Catcher

A/N; The long awaited reunion of the trio with disastrous consequences. For anyone interested I will be aiming to update my stories evenly, so one chapter per story and so on.

Chapter 22; Ill-fated Reunion

Matt's Rooms

Harry and Matt sat in front of the fire place comfortably and for the first time that they could remember since arriving here were relaxing with a Butter beer in their hands.

"How do you think they are doing out there, Harry?" It had been four days now and the students were still out in the forest. Three groups with enough spells on them that Harry could see them wandering about in the distance if he looked out over the forest with his Crysti abilities even with all the ambient magic around the castle.

They hadn't realised that when each group was attacked by Harry that the spells that did hit them were all tracking and protection charms. The centaurs had agreed to help the Elves in following and protecting the students. Nothing could really go wrong apart from bickering between the groups and the Elves had been instructed to use their own initiative when it came to that. If the fighting in the groups got too bad then they would interfere.

So far the groups of sevenths and fifth years had been interfered with. On the first evening both groups had come to wand point and a fight had ensured. Neither had used too dangerous spells against each other but the Elves had discreetly injured a few of the students forcing them to work together in order to survive.

Harry was pleased to see that the sixth years had done a little better. They had started arguing but his old friends had put a stop to the conflict before the Elves had interfered. They were the better at surviving it seemed. They had found shelter and settled whereas the other years were still wandering around aimlessly even though they had agreed that they were lost.

The plan was to leave them out there until the seventh morning and then rescue them with the Elves pretending to be search parties but as with everything else that plan was soon to be out of the question along with Harry and Matt's quiet talk.

Before Harry could answer Matt he felt the disturbance in the Magic of the castle as the sensor wards were pushed apart by a powerful being. Harry jumped up.

"It's the Danus. It just passed into the ten mile sensor wards!"

"We need to get the students in. He'll be able to see the groups like you can!" Matt realised desperately.

Harry cursed as he changed into his Black Panther form and bolted through the door to Matt's rooms with Matt following. As Harry ran up a flight of stairs he called out to Matt through their link.

'Matt! Go to the ships. Tell the Avrilon to take to sailing near the shore to give us artillery coverage over the Gates and front lawn and then tell the Burning Wind to wait for us at the entrance to the Forbidden Forest, Land side. Then send someone to alert General Granger and his AWS's! The Danus is about eight miles out to the south west." The Avrilon was the other ship which the Elves had sent from The City Of Light. It had the longest range of any of their ships due to its new artillery cannons as well as its normal cannons. Harry was glad it hadn't arrived two days later or they wouldn't have it.

By the time Harry finished his instructions Harry was changing to his human form to say the password to the Headmaster's Office and Matt was out on the lawn running towards the Avrilon docked on the School side of the lake. The Burning Wind was stationed on its pontoon in the Muggle Base on the far side of the lake and it would take too long to run around the lake.

Matt ran up the gang plank and instantly called for the Captain.

"Captain Gullan to the Gangway immediately!"

It was a long five seconds before the Old Elf came up on deck. He bowed slightly.

"What is wrong, My Lord?"

"The Danus is incoming. Your orders are to get away from the shore but stay in range for artillery strikes. By the looks of things he'll come up from Hogsmeade. You are to await our command to fire or as soon as he gets within five hundred yards of the Castle Gates."

"Aye, My Lord!" He turned to start issuing orders to his crew.

Matt turned to the Quarter deck and picked up the communications device from its holder.

"Burning Wind, this is Solem, Flash message for Commander Pelaty! Over!"

It was a few seconds before he recognised the Captains voice.

"This is Commander Pelaty, over!"

"Orders are to position your ship on land at position Foxtrot as soon as possible and await myself and Harry! Also inform General Granger of the Danus, Inbound approximately seven miles south west, Over!"

"Understood, The Base has just gone on alert, I believe they are tracking it already, Pelaty Out."

The brief conversation ended abruptly and Matt left the ship impressed once again by the Muggle detection systems that saw the Danus almost at the same time as Harry did.

Matt rushed over to the meeting place, in Harry's spare time when Matt had been teaching but Harry hadn't stuck around, Harry had spent time classifying the threats to the school and agreed and designated meeting places to shorten the orders in the event of emergencies like this one.

Matt arrived at the meeting point about half a minute before Harry in his Black Panther form and the professors exited the school and came over to them.

Albus was the first to speak, "Aurors are on their way, they are flooing in via our offices, and they should be ready in about ten minutes."

"The ships moving into position, and the Muggles saw the Danus almost before we did and they are preparing for it." Matt added more to Harry then the professors, "I think they are looking for retribution for the base that the Danus destroyed."

