Merging of the Planes

The Merging of the Planes

Harry Potter, The Princess Bride and a girl that can talk to dragons.

What more could you ask for?

Westley was staring into space. It was deathly cold and infinitely black. He was feeling slightly dazed. He just had been raking up some leaves at the farm, dreaming of Buttercup, when the rake had turned into an old man with a long silvery beard who had told Westley that he was ever so sorry, but there was a slight emergency at Hogwarts. Then the ground had opened and pulled Westley into this blackness, and now he was here, wherever here was.

Without warning, ground formed under his feet. Shiny flagstones. The space dissolved into a cold stone room, with several people in it, all wearing long robes. One of the people was the old man. When it was clear the room was all there, the old man spoke.

"I'm sorry we haven't been properly introduced, my name is Professor Dumbledore, headmaster of Hogwarts."

"H-h-hogwarts?" stammered Westley, backing up against a wall. He was dreaming, he must be.

"You don't know? Well, of course you wouldn't, I suppose. Hogwarts school of witchcraft and wizardry. This is Professor McGonagall, Madam Pomfrey, Professor Snape, Mr. Fudge and Mr. Hagrid." An enormous hairy arm reached down to meet Westley's. Westley shook it, then waited until the feeling came back to his fingers.

"Why am I here?" he asked.

"Ah! One the great philosophical questions that has baffled mankind since - oh - you mean why are you here? Well, it's... um..." said Dumbledore.

"Rather embarrassing..." mumbled Fudge, attempting to spin his bowler hat around on his finger.

"We appeared to have mislaid Harry Potter," announced McGonagall, grimly.

Westley was starting to wish Buttercup were there.

"Harry Potter is the hero of our story," said Dumbledore

"We had such a great story planned." said Madam Pomfrey, tears forming in her eyes. Snape, a tall and greasy man, put a comforting hand on her shoulder.

" Now, now Poppy. Potter has no doubt hidden, hoping to cause distress and disorder to Hogwarts and the Ministry of Magic, thinking it's funny. He was never much of a hero, anyway," Snape eyed Westley with disgust, "Then again, to replace him with this. Honestly, it smells like a farm."

" I live on a farm," growled Westley, "Are you sure you have the right person?"

" Yer see," said Hagrid, leaning down to speak to them, "we need someone ter replace 'Arry. We searched 'igh and low and you're the gallantest 'ero there is."

" I'm no hero!" protested Westley; " I work on a farm with Buttercup tormenting me every day. I was happy!"

" I told you we should have waited until he had been the Dread Pirate Roberts," whispered Fudge.

"We had no choice. We have a deadline and we'll just have to make the best of what we've got," replied Dumbledore before turning to a very confused Westley. "All will become clear to you. In the meantime, we shall have to get you a wand, a uniform, a cauldron... and a bath."

* * *

Four hours later, Westley had been told everything he would ever need to know, including the fact he was temporarily a twelve year-old wizard with a lightning shaped scar on his forehead.

Westley sat in a carriage aboard the Hogwarts Express, which appeared to be a long red, metal thing that produced glittering purple smoke. He was with two others, a tall skinny boy with bright red hair and a girl with bushy brown hair and an unnaturally large vocabulary. Dumbledore had warned him about these two- Ronald and Hermione, wasn't it?

"Charlie hasn't gone out with anyone since that Julia person, the one he met at the dragon care seminar. Oh! And Harry! We have a new car! It's blue and Dad can make it fly. Harry? Harry?"

Westley realised the Ronald boy was talking to him and panicked.

" Yes, yes. Very good, Ronald."

Hermione and Ron looked at each and mouthed 'Ronald?' Hermione turned to Westley.

" Harry, Are you all right? You haven't been knocked on the head by some heavy object at any time this summer, have you?" she asked, genuinely concerned.

" No, no! Of course not! Why do you ask?" said Westley, brightly. Ron sighed,

" I will start from the beginning. We have a new car and it can fly. Okay?"

"What's a car?" asked Westley, before Hermione Stunned him.

Westley awoke to sound of a familiar voice.

"Enervate!" said Madam Pomfrey. Westley sat up. He felt decidedly groggy. He was in a large round room filled with clean beds. To the left there was a bookcase filled with dusty volumes and bottles containing brightly coloured liquids.

