Chapter 33 - Missing Memories

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I wake up and everything hurts.  As I become aware of my body, more and more pains are discovered.  I feel like I was hit by the Hogwarts Express.  Every part of me is screaming for me not to move.  Even the opening my eyes sounds painful.  I hear voices murmuring nearby and I try and focus on them.

"She should be alright.  Right now, the most important thing is for her to awaken.  When she does, only then we can tell how severe the damage is."  I hear Madam Pomfrey tell someone.  Are they talking about me?  I must be in the hospital wing.  I try to remember how I got here, but it's all a bit fuzzy.  Was it from quidditch practice?  I remember we've been training hard for the Slytherin game, but that's still like a week away.  Right?  Time feels wrong to me.

"I can't believe she fell off of her broom!"  I hear another woman's voice respond, and I wish I am unconscious again.  "She's a better flyer than that!  I trained her better than that!"

"Mrs. Taylor," Madam Pomfrey's voice sounds as if she's restraining herself.  "She was playing with a broken arm for over an hour.  It wasn't an amateur mistake."

"And how did her arm get broken?  Carelessness probably."  Mom huffs and I wish I had my bat with me.

"She was purposefully hit by the other team's beater.  With a bat."  Madam Pomfrey just sounds angry now.  "Now, I must ask you to leave.  I can't have you here disrupting my patients."

"She's my daughter, you can't kick me out!"  Mom protests, used to getting her way.

"I can and I will.  Unless you'd like to mean high inquisitor Umbridge, I suggest you make your way back home."  Their footsteps walk away from me and I presume Mom is being shown the way out.  I hear the doors, and know she's gone.

"You can open your eyes now."  Madam Pomfrey comes back over, somehow knowing I'm awake.  "Sorry you had to hear that, sweetheart."

"I'm used to it."  I grumble, nervous to open my eyes.  I'm sure the pain in my head will only get worse with light exposure.  I carefully crack my eyes open, and I'm right.  The pain nearly triples, sending a rush of nausea through me.  Pomfrey hands me a bucket just in time.

"What happened?"  I groan, pulling my head back out of the bucket.

"We will get to that in a moment.  First I need you to answer a few questions."  She pulls out a clipboard from where it was hanging at the end of my bed.  "What is your name?"

"Hazel Taylor."

"What is today's date?"

"The twenty second of March, nineteen ninety six."

"What's the last thing you remember?"

This question stumps me.  It's actually hard to pinpoint an exact memory.  I remember my classes earlier today.  I had potions, dada, math, divination, transfiguration, and history of magic.  I can remember all of that.  And I remember going down to the pitch for practice.

"Going to practice.  Did I fall off my broom during practice or something?  Will I be okay to play in the game next week?"  I try to sit up but end up just causing myself to get sick again.

"Unfortunately, no."  She shines a light into my eyes.  "There will be no playing for you.  The game was two days ago."

"What?"  I gasp.  "I missed it!  How long was I out?  Did they find a replacement?  Did Hufflepuff win?"

"Miss Taylor, please try not to stress.  The blood pressure increase will just worsen your head ache."  Madam Pomfrey hands me a potion to drink.  "No, you did not miss the game.  You played in the game.  You just got a severe head injury and forgot it."

"I forgot?"  I frantically try to remember anything from the past ten days, but there's nothing there.  It's as if it never happened.  "Will I ever remember it?"

"Hopefully with healing, your memory will return."  She motions for me to drink the contents of the bottle and I oblige.  

"Having to catch up on a week of school is going to be rough if I don't get my memory back."  I sigh as the potion starts to ease the pains in my head and body.

"Indeed.  I doubt the NEWTs would be very forgiving to your situation."  She gives me a sad look before handing me something else to take.  "Drink all of this.  This should help move the healing along."

I drink the second vial, this one tasting much worse than the last.

"Now, I will release you conditionally."  Pomfrey gives me a stern look, warning me to abide by her rules.  "You can not be alone.  If your condition were to suddenly change, you need to be around someone that could get help.  You will need to visit me after every meal for medication and monitoring.  Also, do not consume any other potions or magical sweets.  They could interfere with what I give you."

"Okay.  That's fair."  I nod, pleased that I can do it without vomiting.

"Alright.  Now I believe a friend is waiting outside to walk you to class."  She helps me out of bed, and I am relieved to find my body feels sturdy.  She walks me to the door and opens it to reveal not one friend, but the whole quidditch team, Mia, Celeste, and both Weasley twins.

"Hazel!"  Mia cries, rushing to embrace me.  "I was so scared!  Are you okay?"

"Hey.  I think I'm alright."  I hug her back.  "I don't remember anything from the past ten days though."

"Umbridge is not going to be happy," she frowns.  "She already said she wasn't going to give you any accommodations because you chose to play quidditch."

"Of course.  How much time until classes start?"  I ask, wanting to check if all my assignments were done.

"About an hour."  Mia grimaces, knowing what I am thinking.

"Well, if anyone wants to help, I'm going to need it."  I joke, but my sweet friends all offer to pitch in.

All of us in seventh year head to the library to get me caught up.  I obviously can't learn an entire week of material in one hour for all my classes, but I can at least get caught up on dada and some of potions.  I feel like the rest of the professors would be more understanding than Snape and Umbridge. 

I discover that I actually had already completed the assignments due today.  I must have done them Friday night to insure a free weekend.  At the end of the hour, we all head to class.  I'm about to head down to potions when Edwin comes running up to me.

"Hey!  I brought you this."  He hands me a granola bar.  "I figured you didn't have time to eat."

"Thanks!  I really appreciate it!"  I give the sixth year boy a hug.

"Where's ours?"  Fred teases him.  "We didn't have time to eat either."

"Yeah, we're starving too from helping Hazel."  George chimes in.

Edwin blushes.  "I'm so sorry.  I didn't think about it!"

"Edwin they're just messing with you."  I pat his shoulder.  "Besides, I haven't eaten in forty eight hours.  If anyone deserves this, it's me."

"Oh, okay."  He grins hesitantly before rushing off to his class.

"You didn't have to mess with him like that."  I told the boys as we entered Snape's classroom.  "He was just trying to be sweet."

"But where's the fun in that."  Fred smiles at me as he takes a seat.

"We'll be nicer next time."  George promises, shooting his brother a look.

"Fine."  Fred concedes.  "But only for our favorite Hufflepuff."

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