CARNIVAL du MYSTIQUE
A Harry Potter UNIVERSE/ Sasporilla Bucket Fan Fiction
by Darren Kelly
CHAPTER 1
Sasporilla Bucket awoke in her own bed for the first day of summer vacation. This was the last summer she'd have before everything changed. No more Hogwarts. No more Hufflepuff house. No more seeing her best friends Karry and Zac every day at meals and in classes. The memories of Sassy, Karry, Blossom and a bunch of others coming out of their O.W.L exams singing...
"We are the K.I.D's from Hufflepuff.
Our O.W.L's are done and we have had enough!
We're going to wave our wands and apparate, won't hesitate.
We're Hufflepuff K.I.D's!"
Sasporilla couldn't help but sing along as she made her bed and walked off to the bathroom for her morning scrub and polish. Sasporilla waved her wand as she entered the bathroom. It was always wise to use ones wand to turn on the shower. It could be quite explosive first thing in the morning and ice cold to boot. She set her wand on the sink as she looked at her sleepy reflection in the mirror. The wild pink haired girl stuck her tongue out at her reflection.
"You may be a graduate with your NWT's!" Sassy sighed, "but your still a sassy brat!"
Morning ablutions put behind her Sasporilla worked he way down stairs. Tea and toast awaited her magically as by her muggle timed appliances. Brilliant these muggles. Sasporilla pulled her mothers old black leather phone diary out of the kitchen drawer. Somewhere within she would find the phone number of the woman she required. Taking a bite of toast Sassy tossed the book on the table and drew her wand from her purple robes.
"Invenieto Mrs.Porquis!" Sasporilla cast. The book flew open and it's pages flipped until it lay flat, the name and phone number of 'Mrs.Porquis- Real estate agent' circled in a glowing pink light.
"There you are." Sasporilla smiled. "Accio telephone."
The telephone receiver flew across the room into her hand. Sassy waved her wand clockwise over the number highlighted in the book then counter clockwise over the telephones key pad and placed the phone to her ear.
"Yes hello Mrs.Porquis I wonder if you might remember me..." Sasporilla said. "Yes, how did you ever remember? Call what? Display? Incredible inventors muggles.... any way I'd like to set up a meeting with you as soon as is convenient to discuss putting my house on the market. Lunch? Splendid! Gipsum and Gaelis Tea House 12:30. I will see you there."
Sasporilla allowed the phone to hang itself up as she munched on her last piece of toast, grabbed her bag and was out the door.
"Colloportus." Sasporilla cast locking the front door. The warm summer morning was overcast and promised a proper English summer rainy day. Sasporilla grabbed her broom and ran across the street to the Curtiss household. She waved her wand and the brass "C" door knocker, knocked its customary three times. Sassy could hear Porridge and Buster barking inside. She was so happy that Mrs.and Mr.Curtiss took Buster into their home. Sasporilla's mother had bought Buster as a pet for their home but now that her mom was gone, Buster spent more time at the Curtisses than anywhere else.
"Shut it you two!" Mrs.Curtiss shouted as she approached and opened the door with a surprised bright smile and a hug. "Sasporilla dear! So good to see you."
"Great to see you too." Sassy smiled kissing Mrs.Curtiss on the cheek. "I just thought I'd drop this off envelope off for Busters up keep."
"Oh dear." Mrs.Curtiss said placing the envelope on the side table. "You don't have to do that. We're happy to have him here."
"I know, thanks." Sassy said. "You're very sweet. I just wanted to let you know I'm putting the house up on the market later today. Without my mom I see no reason to stay."
"You have just as many happy memories as sad in that house Sasporilla Bucket." Mrs.Curtiss said. "But I understand. You're a young strong woman at the start of your lifes journey. A house is something that can add stability to that road. A stable end of a road to come back too!"
"Yes." Sassy smiled. "But to me that's just a house. It was never really my home. I need to find my own road and my home."
"Fair enough." Kolleen Curtiss said hugging her good friends daughter. "I'll miss you so much Sasporilla Imaginarium Bucket daughter of my dear Wysteria. You promise me that when you move away and become a well traveled famous wand maker, that you'll think of us once in a while and stop in for tea."
"As long as I'm welcome?" Sasporilla smiled with a small tear in her eye.
"You," Mrs.Curtiss said intensely, "Will always be welcome in my house Sasporilla Bucket!!!"
