Sorry the last chapter was kind of short. I hope you enjoy this one. I found it to be quite funny. Penny and Percy are back again. Have fun!

Chapter 25: Tower of Terror, Office of Chaos

"I can't believe it. I'm actually here!" Penelope said, looking around. She found herself in a large bathroom with several stalls and-

"Oops," Penny said, seeing the urinals lined up by the sinks. Suddenly, a toilet flushed and a stall door was pushed opened.

"'Oops' is right, this is the Men's Ro-" Percy gaped at Penelope. "Pen-Penelo-Penny? Is that really you?" Penny nodded her head and silently laughed to herself as she watched Percy's expression. Percy began to cry tears of happiness and embraced his love. Soon both were crying and a very confused wizard stared at them both as he walked in.

"I've missed you so much- but you shouldn't have come," Percy said quietly as they walked together down the hallway.

"I'm sorry, Percy. I had to come! I wanted to come! I couldn't let you stay at your lonesome office all by yourself," Penny said.

"The problem is that the work we're doing is entirely top secret!" Percy said. "I've already told you too much back in Florida."

"Something about giants, right?" Penny asked, trying to recall exactly what Percy had told her.

"Yes, but I can't tell you anymore," Percy said. They stopped walking once they reached a closed door with the shade pulled down over the window pane, which had Department of International Magical Cooperation etched on in gold lettering. "You shouldn't have come…" Suddenly, the door swung open and a jolly and rotund young man with golden blond hair and dark blue robes let out a hearty greeting.

"Well there you are, Percy!" the wizard said. [A/N: I can't do Scottish accents, so just an f.y.i. : this guy's Scottish]. "After you ran from the coffee shop I wondered where you went." He turned to Penelope, though having no idea who she was, and whispered to her. "I 'spected that he ran for the toilets for he drank all that coffee." Penny giggled and Percy slightly reddened. "So who's the lady friend, Percy?"

"This is Penelope, Gavin," Percy said to Gavin, "My girlfriend."

"Penelope!" Gavin said, as if this is the second time he's seen her after a long time. "Percy's been crying for you ever since he came back!"

"Aww, Percy," Penny said.

"Well, she was just leaving," Percy said. "Right, Penelope?"

"But you were about to show me your office. I've never seen it before."

"Come on in," Gavin said, showing her in. "The more the merrier." The Department of International Magical Cooperation was a very very busy department. There were dozens of desks occupied by dozens of witches and wizards and dozens of owls flying in and out through only one window. Papers and parchment littered everyone's desks and quills could be seen and heard, scribbling away very quickly. Percy led Penny to his desk, where Hermes was waiting patiently for something to do.

"This is my desk. This is my work. That's Hermes and that's the end of the tour," Percy said as he steered Penny back towards the door before she could say anything. Just as they got to the door, the door opened and a tall, brown-haired wizard with a short pointed goatee and bushy mustache entered the office. "Mr. Cornwallis, what a surprise!"

"What surprise, Weasley? You know I work here. Where are you going?" Mr. Cornwallis said. "Who is this?"

"This is Penelope Clearwater," Percy said. "She was just going, so don't worry."

"Penelope!" Mr. Cornwallis said, the same way Gavin had greeted her. "Percy's been crying for you ever since he came back! What am I supposed to worry about with her here?"

"We're still working on the secret you know what project and-"

"She's like your family, Weasley!" Mr. Cornwallis said. "Besides, I've already told the Daily Prophet of what we're doing. Hear that everyone? We're going to be in the paper!" The wizards and witches stopped working and cheered. "That's what I like! Happy workers!"

"It's something about giants, right?" Penny said.

"Oh, so you have told her," Mr. Cornwallis said. "Why Percy, you've broken one of your own rules. Yes, dear, we are going to America to visit the remaining giants. I've already drafted a peace-alliance treaty. You're just in time, so you can come with us!" Percy's mouth dropped in. His boss and supervisor had just revealed "the top secret giants project" to the Daily Prophet and invited his girlfriend to join them. After being under the direction of Mr. Crouch, Mr. Cornwallis seemed very unfit for the job.

"Sir, you mean to tell me that you've just told the paper about our project?!?"

"Yes. Why shouldn't I have? A little publicity would be nice. Percy, you worry too much…"

"Yes Percy, you do," Penny said. "This should be fun."

"You're right. What am I worrying about? I've tried so hard as not to slip about these giants all summer and you've plum lost it and told the bloody newspaper!" Percy said almost screamed, annoyed with Mr. Cornwallis.

"Percy, calm down. The Minister approved it and we'll be fine."

"But-but-but-but…Mr. Cornwallis, what if this news gets out to you-know-who's supporters!?!"

