A/N - Well here we go, I knew it was only a matter of time before a started one of these. It's what always happens when I spend a few months binging fanfiction, eventually I tend to write one.

Updates will be spontaneous depending on how busy my schedule is however I do hope to see this through.

I'm a long time HP fan, at one point knowing the books and its universe very well, although that was a long time ago when I was much younger. If I mess anything up in this story call me out and let me know so I can fix it. That being said at the end of the day it is a fanfiction, not everything is going to abide by the laws set in cannon.

I do not own Harry Potter but I'm currently forming a very intricate and crude plan to ensure that I do.

Chapter 1 - Unauthorised Rehabilitation

A strong feeling of euphoria or drunkenness buzzed violently in his mind, light split through the infirmary's curtains and groggy emerald eyes opened much to the boy's displeasure.

Great! He was in the infirmary...Nothing new there.

Harry sat up slowly feeling every joint and muscle voicing their displeasure at the movement. He was particularly stiff; it felt like he'd been hit by a bus and for once he didn't feel the urge to instantly get out of the place.

Harry supposed that was a good testament to how bad he actually felt right now.

Despite the protests his mind kicked into gear to find he couldn't recall all that much of how he ended up here. Scattered events such as flying Buckbeak with Hermione, Ron getting a chunk ripped out of his leg and Sirius riding off into the night stood out, though he had no sense of their order.

Harry filtered on through his memories each one feeling so foreign until he stumbled upon one of himself lying on the flat of his back at the edge of a lake. Surrounded by what seemed like an army of Dementors he knew there was no escape, he remembered the smell of decay and sense of despair so vividly. How the soulless beings feasted on him before growing impatient.

He shuddered.

A Dementor had pulled back its hood and went for its kiss. A hollow feeling that tugged on what he knew was his soul wasn't something you could simply describe to someone, not with words anyway. Harry had fought for all he could and struggle as he may he could only watch the small spark that was his soul begin to break away...

A bright light, his vision set ablaze and then the freeze that followed as his beacon collapsed.

The spark that was his sun drifted back to where it belonged, however he couldn't help but feel as if it was leaving something behind. It settled back into place filling his body with distant yet not unfamiliar warmth he had once felt before.

Harry hadn't won that fight, "...So why am I here?" His thoughts escaped him as a mumble.

"Ah, it seems you've finally decided to join the land of the living Mr. Potter!" The sound of heels clipping off stone flooring sent another buzz through his head and the stern face of Madam Pomfrey swam into view above him. "Drink up." A goblet was thrust to his lips, the potion getting into his body weather he liked it or not.

Harry could only stare at her still looking rather blank, "Morning mam, appreciated that. Fish flavoured, well past its best I'm assuming. Couldn't have gave me some warning, no?" A silly question when it came to the rather strict nurse.

"Morning," She questioned, choosing to ignore the rest. She had gotten good at it over the years. "It might have been morning when you first woke but its well into the evening now Mr. Potter."

The nurse looked weary and sounded worse, she was in dear need of some rest.

Seeing the questioning look she explained, "I didn't dare leave your side, we didn't know when you would even wake," She pulled her wand from her uniform tracing it over his body, "What were you thinking? Going into the forbidden forest at night when you knew of the Dementors, you're lucky to be alive."

The last thing Harry wanted was a telling off, in his three years here she'd gave him plenty, "I'm fine," he muttered. Truth-be-told he was not feeling fine.

"Fine," The matron snapped, "You are not! It's everything your body's needed for sustenance while you've been sleeping off the effects of a Dementor. I don't think you could have been any closer to having your soul ripped out you know."

Alright, he didn't have a response for that one.

Noticing the lack of life around him the place looked abandoned. Harry was the only one in the large infirmary and a thin layer of dust occupied every cubicle but his own. He was lying in a bed with white linen sheets and next to him was a table piled high with countless sweets and cards, "Well how long have I been out then?"

"Close to three weeks," She stated factly in her no nonsense manner. "You're recovering rather fast all things considered. Woke up a few times too but I doubt you would remember. I've had you on some very strong potions."

There were a few moments of silence as he took it all in, "So when will I be allowed to leave?"

Madam Pomfrey's response was a flick of her wand that sealed his mouth shut, "No Mr. Potter. Not today, not from you."

Was she in a bad mood with him?

Apparently for a boy who had one foot in his grave he had a little too much energy for her tastes, "Your friends and admirers were very worried about you, as was the Headmaster. Sure as I am that you will want to be seeing them you may wait until morning. More rest is needed."

There was no arguing with the nurse, in her ward even the dark lord was but an ant to her orders and with that the lights were off. She had turned on her heel and left apparently happy with the condition he was in.

Left to his thoughts as Harry so often was he didn't know what to make of this. His mind was a mess and he was somewhat glad of that, not wanting to remember a more detailed version of that night might be for the best, that being said he had wasted the most part of a month sleeping, now he was expected to sleep some more.

Harry would try his very best. Honest!

Now he appreciated Poppy Pomfrey and all that she did, really, he did! However, Harry also respected that he was a growing boy and growing boys need food.

Mrs Weasly would be so proud right now.

He hadn't eaten anything solid in three weeks, and if he had he didn't want to know about it because to be quite frank that was disgusting. The point was he had tried his best to resist the temptation of sneaking off from Madam Pomfrey's fantastic care and he felt bad about it, he really did, and so on and so forth but honestly, after about twenty minutes of listening to his stomach and heart try to piss the other off his rebellious genes got the better of him.

Come on! The door was left wide open. All he had to do was play it cool until the witch headed for her office and after that it wasn't long before Harry found himself making his way down one of the many corridors in Hogwarts only one thought in his one track mind.

