A/N: Please accept my humblest of apologies! I am having a rather hectic school year but this story will be finished! By the debut of Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire…maybe…I might be too busy screaming…But I have also begun a Roleplay HARRYPOTTER STYLE!I'm teh Head Slytherin andif you want to join you can e-mail me and I'll give you the link! tomfeltonishotthotmailcom>Anyway here's the next chapter!

Chapter Eleven: Confrontation and the Beginning of a Journey

"Oh no! We should have already set out! At this rate Voldemort will catch onto our plan for sure!" Lupin exclaimed.

Hermione trudged back through the brush and frowned to herself. 'How could he be a Death Eater? He was always the bad boy but really…' he thought stopped as she came back to the others.

"Hermione! Where's Draco? We have to leave!" Katherine shouted.

"I'm right here. No need to blow a broomstick." He answered casually, walking through the brush, "Not like you would have waited anyway."

Hermione looked his way, slightly hurt. His expression had become very solemn and he hardly spoke. Apparently he hadn't expected anyone to find out about his secret.

"Is everyone here?" Lupin queried.

"If your not here raise your hand!" Ashley said.

Everyone glanced at her with curious expressions and she decided not to say anything more, obviously the mood wasn't one to be lifted.

"Right then, Hermione, Katherine and Ashley, you three need to keep your counterparts under control. Let's head out!" Lupin said quickly.

A group grumble echoed as they trudged through the heavy snow. Their camp had been kept snow free by spells but now that they were on the move no magic was to be used. Remus had said that the Dark Lord could track magic.

Quite soon, the group had become practically become frozen by the cold. Snow was sticking to pant legs, fur, and feathers. The phoenix's had resorted to flying low to keep out of most of the snow.

"Kalina!" Shadow shouted, "Perhaps this isn't a good idea."

"Not now Shadow. We can debate this later. The snow is getting worse!" she barked to Hermione.

Hermione turned back to Kalina and stopped in the snow, "I know Kalina, we have to stay strong!" she shouted back, rubbing her hands together.

Ashley stuck her head around the group, "How are you doing up there?" she shouted

"Just fine. Star is getting a bit cold but we'll be fine." York replied.

Draco lumbered through the snow, his face devoid of emotion. Ron and Harry had been keeping a close eye on him since he and Hermione had disappeared together. Harry was especially worried, Hermione would not show any hurt until she got revenge.

Hermione breathed heavily, her breath coming out in puffs of smoke. The cold bit at her cheeks and face, it burnt like nothing she had ever felt before. Still, she felt a driving need to reach her goal and wouldn't stop. Suddenly her legs went limp and she fell into the snow. She shuddered at the wave of cold.

"Hermione," Draco said, dropping beside her, "are you okay? What's wrong? Are you hurt?" he questioned.

"G-g-g-gee, i-if I didn't know a-any b-b-b-better I'd s-say you were w-worried." She said through chattering teeth as she pulled herself back up.

"I thought…never mind…" he muttered.

Hermione saved him any humiliation and turned into her wolven form. She shook off the snow and trotted back towards the wolves, leaving him to catch up to the others. Unbeknownst to her he looked very hurt and his face hardened back to its angered expression.

"How is everyone doing back here?" she queried.

"We're okay I guess, a bit of snow in our paws but it's nothing to worry about. They're just not used to so much exposure, not since the Awakening have we seen this much snow." Kalina replied.

"Yes but we wouldn't be doing this if-"

"Hush Cazador! You have no right to speak." Blaze snapped, she threw the red wolf an apologetic look before facing forward again.

"You'll have to forgive him; he is not used to such cold climate." Kalina said.

Hermione smiled at the wolf. He had a very thin frame and was obviously not built for their terra. 'Seems nice enough.' She thought.

"What's his problem?" Ron asked Harry in a low tone.

"Dunno." Harry replied, "It's got to be Hermione though 'cuz no one else has even had a remote conversation with him."

"I can hear you guys." Draco responded.

Harry and Ron looked over at Draco, startled. Apparently they had been much closer than they thought. He threw them a look of disgust and pushed between them to catch up to the others, he knew they wouldn't try to make conversation. Only too late did he notice that Ron and Harry had a hold of both of his arms.

"What's going on?" Harry asked firmly.

"Nothing." Draco replied.

"Then why are you giving us the stone cold stares and frozen face looks? We know something is up." Ron replied.

"Come now boys. Draco says nothing is wrong. Leave the poor boy be! I'm not surprised he doesn't want to speak with you!" Mrs. Weasley said from the fron of the group.

Draco wrenched his arms free and smirked back at the pair. He looked toward the sky and noticed the phoenixes acting rather strangely, well, the outlines he could see in the dark seemed to be acting strangely.

"Aldebaran why are we even assisting in this senseless mission?" called a rouge phoenix.

"You have no right to speak to our leader! Keep your beak shut and follow any orders given by him. He is our Seer and knows all…" the phoenix trailed off.

"Certainly you do not believe that I know all, do you Skyfire?" Aldebaran questioned, not even turning back to look at the bird.

"You are our all knowing." Skyfire replied humbly.

"No one knows all that there is to know. So much knowledge has yet to even be found." Katherine said from a bit behind the others.