Harry's black head turned to look out over the lawn, the Avrilon was under sail now and heading towards its position about five hundred metres off shore so that its cannons covered the lawn but didn't reach the outer gate but had a clear artillery firing line the whole way to Hogsmeade. The Burning Wind was heading towards them at a fast pace. Harry saw it in time to see the Magic weave its way under the hull and as it approached the shore it lurched up above it and started to sail through the air about ten feet off the floor. It's ghostly image vague in the early evening light.

Matt turned to Albus, "Headmaster the Danus should be in Hogsmeade in about five minutes and here not long after that, leave it to the Muggles and Elves to fight it unless it gets through the outer gates. Don't commit yourself unless you have to. Myself and my familiar will rescue the students in the forest as they will become a target if the Danus notices them." As he finished the Burning Wind suddenly lurched over their heads and the Professors ducked taken by surprise. A rope fell from the side and Matt grabbed it and was pulled onto the deck as Harry leapt up, opening his wings to carry him higher.

Forbidden Forest

Hermione looked at the group standing in various places around the group as her mind began to work again. She would have to concede to the point that this little adventure was a bad one but it had its advantages. Even Ron was starting to view the members of the Snakes House with a little respect. They were doing more than anyone in order to survive. It had been Zabini that had made the best suggestions on surviving out here. Most of the group including the Ravenclaws and Hufflepuffs had agreed that Hermione was their leader but they all had looked to the Slytherin boy for the advice.

Hermione wondered what had become of the other years, they hadn't met up with them since becoming lost in this wilderness. That was the other thing that didn't sit right with the know-it-all witch. Harry had been in here before and never before had he gotten really lost, and there was no mention of not being able to use conventional tracking spells to find your way out.

Hermione and the Ravenclaws as well as a couple of Slytherins had sat down two nights before and discussed it and come to the conclusion that some sort of spell had been put up to stop tracking spells. Also through a little charm that a Ravenclaw had tried they had discovered that most of them had three or four different spells on them but they couldn't work out what and couldn't work out how to remove them either.

Whilst, unknown to Hermione, a battle was being prepared for only a mile away at Hogwarts she suddenly came to the conclusion. She shot up off the floor disturbing a napping Ron at her side. She ran over to a Ravenclaw.

"It's a set-up!" She almost screeched. "We've been put in here on purpose." The Ravenclaw in front of her and a few others realised immediately what she meant.

The girl in front was the one to elaborate. "They staged the attack on us and placed those spells on us to keep us protected but made us work together to try to survive."

The group muttered between themselves oblivious of the grins of their onlookers. Only twenty feet from them a shadow moved as two of the six onlookers moved together to discuss their orders.

"Lieutenant," The sergeant said in less then a whisper, "It seems that Lord Catcher was correct in his guess that this group would work it all out. What are our orders?"

The taller man thought for a few seconds before answering. "We will carry out Lord Catcher and Lord Solem's orders and reveal ourselves and return them to the castle. There is no more point in this game of theirs if they know it is a lie." He clicked his fingers four times in a pre-agreed signal.

Back in the clearing all of the Slytherins snapped their heads up as they heard the clicking sound. Years of watching and listening in the dungeons for followers made it easier to hear. They motioned for quiet but before anything could be discussed five Elves stepped from the trees. Instantly twenty wands were pointed at the five Elves but Hermione motioned them down again when she saw who they were.

The tallest Elf spoke before Hermione had a chance to, "Good Evening students, my name is Lieutenant Gilens, It seems that you have reached an objective set by my Lord and as such it is time for you to return to the castle and there you have the rest of the week to . . ."

He went silent as a foghorn blared across the treetops. Hermione opened her mouth to ask what it was but the Lieutenant motioned for silence. Another blare was heard this time longer than before and a second later another short one.

The students just stood silently as two of the Elves started talking to their leader. A Muggle born walked to Hermione and started talking to her.

"I think its Morse code. The letter 'R'."

Before Hermione spoke the Foghorn was heard again. A long blast then two short ones. She looked at the other Muggle born.

"D," he whispered, "I don't see why though, it doesn't mean anything."

The Elves seemed to have understood it though as their weapons were out in a few seconds. The leader turned to them. "Gather what items you wish to take!" He snapped, any earlier politeness gone.

"We're ready." Hermione answered knowing that none of her group had any luggage to take alone. "What was that signal?"

The leader turned to her and his face softened slightly. "Please, three of you send up red flares and two send up green afterwards." Once the students did as they were instructed he spoke again. "As your companion rightly said that was Morse code. One of our ships is heading to pick us up."

"So each of the letters means something separate," the Muggle born stated, "that's why R and D meant nothing together."

