Disclaimer; Writing is like prostitution. First you do it for love, then for a few close friends, then for money. Unfortunately, unlike Moliere, I have not progressed to stage three of this analogy. Do your brain a favor and look up who that was. Then figure out who Honoré de Balzac is. I'll admit a fondness for classical French comedy and satire.
00000
The next few weeks passed in a fairly normal style, well at least they did after Harry got the hang of nonverbal spell casting. Prior to that milestone they were fairly quiet since grunts and pointed glares could only accomplish so much and Harry only knew rude hand signals. Without true mastery of the skill, silently renewing his enchantment on Zabini was an exhausting process requiring complete and utter concentration and he could only judge his success by her continued good will.
From Blaise, Harry discovered that most of Slytherin was in a very tricky place. With Malfoy's disappearance and assumed death, the pro-dark lord faction had lost their most vocal mouthpiece and the others were happy to be rid of him. No one else had the stones to support Voldemort so loudly, but the loss of their stupidest member only made them more difficult to keep track of. Another significant factor in the House dynamic was Harry himself. Raistlin's little show put him as a rogue power, and an unknown quantity. He wasn't training under Dumbledore, and he wasn't bowing before the Dark Lord. With one or the other Slytherins knew what to expect and could plan to block stunners or dodge killing curses accordingly, but Harry's new master came without any preconceptions about how he would respond to things.
The thing that really confused them all was Snape's insistence that Harry had somehow murdered Draco, but somehow simultaneously refused to consider that he might be competent enough to cover his tracks. The hatred between Harry and Draco was well known throughout the school, so the Slytherins knew he had motive. Opportunity was certainly not hard to acquire, given how many little used or dark corridors the castle had. It was generally assumed that Harry didn't have it in him to kill, but that was debated by some quietly. What really perplexed them about Harry was his apparent indifference to the whole affair. If he had just offed his greatest detractor, he ought to be smug, or even guilt ridden. Instead Harry just went on with his daily life as if nothing at all had changed.
It wasn't long before Raistlin's new body was complete and Harry alone in his own mind once again. The departure of his master allowed Harry to return to normality somewhat, sleeping in a bed for instance, but he knew his studies would be slower going. He was supposed to study enchanted items and their manufacture before the winter break, but didn't know how successful he would be. One week before Halloween, Harry felt the ties to Raistlin slip dramatically as if he were suddenly a million miles away. A tiny fragment of a connection existed and Harry could tell that his mark was connected to something, but messages went unanswered and all attempts at locating his master failed. He was on his own again.
00000
Slowly and carefully Harry traced the runes over and over. Before him, on one of the many workbenches in the Stone Chamber beneath Hogwarts, sat the tools with which he would craft his victory. A silver inkwell was enchanted specially for only the most important contracts and documents, charms and runes ensured that any contracts written in the ink could not be broken. A ritual knife lay in wait. He had a paintbrush made from his own hair. The final ingredient to his plan was waiting in a special box with a warming charm, twenty pale white orbs.
Over and over again he practiced the runes, Ehwaz, Purisaz, Fehu, Uruz, Algiz, and Tiwaz. Loyalty, Solidarity, Glory, Slavery, Success, Bravery, Strength, Action, Defense, Protection, War, Victory, and Honesty… Linked together, one leading into the next and back to the start. Soon he would have to begin, he would fill the inkwell and begin painting the runes with his blood. He only prayed that he did not make any mistakes. Soon Voldemort would learn why annoying a parseltongue was not conducive to long life. Soon…
00000
On the night of Halloween, Harry found himself sitting in the Great Hall wondering about how to solve his Zabini problems. Now that things had settled down a bit, it was definitely time to do something about the situation. How valuable a spy was she really? Could he get away with killing another Slytherin so soon? Did he want to?
On the one hand, keeping up this false friendship was trying on his nerves. He had to watch everything he said around her, yet not act like he was watching what he said lest she feel left out. On the other she hadn't been quite as openly affectionate lately, which was a blessing, but he could now see something smoldering just behind her partially lidded eyes. There was a hidden passion that promised pain and pleasure poured from the same cup. It was frightening and captivating at the same time. Clearly he needed to do something, but it seemed all of his options were rather extreme.
Letting her go meant that she would realize almost immediately that she was under a controlling spell and would definitely cost him his spy. Continuing as he had been was a royal pain, he hated how fake everything felt. Stronger spells which lasted longer and didn't have the infatuation component would invariably turn her into a mindless drone awaiting his orders with no independent thought. He couldn't control her every second of the day, and she wouldn't act normally if he was, so they were definitely out. Killing her was the other option. He didn't feel right about it though. He couldn't remember her ever doing anything to him and she certainly wasn't a bad person, but he just couldn't risk it.
