Disclaimer: I do not own the rights to these characters or world in which this story takes place. They belong to the author of the Harry Potter series J. K. Rowling

Recovery and Gifts

"Well, now all you need is an arm and you will be all set."

Harry looked around confused. Soon realizing though that he was once again in his mind. There was Core and the house along with what looked to be papers all over the lawn.

"Yeah well I don't really know how to fix that. So Core what is with all of these papers?"

"Second question first. The papers are your most recent memories that now need to be filed. And for your other question that is an easy answer."

"And what might that be?"

"You will be brought here every day when you go to sleep to sort out your memories from the day. The only way for this not to happen is for you to come here on your own right before you sleep and do it. I would advise that cause doing it the way you are you don't end up getting as good of a night sleep as you should. So you would be best to sort your mind before going to bed. See easy solution."

"OK makes sense to me. So how about while I sort this all out you tell be about how to create my defensive walls."

"Ok sounds like a plan." Replied Core as Harry started to pick up the papers that littered the lawn and started to sort them.

"Alright the wall is easy. Much easier then that Occlumency stuff or what ever it is that Snape tried to teach you. Do you remember how you made this house and the area around it and the blocks on the back door that is not a back door? Well you just have to do that again with the though in mind that you want to keep people from outside of your mind out. Thus thinking about protecting it from intruders."

"Ok that sounds easy enough. Is there anything else extra I could do as well? You know as more protection. And could I put in a gate to let someone in that I wanted in with out having to take down the walls?"

"Hmm… I guess that would work. Don't know if anyone has actually tried that before. As for the extra protection, I would say that something that can fly and is strong for patrolling around your mind and maybe also some gargoyles for the gate if you get it built."

Core then started to help Harry pick up the various memories that were scattered around the yard. Harry noticed that he personally didn't remember some of them as he had been sleeping when they happened. Like a memory from before he woke up of Ginny saying that if he work up she would let him 'play' with her breasts if he would just wake up. This was something Harry might look into asking about later. Once the memories were collected Harry and Core headed into the house to put them where they belong.

"You know Core this seem really easy now. I mean the sorting of my mind and what not. Why was it so hard to do before?"

"Yeah well you didn't have me or that potion before did you."

"What do you mean?"

"Well one of those potions you took helped you organize your mind, actually it heightened your mind. Thus, allowing you a much easier time conversing with me."

"Ok that makes sense. Well all but that last part. What do you mean by easier to converse with you?"

"Ok let me explain. I would have eventually been able to contact you but not in this amount of time or this well. Yet since you took that potion I have had a much easier time contacting you then anyone has ever had before and I will be able to at some point, when you need it, pass knowledge about magic to you that is stored within all magic."

Ok so you will be able to give me knowledge about magic cause you are magic and you have it inside of you. And because you are connect to me you can pass it along."

"I am glad you understand."

"Ok well since you know what that potion did and I don't do you know what the rest did?"

"Of course I do."

"Well then could you tell me then cause I really only know the first few cause in the end I was just tossing them back do to the lack of time we had."

"Ok, well lets start from the beginning then." Core started.

"First though I need to tell you a few other things … some back ground if you will. You see shortly before your birthday you started into your wizarding puberty. Now since you are one of the few chosen to have the huge natural jump in your magic instead of the normal slight increase that most have. Your magic or actually what I was and what is till there started to prepare your body for this influx of magic that is to come. It actually is still making the changed even now. This is what accounts for your now more muscular form you have now. You see the fitter your body is the better it can handle the load and strain the magic will apply to it. So as a note to you, you should start to exercise more to help your magic and yourself in this. One side effect from this is that if your jumps come too fast and your magic is not able to compensate fast enough the core of your magic, that would be the core or heart of me, will make a sudden and likely major physical change so it could handle the stress. It is that or your body would either burn up or explode."

"Wait a minute here. What kind of physical changes are we talking about here? And what does this have to do with the potions?" Harry interrupted.

