The University of Avalon
A Harry Potter UNIVERSE/ Sasporilla Bucket Fan Fiction
by Darren Kelly
Chapter 9
The Magizoology Cafe at the University Zoo had the best Dirigible Plum Juice this side of Corina's fresh squeezed. They served it in upside down goblets with bendy straws that bent up so you could sip it. Angelo carried two cups over to the table and handed one to Sasporilla.
"Your refreshment my lady." Angelo smiled.
"Thank you kind sir." Sassy laughed.
The cafe was a small mid-zoo stop for visitors who needed a quick cold butter beer or a pumpkin pasty. It stood between the Erumpent enclosure and the magical bird aviary. Home to some the last of the rare endangered golden Snidget! The original real golden snitch.
Sasporilla sipped at her juice and enjoyed its light airy sweetness. "Mmmmmm, That's so good!"
"It's very sweet." Angelo said making a face. "Not as sweet as you though."
"What?" Sasporilla said surprised.
"Sorry." Angelo said, blushing, suddenly very embarrassed. "I can't believe I just said that. It's just that from the first time I saw you...."
"What?" Sasporilla asked a bit embarrassed.
"... it's just that..." Angelo hesitated, "... you're the most beautiful woman I've ever seen."
"Me?" Sasporilla asked gulping her dirigible plum juice, which in it self is not an easy task.
Sasporilla started to giggle. Then laugh. Then she started to laugh wildly.
"What is it Sassy?" Angelo asked thinking he'd really screwed things up.
"Is that the latest line or something?" Sasporilla asked. "Your the second young man in my life who has said that exact same thing to me. Funny, I knew very little about him then too."
"You have a boy friend." Angelo said disappointed. "I should have known. I'm sorry. I've over stepped."
"Angelo!" Sasporilla said putting her hand on his. "Calm down! We're two people having a juice! Yes there is a boy I like back home that I haven't heard from since I've left but he's kind of busy. He's in a band and all."
"Really?" Angelo said surprised. "Anyone I'd have heard of?"
"Vinny Lazar." Sassy said proudly. "Though I think of him as my Melvin."
"Melvin?" Angelo said.
"Yes." Sasporilla said. "His real name is Melvin Lazarus. We went to Hogwarts together."
Angelo looked at Sasporilla with hard concern and focus for a moment. He then reached around and pulled a music disc out of his bag. It was the latest disc by Dead End Oddity Shop.
"You're a fan!" Sasporilla smiled.
"Fan enough." Angelo said opening the booklet. "Sasporilla look at the band member names."
"Stix Murphy is Wendy Murphy, yes I know that I know her very well. We met at my one semester at Droorlily! Krunk is Devon ya I know and Vinny Lazar is..." Sasporilla's face went white. "Vincent Lazaro?"
Sassy looked at the bands photos. The pictures of everyone looked right except for Vinny Lazar. That was NOT her Melvin!
"What is this?" Sasporilla demanded. "What's going on? Is this a joke? It's not bloody funny!"
"This is how the bands always been?" Angelo said. "Are you saying something’s changed?"
"Yes!!!" Sasporilla insisted. "Handing back the disk. Something’s wrong with Melvin if he's written out of..."
A woman with spiky red hair and a bandana tied around her lower face slammed the latest copy of CAMELOT down onto the table.
"ROYAL ASSASSINS SEEK TOP SECRET TARGET" The woman shouted.
"We're not interested." Sasporilla said. "We're having an important discussion."
"Well you better be interested wide butt," Lyra said, "You're the target!"
Angelo looked up and around them drawing his wand and pulling a bandana from his pocket. Flicking the bandana in the air it wrapped around his face. Two casts of green death came in from roof tops at a distance but were easily deflected.
"We'll deal with the bulk of the problem Lyra said waiving her wand casting REVELIO, revealing a large number of rebels prepared to fight.
"I'll take her to the council." Angelo said.
"It's time she knew."
"Good luck." Lyra shouted as the blasting started against magical shields. "Wide Butt."
Angelo took Sasporilla's hand and pulled her along behind her as he ran inside the Aviary.
Owls, fwoopers, Jobberknolls, snidgets and the zoo's one phoenix scattered through the rafters and high branches of the buildings many trees which housed them, scattering a plethora of multi coloured feathers which wafted down from above. This was a huge opportunity for wand core materials for any wand maker, Sasporilla thought as a BOMBARDA blast cracked the buildings side. Reminding the pink haired witch of the priority of haste.
Sasporilla pulled her wand instinctively from her jackets wand pocket and turned as a person wearing ornate black hooded robes and a gold mask blew of the aviary door and stepped inside. Unafraid, Sasporilla stopped running, turned and faced him and prepared for battle.
"Who want's me dead?" Sassy demanded.
"Sasporilla Bucket." A mans voice called out from beneath the mask. "Your death has been ordered by ROYAL DECREE."
"That's all I wanted to know." Sasporilla said snapping her fingers with elven magic and watching the tree beside the assassin come to life and grab him. The branches entangled and entwined around him firmly leaving him unable to cast. His wand fell to the ground. Sasporilla ran over and took great pleasure in snapping his wand in half.