"That's why we're leaving today," Mr. Cornwallis replied. "All those accompanying me on the trip to America line up and follow me!" A few wizards gathered come of their paperwork, caged their owls, and lined up behind Mr. Cornwallis. "Is that everyone? Percy, better gather you're things now…got it all?...stop looking at me like that…no, you won't need that…got your owl?...now is everyone ready? Follow me boys! Oh, and Miss Clearwater!"

***

"Why am I doing this? Why am I doing this?" Ginny said to herself as the elevator continued to ascend. The clanking of the chain pulling up the elevator car added to the eerie, terrifyingly quiet atmosphere.

"This is going to be so much fun!" Professor Flitwick squeaked. "Don't you feel it, Minerva? The excitement of it all!"

"Honestly, Flitty, you don't think these Muggle ghosts will be more exciting then the ones at school?" Professor McGonagal said to him.

"Not that, it's just that any minute those chains could give way!"

"Ohhh! Don't say that!" Professor Sprout said. She felt absolutely terrified. Her hands were clasped on the safety bar so hard that her knuckles were pure white.

"What do you mean? We're not about to drop from the top?" McGonagal asked. "Miss Granger, I thought you said this was nothing more than a haunted house?"

"Well, Professor that's true, but-" she was interrupted when the doors opened and you could see down a dusty old hallway inhabited by the ghosts of the vanished guest floor.

"Why am I doing this? Why am I doing this?" Ginny said to herself as the ghosts drifted closer.

"Oh look, here are the ghosts!" Flitwick said, absolutely delighted to see them. "Hello out there!" Harry, Ron, and the twins couldn't help but laugh at how silly Professor Flitwick was acting.

"So these things are powered by chains?" Mr. Weasley asked out of no where, trying to see the mechanisms of the elevator.

"No, they're powered by electricity," Harry tried to explain. "They're pulled up by a chain-pulley system. That's why we can hear them clinking."

"Why am I doing this? Why am I doing this?" Ginny said to herself. Suddenly a large eyeball appeared out of nowhere.

"Ohhh! My goodness!" McGonagal said, startled by the slimey eyeball.

"Are we moving forwards or backwards?" Oliver said, watching the outside of the elevator. "It doesn't feel like we're going up anymore."

"As I was saying before," Hermione said. "The lightening struck the tower and the elevator plunged down at least 13 stories before it disappeared."

"I'm afraid you forgot that little detail!" Professor McGonagal said as the elevator regained its ascent. "So are we to drop as well?"

"But of course, Professor! The Imagineers created this tower of terror to relive that horrible night," George said in his best Hermione voice. Fred, Harry and Ron found this very amusing and couldn't help but laugh again. Ginny, Sprout and McGonagal, however, felt differently. Flitwick was in high spirits, giggling with delight.

The dial above the doors moved to the number 11…12…13…The elevator stopped and the doors opened again. The afternoon sun poured into the elevator car and the guests inside could see a beautiful of the Disney MGM Studios.

"Well, this is a nice view," Hermione said, looking out into the park.

"Why am I doing this? Why am I doing this?" Ginny said to herself as she kept her eyes shut.

One could see the giant Sorcerer Mickey hat in front of the Mann's Chinese Theatre. If one would look further, they could see that Catastrophe Canyon was ablaze. Far below them was the food plaza that Mrs. Weasley, Mr. and Mrs. Granger, Lupin and Snuffles were at. Harry, having the eyes of a hawk (after all, he could find the tiny golden Snitch from afar), could see that Mrs. Weasley and Mrs. Granger were looking up at the tower.

"Any minute now," Hermione said. Ginny started to tremble, fearing the drop that was so near. Flitwick, on the other hand, was bouncing in his seat.

"Are we stuck?" he asked. "Why won't it go?" He bounced again and still nothing.

"Maybe it's broken!" Ginny said happily. "We won't have to drop!"

"Yeah, but we'll be stuck. All…the way…up…here," Fred said, making Ginny tremble again.

"Hermione, is it supposed to stay up here this long?" Harry asked.

"I don't know. While we were in line, you always heard the chains stop clanking and then only 30 seconds later, the elevator would drop," Hermione said. "I'm afraid it might be broken."

"Oh! Make it go!" Flitwick said, bouncing again.

Just then, an announcement came on: "We are sorry, but the Tower of Terror is experiencing some technical-" though, the announcement didn't finish.

The elevator just dropped 13 stories down, down, down…

***

"Is that them?" Mrs. Weasley asked, holding her hand above her eyes to block out the sun. "Could you see?"

"I don't know," Mrs. Granger asked, doing the same thing as Mrs. Weasley. "My eyes aren't that good."

"I think it's broken," Mr. Granger said, looking up as well, taking his seat. He had just returned from purchasing an enormous Turkey leg. Snuffles were eyeing it meticulously. "It hasn't stayed up there at all like that all day."

