tilted his head. "What do you mean?"

The hat sighed. "Your mana for a start. No one else will be able to use their mana for magic without killing themselves, but you can simply because you believed you could. Your magic made it a possibility. As a gamer, you have abilities normal humans don't. Even in your genetics, you're not human anymore. You're an angel, and any children you have will be half angels."

Harry sighed. "Alright. Something else to set me apart." He paused for a moment. "Um... Alistair? You know I started the angel transformation... do you know if I..." he bit his lip and looked down. "Do you know if I'm immortal?"

If the hat had an eyebrow it would have raised it. "Immortal?"

Harry sighed. "Immortal, not invulnerable. I can still be killed, I can still die by poison or disease but... in Symphonia the angels that inspired my transformation were immortal. They didn't age. Three of them were over four thousand years old, two looked in their mid twenties and one looked twelve."

The hat hummed. "I don't know. I only know what you do. Only time will tell."

Harry sighed. "If I am, then it wouldn't be a good idea to get too close to anyone."

"And if you are not, then you'll be setting yourself up for a very lonely life."

Harry looked up at the man in the portrait that had just walked in. "Regal!"

The bluenett smiled down at him. "Good evening, Mr Irving. I trust you are happy with your rooms?"

Harry nodded. "Yeah. I haven't done the study yet but I'm going to do that in a minute."

The duke nodded. "I see. There are already some books and such in there from the last person who lived here. He left them there for the next person, that being you. I am sure you will find them to be useful and informative. Now, as we know you have some basic knowledge of us and our skills, my companions and I are willing to help you train. We have some portraits downstairs that are charmed to prevent them being damaged. I will be training you in my fighting style, if only to help you with speed and stamina as well as strengthen your leg muscles."

Harry nodded. "Thank you, Regal. I have done some training but I am sure I've done it wrong."

Regal smiled. "That is why I am here."

Harry smiled. There was a deep chuckle that somehow sounded familiar from behind him. Harry turned and saw a man in his late thirties looking down from a portrait. He had hair blacker than night, framing his face in a short fringe and held in a low ponytail that fell at least to his waist, where the portrait cut off. His eyes were a piercing emerald green that seemed to hold Harry in place as if judging the worth of his soul. He held himself high, confidant and sure. His features spoke of noble blood but he somehow gave off a wild, untamed look while still being regal and refined.

He wore a green silk dress shirt and black trousers with a silver robe over the top. The tip of two sword hits could be seen attached to his waist and a silver locket hung around his neck.

The man chuckled again. "Hello, little one."

Harry smiled slightly, feeling self-conscious in front of this man and not knowing why. "Hello."

The man laughed quietly. "No need to be so shy, little one. My name is Salazar Slytherin. Might you be the young Irving?"

Harry's eyes bugged out of his head and the man laughed again. Harry stood and bowed. "It is an honour to meet you, Lord Slytherin. Yes, I am Harry Irving."

The man smiled. "You need not be so formal. You may call me Salazar, or Sal if you prefer. Though Godric calls me Zar for some reason..."

Harry blinked. From what he'd read of the man he was a Pure-Blood idealist who hated pretty much everyone. That was not this man.

Salazar chuckled. "No need to look so confused, it's been a thousand years since my friends and I built the castle, history was bound to distort things after a while. This portrait is for all four of us, so we'll be popping in from time to time. As we speak the house elves are putting a portrait of the four of us up in the great hall so we will be able to see all the students and in the staff room so we can participate in staff meetings. The others are in their common rooms at the moment. I left early because my house is full of arrogant dicks."

Harry stared wide eyed. "What?"

Salazar raised both hands in the air. "I know right! They were bullying some of the first years! They're all 'you shouldn't be in this house, filthy Half-Blood!', and 'Go back where you're wanted filthy mudblood scum!' and then I'm like 'Oi, I'm a Half-Blood!' then they're like 'Who the hell are you?' and I'm like 'I'm Salazar Slytherin!' and they're like 'No way! Slytherin wasn't a Half-Blood!' and I'm like 'Bitch please, you don't know me!' and-"

"SALAZAR!" Salazar froze and stared down at the sorting hat. "No swearing in front of the children!"

