Note: Beta'd finally! Thanks Codyz

Chapter 08
• Exchanging Blows •

When the sun rose, Harry was still staring at the stars. His eyes weren't open completely, but he wasn't asleep either. Tonks was the one that woke him. She looked as if she'd just slept under a bush. Harry had heard her rolling around in the night, but had no idea that she would end up looking so bad.

"You awake?" he asked, seeing the dazed look on her face.

She growled, literally growled. Christine woke to the noise, snuggling into Harry tighter before opening her eyes. "Master," she said the moment she woke up. "Do you need me to do anything for you this morning?"

Harry felt a little bit of anticipation at the thought, not sure how he wanted to answer.

Tonks snickered, and her voice sounded rough, as if she'd lost some of the moisture in her throat. She choked on something and then spit out whatever it was. "It's alright," she said finally, "I usually have something in my throat in the morning, one of the side effects of being a metamorphmagus."

Harry grinned and helped Christine to her feet a moment later. He buttoned his shirt, feeling the light nip of the morning breeze in the forest. "We need to go eat," Tonks said, combing her hands through her hair, only to get them entangled."You know, this is not going to go over well with Dumbledore," she added, opening the door in the stone archway.

"It's not my fault," Harry said, defending himself. "I didn't choose this, maybe some weird clone or something did, but it wasn't me. Everything that's happened hasn't been something that I really had much of a choice in. I didn't tell me to send myself a slave. I didn't tell Hermione to attack me. I didn't even know I was accepting her until after everything happened. It's not as if I've yet to have a single chance to tray and make it up."

They stepped out of the hallways and into the corridor that led to the great hall. Tonks said something bad and Harry just squared his shoulders, trying not to care about what was happening. It was difficult, he'd always had problems when dealing with everyone abandoning him, probably because he'd never had many people support him continually in his life.

"You know," Tonks said in a fierce whisper. "We should have just conjured a bed, it would have led to a lot less speculation about what we did all night.

Harry glanced at her, and then ran his hands through his hair. He didn't have any twigs in his hair at all. He was a little surprised, since he was lying on the ground, close to Tonks. His hair was a bit windswept, and a little difficult to keep smooth, but then, his hair was always a little messy.

Christine leaned forward as he stopped, his hands still stuck in his hair. "You look wonderful," she whispered in his ear. "You always look wonderful."

Harry couldn't help but grin, even though Christine hadn't know him very long, she was helping build his confidence already. At least when dealing with a mob of Hogwarts students, he already had confidence to stand up to Voldemort, but Voldemort wasn't as scary as a room filled with almost a thousand kids his age.

"I think," Harry said, feeling his confidence again, "you've just got a problem sleeping on the ground. It's not my fault, I didn't tell you not to get a mattress, and you were the one that was following me around."

Someone whispered something nearby, one of the Ravenclaws, and Harry looked at them, but only got a glare back. He wasn't sure if they were doing it because they were trying to look him in the eye, or if it was because they were mad at him for some reason. He didn't know the boy though, and so it didn't bother him that much.

"I'm going to go speak with the headmaster about what happened," Tonks said snappishly and there were more whispers. Instead of Harry looking to them he ignored them altogether this time while Christine followed behind him obediently, not even looking up. She was a little scared too, and Harry thought it might be because of the mass of the hall, it was impossible to even conceive of so many people going to the school by just walking through the hallways. Christine had probably seen less than twenty and now she was standing before hundreds upon hundreds.

"Fine," Harry snapped as Tonks turned away to hear towards the front, "but just remember it was your decision, not mine."

Sitting down at the Gryffindor table got more than a few whispers. Harry noticed that his usual seat with Ron and Hermione had been left open, but Ron and Hermione weren't there. So, he sat Christine down at the table and sat down himself, staring across the table to see a confused Ginny Weasley. Seeing as she'd always been a friend, and never once tried to make a move on Harry, he smiled and was glad to have at least one friend. She smiled back.

