Story Title/Link: The Pitched Battle

School: Durmstrang

Theme: Hogwarts

Prompt: Main Prompt: #9 (A Fight [Action])

Prompt #14 (They all sighed with relief that the whole ordeal was over! [Last sentence])

Prompt #3 (Wand [Object])

Year: 7

Word Count: 2543

They were just setting up camp after moving to this new location. Hermione was moving around the outskirts of the camp murmuring protection and concealment spells under her breath as Ron started the fire and cooking something up for their dinner. Harry finished setting up the massive tent that Hermione had packed for them in her amazing little bag, the same tent that they had stayed in for the World Quidditch Cup which seemed like it was a life time ago. Hermione lowered her wand once she was finished and joined the boys sitting around the camp fire silently.

Harry knew that they were getting exhausted. They may not have known what they were getting themselves into, but they stuck by him, helping on his search for the horcruxes. They had already found Marvolo Gaunt's ring as well as Salazar Slytherin's locket, but they had yet to discover exactly how to get rid of them without the venom of the Basilisk which was how Harry destroyed the one in year two, Voldemort's school diary. He knew that needed to find a way to destroy them as the effect of having the two horcruxes in the camp was truly starting to affect them, especially Ron he sensed. Ron wasn't known for being in control of his temper.

For now, Harry was just grateful for the presence of his friends. They were his rocks, keeping him grounded and keeping him from running himself to death in his search. Without him, he may have already been caught by the snatchers. At least he knew if the time came for it, he'd fight to the death rather than be caught. That much he was sure.

Drawing his attention, Ron was grumbling under his breath about the meager meal they were about to eat. Ron wasn't used to going without. Not in his family where Molly ensured everyone was well taken care of. Harry wasn't too sure how much longer Ron could live on the run like they were, camping in desolate areas with minimal food and dealing with all types of weather.

Not that he wanted to lose his friends. He was selfish that way. He selfishly wanted them to stay, even before going on the run and trying to convince them not to join him all the while hoping that they would follow him anyways. Sighing, he turned to Hermione, disrupting his train of thought.

"How long do you think we could hold out here? Two, three days this time? It'd be nice to have a few days to recuperate a bit before moving on." Their camp was set up in a small clearing in a dense part of the forest of Dean. Hermione was the one who brought them here, having told the boys that she had once camped there with her parents as a child.

"I think we could manage that. Its pretty isolated here and if we are careful, we could stay a few days. It really would be lovely to have a break and rest up before moving on. What do you think Ron?"

"I don't care. Its damp and cold here, but if it's the best we can do, then it's the best we can do. I don't see the need to vote on it like children." He grumbled in response to her question.

"You don't need to act like a child Ronald Weasley! I was just asking for your opinion not your attitude!" She grabbed her dish of food that Ron had prepared and stalked off into the tent. Harry just sat there silently, not wanted to be involved in the couple's squabble, which seemed to be happening more so as each day passed.

Ron handed a dish of food to Harry before starting in on his own food, shoveling it into his mouth, still grumbling under his breath between bites. Harry just sighed.

"Women! They want your opinion and when they get it, they get angry! There is just no pleasing them." He snapped stabbing vigorously at the grayish meat in his dish.

"I don't know what to say Ron besides suggesting that you two talk and move past this. We're stuck together and fighting amongst ourselves will just make us more miserable than we already are." Harry shrugged as he ate. Ron glared at him in a huff and stalked off into the tent, leaving him sitting alone at the camp fire eating.

The next day past with glares being thrown around in an uncomfortable silence. Harry kept to himself knowing better than to interfere. That evening found the three of them once more sitting around the camp fire, eating silently together in the twilight. It was peaceful for Harry, just sitting with his companions. It almost felt like when they were back at Hogwarts. How he missed those days.

Eventually Ron then followed by Hermione headed into the tent for bed while Harry took the first watch. He ventured away from the cheerily burning flames of the camp fire to the edge of the camp, patrolling silently around its edges as the rain began to fall.

A few hours later found Harry sitting at the base of a large tree silently, looking into the dark woods that surrounded them. That's when he noticed it for the first time, causing him to sit straighter and grab his wand, the rustling in the woods just beyond his sight line. It was louder than made by the locate wildlife, more like a person stomping through the woods.

Within the camp, Harry knew he was invisible, hidden safely away from the persons vision. Harry took no chances, sitting right at the boundary of the camp he stood and slowly backed towards the center of the camp as a raggedly dirty man wandered up to the camps boundary, sniffing. That's when it hit Harry. The spells hid them away but didn't mask the smells from the camp. He could probably smell the camp fire which was nearly out but still smoking. If it didn't mask the smells, what is it to say that it also covered their noise as well?

Harry backed away from the man as silent and quickly he could, heading to the tent and never taking his eyes off the man and keeping his wand at the ready. Once he reached the tent, that was only when he turned his back to the man and went to walk Ron and Hermione. Ron woke instantly and quietly but Hermione was startled awake causing Harry to clasp a hand over her mouth, putting a finger on his lips to silently tell her to keep quiet. He led them to the opening of the tent and pointed towards the man who was now joined by two others at the edge of the camp. Ron raised his wand as Hermione also pulled hers out.

Harry silently motioned that they follow him away from the area as the men made their way closer to the camp fire, sniffing loudly.

"I swear I can smell smoke Joe." The smallest of the men said to his companions.

"Ya I can too. There's something here. I know it deep in my bones that there is something here." The first man moved until he was practically standing in the fire, startled by the realization. "Look around boys, where there is fire there has to be flames near by." He appeared to be the leader of the trio as he threw his arms open, urging his companions to search the area.

Harry silently lead his companions farther from the tent, closer to the boundary of the campsite, ushering Ron and Hermione to walk forwards behind him as he walked backwards from the men with his wand raised.

