There's something going on with Hope Mikaelson on The Originals. Thanks to the 5-year time jump, the littlest Original family member is almost 6-years-old in The Originals Season 4 premiere "Gather Up the Killers," and her magic is beginning to show. Early in the episode, when Hayley leaves Hope in the care of Jackson's grandmother, Mary, she mentions that Hope's magic is getting more powerful, and she has no idea how to control it. At the same time, something strange is happening in the magical community of New Orleans that seems to be connected to her. So, what's going on with Hope on The Originals?
Marcel and Vincent's alliance in New Orleans has brokered peace in the city, but in the season premiere, Marcel hears word of secret meetings and sigils (a magical symbol) popping up around the town. He thinks it might be a kind of witch uprising, but Marcel denies having any knowledge of it. Later, Maxine, a witch who is crushing on Vincent, goes to Vincent with a problem: her son, Adam, is missing. We see Adam in what looks like an abandoned house. He sees a serpent sigil on the wall, what looks like a snake eating it's own tail — the same one that has been popping up all over town. When he turns to face the sigil, a bright light illuminates his face, and he looks horrified. But, instead of seeing what it was that scared him so much, we saw Hope waking up from a bad dream. And, it turns out she's been obsessively drawing that very same sigil.
This could mean a few different things. It could be that Hope is somehow projecting these images into New Orleans with her art, perhaps laying groundwork for magic that will free her father. Or she might be having visions of a new evil heading for New Orleans, one that uses this sigil as a marking of territory. Whatever is happening, I have to believe that little Hope isn't doing anything evil. She's way too cute for that, right?