Sassy mounted her broom, cast cloaking, and flew off into the warm morning air. Mrs.Curtiss smiled as she shut the door. As much as she'd miss the girl it was fortuitous that number four castle road would soon be on the market. She had calls to make.
Sasporilla landed in broom parking on the roof of St.Mungos Hospital. Not the cheapest place to park ones broom in London by and far one of the safest as it was run by ministry workers and contracted out to one of the broomer gangs. Claim ticket placed safely in her wallet, Sassy took the lift from the roof down to the tenth floor.
Sasporilla stepped off the lift and stood before the nurses station. A small stout woman with curly ginger hair smiled up at her. "Can I help you dear?"
"Yes." Sasporilla smiled. "Can you tell me which room detective Nick Owlmore is in?"
The chunky nurse checked her room roster. She seemed to check a note. "May I ask who you are Miss?"
"Sasporilla Bucket." Sassy ssid. "He is my god father and Guardian."
"Yes." The woman smiled. "I see you here. He is in room 10-F. You may go right in."
As Sasporilla walked down the rather quiet hall, listening to the heavy clop of her heels on the old wooden floors, she became painfully aware that she was coming to visit her favorite god father rather empty handed. But what does one bring to the man who really likes very little and has even less? She waved her wand and produced a large pink Chrysanthemum in a vintage quart bottle of Merlin's Beard Stout that was now used as a vase. As she turned the corner into Nicks room he was lying in his bed, unlit cigar firmly between his gritted teeth as he read the events in the Daily Prophet.
"Knock Knock." Sasporilla said as she entered. "You have a visitor you grumpy old piss tank."
"Sasporilla!" Nick's eyes brightened as he put the paper down and set his glasses and cigar on the night stand, hugging his god daughter.
"I brought this for you." Sassy smiled handing him the flower.
"Ahhhh." Nick smiled slyly. "A flower."
"Ya." Sasporilla smiled. "I know how much you hate flowers so I put it in a nice big empty bottle from your favorite stout!!!"
"You shouldn't have." Nick said chuckling setting it on the night stand. Sasporilla pulled up a chair to Nicks bed side and took a seat.
"So Sassy you're a full fledged graduate of Hogwarts now." Nick said taking her hand. "Still planning on going on to get your M.E.R.L.I.N's at Avalon University?"
"Yes I am." Sassy smiled. "To first class if I can."
"Full on Doctorate of magic ay?" Nick said proudly. "Your mum and da would damn proud."
"I hope in some ways they are." Sasporilla said.
"Well, I sure am." Nick said.
"Thank you Uncle Nick." Sasporilla said. "I've worked hard to get here, but I know there's a lot more hard work ahead. It's a struggle but then all of life is, isn't it?"
"I wouldn't have you struggle a day of your life if I could Sasporilla." Nick said squeezing his god daughters hand.
"If only that were possible for anyone." Sassy said. "Now, are you going to tell me what happened to you this time that put you in here?"
Nick sat himself up straight in bed, wincing a bit from the pain in his side, of his healing but still tender six broken ribs.
"I was following this lead on this cold case." Nick said. "Around the time of the attacks on London. The case itself is now officially closed ya see, because they caught the death eater that attacked this innocent girl. Few days ago one of my informants tells me that he was acting on orders from you know who. Well ya I knew that. Well what he told me is that there Voldemort took orders a polite requests from people of position. I followed a trail right through into the royal court."
"The muggle Royal court?" Sasporilla asked hopefully.
"No." Nick shook his head. "Questions lead me straight to the Royal Palace in Avalon. I actually had a brief and informal meeting with her majesty the Witch Queen."
"Did she do that you?" Sasporilla said out raged.
"Nah." Nick smiled. "This was eight fella's who worked for some one in the royal house who wanted to stop me noseying about. I don't know why exactly Sasporilla but someone, for some reason, in the royal court of Avalon saw your mother as a threat and you as a threat."
"I know a bit about my link to the royal court of Avalon Uncle Nick," Sasporilla said, "but frankly I don't know why anyone would care??? I have no political aspirations. I'm no threat to anyone???"
Nick Owlmore took Sasporillas hands in his.
"I know I've said this a hundred times since your dad passed but I'll say it again. We have to figure out how to reactivate the protection spell he put on you as a baby."