"I feel fabric Joe! Right here! I swears it!" The third man called over to Joe who stomped loudly over to where the man was standing at the opening of their tent. Harry and the others froze as fear scented the air surrounding them. Harry nudged his friends to keep moving as he watched as Joe walked over to the tent and grabbed it, causing the tent flaps to move and shimmer in the spell work. Joe raised his wand and murmured under his breath startling Harry who urged Ron and Hermione to move faster as he felt the spells drop from around the camp.

"There they is Joe!" The third man cried out poking at Harry and the group as Joe and the smaller man turned to face them.

"After them Hugh and Gregory!" Joe yelled as the men were startled in giving chase. Harry turned and ran as Hermione lead them deeper in to the woods.

The branches whipped his face as he ran though the wet woods in the rainstorm, dodging the flashes of red aimed at him. His heart pounded madly as his chest heaved with the lack of breath as he could hear footsteps to either side of him, Ron heaving for breath on one side and Hermione on the other. They crashed through the woods at break neck speed in fear of being caught by the snatchers who given the chance would hand them happily over to Lord Voldemort for torture and death. Harry shook his head to get his wet hair out of his eyes and to stop it from sticking to his glasses and cocked his head to the side listening for their chasers. Reaching out and grasping Hermione's cold hand and lead her to Ron's side and changing their direction with Ron following them. After approximately 10 minutes of running they came across a cave just off their path.

"Ron! Take Hermione and hide in that cave. I'll round back and cover our tracks. I'll lead them away."

"No!" Ron reached out and grasped Harry's wrist tightly. "You can't do that! They'll catch you! Let me go instead."

Harry pulled his arm away. "Ron, they want me. Not you. Not Hermione. Just me. They won't kill me if they catch me, but they will torture you for my location. I won't risk that. Just stay here and take care of Hermione. Get out of here as soon as it is safe to do so." With that Harry turned on his heel and ran back to their main path, uttering a spell that wiped their tracks away so the snatchers wouldn't find them. Once back to their original path he ran on.

After another few minutes, Harry found himself in a large clearing. "Shit!" He murmured to himself as he started to rush towards the forest on the other side of the clearing as he heard the men behind him catching up. Partly across the clearing, he was struck in the back with the stupefy spell. Cursing he fell to the ground.

The spell doesn't last long, and he slowly gets to his feet just when the men were closing in on him. There were three men walking towards him with their wands up.

"Expelliarmus!" Harry yelled waving his wand towards all three men but only disarmed the smaller man as the other two raised their wands. Diving out of the way of a petrificus totalus that was thrown his way by both other men, he rolled back up onto his feet.

"Sectumsempra!" Harry shouted towards the leader of the trio, hitting him square in the chest. Turning without looking back to see Joe fall to the ground screaming in agony as the spell sliced across his chest, Harry started to run towards the forest again with the two other men being distracted by their fallen leader.

"Go after him Hugh!" Joe spit out in pain as Gregory knelt beside him murmuring the spell work to heal the man's deep wounds. The large man got to his feet and took to chasing Harry alone across the clearing towards the woods.

Harry pushed himself to run harder than he ever had before as he fought to gain distance between himself and his pursuer. Panting, he looked over his shoulder to send a stunning spell back at the man hearing as it hit home just as he broke through into the woods, leading Hugh on a tough winding footpath.

The noise of Hugh crashing through the undergrowth was growing fainter as he was unable to keep up with Harry. Harry kept running until he could no longer hear the man behind him but keep running, winding through the trees in a manner that would make it harder for the man to follow his tracks.

Harry stopped once he was certain he wouldn't hear the man any longer, bending over and holding onto his knees as he panted, trying to catch his breath again. Once he started to breath more regularly, he turned on the spot and with a crack disapparitied away.

Back at the cave, Ron had bundled Hermione into the small cave and sat in the entrance way, wand ready should he need it. Hermione cried softly behind him as she leaned into his back, tears soaking his jumper. Ron sighed and let her cry her fears out, trembling as she did so. Eventually her cries quieted down, and her breath evened out as she slipped into a restless sleep. Ron did turn at this point and situated Hermione as comfortable as he could make her, removing his jumper and covering her with it before settling back into his original position to wait for something, anything, to happen.

About an hour after they had hidden themselves in the cave, a loud crack was heard near the entrance of the cave with a quiet voice calling out his name. Ron carefully left the cave, raising his wand as he headed towards the voice, slipping behind a tree to spy out who the voice belonged to. Breathing out a sigh of relief, Ron lowered his wand and stepped out from around the tree to grab Harry in a hug.

"Thank Christ it was you!" Ron left out in a quiet hoarse voice, relieved over having his friend return to him in one piece. "How did you escape them?"

"Ron lets take cover before having this discussion." Harry said, letting Ron lead him back into the small cave, waking Hermione by accident.

"Oh my gosh! Harry! You're alright!" Hermione squealed despite Ron and Harry shushing her to be quiet and launched herself at him. Harry chuckled softly and hugged her back.

"Yes, I'm fine, just tired." Harry grinned at her and Ron. "Apparently I can run faster than I thought." He laughed softly, looking at Ron and Hermione's answering grins. "Once I was far enough away and sure I was no longer being followed I apparitied here, hoping that you stayed here."

"Thank goodness we stayed." She smiled at him. "We wanted to follow you and help out. But I see you didn't need us to do so." Yawning softly, moved to curl up against Ron with his jumper, who wrapped an arm around her.

"Harry catch up on your sleep. I'll take first watch." Ron smiled over at his friend as he yawned. As he made himself comfortable, he settled down to sleep. They all sighed with relief that the whole ordeal was over!