Symbiosis 8

AN: Thanks for all the great reviews! I appreciate it. Oh, this amusement park is based on an American one as I've never been to England but I'm sure that doesn't really matter.

The next day dawned and the sun rose over the horizon, the weak steams of light waking Hermoine from her slumber. Remembering the planned trip to the amusement park, she quickly showered and dressed in record time. After fastening her still damp hair into a secure ponytail she dashed out of her assigned room to wake the others. She had no difficulties waking Harry, as he still partly feared a nighttime attack by masked Death Eaters, as the Boy Who Lived still didn't trust the Malfoys. She shook her head and shooed him into the bathroom to prepare for the long adventure filled day. She also found Draco's bedroom and dashed right in, waking the blonde Slytherin while ignoring his complaints that the sun wasn't up yet. Hermoine also made sure the Purebloods were dressed appropriately to fit in among the Muggles. Draco wore a black T-shirt and black pants he had in his wardrobe; his father dressing similarly. Without the long robes both Malfoys easily fitted in. Even Narcissa had found an acceptable outfit within her huge wardrobe: a designer short sleeved dark blue top with black pants. So after a quick breakfast and making sure both Lucius and Narcissa had secured their long hair with black ribbons, they had set off to their destination.

It was just after seven AM when they arrived at the Muggle amusement park, the huge paved parking lot almost empty. Lucius parked the invisible Malfoy carriage and placed another spell on it as well, one that would stop any Muggles from trying to park their cars in his spot. He had used it many times in the past and it was quite common among the wizard community who used their own carriages still instead of flue powder or the knight bus. The doors opened and the five of them stepped out.

Draco gawked at the seemingly never-ending Muggle chain-link fence that surrounded the place, a gate visible in the near distance. Tall colorful flags flapped over the gate, each on the top of their own metal pole. But the thing that attracted his attention the most was the thing made from metal that stuck up high above the fence. It gleamed white in the sun and had what could only be termed loops in its structure. He immediately pointed at the thing. "What in Merlin is that thing?"

"It's a roller coaster, of coarse!" Hermoine replied with a smirk on her face. She watched Draco's gray eyes widen in shock and he turned to look at her, his eyes narrowing.

"Granger, you don't seriously think we're going on that thing, do you? I mean that's just insane! I mean, look at it!" He waved his arm in the general direction of the roller coaster. A strange sound reached his ears and he turned to watch as a long line of empty cars slowly climbed to the top of the white roller coaster. With infinite slowness they inched over the steep hill and zoomed down the track and shot through the loops and corkscrews.

Narcissa gaped open mouthed and even Lucius appeared shocked as they observed the empty cars travel along the twisting and turning track.

Hermoine gripped Draco firmly by his wrist and started hauling him towards the distant gate. "They're testing the rides! Let's hurry up and buy our tickets so we can go in! It's not too crowded yet because we got here early so we can go on the best ride first! Later the lines will be really long and then we'll have to wait. But if we hurry we'll get there first."

Draco eyed the white looped roller coaster with clear distaste and a lot of fear. "I hope that's not the best one…"

"Of course not! Don't be ridiculous!" Hermoine released him near the entrance gate and accepted a thick wad of Muggle currency from Lucius. She quickly sorted it out and bought five tickets. After handing out the tickets, she led them to the turnstile. "Now you just push through this gate here and hand the Muggle your ticket. The turnstile will move when your body pushes on it so it's nothing to worry about…"

After they all had entered the park successfully, they could see the towering white roller coaster much better. It was secure behind more chain-like fences and an open gateway showed where one could enter the ride. A thick strip of grass grew under portions of the steel ride while a sign was posted out front. The ride's name, The Whirlwind, was in gigantic three-dimensional letters. The paved path they stood on forked in several directions and the loud rumblings from several different rides filled the air. Other strange objects rose mysteriously from above the treetops in many different directions and the Purebloods didn't know what to gawk or glare at. The paths were lined with colorful flowers planted in beds and fancy old-fashioned light poles of cast iron. Other poles held hanging baskets of trailing greenery and blooming buds. The park was well landscaped with many areas looking like a well cared for garden.