"Ginny, this is Christine," he said, just loud enough that it quieted the whispers so that those around him could hear her name. It wasn't everyday that a new girl just showed up at the school out of nowhere.

"It's not..." she said tentatively, glancing at Tonks, who was marching along the table snapping at people that were in her way. "That's her, right?"

Harry nodded. A few of his closer friends had known Tonks was assigned as his bodyguard, but since she was always changing forms it was difficult to determine who she was sometimes. Someone, not taking the snapping well, stuck their foot out and Tonks tripped, cursing as she did. It was a sight, watching three Slytherin's suddenly turning into miniature versions of themselves, toy sized, with a single curse. They squeaked foul words at her, but she ignored them again, continuing forward.

"So, where'd she come from?" Ginny asked, looking up and down at Christine. "She doesn't look like a student, too old."

"I'm only nineteen," Christine said weakly. Harry pulled her close, into a sort of hug, and ran his hand along her back, comforting her.

He glanced down the table, watching as several students retracted their craning heads and focused on the meal in front of them. "It's a long, long story," he said, tired. He hadn't gotten any sleep and was sure that his eyes were more than a little bloodshot. "And, without someone to back it up, it might not sound very realistic."

Ginny nodded finally, accepting the answer, but that was only for the time being. Harry was pretty sure that she would bring it up later, when not so many people were around. She glanced up and shifted her body slightly, looking at someone behind Harry. He wasn't sure, but he thought it was some sort of signal. He glanced back, but couldn't see anyone he knew of that Ginny talked to regularly. Luna was further down the table, speaking to some others as if Harry had never existed in the first place. Ron and Hermione were still not present.

Shrugging it off, Harry explained very quietly how to get food and Christine nodded, but in the end she ended up feeding herself from his plate, which Harry didn't find that odd. After all, Ron was great at it, especially when everything had disappeared before he was finished eating. It did cause more whispers, and a lot of jealous looks. Harry was sure several of the girls were envious of Christine, even though they had no idea what her situation was. The problem was that none of them had ever come and talked to him about it, and he wasn't very good around girls, so none of them had ever been even considered for a girlfriend.

The fluttering of wings caused Christine to look up and gasp, forgetting any thoughts of food. "Why are there so many owls?" she whispered, after some of them had landed.

"They're post," Harry explained, glancing up at Ginny, who was watching with interest. "The way that the magical world communicates."

Hedwig landed on Harry's shoulder, holding something that was considerably larger than any letter. A small box had been attached between her legs, and it was a little heavy.

Harry untied it carefully, stroking Hedwig. "Christine," he said quietly, "this is Hedwig, my owl. She's the most faithful friend I've ever had, though she does get mad at me occasionally."

After nipping playfully at Harry, Hedwig let Christine stroke her softly. Christine did it with the most careful touch, almost as if she wasn't sure if she'd break the owl.

Once Harry had gotten the package off he was astounded to find that the scrolling script on the top of the box wasn't addressed to him, rather to Christine. Harry stared at it for a second, wondering if he should be the one to open it. It had been delivered to him, and he was Christine's master, she was property, so anything that was hers belonged to him. He successfully shoved the thought aside and handed the package to her.

"It's yours, you open it," Harry said, sliding it in front of her.

"Harry!" someone shouted, catching his attention. "Who's the new girl, and why weren't you in the Gryffindor common room last night?"

Harry turned to look down the table, trying to see who it was. He recognized the voice, but couldn't seem to place it that well. Jared Serp, a 6th year Gryffindor who'd transferred in last year from an American school. He hadn't liked Harry much, but he hadn't brought it out into the open.

"Slept somewhere else," Harry replied truthfully, not really caring what the jerk was implying.

"With two different girls?" Someone else asked, this time it was a Hufflepuff, who was staring at him curiously. Harry glanced up at Tonks, who was talking in fervent whispers to the headmaster. Dumbledore was frowning, but he didn't seem mad at all.