"When I'm a great wand maker one day," Sassy smiled looking up at her would be killer, "come look me up. I'll give you deal on a new one."
Angelo took Sasporilla's hand again. "Sasporilla, We have to go!"
Sasporilla looked at her favourite young man, wearing the bandana across his face.
"I knew I recognized your voice that day." Sasporilla said. "You gave me that copy of CAMELOT first day here at the station!"
"Yes." Angelo said pulling at her trying to get her to follow him. "It was me."
"Have you been watching me? Following me from a distance? One of Lyra's eyes everywhere?" Sasporilla asked a bit ticked off.
"No Sasporilla." Angelo pleaded. "Please we have to keep moving. You're not safe here!!!"
"Then answer me honestly!!" Sasporilla demanded.
"No!" Angelo yelled. "I am not one of Lyra's eyes on you every where... she is one of mine. Now lets go!"
Shocked, Sasporilla grasped the young mans hand as they ran through the aviary pavilion and out through the back. A long alley lead between the aviary and Erumpent enclosure. Angelo had hoped to get out the gate but royal guards had blocked the way. The only through was the side gate through the Erumpent pens.
Angelo through open the gate and lead the way through.
"They're gentle enough creatures as long as you don't look them in the eye and don't challenge them." Angelo said.
There were three large erumpants standing around chewing grass making “humpff” sounds as the two passed at a slow but steady pace. A column of black smoke slammed into the middle of the pen. From it stepped the form of a black cloaked assassin in a black and gold mask.
"Sasporilla Bucket." The assassin called pointing his wand. "Any last words?"
"Oy!" A witch with blue and green hair, wearing khaki shorts and vest yelled as she stepped out of the Erumpent enclosure carrying two large feed buckets. "Just what do you lot think you're doing in with my erumpants? Bloody cheek!!!"
"And just who are you?" The Royal assassin demanded.
"Who am I?" The witch said dropping her buckets, clapping the dirt from her hands, rolling up the sleeves of her shirts and pulling her zoo ID and wand from her vest. "I, my dear, Professor Hannah, the head of Magizoology for the University of Avalon! The woman who is going to be with you in the University hospital in an hour or so when they do the surgery to pull my foot out of your back side!!! Now WHO the hell are you?"
"He's a Royal assassin come to kill me Professor." Sasporilla said.
"Oh I see." Professor Hannah said hanging her head. "I don't get involved in Royal affairs. AGAMII CICI"
"AVADA KEDAV..." The assassin began as an erumpent sat on him and pushed him into the muddy ground.
"Now Agamii on the other hand," the magizoologyst smiled, "she likes nothing more than thwarting the evil plans of a corrupt dictatorial monarch."
"Thank you professor." Angelo smiled.
"Any time Angelo." Professor Hannah said. "Come on then you two. I have an odd Idea, follow me."
Professor Hannah lead Sasporilla and Angelo into the erumpent house and down a set of steps into a dark cellar. With a flick of her wand, LUMOS lit the way forward through the zoo's connecting subterranean tunnel system.
"Easiest way to run pipes, and the lot." The professor said. "We learned this from the muggles. Brilliant they can be, sometimes."
The ground above them shook as magical battle was clearly going on.
"I really hope your worth all this trouble girl." Professor Hannah sighed.
"She is." Angelo interjected. "I promise you that professor."
They came up another staircase into a windowed observation room looking out into a rocky pen.
"Where are we?" Sasporilla asked as a member of the royal guard slammed into a thick window bouncing off it's crack proof magic face.
"Damn." Professor Hannah exclaimed. "I'd hoped this way was clear. This is the nearest exit to your destination."
"We'll have to make it work professor." Angelo said.
Sasporilla looked out and saw one lone witch with spiky red hair fighting against a dozen or more Royal guards dressed in gold armour. Crowds of people were fleeing the zoo as the fighting raged on.
"Lyra!" Sasporilla yelled running out into the pavilion.
"Sasporilla!" Angelo cried.
"She's a brave one, her!" The professor smiled.
"Yes." Angelo cursed. "But what good will it do if it gets her killed!"
Lyra did her best to deflect the barrage of attack spells with PROTEGO MAXIMA while in turn casting her own return spells from cover. All focus of the Royal Guard was on the Red Haired Anarchist who fought so hard against them. The skrewts blasted in their pens aggressively. No one saw their pink haired quarry come in from behind. No one but Lyra. Sasporilla held both hands above her head, and with a smile Lyra nodded. Sasporilla and Lyra turned their wands down and cast MANUS PETRUM as they slammed their wand tips onto the ground.
Blue magical energy branched through and split the rock under the Royal guards feet, knocking them off balance causing their spells to fly in all directions. A stray blast knocked off the lock from a skrewts cage.
The ground began to sag and heave as the young witches gathered the blue magic between their hands. The rock formed around the Royal guard in the shapes of the girls hands. As Lyra and Sasporilla closed them around the blue magical ball, the rocky ground entombed the guard.
"It won't hold them long." Sasporilla said.
"Not if those meat heads try..." Lyra began as a BOMBARDA MAXIMA spell shattered the rock with grave consequences for all inside.
