Disclaimer: All charcters and world concepts are property of J.K. Rowling

Disclaimer: This is not the work of CNG25 but that of Lilausty, originally published on harrypotterfanfiction-dot-com.

Chapter 32: Recovery

Like climbing a long staircase Harry slowly regained consciousness. His body was surprisingly numb, and he pondered the weird sensation. Memories flashed quickly before his eyes quickly, to fast for him to comprehend their meaning. He tried to grasp hold of one, to try and understand why he couldn't move.

A picture of a house elf swam in front of him and he held onto tenuously, as if it was his only life line. A name was on the tip of his tongue.

Kreacher.

Harry's eyes flew open as he recalled the night. He still couldn't move, but his eyes darted around quickly, trying to take everything in.

The room was very dark, he couldn't see anything and as he tried to pierce the darkness, his eyes started to ache. He started to panic, but still could not move his body. There was a flash of fire and Fawkes appeared, "Easy Harry, you are safe, do not worry."

Immediately calmed by his friends presence Harry thought back to him, "What happened? Where is everyone?"

The phoenix gave a snort, "Ron, Hermione and Ginny are all having dinner at the moment and I would hazard a guess that the founders are repairing some of the damage to Potter Castle from today's lesson."

Harry frowned, "Today's lesson? But today is Sunday, and how can it be dinner?"

He felt a wave of amused sympathy from the bird, "Ah Harry, you have been unconscious for a week. The little escapade concerning the horcrux knocked you out for a fair time. The teens were very worried for you for the first couple of days until Salazar explained that you were fine, that your body just needed time to recuperate."

Harry's eyes widened, "A-A week? Must have been some curse. I don't suppose Salazar mentioned anything about feeling numb when I woke up?"

Fawkes trilled softly, "He cast a full body bind on you as well as a numbing spell in case you woke up before they got back. If he didn't you would probably be writhing in pain right now. He was able to remove the curse fairly easily, but it left some effects that will take time to heal."

Harry sighed, "I thought that you said that if the curse could be removed then you could heal the wounds it left."

If the phoenix could have rolled his eyes he would have, "I said that any physical wounds I could heal. And I did, or did you not notice that the burns are gone? Unfortunately, there are other effects, not limited to the vibrating of your nerves, hyper-fast blood flow and irritated cells in your retina. The room is dark to counteract the latter, but unfortunately, the others will take some time to fix themselves. Salazar has done all he can to heal them, and you are not in any danger of losing your life, you just need time."

"Swell, you know how much I hate waiting around in a hospital bed. It is boring!" Harry complained.

Fawkes snorted again, "Hey, if you want to tell Salazar to let you go, it's your funeral. Frankly I think you should be grateful that you came off so easily. Remember Dumbledore, when he took on the ring Horcrux was struck with a curse that was slowly killing him and could not be removed."

Harry winced, "I suppose you're right. I just hate being helpless, hate being a bother on everyone else."

"I don't think that the others are going to begrudge you lying around for a few days. Especially since you took the brunt of the horcrux's attack."

Fawkes's statement jiggled something in Harry's memory and he gave the phoenix an alarmed look, "They are ok aren't they? I mean, they struck the horcrux too! Did the curse affect them?"

Trilling a comforting note he replied, "No, Salazar copped some of the after shock, which caused him pain but he didn't get the curse itself, and the other three didn't get anything at all. I am afraid you were quite selfish and took it all yourself!"

Harry snorted, closing his eyes as weariness pulled at his consciousness. He struggled to stay awake until Fawkes said in amusement, "Go to sleep Harry, you need it. Don't be a stubborn Gryffindor and try and stay awake, it will do you more harm then good. I have no doubt that Salazar will wake you up when he comes back once he realises that you regained consciousness on your own."

Harry felt himself agree reluctantly and surrendered to the tendrils of sleep that were pulling him down.

"Come on Harry, wake up, I think you have slept enough."

Harry opened his eyes, squinting at the figure that was leaning over him. Salazar smirked, "How do you feel?"

Licking his lips Harry replied, "I don't really feel much of anything. Fawkes said you put a numbing spell on me?"