Hermione was talking to Madam Pomfrey while Ron sat and read a large crimson volume called Flying with the Cannons.

"He didn't know what a car was, so I thought maybe he had amnesia or concussion and needed your attention."

Madam peered over at Westley.

"Potter is in excellent health, though I think it best if I have a little chat with him. Weasley, Granger, get down to the feast. Potter will join you shortly."

Hermione and Ron left. Westley accepted the drink Madam Pomfrey gave him, along with the large slab of chocolate.

"Pot-Westley, exactly where are you from?" she asked.

"A farm in Florin," replied Westley, his mouth full.

"And where might Florin be?" Madam Pomfrey looked quite menacing. Westley shrugged as way of a reply.

"I've never been outside the farm... until now," he added, darkly.

"Westley, I know it's not easy, but we really need you here and I'm sure you'll have some amazing experiences. And, of course, you can't return until the end of the year."

"WHAT?" shouted Westley, jumping to his feet.

"The spell we used to summon you here, it's very complex. At the end of the year we can return you to your farm and everything will be as it was-"

Westley had ran from the room. A year. A year. A year without the horses or the mills or the fields. A year amongst children who could cast magic spells. A year being called Harry Potter and wearing a dress.

A year without Buttercup. A whole year without Buttercup.

Westley doubled his pace. He had to get out of here. He had to find Florin and Buttercup.

Westley found the main gates and dashed through. He was free. Westley ran until he found a forest. It was dark and cold. Westley could have sworn a pair of yellow eyes were staring at him. Delirious with exhaustion, Westley advanced without a second thought. Above him, three wizards circled on broomsticks.

"We'll never find him in there," said Snape, examining his nails, "no great loss. I didn't like him very much, dirty little farmboy."

"It's past midnight. It's too dark; we will have to find him tomorrow. Charlie is the only person I know with a Caller, perhaps we could ask him to speak to him."

"Poppy, how did he escape?" asked Dumbledore, his blue eyes fixed on the forest, searching for movement.

"He just ran straight out of the door when I told him we couldn't return him to this Florin place until the end of the year... oh, Albus, if he gets hurt... it's all my fault..." wept Madam Pomfrey.

"Don't worry, Poppy. None of us expected this. We'll find him," Dumbledore reassured her.

* * *

Buttercup went to barley field and found the abandoned rake. She called him again.

"Farmboy? Where are you? We need you to feed the horses! Farmboy! Answer me!" There was no reply. Buttercup was close to tears. She had spent the last two hours calling him and he hadn't come. He always came on the first call, always. She tried again, using his real name.

"Westley? Westley! It's me! Buttercup! Westley, if you don't come here within the next five seconds you will seriously regret it! I mean it!

One... two... three... Westley! Please!"

* * *

Westley jumped over a log. A popping noise sounded from beneath his feet. He jumped aside just in time as a flame burst from to ground. Westley, slightly shaken, held onto a nearby vine. When he had completely recovered Westley attempted to take a step forward and sank into the sand. Before his head went under, he pulled himself out of the pit using the vine. Lightning sand... flames... if Westley hadn't known that he was so far away from Florin, he could have sworn this was the famous Fire Swamp.

As he continued, stepping carefully and listening for the popping noise, he heard something that sounded very much an unenthusiastic voice saying 'Beep, beep'. From the shadows appeared a black goblin, growling like an engine.

"Um, hello?" said Westley, "What are - I mean, who are you?" The goblin looked at him, it's glowing orange eyes looked incredibly bored.

"I'm a goblin, my name is Grayndrum and I am pretending to be a car." Grayndrum sighed and continued speaking, more to himself than to Westley. "The Merging of the Planes is a very complicated spell at the best of times, but attempting it in a hurry... if it hadn't been such an emergency Dumbledore would never have even considered it. Anyway, due to circumstances beyond our control, the flying car that should be here, isn't. So I'm the replacement. What do you want?"

"I want to know where I am," said Westley, cautiously.

"Wonderful. Fantastic. Anything else you need to tell me?"

"Could you tell me where I am?" asked Westley, looking around him nervously for any wizards.

"I could indeed," said Grayndrum.

Westley gave up all politeness.

"WHERE AM I?" he shouted, frustrated.