"You've tried." Sassy smiled. "Frankly I've been thinking about it. I'm not sure it needs to be recast because I'm not sure it's gone."
"What do you mean?" Nick said curious.
"Well what are the two things we knew the spell did for sure?" Sassy asked.
"Gave anybody in your family Bucket or Bent a crippling head full of pain if they got within a half mile of ya!" Nick laughed.
"And?" Sassy raised her eyebrow questioningly.
"Turned your hair pink." Nick said.
"Exactly." Sasporilla said. "My extended family can get close to me again though the choose not to, which is in fact ok by me, but my hair is still pink. There fore it stands to reason that as I was in Hogwarts and learning to defend myself..."
"That you might night be as in need of protection as you had been when we all thought you were a squibb like yer mum?" Nick finished the sentence.
"So it's possible the spell is still active inside." Sasporilla smiled.
"And may have a few surprises that old Donk has yet to reveal if they pull some shady nonsense." Nick mused.
"Precisely." Sassy laughed.
"That crafty old dodger!" Nick laughed.
"It's also possible that the spell has died, and much like Harry Potters scar, I've been left with pink hair as a reminder of a long forgotten spell cast on me as a baby."
The discussions became lively and stories were bandied back and forth. Even a few games of Orlocks, a wizards card game similar to the muggle card game poker, were played between Nick, Sasporilla, an older nurse who had an obvious fancy for DI Owlmore and a dodgey orderly named Vance who Sassy suspected had a slight problem with games of chance.
After a good long visit and having cleared about twelve galleons in profit Sasporilla decided it was time she was off.
"I have a luncheon appointment to keep with Mrs.Porquis, the realtor."
"Ah." Nick said sadly. "So you've decided to sell the house then?"
"Yes." Sasporilla sighed dreading a long discussion on the matter.
"Best thing." Nick said. "You were always more at home in that old book case over the pub than on the Castle Road."
"I hoped you'd understand Uncle Nick." Sassy said kissing the old Auror on the cheek and scooting out of the hospital room.
Sasporilla Bucket awoke in her own bed for the first day of summer vacation. This was the last summer she'd have before everything changed. No more Hogwarts. No more Hufflepuff house. No more seeing her best friends Karry and Zac every day at meals and in classes. The memories of Sassy, Karry, Blossom and a bunch of others coming out of their O.W.L exams singing...
"We are the K.I.D's from Hufflepuff.
Our O.W.L's are done and we have had enough!
We're going to wave our wands and apparate, won't hesitate.
We're Hufflepuff K.I.D's!"
Sasporilla couldn't help but sing along as she made her bed and walked off to the bathroom for her morning scrub and polish. Sasporilla waved her wand as she entered the bathroom. It was always wise to use ones wand to turn on the shower. It could be quite explosive first thing in the morning and ice cold to boot. She set her wand on the sink as she looked at her sleepy reflection in the mirror. The wild pink haired girl stuck her tongue out at her reflection.
"You may be a graduate with your NWT's!" Sassy sighed, "but your still a sassy brat!"
Morning ablutions put behind her Sasporilla worked he way down stairs. Tea and toast awaited her magically as by her muggle timed appliances. Brilliant these muggles. Sasporilla pulled her mothers old black leather phone diary out of the kitchen drawer. Somewhere within she would find the phone number of the woman she required. Taking a bite of toast Sassy tossed the book on the table and drew her wand from her purple robes.
"Invenieto Mrs.Porquis!" Sasporilla cast. The book flew open and it's pages flipped until it lay flat, the name and phone number of 'Mrs.Porquis- Real estate agent' circled in a glowing pink light.
"There you are." Sasporilla smiled. "Accio telephone."
The telephone receiver flew across the room into her hand. Sassy waved her wand clockwise over the number highlighted in the book then counter clockwise over the telephones key pad and placed the phone to her ear.
"Yes hello Mrs.Porquis I wonder if you might remember me..." Sasporilla said. "Yes, how did you ever remember? Call what? Display? Incredible inventors muggles.... any way I'd like to set up a meeting with you as soon as is convenient to discuss putting my house on the market. Lunch? Splendid! Gipsum and Gaelis Tea House 12:30. I will see you there."
Sasporilla allowed the phone to hang itself up as she munched on her last piece of toast, grabbed her bag and was out the door.