"Not really," he finally said, looking back at the Hufflepuff.

"So you didn't get much sleep then?" Serp asked, making his comment callous, as though he were trying to hurt Harry or make him embarrassed.

Harry thought for a minute, but stopped thinking of a response when he heard Ginny gasp. He swiveled in his seat, just in time to see Christine snap on some sort of collar. It brightened, shining brightly enough so that no one who wasn't blind could have missed it. "What are you doing?" he hissed, seeing her reverently putting on some sort of wrist things that matched the collar. He tried to reach out, but he froze when he noticed the collar seemed to be melting into her body, as if it were accepting or becoming a part of her. A small circle opened in the back, keeping the lightning crest visible, and Harry could see the jewelry that had been having like frills was now coming directly out of a black layer of skin that looked like a tattoo. The other wrist snapped closed and Harry watched in awe as they did the same thing, melting into her arms and making intricate patterns up and down her arms. The looked like some sort of elbow length glove without the fingers in it, a single strain met in the center of her hand between her fingers, where it looped around, an obvious way of holding it in place.

"What was that for?" Harry hissed, watching the metal hoop bounced on her wrists as if it belonged there.

"It said to," she replied immediately, looking as if she were about to cry. Harry wrapped his arm around her and tried comforting her, but was in some serious need of comforting himself, so he wasn't sure how much he'd help her.

It was then that he heard Hermione, for the first time since she'd attacked him. She was standing in the doorway of the great hall, staring with wide eyes. 'Why you little bastard Harry," she screamed, "enslaving a poor, innocent girl to do your every whim."

Harry glanced around and watched as the other people in the castle stared at him blankly, as if waiting for a response. He didn't have one, at least not a good one that could be brought up in the middle of the great hall. Had he and Hermione been in a room together he was pretty sure he would have been yelling right alongside her.

A look towards the teachers table showed that four of them were gone, including Tonks and Dumbledore. It was something went right alongside everything else that had been going on in his life lately, never someone else there when he needed them.

"Hermione," Harry said slowly, "let's discuss this somewhere else."

"We can discuss this right here," she snarled. "You are such a pig for doing something so cruel. I can't believe that I liked you."

"It wasn't my choice," Harry said, trying to stay calm.

"And I suppose that you've given her a collar and gauntlets just because you think they look good on her."

Harry turned to look at Christine, who was staring angrily at Hermione. "Why did you put them on?" he asked, tired of hearing it from Hermione. "Why didn't you ask first so that we could discuss them."

"The letter said that they were for me to wear," Christine said sadly, she acted as if she'd been whipped.

"Oh yes, go make her cry now," Hermione snapped immediately.

"I... didn't, I mean..." Harry stuttered. "You're causing this," he said finally. "You're the one that's making this happen. Everything was fine until you came marching in here screaming at me."

Glancing towards Ron, he could see his best friend was having difficulties deciding which side to take. It was obvious that he wanted to step in, but he probably didn't have anything to say that would calm Hermione down. Ron did do something finally, stepping up to put his hand on Hermione's shoulder. He started to say something when Ginny stood up across the table.

"Harry has got the right to do anything he wants," Ginny snapped. "You cannot just tell him he's wrong for being into something you don't believe in. Look at her," she said, pointing to Christine. "She likes being his slave, I could tell from the moment I realized it. She enjoys the position, letting someone else control her. She's just like those elves you terrorize, trying to free. They won't even come clean the Gryffindor common room anymore because of those clothes you leave lying around everywhere. Dobby's the one that has to do it all."

Hermione looked aghast, as if she'd just been slapped in the face.

"I understand that you may not enjoy the fact that Harry has a different sexual point of view than you do, but there's nothing wrong with it."

"You don't understand," Hermione snapped at her, ignoring Harry for a moment. "He's got a slave. It's not just a different way of life."

"Yes it is!" Ginny shouted. "What if I were to tell you that I liked girls, that I'd given up on men? How would you react?"

