The Taste Of Your Magic Chapter 5, a harry potter fanfic

Thank you for your reviews, they help a lot and it means a great deal to me that you like my story. Some people have asked that I slow things down a little and try to flesh out the next few chapters instead of skimming, and I agree. Anyway, enjoy!

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A soft warm light broke over the enchanted horizon to gently wake the two women sprawled out over the silk sheets. Narcissa blinked several times in mild confusion before the memory of the last few days came back to her and made her tense up. Her sister noticed and reached over to stroke her arm, wordlessly offering comfort which she accepted.

They both gazed at the enchanted wall, taking in the beautiful sunrise breaking over some unnamed forest stretched out below them as if seen from a summit. It was truly a beautiful sight, and a beautiful piece of magic. Bellatrix was quite proud of herself for it; even the famous Hogwarts ceiling didn't offer views from multiple locations.

The moment lingered as they sat back against piles of soft pillows, until the squirming of little Harry broke their concentration. He was trying to get purchase on the silk sheets and unable to sit up properly, being wedged in between the two beautiful ladies. Both had the thought that he would have loved to wake up this way in another decade or so, and smiled wryly as he complained a little.

Finally he gave it up for a lost cause and simply reached up towards Bellatrix. "Help me up please?" Her smile grew wider as she nodded and reached to pluck him up into her lap. He was getting so big, he probably wouldn't fit there much longer. Not that she would stop sitting him there. It was rather nice after all.

"Hello my love. Did you sleep well?" He nodded and leaned up for his morning kiss, their little ritual. She kissed his little lips and then his forehead, the reverse of their goodnight ritual, though that often had more kisses. Not that he complained, it was nice and warm and safe, and sent him right off to sleep. He paused for a moment and looked to see Narcissa there smiling down at him too.

Well that was odd, no one else had ever been there before. Oh the pretty lady from yesterday, Cissy!

"Hello Cissy! Are you feeling good now?"

Her smile grew, but her eyes glistened with the beginnings of tears. Draco would never greet her in the morning ever again... But she pulled it in and tightened her smile in place. She had been raised a Black, she was not some weak woman to give in to despair! She would conquer this!

"Hello, little Harry. I am feeling a little better, thank you. Did you have pleasant dreams?" Her voice wavered a very little at first, but regained its soft strength by the end. He seemed to pick up on it though, because he frowned cutely up at her, then turned to look at Bella as if asking for confirmation.

"She is still sad, my love, because the bad man took away her son. We have paid people to try and find them but the bad man is very good at hiding so we might not find him for a long time, if ever. So we need to cheer her up and make her feel good. Do you think you can help me do this, my love?"

He nodded again. He didn't want Cissy to feel bad, and besides it felt very good making her feel better. Maybe he could keep drinking from them both? That would be great!

Bella had told him lots about bad men, and if this one could get away then he must be badder than most, because Bella was so clever she would have found him if he wasn't. That made him frown a bit, but he was sure Bella would figure it out. She was clever. So he put it from his mind as only a child could, and turned once more to Narcissa.

"Cissy? Can I make you feel good again?"

Narcissa shared a look with Bellatrix. She was still uncertain about what exactly her older sister had planned, but the sheer pleasure and power the boy could bring was beyond belief. And yet she had to believe it, she had experienced it herself. The opportunity was too good to pass up.

"Yes, Harry. That would be very nice, thank you." A thought crossed her mind and she continued after a slight pause. "Can- can I call you my darling? We only met yesterday, but I would like to love you and care for you like Bella."

He looked uncertainly up to Bella again, but she nodded encouragement, stroking his hair and smiling kindly. "Cissy is my best sister and I trust her completely. She is very clever and good and can help me care for you, help me make sure the bad men don't get us, and help make sure we get the bad men instead."

She smiled wickedly at her sister. "Plus she has two very nice breasts for you to suckle from. That will be good, don't you think?"

Harry nodded instantly much to Bellatrix's delight and Narcissa's embarrassment. He turned back to Cissy, now his Cissy.

"Ok Cissy! You can call me that and do that stuff." His stomach chose that moment to interrupt, growling loudly and making the two women laugh so beautifully he wished it would never end. But end it did, and Bella vanished the her front of her dress with a predatory smile.

"Drink from me first, my love. It's my turn."

He eagerly complied and wrapped his warm mouth around her perfectly pink nipple, the first of four for his breakfast. This was perfect.

