Disclaimer: I do not own a fair amount of the characters depicted in this story, although I will claim a few as my own. I hope you enjoy my takes on those both canon and original.

Language Key:

"English"

"Avantas" – This is the language all creatures use to communicate with each other

Heron stretched, twisting his body one way and then the other until he heard a loud pop. He grinned slightly as Sirius flinched away at the sound. The dog admitted earlier in the week that he found the noise slightly disgusting. Watching the dog reacting to the sound was pretty funny, Heron had to admit. He popped his back once more before he moved to working his legs out.

"So what is on the schedule for today?" the youth asked as he lifted his foot up behind his back.

Sirius wrinkled up his nose and huffed from his position on the common room couch. "Today is the last day of the week, so I am going to go take you back to the infirmary after classes. Snape and Moony will meet Dumbledore and us over there." He set his head down on his paws and eyed the teenager as he went through his usual morning exercises. "Are you excited to be able to speak English?"

"Am I excited...?" Heron switched to his other leg slowly as he thought about the question. And what a loaded question it was. So far, he had enjoyed his time just spent with Sirius and, to some lesser degree, Moony. The two men were comfortable. It helped him feel more at ease in this large maze of a school to have such a mentor as Sirius by his side, someone who could educate and guide him without the interference of anyone else. Even Moony stood separate from the relationship between the boy and dog.

Every day, Sirius and Heron would be up with the sun and proceed to spend nearly the entire day together. In the evenings, when Moony got back from teaching his class, the three would lounge around in this common area and relax. Sirius would spend half of the time by Heron's side, and then the other he would become human again, marking papers with Moony before the three retreated to their respective dens.

And now...Now, Beta Severus Snape completed whatever potion he was working on. It would allow Heron to communicate with everyone else...and everyone else could respond back to him and be understood. The real test whether it would work or not would come tonight. If it succeeded, how much would it disrupt the balance achieved between Sirius, Moony, and Heron?

Heron flexed his arms and dropped into a plank position to begin his next repetition of exercises. Would he be forced to move from his current den to a new one? If this alpha student – sorry, Head Girl student – planned to take over his education, where would that put Moony and Sirius? He didn't really want to move...From his understanding, students rarely spent time with mentors outside of class. They even had their own branches of the castle to live in. This girl was in the school with the odd beast as its herald…The Lion, whatever that was. So would he have to move to the Lion too?

Glancing up at the couch and the dog residing on it, the youth shook his head with a sigh. He really didn't want to move in with a bunch of other students. He was sure they would be interesting to converse with, but...They knew so much more than he did about this world. The chances were fairly good that they would pressure him with questions. He already knew they were all huge gossips...

In the last 'week', Sirius had done his best to keep Heron out of the public's eye. Dumbledore wanted to keep his presence somewhat secret. Not that it seemed to do much good, however. Ever since those handful of students caught a glimpse of him on the first day, Moony told him rumors were flying. Sirius got a good laugh at it, but truthfully...

It made Heron uncomfortable.

Sirius shared some of the wilder theories Moony told him about. Students would gossip in the halls, at dinner, in class...By now, some of the rumors were starting to die down as Sirius had been extra vigilant in not letting anyone else get a peek at him. As far as a few individuals were concerned, he never existed to begin with – or he was merely a creature the DADA professors were going to have them go against in the next week, a shapechanger of some sort.

If he went to go live with the students and learn as they do, the gossip was bound to start again.

"I think...I could become excited," Heron finally stated, matter of factually. "But I'm also worried about the consequences of speaking English."

Which brought up another point. With Sirius as his only confidant in the last few days, the wild teen found himself opening up to the dog in a way he usually struggled with. It was unheard of for Heron to divulge his feelings to someone so quickly. Any feelings that may be construed as 'weak' were pushed down – fear, worry, sadness. He was not a touchy-feely person with people as a whole. He didn't believe in wearing his heart for all to see. Though he conversed easily with many of the Forest's denizens, the people he actually considered to be part of his inner circle was small. If he left this den they created together...would he lose that relationship with Sirius?

He hoped not. He felt like the pathway connecting the two was not merely one-sided. The way the older man spoke to the teenager somehow seemed more intimate than simple discussion between mentor and student. While many of his mentors eventually divulged personal information to him, it was never so quick and effortless to receive. Sirius seemed to need someone to listen to him.

