CARNIVAL du MYSTIQUE
A Harry Potter UNIVERSE/ Sasporilla Bucket Fan Fiction
by Darren Kelly
Chapter 13
Sasporilla Bucket browsed the windows of various shops as she meandered up the main street of the Dingle inter-dimensional market. The Three Sisters potions shop had a most impressive selection of pre-bottled potions, ingredients and supplies. Zyzabell's was the primary maker of quality robes in any world, any where, not to mention it's selection of hats.
It was a used wand shop that caught Sasporilla's attention first. Dents, bents and spents wand repairs and sales. A rather modest looking small basement shop that sat at the bottom of a set of old basement stairs below the Grumfield and Grobb's Magical Games Emporium.
Sassy, ever curious of wand shops, wandered down the rather dirty old brick steps holding on to the rusty iron railing. The old door latch took some effort to move but the door, though heavy, swung open easily enough. The dusty shop was stuffed to the rafters with boxes of wands. Cobwebs made over some areas of stock made it self evident that this was not the most popular wand shop in the Dingle Market.
"What do you want?" The gravelly voice of a small older man snapped.
"Pardon me?" Sasporilla asked.
"Wand business?" The man asked. "Repair, cleaning, selling or buying?"
"Browsing." Sasporilla said.
"Of bloody course." The man snapped murmuring some verbal expletives.
"I'm interested in wands." Sasporilla said looking at some of their unique wand styles. "I really want to be a wand maker."
"Why?" Another even smaller old man asked popping out of the wand stacks.
"Wands are my passion." Sassy said. "They’re my life."
"Bent!" The new man yelled. "Get out here!"
A rather large man wandered out from the back knocking over a few stacks of wands as he went.
"Lummox!" The little man said throwing a block of wood at the large mans head.
"Ouch!" The big man said as the wood block bounced off his thick skull. "What?"
"This kid wants to be a WAND MAKER." The little man laughed making a silly voice. "It's her passion."
All three men started laughing.
"I don't see what's so funny?" Sasporilla asked.
"You're naivete." The first little man grumbled. "I am Spent, that is my brother Bents and the big one is our little cousin Dent. We're the proprietors of this money pit we inherited."
"So you don't love wands?" Sassy asked.
"No." All three me said.
"Then why not sell the shop and get out?" Sasporilla asked.
"Because it's all we know!" Bent insisted.
"Without this we'd have..." Dent started.
"... Only each other." Spent said.
"It seems like business is very slow here." Sasporilla said. "Perhaps if you had a better sign?"
"It wouldn't matter." Spent said.
"Why not?" Sasporilla asked.
"Most people have always bought from Olivander’s and soon they'll all buy from Bu..."
"Spent!!!" Dent yelled. "You can't reveal future information.
"You've stopped me from making an error cousin." Spent said. "Now go back to work you big oaf!"
"You know the future?" Sasporilla asked.
"You from the ministry?" Bent asked.
"No." Sassy insisted.
"Then what's it to you Nosey Noesnstien?" Spent growled. "There are lots of doors in Dingle that will take you to times and places you might not mean to go to. Whether you mean to or not."
"I thought time gates only took people back in time?" Sasporilla asked.
"You just keep believing what you're told." Bent said. "You'll be better off."
"Look," Spent growled, "there are ways. There are always... ways. Now, if you're not buying or getting a wand serviced, get... OUT!"
"I can see the main reason your sales are so poor." Sassy said. "Perhaps if you were nice to your customers they mind actually want to spend money in your shop."
"Perhaps if people who came into our shop were customers, and not bloody browsers, we wouldn't waste our valuable time!!!" Spent yelled. "GOOD DAY!!!"
Bent slammed the door behind Sasporilla hitting her solidly on the behind, as Spent locked it.
"Do you know who that was brother?" Spent asked Bent.
"More importantly do you know who that is going to be?" Bent asked Spent.
"Yes and you both did just fine." Dent said coming from the back. "She is solidly on her path. Seen the good and bad sides of bring a wand maker and the seeds of her future have been solidly planted."
With a wave of a wand Dents appearance shifted into shadow and changed into that of a woman in long black and gold robes. Her face was once young and beautiful but was now showing a touch of age despite the spells she used to bolster her vanity. Her long braided blonde hair was streaked with strands of silver and interwoven with gold wire and leaf. The gold crown upon her head was unmistakable.
