The Dark Lord's Mistress

Chapter 19

Hermione's POV – a week later

I cradled my daughter in my arms as I hastened to Bellatrix's room. I knocked quietly and then opened the door. 'You have one hour, I might be able to keep him occupied for two. Go visit Hogwarts one last time before he tries to take the castle.' She said as she helped me wrap my cloak around my shoulders and settled it so it covered Syria.

I hugged her then took some floo powder and threw it into the fireplace. I stepped into fireplace, shouted 'Deputy Headmistress Minerva McGonagall's office Hogwarts!', and closed my eyes as the sensation of being forced through a tube took me.

I appeared in the office fireplace but was met with an invisible barrier baring me from entering the office. 'Who wishes to see the deputy headmistress?' The barrier asked. 'Hermione Granger.' I said and nearly tumbled out of the fireplace head first.

I braced as the barrier lifted and I almost fell forward. I readjusted Syria in my arms as I started to climb the stairs leading to McGonagall's office. 'Miss Granger?' Professor McGonagall said when she opened her office door and allowed me into the room.

I watched her wave her wand and mutter to herself before standing in front of me. 'The last time you were on these grounds, you were escaping with Mr. Weasley and Mr. Potter. What has happened, Miss Granger?' She asked as she looked suspiciously at the bundle that held Syria.

'I did leave with Ron and Harry, but I had to leave them. Professor, I was pregnant. I couldn't very well put my baby or myself in danger. Ginny Weasley has been masquerading as me for the last 5 months.' I said quietly.

'So it's been proven that those two can survive without you.' She said with a smile. I let out a small laugh. 'Ginny is a very resourceful witch in her own right, but yes Harry and Ron can indeed survive without me.' I said with a small smile.

Our conversation was suddenly interrupted by Syria's cries. I stood with her and began trying to calm her down. 'I bet you're wet.' I muttered as I felt her diaper. Sure enough, her diaper was soiled. McGonagall grabbed a piece of parchment transfigured it into a diaper and handed it to me.

I swiftly changed the diaper and cast a cleansing charm before redressing her. I picked her up and laughed when she giggled at the movement.

'She's beautiful, Miss Granger.' McGonagall said as she watched me interact with my daughter. 'She's like her father.' I said as I stroked Syria's cheek with my finger. Syria reached for my finger and shook it slightly. 'And who is her father? And for that matter, what is her name?' McGonagall asked.

I cringed inwardly before looking up at my Transfiguration professor. 'Her name is Syria Abigail Snape.' I said quietly. I watched as first confusion, followed by understanding, then dismay, and finally disappointment crossed over her features.

'Professor Snape is her father.' McGonagall said as more of a statement then a fact. I nodded solemnly. 'Fraternization between students and teachers is frowned upon, Miss Granger.' She said quietly. 'I didn't plan to sleep with him Professor and surely you don't think I planned to get pregnant.' I said.

'Severus Snape.' She said as she paced. I nodded and said, 'It doesn't matter who Syria's father is. This was not a social visit Professor. The Dark Lord plans to attack Hogwarts soon. We must warn the Order and what's left of the Aurors. We must get the students to safety.' I said. Syria whined a little as I continued to tell the deputy headmistress what she must do.

'How do you know that he plans to attack the school?' She asked. 'It's a long story and if we survive the war, I will tell everyone what happened this last year.' I said as I put one hand on my hip. 'It would explain why the Carrows have become unusually cheerful while they have been doling out their punishments.' She said.

'If we can't move the students, there must be a way to seal them in their houses. We have to protect them.' I said. 'Only the headmaster or headmistress can seal the dormitories.' She said as she sat heavily in her chair, a twinkle much like Dumbledore's beginning to form in her eyes.

I grimaced at her words. 'What is this school coming too? My favorite cub pregnant by the dungeon bat and now we face an attack on the school herself.' McGonagall said as she rubbed a hand over her face. 'These are trying times Professor. The school will still stand when this over.' I said.

She nodded. 'Mr. Potter and Mr. Weasley returned to the school yesterday. They have taken refuge in the Room of Requirement. Go see them.' She said as she ushered me towards the door. She tapped her wand to both my head and Syria's and I shivered as I felt a disillusionment charm surround me. 'Thank you.' I whispered as I slipped through the door and made my way towards the Room of Requirement.

The walk to third floor took less time than I thought it would and before I knew it, I stood in front of the blank wall that hid the Room of Requirement. I took a deep breath as I cradled Syria in my arms. 'Here goes nothing.' I thought as I paced back and forth in front of the Room of Requirement. I thought about how much I wanted to see Ron, Harry and Ginny alive and watched as the wall it opened and admitted me silently. I looked at the faces of my friends, my brothers and sisters in arms, my family.

'Hermione!' Ginny said throwing her arms around me. 'Careful.' I grunted as I tried to shield Syria from Ginny's bone crushing hug. 'Hermione?' Harry and Ron asked as they looked at Ginny in my form and me holding Syria. I took out my wand and muttered a spell that undid the polyjuice potion. 'Ginny? You've been with us the whole time?' Ron said. 'Of course I was Ronald. Someone had to take Hermione's place the further she got along.' Ginny said before turning back to look at me.

'Is this her then?' She asked as she pulled back the blankets to reveal the face of my daughter. 'She looks just like him.' She said softly to me as she smiled at Syria. 'But she has my eyes. I have a feeling she'll be exactly like her father.' I murmured as I gently rocked the baby back and forth. 'What did you name her?' Ginny asked as Ron, Harry, Luna and Neville formed a semi-circle around me so they could all see the baby. 'Syria Abigail Sn—Granger.' I said as I almost said Severus' last name.

