Chapter Thirty-Three: Recovery

Severus and Draco pushed through the debris to find any of the missing people. The wizarding world should be celebrating the defeat of the most evil dark wizard ever known. However, three hours after the fall of Voldemort, all the survivors were in the hospital wing recovering or searching through debris for the two fallen heroes.

When Harry had cast the final spell at Voldemort, the magical fire had exploded, leaving Voldemort's body in the middle of the debris. Everyone had worked hard on catching the death eaters, who weren't even putting up a resistance since their leader had fallen.

Only after that did anyone realize that the two people who had made the celebration possible were missing. They continued searching through the piles of burnt debris.

"Dad, I found something!" Draco called from across the room.

Severus rushed across the room and helped Draco pull the debris off of the body. He saw the familiar black messy hair and pushed even harder.

He pulled the body out from under the rest of the debris with Draco's help.

"Albus, we found Harry!" Severus screamed. He saw the older wizard move faster than most thought possible.

"How is he?"

Severus handed the boy to the headmaster. It was obvious that Harry was not in a good condition. His body was covered in burn marks and blood.

"Not good; take him to the hospital wing, and tell Poppy he requires immediate attention."

"We'll find her, Severus."

He nodded and continued shifting debris.

It took another hour before he saw a bit of white beneath all the debris.

"Draco, come quick!" He called. He started moving the debris and lifted the broken body of his daughter out.

Hope's white robes were red or black in the majority of places. Her blonde hair was covered in soot, and her skin was charred. Severus rushed towards the hospital wing.

"Poppy, we found her!" He exclaimed to the mediwitch. She motioned to another healer to continue working on Harry before continuing on to help Hope.

"Severus, there's nothing I can do. She can't use potions, and spells wouldn't be enough to save her," she said regretfully.

"So what do you suggest, we just let my daughter die?"

"Is her mind open?" The headmaster asked quietly.

"What?" Severus turned to him, confusion clear on his face.

"If her mind is open, you can self-heal her. It won't be nearly as successful as it would be if she were conscious, but it would still work."

He leaned forward and after a quick incantation, found himself shifting thorugh her memories.

"Yes, her mind is open. How do we do this?" He asked.

"Who are the two people who would be participating?" The headmaster said, using his most serious tone.

"I would imagine Draco and myself. She saved my life yesterday, as well as Draco's back in January."

Dumbledore turned to the blonde boy. "Are you willing to do this?"

He nodded.

"Very well, Draco, you would go first, since you were healed first. Just form a mind link with her. Grasp her hands, and I will say the incantation."

Draco nodded. He took both her hands in his own and felt the world swirl before he was in her mind.

"Hope?" He asked quietly. She was sitting under a tree. Everything about her world looked sad.

She looked up and seemed surprised. "What are you doing here?"

"You're dying. We came to save you. What's wrong?"

"I killed your father and your aunt. How can you not hate me?"

He shook his head. "I don't hate you, Hope. I never could."

Hope shook her head. "I don't believe you. You're doing this because Severus is forcing you. Harry's dead because of me, and I won't force you into helping me live."

He shook his head. "Harry's alive, they're working on him now. And nobody is forcing me to do this."

Hope locked eyes with him and Draco felt himself being pushed out of her mind. He was back in the hospital wing with a groan.

"What happened?" Severus demanded.

"She thinks that I'm harboring ill feelings towards her because she killed my father and my aunt."

Severus turned toward the headmaster desperately.

"You can go ahead and do your half, Severus. It may be enough to save her life."

Severus nodded and took Draco's seat. He found himself sitting in front of his daughter.

"Hope, look at me."

She met his gaze. "Is Harry okay?"

"We do not know. He was very close to dying. We're not sure yet if he will survive."

Hope sighed. "And you want to heal me."

He nodded. "That was the plan."

She held her hands out. "Then let's get going. How does it work without two people though?"

He shrugged. "We're not exactly sure, but if we don't try, then you're going to die."

Hope nodded and used the magic to let it flow through her. After several minutes, Severus was back in the hospital wing and Hope was awakening with a groan.

"Hope?" He asked, leaning over his daughter.

"Ow," she muttered as she sat up with her father's help. "Where is Harry?"

"Three beds down."

Hope went to get out of bed but was stopped by three sets of hands.

"I'm going to go see him. You can either help me or fight me, but I will be going to his bed."

Severus sighed and motioned for Draco to help her. He was exhausted from healing her and went to find a bed to lie down in.

Draco helped Hope over to Harry's bed. She sat on the edge of it and brushed a strand of hair out of his face.

"Why aren't the potions working?"

Dumbledore sighed. "It was a magical fire. Voldemort wanted to be sure that you and Harry died if he didn't survive."

Hope sighed. She knew what she was about to do would be dangerous, but she couldn't live only to lose Harry. She placed her hands over his chest and began to let her healing magic work.

Someone grabbed her hands and pulled her away.

"You can't do that!" Draco exclaimed. "Nobody has ever healed after self healing, you could kill yourself."

Hope fought against his grip. "Like you care, I murdered your family. Wouldn't you like to see me dead?"

Draco caught her face in his hands and forced her to look at him.

"You and Severus are my family. I care nothing about Lucius and Bellatrix. I'm happy they are dead. Do you understand me?"

Hope pulled away and nodded. "Just the same, I love Harry. I can't let him die." Hope watched as he accepted this fact and let go of her. "Draco, after I heal him, if you complete your part of the healing, then I should be okay. I'll still be in pain, and I'll have scars, but we'll both be alive."

Hope waited for him to nod before turning back to Harry. She forced her healing magic out and into him. The burns on his body disappeared and the raven haired boys' eyes fluttered open.

"Hope," he rasped out. Instantly there was a glass of water at his lips and he drank it before continuing. "I thought you were dead."

Hope fought the lightheadness overwhelming her. She went to stand but fell backwards. "Draco," she said quietly.

Draco led her back over to her bed with Harry following worriedly. "What's going on?" He asked.

"She's stupid and had to heal you right after Severus self-healed her. Now I've got to finish the job and hope it's enough to save her."

Dumbledore incanted the spell and waited nervously with Harry. Time went by slowly, but finally Draco's eyes fluttered open and he stood up and stumbled to another bed before falling asleep.

Dumbledore waited until he knew all of Hope's magic was reigned it before approaching her bed. She still had a fever, and her skin was scarred, but she was in much better condition than she previously was.

Hope's eyes fluttered open and she smiled. "Hey."

"How are you feeling?"

Hope made a face. "Like I need a shower. I'm still in a lot of pain, but it's tolerable now, though I don't think I'll be supporting myself for awhile."

Everyone in the room laughed. Harry laid on the bed beside her and draped an arm around her.

"That's okay. You're alive, and we can work with that."

Hope nodded at that and felt her eyes drifting close. "I love you."

She felt him kiss her forehead. "I love you, too, and if you ever try to sacrifice yourself for me again, I'll kill you myself."

Hope laughed softly before falling into a deep sleep.