CARNIVAL du MYSTIQUE
A Harry Potter UNIVERSE/ Sasporilla Bucket Fan Fiction
by Darren Kelly
Chapter 16
*The character of Nancy Nightingale was created by Daisy Durr- used with permission.
Mr.Beauxchamps quietly pulled the distraught mother and her surviving child back to the Carnivals office caravan for a cup of tea. The skinny ride operator of the Devils Fork stood to one side nervously chewing his dirty nails. Another missing rider! This was not something he needed.
Ms.Copelinzki rolled in a slightly tarnished tea service cart with the good china, a fresh pot of tea and a nice plate faery cakes and biscuit’s.
"There we are." Mr.Beauxchamps said. "A nice cup of tea while we sort all of this out."
"Tea?" The mother asked. "Tea? My child is in danger!"
"No, no, no! My dear I assure you, your child is fine." Mr.Beauxchamps tried to reassure her. "I'm sure the child is perfectly safe, and the monster your other child saw was just one of the special effects."
Sasporilla was shown inside by Merlauxn, Nancy Nightingale reluctantly in tow.
"Uncle." Merlauxn said. "The Bucket girl and the Mirror woman have arrived."
"Thank you Merlauxn." Mr.Beauxchamps said. "Thank you for coming at my request Ms.Nightingale."
"Ms.Bucket said it was a matter of some urgency?" Nancy Nightingale asked.
"Yes. One moment." Old Beauxchamps said looking at the distraught mother who was now fast asleep. Her child sleeping comfortably in her arms. "Wonderful job as always Ms.Copelinzki!"
"Sleeping draught in the faery cakes always works." Ms.Copelinzki said wheeling out the tea service.
"Yes Ms.Nightingale am I to understand you are a magizoologist?" Mr.Beauxchamps asked.
"I am a professor of care of magical creatures at Hogwarts school of witchcraft and wizardry." Nancy said proudly. "As well as a fully trained and magizoologist with a class "B" ministry license awaiting my class "A" which they claim is in the owl post!"
"Wonderful." Mr.Beauxchamps smiled. "You see, we have a small SPIDER problem."
"A spider?" Sasporilla gasped.
"Ms.Bucket informed a child was missing inside the Devil's Fork." Nancy Nightingale said seriously. "You suspect an Acromantula?"
"Not exactly." Mr.Beauxchamps said handing the Raven-haired, rubenesque magizoologist the torn backpack.
Nancy investigated the tears in the fabric. Nancy pulled a tape measure from her bag to check the bite radius versus what she knew of the Acromantula standard mandible
"Odd." Nancy said pulling a small vial from her bag and slipping a strand of the torn nap sack fabric inside. "ZEIGEMIR!" Nancy cast. Wisps of gray with subtle brown and green intertwined spun forth until they filled the tube. "Outrageous!"
"What have you discovered Nancy?" Sasporilla asked. "What kind of Giant spider is it?"
"Linyphidae" Nancy scoffed. "A common money spider that someone has placed a growth spell on. Very irresponsible! The spider is not poisonous but should be returned to it's original size."
"In there lay the rub don't it?" The Ride operator snorted.
"What do you mean?" Sasporilla asked.
"The Devil's fork, Ms.Bucket," Mr.Beauxchamps began, "is actually a very finely built scale model inside the cabinet. You see, one must pass through a miniaturization spell to ride the ride and then is returned to normal size at the end."
"Here!" The ride operator protested. "Them's my trade secrets!"
"Shut up!" Mr.Beauxchamps said tersely. "I grow tired of your whining! I don't see you first in line to volunteer to help this child?"
"So how did the spider get in?" Sasporilla asked. "I mean, wouldn't it have been shrunk down?"
"Not if the ride cabinet is in poor repair." Nancy said looking at the operator with callous judgment. "It could slip in through a hole or a crack anywhere! Very careless!"
"Well we're so glad that we have an expert such as yourself to head up this rescue team!" Mr.Beauxchamps smiled at Nancy Nightingale.
"Do you really think I can be so easily manipulated or charmed into doing what you ask old man?" Nancy smirked with amusement raising one eyebrow.
"One could only have hoped." Mr.Beauxchamps sighed.
"Buy a can of muggle bug spray and spritz it in the hole." Nancy chuckled. "Your pest problem is solved."
"It could kill the child too." Beauxchamps said.
"Possibly." Nancy sighed in agreement.
Sasporilla checked her wand and double her checked her bag to make sure she had everything she would need for the hunt ahead.
"What do you think you're doin'?" The ride operator asked.
"Frankly I don't think that spider will wait while you popinjay’s argue! For goodness sake a child’s life is in danger and none of you are being of any help!" Sasporilla hissed. "I'm going in to the Devil's Fork to get her out! Are anyone coming with me?"
"I didn't say I wouldn't help. I simply will not be forced to, nor coerced, charmed or fooled into anything." Nancy Nightingale said turning to Scrutinize the young witch like she hadn't before. Nancy's pursed lips and squinted eyes soon smiled as she realized she liked the brash bravery driven not by ego but by deep caring and kindness. Something very rare indeed. "In fact I insist on helping! You may fail without my knowledge of arachnids. Even those most common."
"Wonderful!" Mr.Beauxchamps said. "Now the we just need one more volunteer for the rescue party???"
Everyone looked at the thin dirty ride operator who smiled nervously through his baked bean teeth. "Don't look at me!"
"I'll go." Merlauxn Beauxchamps said.
"What?" Mr.Beauxchamps asked. "Are you sure?"
"I'm the only other person who knows the inside of the Devil's Fork and how to drive the four-seater. I'll volunteer." Merlauxn insisted.
The four-seater was a unique cart on the track of the Devil's Fork track. As well as having four seats it had both a break and a booster. It's purpose was suppose to be for regular inspection and maintance but the dust on it suggested it was rarely used for anything less than what it was being rolled out for today, rescue.
"The boy said the spider grabbed her near the big bump." Mr.Beauxchamps said.
"That'll be the fork." The ride operator said. "That's the flat at the bottom of the cabinet. That's where the track uses the enchanted switch ta change tracks based on the rider."