"You've done well." The Witch Queen smiled.
"Thank you." The two small men said taking a knee before their queen proudly and too late seeing Dents body lifeless on the floor in the back room. They turned to face her Black Ivory wand.
"Avada-Kedavra!"
Sasporilla Bucket could have looked through the high technology technomancy shop for hours. Any muggle with these devices would seem to have the same abilities of any witch or wizard! No wonder they kept such strict regulations on who went where and who bought what.
The next shop over was Pandora's Pet Parlour. A litter of chocolate brown three headed tea-cup Ceribus puppies romped and played in the window.
Seven bells that hung over the door chimed 'How much is that Doggy in the Window?' as Sassy entered through the door.
"Good afternoon Miss!" The rather cheery plump proprietor greeted. "Welcome to Pandora's Pet Parlour! I am of course the worlds famous Pandora Podagast. No autographs please. Feel free to browse our extensive twelve floor show room of furry and feathered to scaly and armoured pets just waiting to go home with you to day and share with you their boundless love! For the right price of course! So what will it be? Can I interest you in a Toranian Trumpet Toad or perhaps you're in the market for something a little more... off world?"
Pandora pulled a small furry purple puff ball, which reminded Sasporilla something of a pygmy puff but it had no discernable face. The creature sat peacefully in the stout woman’s hands and quietly cooed. Sasporilla petted it softly as it trilled and warbled joyfully.
"It is sweet." Sassy smiled.
"And a steal at only twenty nine galleons." Pandora Podagast insisted with a catbird smile.
"I was actually looking for something more in the way of an owl?" Sassy smiled.
"Postal birds twelfth floor." Pandora Podagast said disappointed, pitting the creature back into her robes secret pocket. "Far side of the shop see Mikus."
At the center of the shop floor was large double circular wood and brass staircase which criss-crossed itself. One staircase went to even numbered floors and the other to the odd number floors. At it's heart sat a tarnished gold bird cage with high ornate bars. A sign hung over its open door way which read "UMBREALLAVATOR". A smaller sign read "RING BELL FOR UMBRELLA."
Sasporilla looked around but saw no bell. She looked up the stair case and thought twelve floors was a long way up.
"Moooo." A small sound caught Sassy's attention. Standing with her tiny head hanging over the little white fence of the "OLD MacDONALD'S FARM" display was Bossy, the miniature cow. Hanging around her neck was little cow bell. With a wave of her wand Sasporilla made the little bell tinkle. A large green umbrella lowered from high above. Sasporilla reached up with and grabbed the umbrella's handle.
Sassy stood in the center of the cage holding the umbrella, going no where. It slowly became obvious that she was being looked at with much amusement by other patrons of Pandora's Pet Parlour.
Sasporilla looked around for further signage or instructions. It wasn't until she heard the Wallace Warblers start to titter that she looked up and saw printed under the umbrella "SAY ALLOWED THE HEIGHT TO WHICH YOU DESIRE TO RISE."
"Of course." Sasporilla said laughing to herself half embarrassed. "FLOOR TWELVE"
The umbrella lifted Sassy weightlessly passed floors of creatures as mundane as puppies and kittens to as exotic as lions and rhinoceros. Floors filled with water containing fish, Grindylows and hippocamps. Floors with Doxys and Nixies, Bowtruckles and Billywigs! Murtlaps, Occamys, Nundus and Erumpents. Blast Ended Scroots, Horntail Dragons and Zouwus! So many creatures Sassy thought, not all of them suitable nor safe as pets! Then who was she to judge? Perhaps the creature not right for her was the perfect pet for someone else.
The umbrella shifted the pink haired witch out of the cage and placed her gently onto the twelfth floor landing. A bell tinkled distantly and the umbrella disappeared leaving her to find her way.
FLOOR 12 AVIARY... The big sign read. The many huge cages filled with every kind of flying bird imaginable would have given any customer a clue to the nature of the floor.
Smaller signs pointed towards specific areas.
SMALL, MEDIUM AND LARGE STANDARD BIRDS RIGHT SECTION 1.
LARGE AND EXTRA LARGE STANDARD BIRDS RIGHT SECTION 2.
SMALL, MEDIUM AND LARGE MAGICAL BIRDS LEFT SECTION 3.