Sasporilla hid her gaze from the grim view of what the Royal guard had done to themselves. That's when she heard the hiss and click behind her.
"Get behind me." Angelo said stepping between Sasporilla and the twelve foot armoured scorpion like creature that stood less that ten feet from her.
"Don't know what you plan to do Angelo." Professor Hannah chuckled. "It's a blast ended skrewt! That armour reflects spells!"
The creature hissed and clicked at them and raised its stinger threateningly.
"Janey don't you dare!" The professor shouted. "You two, just back away now! Quickly. Don't speak. Don't look at her. Just back up to the other one."
Sassy and Angelo did just what the Professor said. They backed up quickly to where Lyra was.
"Now Janey!" The Professor demanded of the beast. "I know your scared, but those people there are no threat to you. So you're not to hutt them. Got it?"
The great beast struck its barbed stinger down at the rock in front of professor Hannah.
"You bitch!" The professor said. "I know you're scared but there's no need of that! I brought you and your sisters rock cakes!!!"
The professor lifted up a burlap sack and pulled from it one chocolate rock cake.
The glow on the back end of the skrewt subsided and it seemed to settle down quickly. It stepped forward slowly and nudged the professors hand.
"That's it." Professor Hannah smiled. "Have a good sniff. Open wide."
The beast separated two plates of armour, revealing a spot just big enough for a rock cake to fit into. The skrewt munched on it happily.
"That's my happy girl!" Professor Hanna smiled. "She'll be fine now. Just come over slowly and approach single file from directly behind me. That's how you show respect and no threat in their pod."
"That's amazing professor." Lyra said. "I didn't think skrewts could live together? I thought they'd fight and kill each other."
"Well ya." Professor Hanna laughed. "I mean they are all sisters aren't they! They tend to fight. They fell bad after they kill one another. The secret is to keep them fed in rock cakes! Before the came here, no one could figure out where their mouths were so they didn't know if they fed or what to feed them? Now we now! They eat stones, gravel and poop slag. However they have an affinity for Hagrid’s rock cakes. Especially the chocolate ones! So keep them happy and they're like big loveable dogs."
"That can kill you." Angelo said.
"My dear Angelo," the professor said "even the family dog can turn on you and kill you, if you treat it badly. There's a lesson there. Now to my Idea!"
The professor lead the way towards the skrewt pens, allowing Angelo to hold the bag of rock cakes. Janey the skrewt kept nudging the bag gently bit insistently behind him.
"Here we are." Professor Hanna standing between the pens. The skrewts hissed and blasted, clicking wildly. Janey started to get her back up.
"Ladies!" Professor Hanna shouted. "Let's show a bit of decorum! We have guests."
This had little effect. The professor sighed. "Janey my good girl come here." The professor said holding up a chocolate rock cake.
Things went silent as the large beast rumbled forward and received its tasty treat. "Good girl. Now! The rest of you unruly bunch ready to calm down and act civilized for a moment or two?"
The skrewts all sat quiet in there pens calmly.
"That's more like it!" The professor said taking the bag and handing out the chocolaty treats.
"You really have them trained professor." Sasporilla said rather impressed.
"Don't kid yourself young lady." The professor said. "These beasts would just as soon kill you as look at you. They're aggressive, natural born killers that are immune to magic. Why Hagrid bread them is beyond me? Of course as long as they eat just stones they act like there blessed nasty selves, but you feed them Hagrids rock cakes, their bellies fill up. They get all happy inside and act like puppies. You just gotta know how to handle them. You can even ride them when their like this."
"Your kidding!?!" Angelo said surprised.
"I hope not." Professor Hannah chuckled said letting both Midge out of her pen. "For that is my plan exactly!"
"Professor," Sasporilla gaped, "are you suggesting we ride these beasts out of here?"
"Yes." Professor Hanna smiled widely handing Angelo and Sasporilla some rock cakes. "Here you go. You'll be riding Midge here. I'd feed her a couple of these first to make friends, then she'll pretty much let you do anything to her. Lyra you feed a few to Janey."
The skrewts pleasantly and eagerly accepted the rock cakes. The wild clicking and hisses of earlier had become almost cat like purrs.
"They seem so harmless now." Lyra said rubbing Janey on one of her armoured fore plates.
"Yes, until they ram their stinger through your chest!" The professor laughed. "Quite the turn coats my babies. Now, up with you Lyra and Angelo first. Grab the stinger firmly by the barb and don't let go! You'll be steering the skrewts from there! Up you get!"
Lyra and Angelo grabbed the barbs and climbed aboard with little objection from the gigantic beasts.
"Now Ms.Bucket up you go in front of your boy friend." The professor said.
"I beg your pardon!" Sasporilla protested. "Angelo is NOT my boyfriend!"
"My apologies." The professor said as Sassy climbed aboard the great beast. "One just assumes a healthy young couple making moon eyes at one another over a juice means.... but never you mind my opinion!"
"Now look professor!" Sasporilla said.
"Never mind dear." The professor said climbing up infront of Lyra tying her own hands with the cord from the rock cake sack. "If you want to toss aside a young man who clearly has feelings for you, then who sm I to say anything. Is she always this thick Lyra."