Salazar bit his lip and looked down. "Yes Alistair. Sorry Alistair. Sorry Harry..."

Harry blinked a few times and shook his head slightly. "That's fine... the barkeep at the village I live near says worse..."

Salazar grinned and bounced on his feet (or, Harry assumed he did as he couldn't see below the man's waist) and clapped his hands together once, pointing his index fingers upwards and curling the others over. "Excellent. Now, there's a bunch of stuff we have to cover before your education here at Hogwarts can begin. The first of which is you being a mage, McGonagall explained what a mage is yes?"

Harry nodded. "Yes. She did."

Salazar nodded and suddenly became serious. "Excellent. Now, while a normal wizard doesn't have to worry about this, you do. Every being in the world has a physical and a spiritual energy. Physical energy is determined by your body and health. You call this energy 'Mana'. Spiritual energy can be determined by a lot of things; strength of will, strength of character, bloodlines, things like that. You call this energy 'Magic'. A witch and wizard are just someone whose spiritual energy has become potent enough to mutate into a force that can affect the physical world around them."

Harry nodded. "Right." he already knew most of that, though the last part was kind of new.

Salazar nodded. "Now, a normal wizard doesn't need to worry about their physical energy since the two are separate. You, on the other hand, do. You are a mage so your spiritual energy is flowing around you body as well as in you core. This means that the more balanced your mana and magic are, the better control you will have over your magic. The occupants of these portraits will all be helping you in one way or another to develop your mana and magic."

"How long will it be before I have enough control to do the first year spells?" Harry asked.

Salazar tilted his head. "It's hard to say. Regal will be helping you with physical exercise. Myself, Godric and Lloyd will be teaching you how to use dual swords since the three of us all use them. Rowena, Helga, Sheena and Presea will be teaching you stretches to increase your flexibility. All of us will be helping you out in one way or another over the next seven years. But before we can even begin to teach you anything, we need to get your mana to a better standard. You will need to eat three, full, healthy meals every day and sleep at least six hours every night, more if you can."

Harry frowned. "I don't-"

Salazar held up a hand. "I know you don't need to eat or sleep anymore to survive but you not doing so is detrimental to your mana. So, you are going to go into that kitchen, eat what the house elves had laid out for you and then go to bed."

Harry raised both eyebrows at the Slytherin founder. Did this man have multiple personalities or something? One minute he's acting like a nobleman, then he's a teenage girl gossiping with her friends, then he's a chastised child, then an over exited child, then he's all serious and then he's a total mother hen! He voiced this out loud. Salazar spluttered indignantly for a moment before huffing and stalking out of his frame. Harry sighed and looked at the hat who sighed.

"Yes, he's always like this. He is right though. About your mana and your physical health. Your magic is keeping you alive. You would be much better off if you gave your body some actual fuel."

Harry sighed and stood up. He glanced up and realised Regal had left his portrait at some point and looked back down at the hat. "Alright. You all know better than me."

Alistair nodded. "Good. It was nice to meet you, Mr Irving. I look forward to seeing you again." A house-elf popped into the room and popped back out with the hat. Harry shrugged and walked into the kitchen. There was a bowl of chopped fruit, a bowl of soup, some buttered bread rolls, a plate with some slices of chicken and some cooked vegetables.

Harry sighed and sat down. Surprisingly the food was quite light and he was able to eat it all without feeling like he was stuffed full. The chicken was moist enough that he didn't need gravy with it and the soup was a flavour he had never tasted before. It was kind of spicy.

He walked into the bedroom and regretted not owning pyjamas. He shrugged and stripped down before climbing into bed. The sheets we warm and the bed was super comfy. Harry sighed and closed his eyes.

Something poked him in the head.

He opened his eyes and glared at the house-elf. It glared back. "Get up or you's be late for first day." it popped away.