LARGE AND EXTRA LARGE MAGICAL BIRDS LEFT SECTION 4.
SPECIAL ORDERS DESK SECTION 5 STRAIGHT AHEAD.
POSTAL BIRDS SECTION 6 STRAIGHT AHEAD TO THE LEFT OF SPECIAL ORDERS DESK, BACK OF STORE.
Sasporilla couldn't help but smile at the beautiful songs of the birds that twittered and tweeted as she passed. The colourful plumage of small song birds and strutting peacocks were almost hypnotic. A brazen honk of a goose followed by the snap of its beak on Sasporilla’s rear end brought her around.
"Excuse me Madame," Sasporilla said rubbing her rear end, "but that was very rude."
"I don't like witches." The goose said.
"And why not?" Sasporilla asked.
"Because one made me as this more than a century ago!" The goose hissed.
"What?" Sasporilla said pulling her wand and casting, "REVELIIO!"
The goose slowly transformed into a middle aged stout blonde woman who was in dire need of clothing. Sassy looked around for anything.
"Accio Blanket!" Sasporilla cast.
An old blue blanket flew from a chair and across the shop floor. It wrapped itself around the woman covering her modestly.
"Thank you." The woman said. "You are clearly a white witch. One of different caliber to that of she who plagued our village."
"I'm sorry that happened to you." Sasporilla asked. "What year was it when she did this to you?"
"It was the year of our lord seventeen eighty-three." The woman said proudly. "I must return to my village. My family."
"I understand, of course." Sasporilla said knowing what had to be done. "Oh my that is a strange bird?"
The woman turned and Sassy pointed her wand with great regret at the back of the woman's head.
"Obliviate." Sasporilla cast with much regret.
Sasporilla walked the stunned woman to the special orders desk and left her with the clerk who was tending to a special ordered cockatrice.
"Excuse me." Sassy said.
"You here for the Cockatrice?" The clerk asked.
"No." Sasporilla said seating the muggle woman at the desk. "This muggle was transfigured into a goose and you were trying to sell her!"
"Not another one!" The clerk sighed. "Did you Obliviate the muggle?"
"Yes." Sassy said sadly looking into the woman’s blank eyes.
"Good! I'll call the ministry." The clerk said handing her a ten percent off coupon. "Sorry for your inconvenience. Please accept this handy dandy coupon with our apologies and have a nice day."
Sasporilla headed off to the postal birds section. As it seemed to be the area least valued in the shop she expected it to be the smallest with the least selection but this was not the case.
There were not just row after row of every type of owl available but other types of birds trained for postal delivery as well. Pigeons, doves, storks, pelicans all sorts of birds Sasporilla had never seen used but in many ways made sense to her to be used.
It was either the subtle tapping of the footsteps or the muted horns and thumping of the conga beat that caught Sassy's attention as she rounded the aisles corner.
Jorge was like no other bird Sasporilla had ever seen. He was a rather small flamingo, as flamingos went, but bright pink with close crossed eyes. His feet danced and hips swayed as he listened to Latin music blaring from an old muggle walkman sitting loosely on his feathery head. His wings flapped and swayed as he turned and shuffled dancing his versions of the salsa and the rumba. Other birds around him looked on embarrassed.
"Come on chake your body baby do da conga." Jorge sang as he shook his tail feathers.
"Can I help you." A very mono toned voice droned from behind Sasporilla startling her. She turned to see a small thin man with feathery black hair and sharp bird like features. "Are you looking for a postal bird?"
"Yes." Sasporilla smiled. "I am in the market for an owl. I take it you're Mr.Mikus?";
"Just Mikus." The man said. "It's my first name. I am a postal bird specialist. I can match you with the right bird for your specific postal needs."
Sasporilla looked back at the funny flamingo who continued to dance like no one was watching, The name on his tag read JORGE.
“George.” Sasporilla miss pronounced.
"No miss.” Mikus droned. “It’s pronounce HOR-HAY. It’s a Latin name you see.”
"Meringue!" The Jorge yelled dancing and laughing as he bumped into some of the cages and purchase.
Jorge!" Mikus' cries falling on headphone deafened ears. With a quick lift of one foam side Jorge froze. "Jorge please stop while we have a customer!"
"Sorry boss." Jorge said fumbling to find the off button on his walkman with his wing and stepped back behind the purchase to his nest.
