The Apprenticeship of Sasporilla Bucket
A Harry Potter UNIVERSE/ Sasporilla Bucket Fan Fiction
by Darren Kelly
An owl sat on sill outside the living room window gently tapping its beak on the glass. Sasporilla walked over and opened the window.
"Hello." Sassy said to Owl who was clearly older and tired from a long flight. The bird held outs its talon and handed the young witch a letter. "A letter for me? Thank you. Oh my, but where are my manners, you seem tired. Would you care to come in and rest and have some water before your journey back?"
The owl was appreciative and stepped inside. Sasporilla poured him a small bowl of water which he drank straight down. He clung to the sill in the open window, shut his eyes and drifted off to sleep in the summer morning breeze.
Sasporilla quietly opened the letter.
"Dear Miss Bucket;
Due to the praises of my former apprentice Ms. Moira Dingle and her rave insistent recommendations & your intersts in wand making, I have decided to offer you a junior summer apprenticeship for the remainder of the summer. The job pays little and will likely only cover the costs of flew powder and meals. The hours will be long but the work will be hopefully as enjoyable for you as it has been for me for the last century. If you accept come to the shop, with this letter signed with permission of your mother, at 8:00 am tomorrow morning.
Garrick Olivander
Sasporilla exploded with delight screaming "YES!" Tragically waking and scaring the owl who made a mess on the window sill and flew off cursing.
"Sorry." Sasporilla apologized to the owl as she shut the window. Footsteps raced up the stairs and her mom threw open the apartment door?
"What is going on?" Wysteria asked
Sasporilla ran over and handed her mom the letter.
"Please mum", Sasporilla said hugging her. "Please give me your permission to do this. I want it so much."
The next morning Sasporilla and Wysteria used the fireplace in the bar and took the flue system to Diagon Alley. Sasporilla dressed in her favorite floral top and black pants to try and make an impression. At exactly 8 am the front door of the wand shop nudged open and inside peering out was Mr.Olivander.
"Ah Miss Bucket." Mr.Olivander said opening the door wider. "As you are on time and have not just brought the letter signed by your mother but have brought the whole mother with you, I take it then you have accepted my offer of summer apprenticeship?"
"Yes." Sasporilla said excitedly.
"Mr.Olivander." Wysteria smiled. "I am indeed Sasporillas mother, Wysteria Bucket, and I just wanted to drop her off on my way to work and thank you personally for this opportunity you've graciously given my Sassy."
"Well you are very welcome Madame." Mr.Olivander smiled. "But I hope you aren't afraid of a lot of hard work girl?"
"No sir." Sasporilla said stiffening. "I worked my way through last year at Hogwarts in the kitchens and the laundry. I'm used to work."
"Very good then in you come." Mr.Olivander said.
Wysteria hugged her daughter and kissed her on top of the head. "You have a great day I'll pick you up at...?"
"7pm." Mr.Olivander said shutting the door.
The inside was just as she'd remembered. Shelves and shelves of wands in all shapes and sizes. She could smell the woods and oils. Hear the humming of.... what was that humming?
"Now Miss Bucket." Mr.Olivander said holding out a smock and a broom. "If you'd be so kind as to put on this smock, you can begin sweeping the shop floor as we open at 10."
Sasporilla put on the smock and began sweeping enthusiastically. No apprentice had ever done that! All of them questioned when they'd get to make a wand, did they get commissions on sales, when was lunch? None just accepted the menial tasks at hand. This young witch intrigued Mr.Olivander. He stepped into the back. Poured himself a cup of tea and levitated it back with him to the front counter with a small box of cleaning supplies. As he began to polish the counter top he decided to see just how much the young witch knew of wands and wand making.
"So Miss Bucket." Mr.Olivander smiled. "Moira says you are the best and most eager student she has ever had in her wand class. Tell me what you've learned."
Sasporilla shared her ample knowledge of hard woods, soft woods and green woods that come from some woody bushes and flowers. She explained the often confusing conflicts of softer hard wood flexibility and harder softwood rigidity. She explained the qualities of woods and how they interacted within nature and within wands. Next came metals and crystals then she finished up with what she knew of wand cores and their powers.
Mr.Olivander sat with his mouth a gape for so long his false teeth nearly fell out. Never had he seen a person with such knowledge that was so young.
"Well." Mr.Olivander said. "I can see why Moira spoke so highly of you. You do have an interest in wand craft don't you!"
"Yes sir I do." Sasporilla smiled enthusiastically. "I want to learn everything there is to know about wands and maybe even discover something new that no ones done before."
