There is a schoolboy living in a house in Uxbridge Road, Hampton, who has been partaking in secretive magical activities unbeknown to his muggle neighbours.

Every morning, sometimes as early as 6.30am, Joshua can be seen getting into a car and being whisked off to some mysterious location.

In the evenings, nine hours and a half later to be precise, the same car drops him back home and drives off again.

Fortunately for 14-year-old Joshua Herdman, he doesnt live in a cupboard under the stairs and his family are fully supportive of his current engagement.

He plays Gregory Goyle, Draco Malfoys sidekick in the Harry Potter movies and filming of the second installment of the childrens fantasy, the Chamber of Secrets, has just resumed.

However, the Orleans Park School pupil might never have set foot in Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry had he been chosen to play Dudley Dursley, Harrys evil muggle cousin.

My agent called me up one day and told me I had an audition to play the part of Dudley, he said.

He had heard of the Harry Potter books but had not read any, thinking they would be stupid little kids books.

But no sooner had he read the first few lines of the Philosophers Stone, Joshua became enthralled and lapped up the first two books before his audition.

Professor Snape is my favourite character in the book. I like him because he is so sinister. My favourite book is the Prisoner of Azkaban because its much darker than the others.

However, their was to be an initial setback.

I auditioned three times for the Dudley part. I was close to getting it but the part was recast because they thought I was too tall.

His disappointment was short lived, and a week later he was offered the part of Goyle.

For the schoolboy, who one day wants to make movies like Quentin Tarantinos, his experiences on the film set have been a dream come true.

The filming has taken him from Alnwick Castle in Northumberland, the scene of the flying broomstick practice, to Oxfords Bodleian Library and the Leavesden Studios, in Watford, where most of the filming is done.

He has been receiving acting tips from experienced thespians, such as Alan Rickman and Richard Harris (Albus Dumbledore), and has developed an off-screen friendship with on-screen buddy Tom Felton (Malfoy).

We do a lot of scenes together and so we started talking. We have become friends on and off the set.

For the budding actor and keen boxer, whose first break was on a Fruit of the Loom commercial, The Chamber of Secrets poses a tricky challenge. In one scene Harry and Ron change into Goyle and Vincent Crabbe (James Waylett). I have to play Goyle while being like Harry.

We had a few acting lessons with a dialogue coach.

She gave us a few hints and we watched the first film to pick up tips on how to imitate Harry and Ron.

I had to imagine being smaller and try to mimic Harrys expressions.

By law, the acting day cannot exceed nine and a half hours, and when Joshua is not filming he is catching up with his school work with a tutor, averaging about three hours a day.

He might as well be riding home on a Nimbus 2000 broomstick for his neighbours in Uxbridge Road will never look at him in the same way again.

By.Steven Shukor