Heron suspected his arrival was a release for the canine. There was a small hole in Sirius' life, left by the war. Slowly, as each day passed, the brunet became more and more certain of his hypothesis. Though Moony and Sirius were both wary to mention the past, it slipped out often enough. Heron's thought was that when James, Lily, and Harry died, Sirius was left without options. Lily and Harry were never found, so Sirius never gained the closure he desperately needed. There was a part of him constantly wondering 'what if'. What if the two survived? What if Harry had lived? What would it be like to have a son's presence in his life? Here now, however, was a young mind Sirius could try to impart the knowledge he would never be able to give to Harry; a mind untouched by the war and the devastation wrought by humankind.

Could Sirius afford to lose Heron either? The youth sighed and looked over at his mentor...and friend.

The dog was nodding very slightly. "The consequences of English, huh? I suppose that's just a bridge you will have to cross if it comes to it," Sirius said slowly, thinking of what he wanted to say as he went. "If you are really to stay and learn here, you have to learn this way. If we begin your schooling in English at the very beginning, we would spend years just getting you to a point where you could communicate enough to start teaching you the basics of Hogwart's curriculum."

Heron frowned and slid from a planked position to flat on his belly. "I know, which is why I want to go through with this. I just..." He trailed off and did a few more repetitions. "What classes am I expected to take anyway? I never bothered to ask. I just assumed it would be what I had been learning up to this point in the forest, but probably not...Right?" The teenager asked, trying to force his mind away from bleaker subjects.

Sirius grinned, tongue lolling. "Man, all I can say is that centaur is a slave driver! Firenze says you can handle it…but you won't have a lot of free time," the grim exclaimed, making a tsking sound. "All Hogwarts students are expected to stay enrolled in all of the core classes until their sixth year when they take the OWLS. I don't know how that will work for you. I imagine sixth year classes will be too hard. You're basically a first year, even if you're almost sixteen..."

Heron shook his head and smirked, looking over at his mentor. "I told Firenze I would work to improve myself and rise in ranks. I don't mind starting in first year, but I can guarantee I won't be staying there. It's almost not worth the bother. Besides, this Head girl will supplement my education. Correct?."

"You're pretty cocky for someone who only got as high as red on the crystal readings," the dog teased.

"Think what you like," Heron said in amusement, before he made a motion for the man to continue with what they were talking about. "What classes did my beloved uncle say would be suitable for me to take?" The teenager rolled to a different set of exercises, listening.

"First years must take astronomy, charms, defense against the dark arts, herbology, history of magic, potions, and transfiguration. Maybe we can get you enrolled in flying classes?"

Heron nodded slightly, unsure if he liked the idea of flying around on a broom. A creature? Hell, yes. An inanimate object? Maybe not so much. "Ah. Well, maybe…" As in, not likely. Flying on a broom sounded unnatural to him. The grin Sirius held was devious. It told Heron someway, somehow, the man would get him on a broom. The teen wasn't excited at the prospect, but he motioned for the dog to continue all the same.

"During a student's second year at Hogwarts, they pick two or more classes to take during the third year. Firenze wants to do your schooling in a weird way because of your experiences in the forest. Dumbledore…tentatively agreed," Sirius explained. "Your uncle thinks you should help out in classes you already excel in, if the mentor in charge of that class will allow it. However, he also wants you to attend classes you aren't familiar with so you can learn even more."

"…That sounds like I will be involved in many classes." He had to repress a groan at the thought. "And that's not even including what I will be learning from this female head student?"

Sirius gave a sympathetic nod and stood up, shaking loose fur everywhere. "I wouldn't wish to trade spots with you. Luckily, your assistance in your master level classes is on a more…'need to' basis? You have to go to class there long enough to prove to the teacher that you know what you are doing. Then, you take a test. If you pass, you get a grade for your papers-future. Then teachers might call on you to help demonstrate a lesson, but you don't have to take the class anymore. Let's just hope you pass."

Heron sighed heavily. That sounded exactly like Firenze. Not only would it be a learning opportunity for Heron, it would make him more trustworthy to students and teachers. He would become a fixture, rather than a novelty. It also would strengthen the bonds between him and the humans – other humans, by establishing a rapport based on helpfulness. He never thought of himself as being a mentor before. It would be…interesting.

"What classes am I supposed to take besides core?" he asked.

"Ah, one moment." The dog got up and trotted over to the desk pressed against the window, jumping up into the chair. He stuck his nose into a pile of papers and shifted around for a while. "Found it," Sirius exclaimed between clenched teeth as he brought a schedule over for Heron to look at, not that the youth could read the writing. He paused in his reps to shift into a comfortable sitting position and took the paper from Sirius.

