Disclaimer- Harry and co are not from my imagination, they come from the great mind that is J.K Rowling. If you see any characters and don't identify them from HP, they belong to me. I also don't own any shops, shop chains, and restaurants.

Chapter Eight –

The three males entered the baggage reclaim area in JFK Airport. Sirius, being slightly older, was tired, while Harry and Draco had seemingly unending energy. They were all glad that they were only there for 7 nights, and so didn't really have too much luggage. Especially since Sirius had insisted that they do the trip 'the Muggle way'. They knew that they had to get to the subway station, and get to

58th Street.

They enquired at the information desk, where a bored looking employee told them to take the airtrain. He pointed the way, and they walked outside, following the airtrain signs. The Airtrain was like a monorail, which appeared to circle all of the airport terminals and go to and from the nearest subway station. They caught this, and when they arrived at the airtrain station, they all paid their fares, and Sirius paid for three 7-day subway passes. They then made their way to the subway station.

"So, to get to 72nd Street, it looks like we have to get a subway three stops, then change and go another two stops. Simple!" Sirius exclaimed, looking at his guidebook. Harry and Draco exchanged a glance, and smiled. The first thing they all saw when they arrived was the large sign instructing them to watch their luggage. They stepped onto the escalator, which had become Draco's new favourite way of going up and downstairs.

The subway train was along in a few moments, and the three of them were soon hurtling along under the city, loving every minute. Three stops later, they emerged into another station, and looked at the sign. Sirius consulted his book.

"Well, I can't see this station anywhere on this map." He sounded slightly put out.

"Why don't we just get on the next train-thingy that comes along, and get out when we see a stop that is in the book?" Draco asked.

The next train was soon pulling in, and this time, they spent a long while on the subway train. Finally, they saw the stop they needed, and hopped out. Harry was now the one in charge of the guidebook.

"Okay, so we need to go uptown two stops to 72nd Street." They looked, and found they needed the platform on the other side, so they hauled their suitcases up some stairs, then down the other side, and looked at the signs suspended from the ceiling. They waited for about 5 minutes, and a train pulled in. All the passengers piled into the carriages, and Harry noticed that this carriage was in a lot better shape than the train they had just got off. The train stopped at the next stop, and Harry whispered to Draco that it was the next stop.

But, the train didn't stop at the station. They whizzed through on the middle track. Draco turned to Harry, looking panicked.

"It was supposed to stop!"

A large woman sitting opposite them spoke up. "This is an express train honey; don't stop 'til 125th now."

Harry looked over to her. "How come we got onto an express train?"

"Well, did you not notice the signs in the station you got on at as you came down the stairs? They should be two signs, one points to one side of the platform for the local service, one points to the express side. Usually the express trains will be the two tracks in the middle. If a station has four tracks, but it only has platforms for two tracks, the trains in the middle will usually be express trains that don't stop there."

Harry, Draco and Sirius had only just managed to take all of this in. The must have still looked dumbfounded, because the woman offered to show them where they needed to go. They very gratefully accepted.

Finally, they reached 125th Street, and exited the subway train. They then had to haul their luggage up more stairs, and the woman followed them to the top of the next set of stairs. She pointed to the signs saying 'Express' and 'Local', and the three males thanked her profusely.

Sirius, Harry and Draco finally made it to their hotel, and checked in. They were in the same room, and after checking the hotel out, they decided to brave the subway again and go out for something to eat. Harry and Draco wanted to go to Planet Hollywood. Harry had looked in the book, and had looked at the subway map they had picked up when they had checked in.

"It's very simple. We have to go back to where we got off the subway, and go downtown four stops on the orange line, then we have to get the yellow like uptown three stops."

They were discussing this as they went downstairs in the lift, when a man in the lift turned to them.

"Excuse me? I couldn't help overhearing. You know if you go a block in the other direction to the orange and blue line station, you come to a red line station? I wondered if that might help you instead?"

Harry grabbed the book back from Draco, who looked slightly annoyed, as he had been looking for stuff to do the next day. Harry then looked at the subway map in the back.

"Thank you, that way is better. We didn't know about that station."

"No problem."

They exited the lift, and turned left outside the hotel, and sure enough, they came to a station on the red line. The train was soon pulling out of the station, and Harry, Draco and Sirius found negotiating the station change a lot easier without heavy suitcases.

They soon pulled into the station they needed, and stepped onto the platform. Harry and Draco grinned at each other: they were about to get their first taste of New York City life!

A/N – so, this chapter was loosely based on my first subway trip from JFK airport back in September. This did actually happen to me, although I was going to 103rd street, and I was alone at 8 at night!

Anyone who has the HP-POA DVD (possibly just in the UK) – is it me or have they cut even more of it for the DVD? I felt there were bits missing that I'm sure I saw in the cinema.

Thanks so much to the chapter 7 reviewers!

Immortal Tears of – Thank you! I hope this chapter feeds your chapter hunger for a little while!

Deathangelofdarkness – Thanks! I like your name!

Queen Zephora Yami – Thank you!

SmoothNcreamy- Thanks!

Elebereth – thank you!