A disgusted look flashed over Hermione's face. "You're just saying that," she said loudly. "You're not a lesbian. We're best friends, and I know you're not into girls."

"Maybe you don't know me as well as you think!" Ginny shouted. "I hadn't planned on telling anyone at all, but I think maybe it'd be better to let the whole world know now."

Harry opened his mouth, then closed it, he opened it again and choked on his words, unsure what to say.

Ron stepped forward, standing next to Hermione, his tall lanky figure dwarfing her. "You're lying!" he shouted at Ginny. "My sister is not a dyke."

"You're wrong!" Ginny shouted. "I've had a girlfriend for several months now, and I decided that I like girls a whole lot more than I like guys!"

"Ron," Harry said, stepping between Ginny and her brother. "Calm down,' he said quietly, trying to alleviated the situation that was coming up. Around them the Gryffindors were getting restless, and the rest of the school hadn't missed the conversation unless they'd gone completely deaf.

"You're taking her side in this?" Ron screamed, trying to shove Harry out of the way.

"I can't really help it," Harry said. "She's only saying it because of what's happened to me. I don't think that it's good to go against her. And besides, she's old enough to make her own decisions now, it's not like you're in control of her life. She's your sister, not you daughter."

"Oh, and what would you know about family?" Ron spat at Harry.

Harry stared, suddenly feeling angrier than he'd been in a long, long time. Out of the corner of his eye he could see Hermione frozen, staring hard at him. "More than you would!" he yelled back. "At least I try to get along with the family I have. You don't even do that, you just fight with everyone. You don't understand how good it is to have a mother, and brothers. Even if one of them is a total prat and more interested in success than the truth."

"Don't talk about my brother like that!" Ron yelled back, his face turning red. "He's just doing what he needs to do to get ahead."

"Is that it?" Harry asked, his voice deathly quiet. His whole posture had changed just enough that he could reach for his wand quickly. "You're family's interested in making money instead of staying true friends? Is that the problem Ron, money?

"You wouldn't know," Ron snarled. "You don't know anything about wondering if you're going to eat because your mother doesn't have enough money for food."

"How about being starved?" Harry asked. "Living in a closet until I turned 11? And it's not because I did something wrong, it's because my cousin did something wrong and they wouldn't believe it was his fault. When I did something that conflicted with their views on life, they'd lock the door and not let me eat at all. My family hated me with a passion; nothing I did was right.

"So you just get a slave to make it all better?" Ron asked. "Someone you can force to do anything you want? Next thing we'll hear is that Malfoy is a poof and running around with Justin Finch-Fletchley."

"Hey!" Justin yelled from further down the next table. Justin, who was a well known homosexual now, still very much resented the Slytherins, and to tell him that Malfoy might be his boyfriend or lover was an insult, a major insult.

Someone shouted something else and a large piece of a half-eaten roll hit Ron in the back of the head. It was like lighting a gas can on fire, Ron exploded. He whipped his wand out and sent three half-full plates of food flying in the direction that the roll had come from followed by a particularly nasty curse.

In under a minute food and curses were flying every direction. Harry watched, transfixed as it happened. It was the Gryffindors first mostly. The curses must have struck someone, because several curses came flying from the Slytherin table. Of course, Harry didn't get struck, the Slytherins that had throw the curses weren't that great at aiming, but there were several people nearby that did. When that happened there were curses returned from the Gryffindor, many of them hidden by the food that was also flying towards the Slytherins.

A Ravenclaw was hit, someone who'd been making a stand against the Slytherins, and everything just sort of went downhill from there. Glancing at Christine, who was watching the show as if it were some sort of playful color-show, he heaved a long sigh he switched hands with his wand and started to pull her down to keep her away from the hexes that were being thrown. A few people were already on the floor, melted to it like a puddle of mud.