Harry frowned and sat up, looking at the clock on his bedside table. He was surprised to see it was already six o'clock. Had he really been asleep that long? It felt like he had only just gotten to bed. He slid out of bed and got dressed before attaching his sword to his waist and tilting his head as Hedwig flew down to his shoulder. He stepped out into the main room and stopped to look at each of the portraits around the room. He recognised Lloyd, Genis, Raine, Colette, Sheena, Regal, Presea, Zelos and Salazar.

In the portrait with Salazar were three people he didn't recognise. They all looked somewhere in their late thirties like Salazar.

The first was a man, taller than Salazar was, with broader shoulders. He had red-brown hair that fell to his shoulders in a wild mane, partly obscuring one half of his face. He had a large grin on his face and a scar on his right cheek from the cheekbone to the base of his ear. He had large muscles clearly visible through his clothes. Harry could now see why girls blushed so often when they saw him, and he didn't hold a candle to this man. He was wearing a black shirt and trousers with a red robe over it with gold lining and buttons. Like Salazar there were two sword hilts poking out of his robe at his waist. There was a ruby encrusted sword slung across his back.

Standing beside the two men were two women. One was tall and slim with a very curvy figure, though her chest wasn't as large as Sheena's. She had short, cropped pink hair with a silver, diamond tiara shaped like a raven taking flight perched on her head. She wore a beautiful, tight fitting blue dress with a bronze belt and bronze detail across the bodice. She had bronze forearm guards on both arms and was more muscular than he was expecting a woman to be. There was a charm bracelet on her right wrist with only a single charm on it. She had a neutral, uncaring expression on her face, her pink eyes more expressive as she looked at him.

A stark contrast to the other woman. She was shorter than the others by about a foot, though Harry couldn't really tell in a painting. She had golden blond hair pulled into a messy bun and fastened with a gold hair clip with yellow gems and a badger shape in the middle made of white and black gemstones. She was smiling gently down at Harry and closed her cerulean blue eyes as she grinned and waved. She wore white robes with a yellow trim and had a gold necklace with a pink gem in it around her neck. Dangling from each ear was a small hoop earring.

Harry smiled and walked further into the room. "Good morning."

Salazar grinned. "Ah, the man of the hour finally wakes! You were out like a light last night. Your house-elf almost couldn't wake you up this morning, had to resort to a bit of magic and poking you in the face. Right annoyed she was." Harry glanced at the house-elf, who was standing leaning against the kitchen doorframe with her arms crossed. "Her name is Mint. She has been assigned to you and will be helping you. Her duties are to clean your clothes, bed sheets and rooms as well as cook all of your meals according to our specifications. Normally you would have a heavier dinner than last night but since you were eating so late we didn't want to give you too much."

Harry nodded. "That makes sense."

Salazar grinned. "Now, time to get started for today. Under the new headmistress the students have the first week off of school to allow the first years time to get to know the layout of the castle and allow the older students time to catch up with their friends so they don't disrupt classes by chatting. This gives us plenty of time to work with you before you start actual classes. We already have part of your schedule worked out. In the mornings you will be doing work with Regal Monday, Wednesday and Friday and work with the girls Tuesday, Thursday and Saturday for an hour and a half. On Sunday you will be working with both of them for an hour each. Then Monday through to Saturday you will run on the grounds for half an hour before coming back here for breakfast, since you might want to shower first."

Harry nodded. He had no intention of sitting in sweaty clothes while eating. He picked up the sheet of paper off the table (the only thing out of place from last night) and found it to be his time table. The only things filled in were the mornings before breakfast and evenings after dinner.

Salazar smiled. "Since it won't take you an hour to eat you are free to go to the great hall after eating to sit and socialise with your friends. Monday to Friday you will have lessons with your teachers between nine and twelve, then again from one to five thirty, although your lessons won't fill in all the space, you will have free periods during the day. Dinner is at six. From seven to eight on Monday Wednesday and Friday you will have healing magic lessons with Raine and on Tuesday, Thursday and Saturday you will have Offensive magic lessons with Genis. On Sunday you will have a review of all the spells you learned that week as well as covering anything you have had trouble with. Lloyd, Godric and I will then have you for two hours for swordsmanship. You then have an hour to do as you please before bed, except on a Wednesday as you will be attending astronomy lessons with the first years so you will have more free time and be going to bed at one in the morning. You will still be getting up at six the next day though."

