Disclaimer's in the prologue.

In the concluding days in school, Harry spent his time meticulously, shifting between his apprenticeship, his schoolwork, and his lessons. It wasn't that quite hard for he wasn't doing anything anyway besides talk with his friends, then do school related, or potions related works, and then talk again.

He still hasn't talked to the Weasley twins about his answer, not that the Weasley twins approached him anyway. But he was still reluctant to join. His Head of house might have his head for that.

And speaking of his Head of House, he managed to avoid trouble (not that he goes doing deliberate trouble) with Professor Snape for days until he was called to the office one afternoon. It would have been alright that he was called, but the reason why he was called is stupid, so it was quite the contrary.

"What have I been hearing that you were neglecting your studies?" Professor Snape asked him austerely, giving him no reason to jest, or even make a sarcastic comment, about it for a bit.

"I'm not neglecting it Sir." he replied straightforwardly, wondering when he has ever neglected his studies ever since he entered formal schooling.

Professor Snape raised an eyebrow at him. "You are not submitting any of your assignments, and you are not answering the exams in Defence. If that is not neglect then I do not know what is." The Professor pointed out.

'Defence?' He repeated in his mind. 'This is what it's all about? That stupid man's class?'

"But Sir, those lessons aren't worth it." he reasoned out. "The lesson is a complete waste of my time."

Professor Snape sneered. "Is Defence Against the Dark Arts class too good for the son of James Potter?"

Harry clenched his fist, angry for the mention of his father in their conversation. He tilted his head to the side before replying. "We are not learning anything there, Sir." he said to his teacher, burying his anger that his Professor saw him in the same light as his father.

"If you saw his questions, his assignments, they're all about him." he informed Professor Snape in a clipped tone. "First quiz, all the questions were about him, his secret ambition, favourite colour and the likes. His first assignment was how he defeated a werewolf. Inside a telephone booth might I add? All of it...it is extremely ridiculous. Even my brother is irked by the man."

"Sit down." Professor Snape ordered him with a look that is clearly telling him not to let lose his temper. And so he sighed, defeated, and sat down on the chair opposite the Potion Master's desk.

"I am cognizant of your brother's aversion to that man," Professor Snape acknowledged, stopping from writing on a parchment to face him. "But that does not excuse your attitude, Evandrus, and as such it would be in your best interest to catch up on all of that, otherwise you'll find yourself being tutored personally by the person that you and your brother extremely abhor."

"Hang on, why...he approached you didn't he?" That stupid arse, Harry thought angrily.

"Yes he did, informing me about your poor performance in class, and then proceeded to offer to tutor you if you do not do well in his class." 'Oh for the love of God', he had wanted to say. There was absolutely no reason for him to do well in class. The class wouldn't do him much good considering that most of the lessons were all about Lockhart, how he did this, how he did that, nothing really of any real use.

"Why me?" he enquired with a frown. "I'm not the only one doing very poorly in class." He knew for a fact that his brother and Weasley are doing the same ever since the lessons started. Theo and Draco didn't follow him because, for Draco, Malfoy Sr. just told him to just tolerate it for a bit, and for Theo, well Alexander Nott might not like it if he found out that Theo has a poor performance in class.

"As a matter of fact you are," Professor Snape rebutted. "For the very reason that you, besides the normally indolent students, are the only one who does not submit your assignments, and that is a very bad record to have, considering that you are the top of your class for the whole two terms last year."

"So this is about my standing in school?" he said with a humourless chuckle. "Didn't I mention it before that I'm not interested with the class standings?"

Professor Snape sent him a stern glare that stopped his chuckle. "And didn't I have it mentioned before that I want my students to do the best that they can? And that I do not want any Professor, competent or not, approaching me about problems with regards to your lessons?" The man retorted. "You are my charge for the whole year. I, being your head of house not to mention Potions Master, am responsible to tell you what you need to do regardless if you want to do it or not."

"But Sir..." Professor Snape raised a hand to silence him.

"I share your aversion for the man. I know about his books and your brother is correct. Gilderoy is a fraud, but we cannot do anything about it unless the Headmaster finds a competent one to teach you."

"You're a competent one, why not you, Sir?" he questioned with a bit of a sarcastic tone hence why Professor Snape quickly seared him with a pointed look.

Harry knew for a fact that the Potions Professor will be a competent Defence Professor, and he also knew for a fact that said Professor had wanted the job ever since after Voldemort's first reign of power.