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An hour later he had drunk his fill from both of them and was fast asleep, apparently overcome by the warm drowsy feeling of being so full. They remained in bed on either side of him, basking in echoes of pleasure and power. Neither wanted the moment to end, but they were not raised to be idle when work was to be done, or rather when schemes were to be plotted, so the moment passed.

"What exactly are you planning, Bella?" She spoke softly so as to not wake the beautiful little boy sleeping between them with quiet, adorable snores.

Narcissa wouldn't presume to guess her sister's motives in this, there were far, far too many possibilities.

Bellatrix considered her little sister. She wanted to tell her everything, but that probably wouldn't work so well. So everything but the extra bit about the Malfoy wealth, then. There was the possibility that she was making a terrible mistake, that Malfoy would win her back and ruin everything, but she was confident her favourite sister would join her fully.

"I had intended to try and discover what had happened that night." She didn't need to say what night, it was probably the most famous night of all history by now. "I do not know what I really had planned, some discovery that would prove the Dark Lord alive? Dead? Some clever trap laid that destroyed him? Cissy, he was bested by a child. This little boy destroyed his body with some power I have never seen the like of.

"He survived the Killing Curse, then was placed under Blood Wards powered by his blood and a connection to a muggle! Cissy, the wards were incredible. Nothing with magic could harm him under them, and the only magic it had to draw on was a starved and neglected babe!"

She took a moment to regain her composure.

"I have researched and studied this power, Cissy. His mother invoked some very, very old magic by sacrificing herself for him. I suspect she was dabbling for years, she was far too bright not to. It provided the means to reflected the unblockable Killing Curse, yet with her death it had nothing to draw on but his own power.

"Cissy, he defeated the Dark Lord in sheer power at the age of one."

She let that sink in and watched the play of flickering emotions and thoughts across her face, mostly impatience. Sometimes it was just fun to take the longer way.

"Then I discover his gift, which you have felt for yourself. Such a thing has never occurred in written history. Some long past sorcerers could drain power, some witches could steal magic from your very wand, but none could take and yet leave more than they took. I believe he was near death when I found him. He had obviously not been fed in days. I suspect his magic was all that kept him alive, continually 'accidentally' manifesting to restore him. But then I fed him and his magic latched on to the only thing it could, mine.

"Cissy, I think he would have drained my magic dry and then starved to death. Such is his power that mine would have been a simple meal that wouldn't last. So his magic made it last. It grew my essence, my core, my power, call it what you like, so that he could keep feeding on it. And he can keep on doing so because he hasn't eaten any actual food. He is still living on raw magic, and so can easily call up the same 'accident' over and over.

"I believe that the only reason he does not simply drain us now that he is healthy is because he has come to like making me 'feel good'. So he concentrates on that, on growing the power he feeds on, and it happens that way again. I think he has done this so often it is no longer a case of accidental magic, but wished or even willed magic. He has even began to have less accidents and more cases where he clearly controls the magic.

"And as you have seen, he is far more developed than any child his age should naturally be. His body is more sure, and his mind learns incredibly quickly. I have no idea if this is a result of surviving the Killing Curse, his diet of pure magic, or some other bizarre occurrence, but he will likely be incredibly intelligent when he is older. If not, then he still has such a head start that it is likely he will be bored with those his age. He has power, and the means to take more unlike any other. He will likely have one of the brightest minds in several generations. He is heir to a fairly wealthy yet very influential House, and is even more famous for being The-Boy-Who-Lived.

"And above all, he can literally grow our magic inside us. Cissy, he could be the greatest Dark Lord of all time. And with his fame, he could even do it legally and in the light! Imagine him in twenty years time, ruling the Ministry and Wizengamot through fame and power, backed by the wealth he has and could easily generate. With us to guide him, to mold him into the perfect leader, to aid his rule... Cissy, we could have everything. Everything we ever wanted.

"I have the Lestrange fortune all but entirely. You have the Malfoy fortune and contacts. Harry will have the Potter vaults and seats. And unless I am very much mistaken, our dear cousin Sirius will have named him his heir. Or could be persuaded to. The Black House will rise once more, Cissy, and we will be the architects behind it. Can you imagine it? A subtle war planned and won by us without the need to satisfy the blustering egos of men!

"The Dark Lord had power, but his schemes were weak compared to ours. How many times did we alter the plans, provide advice through others because we could not do so ourselves? At our young age? All that time plotting and we were the best advisors he had! And he didn't even know it.