"This is the Forbidden Fire Swamp," the goblin backed away; at last Westley had gained some respect, "this Merging of the Planes spell, it has mixed up the world of Hogwarts with your Florin."

"So I could get home from here?"

"It would be a long walk, but you'd get there in the end."

There was a long pause. Westley shuffled his feet. Eventually, Grayndrum spoke again.

"Sooooooo... you enjoying the Forbidden Fire Swamp?"

"Well, it fire's a bit distracting and the Lightning sand really took me by surprise - it's not that bad."

"What about the ROUSs?"

"Rodents of unusual size?" Westley paused to consider this and then concluded, "I don't think they exist."

At that moment, a large, hairy, rat-like creature bounded out from trees and flew to Westley's throat. It bit a deep wound into his shoulder and squeaked angrily.

"Help me... hit it with that branch!" shouted Westley.

The goblin gave him a long sarcastic stare as Westley fought. He reached a vine and tied it around the ROUS's neck, then hooked the vine over a tree branch and pulled. The ROUS hung from the vine until Westley had got to his feet. He then let it go and ran as fast as his tired legs could possibly carry him out of the Forbidden Fire Swamp.

He arrived in a rocky, mountainous world. The sun shone, though he was sure it had been night a few minutes ago. For some reason, he was dressed in a large black shirt and trousers. He was wearing a black mask and cloth that covered his pale blond hair. A sword hung from his belt. For some reason, he felt very confident.

Mean while, in a valley, Julia was talking to her fastest Opaleye dragon, Cauliflower.

"Remember what I told you, don't hurt her, just bring her to me. When you fly past that pinnacle by the waterfall, I throw the charm and Westley won't see you. Understand?"

"Yes, Julia," said the dragon, stretching his tail.

"Go now."

Cauliflower aimed at the large hole above him and took off. The beautiful, powerful wings shone in the sunlight as he glided to the Cliffs of Insanity.

Westley jogged along. He had a feeling Buttercup was very near, and the idea of seeing her again made float with happiness. After a while, he paused to take in the surroundings. He was going east, towards the Cliffs of Insanity. As he stared upwards, he noticed a figure climbing a rope up the Cliffs. Then he saw it was three or four people all climbing together.

Westley ran towards the Cliffs, keeping his eyes on the figures.

Something in his soul told him it was Buttercup.

They had reached the top. Westley saw one wearing a red dress, which looked almost royal. Intrigued, he continued to spy on them. A large, pearly eagle circled the people. They scattered. The eagle pounced on one and spun around. It was coming straight at Westley, roaring.

Westley saw it was a dragon, with beautiful eyes like jewels. He dived aside and just missed it. The dragon flew higher in the sky. The woman in the royal dress was held in its talons. She didn't look hurt.

The dragon flew up to a pinnacle and vanished.

Westley climbed to his feet and surveyed the situation. If any of the figures had been Buttercup, it was certainly the one who had been carried away. Westley wished he had taken a better look at her face as he dusted off his new black outfit.

It was getting dark. He couldn't travel all night and he couldn't sleep on the rock if there were dragons about. There was a stretch of mountains nearby, smoke came out of a valley like a chimney.

Westley thought. Where there was smoke there was fire, and when there was fire there were people. And were there were people there was food.

He set off.

* * *

Julia locked door with an Unbreakable Charm and several hefty bolts. She ran up the stairs and through the secret passage and closed it behind her.

She went over to a pedestal, on it was a selection of buttons. She pressed the one marked with a 'D' and opened the nearest door. As she closed the door behind her the small room she had stepped into went down at an unnatural speed. Five seconds later the door opened and Julia stepped out into a long room. There were twenty-five beds each side, but unlike most beds, these were filled with straw and some had various large patterned eggs. Above each bed was a hole to the sky.

One of the beds was filled. A pearly dragon with jewel-like eyes was waiting patiently for Julia to greet him.

"Cauliflower! You have done very well. Is he coming in this direction?"

The dragon nodded.

"In that case, I must clean the cabin. Here is your reward," Cauliflower accepted the treat gratefully, "and now you can go flying."

Cauliflower swooped out of hole above his bed and away over the mountains.