Core shook his head, "I am getting to the potions. I was just giving you some back ground to what was and will happen to you. Figured you would like to know stuff like that see how you were so mad at Dumbledore about keeping things from you last year." Harry hade the decency to look bashful at this.

"Ok then now continuing on then. The physical changes will very and are almost always useful. Now then when Merlin had you merge with your magical core it created me. I am sure Merlin thinks that I would not be able to contact you till your first spike, seeing how that is the normal time I am able to contact people cause I have more power then. Seeing how you have not had that spike is likely the reason he has not contacted you. You see most of what he is likely going to teach you will have to do with me and well need me to be there to help out as well. He should be quite surprised when most of what he will want to get us to do is done. Now I pit of future knowledge. I will not always be around so to speak. You see when you reach a certain point we will merge into once mental being. It is easy and will greatly benefit you, but you can't do it or even attempt it till you reach that point. Now then on to the potions. I have to say that those potions will and have definitely helped you a lot already."

"The first potion increased your bodies magical resistance.

The second one increased your magical pathways, but that has been changed even more, but I will let you learn about that on your own.

The third potion increased your metabolism.

The forth one increased the strength of your skin and bones.

The fifth potion rerouted our magical pathways, but like the second one has changed some as well.

The sixth one any latent or hidden abilities you have had since birth. Every wizard has at least one gift. Even muggleborn ones do.

The seventh potion awakened your hidden potential. As with gifts ever wizard has this as well just some more then others. It could be 1 point or 500 who knows.

The eighth one awakened your animagus ability.

The ninth potion is the one that enhanced your memory and mind, giving you an eidetic memory.

And lastly the tenth was the activator for all the rest and the one that cut you off from you magic so the potions could do their work the fastest they were able to."

"Wait a minute I only drank seven potions."

"Yeah a few had double abilities but your body separated them and counts each part. You may have only drank seven potions but your body registered ten potions."

"Ok I guess that makes a bit of sense."

"Of course it does. Why wouldn't it." Stated Core.

"Ok, so do you know what my abilities are and why would I want my metabolism increased more?"

"Well increasing your metabolism makes it so you can recover your magic faster, heal faster, as well as process food faster and get more out of it at the same time. Down side you will likely now have to actually eat more. I say just eat when you are hungry till you figure out how much more you need. Maybe you will be able to out eat Ron after it sets in." Core smirked at this last bit.

"Now as for your abilities they are: Parseltongue and Magical Eyes. Hidden Abilities that you now have access to are: Beast-Talker, Shifter and Shaping. Things in the magical world you have a natural affinity for are: Flying, Transfiguration, Charms, Defense Against the Dark Arts, Enchantment, Wards, Runes, Rituals and lastly Dark Arts. Lastly physical/magical affinities/abilities: Way above average reflexes, Very high metabolism, Eidetic Recall for all your senses, Extremely high base magic stat and huge magical reserve."

"NO there is can be no way I have an affinity for the dark arts or any of that other stuff. I mean how could I. I am not dark."

"No one said you were. Just cause you have and affinity for it does not mean you can do it or have the mind set to be able to properly case the spells that are truly dark. Just because you have an affinity for it does not make you dark or evil it just means if you were to learn they you would not have a hard time at it, but just cause you learn them does not mean you can or will use them. Harry magic is not light or dark, good or evil, magic is magic it is a tool nothing more. It is the intent behind the spell that makes it good or evil. I mean all magic had a purpose at one point. Take the unforgivables for instance they were all made by healers to help in some way. Imperius Curse was originally used to help people get over phobias. Cruciatus Curse was used to stimulate nerves in people to help regain feeling in them. Then there is the Killing Curse. It was used on critically ill patients who were in pain and there was no way for them to get better. It was used to end their suffering that is why it is said to be painless. So do you understand what I am saying or do I need to beat it into you?"

"No I think I understand what you are saying Core. But that does not explain you. Are you saying that you are a tool?"

"That is different I am basically still magic but I am also you. Yes I am still a tool but now I have a say in things and can help you. Magic records everything it does and how it is done. I have a vast knowledge that I may share with you if you need it or if I am feeling generous."