"So what are your needs?" Mikus asked.
"Tell me about that flamingo." Sasporilla said.
"Jorge?" Mikus asked amazed. "No you don't want Jorge. He's half blind and music obsessed! He was shipped here by accident. No one wants him. He eats nothing but peanut-butter shrimp and sushi. I'd pay you ten galleons to take him!"
"Done!" Sasporilla said grabbing Mikus by the hand and shaking in official agreement. "It's a deal."
"What?" Mikus said. "No, I..."
"You've made a deal." Sassy said. "We've shaken on it. You have to by wizarding law, stick to it! I'll take my ten galleons and my flamingo please!"
"You really want me?" Jorge asked.
"You can do the job?" Sassy asked
"I can't see very well miss." The flamingo said and hung his head.
"What if we could do something about that?" Sassy smiled.
"Really?" Jorge asked.
"There's a chance." Sasporilla said. "I have an idea."
********************************
It was later in the day when Sasporilla met up with Agnes back at the Seer's guild. The Blind Fortune Teller was sitting on a bench outside waiting for her friend to arrive.
Sassy sat down on the bench next to Agnes and put her bags from the days shopping down beside her.
"Did you get your business done?" Agnes asked.
"Yes I did." Sassy smiled. "You?"
"Yes." Agnes said. "Paid my dues, bought some supplies, and logged my reports on important things I've "seen" that may come to pass."
"Cool." Sasporilla said. "I picked up a few things I needed, especially my new postal bird... Jorge."
"You bought an owl named Jorge?" Agnes said.
"Oh he's not an owl." Sassy smiled. "Would you like to meet him."
"I'd be delighted!" Agnes smiled.
Sasporilla pulled out Jorge's walkman from her bag and placed her wand against it. With a quick cast of "Amplifier!" she pushed the play button and conga music filled the afternoon air.
Jorge’s pink winged body circled down out of the blue afternoon Dingle sky and landed close to Sasporilla and Agnes in the Seers guild square. The new prescription goggles he wore slowed him to see clearly for the first time in his life and the new leather satchels Sasporilla had bought him would allow him to carry just about anything anywhere. Jorge started to Cha-cha joyfully.
"Sasporilla Bucket." Agnes said. "You always make the most unique amazing choices."
Sasporilla Bucket browsed the windows of various shops as she meandered up the main street of the Dingle inter-dimensional market. The Three Sisters potions shop had a most impressive selection of pre-bottled potions, ingredients and supplies. Zyzabell's was the primary maker of quality robes in any world, any where, not to mention it's selection of hats.
It was a used wand shop that caught Sasporilla's attention first. Dents, bents and spents wand repairs and sales. A rather modest looking small basement shop that sat at the bottom of a set of old basement stairs below the Grumfield and Grobb's Magical Games Emporium.
Sassy, ever curious of wand shops, wandered down the rather dirty old brick steps holding on to the rusty iron railing. The old door latch took some effort to move but the door, though heavy, swung open easily enough. The dusty shop was stuffed to the rafters with boxes of wands. Cobwebs made over some areas of stock made it self evident that this was not the most popular wand shop in the Dingle Market.
"What do you want?" The gravelly voice of a small older man snapped.
"Pardon me?" Sasporilla asked.
"Wand business?" The man asked. "Repair, cleaning, selling or buying?"
"Browsing." Sasporilla said.
"Of bloody course." The man snapped murmuring some verbal expletives.
"I'm interested in wands." Sasporilla said looking at some of their unique wand styles. "I really want to be a wand maker."
"Why?" Another even smaller old man asked popping out of the wand stacks.
"Wands are my passion." Sassy said. "They’re my life."
"Bent!" The new man yelled. "Get out here!"
A rather large man wandered out from the back knocking over a few stacks of wands as he went.
"Lummox!" The little man said throwing a block of wood at the large mans head.
"Ouch!" The big man said as the wood block bounced off his thick skull. "What?"
"This kid wants to be a WAND MAKER." The little man laughed making a silly voice. "It's her passion."
All three men started laughing.
"I don't see what's so funny?" Sasporilla asked.
"You're naivete." The first little man grumbled. "I am Spent, that is my brother Bents and the big one is our little cousin Dent. We're the proprietors of this money pit we inherited."
"So you don't love wands?" Sassy asked.
"No." All three me said.