Julia cleaned up the cabin. There was a bedroom, a kitchen, a toilet and the main room, where the lift controls were. There was a room above which contained her cauldron and spellbooks. In the wardrobe of the bedroom was the secret passage, which lead to Buttercup's cell. When all was as neat as possible, Julia went into the kitchen and put some bread and cheese in a bowl. She reached into a cupboard and pulled a green bottle out. She uncorked it, and waited until most of the smoke had drifted away and took a sip.

The acidic liquid tasted like old tyres and made Julia's face expand and contract. When it had finished, Julia no longer looked like Julia. The short, dark brown hair had been replaced by long blond curls. Her mud brown eyes were now bright blue. The pale skin was replaced by a deep tan. She was now a lot taller. Her long red fingernails ran down the label of the bottle.

"Heavily diluted Polyjuice Potion, works for five minutes for every teaspoon taken. Completely painless."

Her new face smiled, "I love being Katie," she said and her voice was different, higher, with a hint of an Italian accent.

Katie picked up the bowl and went over to the wardrobe. Her wand touched a knot in the wood as she whispered, "Charinus!"

The door opened and a flight of stone steps was revealed. She closed the door behind her, putting a little password charm on it. As Katie descended, she heard Buttercup shouting. She reached a large metal door and tapped it with her wand, muttering a series of magic words. The door opened and Katie saw Buttercup sitting in the corner, sobbing. Katie placed the bowl in front of her prisoner.

"Eat this. It's cheese. You like cheese? Girl? Say something!"

Buttercup leant forwards and hit Katie around the ankles. Katie fell to the floor in pain. Buttercup dashed past her, up the stairs and tried to open the secret entrance. It was useless. Katie got to her feet and advanced, wand at the ready.

"It's no good, Buttercup. You just aren't strong enough, and you never will be. You'll never leave this room, except possibly as dragon food."

Buttercup fell to her knees, crying. Katie felt waves of pity towards the fairly innocent farmer's daughter. If keeping Buttercup away from the rest of the world hadn't been so essential, Katie would never have considered it. She walked closer and crouched down to speak to Buttercup.

"Listen, I'm sorry, but I have no choice. You will ruin everything if I let you out. It wasn't punished so harshly, I would kill you quickly instead of watching you fade into nothing."

Her voice was changing. Startled, Katie looked at her hands. The long red nails were metamorphosing into the short broken nails anyone who worked with dragons soon acquired.

She hissed at Buttercup, "You stupid girl!" and Stunned her. Katie was changing back into Julia - the five-minute deadline was up. Julia used a selection of useful charms to make Buttercup float into the cell and lock the door behind her. Julia had always been good at charms. When she had been in Hogwarts, she had been top in charms and potions. In fact, Julia was one of the few witches who could invent her own potions and charms by mixing and adapting others. She quickly invented a spell that ensured Buttercup could never go through the doorway. She would just bounce back into the room if she tried it. Julia climbed back into the cabin, cursing. She sealed the secret passage and checked the periscope to see how far away Westley was.

For a moment, she thought he hadn't come, then she saw him skulking behind a rock.

Smiling, Julia checked that everything was in order. Through the periscope, she saw Westley stand on the edge of the big drop down the valley. He was looking right at her front door. Julia whipped out her wand and performed a solid illusion charm, which made the rock Westley was standing on slip. An avalanche came down, everything but Westley neatly missing her house. He would have to come in now.

Sure enough, three seconds later there was a knock on the door. Practising her shocked face, Julia opened it. Westley stood, his black clothes covered in dust. He was cut and bruised.

"Welcome to Dragon Valley!" the girl looked at Westley and smiled kindly "I wasn't expecting visitors. I'm Julia."

Westley extended a hand.

"I'm Westley, I've fallen down your valley. Did I break anything?"

"No, no, you didn't. Come inside," Julia beckoned him in and Westley followed.

"So, what brings you to the mountains?" said Julia, seating him down.

"I've come in search of my... friend. She was carried off by a dragon about ten minutes ago. It flew this way and disappeared."

Julia busied herself with making tea, slipping some of the love potion she had saved in it. Westley accepted the tea and drank it, but it didn't seem to make any difference to his behaviour. Disappointed, Julia listened to his story. It made absolutely no sense. Julia decided losing Buttercup had made Westley temporarily lose his mind.