"Besides the core classes, he also wants you to take nearly all electives. Ancient runes, care of magical creatures, divination, dueling, and muggle studies. He also wants you to sit in on some of the magical theory classes, if Mentor Reeves will allow it."

"Thanks, Sirius. I can probably guess which ones he wants me to take the test for," Heron said, squinting at the shapes and curves of the writing, trying to decide the meanings. "The dwelling on the grounds by the lake...That's the residence of the Care of Magical Creatures class, correct? What was his name again? Haggard?"

Sirius laughed and the butchering of the name. "It's Hagrid. And, yes. He teaches down by the paddocks there. I showed them to you, through the window. Do you remember?"

"I do…" Heron ran his fingers over the paper gently before dropping it, letting it float to the ground. "It was sunny that day…"

Living indoors, especially confined as he was to a select few locations, was slowly driving Heron mad. His morning routine in the Forest was to get ready and then just go about his day. In the castle, where he wasn't allowed to be seen by other students, he resorted to several hours of exercises each day inside their common rooms. There was only so much he could do at the moment...But it was SO repetitive.

In the youth's mind, perhaps the fact he could actually go outside after he learned English was the real benefit of this upcoming education. He could run and jump and play in the sun, like normal children did. He could watch a Bird-fly-stick-catch game from the spectator's arena rather than through the streaks of a dirty window. He could surround himself with his magical brethern - the creatures to be taught about outside in that paddock. He would be able to explore the castle to its full extent rather than just moving through some of the secret, narrow passageways Sirius showed him - no matter how excited sharing those paths made the dog.

...He could use magic in more areas than just the privacy of his own room after his mentors went to bed.

That was also something Heron dearly missed. As he spent more time with Sirius, the teenager learned much more about wands and their supposed purpose. He wasn't allowed to practice with one just yet however. Once he learned English, he was supposed to meet a man named Ollivander about getting one of his own. They didn't want him doing something dangerous with the practice set until then, especially as he exhibited such little aptitude for using one. Honestly, the fact that they believed his magical skill so low still boggled his mind. But...more than anything, he just longed to feel magic coursing freely through his veins again. He might be a human in actuality, but in his heart and mind, he was as much a wild creature of magic as any other in the Forest.

"What time is it now?" Heron asked Sirius abruptly as he pulled into a sit position.

The dog looked up at the time device above the fireplace. "A little after nine. Do you remember what time that is?"

The brunet shut his eyes together in thought, trying to visualize the sun and its positions. Sirius tried teaching him that for every position of the sun, there is a corresponding time. "Noon is...when the sun is highest. So, nine is a bit before that...So, the sun rose about...two hours ago? And that would be...7 in the morning?" Once he put numbers to shadows and the position of the sun, hours became less daunting. He still didn't really understand the days of the week and where they began or ended though.

"Correct!" Sirius grinned and wagged his tail at the answer. "The sun rose today at 7am. Today is the fall equinox." Heron grinned at the dog's response. Just as he had to learn human measures of time, Sirius had to put in some studying of his own. The best way to teach was to understand. In order to get the wild teen to remember the units, Sirius had to learn the positions of the sun, when the sun rose and set, and the equinoxes/solstices. "Why do you ask anyway?"

"I'm trying to decide what we should do before Moony gets done teaching. I need to burn some energy...and I'm afraid my exercises are barely touching the surface." In fact, Heron would argue he now had an abundance of nervous energy to rid himself of before this final test…the potion. "Any suggestions?"

Sirius rolled over on the cushions and exposed his belly for the youth to scratch, which Heron did with an eyeroll. "Well...the halls should be empty at this time." Sirius memorized nearly all the class schedules, one for every year in the four clans. It made travelling around Hogwarts in secrecy easier for the two. The older students who mostly took electives still presented a challenge. However, Sirius possessed a helpful map to get around even those wild cards.

"What do you think of maybe sneaking down to the kitchens?" Sirius asked after the youth finally reached the itch bugging him.

The kitchens weren't a bad suggestion.