"The young one is right. I admire your honesty as well, not trying to keep on my good side." He said with a very laugh-like caw.

At the very front of the group the bears lumbered heavily through the now thickening snow on the ground. They had volunteered to plow a path in the snow for the others, and were doing quite a good job of it if they did say so themselves. Luko shivered slightly as more and more snow stuck to his coat.

"Are you okay?" Kiff asked.

"Fine. The snow is getting thicker though…"

All at once three fell. Mrs. Weasley nearly collapsed on Remus, Kalina fell sideways with a slight whimper, and Hermione struck the ground rather hard. Voices of worry and anger burst out, filling the air with shouts, howls, caws, and bellows.

Some time later the three arose around a warm fire. Draco hovered quite close to Hermione wringing his hands while the wolf pack surrounded Kalina and the rest stayed near Molly. Hermione opened one eye and shut it immediately as the light from the fire hurt her eyes.

"Hermione's awake!" Draco practically shouted.

"Hush! We are nearing Voldemort's borders; he may have spies out here." Remus whispered rather loudly.

Draco rolled his eyes and turned back to Hermione.

"Are you alright?" he questioned.

"What happened? I can't remember anything." She replied weakly.

"We don't know. You weren't the only one though; Ron's mum and Kalina were affected as well." Draco explained.

Hermione thought to herself for while about the possibilities. Perhaps Voldemort had something to affect them? But why them? Hermione and Kalina had the wolf in them but what about Molly? Perhaps only girls? Then why not affect Ginny, Katherine, and Ashley as well? She growled in frustration and let herself rest, until the commotion came from near Molly. Apparently she was up as well. The only one not awake yet was Kalina.

'We have to move out or we won't ever be able to initiate out plan.' Hermione thought to herself.

"Draco, get me a bundle of branches." She said.

"Hermione, are you feeling okay?"

"Just do it! Hurry!"

With a shrug he ran off and gathered the branches as Hermione had asked. He laid bundle in front of her and helped her up. The others had gathered around her to see what she was going to do. She pointed her wand down at the pile and concentrated her magic. The pile began to slowly change and soon a sled and harness sat before the group.

"Hermione…what's this for?" Katherine asked.

"You're not thinking of moving Kalina yet are you? She's not even awake!" Ron protested.

"Dear there is no way we can do this." Molly said.

She threw a stern look at each member of the group, a fire blazing within her eyes. She would keep going even if it meant her having to carry them all there herself.

"We have to! You don't understand what this means to me. My family is in danger! We have to go!" she cried.

A hush came over the group and they all seemed to be interested in anything but Hermione. No one seemed to be able to look her in the eyes as they all mumbled about how they shouldn't leave yet. Hermione threw them an unsympathetic look before turning to the wolves, though they had only been friends for a short while she hoped they could trust her enough to let her lead them. She smiled as the black alpha male stepped forward.

"Hermione, we trust you. As long as Kalina is not hurt we will follow your orders." He said as he lowered his dial in respect.

"Thank you, Shadow. I need a few of you to lift her onto the boards there." Hermione said, pointing towards the flat area of the sled.

She watched happily as the wolves worked together and lifted their leader onto the sled. Hermione put a blanket around the white form to keep her warm. She looked back at the rest of the group determinedly. Her head was held high and her arms at her sides. Her knuckles were turning white from holding them in fists.

"Well then…farewell." She muttered, her body changing quickly into the black form she had chosen.

Hermione looked back, her now dog-like eyes staring back at the entire group. She shook her dial and turned back to the pack. The harnesses were slipped over each wolf, Hermione in the lead. A howl escaped her muzzle and she took off running, the others following close behind.

Hours later the group sat in silence around a warm fire, most asleep.

"Do you think we should have followed her?" Harry asked cautiously.

"Of course we should have. We should have offered to go with her. She's our best friend and we let her leave with wolves she's just met as her only company." Ginny said somberly.

"Yeah." Ron said.

Harry let his eyes travel to the ground as he remembered what Ginny had told him.

"Hermione? Nightmares?" Harry scoffed, "What could she possibly have nightmares about?"

"Something terrible…she whimpers and always wakes up in a cold sweat…it scares me sometimes…like its all real and whatever plagues her dreams might come out and hurt us…"

How could he have been so insensitive? He had pried into Hermione's life only to let her face the dangers alone. She had been there for him since first year, there was no way he was going to let her do this.

"Come on. Lets go." Harry said.

The others nodded and roused the parents. An agreement had been reached; they would find her and then leave for the keep. With heavy hearts and regret looming over, they headed out.

Meanwhile Hermione and the pack of wolves were wishing they hadn't left. The cold nipped at them as more and more snow stuck to their fur. Hermione felt a tug at the harness from behind and turned her dial back, squinting her eyes to see behind her. The small red wolf she had come to know as Cazador was lying down in the snow. She turned to Akira, who was next to him, for an explanation.

"He's not used to our climate. This snow is affecting him much more than us. We can't keep going!" she called.

Hermione shook her dial and wrestled out of the harness. She quickly built a fire and put the alpha and Cazador next to it. They would have to hold off until morning. Yet every minute they spent waiting was another that her mother and father would suffer at the hands of Lord Voldemort. Her eyes slid shut as she tried to block out the horrible thoughts of torture.