Harry sighed and nodded. He had already read that from the timetable. He was thankful he didn't need to sleep or he would be exhausted Thursday otherwise.

Salazar looked almost sadly down at him. "We can negotiate what to do on the weekend each week but you will be doing work as well as socialising. You cannot keep yourself away from everyone on the slight chance that you won't die of old age." Harry looked up and locked eyes with the founder. "We won't let you isolate yourself even if we have to invite your friends here ourselves. You need to socialise."

Harry sighed heavily and nodded. Truth be told, the reason he didn't want to get close to anyone was because he was afraid of being hurt. He once cared about the Dursleys but they hurt him so much they killed what small amount of love he had ever had for them. Honestly, he was surprised they told him he was related to them at all. He thought they would prefer to ignore any relation to him instead of having him call them Aunt and Uncle.

Another reason was simply because he didn't know how to handle people. He had been on his own his whole life, caring for himself, trusting no one. Now, there were kids his own age who wanted to be friends. He had no idea what to do. He'd never had anyone show an interest in him before so now that there were people who honestly wanted to know him, for no reason other than being friends, it was overwhelming and confusing.

He took another deep breath and forced himself to calm down. "I don't know how to socialise. I've never spoken to anyone just for the sake of a conversation before. While I lived with the Dursleys, other than getting orders from them, the longest conversation I ever had was when I broke a boy's arm and went to the hospital with him and spoke to the police to assure them I wasn't beating him up. I don't know how to have friends."

Lloyd and Colette smiled at him. The blond chosen clasped both hands in front of her chest. "Don't worry, Harry. We'll teach you."

Lloyd grinned. "Yeah. Don't worry about it."

Harry sighed and smiled. "Thanks."

Zelos tipped his head to one side. "Actually bud, I think this might be something I can do." Everyone looked to him in confusion. "Well, before I met you guys I didn't have any friends. I'd only met Sheena shortly before Colette's birthday. All the ladies I hung around with weren't friends. They were a distraction from my everyday life and the pressure that came with being the chosen. Since I met you guys you taught me how to trust and be trusted. You taught me how to be a friend as well as how to get friends. I can relate to Harry better than any of you guys."

Harry blinked and looked up at Zelos. That was... deep. He had never really put much thought into Zelos before. He considered him an arrogant snob who needed to learn how to treat a woman properly. A spoiled prince who couldn't see the world for what it was.

Zelos looked down at him. "You don't really go into my background and history in the game so most people judge me on what you see on the storyline and skits. Not many people play the extra scenes or go into my back story, especially when there are more interesting stories partly revealed in the story, like Sheena's or Regal's and Presea's."

Harry nodded. "Yeah... sorry Zelos."

The redhead smiled. "Hey, it's fine. Don't worry about it. The game portrays me as the kind of character you think you know and don't bother to look deeper into. Everyone looks at the little angel like she's a happy, innocent and naive little girl but actually she's got a mask as strong as I do. She pretends to be happy even when she feels like she's dying inside."

Harry nodded. "No one is as two dimensional as a game character. Everyone has a hidden depth."

Zelos nodded. "Exactly. You an' me are gonna sit and have a few talks whenever you need them. I'll help you make friends. 'Cus trust me, it is way better than being surrounded by people you see every day who aren't your friends."

Harry smiled slightly. "Thanks Zelos."

The chosen grinned chuckled slightly. "No problem kid. Now, how about you get some food and get ready to meet your other teachers? They still need to test you and sort out when you get what lessons."

Harry nodded and, after a quick glance at the other portraits, headed into the kitchen. There was a large, healthy selection of foods on the table and Harry sat down, selecting a small portion of each. Mint hopped onto a chair and looked over his plate. "More fruit and bread things."