Perhaps Heron saying he'd only really been in contact with Sirius and Moony was an exaggeration. They were about the only ones he spent ample time with, but he had encountered a few of the other residents in the castle. There was an older female mentor who could turn into a cat. He spoke with her on the third or so day of his arrival. She was brief with him, but left him with a promise of a more adequate conversation once he had some grasp of English. She seemed to distrust him. However, a glimmer in her eye promised she could be a faithful and strong ally if he proved himself and gained her trust. In fact, Heron wasn't surprised to find out she was the female Beta counterpart to Severus Snape.

Then, there were the elves. Every day when Sirius and Moony departed in human forms to break fast, the elves of the castle would come and bring him food. They were odd creatures, with only a passing resemblance to the elves Heron knew. They were more like fairies and reminded the youth strongly of Brownies, a helpful sprite who tended to a family for generations. These creatures also served families in that manner. They called themselves House Elves...Which didn't quite make sense to Heron, especially as they were nowhere close to a house.

Heron stood up and moved to put on his outer robes. Though he didn't like it, he did at least try to abide by the clothing rules set down by the Alpha...mostly. The tie was another issue altogether. "Yes, let's. I'd like to speak to the elves again."

The elves didn't speak Avantas in the way he expected, which made them fascinating to listen to. There was a dialect unique to them...Their bodies didn't sway and move with their speech. They almost seemed to be forcing the language, as someone who learned it as a second language or once knew it long ago. There didn't seem to be anything intuitive about how they spoke; and Avantas was nothing but an intuitive language. More than anything, it felt as if house elves had been around humans for so long, they forgot they were powerful creatures with the ability to be one with the earth and its inhabitants.

They were the step before humanity.

At least, that's how Heron took it. Though he had limited experiences with them outside of his mentors, it was obvious humans forgot long ago what it meant to be part of the greater world. They were insulated in their communities. While forging their own identities and taking up the mantle of "humanity", they forgot that they were once more. It was a rare human who could speak Avantas. Indeed, it required someone who could turn into an animal for even a hint of understanding to surface. Not to mention their lack of comprehension for what Heron saw as the simplest of concepts.

The teenager stood by the door, waiting for Sirius to get up. As the dog did so and went about fetching the map, Heron's green eyes followed. It was probably in part due to his prejudice, but...he couldn't help but feel humanity lacked something essential. Of course, he liked most of the humans he met so far. But even Sirius seemed devoid of that spark everyone held dear in the Forest. It wasn't that there was anything inherently wrong with his personality or who he was! No, in fact quite the opposite. Heron enjoyed being with Sirius.

It was just that Heron didn't understand how humans could continue on as they have for generations - so cut off from all other lives.

Sirus grabbed the map off the desk with his teeth and trotted over to Heron. "Here," he muttered between clenched teeth. He waited a moment for the boy to grab it before he jumped up to place his massive paws on the side of the portrait door and pushed. It swung open easily, and both dog and teen stepped over the ledge out into the empty hall.

Heron shook his head. It wasn't the time to be so introspective.

Heron gingerly took the potion from Severus Snape's grasp and stared at it cautiously. He doubted the man would try to poison him. Doing so would only call down the fury of the Forest on the school. While humans here seemed ignorant in many ways to the inherent might of nature, the fact alone that he ran with werewolves probably terrified them.

Sirius made an encouraging motion at him with his nose. "Better to get it over with. Potions always have a tendency to taste bad, but you can't let that deter you," the dog said sagely. "I imagine Firenze at least taught you that."

"…I suppose," the youth admitted. Firenze taught his nephew much about medicinal plants and the qualities of each one. White willow bark, for example, was excellent in reducing fevers or aches. It could be ingested or turned into a poultice. Chamomile soothed and aided in sleep. It was also useful for dream magics. Sassafras could be used for a whole variety of instances, most notably thinning out the blood, calming fever, and just being plain tasty.

However, most of his potions education came from Lord Tepes. The man supplemented his education from Firenze with basic knowledge of what certain ingredients meant and what properties they carried. He also emphasized techniques to bring out the most from each item. It was easy to understand that a plant could heal or poison, it was more difficult to see why it needed to be added in a certain way. If not for his complete disinterest and lack of focus on the task of actually brewing potions, Heron might have been good at it. He understood enough about the ingredients themselves.

Slowly, with his eyes flitting from between the bottle in his hands and the adults, Heron uncorked the bottle. A hard to define smell rose from its depths. To say it was foul would have been an exaggeration, but to call it pleasant would be too generous. His nostrils flared, but otherwise, Heron attempted not to show signs of being affected. None of the other even seemed to notice.