Now that he was thinking about her, Harry noticed that she wasn't at the feast with everyone else. Harry began to get that tingle at the back of his mind that told him something wasn't right. Things were flowing too smoothly for it to be Halloween. Something always went wrong on Halloween, so what was he missing? Were the Slytherins up to something? Was Blaise up to something? A whispered word caused the Marauder's Map to appear in his hands thanks to a tiny glyph he had inscribed on his possessions that allowed him to summon it, his cloak, or broomstick at will. The process which was related to the Dark Mark and the mark his own Master used was expensive and difficult but worth it for essential items he couldn't carry with him constantly.
Stepping out of the Great Hall without attracting attention, Harry activated the map and started looking for his wayward spy. Blaise wasn't in the Hall, nor her dorms. The classrooms were easy to sweep since few people missed the feast. Harry was mildly amused to see Theodore Nott's and Pansy's very close together in a fifth floor study room, but he kept looking for that one particular dot. She wasn't in any of the towers, nor the dungeons, and he didn't see her on the grounds or in one of the secret passages either. Harry supposed it was possible she was off campus, in the Room of Requirements, or the Chamber of Secrets…
Or his private domain! That's what that tingling in his senses was about, somebody tripped his motion detectors! Harry summoned his cloak and headed towards the abandoned third floor corridor.
00000
Meanwhile in the tunnel leading down to Harry's study, Blaise Zabini was having a few problems. She hadn't expected the hole to be this deep. She'd seen Potter just jump down the hole and expected to simply slide down her rope and then use it to climb out once she's found his secret. Instead she found herself clinging to a knot on the end of the rope as if his life depended on it, the bottom still an indeterminable distance below her. She tried yelling for help but doubted anyone could hear her, she only hoped she could hold out until the prefects started patrolling after the feast. The sound of croaking and squeaking from somewhere far below her made her regret her decision to pry into things Potter had obviously gone to lengths to keep secret.
Up above her she could barely hear footsteps. Blaise started screaming for help again, begging whoever was above her to help pull her out of this hole. A figure appeared at the top, silhouetted by the torchlight. He seemed to look down the hole for a moment as if trying to discern it's depth. She yelled to warn him that it was too deep, and saw him become surrounded by a bright blue aura for a moment before it faded and he began to effortlessly pull her up towards the surface. When she was within five feet of the top, she saw him pull a knife and cut the rope just behind where he held it with only one hand.
"Hello Blaise…"
00000
Harry looked down at the shocked expression in her eyes. He saw the dawning comprehension that she had been caught and the fearful uncertainty about her future. It truly was a priceless moment and the sudden thrill he felt because he held power over her was simply intoxicating.
"Oh Harry, thank Merlin you found me! I wasn't watching where I was going and I tripped, and I couldn't get myself out, and now you're here…." She trailed off as his expression didn't change.
"By all means keep going," Harry prompted her jovially, "I really am interested in hearing about how you found yourself slipping through a password locked trapdoor and just happened to catch hold of a rope that was conveniently tied to nearby a suit of armor. Keep in mind though that since I'm only holding on with one hand the rope might slip a bit."
"Pull me up Potter, this isn't a game!"
"Ah my dear, but it is. It is a very serious game but a game none the less. Think of it as a game of poker. The pot is rather large and both of us are certain the other is bluffing so why don't we put the cards on the table."
"You put a spell on me, controlled my mind somehow," Blaise accused hotly.
"And you've been trespassing where you're not welcome," Harry pointed out calmly. "In fact I'm pretty sure you've known about the spell for a while now so don't act so surprised."
"Whatever it was wasn't nearly as strong once you couldn't speak," she admitted.
"I'll try to remember that in the future. Now the only thing to be decided is what to do with you," Harry grabbed the rope with both hands again and sat down on the edge. "I'll admit I don't particularly want to drop you and I do still need someone to keep a watch on public opinion. So the real question is if it will be too much trouble to keep you alive."
"Treaty negotiations while my life is literally in you hands? I never thought you had it in you, Potter."
"Neither did Malfoy, what's your price?"
"What does anyone want? I want power. You know things the rest don't and I want you to teach me. Additionally you hold a lot of influence both financial and political because of who you are and who your family was. You aren't using it and I'll make sure you have even more when you do need it. Share it with me and we shall be unmatched in the Wizarding world." Her eyes filled with a look he was familiar with. He could see that hunger and passion within her he first saw a few weeks ago, only now he understood it for what it was.