"Then that is where we start our hunt." Nancy said climbing aboard followed by Sasporilla. "Driver, if you please."
Merlauxn climbed into the back of the cart, the drivers seat, just behind Sasporilla.
"Welcome Ladies and Gentlemen to the wildest roller coaster anywhere in the wizarding world!" The ride operator said turning and pointing to the Devil's fork sign.
"SHUT IT!" The three of them said in unison as the cart began rolling forward into the dark interior of the ride.
"Beauxchamps Entertainment Unlimited takes no responsibility for lost or damaged items, limbs, life or riders as one in seven hundred twenty eight brave souls are never seen again." The ride operator cringed as Mr.Beauchamps wand sparked off the side of his head.
"Idiot!" Mr.Beauxchamps growled.
Sasporilla was much more aware of the shrinking spell as she passed through it this time mistaking it for that small quick drop in the dark that made you close your eyes and cringe with anticipation of the big hills to come. The ride down was quite controlled and pleasant. It didn't have that same out of control feel as the wild roller coaster ride she had taken before. For his many faults, Merlauxn Beauxchamps was quite skilled at driving the four wheeled cart.
"Here we are." Merlauxn said bringing the cart to a stop before on the great flats by the lava lake.
"Is it safe to stop here?" Sassy asked.
"No safer, nor more dangerous than anywhere else." Nancy said. "As far as the spider is concerned."
"What about the lava?" Sasporilla asked. "It tends to go off in geysers!"
Just then a series of geysers erupted from the lake. A spray of lava struck Merlauxn who screamed in agony until he simply couldn't take it any more and started to laugh.
"It's all illusion of course." Merlauxn laughed waving his wand and dispelling the illusion of the floor leaving nothing but deep rutted rock covered surface. "Welcome to the dusty floor of an old wooden cabinet."
Sasporilla picked up a rock and realized for the first time it was indeed a grain of dust, from a different perspective.
"If this is the place the spider attacked then we should find some sort of clue." Nancy said.
"Like blood or bones?" Merlauxn asked.
"No." Nancy said looking. "The spider will not kill the child. Right away. It took the child, but it wants to age it, like a steak, or fine wine, before eating it."
"Her." Sasporilla insisted. "We are talking of a human being, not an it!"
"No offence meant Ms.Bucket." Nancy said. "But you would do the child a better service helping us look for clues than showing outrage on her behalf."
"Yes." Sasporilla huffed. "I suppose you're right."
Sasporilla found the first clue, a scrap of torn knapsack about two hundred meters from the track. This lead Nancy to what she needed, tracks!
Nancy Nightingale took detailed measurements of the size of the tracks and the distance between legs and strides. A quick check against her slide ruler confirmed what she had feared.
"We are roughly one millimeter tall." Nancy said matter-of-factly. "The spider is not small as I'd hoped. It is almost five millimeters long in the body. With a ten millimeter radius leg span. This means we are looking for a cupboard spider, and they like nooks, crannies and hidey holes."
"Great." Merlauxn said. "So we have a big spider that's probably above us in the corners?"
"Doubtful." Sasporilla said. "Those tracks lead off to those mountains over their. How much you want bet there are caves in those mountains?"
"Good deduction." Nancy smiled. "Those MOUNTAINS though, are not actually mountains. They are, if I am correct, wood splinters, shavings and rough edging from a cheap patch job from an earlier hole. Probably near where the spider came in, in the first place."
"There's no way we can take the cart there with out a track." Merlauxn said.
"Impractical anyway." Nancy said. "The cart on a track would hinder our freedom of ability to follow the spiders tracks back to its layer."
"So we're walking." Sasporilla sighed.
"Hiking!" Nancy smiled casting VALDAREE changing her wand into a walking stick as the three of them set off across the dusty plains.
The walk was long and seemed to take hours though Sasporilla knew they were only traveling a few meters at the very farthest. The mountains were spikey and sharp splintered wood. The rush of warm summer air blew in from around the back of the mountain side.
"The hole to the outside is behind there." Nancy pointed.
Sasporilla pulled her wand and headed carefully around the side, Merlauxn Beauxchamps close behind her. Keeping one eye on the nooks and crannies of the rocks above them they found the hole where the spider came in. It was likely only the size of a knut but it seemed big enough for a giant riding a dragon to fly through.
"CABINET REPAIRO!" Sasporilla cast but with little effect. Sasporilla looked at her wand curiously. "CABINET REPAIRO!"
"The miniaturization spell has had a negative effect on the wands." Merlauxn said. "I was afraid of that."
"We're in for a tough time without our wands." Sassy said.
"Don't be scared." Merlauxn smiled with that uncomfortable Cheshire grin. "I'll protect you."
By the time they returned to Nancy Nightingale, the raven-haired witch had set up her telcaspotater, a large telescope which twisted to weird rounded curves as it extended and climbed the mountain side.
"We've found the hole that was most likely the point of entry." Sasporilla said.
"Very good." Nancy said. "If you could repair it with a repairo spell I'd be amazed. Our minimization would have had an effect on our wands. At least on certain kinds of spells. I should have anticipated this. Oh well to late now. All spells cast as Maxima to get any result at all."
"Good advice." Merlauxn said. "Of course you wouldn't have had to if you'd protected your wands with a simple "PRAESIDIA" spell.
Sasporilla nudged Nancy, who took her eye off the telcaspotater, and saw Merlauxn Beauxchamps standing twenty feet away pointing his wand at them menacingly.
"What is the meaning of this?" Nancy Nightingale demanded. "We've no time for games! We have a child to find!"
"I couldn't care less about the brat." Merlauxn said. "All I know is you keep getting in the way. Putting your nose where it doesn't belong!"
"Me?" Nancy asked surprised.
"Not you," Merlauxn rolled his eyes looking to Sasporilla, "Her!"
Sasporilla stood wand at the ready.
"What you gonna do with that silly girl?" the over confident young man belly laugh. "Avada Ked..."
