I am not J.K. Rowling. I am not making any money from this. I just have a very healthy obsession with Harry Potter.

I hope everyone is doing wonderfully! Thank you for stopping by and reading my plots with J.K's characters! Please read the A/N at the end. I have a slight problem, and would love to get your feedback.

Chapter 4: Without A Doubt

Severus Snape was a quiet man. A man of few words, one could say. But at that very moment he had even less to say. He sat in the Headmaster's Office waiting for the midwife that the Dark Lord had employed to come. A few hours before, he had been pacing, but seeing as how he had company now, he couldn't. He held his hands together atop the desk that he was sitting behind, but he kept his eyes trained on the face of the ghost before him. There was no doubt in his mind that this "woman" had been beautiful before her untimely death. She just floated there, staring stoically back at Snape. Anyone else would have thought that she was just ignoring him, but Snape knew better. Helena Ravenclaw was thinking and rethinking everything that he had just told her.

"Ms. Ravenclaw, I know that this must be hard for you, but I believe I have already stressed how important it is that you cooperate. I know what I ask is difficult, but I need your testimony. A midwife will be here in less than an hour to check on her, and once she has finished attending to Hermione, I will have to summon the Dark Lord. You have to testify to him that Hermione is a descendant of your mother. I will not have any doubt cast upon that girl," Snape said, finally breaking the silence.

"Don't you think I know how important this is? I just don't understand why I wasn't informed before you told him! I would have been better prepared to face him had you let me in on your 'findings' sooner. You may be only asking me for one thing, but this one request can cost-"

"Nothing to you! You ignorant child! What will happen to you if he finds out the truth? Nothing! Absolutely nothing! I will be the one to pay, but you will be free to enjoy your cowardly existence," Snape said, cutting in forcefully.

She only looked at him murderously. She couldn't believe that she, Helena Ravenclaw, was being talked to in such a manner. She, the daughter of a Founder, had been cut off in mid-speech. Still, she knew that he was right. Nothing would happen to her. The very worst that could be done to her would be a banishment spell, and even that wasn't temporary. This was the afterlife she had chosen, and by the rules of nature, she would be allowed to exist Eternity however she so pleased. As long as she didn't harm others, of course. But that wasn't important now. She had a choice to make. Lowering her eyes to the floor, she quickly thought of something that would help their case against any who would dare object to Hermione being the descendant of Ravenclaw.

"A birthmark!" she shouted, quickly looking back at him again.

"Excuse me?"

"How can I prove that she is a descendant of my mother's? There is no spell that can be done to see if we share the same blood, seeing as how I am dead. The only solution to that is this: I have a small birthmark at the nape of my neck that resembles the letter "R". Every female in the Ravenclaw family was born with one, and always in the exact same spot. Hopefully she will have a freckle that can be transfigured to resemble an "R". As for the Pureblood Charm that the midwife will cast on her; that can easily be fooled. What do you think?"

He slowly smiled as he got to his feet. He gathered his cloak around him and walked towards the door. "I think that we need to move quickly before the midwife gets here. It's already 8:37. She will be here at 9 sharp."

"I'll meet you in the child's room," Helena assured him, as he began descending the spiral staircase.

She floated gracefully through the wall, heading to the room that had once been hers, but now held captive Hermione Granger. Helena had been quite surprised in finding that someone other than the Head of Ravenclaw occupied those rooms. She had wasted no time in going directly to the Headmaster and demanding an explanation of him. Helena had been shocked to hear him tell his tale. At first, she had just wanted to flee, wanted to get as far away as she could have. It wouldn't have been far, seeing as how she could only 'exist' in Hogwarts, but she knew how to make herself invisible if she ever had any need to. However, she remembered the poor, dirty girl that was shivering under her bed. Guilt and pity had won out over fear. When she had been alive, Helena had made many mistakes, and even in her current state of being had she made mistakes. Probably even worse than the ones she had made when she was still breathing. Although she would never admit it to anyone, not even to herself, Helena desperately wanted a chance to redeem herself. Maybe helping prolong Hermione's life would be enough.

XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX

He quietly entered the room. It was eerily silent in the main chamber of the room. The stillness and silence reminded him of a tomb. However, this was a much more luxurious tomb. He looked around the room, taking in all its beauty. The walls were a royal blue color with crown moldings that were bronze. The smooth stone floor that had originally been gray had been magically painted a light bronze color. The platform that the giant bed was on was the same color blue as the walls. The giant canopy bed that sat on top of the platform in the center of the room was made of cherry wood. The sheets of the bed were a soft white. The rest of the furniture in this room was also made of cherry, and each surface had a vase with white flowers. Yes, this room was much more luxurious than any tomb or crypt, he though drily.