"Wonderful." Mr.Olivander chuckled. "Time to open the shop."
Sasporilla ran across to the door, twisted the latch and flipped the closed sign to open. Sassy ran back behind the counter and started straightening the wands on shelves. She saw to it that each box was properly aligned with the ones above, below and beside it. Where she found dust, she cleaned. Where things were out of order she put them back in order. Mr.Olivander was most impressed.
The shop bell rang as the door opened. A man of very small stature with a goatee , wearing a leather jacket walked in.
"Good morning Mr.Olivander." the man smiled.
"Good morning Mr.Bucket." Mr.Olivander said. "How may I help you today?"
The man looked at Sasporilla and half smiled then back at Mr.Olivander. Sasporilla knew who he was. This was her fathers dwarf twin brother Homunculus.
"I just wondered if you had time to do a quick cleaning and maintenance on my wand?"
"For you sir I will make the time." Mr.Olivander smiled pulling a wooden tray lined with purple velvet out from under the counter. He placed the wand, Walnut 7 & 3/4 inches with a dragon heart string core, on the tray and shuffled it into the back leaving the customer to peruse the items in the shop and speak with his estranged niece.
"Do you know who I am girl?" The man asked looking at an automatic wand polisher.
"Yes." Sasporilla said repolishing the counter.
"Good." Homunculus Bucket said turning on his heal and looking up at her. "I know you are aware of your grandparents attempt on your life as an infant. Non of your uncles and aunts were complicit in this crime."
"Good to know." Sasporilla smiled politely. "Is there anything I can show you while your waiting."
"Know then" , Homunculus growled at the girls impudence ,"that my being here today is coincidental. I did not know you would be here. I don't care that you are."
"Thank you sir." Sasporilla said rather disingenuously. "We value all our customers very highly at Olivanders."
"Well said Miss Bucket." Mr.Olivander said carrying the wand back out on the tray. "Oh my, Bucket! Are you related?"
"Yes." Homunculus smiled. "She is my niece but alas we are estranged. Family differences that involve neither of us but, alas."
A light sent wafted almost imperceptibly from the wand. Sasporilla closed her eyes and took a deep comforting sniff.
"What do you smell Miss Bucket?" Mr.Olivander asked.
"Tung oil, walnut filler and gripping wax." Sasporilla said opening her eyes.
"100% correct!" Mr.Olivander smiled.
Sasporilla looked at the wand for a second.
"Do you notice something else miss Bucket?" Mr.Olivander asked.
"The wand seems to be purring!" Sasporilla giggled. "Like its happy."
"What you're seeing and hearing is the resonance in the wood caused by the retuning and tightening of the dragon heart string core! It will improve the performance of the wand by 88%, guaranteed."
"Fascinating." Sasporilla said.
"Do you remember the price of our summer maintenance special Miss Bucket?" Mr.Olivander asked.
Sasporilla thought hard for a moment. "No sir."
Homunculus looked amused.
"That's because I neglected to tell you my dear." Mr.Olivander laughed. "Here, you wrap the wand in silk bag and I'll handle the cash. That will be 4 galions 4knuts."
"Always worth the money." Homunculus Bucket smiled handing over the coins.
"Thank you sir." Sasporilla said handing him the bag. "Please come again."
Mr.Olivander commented and praised Sasporilla for her good manners and shop etiquette.
The rest of the day was spent sweeping, polishing and retrieving Mr.Olivander from the back when someone needed to purchase a wand.
Most days were filled with more of the same. Sasporilla had never enjoyed anything as much as she enjoyed working with wands. Mr.Olivander had never seen the shop so clean and organized.
Sasporilla looked forward to the days when children came in to buy their first wands. She'd fetch whichever type of wand Mr.Olivander asked her to get. Saving his old knees and back from climbing up and down those ladders. Sasporilla would stand back as children virtually blew the store apart until the perfect wand chose ots new witch or wizard. The best part was afterwards she got to straighten the shop up again! She especially liked matching loose wands with their empty boxes. Mr.Olivander would always have to inspect her work but she'd been accurate 49 of 50 times.
The week before the start of school turned Diagon Alley into a hustling bustling mad house. Every parent with children of school age was there trying to complete the list of everything they'd need for back to classes.
Even though they had some money now, Sasporilla refused new robes and new books. Second hand would suit her just fine thank you very much and she would buy her supplies with the money she'd saved from the job at Olivanders. Sasporilla had already found all of the books she required, including note books and fresh quill. She didn't really need new robes as she hadn't grown at all in the last year. Sassy had picked up almost everything on her list despite the fact that she only had a half hour to shop each day on her lunch break which was actually more like two in the afternoon.