Sasporilla snapped her fingers and blasted Merlauxn back through the air knocking his head hard into the wood mountain, and falling to the floor unconscious.
"Taking a cocky jerk by surprise." Sassy huffed with relief.
"Nicely done Ms.Bucket." Nancy laughed amused. "A bit of elven magic. That is something they couldn't minimize in you."
"You'd be surprised Nancy." Sassy said rubbing the scar on her arm. "Help me tie him up."
The telcaspotater found spiders cave far up the mountain side. To far up the steep wooden cliff for either Sasporilla or Nancy to climb. Sasporilla wished she'd brought her broom. The Triumphant twelve hundred X would make short work of getting her up there.
"Any Ideas on how to get us up there?" Sassy asked.
"My dear what exactly did you bring in that rescue bag of yours?" Nancy asked.
"First aid kit, chocolate bars, ball of string, chalk, a knife. Things, incase we need them." Sasporilla said.
"Yes." Nancy smiled. "All of which are good in certain situations. When rescuing a damsel from a minatour in a maze or a diabetic hiker on a muggle hiking path."
"I was really counting more on my wand." Sasporilla said.
"That is the problem with Hogwarts." Nancy shook her head as she dug into her bag rummaging for two small vials of orange liquid. "My Severus used to say Hogwarts taught the children to be to reliant on their wands and not reliant enough on their other skills! Here."
Nancy shoved a bottle of orange liquid into Sassy’s hand. "What's this?"
"FLUITO potion." Nancy Nightingale said. "The distilled essence of dirigible plums that will get us, hopefully, all the way up to that cave. Shake the vial, pull the cork, and drink it fast. The effects are sudden and don't last long."
"Bottoms up!" Sasporilla said as both women shook the vials, pulled the corks and drank down the rather sweet viscous liquid. The potions effects made Sasporilla a little giddy and light headed, but she wasn't expecting it to turn her skin bright orange. The two women grabbed onto each other as they floated up the mountain side. Accelerating quicker and quicker as they ascended. Nancy pointed to the cave as they approached. There was no mistaking the web covered surfaces near the entrance.
The women showed no sign of slowing as they started to pass by the caves mouth. Sasporilla drew her wand and cast "FLAGELLO MAXIMA". Her wand turned into a whip and lashed out catching hold of a shard of wood near the entrance. Sasporilla and Nancy pulled each other onto the cliff side by the cave opening as the orange colour drained from their skin, they settled to the wood beneath their feet as the potion wore off.
"I don't feel we have much time." Nancy Nightingale said digging out another small vial from her bag. "If my theory is correct that spider didn't come into the safety of this cabinet to feed but to lay its eggs."
"You think there may be more of them?" Sasporilla asked frightened by the thought of hundreds of giant baby spiders.
"Not yet." Nancy said. "and that is a very good thing. That is why I believe the girl is alive."
"Why?" Sasporilla asked.
"The spider didn't intend to eat the girl." The Magizoologist said. "Arachnids intent is to save it for her young, as sustenance for after they have eaten her."
"Eaten her?" Sasporilla gasped.
"Yes." Nancy said. "The mother spider offers herself up as the first food source for her newly hatched young."
"That's horrific!" Sasporilla shouted alerting the spider to their presence.
"Indeed." Nancy said drinking down the vial of CHAMELIUM VANISHESSIUM. A camouflage potion that worked not unlike that of the Chameleon and the cuttlefish.
"What?" Sasporilla gasped. "What are you doing.?"
"Hoping that your reputation to speak with natural beasts included insects." Nancy said. "So you might distract the creature while I retrieve the girl."
The rocks began to shudder and roll as the long spiked legs of the spider stepped out of the cave onto the ledge.
"Who is there?" The spider hissed.
"I am there." Sasporilla Bucket said. "Here, I mean, I'm here."
"And who are you." The spider asked pulling itself fully into the light of day. The shear size of the monster was terrifying to the pink haired witch.
"I'm just a tiny witch." Sasporilla stammered, "come to look for the child you took."
"More food for my children." The spider said. "Thank you for coming to me, rather than me having to hunt you down."
"Before you decide to take me for food." Sasporilla said, "please just hear me out..."
Nancy Nightingale scanned the inside of the web filled cave for any signs of the girl. Everywhere she moved were clusters of egg pods supported in gossamer bags high above. Nancy was extra careful not to get stuck on a web. The slightest trip or pull would alert the spider to her presence in the cave. Something in the web moved. A sack shaped like a hammock wiggled above.
"Banko!" Nancy smiled. "There you are! I will have to make this very quick and precise."
Nancy dug out a small knife, a length of rope and three different vials of potions from her bag. She just hoped that Sasporilla could hold the attention of the spider long enough.
"...and that is why we need to bring that little girl back to the mother who loves her." Sasporilla said.
"Perhaps you could bring her mother and brother here for my babies to feast upon." The spider hissed. "Well, I doubt you would. If I allow you to leave with the promise to bring back the mother you would likely never return."
"If I asked you to take your eggs and leave here," Sasporilla asked, "Would you? Peacefully?"
"No." The spider answered honestly.
"I can't allow you or your babies to present a threat to my kind." Sasporilla said. "But I don't want to harm you, or your children."
"Then we are finished talking tiny witch." The spider said as it leaped forward.
Sasporilla cast a petrifaction spell but it had no effect. The spider grabbed Sasporilla in its mandibles and held her with its front two legs.
"You talk well little witch." The spider hissed. "But did you think you could distract me while the other one stole my babies food?"
The spider slammed her back leg down, pinning Nancy against the cave entrance, the girl slung over her shoulder.
"Let us go!" Sasporilla demanded struggling.
"Or what?" The spider asked. "In nature, tiny witch, there are only predators and prey."
The air began to swirl around the cliff. The spider sensed something changed around her.
"There is much more to nature than predator and prey. There is wind!" Sasporilla said blowing the spiders leg free of Nancy Nightingale. Nancy tossed a vial to the ground which cracked open and a mist flew into the air forming a barrier over her and the child. Sasporilla let go of the spiders front legs and opened her hands to reveal natures flame. "There is also FIRE!"
