1 Chapter 1: The Train Ride

Harry didn't have a bad life.

He had a place to live, food to eat, and attended the most prestigious magical school on the British Isles. People might even say that Harry was privileged, and in some cases, they might be right.

The thing was, Harry knew all of this, and he still felt dissatisfied with his life so far. Sometimes he wished that the nonsense Malfoy spouted was true and that magical houses still had those so-called extraordinary powers. Harry wouldn't have to wonder what he wanted to do with his life after graduating.

Unfortunately, or fortunately for most people, the nobility system didn't exist anymore. Most of the power was now held by elected officials. That wasn't necessarily a good thing, in his opinion. Harry thought it might be good for the wizarding world to have a proper shake-up by reversing that. The current lot in power was as incompetent as can be.

"Potter."

Harry looked away from the passing countryside to see Blaise Zabini standing at the compartment's entrance.

"Mind if I take a seat?"

Harry motioned him inside with a wave of his hand and went back to staring out the window. Zabini was no friend of his, but neither was he an enemy. It would have been nice if he had either of those. It would make life all that more interesting.

Being sorted into Slytherin as a half-blood was always something he regretted not being able to change. The few people he sat with on the train before his first year suddenly avoided him like he was a plague. To make it worse, none of the first years in Slytherin were interested in talking to him.

It was over a month later when Draco Malfoy called Harry a filthy half-blood did he realize why he was isolated. He was unhappy that he couldn't make new friends, but Harry was used to being alone, so he quickly got used to it.

That wasn't to say Harry didn't have acquaintances. He did, like the boy who had just entered the cabin. People that Harry had partnered up with in class for some project or another. There was nothing more to it.

Merlin, Harry even wished he could have a life like Neville Longbottom's. The boy getting into one ridiculous situation after another brought up envy in Harry that couldn't be described.

"You know there's a new professor for defense?"

Harry gave Zabini an uninterested look and shrugged, wondering why he should care.

"There're rumors the Ministry's getting involved with the school because of Longbottom's… lies."

"Really?" That gave Harry reason to give a damn. Even though most of the Slytherins seemed determined to be purposefully oblivious, even a toddler could tell that Longbottom wasn't lying about what happened last year.

A rather obvious clue was the body of a very dead Cedric Diggory.

"My mother told me to keep quiet and avoid the spotlight."

Harry had to resist asking if that meant Zabini would cease to exist. He didn't think anyone could get any more unnoticeable than Zabini already was.

"Good to know, Zabini," Harry nodded before adding, "If there's nothing else, I can't give you anything above the first tier without extra payment. I'm sure you understand."

"That's fine," Blaise took a deep breath before his face pinked a bit, "I want to know what Daphne needs the most this year."

"Ah," Harry frowned, "That will cost you. All information on Greengrass is on the second tier."

"What?" Blaise puffed up indignantly before slumping when Harry just stared at him, "Fine. How much is it?"

"You're a repeat customer, Zabini. You know the rates. A discount applies since you did bring me information."

Harry watched him sigh before agreeing, as expected.

"I'll have the payment ready tomorrow."

"Then you'll get your information tomorrow." Harry went back to staring out the window.

Zabini stayed for a few more seconds before exiting the compartment with a huff, making Harry roll his eyes. Of all things, he didn't expect to be asked that by Zabini. As if he had any chance whatsoever with a witch like Greengrass.

That wasn't to say there was anything wrong with the boy. It was just that Greengrass was a bitch of the highest degree to pretty much everyone, with very few exceptions. But Merlin did Harry appreciate the girl. She knew how to use her looks without any shame.

When Harry's services caught her ear, Greengrass had come to him and demanded that she be given a cut when he inevitably sold her information to boys with foolish crushes like Zabini. Harry wasn't in the habit of agreeing to money-losing threats. Still, he appreciated the sheer guts Greengrass had to come to him. So he accepted as long as she played along to fleece the idiots that used his service for their petty needs.

It was a minor event in Harry's business in Hogwarts. Still, it always amused him when Greengrass played the boys that came to him like fools before crushing their hopes.

To think all of this was thanks to Draco Malfoy. If the blonde knew he was the genesis of what Harry had built, he might actually keel over and die of anger.

The moment Harry was called a filthy half-blood, Harry knew indifference would not work in Slytherin. Not with the disdain he had seen in some of his housemates. Luckily, his fascination with magic was his advantage.

