After buying all their equipments, Lars started reading some of Lockhart's writings. It didn't bode well for Harry since his twin brother started commenting at about every mistake that the man made in his book, every inconsistencies, each and every inconsistency. When Lars attempted to dispose of the book by setting it on fire, Harry reminded his brother that it's a requirement in school for this year therefore they have to bring all of it.
Harry chose to stay in Privet Drive for the last week of his summer when Lars stayed at the Weasleys. He was, of course, naturally invited to come along, but he refused. He doesn't want to be around Weasley longer than necessary. Weasley along with him in one room is equal to chaos, a time bomb if you will, with his biting tongue and Weasley's temper. And besides he still has to get some of his belongings in Privet Drive.
He didn't get out of the house, nor did he even present himself to his relatives the whole week he was there, except during the last day, the same day that he's going to school, wherein he went to the park sometime after 9 in the morning.
"Harry!" Harry stopped moving the swing back and forth and turned to see Mark Calvert making his way towards him.
"Thanks for giving me Merlin, by the way." Harry furrowed his eyebrows at the boy. He had no idea that Mark named the owl 'Merlin', of all names.
"Why 'Merlin'?"
"'Coz he's a wizard," Mark replied jovially before quoting the phrase in a muggle movie, coincidentally, titled 'Merlin' "Imagine a world where dreams come true and magic is real." Harry smirked, soon enough the boy will be part of that world.
"If you can be a part of that world where dreams come true and magic is real, as you put it, would you want it?" he asked the boy.
Mark looked at him as if to say 'duh' but the boy said "Of course I would! Who wouldn't?"
"People who think that it is unnatural wouldn't." he replied even if he knew that the boy's question was rhetorical.
"Well then they're stupid," Mark said with a huff. "How could they not like having something as wonderful as magic."
"Yes, how could they not." he repeated quietly. "When's your birthday?"
"November sixteenth, yours?"
"July thirty-first."
"Oh, belated happy birthday then."
"Thanks." he said to the boy. "On your birthday, when you receive a mail, do try not to think of it as a joke." He had no idea how muggleborns receive their letter, though maybe someone from the school visits since everyone might think of it as a joke.
Mark gave him a baffled look. "Why...why would I think of it as a joke?"
"You'll see," he said glancing at his wristwatch. It was an hour and a half before eleven o'clock. He still had a lot of time, he's going to use the Knight Bus anyway, being late would certainly not be a problem.
"People giving you a hard time here?" he asked a bit concernedly if the boy is still an object of bullying by his cousin.
"Nah," Mark said dismissively. "He doesn't bully people here anymore, well not much after you left, which is quite odd actually."
"Not much, you mean he still does." he pointed out.
"Well...yeeaah sometimes," Mark responded with a nod, "some of the younger snipes here, but he backed off anyway after I told him that we'll tell you."
"I see." The reason why Dudley probably tries to get on his good side is because he's scared of his parents, and probably of Harry.
"Do you have owl treats?" Harry asked the boy who was petting his pet owl, Merlin.
"Ran out of stock earlier...I'm going to buy later." Mark replied.
"I have a lot of extras," he said then motioned for the boy to follow him back to the house. He allowed the younger boy inside.
"You're leaving?" Mark asked him.
"Yes." Harry replied while getting some extra owl treats from the drawers. "I study at a boarding school somewhere in Scotland."
"Ace!" the boy exclaimed before commenting. "You must be pretty rich then."
"My parents were rich, not I." Not that you needed to be rich to study in Hogwarts. When you can't afford it, the school will pay for you.
"So they're dead then." he looked at the boy. "You said 'were'." Yes, the boy has a chance of being in Slytherin.
"Yes, they are dead." Harry replied while checking each and every door and window in the house, then checking if he had left anything he might need.
The boy suddenly paled, and looked like he can't speak.
"H-harry?" Mark stuttered, pointing behind him.
So that was what the stuttering is all about. Seraphim was crawling on him.
"This is my pet snake, Seraphim."
"I'm not your pet, master Evndrus, I'm your familiar." Harry ignored that. The snake has been insistent that he is not a pet but a familiar, a companion or whatever for the last few days.
"Pet snake!?" Mark asked incredulously. "But what if it bites you?"
"It won't, because if it even tries, I'll chop him off."
