~Proem~

There are four books lying on the polished wooden desk. Each of them tells a story. Professor Dumbledore, whose desk this is, has reason to believe it is the same story. But the titles of the books would appear to contradict him.

     The first book has a red cover, and the pages are slightly rough to the touch; the type of book sold by art shops to amateur sketchers. Oblivious to this fact, the owner has filled the pages with rather untidy, spidery lines of script in uncompromising blue ink. Inside the front cover the same hand has written in blockish capitals:

THE DREAM JOURNAL of BETHANY POTTER

      The second book is made by hand. Hard tanned leather has been carefully sewn around pages that have clearly been hand made. But although the title has been burnt onto the cover, the same words are written again inside with plain black ink;  a rather pressured hand with blotches across the pages, which make it look although the author has been crying:

VIRGINIA WEASLEY'S Book of Lies

       The third book is bound in black leather and the pages are smooth and creamy. The writer has appropriately chosen a thick nibbed fountain pen and in violet swirls and spikes the words march across the pages. The book's title is stencilled in silver above a delicate red rose:

Arwen's Secrets

       The fourth book, though somewhat thin, is of fine quality. The forest green front cover has an elegant silver border, and a clear see-through pocket has been expertly sewn onto the leather. A card inside the pocket reads:

Dragon's book of honour

       The silver dragon curling around the border has emeralds for eyes, and seems to be watching you intently. The fine parchment pages hold row upon row of elegant copperplate handwriting, and on these pages, our story begins…