While his housemates grew up with magic, everything Harry saw or experienced was new. And they all made him want to learn more about the magic around him. It made him a sponge for all sorts of magical knowledge he came across.

Harry would be the first in their year if it wasn't for Hermione Granger from Gryffindor.

"Potter."

Harry smirked at hearing the voice and turned away from his farmland watching to see the beautiful Daphne Greengrass taking a seat across from him like she owned the cabin.

"Zabini just visited you. I've noticed the fool staring at me like a lost puppy."

"And?" Harry questioned with amusement.

"You know the deal. What does he want to know about me?"

"He wants to know what you need most," Harry's lips twitched at the anger that appeared on her face, "You're a lucky girl, Greengrass. You'll get that potion without any effort this year."

"No," Daphne glared at Harry, again making him admire her courage, "I refuse to let you tell him that."

"So be it," Harry shrugged casually, "You know the price."

"You-Know-Who is using Malfoy Manor as a base."

Harry blinked, not expecting to hear what was just said. Greengrass wasn't a fool and knew that all she had to do was forfeit her share of what Zabini would pay. Instead, she told him something that put him in substantial debt to her.

"I see," Harry pulled out his wand to seal the door shut, making Daphne tense until he put it away, "You put me in a bit of a bind, Greengrass. Not many people would pay for something at that level."

"But you know who will," Daphne retorted immediately.

"Well, yes," Harry freely admitted, "But I'm not too keen on interacting with them. And even if I was willing to do that, I'm sure this would be useless information with what's going on out there. Do you see anyone taking direct action even if they knew this?"

"No," Daphne sneered, "They're all cowards, but that doesn't matter, does it? You owe me."

Harry stared at Greengrass, making her fidget as seconds passed without a reply. To her relief, Harry finally opened his mouth.

"Very well. What do you need?"

Daphne could barely hide her excitement as she started to take heavier breaths. "Thompson. Make her feel what my sister did."

Harry knew what was coming. Greengrass might be a first-class bitch, but she was an equally caring sister. It almost made Harry jealous that he didn't have an older sibling.

As for why Harry knew what Greengrass would ask, he was the one that told her about what her little sister was dealing with last year in Ravenclaw. He didn't even think much of it when he passed along the information, treating it as a small favor for a valuable business partner.

"If this was anyone else, you'd be obliviated for daring to ask me to act in your stead."

Daphne didn't bat an eye and stared at Harry with determined eyes, unintentionally making him give in for the same reason he did in the past. Her courage to stand up to him when she knew what happened to others that tried to do the same.

Well, that wasn't entirely the truth. Harry might be impressed with her, but that wasn't enough for him to agree to an ask like this. The thing was, Harry had just been lamenting about how his life was so bland that he would love to blunder into random adventures like Longbottom.

Here was his chance.

This wasn't what Harry would call random, but at least it was an adventure.. sort of.

"Alright, Greengrass. We have an agreement," Harry held out his hand with his palm facing up, "I'm sure you know what the consequences are for telling others?"

Daphne found it difficult not to know. Anyone who did business with Harry knew what would happen if the secrecy was broken. She didn't care much about other students, but even she had to shudder at what Goldstein went through.

The poor Ravenclaw was too ashamed to leave his dorm for a week. Daphne had heard rumors that it was considered a minor punishment and there would be more severe consequences if Goldstein kept trying to break his agreement. Of course, Daphne knew those 'rumors' were almost certainly spread by Harry himself to warn the others with similar thoughts.

Even knowing all that, Daphne put her hand over Harry's and didn't bat an eye when she felt a contract forming between them when she mentally accepted the terms.

"As always, pleasure doing business with you, Potter. When can I expect Thompson to get her due?"

"It'll take me a few days to access the Ravenclaw tower. I'm sure you know this will be a months-long task after that."

"Good," Daphne's eyes gleamed, "Show her no mercy. By the time you're done, I want Thompson to need the potion just like my sister. I want to see how her poor family can afford that."

"Vindictive as always, Greengrass," Harry said with a chuckle, "Makes me curious why you don't want to do this personally."

"And have Parkinson blab that I wasn't in bed by curfew for weeks straight? Please, I don't want to be hounded by whispers of me having a secret lover."

