Hello! Yes, it's unexpected. Please don't get your hopes up, the story isn't good and isn't going to get better. Any plans I had for it are out the window; I'm just going to finish it off. There may be another two chapters,not including this one, one probably being an epilogue. It's not going to be good or impressive or what I had originally hoped for this story but it's going to give it an ending.

My other Harry Potter story 'A Twist of Sarcasm' however is complete and fully uploaded and I'm quite proud of it if you would check it out, much appreciated, I also have plans for other fics/shorts/one shots coming soon. Warning!- they won't be Harry Potter!

Hope you enjoy this and the ending (when it comes, hopefully soon) will satisfy that devilish part in all of us that hates an unfinished story. Shout out to my latest reviewer LtsHrIt4ThBoyz who basically told me to buck up my ideas and finish the story! If you want to read her review it's still there. Thanks for that!

Okay, enjoy!

Harry

Harry rolled out of bed that morning and got dressed before going downstairs for breakfast and to meet Slytherin. After he had finished he followed Salazar down into his dungeons. He watched as Salazar walked to the back of the large room and switched on a large magical lamp. He sighed in relief.

'That was a big sigh. Everything alright?' Salazar asked him.

'Oh yeah, everything's fine. It was a sigh of relief! I thought it was going to be like my potions classes in a dark dungeon with a greasy bat.'

'There were bats in your class room?'

'No, that's the teacher!' Harry said. They laughed at that before settling down around one of the desks in the room. Harry pulled out his notebook and watched as Salazar also pulled out a book.

'This is a basic book to Alchemy. To begin with I just want you to read through it and absorb the information. Ask me anything you don't understand.'

So, for the next two hours or so Harry sat and read the book. Every now and again he would copy down a paragraph or two that he thought would be useful.

'...Alchemyis an influential philosophical tradition whose practitioners have claimed it to be the precursor to profound powers. The defining objectives of alchemy are varied, but historically have typically included one or more of the following goals: the creation of thephilosopher's stone; the ability to transformbase metalsinto thenoble metals; and development of anelixir of life, which would confer youth and longevity...'

'...Alchemy differs significantly from modern science in its inclusion of practices related tomythology, magic,religion, andspirituality. It is recognized as aproto-sciencethat contributed to the development of modernchemistry andmedicine. Alchemists developed a structure of basic techniques, theory, terminology, and experimental method...'

'...Thephilosophers' stoneor lapis philosophorum is a legendaryalchemicalsubstance said to be capable of turningbase metalssuch asleadintogold orsilver. It was also sometimes believed to be anelixir of life, useful forrejuvenationand possibly for achievingimmortality...'

'...Theelixir of life, also known aselixir of immortalityand sometimes equated with thephilosopher's stone, is a mythicalpotionthat, when drunk from a certain cup at a certain time, supposedly grants the drinkereternal lifeand/oreternal youth. Theelixirof life was also said to be able to create life...'

Once Harry had finished (he had become an exceptionally good speed reader) he put the book down on the table.

'I never knew there was so much to Alchemy. I knew that Nicholas Flamel created the Philosophers Stone but apart from that and what it does I didn't really know much about it.'

'It's much more complicated than most people think. However, Nicholas Flamel wasn't the first person to create a Philosophers Stone. I simply just erased all memory of it from all those who knew about what I had created. I knew it was over powered and didn't want to create a rift in humanity this early in History.'

'Of course you created the stone!' Harry said.

'Now, for Alchemy to be used in the best way possible during battle there are a few things I'm going to teach you to do: First, I'm going to teach you how to create a weaker version of the Elixir of Life that can be used as a very strong healing potion. Second, I'm going to teach you how to use surrounding metals to block other wizard's magic. And lastly, I'm going to teach you how to change blood into metal.'

'What good will that do?' Harry asked.

'Well let's just say, no matter how morbid, it can be really useful when you can turn your enemies into pure metal. However, it is irreversible. So you can only do it to those you know are guilty and can be of no use to you or the down bringing of other criminals.'

Salazar spent the rest of the day going through the basics of alchemy, teaching Harry about the different metals, how they react with each other and how they react with magic. He showed Harry how to harness metals into his spells to create more powerful curses and hexes as well as strengthen his potions.

Harry then for the next week decided to work on his own project; he wanted to learn how he could create a health potion and be able to infuse his comrades with it over a long distance. He worked with metals and potion ingredients, as well as upgrading his wand to allow that transaction to take place.

A few days after Harry had completed his project; he woke early at Salazar's request and met him down outside the forest for about 10.

'Come and sit down my boy. I want you to meditate first, this morning we are going to perform a ritual that will increase your power and your founder's bond.' Said Salazar.