"Oh put a sock in it, chap. You only got that from your greasy haired teacher." Seraphim had been spending too much time with Lars.
"Well, if you say so..." Mark said, still looking warily at Seraphim. "Are you bringing him to school?"
"No. Even if I want to, which is to say I don't, I am not aware if I am allowed to bring two pets, considering that I already have Hedwig with me there." he informed the boy. "Anyway, I don't want to take care of a pet during my whole year in school so I'm not bringing it."
"I'm not a bloody dog who needs a bloody watcher!"
"And his food?"
"He'll find something..."
"Yeah, and if I don't anything I'll just burn the house down, whoopie."
"Don't even try." he warned quickly in parseltongue, making the boy look at him oddly.
Harry turned the hiss into a cough. "He's not to worry about the food. I'll have someone give him food every now and then."
"Ok...are you going back here next year?"
"What makes you ask that?"
Mark shrugged. "Just asking, so, are you?"
Harry hummed. "Just to get a few things perhaps," he replied. "I have another house elsewhere."
"Oh I see..."
"You'll know why I gave you an owl soon enough, Mark." he said to the boy as he locked the door of the house and left Seraphim inside.
"Late birthday gift?"
"No," he shook his head, "something much more of use."
Harry started walking towards the bus stop and noticed that the boy was following him.
"Well?"
"What? I want to wave goodbye while you leave." Harry sneered at that statement.
"Just joking chap." Mark said with a grin. "I just want to go for a walk and you're...why are you doing that?" The boy asked him when he held out his hand in the open. A few seconds later, a purple bus that seemingly came out of nowhere stopped over.
"Only our kind can see it." he told the gobsmacked boy while he had the conductor load his trunk on the bus. "I may not be able to see you here in Privet drive but I'll certainly see you in school next year, Mark. I will introduce you to my brothers as well."
"Yes, I know who you are," he interrupted the conductor curtly, even if he didn't really know his name, as he entered the bus. "I'm headed to King's Cross Station." Not more than twenty minutes later, he's in King's Cross station with a slight dizziness.
Harry passed through the barrier and let the chaps there handle his trunk. He looked around for signs of his brother inside the train, but alas, Lars has not yet arrived. Draco and Theo, on the other hand, were already there and spotted him roaming around.
"Still haven't seen him?" Theo asked him once he got back from looking for his brother again once the train started to leave.
"Evidently not, Theo." he replied. "Weasley number six is not present as well." He had seen the Weasleys in the train, except Lars' best friend. Best guess, not to mention the most blatant answer, they weren't able to board the train. Why? He has absolutely no idea.
During the sorting there still weren't any sign of his brother, not anywhere in the Great Hall. That was until Higs handed him a copy of the Evening Prophet.
Harry choked on his drink when he read the front page.
FLYING FORD ANGLIA MYSTIFIES MUGGLES
Two Muggles in London, convinced they saw an old car flying over the Post Office tower . . . at noon in Norfolk, Mrs. Hetty Bayliss, while hanging out her washing . . . Mr. Angus Fleet, of Peebles, reported to police . . . Six or seven Muggles in all. See Page 6 for the full story.
"You don't think -" Theo began while slightly patting his back.
"No, I do think," he pointed at a photo on the Prophet, Ron Weasley's photo.
The arrival of two-thirds of the Golden Trio was the talk of the night in the school. Harry hadn't seen his brother that night, but he had a good feeling that his brother would not be in a very cheerful mood the following morning.
"RONALD WEASLEY!" The voice of Mrs. Weasley, louder than loud, through a howler, boomed inside the Great Hall. "HOW DARE YOU STEAL THAT CAR? I AM ABSOLUTELY DISGUSTED! YOUR FATHER'S NOW FACING AN ENQUIRY AT WORK AND IT'S ENTIRELY YOUR FAULT IF YOU PUT ANOTHER TOE OUT OF LINE WE'LL BRING YOU STRAIGHT HOME!" The Slytherins laughed at the terrified look of Ron Weasley at the Gryffindor table because of Mrs. Weasley's howler that came first thing in the morning during breakfast. Lars' look was really pathetic, looking really felt guilty for that.
"Well that was...thrilling..." Theo stated dryly. "Is your brother going to receive something like that?" Harry shook his head.