Narcissa glared at The Whirlwind, a sour expression on her face. "Why do Muggles build such awful things? The rumbling alone is enough to wake the dead! And it's a horrendous eyesore!"

"But they're fun!" Hermoine exclaimed, the excitement clear in her voice and a sparkle in her eyes. "That's a modern roller coaster as you can see it's made out of steel. The old-fashioned wooden ones are much more fun! Now lets hurry over to The Eagle so we can be the first in line!"

With a last nervous glance at The Whirlwind, Harry followed Hermoine down the right hand path. Like the Malfoys, Harry had never visited an amusement park either and his green eyes flickered everywhere. As they walked he saw souvenir shops, eating areas that sported tables with colorful umbrellas and what appeared to be games where you could win prizes. Small booths scattered through the park sold cold drinks, snacks and assorted types of Muggle candy. The mouth-watering scent of roasting meats started to fill the air and although he had recently eaten, Harry licked his lips. But most of all his eyes were drawn to the weird rides that seemed to be everywhere.

Hermoine stopped, smiling. "Well, there it is! The Eagle! So, what do you guys think?"

"Where?" Draco asked as he glanced around in confusion. "I don't see one of those weird things…"

Hermoine laughed, throwing an arm around his shoulders and pointing at the towering white infrastructure that rose in front of them and seemed to go on forever. "It's right there!"

"That? Granger, you must be crazy!" Draco shoved her arm off and backed away. The indicated ride rose high up into the air, so high that he had to stare practically straight up to see the top. The neatly painted crisscrossed boards formed smooth hills and deep dips designed to give the rider a sensation of flight. Bright red flags waved from the tallest hill, the material flapping in a strong breeze. Although Draco didn't know it, The Eagle was a double track coaster that allowed two separate cars to race each other although this always didn't happen. The first hill was also incredibly steep and almost appeared vertical, especially when you were sitting in the car and looking down from the top. "That thing must be over one hundred feet tall! You think I'm going to trust some crazy Muggle contraption with my life at that height?"

Hermoine laughed. "Oh, it's much taller than a mere hundred feet, Draco! It's one hundred and twenty-five feet!"

Narcissa clung to her husband's arm as she stared fearfully at the roller coaster. "Lucius, we're not going to go on that awful thing, are we? It's so … so … Muggle! We could be killed! Why, who knows what that horrible device might do to us?"

Although Lucius didn't want to admit it, he was also nervous and his stomach twirled uncomfortably. When he had agreed to go to the amusement park he really had no clear idea what the place was or what rides were. This place was nothing like the zoo. But now that he had seen some of them he was beginning to get a slight idea that Muggles really were insane. Why else would they build these things and voluntarily go on them? Swallowing the lump in his throat, he spoke bravely. "Narcissa, I'm sure it will be fine."

"Relax!" Hermoine said with a big grin on her face. "It'll be fine! It's like a train, really!"

Harry's green eyes scanned the nearby area. Other people had started to appear with a few here and a few there. One in particular caught his eye: a man walking by himself. He had thinning brown hair and wore fading clothes but something about him seemed awfully familiar. But before Harry could determine whom it was he disappeared into the gateway for The Eagle.

"Come on!" Hermoine led them through the gateway and they were forced to walk a long zigzagging path between ropes. Loud music with a rhythmic beat played from speakers that were placed high up overhead. Draco raised an eyebrow at the music that seemed to come from the air itself, as he didn't know what the black boxes on posts were. The path rose up a slight curved incline and now the infrastructure itself was directly ahead, a square opening allowing people to pass by underneath. Hermoine dashed through it without hesitation. She paused and glanced behind when she realized the Purebloods had stopped and were staring up at the coaster itself.

"How do Muggles build such a thing without magic?" Lucius asked as he gazed at the thick white square boards that formed the ride. They were positioned at angles to each other and held in place with large metal bolts. Since they were still alone he was free to speak of magic. "Why doesn't it collapse?"

