Author's Note.... Okay folks listen up I'm only going to do this once.... you all know it anyway... Disclaimer: The wonderful world of Harry Potter is not mine... Not mine... Severus isn't *sob* Hermione isn't However all of those characters you don't recognize those are mine so please don't play with them without my permission... The idea of Shifters... at least in this form The Corie People are MINE *dances around knowing she did do something* The story is also mine so enjoy....

Translation from the diary of Robert Lore

14, July 1241

They say time heals all wounds. I have considerable reason to doubt this old adage, reason flavored with the truth of a long history and even longer time. Time had come in plenty, seasons numbering in the tens of thousands all lining up like toy marionette soldiers. The history of the shifters, and even the prehistory is riddled with inaccuracies but one thing is certain the origins lie with the dragons. The truth is what I hope to find out. I plan to travel to the largest concentration of shifters in the known world. Maybe I will find what I am searching for.

19 August 1214

I have arrived at Gelust, the largest known community of Shifters and been here for a sevenday. What remains of Clan Coben is here, from what I can piece together there are only two remaining of the most powerful and oldest Clan alive. Cold Heart I am told is here, he is the Corie Historian. The Corie I am told is what the shifter's call their people. So far I have only spoken with Cold Heart through intermediates, tomorrow I hope that the meeting I have set up with come through. As for the Corie I have learned that there were originally eight Clans. The Coben was the oldest and the first among them are the most powerful shifters of the Corie community. Said that both of the remaining members can take any form they choose and within a form even alter appearance. Members of the Coben Clan were mostly invincible, and immortal capable of surviving all but a mortal wound. Stopac was the second Clan from what I hear no living members remain. Trestel is the next there are many of them all of fairly low power, my Guide Giselle tells me that no members of the Trestel Clan are able to take more than three forms. Fauge is the Clan that is most hidden in mystery though it like the Stopac Clan is dead. I am told that the power of the Fauge was nearly that of the Coben Clan, though they could not take the form of immortal creatures. The Deaco Clan and the Mauck Clan are present in small numbers but none are really powerful nor are they very long lived, seeming born with nothing but bad luck. Buell I am told are Immortal as well as the Coben but only a handful of members remain and none of them hold hardly any power. Aguost is the last Clan formed and they seem to be mostly outcasts, more wizard than true shifter, the Shift comes difficult to them and seems to be tied to the moon. They seem similar in power to werewolves but it isn't contagious. They call for lights out now so I will conclude for the night.

20 August 1214

I was met at the door by the other remaining member of the Coben family, the daughter of Cold Heart himself. Her name is Lena and she is fascinating. She appears to be about nineteen, without the ravages that childbearing brings upon a woman. How old she is exactly I couldn't conclude but I know she is old. I am under the impression that she normally resides in the normal world. She is beautiful, amazing but from speaking to her I have concurred that she isn't really worried with continuing the Coben line. It is sad to think that it may end with her. More importantly than Lena however is my account of the meeting with Cold Heart. I have heard now from the oldest existing Corie alive the history of how the Corie them selves came to be. As unusual as his story sounds I believe it, even that being contrary to my nature I don't hesitate to add.

Told by Cold Heart to myself.

Long ago what you know as dragons were not as they were today. They were both highly intelligent but also practiced magicians. The most powerful among them were old, and as they began to feel the ravages of time come upon them they wanted to leave the world a better place than they had come into it. Someone, not even we Corie know who wanted to create something. In order to create something wonderful you must first give up something. The deal was made that the Dragons, the people of the sky would forfit the majority of their power and would lose the intelligence that they prized so greatly. What they created were the Corie, I myself am old enough to remember the last of the dragons that was still able to speak

Cold Heart continued, the strangest thing that I remember him saying was that he felt that perhaps the world would have been better off with the dragons as they were rather that the Corie.

21 August 1214

I was escorted out of Gelust this morning by Lena, her eyes were dry when she told me but I felt the pain without even trying. It hung heavy in the air all morning. I am told that Cold Heart died in the night in a fight with one of the Aguost Clan. Lena refused to speak of the cause but she did usher me out quickly.

4, March 1215

I received a strange visitor last night before I went to bed. At first I just thought the person at the door was a beggar but when the young man brushed back his black hair he reveled the pointed ears characteristic of the Corie people I knew him for what he was. He was in bad shape and looked worried. I ushered him in. He was followed inside the house by a wolf the size of a foal, a huge grey fellow with jaws that could have taken in my head easily. The young man introduced himself as Charles. His accent was clearly English in origin but had a slight Irish lilt. I could tell that he was one of the Corie that remained in the normal world, posing as a human. Mauck Clan I am told. His pale eyes were haunted when he asked for a place to spend the night. I found out this morning that his companion the huge wolf was Giselle, my guide from Gelust. Even now in wolf form her jade colored eyes study me as I write. I have yet to learn to purpose of their visit however.

6, March 1215

I am told that the Corie them selves have broken up, what few that are remaining are in hiding. Charles cam to me to seek help for a few of his kind. I agreed to help and will hopefully be able to set many of them up with jobs and a place in the normal world as Gelust is no more. I tried to inquire about Lena but Giselle became greatly agitated and told me to mind my own business. I fear that the people I have admired so greatly are soon to be no more if something isn't done.