"Then why not sell the shop and get out?" Sasporilla asked.
"Because it's all we know!" Bent insisted.
"Without this we'd have..." Dent started.
"... Only each other." Spent said.
"It seems like business is very slow here." Sasporilla said. "Perhaps if you had a better sign?"
"It wouldn't matter." Spent said.
"Why not?" Sasporilla asked.
"Most people have always bought from Olivander’s and soon they'll all buy from Bu..."
"Spent!!!" Dent yelled. "You can't reveal future information.
"You've stopped me from making an error cousin." Spent said. "Now go back to work you big oaf!"
"You know the future?" Sasporilla asked.
"You from the ministry?" Bent asked.
"No." Sassy insisted.
"Then what's it to you Nosey Noesnstien?" Spent growled. "There are lots of doors in Dingle that will take you to times and places you might not mean to go to. Whether you mean to or not."
"I thought time gates only took people back in time?" Sasporilla asked.
"You just keep believing what you're told." Bent said. "You'll be better off."
"Look," Spent growled, "there are ways. There are always... ways. Now, if you're not buying or getting a wand serviced, get... OUT!"
"I can see the main reason your sales are so poor." Sassy said. "Perhaps if you were nice to your customers they mind actually want to spend money in your shop."
"Perhaps if people who came into our shop were customers, and not bloody browsers, we wouldn't waste our valuable time!!!" Spent yelled. "GOOD DAY!!!"
Bent slammed the door behind Sasporilla hitting her solidly on the behind, as Spent locked it.
"Do you know who that was brother?" Spent asked Bent.
"More importantly do you know who that is going to be?" Bent asked Spent.
"Yes and you both did just fine." Dent said coming from the back. "She is solidly on her path. Seen the good and bad sides of bring a wand maker and the seeds of her future have been solidly planted."
With a wave of a wand Dents appearance shifted into shadow and changed into that of a woman in long black and gold robes. Her face was once young and beautiful but was now showing a touch of age despite the spells she used to bolster her vanity. Her long braided blonde hair was streaked with strands of silver and interwoven with gold wire and leaf. The gold crown upon her head was unmistakable.
"You've done well." The Witch Queen smiled.
"Thank you." The two small men said taking a knee before their queen proudly and too late seeing Dents body lifeless on the floor in the back room. They turned to face her Black Ivory wand.
"Avada-Kedavra!"
Sasporilla Bucket could have looked through the high technology technomancy shop for hours. Any muggle with these devices would seem to have the same abilities of any witch or wizard! No wonder they kept such strict regulations on who went where and who bought what.
The next shop over was Pandora's Pet Parlour. A litter of chocolate brown three headed tea-cup Ceribus puppies romped and played in the window.
Seven bells that hung over the door chimed 'How much is that Doggy in the Window?' as Sassy entered through the door.
"Good afternoon Miss!" The rather cheery plump proprietor greeted. "Welcome to Pandora's Pet Parlour! I am of course the worlds famous Pandora Podagast. No autographs please. Feel free to browse our extensive twelve floor show room of furry and feathered to scaly and armoured pets just waiting to go home with you to day and share with you their boundless love! For the right price of course! So what will it be? Can I interest you in a Toranian Trumpet Toad or perhaps you're in the market for something a little more... off world?"
Pandora pulled a small furry purple puff ball, which reminded Sasporilla something of a pygmy puff but it had no discernable face. The creature sat peacefully in the stout woman’s hands and quietly cooed. Sasporilla petted it softly as it trilled and warbled joyfully.
"It is sweet." Sassy smiled.
"And a steal at only twenty nine galleons." Pandora Podagast insisted with a catbird smile.
"I was actually looking for something more in the way of an owl?" Sassy smiled.
"Postal birds twelfth floor." Pandora Podagast said disappointed, pitting the creature back into her robes secret pocket. "Far side of the shop see Mikus."
At the center of the shop floor was large double circular wood and brass staircase which criss-crossed itself. One staircase went to even numbered floors and the other to the odd number floors. At it's heart sat a tarnished gold bird cage with high ornate bars. A sign hung over its open door way which read "UMBREALLAVATOR". A smaller sign read "RING BELL FOR UMBRELLA."
Sasporilla looked around but saw no bell. She looked up the stair case and thought twelve floors was a long way up.