"I doubt it." he replied. He was quite confident that his Godfather would not send a howler. Sirius isn't the yelling type but probably Remus and Sirius will give his twin major guilt trip, knowing Lars he'll rant on how sorry he is before they even start scolding him, and probably another grounding during the summer.
Another owl flew inside the Great Hall. He recognized that tiny and long-legged owl as none other than his Godfather's owl, Eve. Thankfully and much to Lars' apparent relief it wasn't a howler it was just a normal type of letter.
The teachers then started handing out their class schedules for the term. Harry took his and saw that Herbology is the first subject of the day.
"Hello!" He heard Greengrass greet them while him, Draco and Theo while heading to Herbology class. "How're your summers?" She asked them.
"Quite boring." Was Draco's reply; "nothing of interest" was Theo's; and a dismissive look was all he gave to her.
As they neared the greenhouses they saw the rest of the class standing outside, waiting for Professor Sprout.
"Hey Harry." Lars greeted him. As predicted, his brother is not in a cheerful mood.
The Herbology teacher then came striding into the view across the lawn accompanied by Gilderoy Lockhart. Professor Sprout's arms were full of bandages and he saw his brother look guiltily again after sparing a glance at the Whomping Willow in the distance, several of its branches now in slings.
Professor Sprout was a squat little witch who wore a patched hat over her flyaway hair. Gilderoy Lockhart, however, was immaculate in sweeping robes of turquoise, his golden hair shining under a perfectly positioned turquoise hat with gold trimming. Lockhart and the Headmaster would certainly have a mutual understanding in regards to the colour of the robes that they wear.
"Oh, hello there!" Lockhart called, beaming around at the assembled students. He didn't bother to comprehend what other things that the man was saying but rather he observed their Herbology teacher who looks annoyed and slightly un-cheerful.
"Greenhouse three today, chaps!" said Professor Sprout.
There was a murmur of interest. Although he didn't share the excitement of his classmates, he is, however, interested in Herbology. It is important in his apprenticeship after all. If he is to become a potions master one day, he should know all about the plants and their properties.
The Golden Trio approached them. A few feet away, they saw Lockhart's hand shot up.
"Lawrence! I've been wanting a word - " but before Lockhart even finished, him, Draco and Theo, and then followed by Granger and Weasley, crowded into Lars and pushed him inside the Greenhouse.
"Thanks guys," Lars said to them with a sigh of relief before to their respective places.
"What do you think Lockhart wants?" Draco asked.
"I don't know, but I do know that Lars doesn't like him because he's a fraud." he said.
"Haven't read his book yet," Draco admitted. "I -" before he finished what he was saying Professor Sprout called for their attention "Evandrus! Malfoy! Class is about to begin." Harry apologized. Their teacher was really in a less than pleasant mood because of Lockhart.
"We'll be repotting mandrakes today." Harry inwardly groaned. He should have known why there are earmuffs on their respective places. Of all the plants that he knows, he hates mandrakes the most because they shriek very loudly and irritably.
"Now who can tell me about Mandrakes?" To nobody's surprise Granger's hand shot up but to everybody's surprise Lars' and two other hands from Slytherin also shot up.
"Yes Mr. Nott." Harry saw Theo smirked somewhat triumphantly, which puzzled him a little bit, while Draco scowled when Professor Sprout called Theo.
"Mandrake or Mandragora is a plant used to return those who became petrified to their original state and it looks like a baby when it's not mature and the root cries like banshee that can knock you out for several hours but it can kill you if the root is matured." Theo said while grinning like an idiot at Draco.
"Excellent Mr. Nott ten points to Slytherin." Professor Sprout praised. "Now everybody put on your earmuffs, make sure your ears are completely covered." Everybody did so. Harry made sounds to make sure that his ears are completely covered by the earmuffs, not wanting to experience again what happened the first time he had a close encounter with a mandrake. He had the brilliant idea not to cover his ears, and, least to say it didn't end well because he was out cold for a few hours, that and he lost all his privileges considering that Midas grounded him.
Professor Sprout then took a large plant pot from under the table and plunged the Mandrake into it, burying him in dark, damp compost until only the tufted leaves were visible. She gave them the signal to take off their earmuffs.