"The answer to your very respectful question is because the Headmaster is under the delusion that the position is cursed considering that nobody lasted for a year." Professor Snape said.

Harry frowned. "Is that even possible? No don't answer that." he said abruptly. "Alright Sir, I'll do my assignments in his class, but only because you reprimanded me about it and it won't absolutely be because he wants me to."

"Very well, do not forget your responsibilities." Professor Snape reminded him. "I do not want you slacking in any of it, are we clear?"

"Crystal clear, Sir." He replied.

"You are dismissed."

Harry chose to walk the longer way back to the common room rather than using the mirror to think to himself for just a few minutes. Lockhart is going to pay, dearly. No person, who has a mental capacity lower than that of a flobberworm has the authority or the right to tell him to do things that he doesn't want to. The guidance given from people like Lockhart and others like him is highly unwelcome and unneeded.

Harry will have his fun with Lockhart.

Harry Evandrus is not one to do pranks, but that doesn't necessarily mean he doesn't know how to. He did pull some pranks back then, until he was 9 or 10 years of age, although most of it was from muggle prank kits. And speaking, or rather thinking of pranks, he still has a score to settle with the three conspirators who planned his birthday party.

He has two pranks in mind. One is for the three conspirators who planned his birthday. He will just have some fun at seeing how they would react with that prank. And the other one for the stupid prat who had the nerve to report to Professor Snape that he is being an indolent twit in his classes. It was far from it, he should say that what he was doing in Lockhart's class is far from being indolent, he was being incredibly hardworking, tolerant and silent, unlike his brother who is incredibly vocal of his dislike for Lockhart. Maybe giving Lockhart snakes for hair would suffice. Oh well, he'll just see what other things he could do to Lockhart. It will be just like what Midas told him, having a little bit of fun won't kill you.

With all the thinking, that he was doing, he didn't notice that he was walking towards somebody until he bumped into him, or her. He was looking down, nearly the whole time that he was walking. There were books on the ground, and when he looked up after blinking for a few times, he realized that he bumped into a she. Long blonde wavy hair and beautiful blue eyes, Daphne Greengrass was the person he bumped into.

"I apologize for that." he said a tad too formally to Greengrass who was going to kneel down to fix her things.

"Allow me." he told her. Greengrass looked at him before standing up straight, and without further ado he waved his wand and then one by one the books arranged itself on Greengrass' arm. Greengrass looked impressed by his display of non-verbal magic. Then again, most will be impressed if an underage, let alone a twelve year old wizard like him can do it.

"Thank you." Greengrass said to him with a smile.

"No problem." he replied after clearing his throat, unused that a girl was smiling kindly and a bit sweetly at him. Last time a girl smiled at him, he ended up getting his head dunked in a toilet because the girl's boyfriend thought that he was getting all...close with her. What a very petty and nonsensical reason to bully him for the rest of his time in muggle school, he thought. Oh well it doesn't matter, he did have his revenge on that bully. A wandless furnunculus did the trick at that time. Everybody had a laugh at the boils covered face of the bully.

"Uhm...uh..." he cursed in his mind at being this articulate in front of the girl. He cleared his throat once more and asked "Are you headed to the common room as well?" It was evident that Greengrass was going to the common room, but he still had to ask. Well what else should he say?

"Yes, yes I am headed there, and I can see that you are as well." Greengrass replied, still with the pretty smile on her face.

"Wait." he said when Greengrass was to walk away.

"Uh...let me carry that for you Greengrass." He said to her with a bit of hesitation. The girl might, of course, reject his offer. Tell him that he looks like a wimp or whatever. Not that he'll be completely affected by it.

With a slight look of doubt at him she replied "I can manage."

"I- Please, I insist." he told her, and with one more look, Greengrass handed her the pile of 3 books about Charms, Transfiguration, and Herbology, along with a notebook.

"I told you to call me Daphne before." Greengrass said as they started walking.

"What?"

"In the compartment, last June," Greengrass reminded him. "I told you that it would be fine if you call me Daphne."

"I –yes, yes you did, Daphne." he said with a bit of an awkward chuckle. "Slipped my mind, I suppose."

She chuckled softly. "I didn't take you as someone who forgets things."

Harry gave her a small smile. "I still do." He told her. "Occasionally, I still forget things. Which reminds me, you called me sleeping beauty."

