"Good you're here, Sep," Jenna Heap said to her brother as he walked on to the Palace grounds.
Septimus looked at her warily before asking, "Marcia said you have a surprise for me. Well, what is it?"
"Well, it's not only a surprise for you; it's a surprise for everyone in the Castle."
"What?"
"I've heard legends about a fourteen year old boy in a different world. They say he's one of the greatest wizards. Here, you're one of the greatest wizards. I thought it would be interesting to see the different kinds of Magyk and see who thinks who the greatest wizard is.
"Harry Potter – that's the wizard – and the headmaster of his school – Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry – are here to meet you and to make arrangements."
"Where are they?" Septimus asked looking around.
"Well, it's kind of weird but they're in the fireplaces in the Ball Room," Jenna muttered brushing a piece of dark hair out of her face.
"They're in the fireplace?" he asked, bewildered.
"Yes. Come on, best not keep them waiting."
The siblings walked into the Palace and down the Long Walk, the mile long corridor that ran through the middle of the Palace. The Long Walk was decorated strangely by Jenna's father, Milo Banda. He collected the things from his many journeys. Gold and silver objects were on display, but some strange things, too, such as the shrunken heads from the Cannibal Islands of the South Seas.
Upon walking into the Ball Room, Septimus gasped and stopped. "That is weird, Jen. It's unnatural." Two heads were floating in the two fireplaces in the room. One was a boy with messy black hair, glasses, and a lightning shaped scar on his forehead. The other was of an old man with a long white beard and half-moon spectacles.
"That one's Harry Potter. If I were you, Sep, I'd get to know my opponent some. Find out what kind of Magyk he uses. I need to… make arrangements with Professor Dumbledore."
"All right, Jen. But I still say this is too weird. Can't they're whole body come next time?"
Jenna laughed. "Talk to Harry. Get to know him. I'm sure you'll find some very interesting facts about him. Like you, I'm sure he's accomplished much." She watched her brother walk across the room. He shook his head, the mop of curly straw-colored hair bouncing as he did so.
She smiled and crossed the room to where Dumbledore was. She knelt down on the hard stone floor. Dumbledore smiled pleasantly and waited for her to begin. She took a deep breath and said, "Good morning," she hesitated not sure what to call him, "Dumbledore."
"Good morning, Princess Jenna," he replied.
"Um… do you know how many people plan to come?" she asked reaching into her tunic pocket and pulling out a piece of parchment and a quill.
"I dare say Harry will have a person or two he'd like to invite but at this point, the whole Gryffindor House is coming, and that's about twelve girls and thirteen boys, Professors Severus Snape, Minerva McGonagall, and Filius Flitwick."
Jenna scribbled everything down onto the parchment. She looked up. "Anybody else?"
"My dear Princess, ask Harry if there's anybody else."
"All right…," she hesitated. "I'll have to speak to you again with the complete list before you go…. And arrange the next time… and place… to meet."
"Yes, yes, of course."
"Sep! It's time to switch. I need to ask Harry some questions. You talk to Dumbledore!"
"All right," he said reluctantly. He'd just been getting to know Harry and now he had to leave.
"You can talk to Harry later," Jenna said. And she stood up and walked over to where Septimus was kneeling.
"Bye, Harry," Septimus said.
"Bye, Septimus," Harry replied.
Septimus stood up and walked to where Dumbledore's head was.
Jenna knelt down where he had been seconds before. "Hello, Harry. I'm Princess Jenna. I hope you like this idea. Not only do you get to go to a different world but you also get to make new friends. I have a few questions for you, if you don't mind."
"Go ahead," Harry said. He hoped this wouldn't take long, his knees where starting to hurt on his side of the fireplace.
"All right. My first question is, what things have you accomplished with Magyk?"
"I got the Sorcerer's Stone from Professor Quirrell who was working for Voldemort, when I was eleven, but I'll admit I had help from my two best friends Ron and Hermione; without them, I would have failed.
"I defeated a basilisk and saved Ginny – Ron's sister – when I was twelve.
"I saved my godfather, Sirius, from Dementors when I was thirteen. Dementors are horrible creatures that take you happiness and your soul."