"Like what Mr. Nott said since our mandrakes are only seedlings its cries won't kill you yet." She said "Four to a tray — there is a large supply of pots here —compost in the sacks over there — and be careful of the Venomous Tentacula, it's teething." She gave a sharp slap to a spiky, dark red plant as she spoke, making it draw in the long feelers that had been inching sneakily over her shoulder.
Harry, Draco and Theo were joined by Zabini. He looked over to where his brother is. The Golden Trio are together, as usual, but they were joined by a Hufflepuff boy.
"Idiot." Harry hissed at Draco who got his finger bitten by a mandrake, thinking that it was a good idea to insert his finger inside its mouth.
"I dare you to remove your earmuffs and last for fifteen minutes without fainting." Theo said to Draco.
"Draco...don't even." he said warningly to the pureblood. Theo started making an impression of a chicken.
"Don't bother," Blaise Zabini said beside him. "If I know Draco, he'll get goaded by that."
Zabini was right because he heard Draco say "I'll do it if you would."
Harry was certainly not in a good mood by the end of the class, not only pulling mandrakes from a pot was hard but Draco and Theo acted like idiots.
They traipsed back to the castle for a quick wash because they are covered in earth.
"Next time we should do it when there's no teacher." Draco suggested while they were on their way to Transfigurations class.
To think that Theo and Draco weren't stupid enough to actually do the dare, but apparently they are. The result was they were the first students that Professor Sprout had to give detention to. He can just imagine the livid face of their head of house now.
In Transfigurations class, their task was to transfigure a beetle into a button. He managed to turn it into one after a few wave of his wand. Draco's work looked alright except that his button still has some legs on it, and Theo's work was still a beetle.
"Hey Harry!" Harry and his friends turned to see the Golden Trio making their way towards them, most probably from Charms class since his brother had mentioned that that is his subject after Herbology for the day.
"Hello..." He drawled.
"How's class?"
"Terribly difficult, Lawrence." Theo said dramatically before he even got a chance to answer.
"Wasn't Transfiguration your subject?"
"Exactly, Lawrence, it's difficult."
"Yeah...I agree with Nott, that subject is hard." Weasley said cordially. "Only you three don't seem to have a problem with it." The three that Weasley is referring to was him, Lars, and Granger.
"Practice, practice, and practice." Lars replied, grinning.
"Mate you know we can't practice with Mum not allowing us to use magic." Weasley said with a frown.
"Of course Mrs. Weasley won't allow it." Granger said. "It's against the law!"
"Granger," Draco began, "since when did people actually care about the law as a whole? Even Weasley's father made a loophole in the law for tinkering with magic objects."
"I can't believe I'm saying this..." Weasley said dramatically. "But I'm agreeing with him, most magical households don't really care about that law...Mum's just too strict."
Lars huffed. "Strict? You should ask Harry about it. He was allowed to use magic while we were in the Manor and yet he didn't unless it's for silencing charms, because he said, it's the law not too."
"And he's right." Granger said, earning a couple of eye rolls from the boys, bar Harry.
"Do you guys want to sit with us at the Slytherin table?" Surprisingly it was Draco who asked the Golden Trio once they were at the door of the Great Hall. The trio looked oddly at his blonde friend as if the said friend had grown two heads in a matter of milliseconds "What? I was just being thoughtful."
That was a first, Harry thought. Draco was being cordial with a muggleborn and someone whom he deemed as a blood traitor
"Er-sure Draco," his brother replied. "As long as your other housemates don't kill us on the spot."
Draco smirked. "Your underestimating us." his blonde friend remarked. "They won't kill you for there are too many witnesses."
"What are they doing here?" Macnair asked angrily as the Golden Trio sat down along with Slytherins.
"Isn't it obvious, they're sitting down, and going to have lunch with us." Theo said nonchalantly without looking at Macnair.
"What!?" Parkinson shrieked. "They're not allowed here."
"Says who?" Theo asked sharply with a glare, nobody answered. "Parkinson there's nothing in the school rules that says students can't sit at other tables, so put a bloody sock in it pug face." The prejudiced Slytherins shut up after that, but mutterings about mudbloods and bloodtraitors still circled the whole table. If looks could they would already be dead.
