Disclaimer, I do not own Harry Potter or any of this story you may recognize.

"Trippy is being sent to wake Master's guest. You is needing to be awake now." The small house elf woke Harry from his haze.

"I am awake. I wish I wasn't but I am."

"Master is saying you is to be tested."

"Does the Master think I have time for a shower?"

"No, you is leaving now or Trippy is dragging you."

Harry grabbed the pain potion from beside his bed and downed it as he followed. He didn't know what was meant by "tested" but he doubted he would like it. He followed the elf back to the main hall where he stopped by the door. Entering the hall, Harry found about twenty death eaters in full regalia and Voldemort on his throne. When Harry entered Voldemort began to speak to both him and the assembled death eaters.

"I have grown bored. You have training and strength. You strike fear in the hearts of your enemies. But training and strength are nothing without technique. Prove your worth. The weak are worthless."

The assembled death eaters looked at each other, then looked at Harry. Even with the masks in his way, Harry swore they were grinning. Harry mentally flexed his magical muscles and did something disturbing, he grinned back. He saw the game now, he was to fight the death eaters to prove how well he was absorbing what he was learning and how much he had grown from the ritual. They thought they were going to torture and kill their Lord's greatest enemy. Voldemort meanwhile would sit back and laugh in sadistic glee while they went at each other's throats. He really was a twisted man.

Voldemort stood and moved to leave the room. When he reached the door he waved his hand distractedly for them to begin. The opponents regarded each other for a moment before bursting into action. Harry had looked furtively to his left and twitched in that direction before dodging/rolling forward and to the right. The death eaters opened with a wide variety of curses and most of them shot to the left. Since most people were right handed, they dodged left keeping their wand out for use. Harry's roll cost him a split second as he freed his wand arm again, but he was were he wasn't expected and that made all the difference. They would have to turn to fire on him which meant he had the upper hand for now.

Harry sent a wide arc tripping jinx toward the clustered death eaters from his position low to the floor. The better duelists jumped over it, but some still fell. Two were cursed by their comrades as they tried to retaliate. Harry dove forward again bringing himself right into the midst of the group. He was hoping that while he wouldn't have as much time to react, the close quarters could be used to his advantage. His dive brought him under another volley of spells as he slid across the floor and he shot a spell into the air very much like a muggle flash bang. A blinding light and a thunderclap proved a useful distraction as Harry threw up a smoke screen. He had to roll suddenly as a jet of red light hit where he had been laying. He shot a flurry of stunners in all directions and heard another three thuds. Curses flashed in the smoke and Harry was having trouble keeping track of where he had to dodge next.

One of the others banished the smoke and Harry found himself almost in the middle of a circle, clearly the wrong place to be. One of the larger death eaters held his hand up for the others to stop. There were ten still standing Harry noted.

"Avada Kedavra!" the larger one called.

"Accio!" Harry flung his arm to the side and summoned a death eater into the path of the curse. He fell to the floor with a scream before his comrade could stop the curse. Harry turned to the one who cast the killing curse and sent a banishing spell at the ground behind him. Harry shot across the room like a cannon ball and put his shoulder into the chest of his opponent. He crumpled like a wet paper bag as Harry tucked in and kept rolling. Harry was done playing nice, the unforgivable had seen to that, so he sent a flurry of bone breaking curses before he even stopped moving. One death eater wheezed as he was hit in the ribs.

Harry stood. Both sides looked at each other and evaluated the situation. Harry was a mess though he didn't know it. His left arm hung limp and shrapnel from a blasting curse peppered his face. Head wounds tended to bleed profusely so he looked downright scary with the grin that was currently on his face. The Death Eaters had eleven, some having been brought back into the fight.

'Fuck it,' Harry thought, 'they can't kill me, let's finish this.' He brought forth a tactic he had absorbed from Voldemort. Spell chaining was the art of casting spells with similar wand movements in succession. If you ended one spell up and to the right, then you needed to cast a spell that started there rather than waste the fraction of a second to bring it back to the center. Combined with similar sounding words in incantations, this technique could produce almost a steady stream of magic. The downside was that defensive spells didn't tend to chain well as they required focused intent to protect rather than harm. Changing mental gears didn't flow well and Spell Chaining was all about flow.

Harry opened up with his chains. Stunners and binding spells mixed with cutting and pain curses. Blasting, disarming, and bone breaking spells flowed from his wand. Jets of light in all colors flowed from Harry's wand as he just stood in place and rained hell on his opponents. He barely noticed the pain of curses impacting on him. A bone breaker hit his shin and he just dropped to a kneel. Cries of the wounded rose as the last man fell. Harry sent another round of stunning, disarming and binding curses all around before lowering his wand.

Harry nearly fainted as feeling returned and the adrenaline wore off. He grabbed his left arm and twisted. A small whimper broke his iron will as his arm settled back in its socket. Settling to the floor, Harry straightened his leg in front of him. He gasped when he slid the bones into place and when ropes sprang from his wand to bind it. He pushed his magic into his leg and willed the bone to mend. He cast a few more minor healing charms before conjuring a crutch. After the first few steps it was not nearly as painful.

