It had just been here, and now it we couldn't find it. The stupid portkey had blown away when Ron had stupidly lifted the rock holding it down. If they didn't manage to grab it within the next ten minutes, they would be stranded in the middle of Death Eater camp with more than a few Corpse Munchers hungry for their blood. "Well a fine mess you've put us in Ron!" whispered an angry-beyond-recognition Dean Thomas. "Probably your worse blunder yet!" hissed Ernie MacMillan from his left.
"How was I supposed to know the book was enchanted to fly? Get off my case!" Ron said through gritted teeth. As though to mock him the small portkey fluttered past them. "There it is!" Ron harshly whispered, "All we need to do now is simply grab it!" Harry was sure he could catch the book, or would once he could find his glasses.
For all the wonders that the wizarding world had; regrowing bones, flying broomsticks, chocolate frogs, there was not a single spell, potion, ritual, or other magical procedure to fix a wizard's (or witch's) eyesight. The four of them lay very still on the ground behind a flutterby bush (which was luckily devoid of Flutterbies), peering through at the spherical tents arranged in a heart-shaped formation. Why that was the particular choice of the Death Eaters was beyond them!
And again as the group watched the book flutter, they wondered if they had bad luck because now the portkey was flying in circles above a small group of Death Eaters chattering to each other, but since the book continued to fly around unnoticed , they may not have been as unlucky as they thought they were.
Their hopes plummeted as a Death Eater emerged from one of the tents and snatched it out of the air to disappear into the forest at the camp's west side. It was official, they were royally screwed not with only the slimmest chances of escaping alive. Dean made his concern clear by introducing his flying fist to Ron's nose.
Ernie held Dean back as Harry did the same with Rom, the last thing they needed was for a brawl to start out and break their cover and have every Death Eater in the vicinity literally cursing on their arses. That would really hurt. And given the fact that they all had recently escaped from a torture session, causing themselves more pain was not very high on their to do list.
"Loog! We cad do dis!" whispered Ron as he grabbed his bleeding nose. "We jus deed to ged the boog in ten binides! Den we cad ged oudda here!"
"Then I'll punch you again when we leave", Dean said, quickly adding, "And if we die, I am so killing you myself." Hermione shoved her way between the two boys and pushed them apart roughly.
"Be quiet."
"Yes ma'am"
No one messed with Hermione when she took on that particular tone of voice. Bad things happened when anyone did.
"So what's the plan, Ron?" She asked, her dark tone lightening slightly.
"Umb…accio?" Ron replied seemingly unsure, just as the portkey zoomed to their hiding spot. "Wow, dat was easy.!" He said happily.
"Hate to spoil your fun Ron," Harry said quickly, "But even my blind eyes can see that the portkey wasn't the only thing to come over here."
At that moment, someone shouted,
"Crucio!"