The Making of Jollies | Jasper

[Tigran Razi]

Late June
Evening

He picked up some food at a shop on his way to Jasper’s store front after his shift at St. Mungos.  A store front he just walked into even though it was closed and in the early stages of becoming something more. 

With a chuckle he said “ I brought you some dinner to distract you from helping people plan all the pranks that weren’t good enough for you to pull at Hogwarts? “

Then he put the fish and chips he bought Jasper down next to his friend before taking a seat on the stool at the table which had a couple of cauldron stations on it which they’d been experimenting with since he left school.  He then said “ I was brewing a memory potion at work and I was thinking that last week we should have tried Jobberknoll feathers for the toads. “

[Jasper Spellbody]

In Jasper's apartment above the store that would soon be known as Jasper's Jollies.
The dim light of Jasper's makeshift lab flickered, casting odd shadows over the rows of jars, cauldrons, and parchment scattered across the table. He barely noticed it anymore—he was too deep into perfecting the Tattletale Toads. The idea had seized his brain like a Sticking Charm, and he hadn’t let it go in days. Jasper's hair felt like it had developed its own personality, and the sour smell of potion residue clung to his clothes like an unwelcome ghost.

The bell above the front door jangled, though he knew he had locked it. Before Jasper could mutter a defensive charm, in walked Hank —with his ever-casual grin and the smell of something fried and delicious wafting through the room.

“I brought you some dinner,” Hank said, chuckling as he placed the fish and chips on the table near the bubbling cauldron Jasper had been glaring at for the past hour. “To distract you from helping people plan all the pranks that weren’t good enough for you to pull at Hogwarts?”

Jasper gave him a withering look but couldn’t stop the small twitch of a smile at the corner of his mouth. Hank always knew how to drag Jasper out of his obsessive spiral, even if just for a moment.

As Hank plopped himself onto the stool across from Jasper, he took a cautious sniff of the food. Merlin’s beard, it smelled better than anything he'd eaten all week. Still, Jasper didn’t immediately dig in—he had a cauldron about to turn a very questionable shade of purple.

“I was brewing a memory potion at work,” Hank began, casually leaning forward, “and I was thinking that last week we should have tried Jobberknoll feathers for the toads.”

Jasper froze, spoon halfway to the cauldron. “Jobberknoll feathers?” he repeated, setting the spoon down. Jasper's mind raced. “Of course! Their properties for enhancing recall... Why didn’t I think of that? Hank, you’re a genius.”

Jasper's fingers itched to scribble the idea down, but for once he stopped. Jasper glanced at the fish and chips, still steaming and calling his name.

“All right, you win,” he said, dragging the food closer. “But only because I can’t think on an empty stomach. If this works, you’re getting partial credit and profit for the toads.”

Jasper took a bite, already thinking about where they could source Jobberknoll feathers on a short notice.

[Tigran Razi]

In his mind the worst case scenario of mixing them eating with Jasper’s experimenting was a trip to St. Mungos if something bubbled on their food.  Thankfully, he suspected something like the unmentioned bubble fart incident was far more likely.  With that serving as motivation to plan his visits on nights he didn’t manage to get a shift working at the Snake Pit. 

He said “ Crushed Jobberknoll feathers also mix well in potions when used in surprisingly small amounts. “

Then he said “ Want to tell me what’s in the cauldron and I can keep it going while you eat. “ Ignoring any mention of potential credit or profit like he always did with Jasper’s prank shop ideas.  While this was fun, it certainly was a venture that Jasper’s family was supporting and in his mind would fail.  After all, he couldn’t imagine there were enough people who would buy prank products in the wizarding world.

Still, he encouraged his best friend as he looked over at the cauldron and said “ Or I could guess that from the purple and texture this is some sort of hair gel for the girls. “  Considering the fact he had sisters he knew his guess had to be wrong as no girl would trust a colored hair gel - though color could easily removed in refinement of a product.

[Jasper Spellbody]

The cauldron in front of Jasper was filled with a bubbling purpleish potion, the latest attempt at creating the perfect Tattletale Toad formula. It was a tricky concoction—a mix of ingredients designed to give the toads their signature ability to mimic overheard conversations with uncanny accuracy.

This particular batch contained:

• A dash of Bicorn horn, ground finely for clarity of mimicry.
• A pinch of Sneezewort to enhance the toads' sensitivity to sound.
• A few drops of Re'em blood, to give the potion a touch of strength and endurance.
• And, of course, the key ingredient (for now): Doxy eggs, which added the slight unpredictability Jasper was convinced the toads needed to keep things lively.

But it wasn’t quite right. The potion hissed and spat, and the toads from earlier experiments croaked in a corner, seemingly unimpressed. The latest theory thanks to Hank’s brilliance was that Jobberknoll feathers might be the missing piece to stabilize the memory recall properties and give the toads their desired edge.