"Colloportus." Sasporilla cast locking the front door. The warm summer morning was overcast and promised a proper English summer rainy day. Sasporilla grabbed her broom and ran across the street to the Curtiss household. She waved her wand and the brass "C" door knocker, knocked its customary three times. Sassy could hear Porridge and Buster barking inside. She was so happy that Mrs.and Mr.Curtiss took Buster into their home. Sasporilla's mother had bought Buster as a pet for their home but now that her mom was gone, Buster spent more time at the Curtisses than anywhere else.
"Shut it you two!" Mrs.Curtiss shouted as she approached and opened the door with a surprised bright smile and a hug. "Sasporilla dear! So good to see you."
"Great to see you too." Sassy smiled kissing Mrs.Curtiss on the cheek. "I just thought I'd drop this off envelope off for Busters up keep."
"Oh dear." Mrs.Curtiss said placing the envelope on the side table. "You don't have to do that. We're happy to have him here."
"I know, thanks." Sassy said. "You're very sweet. I just wanted to let you know I'm putting the house up on the market later today. Without my mom I see no reason to stay."
"You have just as many happy memories as sad in that house Sasporilla Bucket." Mrs.Curtiss said. "But I understand. You're a young strong woman at the start of your lifes journey. A house is something that can add stability to that road. A stable end of a road to come back too!"
"Yes." Sassy smiled. "But to me that's just a house. It was never really my home. I need to find my own road and my home."
"Fair enough." Kolleen Curtiss said hugging her good friends daughter. "I'll miss you so much Sasporilla Imaginarium Bucket daughter of my dear Wysteria. You promise me that when you move away and become a well traveled famous wand maker, that you'll think of us once in a while and stop in for tea."
"As long as I'm welcome?" Sasporilla smiled with a small tear in her eye.
"You," Mrs.Curtiss said intensely, "Will always be welcome in my house Sasporilla Bucket!!!"
Sassy mounted her broom, cast cloaking, and flew off into the warm morning air. Mrs.Curtiss smiled as she shut the door. As much as she'd miss the girl it was fortuitous that number four castle road would soon be on the market. She had calls to make.
Sasporilla landed in broom parking on the roof of St.Mungos Hospital. Not the cheapest place to park ones broom in London by and far one of the safest as it was run by ministry workers and contracted out to one of the broomer gangs. Claim ticket placed safely in her wallet, Sassy took the lift from the roof down to the tenth floor.
Sasporilla stepped off the lift and stood before the nurses station. A small stout woman with curly ginger hair smiled up at her. "Can I help you dear?"
"Yes." Sasporilla smiled. "Can you tell me which room detective Nick Owlmore is in?"
The chunky nurse checked her room roster. She seemed to check a note. "May I ask who you are Miss?"
"Sasporilla Bucket." Sassy ssid. "He is my god father and Guardian."
"Yes." The woman smiled. "I see you here. He is in room 10-F. You may go right in."
As Sasporilla walked down the rather quiet hall, listening to the heavy clop of her heels on the old wooden floors, she became painfully aware that she was coming to visit her favorite god father rather empty handed. But what does one bring to the man who really likes very little and has even less? She waved her wand and produced a large pink Chrysanthemum in a vintage quart bottle of Merlin's Beard Stout that was now used as a vase. As she turned the corner into Nicks room he was lying in his bed, unlit cigar firmly between his gritted teeth as he read the events in the Daily Prophet.
"Knock Knock." Sasporilla said as she entered. "You have a visitor you grumpy old piss tank."
"Sasporilla!" Nick's eyes brightened as he put the paper down and set his glasses and cigar on the night stand, hugging his god daughter.
"I brought this for you." Sassy smiled handing him the flower.
"Ahhhh." Nick smiled slyly. "A flower."
"Ya." Sasporilla smiled. "I know how much you hate flowers so I put it in a nice big empty bottle from your favorite stout!!!"
"You shouldn't have." Nick said chuckling setting it on the night stand. Sasporilla pulled up a chair to Nicks bed side and took a seat.
"So Sassy you're a full fledged graduate of Hogwarts now." Nick said taking her hand. "Still planning on going on to get your M.E.R.L.I.N's at Avalon University?"
"Yes I am." Sassy smiled. "To first class if I can."
"Full on Doctorate of magic ay?" Nick said proudly. "Your mum and da would damn proud."
"I hope in some ways they are." Sasporilla said.
"Well, I sure am." Nick said.