Daphne giggled once more. "You noticed it just now." She said dryly.

"Well, I didn't think much of it that time. And to be honest I didn't quite...care about any word that you said." He admitted a bit sheepishly.

"That much was obvious." Daphne said with her eyes rolling before saying the password once they were standing by the entrance of the common room.

When they entered the common room, some of the other students were looking at him and Daphne. 'Oh dear', Harry thought. He surely hoped that these idiots won't start any baseless rumour around the school. The last thing he needed was for a gossip to spread around the school.

"Uh...do you need these in your room or just here in the common room?" He asked to lose the awkwardness that he was feeling with all the gazes that some students were giving him. This had yet to happen to him before. "I can carry this to your room if you like, or maybe outside your room, I don't -" He trailed of when he saw that Daphne was giggling.

"You were starting to ramble, Harry." She told him with a giggle.

"Oh..." was all he was able to reply. 'For the love of God Harry Evandrus,' he told himself. 'Quit acting like an idiot'. In all honesty, it was beginning to be quite unbecoming of him acting like he's an utter clodpoll.

He continued to walk forward and followed Daphne at the second floor of the Slytherin dormitory. Daphne's room was by the fourth room on the right.

"Moonstone." Daphne said and the door opened. The doors were charmed. The door will open, going the opposite direction from where a person says the password.

He got a look inside and saw that Daphne's roommate is Pansy Parkinson, pug face girl, and self-proclaimed princess of Slytherin. What a very...unpleasant thing. When Parkinson got the sight of him, she scowled almost immediately but didn't say anything. In turn, he sneered and raised his head arrogantly at her.

"Thanks Harry." he lowered his head a bit and turned back his attention to Daphne who was still smiling while taking the pile of books from him.

He smiled back a little at her. "It's my pleasure to help." He gave her a small bow and then left for his room but not before Parkinson said a tad too loudly, "The nerve of that half-blood raising his head like he's superior to me." He smirked as he walked back to his room. Parkinson would do well to know that he is, and always will be, better and superior than her.

Well there goes another. Harry has another friend or acquaintance at the very least, besides Theo and Draco. Only this time it was a girl. He doesn't think that Granger considers him as a friend what with her looking like she always wants to compete with him at just about everything, namely, grades and the teacher's favour, not that that girl can compete on the same level as him. Although he still has to say, compared to the others that he had known with a bit of cordiality, Granger is a brilliant witch.

He snapped out of his thoughts when he heard a loud thud that came from the other side of the door of his room. The thud was then followed by a shout of "Draco Malfoy you're utterly hopeless!" That sounded like Theo's voice in exasperation.

Harry sighed and wondered what the two were doing now. "Open." He hissed and the door opened revealing Theo teaching Draco ride...a skateboard?

"Theodore, where on earth did you get that?" He immediately asked, looking at Theo who was looking without pity at Draco who was on his backside at the floor.

"Uhm..." and then Theo shrugged. "The card was signed Philemon." He furrowed his brow, still looking at his friend. Why on earth would Philip send Theo, and also Draco a skateboard? And why on earth were they practicing inside the room? Sure the room was big, as big as the dorm in the Gryffindor tower, although more spacious because there was only two of them in the room compared to the five in Lars' dorm, but still it was a bedroom, not a room for skateboard practice.

"How did you contact Philip?" He asked curiously.

"Philip?" Draco repeated as the blonde aristocrat got up on his feet. "Well that clears it out, no wonder Ethan said Philip will send us one, and then all of a sudden the signature is Philemon."

"Capital P, L and M?" Draco nodded. "His name is Philip Leonard Montenegro Saavedra, a-" He was cut off by Draco's repetition of the surname 'Saavedra'.

"Philip Saavedra? Asian chap?" His blonde friend enquired.

Harry narrowed his eyes at his blonde friend. "Yes...you know him?"

"I think I heard father mention him before." Draco replied. "He's a businessman, or an investor of some sort somewhere in southeast Asia."

"He's businessman, yes." He told his friends. "A businessman in the muggleworld who happens to be a muggleborn wizard, is your father even aware of that fact?" As far as he knows, Mr. Malfoy dislikes people who aren't purebloods. But being a Slytherin, it's possible that he tolerated Philip on the grounds that it was out of necessity.