"Sorry?" Lyra said. "I wasn't listening."
"You big chicken." The professor sneered.
"Why did you tie your hands professor?" Angelo asked.
"Oh well, I can't go voluntarily or the Throne will know I helped you." Professor Hannah said. "No, no! I must be an involuntary prisoner held against my will! Help! I've been taken hostage!"
Out of no where a young tall thin wizard with greasy shoulder length black hair and sharp features jumped from the shadows.
"I'll save you my darling Hannah!"
"Not now Mylo!" Professor Hannah shouted. "I'm busy, piss off!"
"Sorry Professor!" The young wizard said putting away his wand and ducking back into the shadows.
"Who was that?" Sasporilla asked. "He look's like a young Professor Snape!"
"My Teaching Assistant Mylo. He's got quite the crush on me. It's against the rules to date a student so it's all hands off until he graduates. Then I'll be on him like a skrewt on a bag of rock cakes! Speaking of which they should be kicking in any time now."
"Kicking in?" Angelo asked.
There was a rumbling deep within the bellies of the skrewts followed by another, then another. Suddenly a blast of flame shot out of Janey’s behind propelling Lyra and Professor Hannah a hundred feet straight across the compound. The professor pointed her wand, with her tied hands, and cast BOMBARDA at the fence.
"Pull on the barb to make them walk." Professor Hannah said. "Direct them by moving their tail and when they fart, expect a big boost of speed!"
"Ok Angelo," Sasporilla said. "What are we waiting for? Let's Move 'em out!!!"
The last of the Royal guard couldn't keep up as the blast-ended skrewts blew there way through the University zoo walls and slid out onto the busy streets of Avalon. Pedestrians and vehicles scattered in a cacophony of honks, screams and a roaring "WOO-HOO!" From Lyra and Professor Hannah.
The skrewts blasted there way down University Boulevard knocking small vehicles out of the way, even sending one large three rider Vroom-Broom thumping up the Museum of Witchcraft and Wizardry's front marble steps, until it came to a sudden hard stop. The Vroom-Brooms riders pitched in three different directions, end over teakettle, until they landed in the bushes.
Angelo steered the skrewt, turning past
Majesty Station and continuing down the Queens road. He looked behind to make sure Lyra and the professor were keeping up. He nudged Sasporilla with a smile.
Sasporilla turn to see Lyra and Professor Hannah having the time of their lives. The skrewt skittered and burst following close behind. Lyra hooped and hollered. Professor Hannah was laughing smiling despite saying "Help! I'm being abducted! Oh woah is me! Won't some one please help?"
Sasporilla had to smile. She hadn't seen Lyra have so much anarchistic fun in so long. The smile slipped from her face when she saw the robed figure, riding the winds flutter in behind Lyra. It's long dark robes and intricate gold mask was unmistakable to Sassy who pointed and screamed. "Amari! Lyra! Amari's behind you!"
Lyra turned to see the Wedjat pull it's wand and cast "KUMA CEVIRMEK!"
Lyra twisted the Skrewts tail and the magical blast deflected of the beasts armour striking a lamp post. The lamp dissolved into sand as they skittered past.
Sasporilla started casting spells at the old monster in an attempt to throw her off. "STUPIFY!", "FLIPPENDO", "BOMBARDA!" Nothing halted the creature from its pursuit.
"Take the wheel professor." Lyra said handing Professor Hanna the skrewts stinger and drawing her wand.
"ALTAEDHIB WATADMIR ALUWH!" Amari cast.
The blast was black as night and struck Lyra hard in the side of the chest. Sasporilla screamed, as time seemed to slow. Lyra's eyes rolled up and back into her head as her face twisted in pain. The young witch grabbed her side and slid from the back of the skrewt as Amari grabbed her and inhaled her soul like a dementor.
"Lyra!!!!" Sasporilla screamed.
Professor Hanna pulled down hard on the skrewts tail. A blast of magma like slag shot out splashed across Amari's gold masked face making her drop the withering husk of Lyra Lee-Ashwolf.
Professor Hannah brought the blast-ended skrewt to a halt amidst the honking annoyed traffic that was jammed up on the Avalon roadways. Amari pulled the molten gold mask from her twisted facial flesh. The professor struggled to undo the lightly tied bonds around her wrists.
"Thank goodness you arrived." The professor said. "I was a hostage, me."
Amari hissed and roared as the Wedjat ran towards her, the gold from her mask hardening into the twisted flesh of her bestial form, with angry ferocity. The creature towered over the professor in an imposing twisted form.
"I smell the complicity on you." Amari hissed opening its jaw wide. "I should eat your soul here and now. You've allowed them to escape me!!!"
"I'm the third cousin twice removed of the Warlock King, me!" Professor Hannah said looking the creature straight in her one good eye. "You should know how he feels about family! So I'd just watch my P's and Q's if I were you Wedjat, thank you very much! Now if you'll be so kind as to help me get my skrewt back to the zoo and help my find my other one, I'd appreciate it!"