Snape quickly glanced around the room. No one was in sight. So, either Granger was in the bathroom or she was still under the bed. He had passed by Winky in the antechamber. She had been dusting all the books and surfaces in that room. As Winky had turned to bow to him, Snape had warned her to stay out of the way for the next few hours. She had promptly disappeared, after bowing so low her nose touched the ground.

Silently, with the stealth of a predator Snape made his way to the bed. He bent over slightly, peering under the bed. There, curled in a fetal position, lay Hermione Granger sleeping. Thanking his luck at this wonderful occurrence, he pointed his wand at the girl. Slowly, a force as gentle as a wind propelled her forward. Gracefully moving his wand, Snape directed Hermione to the bed. Once he had accomplished that, he cast a spell that would keep her asleep and unable to feel anything that would shortly be done to her.

"She's pretty filthy," Helena whispered in his ear.

Controlling the urge to jump, he nodded in agreement.

He waved his wand over Hermione, murmuring words that almost sounded nonsensical. A faint glow engulfed her dirty and bruise-covered body. Once the light started ebbing, Helena gasped in surprise. Hermione, who had previously been dressed in an old gray and threadbare robe, was wearing magnificent midnight blue robes. The hem and neckline had braided bronze cloth adorning it. Her hair, that had looked black because of the accumulation of grease and dirt, lay fanning around her in soft chocolate curls with small white pearls interlaced in it. Her hands rested peacefully on her abdomen. Her nails were short and clean. All grime had been whipped from every single inch of her body. Her chapped lips were once again full and pink. The scratches that had been on her face were gone. The dark circles underneath her eyes were also absent. Her creamy skin was once more blemish, bruise, and scratch free. She looked absolutely beautiful.

"I think what I miss most is the magic," Helena confided in Snape.

Ignoring her, Snape raised his wand, again, and Hermione also rose. With her back facing them and her hair parting to allow access to the back of her neck, Snape and Helena looked intently at her exposed neck. Luckily, there were quite a few freckles on the back her neck.

"Ms. Ravenclaw, would it be possible for me to see the birthmark on your neck or because of your current state would it be impossible?"

Helena swept her hair away from her neck and to one side of her face. Snape looked intently at the prominent "R" at the nape of her neck, burning it into his memory. He looked back at Hermione and began to weave his wand in an intricate manner. Slowly, but surely, the exact replica of the "R" began to shape. With one final wave, the task was complete.

He slowly lowered Hermione back onto the bed. Helena went back to looking the sleeping girl. No, she told herself sternly, young woman. Helena continued staring at the beautiful young woman dressed in all the finery that befitted the descendant of the Ravenclaw House. She really was a beautiful witch. But that was not enough.

"Snape, we need to make haste. There is a bracelet hidden inside of the bedpost. That bracelet was once mine. It is goblin-made, so it would have imbibed all of the essence of my blood."

Snape quickly produced the bracelet and placed it one Hermione's right wrist. It was a simple, yet exquisite silver golden bracelet. It was made up of four thin golden chains, and every centimeter, or so, a diamond joined the chains together.

"Join owner and treasure, Helena. I cannot. It is not my treasure to pass on."

Floating towards the girl, Helena placed her one translucent hand above the wrist where the bracelet was and the other hand over Hermione's heart. Mustering all the energy she had, Helena passed the ownership of this last Ravenlcaw relic to sleeping Hermione.

Finally everything was complete, and not a moment too soon. With a CRACK Winky suddenly reappeared into the room. Helena, knowing that her presence might be suspicious, made herself invisible.

"Headmaster, Winky was cleanin in your office, like a good elf. All the nooks and crannies be havin dust. But then in my ears I hear when Young Mater Malfoy, of the Most Noble House of Black, comin in. Mistress Quing be here to see you he be sayin. So, I tells him I come to lets you know. I remembers you bein most distreseed when he saw the Mistress Hermione comin to the castle…" Winky said in a ruch.

"Very well. I shall go and fetch her. Stay with Hermione. Midwife Quing and I will be back shortly."

XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX

"Well, well, she is quite the looker," sneered the short, squat, black-haired midwife witch.

"You weren't summoned so that you could discuss her looks. Get to work. The Dark Lord is most impatient to get this done," Snape told her coldly.

"Don't take that tone with me. If you would know how to perform the spells needed our Master wouldn't be impatient. Now," she continued moving onto the bed, " I think I'll begin with the Pureblood Spell."