Hermoine shrugged. "It's technology and engineering I guess…"

The Malfoys cautiously moved under the complex structure, their eyes peering up more than a bit fearfully. Then a loud rumbling filled the air. The sound grew louder and louder until it rolled like thunder, the sound coming from overhead.

"Aahhhhhh!" Draco shrieked and dashed forward as quick as he could, convinced the whole thing was ready to collapse onto his head.

Narcissa pressed her face against her husband's shoulder and tightened her grip on his arm. Lucius' heart sped up at the sound but he was clever enough to watch Hermoine whom he noted didn't look worried at all. In fact, she appeared to have expected the sound.

Harry had glanced up at the sound but continued forward at his normal fast pace.

"It's just the coaster passing by overhead!" Hermoine laughed. "The cars ride on a track like a train and the wheels make noise…"

Draco snarled at her, angry that he had panicked at the odd sound. "I knew that! Let's hurry up and get there already! And what's all these stupid ropes we have to walk between, this zigzagging?"

"Later the place will be packed with people and everyone has to wait their turn. Now we all need to decide whom we're going to sit with. The seats in the car can hold two people…" Hermoine led them up wooden stairs and then they reached the boarding station. She turned to the blonde Slytherin. "Draco, do you want to ride with me?"

"Yeah, I guess so." Draco agreed. Now that he was here the wasps were back in his stomach again. He allowed Hermoine to grip his wrist again and she led him over to something that reminded him of a horse stall. Metal railings spaced equally apart ran the length of the boarding platform and she shoved him into the first one, directing Lucius and Narcissa into the next one over.

Harry, meanwhile, ignored the exchange as his eyes were firmly locked on the man he had spotted earlier. The man patiently waited in the third stall. "Professor? Professor Lupin?"

"Harry?" Remus Lupin turned and a wide grin spread over his face. "What are you doing here? Come over here and we can ride together! I was convinced I'd have to spend a miserable day by myself and here you show up!"

Harry ran forward and threw his arms around Lupin and hugged him tightly. After pulling apart, he happily gazed at the best DADA teacher he ever had. "What are you doing here Professor?"

"Well Harry, I'm not your Professor anymore so I guess you can just call me Remus." The werewolf smiled as he gazed upon one of his best students. "As for what I'm doing here, well, Sirius and I used to come here all the time. We used to have a blast riding this thing! But now we can ride it together, huh?"

"I'd like that." Harry replied, a sad smile on his face.

Lucius and Narcissa stared at the poorly dressed man who stood next to them on the other side of the metal railing talking to Harry. They both frowned in clear distaste at his ragged clothing but it was clear Harry knew him well. A loud clicking was heard and they shifted their eyes to the front to see the long string of cars rolling up. It stopped in front of them and the little colored pole in front of them opened so they could board the Muggle vehicle.

Hermoine scrambled into the very first seat in front and moved to the far side, patting the seat next to her. "Get in!"

The blonde Slytherin glanced at his father uncertainly.

"You will have to be brave, Draco." Lucius remarked as he carefully climbed into the seat directly behind Hermoine. "If these Muggles can survive this I'm sure we can. We are superior to them are we not?"

"Of course, Father." He quickly joined Hermoine in the front car and glanced around. The seat was smooth and slightly warm from the morning sun. A strange metal bar was in front of them and he watched silently as she pulled it down over their hips. The front of the car dipped down somewhat and he could see the track in front. He felt the vibrations of other people boarding the odd train and he leaned back in his seat slightly nervous.

Hermoine twisted around partway so she could see Lucius and Narcissa behind them. "Pull the metal bar down over your laps."

Lucius did so and it clicked in place. A few moments later a man came by and checked that all the metal bars were secure. When he was satisfied he disappeared again from wherever he had come from. The senior Malfoy glanced around with interest, his wife sitting next to him. He had brought his snake-headed cane with him as he wasn't about to go anywhere without his wand, Muggles or no Muggles. He tightened his grip on it now and leaned forward slightly. "What will happen now?"