"I'd hate to be the poor souls on it right now," Mrs. Weasley said. "Imagine the suspense."

"I'd pay good money to see their faces when it drops," Mr. Granger laughed.

"I would too," Mrs. Weasley said, also laughing. "I'd love to see their reactions."

"To see it would be most delightful," Mrs. Granger laughed,

"The screams are sufficient for me," Lupin commented.

"Oh, we're sorry, Remus! You must think we're horrib-" but she was cut off for the elevator suddenly dropped. A chorus of screams filled the air as it continued to plunge down the shaft.

***

"AHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHH!" Hermione screamed as the elevator continued to descend, not stopping for anyone.

"MUUUUUUUUUUUMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMYYYYYYY!!" Ron, Fred and George yelped together.

"Absolutely fascinating! Imagine the speed we must be going at!" Mr. Weasley cried over the many shouts. Flitwick was squealing with joy, holding on tight to the safety bar. Professors McGonagal and Sprout were hugging each other and screaming. Both seemed to be in tears. Snape looked indifferent. Ginny's eyes were shut tight and her mouth was wide open, though no sound came out. Oliver was laughing all the way down. On the other hand, Harry's predictions were correct so he grinned big for the camera. Finally, after an "eternity" of a few seconds, the elevator car stopped abruptly and everyone's bottoms met again with their seats.

"Well, that was delight-" Flitwick was cut off, for the elevator suddenly plunged back up the shaft even higher than before. The dial went berserk. Harry read that it had stopped on 17 then it plunged back down just as quickly as it plunged up. The shock of the sudden change kept everyone quiet until a third time they shot up the elevator shaft. Everyone screamed. On the way down, they put their hands in the air and screamed with delight, though this was a bad move for Flitwick, for he flew out of his seat and was pinned to the ceiling as it plunged down.

"Oh! Professor Flitwick!" McGonagal screamed as she looked up at a giggling Flitwick. She whipped out her wand and floated him down safely back to his seat. The elevator made its final stop and the lap bars were lifted.

"Hohoho, that was great," Flitwick said, wiping his forehead. [Thank you to chicpinay for the idea].

"Why did I do that? Why did I do that?" Ginny said to herself.

"I hope you had a good stay at The Hollywood Tower Hotel," Tomás said in his spooky voice. "I'd advise you to next time use the stairs. Mwahahahahaha!"

"Keep walking, keep walking," Hermione whispered to Ginny as they both walked away from the elevator and the laughing Tomás. They reached the Tower gift shop and found the screens showing their picture from the first plunge in the elevator.

"Is that really us?" Professor Sprout laughed, pointing at the screen labeled 713. Everyone's faces showed great emotion of a mix of fear and delight. Everyone's hair was pointed up as if they were electrocuted. Mr. Weasley was fascinated with the motionless photograph, and purchased it to show Mrs. Weasley.

"Serveus, you could show a little more enthusiasm," McGonagal said, showing Snape his inexpressive face, though his long greasy hair was pointing up.

"Ginny, it looks like your sneezing!" Fred said. Everyone laughed, even Ginny.

***

"Oh there they are!" Mrs. Weasley said, seeing the large group of Arthur, Fred, George, Harry, Ron, Hermione, Ginny, Oliver, and the teachers approach. A very disgruntled Mr. Granger perked up at the sight of the laughing group, while Snuffles greedily munched on an enormous Turkey leg.

"So then she says, 'No, but I have Krabby's!'" Professor Sprout said again as everyone laughed, except for Ron, whose face was quite green.

"Well hello professors!" Mrs. Weasley greeted.

"Good day, Mrs. Weasley," Professor McGonagal said. "Mr. Granger, Mrs. Granger."

"Hello Professor," Mrs. Granger greeted.

"Now you're daughter tells me they've found the lost letters, I'd just like to arrange for us to retrieve them…. What's a good time for you?" Professor McGonagal and Mrs. Granger continued chatting while everyone else ordered lunch.

"I love American food!" Ginny said as she gobbled up some appetizing breaded chicken fingers and French fries.

"I feel too sick to eat," Ron said, still a tad green.

"Now what do you call this sandwich thing?" Oliver said, holding up his bacon cheeseburger with no mayo.

"It's a hamburger with cheese," Harry said, knowing much about fast food, for he's seen Dudley greedily gobble such sandwiches.

"You mean like a ham and cheese sandwich?" Oliver said, then taking a bite out of it. "Tastes more like…beef?"

"It is beef," Hermione said. "I believe it's ground beef seasoned and grilled."

"So then why is it called a HAMburger?" Oliver asked Harry.

