Hogwarts Castle had transformed from being a simple dark and foreboding castle, into being evilly sinister, with a palpable deep malice to it. Voldemort himself liked the effect, although he knew the malice was being directed at him, he refused to fear it. Living in Hogwarts Castle proclaimed his mockery of Albus Dumbledore, and all that the great wizard had lost to the power of the Dark Army. The magical pictures had all been burned, the class rooms turned into meeting places for his Death Eaters, the dungeons restored to their original purpose. The castle had tried several times to rebel, but Voldemort had subdued it under powerful dark magic, and allowed the Forbidden Forest to overrun its grounds.
The centaurs had been too proud to the last, and had refused to join with the humans in the fight against the Dark One. Voldemort had won the battle against their herds as well, and kept them magically contained for his amusement in the dark woods. They were kept chained and stabled to be poked and prodded and experimented on. The unicorns seemed to have disappeared entirely. The dark denizens of the forest-the hags, Acromantula, and trolls were much more numerous.
Hermione refused to venture outside of Hogwarts when she visited. She still felt safe within its walls, as if it somehow recognized her from all the rest as still being a friend. She could feel it's anger, but it was never turned toward her, only a light hopeful touch every now and then that made her strengthen her resolve to complete her mission.
Marchioness Cho Malfoy was her only friend at court, and met her and her family at the portkey entrance when they arrived at Hogwarts.
"Hermione!" Cho greeted her and hugged her old schoolmate, as far around as her expanding belly would allow. Hermione was happy to see her friend, but she could tell something was wrong by the sparkle that was missing from Cho's eyes.
Cho caught Hermione's worried expression, and whispered into her ear "I will talk to you later." Pulling back, she laughed as if she had just shared an amusing secret, and reached down awkwardly over her girth, to hug little Sharra, who had wrapped about her legs. "When you all get unpacked you must come to see your cousins, they've been waiting to have more players for quidditch."
Delaney perked up at this. He had not wanted to come to court, for fear it would be "boring". "Da finally let me use my Firebolt this spring, he says I'm good enough to fly it now!" Cho managed to smile, as the boy held up his prize possession for her to inspect. But Hermione could tell she had recognized it as Harry's old broom, and wondered if anyone else would notice the gift Harry had passed on to his godson and heir. Well, she reasoned, if they did the bastards would probably think it amusing that the boy was riding the broomstick of the man his father had "deceived" and killed.
"Alright, son you'll be able to play soon enough." Severus admonished Delaney as the little boy looked ready to hop on the broomstick right there and show off. "We have our usual quarters Lady Malfoy?
"Yes, Lord Snape, and Draco wanted me to tell you there will be a meeting starting at 4 that you should try to make an appearance at. Voldemort is getting restless again."
Severus merely nodded and led his family into the castle to their rooms. Hermione was saddened that this was the Hogwarts her children had to see for the first time. She remembered her delight and awe at Hogwarts the first time she had seen it in person, and had dedicated her time to memorizing everything she could from "Hogwarts, A History"
Now she saw her children silent, not in awe but in fear of the interior of the castle. The paintings now were of each of the Death Eaters, and depicted the deeds the Dark Lord praised them for, the slaughter of muggles and wizards that opposed them. She found her children were now squeezing each of her hands tightly, and their palms were icy cold.
"Da and mum are in that one." Delaney told his little sister, and pointed to the biggest painting, set directly in front of them as they came in the entranceway. It was designed so you could not miss it, and it depicted Lord Voldemort slitting the throat of Harry Potter, while his loyal servants held the struggling young man still. Severus Snape was depicted overlooking the sacrifice with a haughty expression, and Hermione was by his side. The painting was very dark, but beautifully painted, the figures lush and overdone. Hermione managed to not look at it as she steered her family to the staircase.
Severus and Hermione had many up and down moments with their children, wanting them to grow up strong and brave, tolerant and knowing the difference between right and wrong. It worked in the beginning to simply keep them within Hen Domen Castle, and pretend to be a normal family, and hope their children would never forget what life was like when they were young and innocent.
But it was hard to keep out the evil, as it slowly overtook all of Britain. Severus managed to keep himself from fighting directly in the battles, by taking a chief advisor role in recruitment, to spend more time with his family. He was an especially cruel drill sergeant, and the Dark Lord was well pleased.
"Why did you let Lord Voldemort kill that man?" Delaney whispered to his mum, as they waited for the next staircase to swing back their way.
"Sometimes, darlings, there are things that you have to do, even if you don't want too. Remember how I told you we would have to play "pretend" here all the time?" Hermione whispered back to her children, they nodded, wide-eyed, "That picture is "pretend" also."
Sharra's small face looked much too old as she turned back to look at the picture. Since they were born Hermione had schooled her children in the game of "pretend", where you had to pretend to be mean, and to like certain people. That sometimes you did things that were bad, because you were "pretending", but you only did bad things if mum said too. You had to "pretend" or daddy and mummy would get very angry. Delaney had little problem differentiating between "pretend" and real, but little Sharra had difficulty walking that fine line in learning right and wrong in her mixed up world.
The staircase swung into place, and they came face to face with Percy Weasley. He bowed a deep pompous bow. "My Lord Snape," he turned and nodded his sleek head over Hermione's outstretched hand, "Lady Snape.
Percy Weasley was one of their least favorite acquaintances, a turncoat of the worst kind. He had drifted back and forth over the years, hanging onto the shirttails of whatever side was winning. Recently promoted to undersecretary to Voldemort after his last defection (which had been carefully orchestrated by the Dark One himself, and unknown to Percy, to feed false information to the Order). Percy was as bad as Wormtail.
"Master Weasley, how are your reports for me coming?" Severus inquired, in an affected bored tone. "You were late with them last week, and I was astonished at your lack of detail. From now one I expect better from you." Percy swallowed the retort burning in his mouth at Severus's treatment of him as a schoolboy. Hermione tried not to smile.
"Poncy Toff" Severus muttered to her, as they climbed up the stairs past Percy.