The snake founder nodded, "Yeah, it was necessary. But considering the rate you are healing, I could probably take it off by the end of tomorrow. You will still be in a bit of pain for the next week or so, but at least you'll be able to move around."

Harry nodded, "Thank goodness, and thanks for allowing me movement of my head. At least I can talk and annoy everyone."

He laughed, "Well, at least your humour is still intact." He pulled out a couple of vials, "I am going to spell these into your stomach so you don't have to drink them. Normally it is a disconcerting feeling, but because of the numbing spell, you shouldn't feel it at all."

At Harry's nod he waved his wand over the vials and then pointed it at his torso. The liquid in the vials disappeared, but Harry didn't feel anything.

"Harry!" a squeal came from the door.

Turning his head he grinned at Ginny as she dashed over and knelt by his bed. Clasping his limp hand in her own two she kissed him soundly. "How are you feeling?"

Smirking he replied, "Much better now. Though another kiss wouldn't go astray."

Her eyes narrowed, "Oh really Mr Potter? You think that just because you are a helpless invalid at the moment I am going to fawn all over you?"

If he could have, he would have shrugged, however he settled for grinning at her again, "Why not?"

"I'll tell you why not." Salazar interrupted, "Because I need to see how well you are healing and I cannot do that if Ginny is, what's the term? Ah yes, snogging you."

Ginny blushed a furious shade of red as Salazar started waving his wand rapidly over Harry. After a moment he smiled with relief, "Well, you certainly are lucky Harry. The vibrations are slowing quicker than I expected and your retina's have all but healed. Your blood is still flowing extremely fast, but at this stage I think it will start to slow sometime tomorrow."

Harry smiled and closed his eyes, "That's good then, it is nice to know that taking on the horcurx hasn't left me permanently damaged like it did Dumbledore."

Salazar's mouth twitched, "If we hadn't been there to assist you Harry, there is a very good chance you would not have been so fortunate."

His eyes snapped open, "I am well aware of that! I am not overstating my own abilities you know."

The snake founder rolled his eyes, "And I wasn't insinuating that you were, I was merely stating fact. However, you are right, you haven't been permanently damaged for which we are all thankful. But I wouldn't recommend you do it again for some time."

Ginny nodded in agreement, "Yes, I don't think my nerves could take hearing you scream like that again for a long time."

Harry winced, "Sorry, I didn't want to worry you."

She snorted, "Harry, I was not so naïve to think that you would come off without a scratch after facing it. I just don't want you to be putting your body through such stress multiple times in quick succession."

He grinned, "Well, that makes two of us." He eyed the doorway, "Where are the others?"

"Hermione is trying to get Ron to complete his Transfiguration homework. Rowena is with Neville in the Room of Requirement giving him a bit more help on his animagus transformation and Helga is…"

"Wanting to know if you need anything?" a quiet voice spoke from the door. Helga stepped into the room and smiled broadly at Harry, "How do you feel?"

"How come everyone keeps asking me that even though they know that I can't feel anything because of the numbing spell?" Harry asked in exasperation.

She shrugged, "Habit I guess. Still it's nice to see that your temperament hasn't been affected." She looked at Salazar in askance.

He replied to her unasked question, "He is mending nicely. I would say in another couple of days he can go back to school."

She nodded, "And when that happens, all hell is going to break loose."

Harry's eyes widened, "Of course! How has McGonagall been taking my 'disappearance'?"

Ginny snorted again, "Oh she is running around like a headless chicken. She keeps badgering us teens about your location, wondering if you have been captured or something. I told her that you are safe and that we know where you are so she has nothing to worry about. Especially since she was the one who said to you that as long as you told someone where you are going, she wasn't going to pry too deeply."

Harry grinned, "That was at the beginning of the year Gin. A lot has changed since then."

"True, but she hadn't said to you that you have to stay at school, so she can't now turn around and get all high-and-mighty about it. However, I think she was a little relieved when we told her that you were safe. Personally, I think you are going to have to answer more question from the DA than her. They were quite upset when you didn't show up for the lesson."