Harry spent the next hour meditating, calming his mind and collecting his thoughts. Whilst doing that he checked his Occlumency walls and patched up a few cracks, checked his Animagus and spent some time with it and checked his core; this was a ritual check up they had all decided on doing a while back when they could all complete the tasks. Whilst checking his core he saw something out of the ordinary; they had been warned against possibly tampering with their cores but Harry checked his core semi regularly.

When he looked at his magical core he saw a fairly large glowing ball. It was a deep purple colour and was gently pulsing as he watched. As he moved closer he could feel the strength of the pure magical energy that it was letting off.

As he looked at his core he saw a small bubble of magic that was not his own hanging off the side. This worried Harry but he had a suspicious feeling that it had something to do with the ritual they were going to perform..

As he pulled out of his mind he looked at Salazar. He was smirking at him as if he knew what conclusion Harry had come to.

'I found an area of magic attached to my core that wasn't my own magic but it looked as if it was trying to gain access. I'm guessing it has something to do with you but what is it?'

'That is the founder's magic within you Harry. That needs to be released for this next part of your training. Unfortunately to do that we need to perform a ritual that we created and it has to be done at a certain time which I why I asked you to meet me here just now. This is because each of the Founder's magic is strongest at a certain time. Mine is during the morning.

The reason we are only doing it now is because we wanted each of you to get accustom with the type of magic we do before not just our knowledge, but our soul and spirit enters each of you.'

Harry nodded and asked what he had to do.

'I want you to lie face up with your hands down by your sides. Once you have done that I will ask you a few questions which you will need to answer accordingly. Then I will need you to enter your mind and go towards that extra bit on your core. As I am chanting bits of it will fly off. It is your job to use your magic to push them backwards and into your own core. You will feel a slight burning sensation but...Let's begin.'

After watching Harry lie down Salazar began.

'Do you, Harry James Potter, Rightful and Magical heir to me, Salazar Slytherin accept the ancient magic that comes from the soul?'

'I do.'

'Will you harness the magic and use it for only good goals and purpose?'

'I will.'

'Will you accept the magic and let it join forces with your own core and release the imprisoned powers?'

'I will.'

'Now, dive into your soul, find your core and connect the two together.'

Harry ventured into his mind and did what he was told. He found his core and stood by, ready to catch the pieces of Salazar's magic. Amazingly he could hear everything from around his actual body. He heard Salazar chanting in a foreign language.

'spiritu pollere, sine anima, aedificare justo, virtutis incrementum, motus in auxilium, et cor ligaveris'

He at once saw parts of the extra core start flying off. Harry quickly started sending out his own pulse of magic that bounced them back and into his own core. After about five minutes, not only was he panting from the effort but he felt a burning deep inside his chest. The pain was red hot yet he still continued to push Salazar's magic into his own. The pain unfortunately very soon became almost unbearable and it took everything out of him not to scream.

After about another two minutes the extra magic fizzed out and the pain ebbed away. Harry pulled himself out of his mind and opened his eyes.

'You have done so well. I am sorry about the pain. You will spend tomorrow resting. The day after we will use this new power to start something new.'

Two days after the ritual took place Harry was definitely ready to start training with this new power. He could feel the new and more powerful magic pulsing within him, fully merged with his own and he was ecstatic to see what it could do.

He had already found that using the elixir he had created was ten times easier and it seemed to flow from his wand like it was created solely for that purpose.

Back outside the forest that morning Harry was waiting for Salazar to reveal the big secret he had been keeping.

'This new magic, Harry, doesn't only enhance your previous magic; it comes with an entirely different power of its own. The other founders and I have, in recent years, found a way to merge our body and souls with that of magical creatures, taking on their features and abilities. You will find this power lurking inside of you. I won't spoil it for you; you'll have to find it yourself.'

Harry rolled his eyes at his mentor's behaviour before once again returning to his mind. He found that everything felt stronger and reinforced with Salazar's power running through him.

He felt a ghostly whisper of a creature move past him, he shivered. He heard the soft sound of hooves in the distance and he followed the noise. As he got closer he felt the presence of a magical animal, although he couldn't quite place which one. He felt him reaching out his hand to touch the creature. He was quite forcefully drawn from his mind as he did so.

He stumbled forwards, trying to catch his bearings, and was shocked to find two hooves reach out to steady him. He looked at Salazar who was now shorter and stood in amazement, trying to figure out what he was. He could feel wings on his back; long, spindly and thin wings. Salazar smirked and conjured a mirror for Harry to look in.

A Thestral looked back at him.

Harry was surprised, but pleased. Thestrals had always puzzled him but he liked them. They were mysterious and powerful, but had a dark and sad presence. They were hopelessly misjudged, just like him in a sense.

The next week or so consisted of Harry learning how to move in this form, walk in his form, run in his form and eventually even fly.

It wasn't long until you could look out towards the Forbidden Forest and see a strange array of creatures; two centaurs, two Pegasus', two fairies and two Thestrals, come together in blissful harmony.