"That's right, R mean recall so if we hadn't already been talking to you we would have revealed ourselves and waited for pick up. The D is a pre arranged signal meaning Danus." The group gasped at the implication, and he continued. "The two together means that you are being recalled because of the Danus which I assume is heading to the castle. It can see spells in the air and as I know you have worked out you all have a lot of spell on you, so you would be a target."

As he finished the treetops were pushed aside to their west and the Burning Wind flew into the clearing. It only slowed slightly as it reefed in it sails but didn't come to a complete halt but twenty five ropes were flung from the deck. Each had two loops in it.

As the ropes came up on them they heard the voice of the Lieutenant again. "Foot in the lowest loop and arm in the upper, one person per rope only. You only have one shot at this so hold tight." The elves moved to the back of the group and watched as the group grabbed hold of the ropes and were flung lifted off the ground.

One student missed his rope and tried for a second but fell when it was a foot off the ground. The Lieutenant seeing that the boy had no other chance motioned his troops up the ropes and grabbed the first rope that the boy had missed and swung on it to intercept the boy as he was regaining his balance. In one fluid motion he hoisted the boy up into his arms and placed the boys arm in the upper loop with his own foot in the lower and held onto the rope and the boy as they were pulled clear of the trees and onto the deck.

He placed the boy on the deck and the boy turned to him, "Thank you sir," he said quickly turning red. He just nodded in return.

"Justin!" the boy turned his head at the girl called Hermione and followed her as she beckoned at him to follow her and the rest of the group up onto the Quarterdeck.

The Burning Wind

Harry turned to Pelaty on the Quarterdeck as the sixth years were pulled up. "That's one group Captain. Let's get up to speed again and head for the second." He received a muttered affirmative before the ship lunged around and the sails were loosed.

"Harry!" He turned to face Matt who was at the communications station at the very stern of the ship, "The Avrilon reports that the Danus has just left Hogsmeade and is heading up the causeway. It'll be in firing range in two minutes."

Harry was about to reply when another call of his name made him tense. Matt's eyes clouded over with pity as they both realised Harry's mistake. Harry turned in time to see Hermione trying to launch himself at him in a hug but before she could Ron grabbed her wrist and swung her back.

"Filthy traitor!" Ron spat at Harry's feet, Harry sighed inwardly, obviously Ron was still Ron, and hadn't bothered to look up exactly what a Danus was or what having one around meant. In that split second Harry once again felt that revelation that he had had on his trip to Kristoshia.

"Ron! Don't be an idiot!" Hermione screeched as she tried to free her self. But Ron only pushed her behind him and in his forced shoved her into Justin and the rest of the group leading to Justin and Hermione falling onto the floor.

"You'll pay you git!" Ron was red with fury and Harry was stunned at the amount of fury in his eyes. Matt moved slightly into a defensive posture.

"Ron, please we don't have time for this at the moment," he didn't get a chance to finish as he was trying to placate his angry friend Ron attacked.

Ron twisted and with a pull of his hand grabbed and stole an Elves knife from an unsuspecting Elf's belt. He twisted back to Harry as the Elf tried to grab at him and leapt forwards knife first. Harry was too shocked to react at this and could only slightly dodge the knife that was aimed at his heart.

It impaled the right side of his chest. He heard Matt call to him both vocally and through the link and felt Matt's anguish through the link just as he felt his own pain. Matt tried to get to Harry but his legs gave out as he felt the pull on his own soul and he fell to his knees and he felt the Captain grab him under his arms to keep him up.

Ron just managed to see his victim fall to the floor before the Elves retaliated. Hermione's scream was the last thing he heard as he looked down in confusion at the arrow tips that protruded from his chest. Blood rose to his mouth as he muttered and coughed.

His last words were barely a whisper unheard by all but Matt and a few Elves over the screams of the sixth years and the thuds of feet hitting the deck as the Guards entered the scene from their stations in the masts.

"For once I'm the better of us Potter." Ron dimly heard his defence professors roar of fury as he fell face first onto the deck. His body and soul dead.

A/N: How evil is that? I think someone mentioned about Hermione and Ron seeing Harry again. Is that a good enough scene for it? I apologise to any of you that love Ron but I don't so that's the story. Please review.

The next two or three chapters is all about the Danus Vs Hogwarts fight, anyone that wants anything particular in the fight please let me know and I will see what I can do.

For anyone that doesn't know the difference between Artillery and Cannons just imagine Cannons as our modern rifles. Can only shoot in direct lines of sight so cant shoot over walls and imagine Artillery as arrows shot in volleys so they can shoot over walls and for much larger ranges. Correct me if I am wrong but I believe modern artillery has a highest range of about one hundred or so miles. That's a long way for something that isn't self propelled. The 'Arty' will definitely be in the next chapter.

Thanks to all my reviewers!