"But it doesn't matter because I have found a more powerful lord. He will rise up with our help and will smite Voldemort down from whatever pathetic rock he crawls out from!"

Narcissa gasped softly, but quickly wondered why. The Ministry, or rather Dumbledore, had managed to break the Taboo several years ago, and she had never been particularly afraid of such a foolish, cowardly name. Flight from death, indeed. It was more the threat behind the name anyway. And regardless, Bella's ambitions were not so far from what she had guessed.

Aside from the rather large surprise that the Dark Lord was not truly dead. That might be a rather important detail.

She mulled over this revelation that Bella truly thought, or rather, seemed to know that the Dark Lord was still alive somehow, before asking her question softly.

"He is not truly dead, then?"

Bellatrix released her pent up energy in a long, drawn out sigh.

"He is not dead. Several years ago he gave an object to me for safekeeping, a token of appreciation and a show of favouritism. He had me place it in my most secure vault. Naturally I was curious and examined it. It was Helga Hufflepuff's Chalice, but more than that. He had turned it into a horcrux. It houses a portion of his soul, and ties his spirit to this realm. He cannot die until it, and the others that I suspect he made, have been destroyed.

"I suspect another of these objects was given to Lucius, at the very least I know something was given to him for safekeeping. I doubt these are the only ones. And-"

She paused and lowered her voice, fixing her gorgeously dark eyes on her sister's to make a point of importance.

"And I have discovered something about Harry's scar. I believe the Dark Lord was planning to use the boy's murder to create another horcrux, but due to his curse rebounding, and the tears in his soul, the shattering flung a portion of it free to attach to the only living thing nearby. Harry's scar contains a portion of Voldemort's soul, and I can think of nothing save death to remove it."

Narcissa gasped once more. This was incredible. Completely unbelievable. Impossible.

"You are sure? You can't be mistaken? What does this mean?"

Bella offered a wry smile. "I have been here for months on end with the only being to survive the Killing Curse, Cissy. I studied that thing so much I can describe the composition in my sleep. I am certain. But it does not appear to be negatively affecting him. Either the old magic his mother invoked, his own magical power or something else protects him from it, or it is benign. Or, as I think is most likely, that with the other two combined, and as it is such a smaller portion of soul, being at the very least the third horcrux, his own soul is simply more than capable of being unaffected by it, at least negatively.

"Though I admit I am curious to see if he develops any of the Dark Lord's abilities, skills, or even memories. It is another explanation for his increased development. Though once again I think it is a combination of factors."

Both sisters were unconsciously leaning closer together now, Bella's excitement increased with every word, and Narcissa could not deny that the picture she painted of the future was a wonderful one. Their own personal Dark Lord? The possibilities...

Bella's voice dropped to a whisper.

"Cissy, we can make him into the strongest wizard to ever breathe, in every sense. He will have fame, political power, wealth, and more magic than Merlin himself. Cissy, through him the world will be ours. Everything we've ever wanted...With us by his side, watching his back, plotting for him... And our magic, Cissy. He can grow our magic! Imagine him when he actually knows what he is doing... He could make us near ageless. I feel as though he has already added a decade to my life, you know that stronger magic slows old age.

"Imagine us, Cissy. You and I, his ageless Queens and advisors. With all this power and our increased longevity, however much it is, I'm sure we could discover how to make a Philosopher's Stone. Great-great grand uncle Phineas was so close- I'm sure his notes will be in the Family vault."

Narcissa hid her blanch at the word 'queens', but could not help but ask.

"Bella... You speak and act like you want to marry him..."

"Of course I do! He is no mere boy, Cissy, he will be the god-king of this world sooner or later. This will not be the first time a Black has raised their future partner, and it is far from uncommon in times of old. Virtually all the greatest Witches raised their mates, not least Morgana Le Fey herself!"

The name of the greatest witch to ever live brought a brief moment of silence while they honoured the memory of her prowess.

Narcissa had to admit her sister had a point. But she was still undecided about it and so changed the topic.

"Tell me more about these horcruxes. If they are the secret behind the Dark Lord's strength then perhaps we should make our own."

It seemed to be Bella's turn to look uneasy.

"Horcruxes are no little matter, Cissy. The ritual is black, the information about them vague, and we have seen for ourselves the... negative effects shredding a soul can have. I do not think it wise to... deform ourselves so, simply to exist as some intangible shade. It is an intriguing art, and there are many possibilities, but no. I don't think we should create our own until we understand them completely. Luckily enough we will have two for our studies, one in our little Harry and one in the cup, once I can retrieve it."