Slowly he brought the murky brown liquid up to his eye level and gave the potion bottle a gentle swirl. The concoction caught the light in a way which made hints of green shine through. After he gave it a moment to settle, Heron brought it closer to his nose and sniffed. There was something flora. A hint of bark too? And then came a slightly sulfuric scent, like an egg…

The youth shook his head. No use worrying about it. There was nothing else he could do but man up and just drink the damn thing. If he thought about it too long, he might back out. His grasp on the bottle neck tightened for a second before he bravely threw his shoulders back and chugged the entire thing, suppressing a gag as he did so.

The adults gaped at him. Sirius nervously pranced from paw to paw. "You know you didn't have to drink it all in one go…," Sirius started. "It's an experimental potion. We don't even know if it will work on you in the same way as Snape's test subjec-"

Heron cut him off with a sharp cry as pain erupted within his head. It felt like something was shattering into thousands of pieces inside his mind, and then there was suddenly SO MUCH NOISE. Every sound he'd ever heard or uttered returned to him in waves. It didn't matter whether it was in English or Avantas, it washed over him like the crashing of waves until it became a monosyllabic scream. His vision slid out of focus and the world tipped to the side in slow-motion as he fell.

Something caught him and his fingers blindly grasped for some purchase, clinging to his savior and the last shreds of his dignity. Heron's body began to shake and his eyes rolled back into his head. The scream in his head became louder still before he realized he was adding his own screams to the cacophony. He couldn't even begin to utter the words he wanted; the cry for help caught in-between his wordless cry.

Then, something snapped down like a clamp along the outer edges of his brain and pressure began to lighten. The broken shards in his mind began to stitch themselves together. Steam slowly flowed from Heron's ears, followed by a bubbling feeling in his chest which resulted in steam escaping from his mouth too. The noise in his mind gradually tapered off before blissful silence took hold, leaving only a sharp headache in place. His vision swam back into focus.

Black.

He was face down in Sirius' fur, he realized, as the body beneath his flinched away at his hand sporadically tightening and pulling on the dog's coat.

Slowly, the teenager sat up and pushed himself away from Sirius. He used his fingers to apply pressure to a few acupuncture points on his face, trying to relieve his headache in any way, as he turned his gaze to the adults. Everyone stared at him in shock and slight horror. To say the potion had a violent effect on him was quite the understatement.

"Pain," he uttered, gesturing at his head with a slight grunt. "Hot. Headache away. Throat hurt. Water."

Poppy Pomfrey's eyes widen before she jumped to attention to go fetch the cure he requested of her. The other adults stirred in response. Moony knelt down next to Sirius, putting a hand over Heron's sweaty forehead. "You can speak English, and understand us?" he asked.

"Shh. Voice loud," Heron muttered as he cautiously nodded 'yes' to Moony's question.

"Remarkable, Severus," Dumbledore said as he peered curiously at Heron over his half-moon eyewear. "To think you were unable to unlock his speech in as little as a week is impressive indeed. If you were to…" The Alpha trailed off as Heron shot him a nasty glare for continuing to speak despite the teen's obvious desire for silence. Luckily for Heron, the older wizard seemed more amused than offended as Poppy returned with a headache potion and the requested water.

This one, Heron sipped tentatively. He'd learned his lesson after last time.

It took a few minutes to set in, but soon the youth was wonderfully ache free. He pushed himself off the ground and swayed for a moment before he stood tall and proud once more. The two groups – he and the adults – each found themselves staring at the other, unsure what to say. Finally, Heron cleared his throat.

"Um, ah, greetings."

His introduction managed to crack a smile from Dumbledore, as the man approached the wild teenager. With the slight bend at his hips, the headmaster indicated he was about to bow, allowing Heron to reciprocate. It was as if he were approaching a hippogriff, actually. The two kept their eyes on each other while they did so, showing respect while maintaining a sense of dominance. Heron had no illusions as to his place here, but he also wanted the alpha to know he was not going to be cowed as easily as human children supposedly were.

Heron bobbed his head in 'thanks' as both stood straight. "Stay letting," he added.

"Stay…letting?"

Severus Snape gave a long suffering sigh to Remus' puzzled question. "The potion is limited as the first of its kind," he intoned, pinning Heron with his gaze. "Without understanding any of the nuances or syntax associated with this bestial language, I only worked on perfecting the translation of word to ear. I will endeavor to correct this over time; however, was it not for this reason alone we contemplated even introducing the beast to any of our students in the first place? Miss Granger is to educate it - him - on speaking proper English."