Harry looked at her as she slid a sheet of paper towards him. "What's this?" he asked, looking it over.

"Is a meal chart. You be needing lots of protein and carbohydrates for lots of energy and you is needing lots of vitamins from fruits and vegetables. You be needing a healthy, balanced diet."

Harry looked at the little elf, who was now glaring at him, and sighed. He put more fruits on his plate along with another slice of toast, a waffle and a pancake. He had never tried any of these before. The only food he'd eaten in the past three years was the bacon and eggs he'd had for breakfast at the Leaky Cauldron, and then the sausage and mash that Hagrid had drugged. He hadn't had a wide variety of foods to eat before then either. At most he would have a stale piece of bread of if he was lucky, a bit of mouldy cheese.

Harry was thankful he could still taste. The food was so good.

By the time he had eaten enough to satisfy Mint it was almost six forty-five. He offered to help with the dishes and got glared at in return so he took the offer back and retreated out of the kitchen. He sighed and looked into the amused faces of the portraits. "She's a scary one. Are all house-elves like that?"

Godric shook his head. "No, that's why we chose her. All the other ones are more..." he looked at Salazar.

"Subservient."

"Yeah that. House-elves live to serve so they usually just do anything they're told... even if they know it's wrong or if it could lead to them being killed..." there was a short silence as the four founders looked sad for a moment. Godric shook his head. "Mint is different. She's got more will, more bite. Her blunt nature and determination is the reason we chose her. She's strong and will make sure you don't slack in your meals or sleep. She won't let you get out of it like other house-elves would."

Harry sighed. "Right... I suppose that makes sense."

Godric nodded. "Anyway, we've still got ages yet before you meet your teachers so why don't you have a look around the study and read a bit of your school books? Should make the time pass quicker."

Harry nodded and stood up. "Alright. I haven't looked in the study yet." He walked over and opened the study door, stepping in and flicking on the light. He froze. The room was huge. All four walls lined with empty bookcases and a few stand alone book cases in the middle of the room making it look more like a library than a study. There was a flip top desk in the middle of the room with a chest of draws more suited for a bedroom beside it. Harry walked over and pulled each of the draws out in turn. The top one held various different quills, Ink bottles, paints, paintbrushes, some kind of glue stuff and a bunch of tools Harry couldn't even begin to name.

The second and third draw held parchment. The fourth different size sheets of paper and some leather Harry guessed could be used for binding a book or something. The fifth was charmed expandable and held different size canvases and an easel. The bottom draw was empty but had a rack he lifted up that had many different compartments. Harry guessed he could use it as a filing cabinet.

He stood up and sat on the chair in front of the desk and lifted the top. There was a book and a sheet of paper in the front and centre of the desk. He pulled the draw out and found two quills and two bottles of ink, one black and one red.

There were some shallow shelves Harry guessed were for organising things on the desk. He picked up the sheet of paper and opened it up.

Welcome, new Hogwarts Apprentice.

I am writing this the day before the leaving feast of my last year here at Hogwarts. I'm going to try and get a job in warding. Won't be too hard for me, it was the reason I was sorted the way I was.

I have some advice for you as well as instructions.

The first bit of advice I have, ties in with the instructions. Every Hogwarts apprentice has kept a journal and left some books on their speciality on the shelves here. The journals are on one of the bookcases at the back. It shouldn't be too hard for you to find.

Harry looked over the top of the desk and found only one of the bookcases on the back wall with any books on it, though he couldn't see it well from this angle. He looked back down at the letter.

Another bookcase here in the study is dedicated to books on our speciality. It is over to the right, next to the journals. When it is your time to leave, please, leave a book on your speciality here for the next apprentice.

My next bit of advice is to let people into these rooms. Don't shut yourself off from the rest of the students. Make friends and bring them back here. If you ask her, the school will give you a spare room so if any of your friends need to stay the night here for any reason they will have somewhere to sleep. I have a friend a year younger than me who is relentlessly bullied by her dorm mates. She's been sleeping here since her first year. The castle has agreed to allow her to stay here next year so she'll be safe.

