June 30th 1992

"I haven't heard from them all summer," Harry groaned sadly. Hope glanced to her brother feeling sorry for him. There was no way they'd just forgotten him, she knew that there had to be a reason they weren't contacting him.

"And there's probably a good reason," she replied reassuringly. "They wouldn't just forget about you."

"But what if they have?" he asked desperately.

"They haven't."

"Have you heard from anyone?" he asked, looking to his sister who sighs and looks up from her book.

"No, but that's because I told them not to send anything. I knew I wouldn't be able to answer them anyway," she replied, referring to the fact that their Aunt and Uncle locked everything to do with Hogwarts and magic under the stairs and wouldn't let them release their owls from their cages. They weren't even allowed to say the word 'magic'.

Before another word can be spoken an angry voice echoes up the stairs. Hope closes her eyes and sighs. "Shit," she muttered looking to her brother. "Looks like he found out I ate that slice of cake that was sitting in the fridge."

Harry looks to her fearfully knowing what was about to happen, Hope notices the look on his face and smiled reassuringly. "I'll be fine," she told him. "It's not like this is the first time."

She took one last look at him before leaving the room and closing the door behind her. She looked up to see her Uncle waiting for her, she sighed knowing what was coming. She yelped as her Uncle grabbed her hair and dragged her off down the stairs. He threw her harshly off the bottom two stairs. She lands crumpled up on the floor.

A harsh kick to her ribs makes her cry out, "you ungrateful little brat," he growls. "After everything we've given you, you think it's okay to just eat what does not belong to you?"

"I'm sorry," Hope cried out as another harsh kick landed in her stomach.

"You better be," he sneered. She pushes herself up from the ground, holding in her pained groans as she does. He sends one harsh slap across her cheek before walking away.

Hope takes a painful breath knowing that at least one of her ribs were broken. She determinedly pushes her way up the stairs to her small room at the end of the corridor where she sinks down on her bed, holding in her tears.

"You okay?" Harry asked from the door staring at the red mark on her cheek that will grow into a bruise. Hope manages a small smile, "I'll be okay."

July 7th 1992

Several days after the incident that left Hope with a broken rib and red cheek, bruises formed across her jaw and ribs. There was a dark bruise on her left cheek bone and a massive bruise across her left side. It was painful for her to walk but she pushed through it, like she usually did.

Harry was still anxious as he still hadn't heard from his friends yet. Hope did her best to reassure him but nothing helped. He had become convinced that they had simply forgotten about him.

"Hope?" Harry began as the two siblings sat in Hope's room reading two of the books Hope had managed to hide when Vernon and Petunia locked all of their 'magical' items under the stairs. "What do think our lives would have been like if Mum and Dad were still alive?"

Hope looks up sighing, "better than they are now. It would probably be just as complicated as it is now but it would be better," she replied after some thought. If her parents were alive chances are, all of their friends would be here too. The marauders would be together. That would have been fun. She can't help but wonder how her Dad would react to all of the stuff she's done. He'd probably be proud of all of the pranks, probably pass on some tips too.

"I wish they were here," Harry said sadly.

"Me too."