"He is NOT a beast, Snape," Sirius said nastily as he transformed back to a human. If he had stayed as a dog, Heron felt positive he would have seen the grim's hackles rise. "Just because he isn't your ideal of a 'civilized' human being doesn't make him any less of a person!" The man's canines flashed as he bared his teeth in defiance.

Gently, Heron patted the older man on the arm. He wasn't offended by the beta's disregard for him. To be considered a beast was hardly an insult to him in the same way it might have been to others, and gender labels didn't bother him much either. Did it matter for much beyond reproduction? He made a gesture he hoped Sirius understood and turned his body to examine Severus Snape.

"Missgranger?" the youth asked, unsure exactly what that was. "English educate when?"

Severus Snape's eyes caught those of Alpha Dumbledore. There was a conversation conveyed through their eyes before the beta nodded. He reached into his pocket and withdrew a small vial. "Sit," he commanded the teenager, pointing a finger at the edge of a nearby bed.

Heron frowned for a long moment, stubbornly standing in the same place. Before his stance lasted too long and became defiant, he turned to go sit on the edge of the bed. He resisted the idea of taking commands, but it behooved him to keep to his station and not fight the humans too much. Still, he was used to leaders earning his respect…Not just assuming that they had it.

He looked up and let his green eyes travel from each of the adults in front of him. He knew something important was about to happen, but what? Finally, his gaze rested on the vial between the beta's fingers. It had something to do with the vial. The teenager was smart enough to realize that. Would they torture him? His limited experience with potions taught him the liquid inside could be very dangerous and painful to endure. But… What would the purpose of that be? It had to have some other reasoning.

Despite his observation that torture was unlikely, his body still stiffened slightly as Severus Snape approached. "Tongue out," the man commanded, unsealing the vial when he stood in front of the youth. He waited a moment as Heron cautiously did so, before slowly dispensing two drops of the colorless liquid into the teenager's mouth.

A long moment passed, the two staring at each other – Severus Snape in anticipation and Heron in confusion. Nothing seemed to happen. The youth licked his lips and swallowed hard. It was odd. He felt the weight of the droplets on his tongue before they slid down, but there was no taste. He'd never taste nothing before. It was like water, only…not?

He frowned at the beta before looking to Sirius for help. Was he supposed to do something now?

"One more," the beta said before grabbing Heron's chin and redirecting his gaze. It took a lot of willpower not to lash out at being so suddenly touched, but the teen managed - barely. He stuck his tongue out for another drop to be administered. Again, nothing happened.

"There's trickery about," Severus Snape said harshly. "My potion is flawless. He has some sort of antidote, or he's closed his throat shut. These are the risks. I told you he can't be trusted."

Dumbledore's face wore all the wrinkles of his years for a moment. His eyes stood cold as he assessed the situation. "No…I don't believe he is a spy. An agent of Voldemort would at least pretend the potion took hold. By not even reacting to veritaserum, he's effectively drawn attention to himself. However, this is something not to be ignored," he said before heaving a sigh. "He is a skilled Occlumens. I've tried to get past his defenses several times in the week since he's been here. I hoped it was merely my inability to communicate with him, but now I see that it is much more. I don't imagine his role here is so vicious as an operative of evil, but I cannot in good conscious allow him to roam our halls as the situation stands."

Sirius started at the Alpha's words. "O-occlumens?! But, I thought his magic was fairly weak. It only lit up as red…?"

"It doesn't take a lot of magical strength to shield your mind, Sirius," Moony said gently. "Just a lot of determination. If Heron has something to hide…" He paused as Sirius violently shook his head, shaggy black hair flying around him.

"Heron's not like that. He's not as conniving as you all think!" The man shouted in frustration. "You haven't taken the time to know him. Dumbledore, I…"

Severus Snape sneered. "And your trust should convince us? After all, you've already shown yourself to be an excellent judge of character, right?" he intoned, staring down his nose at the other. "I mean, Peter Pettigrew was the epitome of trustworthiness."

Both Moony and Sirius flinched at the potion master's words.

The teenager's eyes flashed and he decided that was enough. He hopped down from the bed and moved around the beta to shield his mentors from the harsh words, though he only had a vague understanding of what they meant. He ignored the protests of the other adults until he turned in front of the Alpha.