"Ewe!"
"Yeah. Well, last year I was the youngest participant in the Triwizard Tournament. In the end of the third task I dueled with Voldemort and won!
"You know, Voldemort killed my parents when I was a baby and tried to kill me! I'm the only person to ever live after the curse was turned on me."
Jenna smiled. She was bewildered but didn't say anything. "My second question is who do you want to come? Professor Dumbledore said the whole Gryffindor House, and Professors Severus Snape, Minerva McGonagall, and Filius Flitwick are coming. Who else do you want to come?"
"I guess Ron and Hermione are already coming, they're in Gryffindor. So the Weasley's, Mr. Weasley, Mrs. Weasley, Bill, Charlie, Percy – if he wants to come I don't care if he doesn't come – Fred, George, and Ginny. But Fred, George, and Ginny are already in Gryffindor. Professor Lupine, Mad-Eye Moody, Hagrid and Sirius."
"Mr. and Mrs. Weasley, Bill, Charlie, Percy (maybe), Lupine, Mad-Eye Moody, Hagrid, and Sirius," Jenna muttered as she wrote the names on the parchment. She looked up. "Right?"
"Yep. Is there anything I need to know? You know, to get ready?"
"Anything with Magykal properties. Things like Charms or pets."
"Like my wand, caldron and potion ingredients, broomstick, invisibility cloak, books, and wizarding money?"
"Sure, I guess. Although money won't do you any good. I'll supply money, rooms, and anything else you can't bring like food."
"Okay then. Can I ask Septimus some more questions?"
"All right. Sep! You can talk to Harry for a few more minutes."
"Great!" Septimus hurried over to where Jenna and Harry were.
Jenna smiled and hurried across the room to Dumbledore.
"Well, Princess?"
"Harry does have people he wants to invite. Mr. and Mrs. Weasley, Bill, Charlie, Percy (maybe), Lupine, Mad-Eye Moody, Hagrid and Sirius."
"I'm not surprised he wants to invite the Weasley's, Hagrid, Lupine, and Sirius, but I'm surprised he wants to invite Moody."
"That's what he said…. Dumbledore? We need to set up another day to meet so we can finish planning this. By the way, when should the event take place?"
"How about a week and a half. That gives everyone enough time to prepare."
"Yes, all right. A week and a half," Jenna muttered as she scribbled it down on her parchment.
"I'll meet with you again in three days?"
"Yes. Three days will work. In the Ball Room again. After lunch?"
"Noon works."
She smiled and wrote down the information. "Thank you, Dumbledore." She stood up. "Harry!" she called. "Time for you to leave. You'll see Sep soon."
"'Bye, Sep," Harry said, and he pulled his head back, Dumbledore did the same.
Septimus blinked. "That was really weird, Jen. You know that. Really weird."
Jenna smiled. "I know, Sep. But you'll have to get use to it. That's how we'll be communicating for a week and a half at least. Then that's how they'll come only it would be they're whole body not just their heads."
"Weird," he said again. "I guess I'll need to practice some with Marcia in order to do as well as Harry. He's had four years of training. I've only had two."
"Sep. He only goes for ten months a year; you get your training all year. I think you're about even of what you know."
"Okay. But he had more than one teacher!"
"Don't you? You have Marcia, Alther, Marceliaus…. Would you like me to keep going? You have more. You have the ancients-"
"'Kay, Jen, I get the point." By now the two were out on the large lawns. Jenna stopped.
"Do you think there's enough room here?" she asked, gesturing around.
Septimus looked around the lawns. "How many people do you want to see this? There's a good chance that this will be large enough but…" he trailed off.
Jenna looked at the scrap of parchment in her hand. She showed him the parchment. "And I suppose anyone in the Castle who wants to come too."
He nodded. "I think there's plenty of room here, Jen. Make some sort of stands though. I'm sure everyone who is watching would want to see this little competition of yours." Jenna grinned at him.
"I need to get going, Jen. Marcia and I have a lot of work to do." He turned and walked away. Jenna watched him go. He was in for the surprise of his life! Both he and Harry.