Narcissa nodded, bowing to her older sister's deeper insider standing of the darker arts. Though the mention of the cup brought up another topic they needed to discuss.

"What are you going to do now, Bella? Surely you so not plan on living here indefinitely. It is a cosy set up, I admit, but not feasible in the long term. Or do you want me to be your ambassador to the outside world?"

Bellatrix released a small sigh. "I admit it has been very pleasant here, especially with little Harry for company, but no. We cannot remain here forever. It would ill prepare him for life outside, if nothing else. I think it would be best to have my name cleared, quietly if possible. Or perhaps a larger audience would suit our purposes better. Before you ask, look here."

She raised her left arm and revealed her unmarked skin, to Narcissa's absolute confusion. What was going on? That was impossible! She had seen the Mark herself! Comprehension dawned as she realised why her sister had not cared about, in fact had pushed her to reveal that those Marked were loyal Death Eaters and in the Inner Circle.

Bella gave a satisfied smile as she watched the realisation spark in her eyes.

"Yes, exactly. I no longer carry the Mark, and so I of course could not possibly be in the Inner Circle. Any who say otherwise are clearly wrong, having been tricked into framing me." She gave a smirk.

"Little Harry saw it one day and asked about it. I told him it was bad, so he wiped it off with his sleeve, as if it were mere spilled ink. It was transferred onto the cloth and there it remains, a true Dark Mark attached to no one. At first I was simply astounded by it, by his power and control. No one has ever been able to do anything like it. But then with further study, it proved once more that the horcrux inside him is part of the Dark Lord's soul. The link between them allowed him to connect to the Mark, and then transfer it to the fabric.

"I am sure with training and practice, he will be able to further tap into the Dark Lord's powers. Imagine that, Cissy. Not only will be be a full Dark Lord in his own right, but with the power of his predecessor too! It is almost too convenient, were it not for the fact that it anchors Voldemort's shade to this plane."

"That is indeed a rather unfortunate price to pay, but shades can be banished, or better yet, bound. And if we can find the other horcruxes, who knows what we could do with them. Beyond the fact that they are shards of the- of Voldemort's soul," Narcissa suppressed her shudder fairly well. "There is also the fact that he seems to have chosen very powerful objects as containers. Helga Hufflepuff's Chalice of Plenty? Bella, that alone could have been an immense advantage in the war. The power to duplicate any potion? Any? Most believe it worked only for wines and such, but its true beauty was it worked perfectly with magical ingredients too. Deadly, incurable poisons, strength and health tonics, Felix Felicis? Veritaserum? Everything.

"Bella, with that cup alone we could achieve so much. We have to retrieve it as soon as possible. The potential is too great to let it rust in some dusty vault!"

Both sisters stilled as Harry stirred in his sleep, disturbed slightly by their raised voices. Despite their sudden silence, he woke with a cute yawn and looked around, smiling when he saw them.

"Goodmorning, Bella! Goodmorning, Cissy!"

"Goodmorning, darling. Sorry, we did not mean to wake you."

"But since you are awake, my love, perhaps its time for your morning lessons?"

Harry nodded with glee and crawled clumsily out of bed.

"Bye Bella, bye Cissy! See you later!"

He dashed off with no small amount of giggling to one side of the room before leaping right at the wall. Narcissa couldn't believe her eyes, was the boy trying to kill himself? But then he disappeared without leaving a trace behind, save for a silver glowing circle right where he vanished. She quirked an elegant eyebrow at her sister in silent demand for an explanation.

Bellatrix laughed more innocently than she had heard her laugh in over a decade. "A pensieve, Cissy. The Lestrange one, actually. Can you believe they actually had one? Anyway, I had it fixed to the wall when he persisted in jumping into it, at least this way it's a little harder for him to miss. Besides, he enjoys it. It contains a copy of my memories up to the end of my first year at Hogwarts. Sometimes I go in with him, sometimes I let him view whatever he wants. He knows what he is and isn't supposed to do in there, and its much more efficient than any other form of basic education I can imagine. It might help if you could add some of your memories, too.

"As he get older, I'll let him view more of my memories, though I expect I'll have to be careful and guide him through them. For now, this lets him see the world out there and interactions between various people. We might have to find a suitable male for other things, though. I doubt it would benefit him to act as a girl would. No, we will need to find someone, eventually."