Producing her wand, she shot a spell at the sleeping Hermione. She waited anxiously. If the girl glowed red, she was indeed a Pureblood. However, if the light around her turned a brown-red color she was only a half-blood. But if she glowed brown, well…there would be two executions tomorrow, she thought; one for Potter's friend, and the other for Snape. She grinned evilly at Snape.

At that precise moment, Hermione shone a bright red. Snape inwardly let out a sigh of relief, while maintaining a look of cold indifference.

"Hmph. Well, I guess her blood ain't so muddy. Now onto the rest…Ubertas Expertus!" she shouted, frantically waving small circles over Hermione's lower abdomen. In a matter of seconds, that part of Hermione's anatomy shone a bluish-purple color.

"This girl is extremely fertile. Shouldn't take much to knock her up, I should say. I've never had a womb light up so fast before," Midwife Quing said to Snape.

"The Dark Lord will be pleased," he responded icily.

The short witch grunted as she stood upon the bed, hovering over Hermione. In bigger, sweeping circles she cried out, "Informato Balanus!"

Out of nowehere, a piece of paper appeared above Hermione's body, and the midwife quickly snatched it out of midair. Looking down at the paper she held in her hands where one completely black circle had just appeared.

"Well…"

"In 21 days she will be at her most fertile! The Dark Lord will be overjoyed! Snape, all of his plans will come true! And we will be rewarded beyond our wildest dreams!"

"Hurry up! Finish the last one! It does the Dark Lord no good not knowing what we know!" he snapped back.

"Too true, too true!"

This time she held the wand over Hermione's heart crying out, "Insons Insantis!"The wand shot a single golden spark at Hermione's heart. Nothing happened at first, and then a humming noise filled the room. It felt as if there hundreds of people standing in the large room, humming a single tune together. Hermione was lifted of the bed by an invisible force. Then where Hermione's body had once been a pure white light shone, blinding the wizard, witch, house elf, and the invisible ghost standing in the head of the bed.

Just as abruptly as the white light appeared it extinguished, leaving only Hermione. She was tenderly placed back on the bed by the same unseen force.

Midwife Quing sat down on the bed and swung her stubby legs over the side. As soon as her feet touched the floor, she looked up at Snape, smiling at him with the most wicked grin he had ever seen.

"And that is just the icing on the cake. The Dark Lord knew she was an innocent witch. A witch who had never harmed a single soul, but I know he never thought she was that pure! I must get back and infor-"

"You will do no such thing! Learn your place before you are replaced by someone who does know their place! You will await me in my office. I will ask the Dark Lord to come, and in my presence you will then tell him what has happened here!" Snape sneered.

The midwife shot him a hateful glare, but left the rooms.

"Winky, go fetch food for Mistress Hermione. When you come back the ghost of Helena Ravenclaw will be here talking to her. You are to leave the food and not then go. You will only come back when summoned, do you understand?"

"Yes, Headmaster Snape. Winky knows how do as she is told," Winky said happily. If Hermione had been awake, she would have been most disheartened to see how much Winky loved being bossed around.

As soon as Winky had disapparated, Helena became visible.

"Snape, what was the meaning of that? Is he planning to-" but she couldn't finish. The thought was too gruesome.

"Hermione is an innocent. That last spell was to determine how innocent she is compared to the world. Except children, of course. Children are innocent because they cannot differentiate between right and wrong. According to that last spell, Hermione is the most innocent person alive, not including children. She is good, pure, honest, and loving. But this proves that she is as close to angelic as any mortal can possibly be. The magic that flows within her is pure, which makes that the most potent magic. Coupled with the Dark Lord's magic, their united magic will have no rival."

Helena could only hold her hand to her heaving breast. The idea of the Dark Lord gaining even more power was terrifying.

Snape continued, however, "The Dark Lord doesn't need an heir. He has done the unthinkable to remain tethered to life. Nevertheless, he wants to expand his power to all corners of globe, not just the country. With such a powerful heir as the one that Hermione can produce for him, the Dark Lord will be able to do just that. In 21 days, he will wed and bed Hermione. She will be his queen. She will produce his heir. And then he will truly be unstoppable."

Ok, as I've been brainstorming and plotting away I realized that this story could head in one of two ways. Now here is my question to you: Are you guys okay with Hermione suffering tremendously? I only ask out of respect because after reading a very graphic torture/rape Hermione story I couldn't sleep for 2 days. However, it was wonderfully written. Please let me know what your feelings are.

Thank you for your continued interest! You guys are amazing and I really hope you take some time to review and tell me how you feel about Hermione suffering.

Thank you!