"Ok but why do people who use the dark arts go evil then. If like you say magic is not good or evil why do people who use the dark arts go evil? I have heard of good people going bad after using them too much."

"Yes well that is a problem with them. You see they are powerful and even though they take a lot of your power to cast you don't need to be powerful to cast them. You just need a large reserve. After that it is just practice and refining the amount of magic that you waist when casting it. You see when someone cast any of the spells that are truly dark they feel a rush. This is the magic that gets pulled out with the spell. It washes over them thus giving them a pleasurable feeling. It can be very addicting. It makes them feel powerful and for people who are power hungry and will do anything to get that power it is the best feeling in the world. On the other hand though for people who don't want the power it makes them sick if they cast it. Of course that changes if they cast them too much. They too will become addicted to it. Now though there is a counter to all this, that is to have enough willpower to resist the pull of the spells or to have an anchor."

"Ok I understand the willpower part but what is an anchor and why would this be important?"

"An anchor is a person who can ground a person and keep them in check. They also usually have a way to check on the other person's magical core to see if it is getting corrupted. As for the reason that it is important is so that a wizard can be gray. That would be a combination of both light and dark arts. One who is gray is balanced. They do not shun any part of magic and knows that it is truly a tool. They do not fall to the seductions of the dark or the power it contains. They are strong enough to resist and thus remain pure."

"Am I pure?"

"Yes you are pure and I have a very good feeling that you will remain pure and that you will likely be a Gray Wizard in time."

"What! How, there is no way I have enough willpower to fight off the pull of the dark and I know I don't have an anchor."

"Actually you have both. You have a lot of willpower. You beat Voldemort in a battle of wills at the end of your fourth year. You can also easily through of the Imperius Curse. As for the anchor you don't have to worry about that. You have one in that cutie on the outside. I know she will keep you inline. I mean she is stubborn and determined enough to get in your way no matter what you are doing. Of course she is not the prefer anchor yet but I bet she will be within the year."

"Wow. Ok so umm… now that that is explained and before I forget what are Magical Eyes, Shaping and what is a Shifter." Harry asks rather shocked at this revelation.

Core chuckles at the results of this speech.

"Alright where to start? How about the eyes since you have been using them the most so far. This ability is fairly new to you and can be attained by anyone with enough power and who connects magic to mind. Basically what it does it puts more magic into your vision and allows you to see through or identify magical items. Thus you can see through illusions and glamour's and the invisible. I can say some girls are going to hate this about you. It is still growing and will take time. It also gives you the ability to tell if something is enchanted charmed or cursed. This though is something you need to learn to do and can be turned on and off. The first bit can't be turned off though. This ability is a great asset."

"Next was Shaping, yet another long explanation. Shaping is well just that. You have the ability to shape things out of nothing. This is not to be confused to conjuring. Conjuring is just and advanced form of Transfiguration, it takes air and transfigures it into something else. Shaping though is close but does not use air it uses ambient magic and your magic to create what you shape. This also means that it will not have a magical signature on it once you are finishes making it where something transfigured does and it can be turned back. Something that has been shaped cannot be undone except my transfiguring it say into air. At that point it would disperse enough that it would not be able to be put back together. If you were to transfigure it in to something else well the undo spell for it would return it to what you originally made. Now Shaping is not something someone care learn they have to be born with it. It is better then conjuring because what you shape is permanent where as things that are conjured fade over time unless some form of permanency charm or enchantment is placed on it. Of course there is a down side to it though. Now that you have had this ability unlocked you will not be able to learn how to conjure something like you would have. It will actually be a lot harder to learn how to conjure because you will default to Shaping."

"Ok now the last question. I think this one will be a bit easier to explain. A Shifter is some one who is well to put it easily a Metamorphmagus and a Doppelganger."

"Core what is a Doppelganger?"

"You don't know what a Doppelganger is but you do know what a Metamorphmagus is?"

"Yeah. Tonks is a Metamorphmagus, but I have never hear of a Doppelganger."