He had no idea what Occlumens meant or anything like that, but Moony said 'shield your mind'. He realized now what the odd vibrations travelling across his mind were - Albus Dumbledore attempting to read his mind. Unfortunately for him, Heron's mind was very well trained to hold off assault. It wasn't as if the teenager was holding out on the humans purposefully. His mental defenses were as natural to him as breathing. Rather, he had to make an effort to lower them.

Heron took a moment and slowly began breaking apart the barriers set up. There were areas he wanted the humans to avoid – the location of his family home, secrets confided in him, teachings passed down from mentors to him. Yet, he also realized that creating obstacles would just draw attention to these areas. It would make it appear as if the youth had something much more devastating to hide.

"Mind read now," he said, once he felt he made a sizable hole in his mental map. It was a gamble to let the Alpha in, but it was one he needed to take. Carefully, the teenager watched as Dumbledore's eyes softened for a fraction before the gaze became as piercing as ice. Suddenly, Heron was thrown into his own memories. The approach wasn't subtle. It was like the force of a hammer driving into him. The Alpha's power met his own, clashing for a moment, before Heron reeled his in. Colors, scents, and shapes spun in a dizzying array across his mind's eye.

"Will you walk into my parlour? Said the Spider to the Fly, 'Tis the prettiest little parlour that you ever did spy…," the swarthy gentleman recited, dressed in attire too rich and fine for the Forest setting. His eyes glowed a curious red-amber as they pinned Heron like an insect in a trap. "I promise you, it is worth it." A stunning castle stood as backdrop to the scene. The compulsion to follow him was strong within the green eyed youth. He couldn't help but lift a foot and take a step forward…

Heron stood on the shoreline; Forest to the north and south with expanses of salt water stretching in front of him to the West until it hit the horizon. Stretched naked on the beach's white sand, gorgeous men and women sunned themselves. A voluptuous young woman stood next to him; the top of her long golden white curls just barely making it past his shoulder. "I know something you don't know," she sang mischievously before dancing on tiptoes away from his outstretched hands. He watched her bare back for a moment before following...

"It's all a matter of perspective, you see." Alpha Nevier placed a heavy hand on the boy's shoulder. Looking up at the man, he could see the night sky extend past the clearing. The moon hung crescent. "To enjoy the hunt, I wouldn't say we enjoy killing. We enjoy the chase…the teamwork and camaraderie…the closeness we feel to the moon and the Forest. I…" The werewolf trailed off before he looked at the youngling before him. "Run with us tonight, and maybe you will understand. It's not something I could explain in a hundred years..."

The corners of Firenze's eyes crinkled with happiness, though he did not lower his face from its upturned position towards the heavens. "Your future was set on a new trajectory the day your mother left you in the Forest. While Mars still hovers over you watching, Venus and Mercury wait behind closed doors." He looked down and the centaur's smile widened as he stared at the confused youth. "It makes me optimistic about your future. Even your loudest naysayers now watch the stars in anticipation for what is to come. The darkness once lurking as a creature beneath the Forest's branches prepares itself to fight in the face of the Sun. The sun and the night…The two cannot exist in the same space. You will find this out soon enough…I hope the day will come again, as it always does.."

"I love you," she said to him, her muzzle warm and soft against his cheek. "I love you."

More images whirled by in short succession. Stones overturned, as the Headmaster searched for a truth. Images of the last week, of his testing of the crystal core to his growing relationship with Sirius. Time slowed. Heron could not describe how he felt so quick footed, leaping from memory to memory while, at the same time, he swam through thick honey waters. There was no way the man saw everything, but he saw enough to make judgement.

Something twisted and Heron was thrown back into his body; although, he never left to begin with. He sank to his knees and shook his head, dizzy at which the speed and frequency of images zipped through his mind. Dumbledore also seemed to be reeling slightly, despite his proficiency with mind reading. Heron could tell the man was a master. If he encountered someone with weaker defenses, such an approach may have ripped their mind to shreds. And if he wanted to, Albus Dumbledore could have easily slipped in without them ever knowing the difference.

It only accented the fact that the Alpha of this school was not to be messed with.

The two caught their breath and stared at each other, unsure who was going to make the next move. Heron decided it should be Dumbledore as the man was calling the shots this time. The moment lengthened, becoming fragile as it stretched. The Alpha assessed Heron with a frown, considering all he'd seen and felt.

"I…have made a decision," the elderly man finally said. "What I saw leads me to believe that not only will Heron's presence here be safe, but may even be beneficial." His eyes twinkled blue, a shadow lifting.