"I don't know. I never thought about that," Harry said. "I guess they're from Hamburg."

"No," Hermione said with an unnecessary lecture. "The first hamburger originated in America in the late 1800's, or at least the first sandwich made with grilled ground beef."

"So then it should be called an 'Americaner'," Oliver said. Hermione rolled her eyes and continued to eat her filet-o-fish sandwich. "And why is it "Ar-can-saw" (Arkansas) and "Can-zes" (Kansas) and not "Ar-can-zes" and "Can-saw"?"

"I dunno," Harry said. "Stupid American accents?"

"The wrong emPHAsis on the wrong syLLAble," Fred joked. (Heh, yeah we all know where that line's from, but who could resist?)

Oliver looked as if he was thinking hard and continued to question about the world. "And why do you park in a driveway and drive on a parkway? And why are Canadians called 'Canadians' and the Japanese called 'Japanese' and not 'Canadanese' and 'Japanian?'"

"Oliver, you ask too many questions," Harry said, taking a bite from his hot dog (or should I say Frankfurter?).

[A/N: Got a little bored and stuck with what to write, hehehe. Sorry if I made Oliver seem too stupid.]

***

"Percy…where exactly are we going?" Penny asked as she followed the line of wizards down the hallway. They passed many doors with different names like Department of Magical Game and Sport and the Department of the Witches Union and the Department of the Regulation and Control of Magical Creatures.

"To the Transportal room. Ever since their discovery, the Ministry has been using Transportals much more when travelling. They are much safer than apparating and broomsticks. I for one am glad that-"

"Yes, but where are we going from these Transportals?"

"Oh, America, weren't you listening?"

"Yes! I just mean where in America?"

"If you wanted to know an exact location you should have asked, 'Percy, darling, where in the United States will we be arriving once we have gone through the Transportal?'." Penny just rolled her eyes and gave up on the subject. They reached a door reading Department of Magical Sojourns and Travels. Mr. Cornwallis opened the door and the group found themselves in a very large and noisy room with numerous Transportals lining the walls. There was also a box of molding and falling-a-part portkeys and a rack with broomsticks that could accommodate any number of people. A large bay window which seemed to be made of a clear jelly let wizards and witches fly in and out on brooms. Near the back of the room were rows and rows of fireplaces all stacked on large shelves. Barrels of Floo Powder lay in front of them and wizards and witches continued popping in and out of them in wisps of green smoke.

"Ah, Mr. Sedgwick, I believe we have one for America?" Mr. Cornwallis asked a wizard standing by a Transportal, which had a view of an icy snow environment.

"Yes, you do," Mr. Sedgwick replied, looking down at a list in his clip board. "I'll open the network for Montana in just a second…I'm expecting a group from the Arctic any minute now…Ah, they're coming through. Please clear the way." Wizards draped in heavy furs were approaching the transportal and climbed through, relieved to get away from the harsh cold.

"Thanks, Mate. I think I froze off sum 'a me toes out there," a wizard said to Mr. Sedgwick. Once they left, Mr. Sedgwick fiddled with a small map posted by the Transportal. Soon the view changed to a sunny, warm, dense forest.

"Well, Cheerio! Come now men and Miss Clearwater! Montana, here we come!" Mr. Cornwallis said as each wizard and Penelope climbed through the portal.

I didn't fully proofread so sorry if there are some weird mistakes. Hehehe, I should be finishing Narrative of the Life of Frederick Douglass but I'm finishing this and posting it for you guys instead! I hope you liked this chapter. I may write Ch. 26 over the weekend, but my History teacher is after us for outlining Chapter 12. Ugh….anyway, Thank you for reading and for all your support! ºoº Have a Magical day! ºoº

Insaney: Thanx for joining the reading list! I'm glad you enjoy this story, I sure am! I hope the Tower of Terror chapter is satisfactory for you!

Crookykanks: Interesting talent. You must have very good hearing…hehehe…, but really, I'm glad you keep reading!

Chicpinay: thanx for the idea! It worked out well and I hope you keep reading!

Sailor Sol: Hehehehehehe, that's a weird coincidence! I had Ginny eat the same chicken you did, hehehe. Don't worry, I'm' probably more nerdier than you are…Like a Phoenix is great so far! It's not too bad and I'm not finding those loop holes. Oh well…Tomás hasn't been bad…yet…Thanx for reading!

Tiger Lily: Thanx for checking on this and I hope this chapter is long enough for you! Hehehe, I hope you liked it!

Hpfreak2001: Sorry for the cliffhanger! I hope you found this chapter satisfactory!

Putercat: Oops! Sorry for revealing your secret, hehehehe. I'll e-mail you soon when I find time. SO much to ask a cast member! It will be exciting! TTYL! Oh, and thanx for reading!!