Serpents.

sixteen

Three days.

Only three days.

I'm not sure where to go from here. We still haven't gathered everything we need of Draco and I's dreams. River could possibly be in danger...we all could be.

I knew my best sense of direction would be to go through the dreams as best I could...as fast I could.

***

*BANG BANG*

"Just a second" I threw on some clothes and walked to the door.

"Yes?" I yawned

"It's River...she's awake." Pansy stood in shock

"What?" I shoved passed and ran towards the common room

"Wait-" Pansy chased after me

"What?" I stopped

"Draco doesn't know." She sighed

"Why?"

"She didn't say...she wanted me to come get you and Emerson. She doesn't want the boys to know yet"

It was a mystery...why River didn't want the boys to know anything just yet. But we understand her wishes.

***

"Okay before we go in, the nurses said not to be very aggressive with her. Questions and physical touch should be at a minimum" Pansy ordered us

We nodded and walked in.

River raised from her bed with a soft smile beaming on her face.

"Riv, we've missed you" I greeted her

"I've missed you all terribly" her voice was raspy

"Draco will kill us when he finds out we didn't tell him" Emerson scoffed

"There's a reason for that..." River chuckled

"What is it exactly?" I asked

"Muffliato" River waved her wand slowly

"...I remember everything" she raised up a little more

I looked to Pansy and Emerson...knowing River had no clue about the dreams. If she could reveal some of the missing puzzles we had left from them.

"Of course you remember your interaction with Harry and Sirius?" She glanced at me

I nodded

"Order of the Phoenix...that's what they called them"

"Who?"

"Voldemort's first attack. That's when it started. Dumbledore formed an army, Sirius, Professor Lupin, Harry's Parents, Neville's parents, the list could go on and on." She continued

"What did they do?" Pansy asked

"You would think they were there to make amends...protect everyone from Voldemort's wrath...no. They fought for themselves and fed everyone to Voldemort himself" she muttered

"Dumbledore?" Emerson spoke in shock

"Not all of them agreed which is why most of them are dead now. That and they've been using slytherin's to get what they want." She spat

"Slytherin's?"

"Slytherin students; our parents...once things became known about dumbledore's secret army people began fighting against them...killing members from the order. That's why it's rarely spoken of"she sighed

"Why didn't our parents try to stop them?" I asked

"They would've if our memories wouldn't have been erased every year. Not only ours, our parents as well. Voldemort wants an army and that's exactly what dumbledore is giving him. He buries the guilt by protecting the rest of the Wizarding world...What's a few slytherin student compared to millions of wizards and witches?" A tear slid down her face.

"How-how did you know?" I choked

"Harry didn't kidnap you for the order, he kidnapped you for your own safety." She wiped her tears away

"That can't be! He tried to kill you" Pansy spat

"Let me show you...it will be much easier" River mumbled a spell.

A sharp pain shot through my head and everything went black.

***

River's pov:

"Get off! Let me go!" I shouted, tugging from his arms

"Be quiet!" Harry tugged me down the hall and into an abandoned room.

"River listen to me!" Harry grabbed my shoulders

"Get off of me!" I shoved and kicked at him

"River please, there's not much time" he pleaded

"What?" I spat

"Your training is over, They're coming for you all. You need to get the Serpents and leave Hogwarts immediately. They'll try to erase your mind but you need to remember what I am telling you" Harry's eyes glared into mine, making sure I understood every word.

"You're lying!" I continued to fight him

"Estella has nightmares, yeah?"

"That doesn't prove anything" I sneered

"I've seen how she screams in her sleep...it's all real. Her dreams are real memories coming back. Estella and your brother were different...they remembered things, even after they obliviated them. I'm not sure why. That's why I was interested in getting to know Estella, I figured one day she would wake up and remember everything....Please believe me" Harry gripped my hand

"Harry I-"

A loud thump came from the down the hall

"We don't have much time, take this" he handed me a small blue pill.

"What is this?" I examined it

"It'll help you remember...please remember" he waved his wand and apparated

I placed the small pill on my tongue and swallowed it.

My mind began to go fuzzy.

***

"That's all I remember from our conversation" River sighed

"I don't understand" Emerson spoke

None of us could process everything that River told us.

"We don't have time to ponder...let's grab the boys and go" River threw the cover off of her legs and tried to stand up from the bed.

"We can't leave, you're ill "

"I'm fine, there's nothing wrong with me. They tried to keep me here and sedated to make sure I couldn't remember." She changed back into her normal clothes, discarding the hospital gown away from her.

"How do we get out without them seeing us?" Pansy asked

"I could apparate us...if I remember how" I grabbed my wand from my pocket

I thought of the spell I had heard Draco use...and waved my wand.

"Picture somewhere you want to go, Star"

Picture somewhere I want to go....picture somewhere I want to go...picture somewhere-

"Holy shit- it worked" Pansy scoffed

I opened my eyes as we stood in the common room.

"Bloody hell-"

Blaise, Draco, and Milo sitting at the couch all stared at us, astonished.

"You've got some explaining to do where the hell-" Draco paused mid sentence.

"Riv?" He pulled her into a hug

"How-how are you here?" He continued to hug her

"It's a long story, just please don't freak out...we have to leave, now" River said nervously

"Why? What happened?"

"Like she said...it's a long story, let's go" Pansy ordered

"We'll explain later, just trust us. Grab whatever you need...we're not coming back" I sighed