The Magizoology Cafe at the University Zoo had the best Dirigible Plum Juice this side of Corina's fresh squeezed. They served it in upside down goblets with bendy straws that bent up so you could sip it. Angelo carried two cups over to the table and handed one to Sasporilla.
"Your refreshment my lady." Angelo smiled.
"Thank you kind sir." Sassy laughed.
The cafe was a small mid-zoo stop for visitors who needed a quick cold butter beer or a pumpkin pasty. It stood between the Erumpent enclosure and the magical bird aviary. Home to some the last of the rare endangered golden Snidget! The original real golden snitch.
Sasporilla sipped at her juice and enjoyed its light airy sweetness. "Mmmmmm, That's so good!"
"It's very sweet." Angelo said making a face. "Not as sweet as you though."
"What?" Sasporilla said surprised.
"Sorry." Angelo said, blushing, suddenly very embarrassed. "I can't believe I just said that. It's just that from the first time I saw you...."
"What?" Sasporilla asked a bit embarrassed.
"... it's just that..." Angelo hesitated, "... you're the most beautiful woman I've ever seen."
"Me?" Sasporilla asked gulping her dirigible plum juice, which in it self is not an easy task.
Sasporilla started to giggle. Then laugh. Then she started to laugh wildly.
"What is it Sassy?" Angelo asked thinking he'd really screwed things up.
"Is that the latest line or something?" Sasporilla asked. "Your the second young man in my life who has said that exact same thing to me. Funny, I knew very little about him then too."
"You have a boy friend." Angelo said disappointed. "I should have known. I'm sorry. I've over stepped."
"Angelo!" Sasporilla said putting her hand on his. "Calm down! We're two people having a juice! Yes there is a boy I like back home that I haven't heard from since I've left but he's kind of busy. He's in a band and all."
"Really?" Angelo said surprised. "Anyone I'd have heard of?"
"Vinny Lazar." Sassy said proudly. "Though I think of him as my Melvin."
"Melvin?" Angelo said.
"Yes." Sasporilla said. "His real name is Melvin Lazarus. We went to Hogwarts together."
Angelo looked at Sasporilla with hard concern and focus for a moment. He then reached around and pulled a music disc out of his bag. It was the latest disc by Dead End Oddity Shop.
"You're a fan!" Sasporilla smiled.
"Fan enough." Angelo said opening the booklet. "Sasporilla look at the band member names."
"Stix Murphy is Wendy Murphy, yes I know that I know her very well. We met at my one semester at Droorlily! Krunk is Devon ya I know and Vinny Lazar is..." Sasporilla's face went white. "Vincent Lazaro?"
Sassy looked at the bands photos. The pictures of everyone looked right except for Vinny Lazar. That was NOT her Melvin!
"What is this?" Sasporilla demanded. "What's going on? Is this a joke? It's not bloody funny!"
"This is how the bands always been?" Angelo said. "Are you saying something’s changed?"
"Yes!!!" Sasporilla insisted. "Handing back the disk. Something’s wrong with Melvin if he's written out of..."
A woman with spiky red hair and a bandana tied around her lower face slammed the latest copy of CAMELOT down onto the table.
"ROYAL ASSASSINS SEEK TOP SECRET TARGET" The woman shouted.
"We're not interested." Sasporilla said. "We're having an important discussion."
"Well you better be interested wide butt," Lyra said, "You're the target!"
Angelo looked up and around them drawing his wand and pulling a bandana from his pocket. Flicking the bandana in the air it wrapped around his face. Two casts of green death came in from roof tops at a distance but were easily deflected.
"We'll deal with the bulk of the problem Lyra said waiving her wand casting REVELIO, revealing a large number of rebels prepared to fight.
"I'll take her to the council." Angelo said.
"It's time she knew."
"Good luck." Lyra shouted as the blasting started against magical shields. "Wide Butt."
Angelo took Sasporilla's hand and pulled her along behind her as he ran inside the Aviary.
Owls, fwoopers, Jobberknolls, snidgets and the zoo's one phoenix scattered through the rafters and high branches of the buildings many trees which housed them, scattering a plethora of multi coloured feathers which wafted down from above. This was a huge opportunity for wand core materials for any wand maker, Sasporilla thought as a BOMBARDA blast cracked the buildings side. Reminding the pink haired witch of the priority of haste.
Sasporilla pulled her wand instinctively from her jackets wand pocket and turned as a person wearing ornate black hooded robes and a gold mask blew of the aviary door and stepped inside. Unafraid, Sasporilla stopped running, turned and faced him and prepared for battle.
"Who want's me dead?" Sassy demanded.
"Sasporilla Bucket." A mans voice called out from beneath the mask. "Your death has been ordered by ROYAL DECREE."
"That's all I wanted to know." Sasporilla said snapping her fingers with elven magic and watching the tree beside the assassin come to life and grab him. The branches entangled and entwined around him firmly leaving him unable to cast. His wand fell to the ground. Sasporilla ran over and took great pleasure in snapping his wand in half.
"When I'm a great wand maker one day," Sassy smiled looking up at her would be killer, "come look me up. I'll give you deal on a new one."
Angelo took Sasporilla's hand again. "Sasporilla, We have to go!"
Sasporilla looked at her favourite young man, wearing the bandana across his face.