As if on cue, the train rolled forward smoothly and went down a slight incline, picking up speed. It traveled along a large curve and headed for a steep hill. Draco stared wide-eyed at the rise before them and then he found himself leaning backward heavily against the seat as the whole thing moved upward. When he glanced off to his right he saw only empty air and he tremor of fear passed through his body. Heights didn't bother the teenage Slytherin; if they did he certainly would be the Seeker on the House team. But he trusted his broom; it was familiar. But Muggles had built this thing and he was uncertain if he could trust Muggles. The cars climbed higher and soon he could see a bird's eye view of the entire park. The buildings and other ride down below looked like miniature toys instead of large full-size objects. The top of the hill was rapidly approaching and he suddenly remembered the steep drop he had seen from the ground. Surely they weren't going to go down that hill, were they?

"Hang on!" Hermoine instructed him as the coaster slowly inched over the curved top.

Draco attempted to swallow but his mouth had gone dry and he clung to the front part of the coaster with white knuckles. Then inch-by-inch it slipped over the mound and he found himself staring straight down. The sensation that he would tumble from his seat filled him; it seemed impossible that he wouldn't. The car balanced that way for what seemed forever but was in fact just a few seconds. Then gravity won and the cars plummeted down with incredible speed. The wind whipped his hair off his forehead and he felt his body rise up from the surface of the seat as he was momentarily weightless, the metal bar over his lap keeping him in place. Draco screamed in terror as he was convinced he was about to die.

Lucius and Narcissa screamed as well, the view straight down at the track frightening. Both clung with desperation to the bar that was on the back of the seat in front of them. In the seat behind the two Malfoys, Lupin laughed gleefully and Harry clung to the ride with utter horror, convinced that The Eagle was far worse than Voldemort.

Then the ride reached the bottom and lurched violently as it sped up the next rise. Hermoine shrieked joyfully and stuck both hands high in the air. The cars sped down another hill and then around a curve. Draco found his body shoved against Hermoine from the speed and it was all he could do to hang on. The roar of the wheels was loud in his ears and the wind in his face. Then the ride raced through the infrastructure before hopping up and down more hills. It went into a tight turn that seemed to spiral further downward before passing through the infrastructure again. He was becoming convinced that the mad Muggle ride would never end but the cars passed over something and he felt a jerk as the train slowed. By the time they rolled into the station again they were almost to a complete stop. The metal bar holding him inside the car clicked and Hermoine pushed it up. She happily scrambled out and motioned him to follow her.

Hermoine led their little party out and once they reached the main thoroughfare again she stopped to look at them expectantly. "So? What did you think?"

Draco raised a cultured eyebrow. "Are the other rides like that?"

"Well, some of them are." Hermoine replied as she watched them carefully for some kind of reaction. The problem was that the Malfoys were experienced at hiding their emotions so it was hard to tell what they were feeling. Lupin was obviously in a good mood and Harry seemed quite excited so it was clear he had enjoyed the ride. "Others are a tad slow…"

"And we can go on these rides as much as we want?" Draco asked as he waited impatiently for her to reply. When he saw her nod he reached out and firmly gripped her wrist. "Come on, Granger."

Hermoine stumbled along behind him until she caught up to his longer-legged pace. "Where are we going?"

But the answer was clear enough when he dragged her through the gateway for The Eagle. The others glanced at each other and quickly broke out into a mad dash back to the ride. The place still wasn't crowded so they could run through the pathway up to the ride but it wouldn't stay that way for long.

To be continued…

AN: Well, I hope that was OK. The Eagle is based on a real ride and I tried to make it as realistic as I could. It's actually my favorite roller coaster. Since I had an uneven number of people I brought Lupin into the story. I'm uncertain what Harry calls Lupin when he's not a teacher. So can anyone tell me if he goes by 'Remus' or 'Lupin'?