It was getting darker. The sky was a beautiful, deep blue. Westley needed hardly any persuasion to stay the night. As a boy who had spent his entire life shovelling horse manure, today had been very tiring. When she told him of the thirty dragons she kept in her valley his eyes had clouded with suspicion, but then she had introduced him to Pear, a young and very gentle Antipodean Opaleye. Pear and Westley had been an instant hit. Julia let Westley stay in her bed while she made her self comfortable in an empty dragon nest.

Westley couldn't sleep. He couldn't lie down knowing Buttercup was far away, in deep trouble, probably seriously injured. At this very moment she could be being eaten by those stupid dragons. It was strange to think that that sweet dragon, Pear, was the same species as the evil brute that had stolen Buttercup. Maybe it had had family problems as a little dragon.

He heard a voice, cold and quiet. It had a gravely quality and a slight hiss.

"When? When? We are hungry. The children need food. Don't say you'd put her before us."

Westley shivered and stared around him. Another, similar voice replied,

"Be patient, my darling, this meal will be worth waiting for, believe me."

Westley sat up and waited for the voices to come again. They didn't. As Westley lay back down, deciding he just imagined it and he would be feeling much better when he had got some sleep, the ground shook. Westley jumped out of bed and ran to the window, wondering if maybe a large dragon was yawning. Large rocks were rolling down the valley right at the house. He wondered how to contact Julia, as she had forbidden him to enter the dragon caves without her because some of the dragons were 'not used to visitors'.

Now it was too late. The boulders hit the cabin with an ear splitting crash. Julia appeared out of the lift and ran to the door. She tried to open it, but it wouldn't move. Westley could no longer look through the window, because it was blocked with more rocks.

They were locked in.

"That's going to take me a year to shift," said Julia, her voice shaking, once again praising her Charms teacher for showing her how to do Solid Illusion Charms.

"How can you move them? We can't get outside."

Julia started walking around the room.

"Um... Westley? I not sure how to say this but... I'm a witch."

At first Westley was shocked. Then he remembered that the Merging of the Planes meant that witches could be any age, any type and right next to Florin. Julia kept thirty wild dragons. Nobody could keep dragons in Florin. In fact, building this cabin halfway down a valley would be next to impossible with out magical assistance.

"You can get us out of here?" he asked.

"I've never performed any magic powerful enough to lift those rocks," said Julia, hoping it wasn't obvious she was lying.

"Couldn't we contact the Ministry of Magic? They have powerful wizards and they could-"

"Two problems with that: one, I can't contact them without certain ingredients which are in my herb garden, which I imagine got crushed, and two-"she took a deep breath, "-I've been running from the Ministry of Magic for years because I haven't got a licence for my dragons."

"You need a licence for dragons? But Pear seems so sweet - she wouldn't hurt a fly-"

"Most dragons are very dangerous. I don't have a problem with my lot because I can speak to dragons," Julia crossed the room and lit a candle; the room was bathed in a soft yellow glow, "I'm the only person in the world that can."

There was an awkward pause. Then Julia turned towards the lift door and bade Westley goodnight.

Westley was about to slip into bed when, from the shadowy corner came a crackling noise. Westley tiptoed over. He could vaguely see the shape of his sword. The crackling sound became a voice, similar to Ronald's.

"Harry? Harry - it's me - Charlie. Where are you?"

Westley reached for the sword and lifted it into the light. It was a lot smaller than he remembered. As he moved closer he saw that his sword was now the wand that an old man called Mr. Ollivander had given him. It was talking to him. Westley turned it over in the comforting glow of the candle, uncertain of what to do.

"Harry? Can you hear me? Tell me where you are."

Westley spoke into the end of the wand.

"Hello? Um... Charlie?"

He heard Charlie sigh with relief before he replied, "Harry, where are you?" Westley wasn't sure what to say. Charlie must be from the wizarding world, where the Ministry of Magic was. If they found Julia they might arrest her, and would take Westley back to Hogwarts. Then again, he couldn't exactly give this Charlie a false address, especially when he was trapped in a valley with thirty dragons. They needed someone outside to help them. Knowing he would regret it later Westley told Charlie about the Forbidden Fire Swamp and Dragon Valley. When he mentioned Julia, Charlie was suddenly very interested.