Another bit of advice, don't rub your status in anyone's face. It won't help and you don't have many more privileges than the other students. Trust me. It won't end well.

Next; Don't ask about Slytherin's behaviour. Ever. It will only upset him and the other founders. Just don't ask. Don't call him evil either. Forget everything you've read about him.

Third, Study! Just because you get private lessons with the teachers doesn't mean you get out of studying. If you want to pass your exams, you need to put in the effort! The teachers aren't going to hold your hand throughout your education. If anything, you will have it harder than your year mates since you are deemed to be 'Too advanced for a first year'. Study hard, you'll be under more pressure than anyone else.

Fourth, just because you are a Hogwarts Apprentice doesn't mean you cannot ask for help. If you need anything, go to a teacher. It is their job to help you. That is what they are here for.

Fifth, Make sure you schedule a study time each week and don't skip out on it. You will be expected to do homework just like everyone else so you will need this time. If you get it established now and don't skip out on it, it will be easier to have the time to study when exams roll around and you won't feel so pressured. Trust me.

Now, instructions. Other than leaving a book, you will need to take care of all the books that are here. The empty shelves are for your use, put what books you like on them and you are free to take them home, but please don't take any books you found here. They are here for future Apprentices.

Obey all the school rules. That should be obvious. This book you will find with the letter is a copy of all the rules as well as the Hogwarts charter. Use it to your advantage but make sure to follow the rules. If any rules change, the book will too. It is self updating, though the charter can't be changed.

Harry looked at the book. 'Hogwarts rules and charter, a student's guide to surviving teachers.' Harry thought the book was a good idea and wondered if the other students were given a copy, or at least each house have a few copies for students to read.

He turned back to the letter.

Take care of the rooms. You will have to pay for any damage you do to them and these rooms don't come cheap. The apprentice before me blew a wall up with an experimental potion. It bankrupt his parent's to pay for the repairs. They were very upset. (Understatement)

Attend all your classes (again, obvious).

I can't think of anything else to add at the moment. If I think of something before I leave, I'll put it down. For now, I bid you good luck and welcome to Hogwarts. The school will be happy to have you.

Finally free, Alexander Romanov. Rank 2 mage. Wards specialist. Hogwarts apprentice, graduate 1741.

Huh... the last apprentice was two hundred and fifty years ago. Harry smiled and put the letter down before looking through the rules book. A quick glance told him the book was a lot larger on the inside than it gave the appearance of on the outside. He slipped it into a pocket, promising to read it throughout the day. He put the letter towards the back of the desk and went to examine the bookcases. The journals were arranged by year of sorting, only seven of them actually had a year on them, 1991 being the last, which made Harry the seventh Hogwarts apprentice. The rest of them were all blank. They all seemed the same size so Harry assumed they were bigger on the inside too. The shelf with the other books was more interesting.

The books were arranged alphabetically by topic, and then alphabetically by author within each topic. Harry beamed when he saw a few books on wood carving. He picked them up and brought them over to the sitting room, neatly stacking them on the table. Looking at the clock on the mantle Harry realised he still had a little over an hour left and pulled out the rule book.

Might as well know the rules first before indulging himself. Just before eight o'clock the founders left for their portrait in the great hall. Harry finished the next few rules before standing and heading to the bathroom. After making sure he was presentable Harry took a deep breath and steeled himself before making his way down to the great hall.

If any of you have any ideas for the twins pranks please let me know. I have little in the way of imagination. They can't be too malicious and nothing that would require a student to stay more than a day or two in the hospital wing, except in cases where the prank has gone wrong.

Large scale pranks that affect the entire school are also welcome.

Seriously... I have no imagination. The only thing I can think of is one I used in the original Power of Shadows in which everyone in the hall is swapped gender for 24 hours or everyone transformed into their opposing houses animal mascot (Gryffindors into snakes, Slytherins into lions, Hufflepuffs into ravens and Ravenclaws into badgers.)

I need ideas!