He reached the door and called for Trippy. "Find someone to heal them. Is your Master in his study?"

The house elf nodded.

"Well, well, well, what is this? The hero walks in under his own power?"

"I'd hate to disappoint. I'll leave their wands with you."

"How did they fair?"

"Mostly cuts and bruises I think. Some will require a healer. Maybe a third of them have broken bones, but you lost one."

"How so?"

"Killing Curse."

"Ah, well go get cleaned up and I will see you in the dining room for lunch. We have a busy afternoon and two rituals tonight. There will be more healing draughts waiting in your room."

"You are looking much better. Almost well enough for another torture session." Voldemort commented a half hour later when Harry stumbled in for lunch.

"Let's save that for later if you don't mind. I must compliment Snape, much as I hate to, those healing potions worked better than average. Tasted wretched though."

"Really? How interesting. Snape, for all he is a talented potions master, seems to have particular trouble producing decent healing brews. It's one of the things that tipped me off about his spying. He makes them as low strength as possible while still delivering a useful product. I don't curse him enough for it, after all it's not like I am ever the one using them."

"You think it's something other than the potions then? I guess I have always healed faster than normal. That basilisk bite should have killed me, but I was up and about within the hour. Now I'll admit that the phoenix tears helped."

"You were bitten by Slytherin's basilisk? How long before the phoenix got to you?"

"Maybe five minutes. With the knowledge you've given me I can see that was rather extreme. His venom should have been potent enough to kill within the first minute. Perhaps it's just the prophecy again."

"That helps of course, but from what you've said about that incident, we were pretty close to being equals then. In my school boy days I wasn't nearly as powerful, and my ordering the basilisk to kill you should have satisfied the "by the hand of" clause. By the way, what happened to the crutch?"

"After taking the healing potions, I didn't need it. I broke my leg in the fight, but with the help of the crutch and splint I was able to make it to the shower. After taking the potions the bone mended quickly and I was able to hobble here without the crutch."

"Hmm… that shouldn't be possible with those potions. None of them would fix bones. I'm going to go out on a limb here. Have you ever experienced noticeable changes in your appearance?"

"Not really. I know I look younger than I am, but I've always looked about the same. The closest I can think of would be when my aunt shaved my head and my hair grew back overnight to it's regular length."

"How often do you need to see a barber?"

"Never, it just stays this long. Always has."

"I think I see a pattern. Sudden hair growth, enhanced healing, magic subconsciously keeping the same outward appearance… Hell's fire the scars from the shrapnel shouldn't have vanished completely yet either, but here you are with an unblemished face. Are these sounding like indicators of anything to you?"

"Maybe signs of a developing metamorph, but I've never had any luck changing my appearance consciously. Heaven only knows how many times I've tried to wish this scar away."

"Perhaps you should seriously consider it. Belief and conviction have a lot to do with magic as you know. Now that you know you're showing signs you might be able to make advances in this area. If it helps, it is a power I don't have."

"Damn, that would have been real useful too if I were still trying to sneak up on you. Now that you mention it, when I took the potions I did concentrate my attention on my leg kind of encouraging the magic to flow there."

"See, that makes it almost a certainty, practice that on your own time. The transfiguration knowledge you already have should make it a snap to master. Eat up we've still got our torture session to look forward to."

Harry entered the room for his first ritual of the night to find Voldemort, Nagini, and most surprisingly Hedwig waiting for him.

"It's time Potter for you to formally bond with a familiar. Until now your pet owl has been just that, a pet. A familiar bond is a two way street. Your magic enhances theirs and you gain some qualities or benefits from them. Personally I quite enjoy my enhanced smell, taste, and ability to move nearly silently that Nagini gifted me with among other things, and she has lived much longer and grown larger than any of her species should. I find I can taste people's emotions in the air now. Fear and Pain are simply exquisite."

"And I assume you mean for me to bond with Hedwig."

"It is the logical choice, you have already invested a lot of time and effort into her wellbeing, and the bond does require some affection."

"I would have imagined you would suggest a snake. We are both parseltongues."

"The prophecy merely says equal, we can be different and still be equal. Besides, you stole the parseltongue ability from me."

"If I am remembering correctly, this bond strengthens and the powers develop over time. How do you propose to catch us up as it were?"

"Very good. Now if you think, you must take the essence of the animal within yourself to form the bond, and they must consume some of your blood. When Nagini and I bonded, she bit my finger to inject her venom. Have you considered how we are to take the essence of an owl into your being?"

"Normally a wizard implants a small piece beneath their skin."

"Exactly, normally. With you we need a stronger bond, a near perfect fusion right away. Can you think of a way to bring the feather we will use from your owl to the very core of your being?"

"Two ways strike me off the bat but they are both almost suicidal… Oh you are a sadistic bastard! Why do I get the feeling you are deliberately choosing the most painful rituals and methods for this?"

