Disclaimer: Don't Own it.

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Chapter Twenty-Eight: What Happened?

Hope was partnered with Harry on a potions assignments as they were all preparing for their final exams. Hope was reading the book while Harry stirred the potion three times clockwise.

"Now add the eye of the newt, wait two minutes, stir counterclockwise four times then once clockwise," Hope instructed as she left to get the vials and labels. She came back just as Harry finished stirring.

"Okay, now…" Hope started but a voice from behind her interrupted her.

"Little bitty Hope, what'll happen if, say your potion explodes?" Pansy Parkinson said from the table she was sharing with Blaise.

"Leave her alone, Parkinson," Hermione, Draco, Harry, and Blaise all said at once. Hope shrugged it off and returned to the potion.

"Now we need to say the incantation "Finalis Potinus" and wait another minute," she said, brandishing her wand as Harry did that same. They said the spell in perfect harmony and watched as the potion shade changed.

"It should be turning a shade of lavender," Hope said, eyeing the book before double checking that the potion was. "Okay, now drop in the chopped ginger root at the same time that I drop in the herbal leaves and the potion will be done after it simmers."

Harry did as she said and soon they were finished. They left their potion to cool as they began cleaning up, proud of themselves for the perfect shade it turned out in. Hope went to check on it and noticed Pansy standing there.

"Back off, Parkinson," she said, pulling out her wand.

"Oh, Hope, what would I do? Maybe drop this…" she said, holding a scarab beetle above the cauldron. "…into your potion?"

"Don't!" Hope exclaimed, gaining the attention of the whole classroom. She pushed Hermione, who had come up beside her, under the table as Pansy let the ingredient fall into the potion and conjured a shield to protect herself.

Hope felt the now red liquid hit her forcefully. She fell backwards against someone and tried to refrain from breathing the harmful odors. She battled staying conscious due to the burning of the potion and the odor when Severus kneeled down beside her.

"Hope?" he called, pulling her toward him. "Are you okay?"

She nodded, closing her eyes and asked the person she had fell against the same question. She was slightly shocked when she heard Harry's voice.

"Anyone hit with the potion, get to the hospital wing now!" Snape bellowed to everyone standing around. "Everyone else, class dismissed. Except you, Miss Parkinson." Snape sent a famous glare her way and was satisfied when he saw her flinch.

He turned his attention back to his goddaughter only to realize she was unconscious. He cursed under his breath while picking her up and storming out of the room and locking it so that Parkinson couldn't leave.

As he entered the Hospital Wing, Severus noticed how only two students were in the hospital wing, and neither appeared to seriously hurt. He carried Hope over and set her down on the bed with a solemn expression as Madam Pomfrey dismissed the other two students and walked over to her. She gasped at the amount of potion covering the girls white robes.

With a few waves the potion was gone and Severus stepped out as the mediwitch began undressing Hope to tend to her wounds. He paced outside until he heard Poppy yell for him to come back in while she administered potions to his goddaughter.

"She'll be fine, Severus. She'll be tender where she was hit…which is most of her body, but she'll be perfectly capable of doing everything she does normally."

"Why is she unconscious? Surely she didn't inhale enough of the potion to affect her," Severus asked, sitting down beside her.

"She may have just lost consciousness from the pain; she also could have lost the memory of what happened for today and yesterday. Nothing major though." The mediwitch bustled away leaving the two alone.

Severus sat by Hope until a few hours later when he heard her groaning. She rubbed her eyes and was surprised at how gritty she felt.

"Good, you're finally awake!!" Poppy yelled from across the room as she bustled over.

"Umm…yeah…" Hope said, confusion written on her face. After a quick exam, Poppy dismissed her with Severus, whom she gave a look that told him he'd better explain everything.

Hope stayed quiet until she reached Severus quarters. She walked in and was enveloped in a hug from Draco, causing her to hiss in pain. He backed up with a worried expression on his face.

"She's a little tender, Draco," Severus explained as he led Hope to the couch and set her down. She stared at her godfather before sighing.

"I guess I'll just…err…go to bed?" Hope said, not sure what else to do.

"I assume you have some questions," Severus said, sitting across from her.

"Err…I do. But who do I ask?"

Severus was shocked. "Hope, what do you remember?"

Hope shook her head. "Not much. Bits and pieces of things that don't make sense. I remember people, just not events." She rubbed her head. "Like, I know you're my godfather, and you're Draco…and kind of like a brother. I remember Harry, and I remember coming to school after the Halloween ball, being sorted, learning spells, Hermione…Ron…Blaise…and that's about it."

Severus shared a worried glance at Hope before moving toward her. He pulled the necklace around her up into his hand and showed it to her. "Do you remember getting this?" he asked.

Hope stared at it for a moment. "Somewhat. The tears are things I've lost. The hearts are things I've gained. The star is the future. But who gave it to me?" Hope asked, her eyes meeting Severus'.

"Oh no! This is not good, Dad!" Draco exclaimed.

"Dad? Err…Draco? Your dad isn't here…" Hope said, becoming even more confused at the looks on their face.

"Hope, go to sleep. We'll see what happens when you wake up."

Hope wearily watched them for a moment before getting up and heading to her room, leaving the two men to stare at each other in worry and shock.

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A/N: Friday's Chapter.