The spider fought. Tried to bite the tiny witches head off with its powerful mandibles, but the pink haired creature floated in the air in a storm cloud, like a micro thunderstorm pushing the arachnid back with gale force winds.
"You may rescue the child," the spider laughed, "but my children will feed on your kind for generations."
"NO!" Sasporilla screamed blasting the spider, the cave, the eggs and the back side of the cabinet into firey splinters.
Nancy Nightingale dispelled the barrier and carried the child, slung over her shoulder in the spider silk cocoon, over to Sasporilla who floated upon the air her eyes glowing with flame.
"Ok Mutter Natur," Nancy said, "time to calm down and get this child to safety."
"I didn't want to harm the spider or it's children." Sasporilla said the fire beginning to with draw within her.
"It was never my intent to harm it either." Nancy said. "I wish there had been a way to capture it and move it and its eggs out. Peacefully."
"I could have." Sasporilla said. "I should have. The spider made me very angry. When it threatened to continue the killing for generations, I lost my temper."
"You chose a side." Nancy said. "Like you did in the battle of Hogwarts. You did what you felt had to be done. Do what has to be done now, harness some of that immense power and get us down."
Sasporilla and Nancy road the winds down the cliff side lime leaves on the wind. They touched down softly to the rocky floor. Merlauxn Beauxchamps sat up, still bound and very confused.
"Please help me." Merlauxn pleaded. "I'm not sure where I am or how I got here, but my name is Merlauxn Beauxchamps. I was on my way to join my uncles carnival and someone must have jumped me."
"What?" Sasporilla asked. "You joined the carnival months ago. You don't remember any of it?"
Merlauxn searched his thoughts. "No."
"So you don't remember trying to kill us?" Nancy asked.
"I what?" Merlauxn ask shocked. "I could never? Would never!"
"Convenient." Sassy said with reserving doubt as she pulled the small knife from her bag.
"What are you going to do with that?" Merlauxn asked. "Please don't hurt me!"
Sasporilla cut the bindings on the young mans feet, leaving his hands bound behind his back.
"The cart is that way. Start walking." Sassy said to Merlauxn as she turned to Nancy. "How is the girl?"
"She's fine." Nancy said. "I gave her a healing potion that will make her good as new by the time we get back. My Severus taught me to brew potions for any event."
"Yes." Sassy smiled. "I remember his class. There will be no foolish wand waving in my class!"
"I can teach you how to bewitch the mind and ensnare the senses." Nancy smiled doing her best Severus impression. "I can tell you how to bottle fame, brew glory!"
"Even put a stopper in..." Sasporilla cut herself off. "We should get going."
The walk back was very revealing about the true nature of Merlauxn Beauxchamps. He did not seem like the same over confident jerk he had been all summer. He seemed younger, less worldly, more innocent, just different. The cart was where they had left it, on the track at the junction. Nancy cut the girl from the spiders web and sat her in the seat next to her. Sasporilla sat Merlauxn in the far back seat next to her.
"I don't suppose you recall how this contraption works?" Sassy asked him.
"No." Merlauxn said. "Did I know how before?"
"It's a good thing I paid attention." Sasporilla said. "I have some idea how it works. I do recommend everyone strap in though."
Sassy new the thrust and knew the break. She was unsure at what some of these other things did. As it was the track at the fork was not shifting tracks. There were four levers on the control panel of the cart. Sasporilla took the chance and pulled back one. The right fork shifted over.
"Got it." Sassy smiled resetting the lever and pulling the left lever.
Sure enough the left fork track shifted over. That left two levers. One should smoothly connect the center track. Sasporilla knew she should go with her first instinct, so she pulled back the lever on the right.
The ground began to shake and rumble. Rumble. Rumble. Rumble. Rumble. The sound started to get louder. A thunderous boom. BOOM! BOOM! BOOM! Then they saw it. The lava giant roared, reached down and grabbed the cart and lifted it high into the air.
"What did you do?" Nancy yelled.
"I pulled a lever!" Sasporilla said pulling her wand and dropping it in the shaking cart.
The behemoth carried them quickly across the landscape and placed them onto the upper track, giving them a brisk shove up and out. The riders closed their eyes as they hit the wall of black. When they opened them they were safely outside the ride.
The girls mother ran to the side of the cart and scooped her daughter into her arms.
"Mommy!" The girl cried.
"I told you." Mr.Beauxchamps said. "All would is fine."
"I think you will find a cricket ball sized hole in the back of your cabinet." Nancy Nightingale said grabbing her bag and heading back to the house of mirrors.
"Mr.Beauxchamps." Sasporilla said handing over Merlauxn still tied up to his uncle. "You have a problem with your nephew. He tried to kill us in there, but claims now that he remembers nothing."
."What?" Mr.Beauxchamps asked shocked and dismayed. "I shall summon the aurors and I promise we WILL get to the bottom of this. Something very crooked is going on around here."
Sasporilla returned to her caravan tired, battered and bruised. It had been a hard long day that became an even harder and longer night. The sun was just starting to break on the golden horizon. Sasporilla stopped to watch the colours through the fog of her own exhaustion. It was a beautiful image in this last morning of the festival.
"I really must get going." A mans voice said quietly from just inside the front of Agneses tent.
"I'll miss you." Agnes said.
"We'll see each other again soon." The familiar male voice said.
Sasporilla, now curious stood on her front stepped to see who it was. There was a sound of a very passionate kiss and Agnes stepped out into the morning air in her silk robe. She knew Sasporilla was standing there and smiled.
"All clear." Agnes said quietly.
"Good." Myron Wagtail said tip toeing out. "Don't want to have to explain to..."
"Sasporilla why you're sleeping with a girl much younger than you?" Sassy laughed with mock judgment, "or why your sleeping with one of my friends?"
"I thought you said it was all clear???" Myron asked.
"Really?" Agnes laughed. "You would trust a blind lookout?"
"Sasporilla let me explain." Myron said.
Sassy walked over to her friend and gave him a big hug.
"Myron you don't owe me an explanation." Sasporilla said. "You are wonderful, Agnes is wonderful. You have my blessing. I'm dead tired. I love you both. Good night!"
