Chapter III

Riki raced all the way down the steps, thru the halls, and finally she came to a halt outside the Great Hall as students piled out from dinner. She stood off to the side, beside the doors, waiting. As Draco came into view, she took a breath.

"Draco!" she hissed. He turned his head, seeing her, and moved his hand, motioning for her to follow him. She shook her head, and gave him the number three, and the letter G in sign language, before taking off. He nodded, and looked at Crabbe and Goyle.

Riki was sitting in a little ball against the sinks in the unused third floor girl's bathroom, rocking back and forth, trying to get the disturbing image she'd seen of Ron out of her mind. The door creaked open, and she lifted her eyes, seeing Draco slowly walk in.

"Riki? What happened…?" She jumped up, and ran to him, wrapping her arms around his shoulders. "Riki?"

"Oh, God…Draco…I…Ron Weasley was the last person taken to the basement room…"

"Yeah…"

"And I saw it happen…" she said. He pulled back a little.

"What?"

"I…don't really know what happened…I was dreaming, and I saw myself fly out my window, and into a hallway window, and then I knocked Ron out, and dragged him to the basement…I locked him in the room…and when I woke up, Ginny was crying. She told me Ron was taken, and…" He sat her down on the floor, brushing the hair out of her face. Tears were streaming down her cheeks, and she looked up at him.

"Riki, stop. Take a deep breath." She did. "What are you talking about?"

"I don't know what's happening to me, Draco! I just saw myself take Ron to the basement room, and I had been sleeping since classes let out! And…I'm just…so…afraid now, Draco…" Her voice cracked, and she lowered her head, her hands on the cold concrete floor. Draco slipped his arms around her waist again, and she put hers around his shoulders, still crying. "What is happening to me?" she whispered. He squeezed her for a second.

"I don't know, Riki, I don't know…but nothing is going to hurt you, no matter what…I'm here…" She nodded, and moved her head a little, pushing her lips against his cheek.

"I love you, Draco."

"Love you, too, Riki. And I'm here if you need help, you know that…" Riki nodded again, and pulled back, wiping her eyes and pushing her hair behind her ears.

"I just wish I knew why I was seeing these things…" Draco shook his head.

"Don't worry, Riki. It's all gonna be okay, I promise…"

Riki sat at the table beside Draco, dictating the end of her Potions homework to him, as Harry came over, sitting next to Riki.

"How're you feelin, Riki?" he asked, looking over at Draco.

"Better, I guess…Not as freaked out, I suppose, but still kinda worried…" She lowered her head, looking at the assignment on the paper Draco had laid in front of her, and nodded. "Good job, Draco…I can actually read this."

"Shut up, Thorn…" Riki glared at him, and set the paper on the table. Harry patted her shoulder, looking at Draco again, and sighed.

"You coming to Quidditch practice?" Riki nodded.

"I have to, or else Angelina will yell at me again. According to her, I should at least go to watch so I know what's going on." He nodded, and stood.

"I'll meet you out there, okay?"

"Alright…" He headed away from the table, and she sighed, lowering her head. Draco pushed out his foot, moving it against her shin, making her smile. "Draco…" she muttered.

"Is all your homework done now?" he asked, looking at the papers on the table. She nodded, and he put all the papers together, and laid them on her notebook, beneath her book, and slid them across the table. "There you go…" She nodded again, and looked up at him.

"Thank you, Draco," she said softly. She lowered her hands, and brushed them over his as she picked up her books, leaving the room. He watched her leave before getting up and going over to Crabbe and Goyle.

Riki pushed open McGonagall's door, and peeked inside. McGonagall sat at her desk, rifling thru papers.

"Professor McGonagall?" she asked. McGonagall looked up, and smiled.

"Hello, Riki…Come on in…" Riki pushed the door closed behind her, and crossed the room, stopping in front of the desk. "What can I help you with?"

"I was wondering if you had a book or anything about the Goddesses?" McGonagall thought for a moment.

"There is one book, that I know of, in the library, but it's in the restricted section, so I'd have to get it for you…When would you need it?" Riki shrugged.

"Whenever you happen to get the time to get it, I suppose. I'm not in any really big hurry…I'm just worrying about the other students." McGonagall nodded.

"Well, I will get it when I get the chance, I promise," she said, smiling. Riki nodded.

"Thank you so much, Professor…" Riki turned, and left the classroom, heading back upstairs to the common room.

She yawned, pushing the picture closed behind her. Katie and Angelina looked up from their places on the couch.

"Where were you for Quidditch?" Angelina asked. Riki's eyes widened, and she looked up.

"Oh my God, Angelina, I am so sorry! I completely forgot! Oh my…I even talked to Harry about it earlier, how could I have forgotten? My God, Angelina, I am so sorry…" Angelina shook her head.

"I don't want to hear it, Riki…If you are late or miss practice again, you're off the team…" Riki lowered her head, sighing, and rubbed her eyes.

"I said I was sorry, Angelina. I have a lot on my mind right now. I really meant to come, I swear I did, I just don't know what happened."