Something shimmered, and a stray curse was sent spinning away from Christine. Harry grabbed her with both hands and roughly yanked her under the table, as surprised as he could have been that she'd managed to repel the curse. He stared at her and she looked back as if nothing had happened. She might not have even noticed it happening, since there hadn't been much to it, other than a tiny shiver of light where the curse had struck. She did however try and apologize once she realized Harry was a little disturbed, but she had no idea why and it was difficult to keep her from crying.

"I think it might be time to leave," Harry told her, looking out to the battlefield above. It was a battlefield, there was no mistaking it, and Harry was sure he had been the reason for it. "Just keep a hold of my hand so that I don't lose you," he instructed Christine as he readied himself to stand up.

They stood, and Harry was immediately pelted with several pieces of bacon. "Come on," he said, pushing through the people that were yelling at each other. He saw several people give him scathing looks before turning their wands on someone else. The whole room was a riot. It looked as if the Slytherins had seen it coming, and they'd cursed half the Hufflepuffs before anyone had realized what was happening. The Ravenclaws were sending spells at the Slytherins and a few of the Gryffindors as well, they cut through the food, sometimes blowing up that food and coating everyone nearby. Most of the Gryffindors were dueling with the Slytherins too, and Harry could tell that if the battle was going to keep going it would be the Slytherins that lost, simply because of the sheer number of people fighting them.

There was a mad rush towards the doorway, as if a hundred or so people realized that they weren't going to get off easy for what was happening. Everyone present when the teachers returned were likely to get detentions.

Someone grabbed Harry from behind, slipping their arm around his, while another person slipped their arm through Christine's. Harry glanced up to see Ginny holding his arm, smiling brightly, while Blaise Zabini had a hold of Christine's arm.

"Follow me," Ginny said quickly. Harry just nodded, unsure how to respond to the help she was offering. He wondered why Blaise was with her, and then it dawned on him who Blaise might be.

"Her?" he asked incredulously, staring at Blaise as they moved down the hallways.

Ginny smiled wickedly. "Well, it had to be someone, didn't it?"

"But... I mean..."

"Potter shut up, we'll discuss this when we're all safely away from trouble." Blaise snapped.

Harry almost laughed, it was difficult to see how Blaise and Ginny kept from killing each other, let alone be in a relationship.

They were at the entrance to the Slytherin common room within a few minutes. Harry stared, unsure how to react to it. He knew that they weren't going to the Gryffindor common room, and he hadn't really thought about it while they walked. Now that they were standing outside the door Harry didn't know what to do.

"You've been here before?" Blaise asked, surprised.

Harry looked up at her and shook his head, too quickly.

Blaise smirked. "Potter, you stopped in front of the door as if you knew exactly where it was, don't try and play coy."

Looking around, and determining they were alone, Harry sighed. "Yes, I've been here before," he admitted.

"Good," Blaise said, "then I won't worry about showing you around." She turned to the wall. "Grindelwald," she said and the door opened in the wall.

They entered into the dark room, and it seemed especially lonely. The high-backed chairs sat empty, majestic. The fire flickered eerily, throwing shadows all about the room. "You have been here before," Blaise said, taking the lead now, heading across the common room at a quick pace.

"We're going into the dorms, so you're not sitting out when Snape comes stomping into the common room berating us for allowing the fight to go on in the Great Hall."

There wasn't a stairwell to the girls dorms, rather a path that led away from the main room. Harry walked down it and suddenly found himself at the start of it again, while none of the other girls moved at all.

"Blaise?" he said, knowing that it was some preventative measure to keep out boys from entering into the girls dorms.

"Honestly Potter," she said, waving her wand. "It just takes a strong confusion charm, and there won't be any problem. Now, come on, before the other brats show up and see you."

Harry just took her word for it and quietly stepped forward; glad to see it didn't resist him entering this time.

The hallway they entered was long and bare, a few torches stood out from the walls, but it was otherwise empty. Even during the day, as early as it was, there was no light other than the flickering glow of the torches.