*The character of Nancy Nightingale was created by Daisy Durr- used with permission.
Mr.Beauxchamps quietly pulled the distraught mother and her surviving child back to the Carnivals office caravan for a cup of tea. The skinny ride operator of the Devils Fork stood to one side nervously chewing his dirty nails. Another missing rider! This was not something he needed.
Ms.Copelinzki rolled in a slightly tarnished tea service cart with the good china, a fresh pot of tea and a nice plate faery cakes and biscuit’s.
"There we are." Mr.Beauxchamps said. "A nice cup of tea while we sort all of this out."
"Tea?" The mother asked. "Tea? My child is in danger!"
"No, no, no! My dear I assure you, your child is fine." Mr.Beauxchamps tried to reassure her. "I'm sure the child is perfectly safe, and the monster your other child saw was just one of the special effects."
Sasporilla was shown inside by Merlauxn, Nancy Nightingale reluctantly in tow.
"Uncle." Merlauxn said. "The Bucket girl and the Mirror woman have arrived."
"Thank you Merlauxn." Mr.Beauxchamps said. "Thank you for coming at my request Ms.Nightingale."
"Ms.Bucket said it was a matter of some urgency?" Nancy Nightingale asked.
"Yes. One moment." Old Beauxchamps said looking at the distraught mother who was now fast asleep. Her child sleeping comfortably in her arms. "Wonderful job as always Ms.Copelinzki!"
"Sleeping draught in the faery cakes always works." Ms.Copelinzki said wheeling out the tea service.
"Yes Ms.Nightingale am I to understand you are a magizoologist?" Mr.Beauxchamps asked.
"I am a professor of care of magical creatures at Hogwarts school of witchcraft and wizardry." Nancy said proudly. "As well as a fully trained and magizoologist with a class "B" ministry license awaiting my class "A" which they claim is in the owl post!"
"Wonderful." Mr.Beauxchamps smiled. "You see, we have a small SPIDER problem."
"A spider?" Sasporilla gasped.
"Ms.Bucket informed a child was missing inside the Devil's Fork." Nancy Nightingale said seriously. "You suspect an Acromantula?"
"Not exactly." Mr.Beauxchamps said handing the Raven-haired, rubenesque magizoologist the torn backpack.
Nancy investigated the tears in the fabric. Nancy pulled a tape measure from her bag to check the bite radius versus what she knew of the Acromantula standard mandible
"Odd." Nancy said pulling a small vial from her bag and slipping a strand of the torn nap sack fabric inside. "ZEIGEMIR!" Nancy cast. Wisps of gray with subtle brown and green intertwined spun forth until they filled the tube. "Outrageous!"
"What have you discovered Nancy?" Sasporilla asked. "What kind of Giant spider is it?"
"Linyphidae" Nancy scoffed. "A common money spider that someone has placed a growth spell on. Very irresponsible! The spider is not poisonous but should be returned to it's original size."
"In there lay the rub don't it?" The Ride operator snorted.
"What do you mean?" Sasporilla asked.
"The Devil's fork, Ms.Bucket," Mr.Beauxchamps began, "is actually a very finely built scale model inside the cabinet. You see, one must pass through a miniaturization spell to ride the ride and then is returned to normal size at the end."
"Here!" The ride operator protested. "Them's my trade secrets!"
"Shut up!" Mr.Beauxchamps said tersely. "I grow tired of your whining! I don't see you first in line to volunteer to help this child?"
"So how did the spider get in?" Sasporilla asked. "I mean, wouldn't it have been shrunk down?"
"Not if the ride cabinet is in poor repair." Nancy said looking at the operator with callous judgment. "It could slip in through a hole or a crack anywhere! Very careless!"
"Well we're so glad that we have an expert such as yourself to head up this rescue team!" Mr.Beauxchamps smiled at Nancy Nightingale.
"Do you really think I can be so easily manipulated or charmed into doing what you ask old man?" Nancy smirked with amusement raising one eyebrow.
"One could only have hoped." Mr.Beauxchamps sighed.
"Buy a can of muggle bug spray and spritz it in the hole." Nancy chuckled. "Your pest problem is solved."
"It could kill the child too." Beauxchamps said.
"Possibly." Nancy sighed in agreement.
Sasporilla checked her wand and double her checked her bag to make sure she had everything she would need for the hunt ahead.
"What do you think you're doin'?" The ride operator asked.
"Frankly I don't think that spider will wait while you popinjay’s argue! For goodness sake a child’s life is in danger and none of you are being of any help!" Sasporilla hissed. "I'm going in to the Devil's Fork to get her out! Are anyone coming with me?"
"I didn't say I wouldn't help. I simply will not be forced to, nor coerced, charmed or fooled into anything." Nancy Nightingale said turning to Scrutinize the young witch like she hadn't before. Nancy's pursed lips and squinted eyes soon smiled as she realized she liked the brash bravery driven not by ego but by deep caring and kindness. Something very rare indeed. "In fact I insist on helping! You may fail without my knowledge of arachnids. Even those most common."
"Wonderful!" Mr.Beauxchamps said. "Now the we just need one more volunteer for the rescue party???"
Everyone looked at the thin dirty ride operator who smiled nervously through his baked bean teeth. "Don't look at me!"
"I'll go." Merlauxn Beauxchamps said.
"What?" Mr.Beauxchamps asked. "Are you sure?"
"I'm the only other person who knows the inside of the Devil's Fork and how to drive the four-seater. I'll volunteer." Merlauxn insisted.
The four-seater was a unique cart on the track of the Devil's Fork track. As well as having four seats it had both a break and a booster. It's purpose was suppose to be for regular inspection and maintance but the dust on it suggested it was rarely used for anything less than what it was being rolled out for today, rescue.
"The boy said the spider grabbed her near the big bump." Mr.Beauxchamps said.
"That'll be the fork." The ride operator said. "That's the flat at the bottom of the cabinet. That's where the track uses the enchanted switch ta change tracks based on the rider."