"Julia? This girl with the dragons is called Julia? Are you sure?"

"Yes, that's what she said. Julia. Why?"

"I'll be right there. Just five minutes. Don't move, we'll find you." And he was gone. Westley sat and thought about what had just happened while his wand morphed slowly back into his sword. The name Charlie was vaguely familiar. Maybe he worked for the Ministry and was hoping to arrest Julia and take her dragons.

Something was on his nose. Westley checked the mirror in the corner of the bedroom and saw he was wearing a black mask. He wondered if it had just appeared or had been there all evening and he had just hadn't noticed it.

* * *

The next morning Westley felt much better. He was ready to leave and continue his search for... what was it he was looking for? He couldn't remember. Couldn't have been that important.

Westley dragged himself out of bed and looked around. He felt all floaty... like a little cloud... that floated all the way to heaven and fell asleep...

He was startled when a door opened and Julia emerged. Westley recognised her and smiled.

"Ahhhh, my dearest Julia!" Westley spun around slowly. That's what he had been looking for. His Julia. Now he had found her, there was nothing else to do but to sleep.

Westley fell back onto the bed and started to snore. Julia walked around him, puzzled. Maybe she had over done it with the Love Potion, or he had hit his head falling down the valley. Whatever the cause, she decided Westley no longer needed Buttercup, which meant Cauliflower would finally get his favourite dessert.

* * *

Far above the cabin, Charlie circled on his Cleansweep Seven. The Merging of the Planes spell had made finding Dragon Valley incredibly difficult, but now he saw it. The small wooden cabin he remembered so well was half concealed by several tonnes of fallen rock.

The pure white clouds drifted lazily around Charlie as he wondered how best to get him. The door was blocked, the only way in was the dragons' doorways, large holes positioned above each nest so that the dragons could go out and stretch their wings. Charlie idly wondered if Pear and Marrow would remember him, or if old Cabbage was still alive after that stroke.

Charlie shook himself. He should be planning a grand entrance.

He tried to remember which dragon beds would be empty. The one over there might be.

Charlie dropped low and peered into the darkness of the nest. A dark shape moved and Charlie spun away and looked in the next one. This one was empty and Charlie landed gracefully on the straw. He walked up the long room, searching for a dragon he recognised.

He was almost at the lift door when he heard a familiar roar behind him.

Grape the Common Welsh Green was in excellent health and ecstatic at seeing his old friend again.

Charlie leant his broomstick against Grape' s pen and stoked his long neck. Once again, Charlie wished he possessed Julia's gift of talking to dragons.

The lift arrived at the cabin in seconds. When Charlie got off, he saw Julia waving her wand over a pile of washing up.

"Julia!" He called. Julia turned around and broke into a grin.

"Charlie!" she said, running up and hugging him.

"I haven't seen you for ages! I thought we were going to keep contact," said Charlie.

"Well, we all must move on. How are you?"

"Norbert - a Norwegian Ridgeback, burnt me yesterday," Charlie presented a large, painful looking burn on his shoulder. Then he reached for Julia's arm and examined the small skull tattoo on her forearm.

"Don't worry - those days are long over. The Dark Lord has no power left," she caught Charlie's eye and added, "and even if he had I wouldn't return. You know that."

There was a sigh from the door behind Julia. Charlie looked at her questioningly.

"Oh, and I have a visitor," said Julia, opening the door to reveal Westley, yawning and stretching. He saw Julia and smiled in mid-yawn.

"Julia, darling, I wondered where you'd got to," he said, leaning forward and kissing Julia on the cheek. Julia turned red and Charlie looked away, embarrassed. He was just about to speak when a hand shot through the floor. It was Buttercup's.

Julia gasped and backed away, shocked and angry with herself for charming the door and not the rest of the cell, and for forgetting to get rid of the woodworm in the floor.

The hand was followed by an arm, which made a hole for Buttercup's head, then her shoulders.

"Isn't anybody going to help me?" she inquired angrily. Charlie shrugged and pulled her through the floor.

Buttercup shook the pieces of wood out of her hair and glared around the room. Her eyes rested on Westley, who looked slightly dazed.

"Farmboy? What are you doing here?" she demanded. Charlie gazed at her in admiration. Westley didn't reply. Buttercup turned to Charlie and Julia, her eyes blazing.