"I don't care, Riki…Remember…one more strike…" Riki looked up at Angelina with nothing but hate in her eyes. Harry jogged down the stairs, and paused, seeing Angelina in front of the fireplace, Katie on the couch, and Riki in the doorway.

"Angelina, I don't know how many times I have to say that I am sorry that I forgot about practice! Okay? I've got a lot on my mind! I'm trying to do homework thru Draco Malfoy because I can't write; I'm trying to figure out who has been kidnapping the students and locking them up in the basement; and I'm trying to watch my back! I have very, very little time to think about Quidditch, alright? If you wanna kick me off the team, fine! Go ahead! I can live without it! But I swear to God I hope the Goddesses take you to the basement next!" she screamed, and ran back out of the common room. Angelina and Katie looked at each other wide-eyed as Harry ran out after Riki.

She raced down the hallway, skirting by other students who paused to see what was going on. She slid out the front doors, and ran all the way the lake, stumbling and falling to the ground, eyes wide, staring into the water in front of her. Her words rang thru her mind, and she wished they would disappear, but they wouldn't. They got louder and louder, pounding in her brain. She took a deep breath, and plunged her head into the water, letting her air out as she screamed. Harry ran up behind her, and kneeled beside her.

"Riki!" She pulled her out of the water, and looked at him, letting the water run down her face and onto her shoulders. "Riki, what just happened in there?" he asked, motioning towards the school. She shook her head, standing.

"I don't wanna talk about it, Harry…I've apologized many times for missing practice, and she tells me one more time and I'm off the team. She won't accept an apology from me because I'm a chicken. Because I have so much going on right now that Quidditch is not the most important thing in my head…If you wanna know anything else, go ask her…" She turned, and headed back inside, leaving him confused behind her.

Riki dropped onto the cold floor beside the door in the basement.

"Guys? I don't know if you can hear me, but I wanna make this promise! I am going to get you out of there, no matter what it takes, I promise you that. I hope you are all alright, okay? I miss you guys…But everything will fine, I'll get you out of there." She rested her head against the wall, and closed her eyes.

Opening her eyes, she smirked, knowing exactly where she was. She slowly stood up, heading quietly upstairs, keeping out of view of the other students. She made her way down to the Hufflepuff hall, and waited very silently, very patiently, for the picture to open. As it opened, she watched Cho Chung climb out, looking around for signs of anyone. She pulled her hand back, slamming it into her face as she looked at her. Cho stumbled backwards, and, pushing the door closed, she grabbed her around the waist, pulling her back down the stairs.

She waved her wand, kicking the door in. As she dragged Cho in, she shoved the door closed, turning to see Ron chained to one wall, yet Hermoine, Neville, and Seamus were no where to be seen. Ron lifted his head, and widened his eyes.

"Cho! Not you too!" Cho raised her head, and blinked blankly at Ron.

"Ron?"

"Cho? Say something other my name…"

"Ron, where are we?" she asked.

"Somewhere in the basement…" She slammed Cho's back against the wall, chaining her up next to Ron, and smirked, stepping away. As she turned, the shadows falling away from her, and the light brightening up her face, Ron's eyes widened again.

"Oh…my…god…" He mouthed her name, but she couldn't hear him.

Riki gasped, shoving her back off the wall. Looking up, she saw Harry staring down at her, McGonagall and Dumbledore right behind him.

"Riki, what are you doing down here?" Dumbledore asked.

"I…I didn't wanna be upstairs near Angelina, so I finally came down here, and called something into the room to Ron, Hermoine, Seamus, and Neville…"

"You never saw Cho go in?" McGonagall asked. Riki widened her eyes as she lowered her head, thinking, and then lifted it back up.

"What?" she asked.

"Cho was the latest victim. Harry saw her being taken down here, and came and got us…Did you see or hear anything suspicious?" Riki hesitantly shook her head, standing up.

"No…no, I didn't. I must've fallen asleep down here…" Dumbledore nodded, and looked back at McGonagall.

"How far along are we with finding the curses on this door?" he asked.

"We're getting closer, Professor…but we haven't figured it out completely yet…" Nodding again, Dumbledore headed back upstairs. Harry looked back at him, then over at Riki. "Oh, by the way, Riki, when you get the chance, I have the book you wanted checked out. Just come by and see me sometime, and I'll get it to you."

"Thank you, Professor." McGonagall went back up to her classroom, and Riki slowly followed Harry upstairs, too.

"Riki, you look like you've seen a ghost…"

"You remember yesterday, when I said I had a dream that I took Ron down there, and then I woke up and he had been taken?"

"Yeah…"

"I had another dream like that, only this time I took Cho Chung…and when I woke up, you guys were there, telling me she'd been taken…" Harry put an arm around her shoulder.

"It's gonna be okay, Riki…Whatever is happening, it'll all be okay. C'mon, why don't you go on upstairs and get some sleep?" She nodded.

"Okay…But…First…I wanna get that book from McGonagall…"