"Then that is where we start our hunt." Nancy said climbing aboard followed by Sasporilla. "Driver, if you please."
Merlauxn climbed into the back of the cart, the drivers seat, just behind Sasporilla.
"Welcome Ladies and Gentlemen to the wildest roller coaster anywhere in the wizarding world!" The ride operator said turning and pointing to the Devil's fork sign.
"SHUT IT!" The three of them said in unison as the cart began rolling forward into the dark interior of the ride.
"Beauxchamps Entertainment Unlimited takes no responsibility for lost or damaged items, limbs, life or riders as one in seven hundred twenty eight brave souls are never seen again." The ride operator cringed as Mr.Beauchamps wand sparked off the side of his head.
"Idiot!" Mr.Beauxchamps growled.
Sasporilla was much more aware of the shrinking spell as she passed through it this time mistaking it for that small quick drop in the dark that made you close your eyes and cringe with anticipation of the big hills to come. The ride down was quite controlled and pleasant. It didn't have that same out of control feel as the wild roller coaster ride she had taken before. For his many faults, Merlauxn Beauxchamps was quite skilled at driving the four wheeled cart.
"Here we are." Merlauxn said bringing the cart to a stop before on the great flats by the lava lake.
"Is it safe to stop here?" Sassy asked.
"No safer, nor more dangerous than anywhere else." Nancy said. "As far as the spider is concerned."
"What about the lava?" Sasporilla asked. "It tends to go off in geysers!"
Just then a series of geysers erupted from the lake. A spray of lava struck Merlauxn who screamed in agony until he simply couldn't take it any more and started to laugh.
"It's all illusion of course." Merlauxn laughed waving his wand and dispelling the illusion of the floor leaving nothing but deep rutted rock covered surface. "Welcome to the dusty floor of an old wooden cabinet."
Sasporilla picked up a rock and realized for the first time it was indeed a grain of dust, from a different perspective.
"If this is the place the spider attacked then we should find some sort of clue." Nancy said.
"Like blood or bones?" Merlauxn asked.
"No." Nancy said looking. "The spider will not kill the child. Right away. It took the child, but it wants to age it, like a steak, or fine wine, before eating it."
"Her." Sasporilla insisted. "We are talking of a human being, not an it!"
"No offence meant Ms.Bucket." Nancy said. "But you would do the child a better service helping us look for clues than showing outrage on her behalf."
"Yes." Sasporilla huffed. "I suppose you're right."
Sasporilla found the first clue, a scrap of torn knapsack about two hundred meters from the track. This lead Nancy to what she needed, tracks!
Nancy Nightingale took detailed measurements of the size of the tracks and the distance between legs and strides. A quick check against her slide ruler confirmed what she had feared.
"We are roughly one millimeter tall." Nancy said matter-of-factly. "The spider is not small as I'd hoped. It is almost five millimeters long in the body. With a ten millimeter radius leg span. This means we are looking for a cupboard spider, and they like nooks, crannies and hidey holes."
"Great." Merlauxn said. "So we have a big spider that's probably above us in the corners?"
"Doubtful." Sasporilla said. "Those tracks lead off to those mountains over their. How much you want bet there are caves in those mountains?"
"Good deduction." Nancy smiled. "Those MOUNTAINS though, are not actually mountains. They are, if I am correct, wood splinters, shavings and rough edging from a cheap patch job from an earlier hole. Probably near where the spider came in, in the first place."
"There's no way we can take the cart there with out a track." Merlauxn said.
"Impractical anyway." Nancy said. "The cart on a track would hinder our freedom of ability to follow the spiders tracks back to its layer."
"So we're walking." Sasporilla sighed.
"Hiking!" Nancy smiled casting VALDAREE changing her wand into a walking stick as the three of them set off across the dusty plains.
The walk was long and seemed to take hours though Sasporilla knew they were only traveling a few meters at the very farthest. The mountains were spikey and sharp splintered wood. The rush of warm summer air blew in from around the back of the mountain side.
"The hole to the outside is behind there." Nancy pointed.
Sasporilla pulled her wand and headed carefully around the side, Merlauxn Beauxchamps close behind her. Keeping one eye on the nooks and crannies of the rocks above them they found the hole where the spider came in. It was likely only the size of a knut but it seemed big enough for a giant riding a dragon to fly through.
"CABINET REPAIRO!" Sasporilla cast but with little effect. Sasporilla looked at her wand curiously. "CABINET REPAIRO!"
"The miniaturization spell has had a negative effect on the wands." Merlauxn said. "I was afraid of that."
"We're in for a tough time without our wands." Sassy said.
"Don't be scared." Merlauxn smiled with that uncomfortable Cheshire grin. "I'll protect you."
By the time they returned to Nancy Nightingale, the raven-haired witch had set up her telcaspotater, a large telescope which twisted to weird rounded curves as it extended and climbed the mountain side.
"We've found the hole that was most likely the point of entry." Sasporilla said.
"Very good." Nancy said. "If you could repair it with a repairo spell I'd be amazed. Our minimization would have had an effect on our wands. At least on certain kinds of spells. I should have anticipated this. Oh well to late now. All spells cast as Maxima to get any result at all."
"Good advice." Merlauxn said. "Of course you wouldn't have had to if you'd protected your wands with a simple "PRAESIDIA" spell.
Sasporilla nudged Nancy, who took her eye off the telcaspotater, and saw Merlauxn Beauxchamps standing twenty feet away pointing his wand at them menacingly.
"What is the meaning of this?" Nancy Nightingale demanded. "We've no time for games! We have a child to find!"
"I couldn't care less about the brat." Merlauxn said. "All I know is you keep getting in the way. Putting your nose where it doesn't belong!"
"Me?" Nancy asked surprised.
"Not you," Merlauxn rolled his eyes looking to Sasporilla, "Her!"
Sasporilla stood wand at the ready.
"What you gonna do with that silly girl?" the over confident young man belly laugh. "Avada Ked..."
Sasporilla snapped her fingers and blasted Merlauxn back through the air knocking his head hard into the wood mountain, and falling to the floor unconscious.