"Who are you? Where's the blonde one?"

Julia pretended to look puzzled. Westley started to hum. Charlie couldn't take his eyes off Buttercup, who turned back to Westley.

"Farmboy! STOP HUMMING!"

"Don't call him that!" shouted Julia.

"Don't shout at her!" yelled Charlie.

"What?" said Julia.

"What?" said Buttercup.

"What?" said Westley.

There was a long pause. Then everyone started speaking at the same time.

Westley finally stopped the arguments by shouting at everyone until their ears rang. He turned to Julia.

"Julia, I have to tell you this; you are the most wonderful person I have ever met."

"What about Buttercup?" asked Julia, gesturing towards her.

"That's a story, this is real life!"

"Oh, Westley, I'm sorry, but I gave you some love potion. You could never truly love me," said Julia.

"No, Julia. This is true love. You see, I have spent the last few years building up an immunity to Love Potion."

* * *

Everything was explained. Buttercup forgave Julia and they all promised to be friends and never fight.

Charlie sent them all to his flat in Romania by Floo powder, and awarded Julia a licence for her dragons.

That night, Westley was telling Julia exactly what had happened with Hogwarts, the Forbidden Fire Swamp and his wand talking to him when Julia asked him to stop a minute.

"What did you say?" she asked.

"I heard these weird voices, all cold and growly. They were saying that they were hungry and -"

Julia dragged him over to the fire and took some Floo powder from the box Charlie had left on the table. She threw it into the flames and then shooed Westley in after it.

"Dragon Valley Cabin!" she shouted at him. Westley felt himself spinning around again and landed sprawled on the cabin floor. Julia followed him.

She pulled him into the lift and they went to her Common Welsh Greens.

She put him in front of a young dragon whose nameplate introduced him as Avocado.

"Talk to him," she commanded.

Um . . . hello?" suggested Westley.

Julia shook her head.

"Talk to him," she insisted, nodding towards Avocado.

Westley concentrated on the dragon and tried again.

"Hello." His voice sounded the same as usual to him, but Julia squealed.

"You can! You can! You can speak to dragons! We are the only people in the world who can!"

* * *

Julia shook out her long, white dress and stroked Cabbage's neck. A few metres to her right, Buttercup stood, looking nervous but happy. She caught Julia's eye and smiled. Beside her, rows of farm workers in their best clothes sobbed into their best handkerchiefs. On Julia's left, dragons of all shapes and sizes made strange short, growling noises which only she knew were also sobs of happiness.

The wedding march started. Buttercup and Julia walked slowly up the isle. A single flower fell from her rose bouquet. It was silvery blue with a hint of pink, it was allegedly the worlds most beautiful rose, a rare 'Icy Star'.

Westley appeared at the end, still wearing his black mask. Charlie stood beside him in full wizardly regalia.

And then she was married to Westley and Buttercup to Charlie. They would live happily ever after, thought Julia dreamily, when the skull tattoo on her arm burnt. Without thinking, she Disapperated.

A boy with messy black hair half concealing a strangely shaped scar on his forehead and bright green eyes was trapped in a column of green light. Julia was standing in a large stone room. A large stone snake dominated the furthest wall. The Chamber of Secrets had been opened.

She was part of a large circle of cloaked figures, her old friends.

Panic gripped her heart. She was back and she didn't want to be.

Lord Voldemort was walking around the green column, a look of evil satisfaction on his thin pale face.

He surveyed his army of Death Eaters and smiled.

"My faithful Death Eaters. You have been summoned here to celebrate, with me, my return to power and the death of Harry Potter, which shall commence in a few seconds."

When the Dark lord finished speaking, she drew her wand and shouted, "Accio boy!"

The boy flew towards her and landed softly on the mossy stone floor. She called to Voldemort.

"I owe you a lot for kidnapping this boy. You brought my true love to me. But now you've gone too far. This boy isn't meant to die yet," she started to walk away, then stopped and turned slightly, "Let's see hoe you survive without your most powerful servant."

With that, Julia Apperated to Hogwarts, leaving the boy with Professor Dumbledore, who was delighted and asked no questions. Then Julia returned to her wedding.

"Now everything is perfect," she whispered to Westley.

"Is it?" said Prince Humperdink.