"That I do not know." Draco replied, looking thoughtful. "I thought he's a pureblood. I know that father doesn't associate himself with muggles, and he mentioned that the Philip bloke is a master of Ancient Runes and -"

"Hang on, hang on..." Theo interjected. "Master of Ancient Runes? So he's Doc, the one that Luke was talking about in your missive last year? Is Doc his nickname?"

"Doc is short for Doctor, which is the equivalent of a healer in the muggle world." He informed his friends. "And no, he's not a healer nor a doctor. Luke just calls him that because his name is Philip, and there's this muggle that's called Dr. Phil – Now we're getting off topic, why on earth did Ethan told you that Philip will send you a skateboard?"

"Well, we kind of asked your little brother where we can find one, he told us about those kinds of things see when we were in your godfather's manor." Theo explained. "We sent him galleons for it but he sent it back with a letter saying that Philip will just send us one each, and that we don't have to pay." Ah Philip, ever the very generous one. For a bloke who is thrifty, Philip is very quick, and not one to hesitate buying things for others, friend or anyone that was not a foe. The chap just loves doing something for others.

"When did that package arrive?" he asked them.

"Just a while ago." Theo replied. "A big brown bird dropped a box in front of us. There were miniature of it inside and an instruction how to enlarge and then shrink it."

"The bird is an eagle." he told his friend.

"No it's not." Draco disagreed. "Eagles have black feather, and white from its neck to its head."

"It's a Philippine Eagle, Draco." He clarified to Draco. "Their eagle is different from ours."

"Oh..." Draco said sheepishly.

"Wait..." Theo began, "didn't Luke also mention that Doc's, uh, a master of ancient rituals?"

"Yes, of course," he answered, "Although, I haven't seen him do actual rituals. He only studied it out of interest. He's more of a muggle, really, with the way he lives. And as I have said before, he's a businessman but in the muggle world which is why I'm surprised that Lord Malfoy knows of him."

"Father mentioned once that he's a new one in the industry."

"And when was that?" he asked. To this day, Philip has been, officially, in the business industry for about 4 years.

"Either 3 or 4 years ago." Draco replied, looking quite unsure. "I remember father mentioning that this Philip bloke proposed that there be some sort of organization or group of companies for Wizard businessmen. I think that majority of the people who was there when he made the proposal at a Ministry dinner for businessmen just laughed at him because he compared it to muggles who has those kinds of group of companies of some sort, and well also because he mentioned that he's new in the business field. After that he wasn't heard from again, apart from he still invests in some businesses here like Madame Malkin's and the Nimbus co."

"It was 4 years ago." Harry told his friend. He knew for sure that it was 4 years ago because that was the first year that Philip took control of the company for some unknown reason. It was also the time that Philip looked more serious than normal. The man spent his time inside that company, barely even going out literally, and stopped doing the things that he used to do, namely reading books for fun, talking to Midas, or taking them to some park or whatever. Philip's over exertion lasted for more than a year, although the man's hard work did pay off because the company went back on track, and even more.

"Well then, I think my stay has overdue." Draco said, clasping his hands. "Goodnight chaps." And then their blonde aristocrat friend left.

Harry turned from the door when he heard Theo comment "Well that was informative."

"Indeed." he replied.

"You know," Theo began, "I'm beginning to think that he was that 'someone' that you were referring to last year during our little adventure with Fluffy."

"Really?" he drawled. "What made you begin thinking that?"

Theo jumped on the bed. "Well for one, my friend. There aren't a lot of people you talk about besides Ethan, Luke, Midas, and Philip."

"Well." He looked at his friend. "You're not wrong."

The following morning, when he and Theo were to go to breakfast, which was about to start in half an hour, he told his friend to go on himself or with Draco for he'll stay in the room for a bit. Theo shrugged and then left.

"Porthos!" he called and Porthos arrived.

"Master Evandrus." Porthos said with a bow.

"I need you to do something for me." He told the elf.

"Does this include killing the serpentine?" Porthos asked tersely.

Harry narrowed his eyes at his house-elf, wondering why Porthos doesn't seem to like Seraphim. "Why?" he asked.

"Master, the serpentine is rude, and ill-mannered. Serpentine always scares me, and Serpentine will always crawl behind my back." For a pet, Seraphim really a troublemaker.

"Sorry to disappoint you Porthos but it doesn't include that." Porthos frowned at that.