"I knew I recognized your voice that day." Sasporilla said. "You gave me that copy of CAMELOT first day here at the station!"
"Yes." Angelo said pulling at her trying to get her to follow him. "It was me."
"Have you been watching me? Following me from a distance? One of Lyra's eyes everywhere?" Sasporilla asked a bit ticked off.
"No Sasporilla." Angelo pleaded. "Please we have to keep moving. You're not safe here!!!"
"Then answer me honestly!!" Sasporilla demanded.
"No!" Angelo yelled. "I am not one of Lyra's eyes on you every where... she is one of mine. Now lets go!"
Shocked, Sasporilla grasped the young mans hand as they ran through the aviary pavilion and out through the back. A long alley lead between the aviary and Erumpent enclosure. Angelo had hoped to get out the gate but royal guards had blocked the way. The only through was the side gate through the Erumpent pens.
Angelo through open the gate and lead the way through.
"They're gentle enough creatures as long as you don't look them in the eye and don't challenge them." Angelo said.
There were three large erumpants standing around chewing grass making “humpff” sounds as the two passed at a slow but steady pace. A column of black smoke slammed into the middle of the pen. From it stepped the form of a black cloaked assassin in a black and gold mask.
"Sasporilla Bucket." The assassin called pointing his wand. "Any last words?"
"Oy!" A witch with blue and green hair, wearing khaki shorts and vest yelled as she stepped out of the Erumpent enclosure carrying two large feed buckets. "Just what do you lot think you're doing in with my erumpants? Bloody cheek!!!"
"And just who are you?" The Royal assassin demanded.
"Who am I?" The witch said dropping her buckets, clapping the dirt from her hands, rolling up the sleeves of her shirts and pulling her zoo ID and wand from her vest. "I, my dear, Professor Hannah, the head of Magizoology for the University of Avalon! The woman who is going to be with you in the University hospital in an hour or so when they do the surgery to pull my foot out of your back side!!! Now WHO the hell are you?"
"He's a Royal assassin come to kill me Professor." Sasporilla said.
"Oh I see." Professor Hannah said hanging her head. "I don't get involved in Royal affairs. AGAMII CICI"
"AVADA KEDAV..." The assassin began as an erumpent sat on him and pushed him into the muddy ground.
"Now Agamii on the other hand," the magizoologyst smiled, "she likes nothing more than thwarting the evil plans of a corrupt dictatorial monarch."
"Thank you professor." Angelo smiled.
"Any time Angelo." Professor Hannah said. "Come on then you two. I have an odd Idea, follow me."
Professor Hannah lead Sasporilla and Angelo into the erumpent house and down a set of steps into a dark cellar. With a flick of her wand, LUMOS lit the way forward through the zoo's connecting subterranean tunnel system.
"Easiest way to run pipes, and the lot." The professor said. "We learned this from the muggles. Brilliant they can be, sometimes."
The ground above them shook as magical battle was clearly going on.
"I really hope your worth all this trouble girl." Professor Hannah sighed.
"She is." Angelo interjected. "I promise you that professor."
They came up another staircase into a windowed observation room looking out into a rocky pen.
"Where are we?" Sasporilla asked as a member of the royal guard slammed into a thick window bouncing off it's crack proof magic face.
"Damn." Professor Hannah exclaimed. "I'd hoped this way was clear. This is the nearest exit to your destination."
"We'll have to make it work professor." Angelo said.
Sasporilla looked out and saw one lone witch with spiky red hair fighting against a dozen or more Royal guards dressed in gold armour. Crowds of people were fleeing the zoo as the fighting raged on.
"Lyra!" Sasporilla yelled running out into the pavilion.
"Sasporilla!" Angelo cried.
"She's a brave one, her!" The professor smiled.
"Yes." Angelo cursed. "But what good will it do if it gets her killed!"
Lyra did her best to deflect the barrage of attack spells with PROTEGO MAXIMA while in turn casting her own return spells from cover. All focus of the Royal Guard was on the Red Haired Anarchist who fought so hard against them. The skrewts blasted in their pens aggressively. No one saw their pink haired quarry come in from behind. No one but Lyra. Sasporilla held both hands above her head, and with a smile Lyra nodded. Sasporilla and Lyra turned their wands down and cast MANUS PETRUM as they slammed their wand tips onto the ground.
Blue magical energy branched through and split the rock under the Royal guards feet, knocking them off balance causing their spells to fly in all directions. A stray blast knocked off the lock from a skrewts cage.
The ground began to sag and heave as the young witches gathered the blue magic between their hands. The rock formed around the Royal guard in the shapes of the girls hands. As Lyra and Sasporilla closed them around the blue magical ball, the rocky ground entombed the guard.
"It won't hold them long." Sasporilla said.
"Not if those meat heads try..." Lyra began as a BOMBARDA MAXIMA spell shattered the rock with grave consequences for all inside.
Sasporilla hid her gaze from the grim view of what the Royal guard had done to themselves. That's when she heard the hiss and click behind her.
"Get behind me." Angelo said stepping between Sasporilla and the twelve foot armoured scorpion like creature that stood less that ten feet from her.
