NATURAL SELECTION
A Harry Potter UNIVERSE/ Sasporilla Bucket Fan Fiction
by Darren Kelly
Chapter 3
Nick spent several hours with his god daughter and her mother. Sasporilla played him a very squeaky version of "Dance like a hippogryph" on her mothers guitar. She was getting quite good actually, and with just a bit more practice ,would be ready to play for others more openly. They showed him a muggle box that showed stories on it. The muggles called it a telie. Mom had found this old black and white one that some muggle had just thrown away and it worked just fine. Wysteria enjoyed watching some show called Coronation Street. A fascinating object, though Nick saw little point to it. He discussed taking Sasporilla shopping when her list of supplies arrived. It was easier and safer to buy her what she needed then to leave the money in the house. Donk would inevitably find it and drink away his daughters school supply fund despite his best intentions of putting it back when his pension cheque came in. Wysteria always found new places to hide the house fund, staying 2 steps ahead of her husband but it was a very small apartment & she was running out of new places to hide it.
Afterward Nick walked down stairs and shut the door. The latch clicked behind him as it locked. He stopped beside the old dog house and knocked on the roof.
"Good night Ms.Daisy." he said.
"Good night Detective Owlmore." Ms.Daisy said from somewhere inside.
Nick rounded the corner of the pub and peeked in the front window. The usual group of people having a quick one before home were present. As he walked in the door Mr. Barnswaggle the pub owner nodded to hm and pointed towards the back. Nick held up 2 fingers and taps poured 2 pints of Guinness. Nick put the money on the bar and picked up the glasses.
"How's he been?" Nick asked.
"Gettin' worse e'ry day." Mr.Barnswaggle said. "Soon I mi' av t' ban him. Tha' would break 'is 'eart tha' would."
"Probably put you out of business ay Barnswaggle? I'll see to him." Nick said carrying the pints to the back of the pub.
Riddonkulous Bucket sat alone in the private booth that had become his second home. He spent most days here and more often than not, most nights. Nick felt the room get just a little colder as he neared his old friend, despite the fire burning in the hearth near by. Donk sat with his head down looking off into empty space, six empty pint glasses sitting across from him painted the picture of his daily activities. His skin was ashen and his eyes puffy and red from far to much drink.
"This seat taken mate?" Nick asked as he stood beside the table.
"Please yourself." Riddonkulous Bucket mumbled but didn't look up.
No one ever came over to sit and chat anymore. Only the odd stranger that passed bye, a local looking for that quid he'd borrowed last month and.... he looked up to see Nicks smiling face standing beside holding 2 fresh pints.
"Nickie you ol' sod." Riddonkulous said with drunken effort as Nick sat across from him & handed him a pint. "What brings the likes o' you to my castle?"
"How you doin' Donk?" Nick asked genuinely concerned.
Riddonkulous took a long gulper off his pint. "Just lovely."
"You couldn't come upstairs tonight?" Nick asked as Riddonkulous looked away ashamed.
"No."
"Wssy says you rarely come home anymore, Donk. You want to lose your family?"
"They'd be better off without me Nick."
"Bollocks. Even though your an ugly drunken old sod Wysteria still thinks the sunshines out your ass."
"Look cut the niceties." Riddonkulous grumbled & Thumped the table hard with hands knocking over a couple of glasses. "Have you got it or not?"
Nick waved his wand and cleared the empties from the table to avoid any further accidents. "Ya."
Nick pulled a small vial of serum from his inside jacket pocket. "One drop under the tongue, ya?"
"I know how it works." Riddonkulous said pulling the stopper and taking one drop from bottle which he placed under his tongue.
Within seconds Riddonkulous' skin returned to a normal colour and Nick could feel the chill leave the air. Donk sighed with relief.
"That's the ticket." Riddonkulous said relaxing back in his seat.
"Have you told them yet Donk?" Nick asked.
"No." Riddonkulous said. "I will but not yet. Mind you neither of them are blind or stupid. I'm sure they suspect."
"How long 'till it happens?" Nick asked concerned.
"Doctors say another year maybe until they stick me in an institution. They don't know how long it'll take after that. Another year, more or less." Donk took another large gulp finishing his pint. He eyed Nicks untouched drink. "You gonna...???"
"No mate." Nick said passing the glass. "Cheers."
Riddonkulous downed the second pint with ease. Most days no amount of drink could slake his thirst.
"Nickie." Riddonkulous belched making his oldest friend laugh. "I need you to make sure Wyssy gets my pension once they put me away."
"Right." Nick nodded.
"Don't let those wankers in accounting misplace my file, ya?"
"No problem."
"Someone's got to look out for Sasporilla too."
"Donk that's why they wanted you upstairs. Dumbledore and Fudge awarded Sassy with some partial scholarship. You know, one of those ones like ol' Mikey Flemming was on."
Riddonkulous let his head slump back in disbelief & disappointment. "So they'll work her to death."
"Na. She'll be fine. At least she's going to Hogwarts right?" Nick smiled
"Ya fine" Riddonkulous grumbled. "an' she'll be away from me."
"Don't think that way Donk." Nick said noticing the air becoming just a little cooler once more. His pallor becoming ashen. "That din't last you more than a couple minutes?"
"No." Riddonkulous said. "It never does anymore. The effects last for shrter periods of time with every dose."
"Donk at this rate...?"
"That's why I stay down here." Riddonkulous insisted. "To keep them safe from me. From WHAT I'm becoming."