The Hogwarts kitchens were always humbling. Hundreds of little house elves running around frantically trying to outdo one another to impress the rare visitor that they got, more importantly that visitor was a certain Harry Potter.

Each of them was more than happy to follow his requests down to the finest detail. A chicken and cream pie laced with small strips of bacon was what he had finally decided upon after many recommendations. When it came time to leave a butterbeer was thrust in his hand along with a few biscuits for safe keeping, everything was going smooth and with a little charming banter the fat lady even gave him the password for Gryffindor tower too.

"Ten points from Gryffindor for roaming the corridors after curfew. Thought you'd know that rule well enough by now Harry."

Why was there was always a catch when things were going so well?

"Three weeks I've been bedridden Ollie... three bloody weeks and you still don't have a shred of mercy," Harry muttered to himself from the corridor.

An obviously tired and somewhat gaunt looking Harry stepped through the fat lady's portrait before plunking himself down on the first empty chair he saw, "Just beat a man when he's down, how did you even know it was me?

"I haven't had to listen to the fat lady mouth off about some scrawny third year roaming the castle for nearly a month now, and everyone else sort of follows that rule Harry. The castles creepy at night," Ollie quipped. Finally lifting his head from whatever book he was looking at Ollie looked his ragged form up and down before letting out a laugh, "Please don't tell me you were walking around the castle like that?"

"Like what," said Harry looking himself up and down before realising he was in some rather revealing infirmary robes. "Oh wow... No wonder Bonky couldn't keep her eyes off me."

"I'm going to pretend I didn't hear that."

"You reckon a guy and a house elf could, you know-"

"Please stop," Cut in Ollie with a laugh. "So what's this I hear about you managing to cast a Patronus then nearly getting kissed by a Dementor anyway? I might have to give you a day or two off Quidditch practice for that."

Harry's eye just twitched at that, he was sort of hoping that those little pieces of information hadn't made it to the rest of the school. Ragnarok could come and go but so long as Harry could still play Quidditch Ollie was happy. "We don't have a need to practice, we sort of won the cup, remember?"

Ollie just looked at him like he was an idiot, "Yes you twit, but I have to have you lot it tip-top condition for next year so you can win it again! Speaking of which, I'm actually trying to persuade professor McGonagall to let me come back and manage you all. Although she doesn't seem too fussed on the idea."

"Thank God," Harry muttered with a shiver giving a silent prayer that Professor McGonagall stood firm. Thankfully his captain didn't hear him. "So what are you doing up so late anyway, its well past midnight and by the looks of things everyone else is asleep?"

Ollie looked down at the countless pieces of parchment and books that surrounded him with a sigh, "Last minute cramming. Unlike you ickle third years the NEWT's run right up to the end of term. My test is tomorrow morning and the leaving ceremony is only a couple days after that," He grumbled, "I was sort of hoping to enjoy my last few days here but apparently not."

Seeing his captain struggling and for the sake of being curious Harry ignored his dizzy head so he could enjoy a good train wreck. Scanning the parchment and trying to ignore the many Quidditch related doodles a series of symbols and notes were scattered throughout at random, "So what's the goal here Ollie, aside from the doodles were you're...is that Katie?"

Ollie's response was a dig in the arm, much to Harry's delight. That meant he was right. Ah, he was going to enjoy telling her about this.

As for the symbols he had a good idea at what a few of them meant, well he thought he did anyway. It didn't take Harry long studying them to realise that the symbols themselves were like an old language, once you figured out what certain shapes and lines meant it was actually rather easy.

"You see that there one," Harry pointed to the top of the parchment, "I think you might have that one wrong, it means fire not heat, and the symbol beside it is water. Together, they mean steam...well I think so. Don't take my word for it though; I didn't even take Ancient Runes this year so it's probably wrong."

Harry was playing it off; somehow he knew it was right.

Ollie stared at his parchment for quite some time and when he realised Harry was right you would think the prefect had been hit with a stunning charm, "Don't tell me this entire time you've been a pint sized genius at ancient runes. I could have had you helping me all year."

Harry stretched and yawned before popping another biscuit into his mouth, "It's news to me and you both buddy, maybe I'm just some sort of prodigy when it comes to useless shit. You wouldn't believe how quick I can do a Rubik's cube bu..." He trailed off when he realised Wood wasn't following him, "It's a muggle thing."

The prefect just looked at him with a rather sarcastic smile in place, "Shit? Now, now Harry, keep the big boy talk for the Quidditch pitch."

Harry had the decency to look somewhat shocked, "Oh of course sir," Harry mocked, "I think I need a good night's sleep so goodnight Ollie, I expect those ten points added back and another five out of good interest too. You need help on runes just shout Dementor and it'll wake me right up. God those things still give me the creeps."

As Ollie went back to cramming Harry's mind focused on the more important things in life, like if he'd be able to squeeze in a game of exploding snap with Ron before breakfast, or better yet, if he was going to have another one of those fun dreams again.

Harry happily popped another biscuit into his mouth and smiled, blissfully unaware of the changes taking place.

A/N - First chapter done and out of the way.

As for his personality, I've always sort of liked that Harry took after his father's appearance, just to spice things up a little I'm going to make the true Harry, without the effects of the horcrux, take after him personality wise too. I don't see the point in going for a cannon Harry, I won't write it as well as others let alone JKR so yeah. There's a big difference there.

Expect comedy, drama, adventure and romance. I do have a paring already planned but I think I'll keep you guessing for a while.

Reviews make me happy. You can leave reviews on any chapter, no login required, and there's no need to finish reading it all before you start a review. Sorry if this comes off as being an asshole but any fellow authors will agree with me when I say that reviews are motivation, they give me ideas too so please don't be afraid to drop them even if they aren't necessarily positive ones.

All criticism is helpful.

Thanks!