"Oh ok, well a Doppelganger is kind like a Metamorphmagus. They can take on another's shape, but they also gain its abilities. So for example lets take your friend Tonks she can say mimic a Vampire in looks but does not gain any of its strengths or weaknesses when she does. Now when a Doppelganger takes on the form of say a vampire they take on the form of a vampire they have seen thus copying it exactly. Strong Doppelgangers can actually alter the form slightly thus getting rid of any weaknesses. Going back to our example of a vampire would be say to sunlight. They could then have the strength speed and all that other benefits of a vampire and still go out in the day. Also one thing about a Doppelganger is that it is not limited to humanoid forms. It can also copy animals both magical and normal."

"Ok so what are the restraints on a Shifter?"

"Well there aren't really any. You have the full mimic featured of the Metamorphmagus and the copying features of the Doppelganger. Plus you don't need to see what you want to turn in to exactly. You still need to see it and it does have to exist, but all you really need is a picture of it or a really good description of it then your magic will take care of the rest."

"Ok. Umm… you said animals as well does that mean it is also a form of being an animagus?"

"Hmm… yeah I guess it would but more of a multi-animagus though."

"Ok so is there anything else I need to know about this ability?"

"Umm… you need to tell Madam Pomphrey once you start using it more cause it changed the way you heal and how your body reacts to certain potions and healing spells."

"Great so now I have to let it out. You do know this would have been something that would have been great to hide right."

"Yes I know that but you could always make her swear an oath to not reveal it to anyone and you don't have to tell her just yet. You still need to learn how to control it first."

"Ok but how am I going to do that?"

"Oh I will teach you. Depending on how fast you need to learn will determine how I teach you. Don't worry about it right now just get better. You need to do that before you can learn anything."

"Ok I think that this is all I bit much. I think I should just go work on my defenses now."

"Ok good idea Harry." Core said as we headed into the house.

Harry then shook his head at Core and plopped down on to the ground and closing his eyes.

Harry first started to with creating a huge impenetrable wall around his house to keep people out. Once he had succeeded it creating a solid wall within his mind he started to modify it to have a gate. The gate itself was massive, it had huge doors that were both strong and heavy along with braces, and two portcullises, one on the outside and one on the inside to help brace the door from any attacks. Harry then moved to the outside of the gates. There he began to work on the guardians of the gate. In no time at all there soon were two rater menacing looking gargoyles on either side of the gate.

Returning again to the inside of the wall Harry soon realized that someone could climb or maybe even fly over the wall. Sitting down one again Harry began to think this problem through. He did not want it to look dreary here within his mind do he did not want to box himself in. Harry soon decided to make a transparent dome over the whole of his mind connecting the bottom edges of the dome securely to the top of the wall. Within Harry's mind the dome like the wall were both made from the strongest substance that had ever been or ever would be.

Feeling that his mind was now much safer then it had been Harry started to look around. As he did this he soon realized that what was the ground was just dirt and thus did not make for a strong defense as someone could then tunnel under his wall. With a single thought the ground too turned into whatever material that the rest of the defenses were made out of. He then topped the ground inside of the wall with topsoil and then again returned the grass as he preferred to look of a large grass field to that of the bleak stone like look it previous had just a bit before.

"Well you have been busy, but I think you have been here long enough. Actually you will soon be waking so it is time for you to go."

"Really? I have been here that long Core. It has not seemed that long."

"Yes you have. I am impressed with your work too. I like the gate and everything else you have put a lot of though into it and you are getting better at the visualization of things with in your mind thus gaining more control over it. Just a bit more work and everything here will be done."

"Oh ok, well I guess I will see you later then Core." Harry waved as he faded away from his mind plane.

No sooner had Harry returned from creating his defenses then he was being shook to wake up by Ginny.

"Gin, I'm up I'm up."

"Good cause we need to talk."

"Ok what about?"

"Oh well I was talking to Madam Pomphrey this morning."

"Really, is that why you are in a nightgown then?"

"Yes that is why I am in a nightgown. She did not think it was proper for me to run around the hospital wing naked." Ginny giggled.