Nick spent several hours with his god daughter and her mother. Sasporilla played him a very squeaky version of "Dance like a hippogryph" on her mothers guitar. She was getting quite good actually, and with just a bit more practice ,would be ready to play for others more openly. They showed him a muggle box that showed stories on it. The muggles called it a telie. Mom had found this old black and white one that some muggle had just thrown away and it worked just fine. Wysteria enjoyed watching some show called Coronation Street. A fascinating object, though Nick saw little point to it. He discussed taking Sasporilla shopping when her list of supplies arrived. It was easier and safer to buy her what she needed then to leave the money in the house. Donk would inevitably find it and drink away his daughters school supply fund despite his best intentions of putting it back when his pension cheque came in. Wysteria always found new places to hide the house fund, staying 2 steps ahead of her husband but it was a very small apartment & she was running out of new places to hide it.
Afterward Nick walked down stairs and shut the door. The latch clicked behind him as it locked. He stopped beside the old dog house and knocked on the roof.
"Good night Ms.Daisy." he said.
"Good night Detective Owlmore." Ms.Daisy said from somewhere inside.
Nick rounded the corner of the pub and peeked in the front window. The usual group of people having a quick one before home were present. As he walked in the door Mr. Barnswaggle the pub owner nodded to hm and pointed towards the back. Nick held up 2 fingers and taps poured 2 pints of Guinness. Nick put the money on the bar and picked up the glasses.
"How's he been?" Nick asked.
"Gettin' worse e'ry day." Mr.Barnswaggle said. "Soon I mi' av t' ban him. Tha' would break 'is 'eart tha' would."
"Probably put you out of business ay Barnswaggle? I'll see to him." Nick said carrying the pints to the back of the pub.
Riddonkulous Bucket sat alone in the private booth that had become his second home. He spent most days here and more often than not, most nights. Nick felt the room get just a little colder as he neared his old friend, despite the fire burning in the hearth near by. Donk sat with his head down looking off into empty space, six empty pint glasses sitting across from him painted the picture of his daily activities. His skin was ashen and his eyes puffy and red from far to much drink.
"This seat taken mate?" Nick asked as he stood beside the table.
"Please yourself." Riddonkulous Bucket mumbled but didn't look up.
No one ever came over to sit and chat anymore. Only the odd stranger that passed bye, a local looking for that quid he'd borrowed last month and.... he looked up to see Nicks smiling face standing beside holding 2 fresh pints.
"Nickie you ol' sod." Riddonkulous said with drunken effort as Nick sat across from him & handed him a pint. "What brings the likes o' you to my castle?"
"How you doin' Donk?" Nick asked genuinely concerned.
Riddonkulous took a long gulper off his pint. "Just lovely."
"You couldn't come upstairs tonight?" Nick asked as Riddonkulous looked away ashamed.
"No."
"Wssy says you rarely come home anymore, Donk. You want to lose your family?"
"They'd be better off without me Nick."
"Bollocks. Even though your an ugly drunken old sod Wysteria still thinks the sunshines out your ass."
"Look cut the niceties." Riddonkulous grumbled & Thumped the table hard with hands knocking over a couple of glasses. "Have you got it or not?"
Nick waved his wand and cleared the empties from the table to avoid any further accidents. "Ya."
Nick pulled a small vial of serum from his inside jacket pocket. "One drop under the tongue, ya?"
"I know how it works." Riddonkulous said pulling the stopper and taking one drop from bottle which he placed under his tongue.
Within seconds Riddonkulous' skin returned to a normal colour and Nick could feel the chill leave the air. Donk sighed with relief.
"That's the ticket." Riddonkulous said relaxing back in his seat.
"Have you told them yet Donk?" Nick asked.
"No." Riddonkulous said. "I will but not yet. Mind you neither of them are blind or stupid. I'm sure they suspect."
"How long 'till it happens?" Nick asked concerned.
"Doctors say another year maybe until they stick me in an institution. They don't know how long it'll take after that. Another year, more or less." Donk took another large gulp finishing his pint. He eyed Nicks untouched drink. "You gonna...???"
"No mate." Nick said passing the glass. "Cheers."
Riddonkulous downed the second pint with ease. Most days no amount of drink could slake his thirst.
"Nickie." Riddonkulous belched making his oldest friend laugh. "I need you to make sure Wyssy gets my pension once they put me away."
"Right." Nick nodded.
"Don't let those wankers in accounting misplace my file, ya?"
"No problem."
"Someone's got to look out for Sasporilla too."
"Donk that's why they wanted you upstairs. Dumbledore and Fudge awarded Sassy with some partial scholarship. You know, one of those ones like ol' Mikey Flemming was on."
Riddonkulous let his head slump back in disbelief & disappointment. "So they'll work her to death."
"Na. She'll be fine. At least she's going to Hogwarts right?" Nick smiled
"Ya fine" Riddonkulous grumbled. "an' she'll be away from me."
"Don't think that way Donk." Nick said noticing the air becoming just a little cooler once more. His pallor becoming ashen. "That din't last you more than a couple minutes?"
"No." Riddonkulous said. "It never does anymore. The effects last for shrter periods of time with every dose."
"Donk at this rate...?"
"That's why I stay down here." Riddonkulous insisted. "To keep them safe from me. From WHAT I'm becoming."
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, research which charities J.K.Rowling donates to, then donate to them as such.
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, research which charities J.K.Rowling donates to, then donate to them as such.