Sophia Holmes and the Search for Horcruxes (Harry Potter Fanfic) *Completed*

Chapter Nine

I have trouble getting to sleep - partly, I think, because of the locket - so I stay up to guard the camp as the others stay inside. I watch the trees, unable to shake the feeling that we're not alone.

I don't know whether it's my imagination or just a wild animal, but for a brief instance there seems to be some movement within the trees. It's probably nothing.

As I look back into the fire, I can hear something. It sounds like men. I stand up and start moving towards the sound, a hand in my pocket for my gun in case it turns out to be more than a group of campers.

I move deeper into the trees until I reach the boundary of the protection charm, then stop. In the moonlight, shadows rise within the trees and voices become clearer. I freeze, careful not to make any sudden moments that will give us away, as the group of Snatchers come towards me. Going by their unwashed and feral look, they've been in the wild for some time.

They head around past me, and I'm relieved to see Hermione's charm works. Suddenly, their leader stops, his eyes narrowing.

"What's that?" he asks. "That ... smell?"

The others glance about dumbly and the man retraces his steps until he stands directly in front of me, his eyes looking straight through me.

I stop breathing as he leans forward, stopping just inches from me, his nostrils flaring. The locket seems to tick loudly as he draws nearer. What if he can hear it? After what seems like a lifetime, he draws slowly back, his eyes probing the space behind me. After a few seconds, he continues on, leading the others away, the last pair dragging what appear to be bodies.
As they vanish within the trees, I finally let out my breath.

"Snatchers," a voice says behind me and, on instinct, I turn and punch him in the nose. Harry reels back.

"Oh God, sorry," I whisper, my eyes widening.

"It's okay," Harry grimaces, holding his broken nose. "I should know better than to creep up on you!"

I smile sheepishly, then look back towards the direction the Snatchers were headed. "He could smell it me," I say thoughtfully.

"Come on," Harry urges, nodding back up to the camp. "I'll stay up with you for a bit."

I smile my thanks as we walk back up the hill towards the tent, and we sit back down around the fire.

"We have to leave," I say. "We're not safe here."

"Ron's not strong enough to Apparate," Harry reminds me as he fixes his nose.

"Then we'll go by foot."