The lunch went well, Harry supposed. Tracey Davis, a girl in their year who is also a bit of an outcast because of being a half-blood, and Daphne Greengrass, who just seems to be the most friendly snake girl in their year, befriended Granger, and much to the annoyance of everybody near them they kept on talking about Lockhart until the three girls glared menacingly at Lars for saying that he's a fraudulent writer. To think that Slytherin girls are actually sensible.
Lars, Weasley, Theo and Draco were talking about Quiditch, as usual. The three were trying their best to discourage Weasley from idolizing the Chudley Cannons because of their overly underdog status in the league. But to no avail, Weasley is a real fan boy of the Cannons.
When they finished lunch, the seven of them, Davis went along with them, went outside into the overcast courtyard. Granger and Davis sat down on a stone step and buried their noses in different books both written by Lockhart, Voyages with the Vampire for Granger and Travel with Trolls for Davis.
"I told them that man's a fraud with a lot of bloody inconsistencies in his book but did they listen? Nooooo! They didn't because they're too fazed by that git's smile..." Harry sighed as Lars ranted on about how stupid everything about Lockhart is.
"Tough luck Potter," They turned to Zabini who they didn't notice was near them. "Don't convince the ladies that Lockhart's a fraud."
"Psshh... not only ladies Zabini, Justin, the...boy from Hufflepuff, I told him that the man's a fraud, didn't listen either all I got was a glare from a lot of people."
"You two friends?" Theo asked curiously.
"I'd say merely acquaintance Theodore." Zabini said smoothly. "Who's that?" They turned to see a small, mousy-haired Gryffindor boy staring at Lars. The mousy boy was clutching what looked like a muggle camera, that looks old and outdated for years, with a big flash attached on top of it like the ones professional photographers use, and the moment Lars looked at mousy boy, mousy boy went bright red.
"Hi I'm Colin Creevey I'm in Gryffindor too." The boy stammered. "Can I take your picture?"
"You can," The boy beamed then Lars added "but you may not." Harry smirked at his brother. That was one of the few lines that he got from him during the summer.
"Please" the boy insisted, Harry stood up from the grass where he was seated.
"Creevey my brother said you may not so - " He towered over the boy who accidentally pressed his camera in front of him with a very bright flash that made Harry stepped backwards and clutched his eyes.
"GODDAMN IT!" His head was spinning, because of the bright flash of the boy's camera, that he tripped, and when he opened his eyes his vision is a little bit blurry, the flash of the camera was too close to his eyes when it flashed.
"Uh – Harry...All right there mate?" Theo asked.
"Do I bloody look all right!?" He snapped. His vision was still a little bit blurry.
"Where's Lars?" He asked when finally his vision cleared.
"Lockhart dragged him and asked the Creevey boy to take a double picture of them." Draco said while both of them helped him on his feet.
Harry brushed of the grass behind him then they went to the Defence classroom.
The Defence classroom was filled, left, right, front, and back by Lockhart's self portraits, there's even a huge portrait in front of himself painting none other than himself. The man is big narcissist alright.
"Messrs. Evandrus, Nott and Malfoy you three are late," Lockhart said as soon as they enter the classroom.
Draco muttered "Obviously."; Theo muttered "Git"; and he muttered "Clearly."
The flamboyant man continued "I had just finished introducing myself but I know you know very well who I am." he finished by flashing his white teeth again that Harry wants to break every time.
"Now, I see you've all bought a complete set of my books — well done. I thought we'd start today with a little quiz. Nothing to worry about — just to check how well you've read them, how much you've taken in."
When he had handed out the test papers he returned to the front of the class and said, "You have thirty minutes — start — now!"
"Please tell me this is just an incentive before taking the actual test." Theo said with a whine after reading the test paper. Harry read his and simply scowled at what he read.
1. What is Gilderoy Lockhart's favorite color?
2. What is Gilderoy Lockhart's secret ambition?
3. What, in your opinion, is Gilderoy Lockhart's greatest achievement to date?
-and so on and so forth-
"I'm not answering this rubbish." he declared. Seemingly, Draco and Theo did what he did and just sat there silently until the thirty minutes end. Half an hour later, Lockhart collected the papers and rifled through them in front of the class.
Harry just ignored the ramblings of their lunatic of a teacher about how no one remembered that his favourite colour is lilac, except Granger, unsurprisingly.