"Step quickly Potter," Blaise snapped as he slowed, trying to read one of the signs on the doors. They passed six in all, and at the very end Blaise opened one, ushering them in. "It's not completely private," she said as Harry looked around, "but it'll keep you safe for now. I just have to use a few of my debts to keep the girls from talking."

"I'm... sorry?" Harry offered, not sure how to take the words. She didn't sound angry or happy about it. Her words lacked all emotion.

Christine was let go, and she looked around again, staring at the walls. "They didn't change," she said to Harry. "No one is touching me and I can see them."

Blaise turned towards Harry, a gleam of interest in her eye.

"She's a muggle, alright," he said, not really wanting to deal with the questions that were soon to come out. "Someone sent her to me yesterday. Apparently it was me, though I have to say that I don't believe that. However, until just now she couldn't see anything unless I was touching her. It has something to do with the way the wards are set up."

"Alright then," Blaise said, staring at Christine with renewed interest. "You've got yourself a Muggle Slave. She's been bound to you I trust? Some sort of ancient ritual that made sure she's allowed into the castle? She wouldn't have made it this far otherwise... But, until just recently she hasn't been able to see the castle as it is unless you were touching her. What about someone else magical?"

Harry wasn't sure, but Christine shook her head. "It only changes when my Master touching me."

"Please don't call me that," Harry asked in a pleading tone. "I've really got enough on my plate as it is, I don't want to be called Master. Harry works just fine."

"Yes Harry," Christine said, being sure to say his name properly.

Ginny snickered from the side. Harry looked up at her. "Since when did you start dating women?" he snapped, a little irritated. "And why didn't you bring it up earlier, some time other than when it would cause a full-on riot?"

"I don't have to tell you anything," Ginny growled. She didn't seem anything like the blushing Ginny he'd once known. He sort of missed her now, and wondered if it had been Blaise or the DA that had brought the change in her. She had gained a lot of confidence while training in the DA, but Harry was pretty sure she hadn't gained her smart-ass attitude from it.

"Potter, any more comments like that and you'll be staring at the ceiling of the medical wing for an extended period of time. It was Ginny's idea to try and save you from Hermione and it was Ginny's idea to bring you here, the last place that anyone will look for you. The only reason I allowed it was because you defended Ginny in front of everyone, and that means something, though, right now it seems it was just for show." Blaise said, growling the last few words.

"No," Harry revealed quietly. "I really don't think there's anything wrong with it, I'm just having a really bad few days right now and it doesn't help that I'm having to explain Christine again. I really don't know much about her yet. I had just woken up from the infirmary a few minutes before she showed up. I can't remember the last couple of weeks, and I'm sure Tonks would have known if I somehow managed to get off campus to find myself a slave."

"You're really caught up in that, aren't you?" Blaise asked. "I think maybe you should just get over it, accept that she came to you and there's nothing you can do about it. It doesn't really matter if you sent her to you or not, she's yours, right?"

"Yeah, she's bonded to me. Some odd ritual makes her a true slave, she's my property and has no right other than the one's I allow her." Christine smiled and nodded, not making Harry feel any happier.

Blaise finally moved away from her standing position and found a bed near the end. All of the beds in the room where walled off, not completely, but enough to give them some privacy, very different from the Gryffindor dorms. But then, Harry had never been in the female dorms, it was possible that they looked very much the same.

It was Ginny who followed next, finding a place next to Blaise, and not looking at all uncomfortable. Harry wondered how many times Ginny had been to the Slytherin common room, and how she and Blaise had kept their relationship a secret. What sort of Slytherin would keep such interesting information to themselves?

"You know Potter, if you just stand there you're likely to be seen. It'd be best if I didn't have to use all my debts keeping you from being caught.

The door banged open before Harry could move. Three Slytherin girls, including one that looked oddly familiar entered. The familiar girl froze mid-stride, as Harry began to turn. Then, she did something that surprised everyone in the room. She fell to her knees.

• Edited 2004.12.22 •