"Don't know what you plan to do Angelo." Professor Hannah chuckled. "It's a blast ended skrewt! That armour reflects spells!"
The creature hissed and clicked at them and raised its stinger threateningly.
"Janey don't you dare!" The professor shouted. "You two, just back away now! Quickly. Don't speak. Don't look at her. Just back up to the other one."
Sassy and Angelo did just what the Professor said. They backed up quickly to where Lyra was.
"Now Janey!" The Professor demanded of the beast. "I know your scared, but those people there are no threat to you. So you're not to hutt them. Got it?"
The great beast struck its barbed stinger down at the rock in front of professor Hannah.
"You bitch!" The professor said. "I know you're scared but there's no need of that! I brought you and your sisters rock cakes!!!"
The professor lifted up a burlap sack and pulled from it one chocolate rock cake.
The glow on the back end of the skrewt subsided and it seemed to settle down quickly. It stepped forward slowly and nudged the professors hand.
"That's it." Professor Hannah smiled. "Have a good sniff. Open wide."
The beast separated two plates of armour, revealing a spot just big enough for a rock cake to fit into. The skrewt munched on it happily.
"That's my happy girl!" Professor Hanna smiled. "She'll be fine now. Just come over slowly and approach single file from directly behind me. That's how you show respect and no threat in their pod."
"That's amazing professor." Lyra said. "I didn't think skrewts could live together? I thought they'd fight and kill each other."
"Well ya." Professor Hanna laughed. "I mean they are all sisters aren't they! They tend to fight. They fell bad after they kill one another. The secret is to keep them fed in rock cakes! Before the came here, no one could figure out where their mouths were so they didn't know if they fed or what to feed them? Now we now! They eat stones, gravel and poop slag. However they have an affinity for Hagrid’s rock cakes. Especially the chocolate ones! So keep them happy and they're like big loveable dogs."
"That can kill you." Angelo said.
"My dear Angelo," the professor said "even the family dog can turn on you and kill you, if you treat it badly. There's a lesson there. Now to my Idea!"
The professor lead the way towards the skrewt pens, allowing Angelo to hold the bag of rock cakes. Janey the skrewt kept nudging the bag gently bit insistently behind him.
"Here we are." Professor Hanna standing between the pens. The skrewts hissed and blasted, clicking wildly. Janey started to get her back up.
"Ladies!" Professor Hanna shouted. "Let's show a bit of decorum! We have guests."
This had little effect. The professor sighed. "Janey my good girl come here." The professor said holding up a chocolate rock cake.
Things went silent as the large beast rumbled forward and received its tasty treat. "Good girl. Now! The rest of you unruly bunch ready to calm down and act civilized for a moment or two?"
The skrewts all sat quiet in there pens calmly.
"That's more like it!" The professor said taking the bag and handing out the chocolaty treats.
"You really have them trained professor." Sasporilla said rather impressed.
"Don't kid yourself young lady." The professor said. "These beasts would just as soon kill you as look at you. They're aggressive, natural born killers that are immune to magic. Why Hagrid bread them is beyond me? Of course as long as they eat just stones they act like there blessed nasty selves, but you feed them Hagrids rock cakes, their bellies fill up. They get all happy inside and act like puppies. You just gotta know how to handle them. You can even ride them when their like this."
"Your kidding!?!" Angelo said surprised.
"I hope not." Professor Hannah chuckled said letting both Midge out of her pen. "For that is my plan exactly!"
"Professor," Sasporilla gaped, "are you suggesting we ride these beasts out of here?"
"Yes." Professor Hanna smiled widely handing Angelo and Sasporilla some rock cakes. "Here you go. You'll be riding Midge here. I'd feed her a couple of these first to make friends, then she'll pretty much let you do anything to her. Lyra you feed a few to Janey."
The skrewts pleasantly and eagerly accepted the rock cakes. The wild clicking and hisses of earlier had become almost cat like purrs.
"They seem so harmless now." Lyra said rubbing Janey on one of her armoured fore plates.
"Yes, until they ram their stinger through your chest!" The professor laughed. "Quite the turn coats my babies. Now, up with you Lyra and Angelo first. Grab the stinger firmly by the barb and don't let go! You'll be steering the skrewts from there! Up you get!"
Lyra and Angelo grabbed the barbs and climbed aboard with little objection from the gigantic beasts.
"Now Ms.Bucket up you go in front of your boy friend." The professor said.
"I beg your pardon!" Sasporilla protested. "Angelo is NOT my boyfriend!"
"My apologies." The professor said as Sassy climbed aboard the great beast. "One just assumes a healthy young couple making moon eyes at one another over a juice means.... but never you mind my opinion!"
"Now look professor!" Sasporilla said.
"Never mind dear." The professor said climbing up infront of Lyra tying her own hands with the cord from the rock cake sack. "If you want to toss aside a young man who clearly has feelings for you, then who sm I to say anything. Is she always this thick Lyra."
"Sorry?" Lyra said. "I wasn't listening."
"You big chicken." The professor sneered.
"Why did you tie your hands professor?" Angelo asked.