"Taking a cocky jerk by surprise." Sassy huffed with relief.
"Nicely done Ms.Bucket." Nancy laughed amused. "A bit of elven magic. That is something they couldn't minimize in you."
"You'd be surprised Nancy." Sassy said rubbing the scar on her arm. "Help me tie him up."
The telcaspotater found spiders cave far up the mountain side. To far up the steep wooden cliff for either Sasporilla or Nancy to climb. Sasporilla wished she'd brought her broom. The Triumphant twelve hundred X would make short work of getting her up there.
"Any Ideas on how to get us up there?" Sassy asked.
"My dear what exactly did you bring in that rescue bag of yours?" Nancy asked.
"First aid kit, chocolate bars, ball of string, chalk, a knife. Things, incase we need them." Sasporilla said.
"Yes." Nancy smiled. "All of which are good in certain situations. When rescuing a damsel from a minatour in a maze or a diabetic hiker on a muggle hiking path."
"I was really counting more on my wand." Sasporilla said.
"That is the problem with Hogwarts." Nancy shook her head as she dug into her bag rummaging for two small vials of orange liquid. "My Severus used to say Hogwarts taught the children to be to reliant on their wands and not reliant enough on their other skills! Here."
Nancy shoved a bottle of orange liquid into Sassy’s hand. "What's this?"
"FLUITO potion." Nancy Nightingale said. "The distilled essence of dirigible plums that will get us, hopefully, all the way up to that cave. Shake the vial, pull the cork, and drink it fast. The effects are sudden and don't last long."
"Bottoms up!" Sasporilla said as both women shook the vials, pulled the corks and drank down the rather sweet viscous liquid. The potions effects made Sasporilla a little giddy and light headed, but she wasn't expecting it to turn her skin bright orange. The two women grabbed onto each other as they floated up the mountain side. Accelerating quicker and quicker as they ascended. Nancy pointed to the cave as they approached. There was no mistaking the web covered surfaces near the entrance.
The women showed no sign of slowing as they started to pass by the caves mouth. Sasporilla drew her wand and cast "FLAGELLO MAXIMA". Her wand turned into a whip and lashed out catching hold of a shard of wood near the entrance. Sasporilla and Nancy pulled each other onto the cliff side by the cave opening as the orange colour drained from their skin, they settled to the wood beneath their feet as the potion wore off.
"I don't feel we have much time." Nancy Nightingale said digging out another small vial from her bag. "If my theory is correct that spider didn't come into the safety of this cabinet to feed but to lay its eggs."
"You think there may be more of them?" Sasporilla asked frightened by the thought of hundreds of giant baby spiders.
"Not yet." Nancy said. "and that is a very good thing. That is why I believe the girl is alive."
"Why?" Sasporilla asked.
"The spider didn't intend to eat the girl." The Magizoologist said. "Arachnids intent is to save it for her young, as sustenance for after they have eaten her."
"Eaten her?" Sasporilla gasped.
"Yes." Nancy said. "The mother spider offers herself up as the first food source for her newly hatched young."
"That's horrific!" Sasporilla shouted alerting the spider to their presence.
"Indeed." Nancy said drinking down the vial of CHAMELIUM VANISHESSIUM. A camouflage potion that worked not unlike that of the Chameleon and the cuttlefish.
"What?" Sasporilla gasped. "What are you doing.?"
"Hoping that your reputation to speak with natural beasts included insects." Nancy said. "So you might distract the creature while I retrieve the girl."
The rocks began to shudder and roll as the long spiked legs of the spider stepped out of the cave onto the ledge.
"Who is there?" The spider hissed.
"I am there." Sasporilla Bucket said. "Here, I mean, I'm here."
"And who are you." The spider asked pulling itself fully into the light of day. The shear size of the monster was terrifying to the pink haired witch.
"I'm just a tiny witch." Sasporilla stammered, "come to look for the child you took."
"More food for my children." The spider said. "Thank you for coming to me, rather than me having to hunt you down."
"Before you decide to take me for food." Sasporilla said, "please just hear me out..."
Nancy Nightingale scanned the inside of the web filled cave for any signs of the girl. Everywhere she moved were clusters of egg pods supported in gossamer bags high above. Nancy was extra careful not to get stuck on a web. The slightest trip or pull would alert the spider to her presence in the cave. Something in the web moved. A sack shaped like a hammock wiggled above.
"Banko!" Nancy smiled. "There you are! I will have to make this very quick and precise."
Nancy dug out a small knife, a length of rope and three different vials of potions from her bag. She just hoped that Sasporilla could hold the attention of the spider long enough.
"...and that is why we need to bring that little girl back to the mother who loves her." Sasporilla said.
"Perhaps you could bring her mother and brother here for my babies to feast upon." The spider hissed. "Well, I doubt you would. If I allow you to leave with the promise to bring back the mother you would likely never return."
"If I asked you to take your eggs and leave here," Sasporilla asked, "Would you? Peacefully?"
"No." The spider answered honestly.
"I can't allow you or your babies to present a threat to my kind." Sasporilla said. "But I don't want to harm you, or your children."
"Then we are finished talking tiny witch." The spider said as it leaped forward.
Sasporilla cast a petrifaction spell but it had no effect. The spider grabbed Sasporilla in its mandibles and held her with its front two legs.
"You talk well little witch." The spider hissed. "But did you think you could distract me while the other one stole my babies food?"
The spider slammed her back leg down, pinning Nancy against the cave entrance, the girl slung over her shoulder.
"Let us go!" Sasporilla demanded struggling.
"Or what?" The spider asked. "In nature, tiny witch, there are only predators and prey."
The air began to swirl around the cliff. The spider sensed something changed around her.
"There is much more to nature than predator and prey. There is wind!" Sasporilla said blowing the spiders leg free of Nancy Nightingale. Nancy tossed a vial to the ground which cracked open and a mist flew into the air forming a barrier over her and the child. Sasporilla let go of the spiders front legs and opened her hands to reveal natures flame. "There is also FIRE!"