"Moooo." A small sound caught Sassy's attention. Standing with her tiny head hanging over the little white fence of the "OLD MacDONALD'S FARM" display was Bossy, the miniature cow. Hanging around her neck was little cow bell. With a wave of her wand Sasporilla made the little bell tinkle. A large green umbrella lowered from high above. Sasporilla reached up with and grabbed the umbrella's handle.
Sassy stood in the center of the cage holding the umbrella, going no where. It slowly became obvious that she was being looked at with much amusement by other patrons of Pandora's Pet Parlour.
Sasporilla looked around for further signage or instructions. It wasn't until she heard the Wallace Warblers start to titter that she looked up and saw printed under the umbrella "SAY ALLOWED THE HEIGHT TO WHICH YOU DESIRE TO RISE."
"Of course." Sasporilla said laughing to herself half embarrassed. "FLOOR TWELVE"
The umbrella lifted Sassy weightlessly passed floors of creatures as mundane as puppies and kittens to as exotic as lions and rhinoceros. Floors filled with water containing fish, Grindylows and hippocamps. Floors with Doxys and Nixies, Bowtruckles and Billywigs! Murtlaps, Occamys, Nundus and Erumpents. Blast Ended Scroots, Horntail Dragons and Zouwus! So many creatures Sassy thought, not all of them suitable nor safe as pets! Then who was she to judge? Perhaps the creature not right for her was the perfect pet for someone else.
The umbrella shifted the pink haired witch out of the cage and placed her gently onto the twelfth floor landing. A bell tinkled distantly and the umbrella disappeared leaving her to find her way.
FLOOR 12 AVIARY... The big sign read. The many huge cages filled with every kind of flying bird imaginable would have given any customer a clue to the nature of the floor.
Smaller signs pointed towards specific areas.
SMALL, MEDIUM AND LARGE STANDARD BIRDS RIGHT SECTION 1.
LARGE AND EXTRA LARGE STANDARD BIRDS RIGHT SECTION 2.
SMALL, MEDIUM AND LARGE MAGICAL BIRDS LEFT SECTION 3.
LARGE AND EXTRA LARGE MAGICAL BIRDS LEFT SECTION 4.
SPECIAL ORDERS DESK SECTION 5 STRAIGHT AHEAD.
POSTAL BIRDS SECTION 6 STRAIGHT AHEAD TO THE LEFT OF SPECIAL ORDERS DESK, BACK OF STORE.
Sasporilla couldn't help but smile at the beautiful songs of the birds that twittered and tweeted as she passed. The colourful plumage of small song birds and strutting peacocks were almost hypnotic. A brazen honk of a goose followed by the snap of its beak on Sasporilla’s rear end brought her around.
"Excuse me Madame," Sasporilla said rubbing her rear end, "but that was very rude."
"I don't like witches." The goose said.
"And why not?" Sasporilla asked.
"Because one made me as this more than a century ago!" The goose hissed.
"What?" Sasporilla said pulling her wand and casting, "REVELIIO!"
The goose slowly transformed into a middle aged stout blonde woman who was in dire need of clothing. Sassy looked around for anything.
"Accio Blanket!" Sasporilla cast.
An old blue blanket flew from a chair and across the shop floor. It wrapped itself around the woman covering her modestly.
"Thank you." The woman said. "You are clearly a white witch. One of different caliber to that of she who plagued our village."
"I'm sorry that happened to you." Sasporilla asked. "What year was it when she did this to you?"
"It was the year of our lord seventeen eighty-three." The woman said proudly. "I must return to my village. My family."
"I understand, of course." Sasporilla said knowing what had to be done. "Oh my that is a strange bird?"
The woman turned and Sassy pointed her wand with great regret at the back of the woman's head.
"Obliviate." Sasporilla cast with much regret.
Sasporilla walked the stunned woman to the special orders desk and left her with the clerk who was tending to a special ordered cockatrice.
"Excuse me." Sassy said.
"You here for the Cockatrice?" The clerk asked.
"No." Sasporilla said seating the muggle woman at the desk. "This muggle was transfigured into a goose and you were trying to sell her!"
"Not another one!" The clerk sighed. "Did you Obliviate the muggle?"
"Yes." Sassy said sadly looking into the woman’s blank eyes.
"Good! I'll call the ministry." The clerk said handing her a ten percent off coupon. "Sorry for your inconvenience. Please accept this handy dandy coupon with our apologies and have a nice day."