Severus shook his head in a violent objection as everyone else breathed a sigh of relief. "But, sir! You know as well as I that memories can be falsi…" He trailed off as he was pierced with that blue stare. "…falsified. If he can avoid veritaserum, what else could he be hiding?"

Albus Dumbledore interlaced his fingers in thought. "That may well be true, my boy. Memories can be falsified and Heron likely still has secrets I'm unaware of. However, this is one thing you will have to trust me on. What I have seen convinced me. Outside of telling you my conviction in the matter, there is little else I could say to convince you. And, if you cannot trust me, then I have failed in more than one way," he said with a small bow of his head.

The beta tensed and angrily bit out a growl. "As you wish, Headmaster," he said, voice low. He shot a glare at Heron before he turned, robe flaring as he did so. "Now, if you will excuse me."

The others watched as Severus Snape left the room before slowly turning to look at Heron.

The youth looked at the adults and shrugged, not knowing what to say. The beta was acting like a disobedient wolf. It was somewhat amusing...Or it would have been, if the situation wasn't concerning Heron's own future. Severus Snape could prove very dangerous for Heron. It was not uncommon among subordinates to in-fight away for the alpha's watchful eyes. It was the best way to resolve group conflict, while insuring the clan stays together as a whole. The leader introduces a new member, there's a fight picked, there's a winner, the loser goes away to lick their wounds, and then the two come together at the end as part of the same pack. It was the same across the board with any social group-based races - veela, werewolves, dragons, centaurs…You didn't hurt the group by reducing members, because then you hurt your own chances for survival. You proved a point and moved on.

However...with humans so disconnected to the natural balance of the world...The teen wasn't sure the potions master would stop once he started. He might not come see Heron as a member of the group to be protected, but as someone to force out….And if Heron got backed into a bad situation, he would fight back.

The teen shook his head at his own thoughts. He was getting way ahead of himself. Even if he did like being prepared, it wasn't a good idea to prematurely make himself paranoid. Refocusing his efforts was best. "...Missgranger visit when?"

Sirius looked at Dumbledore. "Should I go get her?" he tentatively asked, "Or did you have plans to wait?" It was clear the situation that just occured put the man on high alert. Heron would not blame him. The energy of the Headmaster was brilliant.

The Alpha thought for a moment before shaking his head. "We will go to there, I believe."

"B-but, sir! Dinner just let out! All the students will be in the halls, and - !" Moony gasped before his voice lowered to a whisper. "They'll see him. Are we -is he - ready for that? He probably isn't comfortable with crowds…"

Heron coughed loudly and pointed to his ears. He COULD understand Moony, after all. At least the wolf had the decency to look a little embarrassed at being called on it. "Crowds fine. Missgranger go." He wouldn't admit to his earlier thoughts, as crowds really did make him uncomfortable...It was best to go for the offensive and move now.

Albus Dumbledore smiled slightly, probably having seen the truth from Heron's memories. "Then we shall go," he said, turning to open the doors leading out into the hallway. As he did so, a student walked by and nodded to the mentors, not seeing Heron at the back. The slight interaction was enough to make the teen freeze for a moment.

He closed his eyes and thought of green forests and bright sunshine. He could do this. Slowly, Heron opened his eyes and took a deep breath. With that, he stepped into the crowded hallways of Hogwarts.

I a at keeping up timely posting. Forgive me. Just know I will never abandon this story. I think about it a lot, but it's an ever evolving work for me. I come back to a chapter multiple times before I'm 100% satisfied (and even then…). I actually had this chapter written out before and discarded almost all of it. I liked what the subject pertained to (the original was very Sirius heavy), but I'm not sure it fit entirely. At least not here. Maybe I will manage to work a few of the scenes into the next chapter.

Anyway, I'm not sure what to say as far as notes go for this chapter. I feel like this chapter ended up being my "introspective" Heron chapter. I hope all his thoughts teach you a little about who he actually is. The last chapter focused a lot on his negative emotions about the situation he's in. But I hope this shows a bit more about his actual thoughts. Also, take note of how he thinks/feels about humans. I feel it sets a good stage for the future.

I contemplated finishing it within Hermione's quarters, but the last sentence I wrote was too good to waste. Next chapter begins with Hermione, and by the end, I hope we can FINALLY work some info about our other boys in. Over 30k words in and the love interests haven't been introduced yet...I do assure you. This IS a romance.