"Thank you Uncle Nick." Sasporilla said. "I've worked hard to get here, but I know there's a lot more hard work ahead. It's a struggle but then all of life is, isn't it?"
"I wouldn't have you struggle a day of your life if I could Sasporilla." Nick said squeezing his god daughters hand.
"If only that were possible for anyone." Sassy said. "Now, are you going to tell me what happened to you this time that put you in here?"
Nick sat himself up straight in bed, wincing a bit from the pain in his side, of his healing but still tender six broken ribs.
"I was following this lead on this cold case." Nick said. "Around the time of the attacks on London. The case itself is now officially closed ya see, because they caught the death eater that attacked this innocent girl. Few days ago one of my informants tells me that he was acting on orders from you know who. Well ya I knew that. Well what he told me is that there Voldemort took orders a polite requests from people of position. I followed a trail right through into the royal court."
"The muggle Royal court?" Sasporilla asked hopefully.
"No." Nick shook his head. "Questions lead me straight to the Royal Palace in Avalon. I actually had a brief and informal meeting with her majesty the Witch Queen."
"Did she do that you?" Sasporilla said out raged.
"Nah." Nick smiled. "This was eight fella's who worked for some one in the royal house who wanted to stop me noseying about. I don't know why exactly Sasporilla but someone, for some reason, in the royal court of Avalon saw your mother as a threat and you as a threat."
"I know a bit about my link to the royal court of Avalon Uncle Nick," Sasporilla said, "but frankly I don't know why anyone would care??? I have no political aspirations. I'm no threat to anyone???"
Nick Owlmore took Sasporillas hands in his.
"I know I've said this a hundred times since your dad passed but I'll say it again. We have to figure out how to reactivate the protection spell he put on you as a baby."
"You've tried." Sassy smiled. "Frankly I've been thinking about it. I'm not sure it needs to be recast because I'm not sure it's gone."
"What do you mean?" Nick said curious.
"Well what are the two things we knew the spell did for sure?" Sassy asked.
"Gave anybody in your family Bucket or Bent a crippling head full of pain if they got within a half mile of ya!" Nick laughed.
"And?" Sassy raised her eyebrow questioningly.
"Turned your hair pink." Nick said.
"Exactly." Sasporilla said. "My extended family can get close to me again though the choose not to, which is in fact ok by me, but my hair is still pink. There fore it stands to reason that as I was in Hogwarts and learning to defend myself..."
"That you might night be as in need of protection as you had been when we all thought you were a squibb like yer mum?" Nick finished the sentence.
"So it's possible the spell is still active inside." Sasporilla smiled.
"And may have a few surprises that old Donk has yet to reveal if they pull some shady nonsense." Nick mused.
"Precisely." Sassy laughed.
"That crafty old dodger!" Nick laughed.
"It's also possible that the spell has died, and much like Harry Potters scar, I've been left with pink hair as a reminder of a long forgotten spell cast on me as a baby."
The discussions became lively and stories were bandied back and forth. Even a few games of Orlocks, a wizards card game similar to the muggle card game poker, were played between Nick, Sasporilla, an older nurse who had an obvious fancy for DI Owlmore and a dodgey orderly named Vance who Sassy suspected had a slight problem with games of chance.
After a good long visit and having cleared about twelve galleons in profit Sasporilla decided it was time she was off.
"I have a luncheon appointment to keep with Mrs.Porquis, the realtor."
"Ah." Nick said sadly. "So you've decided to sell the house then?"
"Yes." Sasporilla sighed dreading a long discussion on the matter.
"Best thing." Nick said. "You were always more at home in that old book case over the pub than on the Castle Road."
"I hoped you'd understand Uncle Nick." Sassy said kissing the old Auror on the cheek and scooting out of the hospital room.
PLEASE REMEMBER
I am in no way affiliated with Warner Bros. or with J.K.Rowling. My work is purely that of fan fiction & do not ask for, nor accept money, gifts or other compensation for my work. If you really feel you must do something, donate to J.K.Rowling's charitable foundation LUMOS! Link below! ( https://www.wearelumos.org/ )
I am in no way affiliated with Warner Bros. or with J.K.Rowling. My work is purely that of fan fiction & do not ask for, nor accept money, gifts or other compensation for my work. If you really feel you must do something, donate to J.K.Rowling's charitable foundation LUMOS! Link below! ( https://www.wearelumos.org/ )