Chapter One

It had been a very long day for Beetle and his right arm throbbed painfully every time he moved it. Even the dinner that his mother had cooked for him didn't make him feel better. So when he had eaten up, he bade his mother goodnight and went straight to bed. Once he was in his room he wondered if he should write a new entry in his diary or not, but he just felt too tired and hopped in his warm bed.

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Beetle was dreaming about the Manuscriptorium:

He was just translating a particularly boring piece of text when his best friend, Septimus Heap, stepped over the threshold.

"Hi Beetle", Septimus greeted his friend.

"Wotcha Sep", Beetle answered.

Beetle was just wondering if he should ask his friend to join him for a mug of their preferred drink FizzFroot when Jenna entered and caused Beetle to turn bright red.

Beetle thought:

"Oh my goodness!!! What should I do? Does Jenna like FizzFroot? I bet she doesn't. Well I don't either. Hang on, I love it!"

"Beetle", Septimus shouted at his temporarily deaf friend "could you please take us to the Wild Bookstore?"

"Sure. Alright. Follow me"

Once they were in the room, Beetle turned around and started: "What-?" but he couldn't manage finishing his question when he saw Septimus and Jenna in a tight embrace.

"It's gonna be alright Beetle. They're brother and sister. This doesn't mean anything", Beetle said to himself as he stared at the floor determinately.

But as he faced his friends a truly horrible site (in Beetle's opinion) met his eyes: Septimus and Jenna were kissing!! In front of his very eyes!!

Beetle felt tears well up in his eyes, he felt disappointed, he wanted to do something bad to Septimus and he wanted to run away, run away as fast as his feet would carry him to a place where no royalty and ExtraOrdinary Wizard Apprentices would reach him. But his feet wouldn't budge; he was rooted to the spot and was forced to watch this scene.

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After having thrashed in his bed for a few minutes, Beetle woke up drenched in sweat. He had been dreaming something terrible; he had been dreaming that Septimus and Jenna had been kissing…

But it had been a dream, had it not? Beetle tried to relax but was shaken; after all he didn't see his best friend and Princess Jenna kissing every day.

Beetle didn't mean to, but he treated Septimus very coldly in the next few days; he hadn't been able to get over the image of Sep and Jenna kissing.

After a few visits he realized that it couldn't go on like this and he decided to pluck up his courage and talk to Septimus the next time he came around. Beetle didn't have to wait long as Septimus visited the very next day.

"Wotcha Sep", he said nervously.

"Beetle", Septimus answered curtly.

"Will you please join me for a FizzFroot?"

After thinking on it for a moment, he decided to join him and also ask Beetle why he had been so distant in the last few days.

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