Narcissa nodded, that was probably wise. Pensieve tutoring was not unheard of, but the rarity of the expensive and very difficult-to-craft objects meant that it was far from common. Even those older Families that possessed them did not use them too often for such things, as memories were a very private thing and trust was always an issue.

Her sister was apparently very serious about this.

A small gesture and they both slid from the bed and walked quietly to the study. The room had a darker, more serious feel to it and the thick carpet muffled the sound of their footsteps. One wall was covered by a chart of all the main players in political Magical Britain, and much information about them. The middle of the room was dominated by a large table made of some kind of dark red wood, with different parchments and books from the connected library scattered over it. A lounge and a desk completed the room perfectly in both sisters' opinions.

Narcissa claimed the lounge, and Bellatrix, not to be outdone, wandlessly conjured a mirror image of it for herself with her little smirk. Narcissa scowled at the display of skill and power currently beyond her, and her sister noticed.

"Never fear, Cissy. Soon enough you'll be the same. It's not merely the increase in power, but the feel of its flow... You remember how it flows through every part of you before he drinks it? Remember that feeling, remember how it moves so easily through your body, specifically your arms and hands. That more than anything is a gift."

Narcissa considered that.

"So you mean to say that each 'meal' increases your sensitivity to your own magic, as well? Improved flow, channelling..."

"Yes! Exactly that. I can channel my magic through my hands easily for anything uncomplicated, or undirected, or simple. But anything precise, or focused or too powerful requires my wand. I can't actually cast anything projected from my hands, not even a stunner. I do not know why, but I think it is due to the nature of wands and the difference between a focal point and natural outlet. It seems that anything just creating an effect is possible, but true casting is not."

She sighed a little.

"I will keep trying, though. I think given enough time, and power, it will be possible in some form. Perhaps some months from now we will be on more equal footing and could practice together. But enough of that. We need to plan, and you, my dearest Cissy, are the better politician. I have grown a little too impatient for truly brilliant machinations, I fear."

This prompted a smirk from the younger sister, and Bella rejoiced at the glimpse of her returning happiness.

"Ahh, I told you delving deeper into the dark arts would spoil you. Why bother with bribes and blackmail, subtle hints and grand plans, when you can simply Imperius or kill the weak minded fools, hmm? I admit that sometimes your way is so much more satisfying, and very tempting. But, dearest Bella, this is probably not the best time for that."

They shared a knowing laugh, and began to plan in earnest.

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Please review and let me know what you think. Oh, and which House should Harry be in? There are excellent reasons for and against each House. Please vote in the poll on my profile, though reviews expressing your reasons have more weight!

By the way, I feel I should say Draco will be attending Durmstrang and will visit for the Tournament.

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A guest reviewed with several excellent points about the Houses, so I will put it here completely. Thank you for it, it is very good.

"A wolf in sheep clothing, is what I believe, so as to what house Harry should be in, so let it be either Gryffindor or Hufflepuff. Why? Well...No one would expect a dark lord to come from these two unlikely houses. Hufflepuff because of their friendly nature and Gryffindor because of their chivalrous nature and idea of fair play. Not to mention that Harry could persuade the children of light and neutral families to ally with his cause.

To further give you an idea of why these two houses should be considered...I will refer to a passage from another fanfic story. The story is written by oraldeviant and called Know Your Place.

"Slytherin, once a house of the cunning has now become a breeding ground of corruption and filth. Where as the house still gathers the ambitious they are now plagued with an arrogance that often leads them to folly. Never underestimate them but at the same time, never underestimate their high opinion of themselves.

Gryffindor is indeed the house of the brave, but it's also the house of the idiots. Bravery and lack of common sense often go hand in hand and their obsession with ideals and chivalry can prevent them from making the logical choices. Avoid directly angering them, as an enemy that pays no heed to your threats is not one to take lightly, seek to manipulate them instead.

Ravenclaw has always housed the intelligent, but rarely the sharp. Their obsession with books leads them to lose sight of the real world and should anything occur that goes against what they have read, and can not be dealt with by researching, they are left quite helpless. Seek their advice, assistance and council but do not take it as the absolute truth.

Hufflepuff is often referred to as the dumping ground of Hogwarts, yet it's a moniker coined by the lazy and those that would underestimate them. The ideals of the house are hard work and loyalty, the very things you would want from people close to you. Gain their loyalty and you will have seven years of unyielding support by the hardest workers in the school." - See more at: .com

I'm glad that Narcissa seems to have agreed to help Bellatrix with her plans. Hope to read more soon."