"Because I am. Never forget I am your enemy and I will kill you one day. In the meantime, I am going to enjoy your pain and suffering. So will you be implanting the feather in your heart or in your brain?"

"At least you are up front about your intentions. I'll tell you what. In thanks for your assistance, I'll let you choose. The heart will take longer, but the brain will require breaking open my skull. The pain will probably be the same either way. Only varying in intensity or duration."

"No, surely you realize Potter that half my enjoyment will lie in forcing you to make the decision. And you do realize you have to do it yourself correct?"

"Ouch, that's a tough choice then. Alright, bring me an ice-pick and let's get this over with. I guess I will stick it in my brain."

"Brave choice. Will you go in through your temples or the top of your skull?"

"The base actually. There is an opening where the spine meets the brain, so I won't have to break the bone. Also if the feather is in contact with my spinal cord in addition to my brain it will connect not just with my core but with all the parts of my body."

"Very good. Your heart would have provided a similar connection through your blood vessels but it is a mark of your intelligence that you chose to put it near the spine for that reason. You have potential. Your instincts on ritual magic seem to be very promising. These sorts of answers and solutions cannot be found in books. These sorts of modifications must come from within. It's too bad, with time you might have been great. The world will never know what it lost when I kill you."

"Thank you."

They carefully drew the circle and runes on the stone floor and Harry plucked a feather from Hedwig's head before slicing his finger and dripping his blood down her throat. Harry chanted the incantation over and over under his breath as he fitted the tip of the feather onto the tip of the ice pick. With luck the two would slide in together and the feather would stay when he removed the pick. Without luck he might have to do it twice.

He chanted the incantation out loud as he positioned the pick and feather at the base of his skull. He leaned forward as the magic swelled around him. He held the pick in place with two fingers while the other hand pulled away. When the magic reached its peak, he brought his hand down hard and the pick slid through his flesh. As the metal touched nerves, pain and chaos erupted throughout his body. Muscles twitched and his toes jerked. One half of his body complained that it was in a raging inferno while the other swore it was in an icy lake. It was all he could do to slide the ice pick back out of its hole before collapsing to the floor as the magic wrought changes in his body.

He screamed as his bones and joints burned from within. His muscles rearranged themselves in a sickening way that reminded him of polyjuice potion. He heard Voldemort laughing from the corner as the fires reached his eyes and his vision went black. The excruciating pain that he felt with the vision potion returned and he saw stars before it slowly began to return one bit at a time.

"That was rather fun to watch. I can't believe the Golden Boy of Gryffindor could do that."

Harry gasped from the floor. "I am no stranger to pain as you well know. If this had to be done, best it was done quickly. You would have cursed me most severely if I had resisted."

"Ah, the boy can be taught! I am almost disappointed that I didn't get to curse you, but watching you willingly inflict that pain on yourself was even better."

"Have I mentioned lately that I hate you?"

Voldemort only laughed. "Well, get up. What changes have you experienced?"

He unsteadily got to his feet. "Somehow I feel lighter. I suppose my bones have become like a birds. My vision is no different, but I distinctly felt my optic nerves being destroyed and re-grown again. I am guessing that would be better vision at night." He twisted his neck to work out some of his residual pain and was surprised when it twisted all the way around. "And I appear to be able to stare at my own bum. If I were gay, that might be a nice arse."

"Hmm, lighter bones, night vision and a little flexibility aren't quite on the level with my bond, but it's better than most experience right away."

"I'm sure it will strengthen as I mature."

"Then it is a good thing tomorrow we will be forcing your magical maturity to develop ahead of schedule."

Harry groaned. "That should hurt."

"Mr. Potter, by the time I decide to kill you, your definition of painful will be beyond the ken of mortal men. You will greet death with open arms because it will be an end to your suffering."

"I look forward to it already."

"Grab another potion and get something to eat. You still have another ritual to do and you will need your wits about you."

"This ritual will enhance your reflexes and decrease your reaction time. In combination with a potion and some runes carved into your skin, this ritual will make you an equal to anyone on the planet when it comes to pure speed."

"The potion I assume is to promote regeneration? Which rune set will we be using?"

"Correct, it is a powerful regeneration potion, the tears of Isis. You will be using the alacantera runes. You will carve them with a platinum knife over every major joint and muscle group. Those you cannot reach, I will carve. I don't have to tell you that you don't want me to carve them. You will take the potion just prior to beginning the ritual incantation so as not to heal the runes before they are needed."

"Which incantation? No wait, don't tell me. It's got to be Heracles' Might."

Voldemort grinned and nodded.

"You bastard, why is it everything I do lately involves destroying my nerves and re-growing them? You do know that performing this ritual within a week of nerve damage almost ensures its failure? I really don't want to end up a drooling husk."

"The prophecy will take care of it."

"I swear to Merlin I am going to kill that damn seer."

"Oh she's right below you and the Headmaster on my list."

"I assume I can count on an early wake up tomorrow? With more angry death eaters who you consider expendable?"

"No, I think it would be best if there wasn't a set schedule for that. Keeps you on your toes. Fear of the unknown and all that rot."