The last thing Sasporilla wanted was an outfit. Something uniquely her own. She had never bought any clothes on her own. Her mum had always picked out clothes and put together her outfits. As of today Sasporilla was 12 years old and almost an adult. It was high time she started picking out her own clothes. The problem was, there didn't seem to be anything that she wanted to wear. No shop in Diagon Alley had anything that reflected her personal sense of style.
Mr.Olivander was waiting for Sasporilla when she came back from lunch. He was standing at the counter with a small leather case in front of him and a big smile on his face.
"Ah you've returned Miss Bucket." Mr.Olivander said. "I found something in the back and thought as this is your last day in the shop, for this summer, and as it is something I no longer require and need the space for new stock, I thought I would pass it on to you."
Sasporilla walked over as she put on her smock. "What is it sir?"
The old wand maker opened the case and unfolded 6 telescopic shelves and exposed a series of drawers and vials. It looked almost like the case held much more inside than it looked like it had outside.
"This was my first wand makers case." Mr.Olivander said. "I carried it with me everywhere. Collected woods and metals and magical cores. I was never without it. I rarely leave the shop now as I have enough stock to last my ancestors for three generations. However if I do run out of an item I have a series of contractors that will always hunt down items for me... at a price."
Sasporilla picked through the various woods, carving tools and vials labeled with names of different magical cores. Most of the bottles were empty but some still contained small amounts. Unicorn hair, golden snitch pin feather, even one golden dragon heart string.
"Do you think it would be something you might find a use for." Garrick Olivander asked.
"Oh my yes!" Sasporilla said excitedly. "I absolutely love it!"
"Glorious." Mr.Olivander said very pleased. "Now, I was young once myself. I understand that dreams can change and interests shift. Based on your performance this summer I hope you stick with your studies in wand making. I will tell you that you've impressed me with your knowledge and work ethic. I will at this time offer you another apprenticeship here next summer. Understand that it will involve more work in the back than this summer."
"Oh my yes!" Sasporilla said excitedly. "As long as my mother says its ok of course."
"Naturally." Mr.Olivander said. "I've taken the liberty of writing down the names of some very good books on wand lore and wand craft that are available in the Hogwarts Library."
The bell to the front door rang as another customer entered.
"Good afternoon." Mr.Olivander smiled. "How may WE help you today."
"Hello." Sassy said to Owl who was clearly older and tired from a long flight. The bird held outs its talon and handed the young witch a letter. "A letter for me? Thank you. Oh my, but where are my manners, you seem tired. Would you care to come in and rest and have some water before your journey back?"
The owl was appreciative and stepped inside. Sasporilla poured him a small bowl of water which he drank straight down. He clung to the sill in the open window, shut his eyes and drifted off to sleep in the summer morning breeze.
Sasporilla quietly opened the letter.
"Dear Miss Bucket;
Due to the praises of my former apprentice Ms. Moira Dingle and her rave insistent recommendations & your intersts in wand making, I have decided to offer you a junior summer apprenticeship for the remainder of the summer. The job pays little and will likely only cover the costs of flew powder and meals. The hours will be long but the work will be hopefully as enjoyable for you as it has been for me for the last century. If you accept come to the shop, with this letter signed with permission of your mother, at 8:00 am tomorrow morning.
Garrick Olivander
Sasporilla exploded with delight screaming "YES!" Tragically waking and scaring the owl who made a mess on the window sill and flew off cursing.
"Sorry." Sasporilla apologized to the owl as she shut the window. Footsteps raced up the stairs and her mom threw open the apartment door?
"What is going on?" Wysteria asked
Sasporilla ran over and handed her mom the letter.
"Please mum", Sasporilla said hugging her. "Please give me your permission to do this. I want it so much."
The next morning Sasporilla and Wysteria used the fireplace in the bar and took the flue system to Diagon Alley. Sasporilla dressed in her favorite floral top and black pants to try and make an impression. At exactly 8 am the front door of the wand shop nudged open and inside peering out was Mr.Olivander.
"Ah Miss Bucket." Mr.Olivander said opening the door wider. "As you are on time and have not just brought the letter signed by your mother but have brought the whole mother with you, I take it then you have accepted my offer of summer apprenticeship?"
"Yes." Sasporilla said excitedly.
"Mr.Olivander." Wysteria smiled. "I am indeed Sasporillas mother, Wysteria Bucket, and I just wanted to drop her off on my way to work and thank you personally for this opportunity you've graciously given my Sassy."