"Well there are two things I want you to do." he told his elf with a mischievous smirk. "Firstly," he took three phials with green liquid inside of it from his pocket and gave it to Porthos, "I want you to slip those in Lars, Theo and Draco's drinks. Make sure that they get it."

Porthos nodded then asked "And secondly, Sir?"

Harry took a note from the desk. "Well just put this note in the-you know Fred and George, right? Yes. Good, put it in their bags, either one of them will do. You're dismissed." And then Porthos popped away.

The note was simple. He just wrote that he'll help whenever the twins ask him to help. He has two reasons for accepting to help them. First was because he knows that Ethan, and maybe Lars, would probably like it. And second was because he's interested that the Weasley twins are planning to start some business in the near future.

"What took you so long?" Draco questioned him when he got to the common room.

Harry raised an eyebrow. "If Theo hasn't told you, I told him that he can go ahead if he wishes to."

"Merlin Harry, no need to get riled up because of a question." He ignored Draco and walked away.

When they arrived at the Great Hall, breakfast hasn't begun yet. He took a glance at his wristwatch and saw that it wasn't 7 o'clock yet, which was the time of the breakfast. It was all perfect, Harry thought.

While they were eating, Harry waited for both Theo and Draco to drink from their respective goblets. And when they did, Harry had to hide a smirk.

"Hey mates -" Theo immediately clapped his own hands on his mouth after hearing that his voice became a squeaky one.

Draco laughed but, much to the amusement of them all and the blonde boy's chagrin, his laugh was of a squeaky one as well.

"What the bloody hell happened to my voice?" Draco said looking appalled at his squeaky voice. The voice kind of reminded Harry of Alvin and the Chipmunks, a muggle show that was quite funny.

Theo laughed. "This is awesome!" Harry had to refrain from rolling his eyes. Why didn't he think that Theo would like that kind of voice?

"Hogwarts, Hogwarts, Hoggy Warty Hogwarts teach us something please..." Theo continued singing the school song with the squeaky chipmunk voice. Oh dear Lord above, Harry thought. It seems like with Theo, the little prank is backfiring on him. Draco, on the other hand, looks like he was trying his best not to speak nor laugh. Well at least one is affected.

"I know you did this." A squeaky voice stated from behind Harry.

He turned his head and saw that it was his brother Lars, arms crossed and looking at him.

"Harry!" Lars exclaimed at him. "I need my voice back."

"Lawrence," he began with an austere voice, "of all the people here in this castle, why on earth do you think that I would do this?"

"I-" Lars trailed off, looking like he doesn't have an explanation.

"I thought so." he said.

"I know." he turned to the table to see that it was Draco who spoke.

"Very well Draco, what's your explanation?" he asked, daring Draco to speak while ignoring Theo completely who was still singing the school song, annoying the people around him.

"Well speak." he urged the blonde with a smirk.

Draco shook his head vehemently and took a quill and a parchment from his satchel. His blonde friend scribbled for a minute before showing it to them. It only said 'potion, delay, surprise, birthday, party' but nevertheless, Lars understood it.

"Of course!" Lars exclaimed and then immediately clapped his hand on his mouth.

Lars lowered his head for a bit, just next to his ear. "Whether you admit it or not, we know it's you brother." Lars whispered to him. "But please tell me how long I am going to have this...this ridiculous voice!"

"Twenty-four hours, brother of mine." he replied with a smirk.

"But...twenty-four...how...t'was only..." Lars continued to stammer with the chipmunk voice while going back to the Gryffindor table.

"I say Harry, I really like this voice." Theo said to him while they were on their way to class.

"It doesn't surprise me, Theo, it doesn't surprise me." he deadpanned.

For the rest of the day, only Theo spoke incessantly even with the chipmunk voice. Theo was the only one who dared to speak in front of the whole class by answering the teacher's questions. Their teachers, except for Professor Snape, obviously, and Professor McGonagall, either laughed out loud or smiled a little bit at the chipmunk voice.

Out of the three, it seemed like Draco was the one who extremely hates that voice considering that just for a laugh Lars also speaks. Draco was quiet that whole day, saying next to nothing and only communicates with them through paper. Though, most of the time, Draco writes at about every minute that the voice is highly undignified.

"Hey Harry can I have the recipe for this?" Theo asked.

"No." Harry replied curtly.

"Please."

"No."

The little back and forth banter, if you counted it as such, continued on until the lights were out.

Harry smiled diabolically to himself at the end of the day, next up was Lockhart.