He rolled his eyes, "Oh I'll make it up to them. Besides, I have no doubt that you put them through their exercises just as well as I could have."

"Harry! You're awake!" Hermione's surprised exclamation came from the door. They turned as she and Ron bounded into the room, the latter grinning from ear to ear.

"'Bout time you woke up mate! You're even lazier than me sometimes." He commented, eyeing Harry.

He grinned, "I don't think that is possible Ron. Besides, I'd like to see how you would be after stabbing a piece of Voldemort's soul!"

Ron winced, "Point."

"So what have you all been doing with your time while I've been out?" Harry asked curiously.

Hermione snorted, "Trying to keep the DA from tearing the castle apart looking for you for starters. They got it in their heads that you had been captured or something and were ready to go and attack the Death Eaters. But when we told them that you were safe and still in the castle they demanded to see you. Thinking that it would be best if you were kept in a quiet place we told them to wait."

Ginny nodded, "As you can imagine, that didn't go down well with them, particularly the Gryffindors. They threatened to pull the place apart to find you. It took some pretty strong words from Salazar and Rowena to get them to calm down."

Harry winced and turned to the snake founder, "I hope you didn't scare them too badly."

He grinned, "Actually, I was very impressed, most of them didn't even flinch when I gave them my best stare. I swear time must have strengthened the Gryffindor 'stubborn' gene."

"Oi!" Godric's voice came from the doorway, "I resemble that comment!"

Salazar rolled his eyes, "And so you do."

"Anyway…" Ginny continued, "Once we had solved that little problem, and assured McGonagall that you were ok we have been discussing what we need to do now. As we don't have any more of old Voldy's blood, we can't track another Horcrux, and personally I don't think he is going to let us get the close to him again."

Harry nodded in agreement, "So, did you come up with anything?"

"Unfortunately not." Rowena said, walking into the room.

"How was Neville's transformation?" Helga asked interestedly.

Rowena grinned, "Brilliant! He finished it, finally. He is quite impressive, I am sure he is busy running around the Room of Requirement getting used to his new legs."

"What is he?" Harry asked curiously.

Rowena shook her head, "Na-ah, I am not spoiling it! You'll just have to see when we reveal all forms in a couple of weeks or so."

Harry's eyebrows rose, "You mean that everyone now has an animagus form? You got to everyone individually and taught them already?"

She nodded triumphantly, "Indeed. Most got it very quickly, in fact that dear Luna I think must already have been one for she got it on her second go!"

Harry grinned, "That doesn't surprise me in the slightest. I gave up being bamboozled by Luna a year ago, she is just full of bombshells at every turn." He frowned, "So we are stuck on the next step in the hunt then?"

She nodded, "Yes, I honestly don't know where to go from here. Tomorrow, while you are still bed-ridden I am going to pick your brains regarding anything and everything Dumbledore spoke to you about Riddle and his youth. There might be something there that we have overlooked that could give us a clue regarding another Horcrux location."

He nodded, "Sure, though I'm pretty sure I have told you everything I know."

Hermione piped up, "It never hurts to look at the facts again though, there might be something that has been staring us in the face for a while that we just haven't seen yet."

Harry smiled at her, "Ah Hermione, always the logical individual in our midst." He paused before fixing Godric with a stare, "Now, I didn't have a chance before, so could you please explain to me what happened with Kreacher?"

Godric winced, "Oh, um, about that, we probably should have asked your permission first. But I was just angry that he was disregarding his people's laws so blatantly, and nothing was being done."

Harry shot him a confused stare, "But what did you do?"

"I banished him. Permanently. He can never again serve a wizarding family as a house elf. I sent him to the banished city of Titenbock. Basically, any elf that breaks the most sacred of the elvish laws can be sent by any wizard that invokes the law to the city. Only those in utter disgrace live there, it is said to be a very depressing place." Godric explained.

Hermione, whose hands were over her mouth, burst out in indignation, "How could you? He is made to be a slave, and then if he doesn't serve the way wizards want, he gets banished? That is just despicable! I mean, he is not right in the head after all!"