'It's a beautiful name.' Luna said. 'She is a very beautiful child Hermione.' Harry said as he stroked Syria's cheek and enticed a squeal from my half-asleep daughter. 'She looks like her mama.' Neville said as he put his forefinger in Syria's tiny hand.

'Whose is the father?' Ron ground out as he stood behind Luna and stared at my daughter. 'I don't particularly like your tone Ronald. It does not matter who her father is. She is my daughter.' I bit out when he stared at me incredulously.

'You are supposed to be the brightest witch of our age Hermione! You got pregnant at 17. How stupid can you get?' He said heatedly. I flinched. 'You have no right Ronald! I didn't plan for this to happen. What you are suggesting is that I had ended my child's life when I found out she had be created! How can you be so cruel?' I shouted.

'Hermione, your child was born out of wedlock. It is a bastard.' He said bitterly. I handed Syria to Ginny and turned to Ron. 'You have no right to call my daughter a bastard, Ronald Weasley.' I said as I reached for my wand.

Harry moved in front of Ron and pushed him backward away from me. 'Avis.' I said as I swirled my wand around my head. Ravens appeared and circled lazily. 'My daughter is not a bastard no matter when she was born. I love her enough for both me and her father.' I said as I threatened to send the ravens after Ronald.

'She is still a bastard Hermione. But what can you expect when her mother is a mudblood slut?' Ronald said menacingly. I felt all the rage build up in me and I walked pass a very stunned Harry and slapped Ronald across the face. 'It does not matter who her father is Ronald and it doesn't matter if she was born in wedlock or out of it. You have no idea what I've been through and therefore have no right to speak to me ever again Ronald Weasley! Oppugno!' I shouted and flicked my wand in Ronald's general direction.

I took Syria from Ginny and swept out of the room in a very Snape-like fashion, with my cape billowing out behind me like wings. I was furious as I continued towards McGonagall's office not realizing that I was being watched by a pair of dark eyes.

McGonagall's POV

As Hermione left my office I couldn't help but notice how grown up my favorite cub had become. "A daughter? By Snape?" I spoke aloud to no one in particular. Albus had had an inkling of something between the two but never eluded to anything. Now to find out she had his child. Oh, how I wished Albus's portrait would wake up so I could tell that twinkly-eyed, meddling old codger he was right.

I began to pace my office in a very Snape-like fashion wondering what I was going to do about the children and Snape as well. 'Well', I said to myself, as the muggles say, 'If you want something done right, do it yourself!' My maternal lioness instincts were beginning to kick in and there was no stopping it.
I decided then and there I would confront Snape, consequences and my job be damned…

I took off from my office in search of that Greasy Dungeon Bat Boy ready to let him have a piece of my mind. I headed towards the room of requirement, knowing Snape would be aware of Hermione's presence there.

As I continued to walk downstairs, I began to wonder what I would say to Snape. Once cannot exactly walk up to the current Headmaster of Hogwarts and say, "I see you've found a new hobby, impregnating my Gryffindor's are we?"

"I find that is none of your concern Minerva," a silky voice purred from the shadows behind me. I spun around on the spot to be face with Severus Snape, murderer of my beloved Albus, current Headmaster of Hogwarts and father of my favorite Cub's daughter.

"Well, Severus, she is still a member of Gryffindor, and as Head of Gryffindor, she is still my priority. Now tell me what happened." I felt a sense of smugness wash over me as I stood before him knowing I was winning our intellectual battle so far. I saw him suck in a breath and the next words I heard were not what I had expected.

"I would assume, being a woman, you should know the method by which it happened. And I am still Headmaster and do not have to explain myself to you. Gryffindor or not, that matter is of no concern to you as she is not a student this term. In fact, you should be the one explaining to me, Tabby." He spoke with a hint of anger and I flinched when he used Albus's pet name for me.

I took a step closer to him and said, "Explain? Whatever do you mean, O Wise and Powerful Headmaster?" I flashed a small but satisfying grin and thought to myself 'Minerva 2, Severus ZIP.'

"You knew full well she was here and did not see fit to inform me? I would think that that could qualify as treason, or even…Disloyalty."

"Disloyalty?" I shouted. "I am loyal to no one but the school. Not even you, Severus. I would think you would have learned that by now. You dare accuse me of being disloyal? Look which side you chose! You are nothing more than a vile, angry, greasy Death Eater, forever doomed to be Voldemort's bitch!"

My anger rose and could not even rival that of Dolores Jane Umbridge on a good day. Severus's face went from smugness, to shock, to now boiling rage. I stood my ground and drew my wand, silently summoning other staff members to come to my aid. The Greasy Dungeon Bat's reign would end now.

"You dare draw your wand on me? You dare to question my loyalty? After everything I have done for you AND for Albus!" He screamed as he too drew his wand.

I threw a stunner his way but he deflected it and shot one back. I stood aside only to realize Rolanda, Flitwick and Poppy emerging from the corridors with their wands at the ready.

After about five minutes of spell ping pong, Severus and the rest of the staff stood wearily on their last leg. We had successfully surrounded him.

"Mutiny Minerva?" he said curtly, "you have no idea what you're doing." I looked upon his face and saw nothing but blackness in his eyes.

"Oh but I do Severus, I am protecting the school to which I am loyal. And the only further words I want to hear from you, Mister Snape, are, ' I do Herby tenure my resignation." The staff and I looked upon him as he struggled to get up. He walked towards me and I drew my wand again, just in case.

"As you wish, Headmistress." He purred as he bowed, and with that, he turned and dissapperated.

I turned to see the faces of my colleagues and walked to the main steps of the gates. The battle was upon us and I would not let this school fall. I stood tall and summoned the power of the school and shouted,

"Hogwarts is threatened, secure the boundaries! Protect us!"

Let the games begin.