"Well you are very welcome Madame." Mr.Olivander smiled. "But I hope you aren't afraid of a lot of hard work girl?"
"No sir." Sasporilla said stiffening. "I worked my way through last year at Hogwarts in the kitchens and the laundry. I'm used to work."
"Very good then in you come." Mr.Olivander said.
Wysteria hugged her daughter and kissed her on top of the head. "You have a great day I'll pick you up at...?"
"7pm." Mr.Olivander said shutting the door.
The inside was just as she'd remembered. Shelves and shelves of wands in all shapes and sizes. She could smell the woods and oils. Hear the humming of.... what was that humming?
"Now Miss Bucket." Mr.Olivander said holding out a smock and a broom. "If you'd be so kind as to put on this smock, you can begin sweeping the shop floor as we open at 10."
Sasporilla put on the smock and began sweeping enthusiastically. No apprentice had ever done that! All of them questioned when they'd get to make a wand, did they get commissions on sales, when was lunch? None just accepted the menial tasks at hand. This young witch intrigued Mr.Olivander. He stepped into the back. Poured himself a cup of tea and levitated it back with him to the front counter with a small box of cleaning supplies. As he began to polish the counter top he decided to see just how much the young witch knew of wands and wand making.
"So Miss Bucket." Mr.Olivander smiled. "Moira says you are the best and most eager student she has ever had in her wand class. Tell me what you've learned."
Sasporilla shared her ample knowledge of hard woods, soft woods and green woods that come from some woody bushes and flowers. She explained the often confusing conflicts of softer hard wood flexibility and harder softwood rigidity. She explained the qualities of woods and how they interacted within nature and within wands. Next came metals and crystals then she finished up with what she knew of wand cores and their powers.
Mr.Olivander sat with his mouth a gape for so long his false teeth nearly fell out. Never had he seen a person with such knowledge that was so young.
"Well." Mr.Olivander said. "I can see why Moira spoke so highly of you. You do have an interest in wand craft don't you!"
"Yes sir I do." Sasporilla smiled enthusiastically. "I want to learn everything there is to know about wands and maybe even discover something new that no ones done before."
"Wonderful." Mr.Olivander chuckled. "Time to open the shop."
Sasporilla ran across to the door, twisted the latch and flipped the closed sign to open. Sassy ran back behind the counter and started straightening the wands on shelves. She saw to it that each box was properly aligned with the ones above, below and beside it. Where she found dust, she cleaned. Where things were out of order she put them back in order. Mr.Olivander was most impressed.
The shop bell rang as the door opened. A man of very small stature with a goatee , wearing a leather jacket walked in.
"Good morning Mr.Olivander." the man smiled.
"Good morning Mr.Bucket." Mr.Olivander said. "How may I help you today?"
The man looked at Sasporilla and half smiled then back at Mr.Olivander. Sasporilla knew who he was. This was her fathers dwarf twin brother Homunculus.
"I just wondered if you had time to do a quick cleaning and maintenance on my wand?"
"For you sir I will make the time." Mr.Olivander smiled pulling a wooden tray lined with purple velvet out from under the counter. He placed the wand, Walnut 7 & 3/4 inches with a dragon heart string core, on the tray and shuffled it into the back leaving the customer to peruse the items in the shop and speak with his estranged niece.
"Do you know who I am girl?" The man asked looking at an automatic wand polisher.
"Yes." Sasporilla said repolishing the counter.
"Good." Homunculus Bucket said turning on his heal and looking up at her. "I know you are aware of your grandparents attempt on your life as an infant. Non of your uncles and aunts were complicit in this crime."
"Good to know." Sasporilla smiled politely. "Is there anything I can show you while your waiting."
"Know then" , Homunculus growled at the girls impudence ,"that my being here today is coincidental. I did not know you would be here. I don't care that you are."
"Thank you sir." Sasporilla said rather disingenuously. "We value all our customers very highly at Olivanders."
"Well said Miss Bucket." Mr.Olivander said carrying the wand back out on the tray. "Oh my, Bucket! Are you related?"
"Yes." Homunculus smiled. "She is my niece but alas we are estranged. Family differences that involve neither of us but, alas."
A light sent wafted almost imperceptibly from the wand. Sasporilla closed her eyes and took a deep comforting sniff.
"What do you smell Miss Bucket?" Mr.Olivander asked.
"Tung oil, walnut filler and gripping wax." Sasporilla said opening her eyes.
"100% correct!" Mr.Olivander smiled.
Sasporilla looked at the wand for a second.