Salazar glared at her, "You know not what you say Hermione. Firstly, that creature was most certainly in his right mind. He knew exactly what he was doing when he got Sirius killed. He also knew exactly what he was doing when he tried to get Harry killed a week ago."

She shrank back slightly, recoiling from his anger, "H-He tried to k-kill Harry?"

"Indeed, and the law that Godric invoked was not one created by wizards, but by the wisest and greatest of all the elves. We were simply the enforcers of the law, but the law itself was of his own people's making. He was an evil elf, and deserved his fate." His face softened slightly, "You must understand Hermione, even among the elves, there are good and bad individuals. You have seen the good in Dobby, Harry's friend, but you turned a blind eye to the evil in Kreacher."

She considered his words for a moment before nodding reluctantly, "Alright, I accept what you are saying. I just don't like that sentient beings are made to live as slaves to wizards. It just doesn't seem right!"

Helga patted her on the back, "And believe you me, we are not saying that it is. But that elf had crossed the line."

Harry piped up, "So he is gone forever? I mean, I won't have anything to do with him ever again?"

Godric shook his head, "No, he is gone. You no longer have an elf by the name of Kreacher bound to you."

Harry breathed a sigh, "Thank goodness. It was always a struggle not to strangle him every time I saw him."

The sat in silence for a moment, Harry gradually feeling sleep pull him into its clutches. He wearily looked at Ginny, "I think I'm going to sleep now. I can barely keep my eyes open."

She nodded and kissed him softly, "I'll be here when you wake up. Hopefully, by tomorrow you will be able to get up and move around." She stood up and gestured for the others to leave quietly.

Hermione smiled at him, "See you tomorrow Harry, sleep well."

He grinned sleepily at her, "Cheers Herm."

True to his word, Salazar removed the numbing spell and full body bind at the end of the next day. Harry had gasped as pain rushed through his senses. Apparently even the small effects of the curse that were still in his body were enough to cause some pretty intense pain.

Still, pushing past it, Harry gratefully began moving around, happy to have control over his muscles once again. Ginny and Hermione had then put him through various exercises that Salazar had determined would assist him in regaining his strength.

Ginny particularly enjoyed it, as she got to tickle him whenever he complained that it hurt too much. Harry quickly learnt to shut up and just put up with the pain for the alternative was a worse form of torture. Hermione had been a little aghast, since being muggle-born, she believed in a less stringent way of healing, but when she realised that Harry didn't mind she merely shrugged and helped Ginny tickle him.

He and Rowena had their talk regarding Voldemort, and Hermione joined in, but even with their combined intellect, they couldn't come up with anything. Harry was quite discouraged, but Godric, who had come in towards the end merely grinned, "Harry, all this means is that you need a break. Just stop thinking about Voldemort and your quest! When the time comes for you to destroy the next piece of him, you will know where to go and what to do."

The impatient part of Harry was screaming out, obviously not convinced. However, the more tempered part of his personality, which was gaining dominance over his physic, realised the wisdom of the founder's words and settled for having fun in the lull before the next storm.

Wednesday came around, and Harry, itching to get out Phoenix's Nest, finally persuaded Salazar to let him go back to school. The snake founder made him promise not to partake in any duels in DADA and to be sensible in any outdoor activities.

Muttering about over-protective Slytherin's Harry dashed out the door before Salazar could call him back. He and Ginny made their way to the Great Hall for breakfast. They were a little late, and Harry winced, seeing how many people were already there eating.

No one noticed their presence until Neville looked up and shouted with happiness, "HARRY! You're back!" He dashed over and gave Harry a huge hug.

Surprised by the affection showed, Harry patted him gently on the back grinned, "Yes I'm back Nev, but if you don't let you, you'll probably put me back in the room where I have been for the last few days!"

Immediately letting him go, Neville blushed, but didn't have time to say anything else as they were surrounded by the other members of the DA. Luna gave him a dreamy kiss on the cheek, welcoming him back. Demelza clapped him on the back, congratulating him on managing to get out of over a week of school and Colin asked if he had any injuries that he could take a picture of.