"Oh well, I can't go voluntarily or the Throne will know I helped you." Professor Hannah said. "No, no! I must be an involuntary prisoner held against my will! Help! I've been taken hostage!"
Out of no where a young tall thin wizard with greasy shoulder length black hair and sharp features jumped from the shadows.
"I'll save you my darling Hannah!"
"Not now Mylo!" Professor Hannah shouted. "I'm busy, piss off!"
"Sorry Professor!" The young wizard said putting away his wand and ducking back into the shadows.
"Who was that?" Sasporilla asked. "He look's like a young Professor Snape!"
"My Teaching Assistant Mylo. He's got quite the crush on me. It's against the rules to date a student so it's all hands off until he graduates. Then I'll be on him like a skrewt on a bag of rock cakes! Speaking of which they should be kicking in any time now."
"Kicking in?" Angelo asked.
There was a rumbling deep within the bellies of the skrewts followed by another, then another. Suddenly a blast of flame shot out of Janey’s behind propelling Lyra and Professor Hannah a hundred feet straight across the compound. The professor pointed her wand, with her tied hands, and cast BOMBARDA at the fence.
"Pull on the barb to make them walk." Professor Hannah said. "Direct them by moving their tail and when they fart, expect a big boost of speed!"
"Ok Angelo," Sasporilla said. "What are we waiting for? Let's Move 'em out!!!"
The last of the Royal guard couldn't keep up as the blast-ended skrewts blew there way through the University zoo walls and slid out onto the busy streets of Avalon. Pedestrians and vehicles scattered in a cacophony of honks, screams and a roaring "WOO-HOO!" From Lyra and Professor Hannah.
The skrewts blasted there way down University Boulevard knocking small vehicles out of the way, even sending one large three rider Vroom-Broom thumping up the Museum of Witchcraft and Wizardry's front marble steps, until it came to a sudden hard stop. The Vroom-Brooms riders pitched in three different directions, end over teakettle, until they landed in the bushes.
Angelo steered the skrewt, turning past
Majesty Station and continuing down the Queens road. He looked behind to make sure Lyra and the professor were keeping up. He nudged Sasporilla with a smile.
Sasporilla turn to see Lyra and Professor Hannah having the time of their lives. The skrewt skittered and burst following close behind. Lyra hooped and hollered. Professor Hannah was laughing smiling despite saying "Help! I'm being abducted! Oh woah is me! Won't some one please help?"
Sasporilla had to smile. She hadn't seen Lyra have so much anarchistic fun in so long. The smile slipped from her face when she saw the robed figure, riding the winds flutter in behind Lyra. It's long dark robes and intricate gold mask was unmistakable to Sassy who pointed and screamed. "Amari! Lyra! Amari's behind you!"
Lyra turned to see the Wedjat pull it's wand and cast "KUMA CEVIRMEK!"
Lyra twisted the Skrewts tail and the magical blast deflected of the beasts armour striking a lamp post. The lamp dissolved into sand as they skittered past.
Sasporilla started casting spells at the old monster in an attempt to throw her off. "STUPIFY!", "FLIPPENDO", "BOMBARDA!" Nothing halted the creature from its pursuit.
"Take the wheel professor." Lyra said handing Professor Hanna the skrewts stinger and drawing her wand.
"ALTAEDHIB WATADMIR ALUWH!" Amari cast.
The blast was black as night and struck Lyra hard in the side of the chest. Sasporilla screamed, as time seemed to slow. Lyra's eyes rolled up and back into her head as her face twisted in pain. The young witch grabbed her side and slid from the back of the skrewt as Amari grabbed her and inhaled her soul like a dementor.
"Lyra!!!!" Sasporilla screamed.
Professor Hanna pulled down hard on the skrewts tail. A blast of magma like slag shot out splashed across Amari's gold masked face making her drop the withering husk of Lyra Lee-Ashwolf.
Professor Hannah brought the blast-ended skrewt to a halt amidst the honking annoyed traffic that was jammed up on the Avalon roadways. Amari pulled the molten gold mask from her twisted facial flesh. The professor struggled to undo the lightly tied bonds around her wrists.
"Thank goodness you arrived." The professor said. "I was a hostage, me."
Amari hissed and roared as the Wedjat ran towards her, the gold from her mask hardening into the twisted flesh of her bestial form, with angry ferocity. The creature towered over the professor in an imposing twisted form.
"I smell the complicity on you." Amari hissed opening its jaw wide. "I should eat your soul here and now. You've allowed them to escape me!!!"
"I'm the third cousin twice removed of the Warlock King, me!" Professor Hannah said looking the creature straight in her one good eye. "You should know how he feels about family! So I'd just watch my P's and Q's if I were you Wedjat, thank you very much! Now if you'll be so kind as to help me get my skrewt back to the zoo and help my find my other one, I'd appreciate it!"
The Amazing Professor Hannah!
Professor Hannah is based off of a friend of mine named Hanna who has a love for nature that equals that of Steve Erwin himself! I could not resist making her the Magizoologyst that faced down the royal death squad coming after Sassy in this chapter! Her natural pluck and zeal is unstoppable!!! Oh! Also I did happen to bring one of her crushes into the story... just to give her a bit of thrill.
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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/ )