"Do you notice something else miss Bucket?" Mr.Olivander asked.
"The wand seems to be purring!" Sasporilla giggled. "Like its happy."
"What you're seeing and hearing is the resonance in the wood caused by the retuning and tightening of the dragon heart string core! It will improve the performance of the wand by 88%, guaranteed."
"Fascinating." Sasporilla said.
"Do you remember the price of our summer maintenance special Miss Bucket?" Mr.Olivander asked.
Sasporilla thought hard for a moment. "No sir."
Homunculus looked amused.
"That's because I neglected to tell you my dear." Mr.Olivander laughed. "Here, you wrap the wand in silk bag and I'll handle the cash. That will be 4 galions 4knuts."
"Always worth the money." Homunculus Bucket smiled handing over the coins.
"Thank you sir." Sasporilla said handing him the bag. "Please come again."
Mr.Olivander commented and praised Sasporilla for her good manners and shop etiquette.
The rest of the day was spent sweeping, polishing and retrieving Mr.Olivander from the back when someone needed to purchase a wand.
Most days were filled with more of the same. Sasporilla had never enjoyed anything as much as she enjoyed working with wands. Mr.Olivander had never seen the shop so clean and organized.
Sasporilla looked forward to the days when children came in to buy their first wands. She'd fetch whichever type of wand Mr.Olivander asked her to get. Saving his old knees and back from climbing up and down those ladders. Sasporilla would stand back as children virtually blew the store apart until the perfect wand chose ots new witch or wizard. The best part was afterwards she got to straighten the shop up again! She especially liked matching loose wands with their empty boxes. Mr.Olivander would always have to inspect her work but she'd been accurate 49 of 50 times.
The week before the start of school turned Diagon Alley into a hustling bustling mad house. Every parent with children of school age was there trying to complete the list of everything they'd need for back to classes.
Even though they had some money now, Sasporilla refused new robes and new books. Second hand would suit her just fine thank you very much and she would buy her supplies with the money she'd saved from the job at Olivanders. Sasporilla had already found all of the books she required, including note books and fresh quill. She didn't really need new robes as she hadn't grown at all in the last year. Sassy had picked up almost everything on her list despite the fact that she only had a half hour to shop each day on her lunch break which was actually more like two in the afternoon.
The last thing Sasporilla wanted was an outfit. Something uniquely her own. She had never bought any clothes on her own. Her mum had always picked out clothes and put together her outfits. As of today Sasporilla was 12 years old and almost an adult. It was high time she started picking out her own clothes. The problem was, there didn't seem to be anything that she wanted to wear. No shop in Diagon Alley had anything that reflected her personal sense of style.
Mr.Olivander was waiting for Sasporilla when she came back from lunch. He was standing at the counter with a small leather case in front of him and a big smile on his face.
"Ah you've returned Miss Bucket." Mr.Olivander said. "I found something in the back and thought as this is your last day in the shop, for this summer, and as it is something I no longer require and need the space for new stock, I thought I would pass it on to you."
Sasporilla walked over as she put on her smock. "What is it sir?"
The old wand maker opened the case and unfolded 6 telescopic shelves and exposed a series of drawers and vials. It looked almost like the case held much more inside than it looked like it had outside.
"This was my first wand makers case." Mr.Olivander said. "I carried it with me everywhere. Collected woods and metals and magical cores. I was never without it. I rarely leave the shop now as I have enough stock to last my ancestors for three generations. However if I do run out of an item I have a series of contractors that will always hunt down items for me... at a price."
Sasporilla picked through the various woods, carving tools and vials labeled with names of different magical cores. Most of the bottles were empty but some still contained small amounts. Unicorn hair, golden snitch pin feather, even one golden dragon heart string.
"Do you think it would be something you might find a use for." Garrick Olivander asked.
"Oh my yes!" Sasporilla said excitedly. "I absolutely love it!"
"Glorious." Mr.Olivander said very pleased. "Now, I was young once myself. I understand that dreams can change and interests shift. Based on your performance this summer I hope you stick with your studies in wand making. I will tell you that you've impressed me with your knowledge and work ethic. I will at this time offer you another apprenticeship here next summer. Understand that it will involve more work in the back than this summer."
"Oh my yes!" Sasporilla said excitedly. "As long as my mother says its ok of course."
"Naturally." Mr.Olivander said. "I've taken the liberty of writing down the names of some very good books on wand lore and wand craft that are available in the Hogwarts Library."
The bell to the front door rang as another customer entered.
"Good afternoon." Mr.Olivander smiled. "How may WE help you today."
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.