"Understandable," Harry leaned back into the seat and crossed his arms, "So, what else do you need? I do have to give Zabini something tomorrow."

Daphne blinked, having completely forgotten about that. There weren't many things that she couldn't get with the financial capital that her family possessed. The things out of reach for her were generally even more so to others. However, Daphne recognized that this was a Zabini that was trying to woo her. If he wanted to use his mother's ill-gotten wealth on her, who was Daphne to stop him?

"There's an auction next weekend in Paris with 'The Wizard's Seeker' as the headline item."

Harry couldn't stop the laugh that escaped his lips. "Vindictive and greedy. I'm unsure if I should pity the wizard that catches your eye or feel jealous of him."

"That isn't any of your concern, is it?" Daphne flipped her blonde hair over her shoulders as she stood, "I'll see you later, Potter."

Harry nodded and pulled out his wand to unseal the door to let her leave. It would be an interesting experience to accomplish what Greengrass asked of him.

Emma Thompson was outwardly kind and studious but had some rather disturbing secrets. Her Ravenclaw housemates had no clue they were housing someone one bad day away from a complete psychotic break. That type of mental illness was concerning when muggles had it, let alone someone with the power of magic at their fingertips.

If Harry was altruistic, he would be rearing to save the people that Thompson was 'close' with. Unfortunately for them, Harry had learned the hard way that selfless actions were usually repaid with ingratitude. It was one of the few lessons the Dursleys taught him that was worth keeping. There was a reason his services had a price for everything.

At least the smaller Greengrass had been indirectly saved by him, and it turned out that Thompson's other 'friends' would be saved by him this year anyway. Harry amused himself by thinking that he might have a bleeding heart after all.

As for getting into Ravenclaw Tower, Harry wouldn't have much of an issue with that despite what he said to Daphne. To do what he does, it was necessary to have easy access to all the common rooms.

Harry looked away from the window when he felt the train slowing down and stretched in his seat before getting up to bring down the trunk stored overhead. His fifth year was starting out better than the last four, and he hoped that would continue.

Harry straightened out his robes and adjusted his tie before levitating the trunk to follow him. He wasn't an uncultured muggle to drag around his luggage, or so his housemates would call him if they saw him do that.

"I'll see you in the castle, Neville!"

Harry had just stepped out of the train and saw Hermione Granger wave at a slightly pudgy boy in Gryffindor robes. He wasn't that surprised to see the Prefect badge on the girl's robes, but what in the world was Ron Weasley doing with one too?

Harry would have thought Longbottom would have got the nod from McGonagall before the redhead. Of course, that only stayed in his mind for a brief second before he dismissed it as inconsequential.

That was something much more interesting that caught Harry's attention. Neville Longbottom was staring after Granger like a lovesick fool.

Harry's lips had the slightest of smiles as he walked over to him. "You better be careful, Longbottom. If you stare any harder, she might find out."

"H-Harry!" Neville squeaked in surprise, "W-What do you mean?"

Harry wasn't bothered by the stutter Longbottom had. For some reason, the boy had the weakest personality Harry had ever seen, along with bursts of courage that bordered on suicidal. How else was Harry supposed to reconcile the stuttering mess of a boy in front of him who dove head-first into life-threatening situations with alarming regularity?

"Come now, Longbottom," Harry grinned at Neville, making him more nervous, "I have eyes. And these eyes happened to see yours on Granger's surprisingly tight bum. Might this year be the one where the Golden Trio pairs off?"

"Hey," Neville lost his stutter in defense of Hermione, "Don't talk about her like that!"

"Oh?" Harry gave Neville an exaggerated look of confusion, "I didn't know you were already dating her. My apologies, Longbottom."

"It's not like that! She's just a friend," Neville's glare would scare most Slytherins into shutting up. Harry wasn't one of them.

"Ah, I see," Harry put on a sheepish face, "Can't blame me for thinking you do. There's a surprising number of people interested in her after the dress she wore to the ball last year. You don't mind me telling them that you two aren't a couple, do you? I'm almost certain that's the main reason boys aren't hounding her."

Neville opened and closed his mouth without making a sound, looking too angry to form words before turning around and storming away with his trunk dragging behind him.

Harry sighed happily, once again feeling great about the coming year. He was able to soothe his envy by tormenting Longbottom about his newfound crush on Granger. That was just the cherry on top.