Harry considered it for a moment and decided it wouldn't really cost him much and if she kept her end of the bargain it would even simplify some things. He pulled her the rest of the way up and grabbed her hand. "Very well, but know this; if you cross me you will discover why even Voldemort doesn't scare me anymore, and if you betray even one of my secrets you disappear. No blood, no screams, you simply disappear and cease to exist. No one will ever know what happened."
Blaise just nodded her head in acceptance. Harry vanished the rope and relocked the trapdoor that led below. The silencing spell on the door closed off the faint sounds he could hear from below, sounds that to him were a symphony of destruction. With a smirk Blaise looped her arm through his and started to pull him away.
"Come, if I'm going to anything from your fame we must be seen together. Smile, an unhappy couple doesn't last long and my plans rely on an illusion of permanency."
00000
It didn't take long for Blaise to start taking advantage of her new position as Harry's "girlfriend," but she knew how to play the game properly. She didn't flaunt it, nor did she hide it. The rumor mill ran rampant but she didn't try to deny anything, but she didn't confirm anything either. A enigmatic smile was her only answer. Outside of Slytherin the amount of respect she received from her peers only increased, while fear and power fed the snake pit. She became powerful by association and started making moves with all the right people to ensure she stayed there.
One of the first things she did was to ask Professor Montgomery for a pass to the Restricted Section. He was happy to sign once he learned she was "researching something for Harry" that had to do with the war. Soon she was pouring over texts that few were allowed access too. The first topic she consumed oddly enough was spells for librarians and book publishers. The texts were in the restricted sections because they included most of the old copy protections charms that prevented her from using a copying spell to duplicate whole books. She was uninterested in this, but copying selected portions for later study was appealing since it didn't require her to spend hours in the library reading books that might raise alarms. Next on her list were magical shields and defensive techniques, followed by portkeys and other magical means of escape. Better a live coward than a dead hero after all.
Notebook after notebook was soon filled with potions, charms, curses, hexes, jinxes, shields, basics of alchemy, the process for becoming an animagi, and specialized spells for every job she found remotely interesting. She skipped whole chapters worth of description and history, copying only the necessary bits. Thousands of pages were filed away over a single weekend. There was one lone book of rituals forgotten in a back corner that she copied in its entirety. Most of them would probably be worthless to her but they would be valuable barter to somebody.
There was one important rule that Blaise Zabini lived by. Knowledge is power. She didn't need to be able to cast the most powerful spell to be a powerful witch, but if she knew who could or where to learn it, that was something she could use to her advantage. Likewise a piece of knowledge that was harmless in its usual niche could become deadly outside of it. What was the difference between a spell designed to clean fish and a curse that disemboweled opponents? The venue decided the usefulness of the spell. A blasting potion commonly found deep in the goblins' mines could also be a powerful weapon if misused. Sizing charms from a seamstress' shop could immobilize opponents as their clothes shrank a few sizes. The killing curse was a fearsome weapon but using it would almost surely ruin her, but there were easier methods that were perfectly legal.
Harry meanwhile was working on enchantments when he wasn't fussing over his side project or in class. So as to save himself the time of casting the spell on Blaise constantly until she learned it herself, he was working on enchanting a pair of reading glasses so the wearer could read magical inscriptions like those found in his spellbooks. Once he had mastered that He planned to use the more difficult version on his own glasses so that he could read any written language. He was considering if he should also enchant them to show magical auras. On the one hand it was an invaluable skill that could stop him from accidentally touching a portkey or cursed item, but it would also be very distracting in high magic environments. The few times he had used the spell on himself since he returned to Hogwarts led to severe disorientation, even the stones glowed with the pulse of centuries of magic use. He was sure that once he understood the process better, it would be no problem at all to make it a function he could turn off, but for the moment the solution eluded him.
00000
A/N; Ok Harry's special project shouldn't be too difficult to divine at the moment but I'll leave it as a riddle for the determined reader. The rune translation I used above I got from http://www(dot)runeschool(dot)org/courses/intro01/08meanings(dot)htm so first one to tell me what Harry is doing gets a cookie I hope people like the way I'm taking the Harry/Blaise sub-plot, but I can understand that some of you are going to say I killed the whole story right there. Logically though, no form of deception will work forever so something had to happen. I decided to bring the Slytherin nature to the fore a bit and make her less Harry's love puppy now that the spell is off.
As always, feedback is appreciated.