Having seen the congregating students, McGonagall hustled over, intent on finding out what was going on. When she saw Harry she made a beeline for him, fixing him with a very serious stare. Harry met it calmly as she asked, "Mr Potter. I don't suppose you would have any explanation that would remotely resemble the truth as to where you have been for the last week and a half?"

Ginny clasped his hand but stayed quiet, merely raising an eyebrow at the Headmistress. Harry smiled, "I have been at Hogwarts Ma-am. I was involved in an activity that required me to recuperate for the past week and a half."

Alarm flitted across her face, "Recuperate? Were you injured Mr Potter?"

He smirked, "Only a little. Nothing serious, I just needed time."

She frowned, "You weren't in the hospital wing."

"No, I wasn't. Was there anything else you wanted Professor?"

Her mouth twitched, but after a moment she sighed, "No, I suppose if you are here now it doesn't really matter. I just wish you would tell someone before you take off."

Harry gave her an insulted stare, "I did! Didn't Ginny and Ron and Hermione all tell you that I was fine and safe? I told them where I was going and what I was doing. If something serious had happened, they would have been able to alert the proper authorities."

She gave a slightly snort, "I meant, I wish you would tell an adult in the Order before you take off."

Harry's eyebrows rose, "I don't really have a reason to Ma-am. I am in no way affiliated with the Order, and I am an adult now, with no ties to anyone."

"Oi!" Ginny protested.

He grinned down at her, "Except for you Gin."

He turned back to the Headmistress, but she was already turning away and stalking back up to the teachers table. Satisfied, Harry proceeded to make his way over to the Gryffindor table, the rest of the DA splitting up and returning to their own perspective tables.

Ron snorted, "Well, that went better than expected. I was kinda hoping she would try and drag you up to the Head's office by your ear."

Harry's eyebrows rose, "Thanks Ron, it's nice to see you have my interests at heart, especially since old Snakey told me to take it easy and you know how he gets if his orders are disobeyed."

The others nodded emphatically in agreement as they dug into their breakfast. Once she had finished, Hermione leaned over and murmured softly, "I was talking with Flighty regarding our training. She thinks that we should have a contest or something, to use some of our newer skills. Stripes suggested a maze of some sort, and since you are the only one here that has been into a maze, I thought I'd run the idea by you."

Harry shrugged, "Well, I can definitely say that the Tri-Wizard Tournament maze tested me. There is nothing like running around completely by yourself in the dark with these huge hedges towering over you and expecting some monster to come and jump out at you at every turn. What did Roarer say?"

Ron rolled his eyes, "Suggested that we should ask the twins for some of their products as well. I swear that man is more of a terror then they are!"

Harry laughed before wincing and putting a hand to his stomach. Neville, who had been watching the four talk quietly asked, concern written over every feature, "You alright Harry?"

He nodded, "Yeah fine. Just a little sore. "

Neville's lips pursed, obviously not convinced. Harry sighed, "Look mate, you have to understand that there are some things that I just can't discuss with you, especially right now."

Seamus piped up, "Will you tell us on Sat?"

"SHHHH!" Ginny and Hermione burst out, glaring at him.

Looking slightly sheepish he muttered an apology, but obviously still wanted an answer. Harry rolled his eyes, "I will say as much as I am able ok? But you won't know everything, some things I swore to Dumbledore to keep secret."

Neville's face cleared, "Oh, well in that case, I seem to have gotten wool stuck in my ears!"

Grinning at him Harry replied, "Cheers Nev."

"Come on, potions time, let's see what wonderful creation Slughorn is wanting us to brew." Ron stated, getting to his feet and picking up his pack. He looked at Harry, "Do you need me to carry your bag Harry?"

Scowling at him Harry shouldered his own pack, "I am not an invalid Ron! My chest is still a little sore but I am not in that much pain."

Ron stuck his tongue out at him before looping his arm through Hermione's and led her away. She giggled slightly and turned her head over her shoulder, "Come along then!"

Rolling his eyes, he kissed Ginny quickly and followed them out of the hall and off to class.