The spider fought. Tried to bite the tiny witches head off with its powerful mandibles, but the pink haired creature floated in the air in a storm cloud, like a micro thunderstorm pushing the arachnid back with gale force winds.
"You may rescue the child," the spider laughed, "but my children will feed on your kind for generations."
"NO!" Sasporilla screamed blasting the spider, the cave, the eggs and the back side of the cabinet into firey splinters.
Nancy Nightingale dispelled the barrier and carried the child, slung over her shoulder in the spider silk cocoon, over to Sasporilla who floated upon the air her eyes glowing with flame.
"Ok Mutter Natur," Nancy said, "time to calm down and get this child to safety."
"I didn't want to harm the spider or it's children." Sasporilla said the fire beginning to with draw within her.
"It was never my intent to harm it either." Nancy said. "I wish there had been a way to capture it and move it and its eggs out. Peacefully."
"I could have." Sasporilla said. "I should have. The spider made me very angry. When it threatened to continue the killing for generations, I lost my temper."
"You chose a side." Nancy said. "Like you did in the battle of Hogwarts. You did what you felt had to be done. Do what has to be done now, harness some of that immense power and get us down."
Sasporilla and Nancy road the winds down the cliff side lime leaves on the wind. They touched down softly to the rocky floor. Merlauxn Beauxchamps sat up, still bound and very confused.
"Please help me." Merlauxn pleaded. "I'm not sure where I am or how I got here, but my name is Merlauxn Beauxchamps. I was on my way to join my uncles carnival and someone must have jumped me."
"What?" Sasporilla asked. "You joined the carnival months ago. You don't remember any of it?"
Merlauxn searched his thoughts. "No."
"So you don't remember trying to kill us?" Nancy asked.
"I what?" Merlauxn ask shocked. "I could never? Would never!"
"Convenient." Sassy said with reserving doubt as she pulled the small knife from her bag.
"What are you going to do with that?" Merlauxn asked. "Please don't hurt me!"
Sasporilla cut the bindings on the young mans feet, leaving his hands bound behind his back.
"The cart is that way. Start walking." Sassy said to Merlauxn as she turned to Nancy. "How is the girl?"
"She's fine." Nancy said. "I gave her a healing potion that will make her good as new by the time we get back. My Severus taught me to brew potions for any event."
"Yes." Sassy smiled. "I remember his class. There will be no foolish wand waving in my class!"
"I can teach you how to bewitch the mind and ensnare the senses." Nancy smiled doing her best Severus impression. "I can tell you how to bottle fame, brew glory!"
"Even put a stopper in..." Sasporilla cut herself off. "We should get going."
The walk back was very revealing about the true nature of Merlauxn Beauxchamps. He did not seem like the same over confident jerk he had been all summer. He seemed younger, less worldly, more innocent, just different. The cart was where they had left it, on the track at the junction. Nancy cut the girl from the spiders web and sat her in the seat next to her. Sasporilla sat Merlauxn in the far back seat next to her.
"I don't suppose you recall how this contraption works?" Sassy asked him.
"No." Merlauxn said. "Did I know how before?"
"It's a good thing I paid attention." Sasporilla said. "I have some idea how it works. I do recommend everyone strap in though."
Sassy new the thrust and knew the break. She was unsure at what some of these other things did. As it was the track at the fork was not shifting tracks. There were four levers on the control panel of the cart. Sasporilla took the chance and pulled back one. The right fork shifted over.
"Got it." Sassy smiled resetting the lever and pulling the left lever.
Sure enough the left fork track shifted over. That left two levers. One should smoothly connect the center track. Sasporilla knew she should go with her first instinct, so she pulled back the lever on the right.
The ground began to shake and rumble. Rumble. Rumble. Rumble. Rumble. The sound started to get louder. A thunderous boom. BOOM! BOOM! BOOM! Then they saw it. The lava giant roared, reached down and grabbed the cart and lifted it high into the air.
"What did you do?" Nancy yelled.
"I pulled a lever!" Sasporilla said pulling her wand and dropping it in the shaking cart.
The behemoth carried them quickly across the landscape and placed them onto the upper track, giving them a brisk shove up and out. The riders closed their eyes as they hit the wall of black. When they opened them they were safely outside the ride.
The girls mother ran to the side of the cart and scooped her daughter into her arms.
"Mommy!" The girl cried.
"I told you." Mr.Beauxchamps said. "All would is fine."
"I think you will find a cricket ball sized hole in the back of your cabinet." Nancy Nightingale said grabbing her bag and heading back to the house of mirrors.
"Mr.Beauxchamps." Sasporilla said handing over Merlauxn still tied up to his uncle. "You have a problem with your nephew. He tried to kill us in there, but claims now that he remembers nothing."
."What?" Mr.Beauxchamps asked shocked and dismayed. "I shall summon the aurors and I promise we WILL get to the bottom of this. Something very crooked is going on around here."
Sasporilla returned to her caravan tired, battered and bruised. It had been a hard long day that became an even harder and longer night. The sun was just starting to break on the golden horizon. Sasporilla stopped to watch the colours through the fog of her own exhaustion. It was a beautiful image in this last morning of the festival.
"I really must get going." A mans voice said quietly from just inside the front of Agneses tent.
"I'll miss you." Agnes said.
"We'll see each other again soon." The familiar male voice said.
Sasporilla, now curious stood on her front stepped to see who it was. There was a sound of a very passionate kiss and Agnes stepped out into the morning air in her silk robe. She knew Sasporilla was standing there and smiled.
"All clear." Agnes said quietly.
"Good." Myron Wagtail said tip toeing out. "Don't want to have to explain to..."
"Sasporilla why you're sleeping with a girl much younger than you?" Sassy laughed with mock judgment, "or why your sleeping with one of my friends?"
"I thought you said it was all clear???" Myron asked.
"Really?" Agnes laughed. "You would trust a blind lookout?"
"Sasporilla let me explain." Myron said.
Sassy walked over to her friend and gave him a big hug.
"Myron you don't owe me an explanation." Sasporilla said. "You are wonderful, Agnes is wonderful. You have my blessing. I'm dead tired. I love you both. Good night!"
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/ )