Jasper frowned at the potion as it started to turn an unappetizing shade of brown, muttering, “Don’t bother. It’s the tattletale toad concoction.This batch’s gone off again, hasn’t it?” he asked with all sincerity knowing nif anyone could save it from this state it was Hank. The cauldron hissed ominously, the purple brew threatening to tip into a shade of murky brown. Jasper groaned, tapping his wand against the edge in frustration. “Bloody Doxy eggs,” he muttered under his breath, leaning back on his stool.

He glanced at Hank, before finally tucking into a chip. “So,” Jasper began, pulling the plate of fish and chips closer, “how’s the job at St. Mungo’s treating you? Still patching up curse-happy wizards who didn’t know when to duck?” He grinned, his tone light, but there was genuine interest behind the question.

“And,” Jasper added, pointing the chip he was currently eating at Hank with a sly smirk, “how’s the nightlife at the Snake Pit these days? You managing to keep your wand steady on those late shifts, or have the regulars roped you into one too many games of Dragon Dice?”

The thought of Hank splitting his time between the respectable halls of St. Mungo’s and the grungy chaos of one of Knockturn Alley’s most notorious dive bars made Jasper chuckle. “You know,” he teased, “if you start blending your potions at work like they mix drinks at the Pit, I think we’re going to have a whole new set of magical accidents to fix.” he ribbed knowing Hank would never  haphazardly mix a potion.

Jasper took a bite of his food, his eyes twinkling with amusement as he waited for Hank’s response.

[Tigran Razi]

He considered the cauldron that was a bit snappier than normal and starting to go darker from green with a more of a reddish hue accenting it.  It certainly wasn’t going to go the purple he hopefully thought in his earlier look it might.  Thankfully when it came to potions the color didn’t always manner, but it was a sign of a transition in them. 

He said “ Definitely off. “ It certainly wasn’t going to make a tattletale toad.  Then he said “ Lets lower the temperature to see if that makes the Doxy eggs a bit less reactive and brings out the more enduring qualities of the other ingredients. “  Then he lowered the temperature as he continued “ Perhaps a single cauldron brew isn’t the right mix for this potion.  No harm in trying to boil it all down slowly till we get a paste then diluting the paste. “

It was a stretch of an idea.

With a shrug he said “ Surprisingly most the spell damage I see is accidents not curses being tossed.  Though I wonder how many of the falls are due to someone not ducking a Petrificus Totalus. “ A wonder that he never asked about and left that sort of asking to others who had a better feel for phrasing questions as he was too blunt.

Jasper’s question about the Snake Pit made him chuckle.  He barely could call it nightlife much preferring the clubs his muggle friends went out to that were filled of dancing.  He said “ Easy menu, decent tips.  Mostly, I’ve been having fun adding little illusions to accent some of the cocktails.  Even tough guys like cute if you make it mischievous. “

With a smirk he said “ I believe those accidents are called pranks. “  Which Jasper was right the combination of his influences was likely going to cause a whole new batch of accidents in the development phases.

[Jasper Spellbody]

Jasper leaned forward, propping his chin on his hand as he listened to Hank, his mind still half on the potion as he ate his fish and chips. He watched as the reddish hue deepened, a sign they were skating closer to failure—or, if they were lucky, an unexpected breakthrough.

“Lower the temperature,” Jasper echoed, nodding approvingly as Hank adjusted the cauldron. “And that paste idea… it’s not half bad. Could help stabilize the Doxy eggs' volatility. If nothing else, it’ll give us an excuse to experiment with dilution ratios.” He shot Hank a wry grin through a mouth full of fish before swallowing and continuing. “Let’s call it creative problem-solving instead of sheer desperation, yeah?”

He let out a laugh when Hank described his work at St. Mungo’s. “Spell damage by accident, huh? That’s somehow both reassuring and disappointing. I guess wizards are as clumsy as the next bloke. But you’re probably right—‘falls’ and ‘Petrificus Totalus’ might be suspiciously linked. They should put that in a Healer’s handbook: ‘Always check for stray Stunning Spells.’” he said putting on an air of playful seriousness.

At Hank’s comment about the Snake Pit, Jasper’s grin widened. “Illusions on cocktails, eh? I bet the regulars love that. Let me guess, you’re giving them sneaky little tweaks—turning firewhisky shots into mini dragon breaths or making their mead sparkle like fairy dust? Mischievous magic to complement Knockturn’s finest clientele.” he said with a smirk.

He shook his head, laughing. “Yeah exactly they are pranks, but if anyone’s brewing trouble, it’s you and your cute but crafty cocktails.” Jasper leaned back and gestured at the cauldron. “Speaking of which, what’s your bet on this one? Paste or not, I’m thinking this batch might be more Tattle-than-Toad.”

[Tigran Razi]

He chuckled and said “ In potions everything is creative problem solving.  You’d be surprised how many potions that haven’t turned out as expected I’ve taken onto the dueling block. “  An admission that was probably better made after Jasper had graduated.  Though he acknowledged his friend still had family in the castle that might see him on the block next term.