"Yes I bet she didn't. So other then your lack of modesty did the two of you talk about?"

"Your recovery."

"Oh so how am I doing then?"

"Umm… well she said you are going to recover. Well except for your arm she still doesn't know what to do about that. She wishes they knew where it was cause as long as it was in more or less one piece or even pieces she could reattach it and then heal it."

"Well that is not an option."

"Huh? Why not?"

"Because my captors incinerated it and then transfigured the ashes, what little there was left, into water and then drank it."

"Oh. Well that option is out I will mention that that is not an option later."

"Ok, so what else did you talk about? Any word on when I can get out of here?"

"Actually yes but you are not going to like it. She said you should be good to get out of bed in about 3 weeks but you will likely not be fit enough to return to class for months. She said some where between two and six months. She would not elaborate on it at all and said she needed to talk to you about it first."

"Bloody Hell! Isn't there only like two weeks till school starts up again."

"Yeah I know. She should be here soon to talk to you. She asked me to come and wake you so you could talk."

Before Harry could even comment on that last bit Madam Pomphrey appeared over by them.

"Well Mr. Potter I take it you have hear the news?"

"Yes and I am not overly please with it either. You are going to give me a reason aren't you? Also just so I know would you also tell me what I am and am not allowed to do as I know if I do something and you think I should have known better you will just lecture me about it later. The reason I ask this is I would rather know that I was getting yelled at for doing something I know I was not suppose to do rather then for doing something I didn't know I was not to do." Harry finished with a grin.

Poppy gave an exasprated sigh with the last statement.

"Well Mr. Potter you do not need to stay here for long. You may leave in two to three weeks depending on your recovery time. After that you may leave but I would much rather you remain here till you are fully back to your normal self. But since I know you I might as well be making that request to a wall because you will not remain with in this ward longer then you have to if I know you at all. There is one thing you need though if you leave and that is some one to watch over you. I know you likely hate to be hovered over and what not but you do need someone to make sure you do not stress yourself too much early on. Also you would benefit from peace and quiet so remaining at the school outside of the Hospital wing would not be advised. Now as for what you can do. You may walk around for short periods within the Hospital wing as long as you have some aid. This is do to the fact that you will tire easily and we do not need to falling and injuring yourself again anytime in the near future. You also can also do more or less whatever you would normally do as long as you remain with in the Hospital wing as there are still potions and what not that you still need to take. I would prefer if you staid in bed for at least another week though. This will insure that you have healed enough."

"Now the main problem with have with your recovery is your magical pathways." At this she waved her wand and an esile and a picture of a person silowet with glowing lines running all over it appeared.

"Now Mr. Potter this is what the magical pathways look like in most wizards and witches. It is very much like how the nerve pathways are. There are of course some differences but you don't need to concern your self with that." With yet another wave of her wand the pathways upon the silowet converged from the stringy threads in to thick cords as they all merged in to large pathways with threads coming off to feed common areas.

"This Mr. Potter is what your magical pathways now look like. They are just massive cords running down each of your legs and arms. And yes I said arms. Your shoulder is leaking quite a bit of magic. This is normal with the loss of limbs but not usually on this scale. Now there are also large cords going to organs like your heart, brain and lungs and your other major organs. Off of these main cords are strings and threads feeding magic to all the other parts of your body."

"Ok and this is important to me how?" asked Harry.

"Well Mr. Potter it means that you will not need to completely relearn how to use magic. In essence you can not perform it as you could before."

"WHAT!"

AN: Yes I am ending there. Why cause one i decided to be evil and two it might just force me to get the next chapter out fast due to evil ranting and raving readers who curse me in reviews or jsut their minds. Just so all you lovely readers know I do have the next chapter mostly writen. I just need to get it typed up and make some minor changes to it likely. Which I hope to get done with in the next week or two at most.

Just so you all know I do not actually have a beta and anyone woudl would like to offer their services please send me and email. Now do know that since Julez has already volunteered their services that if they woudl still like to do this that they are first on the lsit of betas.

All in all do hope all of you who read my story are enjoying it.