"Excellent!" beamed Lockhart. "Quite excellent! Take ten points for Gryffindor! And so — to business —" He bent down behind his desk and lifted a large, covered cage onto it. "Now — be warned! It is my job to arm you against the foulest creatures known to wizardkind! You may find yourselves facing your worst fears in this room. Know only that no harm can befall you whilst I am here."
Harry just shared an annoyed look with some other students while the others, most specially the girls, are listening very attentively to what Lockhart was saying.
"I must ask you not to scream." Lockhart said in a low voice. "It might provoke them." Lockhart removed the velvet cloth that covered the cage.
Finnigan snorted. "Cornish pixies."
The pixies were electric blue and about eight inches high, with pointed faces and voices so shrill it was like listening to a lot of budgies arguing.
"Freshly caught Cornish pixies" Lockhart clarified. The students were laughing. "Laugh if you will Mr. Finnigan, Pixies can be tricky little blighters, let's see what you make of them." The idiot opened the cage and now chaos was ensuing inside the Defence classroom. The students ran out of the room, Theo and Draco included, when two pixies took hold of Neville's ear and hung him on the chandelier.
"Peskipiksi Pesternomi!" Lockhart bellowed. Harry looked incredulously at the man. It wasn't a real spell for it had absolutely no effects then one of the pixies seized his wand and threw it out the window, having nothing else to do the idiot fled to his quarters leaving the students in a room full of pixies.
"IMMOBULUS!" Harry and Hermione yelled at the same time, pointing their wands up in the air, and all of the pixies froze at once. He then pointed his wand at floor below Neville and casted "Spongify" a few more seconds later Neville fell down.
"You alright Neville?" he asked Neville.
"Yeah I'm fine," Neville replied. "Thanks Harry." Harry gave Neville a nod then Neville left room.
"That's got to be the worst Defence class ever!" Weasley roared as they got out of the room. Once again, Harry found himself agreeing with the red-head. "Can you believe him?"
"He just wants to give us some hands – on experience." Granger defended. They all looked at her in disbelief.
"Hands – on? Are you kidding me? He didn't even have a clue what he was doing -" Lars trailed off.
"Nor did he even know what he should do"
"Leaving us students"
"To handle his mess." Harry finished. Weasley and Granger were looking oddly at him and his brother.
"What?" Harry snapped.
"You guys just talked like Fred and George earlier." He recalled. They did talk like that a minute ago. That shouldn't be a surprise now should it, they are the Potter twins after all.
"This is truly..." Lars began
"Odd." Harry finished. It felt weird for Harry that he's saying the same statement with someone. Lars looked somewhat amazed and enthusiastic about this new and weird occurrence.
"By the way," Lars began, "speaking of Fred and George, they're asking if you can help them with some potions."
"The resident pranksters Fred and George?" Harry questioned.
"Well who else?"
"Exactly what would I get out of it?"
"Umm...fun in inventing potions?"
"I can do that without them, just so you know." he pointed out. "If they can convince me why I should help them, then maybe I would." And then he left for the Slytherin table.
"That's got to be the worst Defence class ever," Draco said as Harry sat down. He smirked, knowing that that was what Weasley said earlier. "I wonder if Dumbledore had eaten too much sweet that he can't discern a good professor from a bad one."
"Professor Dumbledore, Draco." His correction was just ignored. Theo and Draco rolled their eyes.
"The Headmaster wouldn't have hired him if he had a choice." Harry remarked. "And besides, shouldn't you two be happy that we aren't actually doing anything in the class aside from listening to his narcissistic ramblings."
"Yeah," Theo nodded in agreement. "That's probably the only good part in it."
"If he releases another batch of magical creatures that he can't handle, my..."
"Father will hear about this." He and Theo chorused. Draco glared at them both.
"I was going to say that my father will drop me out of the class."
"Sure, Draco, sure..." Theo said with a cheeky grin.
"Yes, anyway," Draco said, changing the subject. "Are you two going to try out for Quidtich? Alright, stupid question." Draco turned to Theo when he raised an eyebrow. "Are you going to try out for Quiditch?"
"No," Theo replied, quite surprising. "Maybe next year when the other graduates."
"Why wait?"
"Did you see how they play?" Theo questioned with a horrified look on his face. "The older chasers will destroy us in the try-outs so no, I prefer to wait."