He just nodded at the comment about a healers handbook with a smile.  Mostly as he’d read quite a few versions of such a thing that various healers wrote and it only showed what he already knew which was one never knew what they’d see in St. Mungos.

He said with a smirk “ Exactly, and don’t forget leprechauns for the Irish beers. “

With a shrug he said “ Probably more Tattle, but I’m sure you can find a use for it somewhere.  How is the rest of what you are working on coming?  As, this was probably more tattle than toad ten minutes ago and you look way to hungry to have waited for me to randomly come by.  Just imagine if I'd of gotten caught up in something at work. “

[Jasper Spellbody]

Jasper leaned back on his stool, laughing as Hank mentioned using potions on the dueling block. “I’m not even surprised,” he said, shaking his head. “You’re the type to turn a brewing disaster into a battlefield advantage. Reckless, resourceful, and pure Hank.”

When the talk turned to enchanted beers, Jasper snorted. “Leprechauns for the Irish beers, huh? Next thing you know, you’ll be adding mini storm clouds for thunder rum cocktails. Just promise me you’ll warn me before you start serving up drinks that double as weather charms.”

At Hank’s question about the rest of his projects, Jasper perked up. “Oh, mate, you’ll be proud of this one—I’ve finally perfected the Sneezing Snaps and the Dungbomb Deluxe.” His eyes lit up as he described them. “The Sneezing Snaps are just brilliant. Perfect timing, just enough chaos to keep people guessing. And the Dungbomb Deluxe?” He paused for dramatic effect. “A masterpiece. Stronger, longer-lasting, and with a delightful unpredictability to the stink radius. Absolute carnage, but in a good way.”

He winced, a sheepish grin spreading across his face. “Though, uh… you might want to steer clear of the back bathroom for a bit. Let’s just say the last Dungbomb test exceeded expectations. Smell’s still lingering. Good thing this flat has two bathrooms, or we’d both be out on the street.”

Jasper grabbed another chip, chewing thoughtfully before adding with a half-laugh, half-sigh, “And yeah, if you hadn’t shown up? I probably might have eaten… eventually.” His tone betrayed the obvious truth that he absolutely wouldn’t have. He shot Hank a grateful look. “You know I owe you so much for that, right? You’re basically keeping me alive and sane at this point.”

He gestured toward the cauldron, a glint of mischief returning to his eyes. “So, what’s next, oh mighty potion and cocktail genius? Got any wild ideas to fix this mess or make my next experiment even more dangerous?”

[Tigran Razi]

He smiled.  If there was anything he was, it was resourceful.

Though he wasn’t confident that being resourceful could save this potion as he considered it further.  With a shrug he said “ Rum cocktails are illusions of pirate ships as the trick is the customer has to think of some sort of wonder about it and adding noise to the Snake Pit would distract from other things like the music and conversations. “

Then he smiled as Jasper told him about the progress he made on the other things.  At least there’d be less experiments with the dung bomb deluxe as it was one product he couldn’t even understand why it existed.  Though, he’d seen enough stinky pranks at Hogwarts to not question the appeal it had for other.

With a chuckle he said “ I clean bathrooms at a bar and work at St. Mungos.  I’ll take care of the back bathroom before I leave. “ Even if both the Snake Pit and St. Mungos were rather clean compared to places he worked as a janitor in the muggle world without magic that would go unmentioned.  With magic this would be nothing and part of him was shocked Jasper didn’t just clean it himself. 

He raised an eyebrow doubting if Jasper would have eaten before he got truly hungry. 

Considering the potion again he said “ I think the best we can get with this is try to get this down to a paste then consider it another day.  What is the next experiment on the agenda? “

[Jasper Spellbody]

Jasper chuckled at Hank’s offer to clean the back bathroom. “You’re a better man than me, Hank. I’d just as soon toss a Vanishing Charm and hope for the best, but if you’re volunteering, I won’t argue. Just don’t say I didn’t warn you—it’s bad in there.”

He glanced at the cauldron, its color stabilizing but clearly past its prime. “You’re right about this batch. Let’s get it down to a paste and see if there’s anything salvageable. If not, we’ll chalk it up as a learning experience.” With a wave of his wand, he adjusted the heat, watching as the potion began to thicken.

When Hank asked about the next experiment, Jasper’s mischievous grin returned. “Well, that depends.” He leaned forward, tapping his fingers on the table in mock suspense. “If you’re not worried about being shiny for the next few days, we can work on the Twinkling Tarts. The charm infusion’s still a bit... unpredictable, so there’s a fair chance one of us might end up glowing like a disco ball.”

He paused, tilting his head in thought. “But if you’d rather not blind anyone, we can focus on the Puff Pastries. They’re almost there, but there’s still this odd aftertaste—kind of like burnt cauldron bottom. Not exactly the flavor profile we’re going for.”

Jasper leaned back, gesturing grandly toward their setup. “So, what’ll it be, Hank? Shiny chaos or pastry perfection? Your call.”