Sasporilla headed off to the postal birds section. As it seemed to be the area least valued in the shop she expected it to be the smallest with the least selection but this was not the case.
There were not just row after row of every type of owl available but other types of birds trained for postal delivery as well. Pigeons, doves, storks, pelicans all sorts of birds Sasporilla had never seen used but in many ways made sense to her to be used.
It was either the subtle tapping of the footsteps or the muted horns and thumping of the conga beat that caught Sassy's attention as she rounded the aisles corner.
Jorge was like no other bird Sasporilla had ever seen. He was a rather small flamingo, as flamingos went, but bright pink with close crossed eyes. His feet danced and hips swayed as he listened to Latin music blaring from an old muggle walkman sitting loosely on his feathery head. His wings flapped and swayed as he turned and shuffled dancing his versions of the salsa and the rumba. Other birds around him looked on embarrassed.
"Come on chake your body baby do da conga." Jorge sang as he shook his tail feathers.
"Can I help you." A very mono toned voice droned from behind Sasporilla startling her. She turned to see a small thin man with feathery black hair and sharp bird like features. "Are you looking for a postal bird?"
"Yes." Sasporilla smiled. "I am in the market for an owl. I take it you're Mr.Mikus?";
"Just Mikus." The man said. "It's my first name. I am a postal bird specialist. I can match you with the right bird for your specific postal needs."
Sasporilla looked back at the funny flamingo who continued to dance like no one was watching, The name on his tag read JORGE.
“George.” Sasporilla miss pronounced.
"No miss.” Mikus droned. “It’s pronounce HOR-HAY. It’s a Latin name you see.”
"Meringue!" The Jorge yelled dancing and laughing as he bumped into some of the cages and purchase.
Jorge!" Mikus' cries falling on headphone deafened ears. With a quick lift of one foam side Jorge froze. "Jorge please stop while we have a customer!"
"Sorry boss." Jorge said fumbling to find the off button on his walkman with his wing and stepped back behind the purchase to his nest.
"So what are your needs?" Mikus asked.
"Tell me about that flamingo." Sasporilla said.
"Jorge?" Mikus asked amazed. "No you don't want Jorge. He's half blind and music obsessed! He was shipped here by accident. No one wants him. He eats nothing but peanut-butter shrimp and sushi. I'd pay you ten galleons to take him!"
"Done!" Sasporilla said grabbing Mikus by the hand and shaking in official agreement. "It's a deal."
"What?" Mikus said. "No, I..."
"You've made a deal." Sassy said. "We've shaken on it. You have to by wizarding law, stick to it! I'll take my ten galleons and my flamingo please!"
"You really want me?" Jorge asked.
"You can do the job?" Sassy asked
"I can't see very well miss." The flamingo said and hung his head.
"What if we could do something about that?" Sassy smiled.
"Really?" Jorge asked.
"There's a chance." Sasporilla said. "I have an idea."
********************************
It was later in the day when Sasporilla met up with Agnes back at the Seer's guild. The Blind Fortune Teller was sitting on a bench outside waiting for her friend to arrive.
Sassy sat down on the bench next to Agnes and put her bags from the days shopping down beside her.
"Did you get your business done?" Agnes asked.
"Yes I did." Sassy smiled. "You?"
"Yes." Agnes said. "Paid my dues, bought some supplies, and logged my reports on important things I've "seen" that may come to pass."
"Cool." Sasporilla said. "I picked up a few things I needed, especially my new postal bird... Jorge."
"You bought an owl named Jorge?" Agnes said.
"Oh he's not an owl." Sassy smiled. "Would you like to meet him."
"I'd be delighted!" Agnes smiled.
Sasporilla pulled out Jorge's walkman from her bag and placed her wand against it. With a quick cast of "Amplifier!" she pushed the play button and conga music filled the afternoon air.
Jorge’s pink winged body circled down out of the blue afternoon Dingle sky and landed close to Sasporilla and Agnes in the Seers guild square. The new prescription goggles he wore slowed him to see clearly for the first time in his life and the new leather satchels Sasporilla had bought him would allow him to carry just about anything anywhere. Jorge started to Cha-cha joyfully.
"Sasporilla Bucket." Agnes said. "You always make the most unique amazing choices."
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/ )