Hey I know this took a while. I'm working in a place that has limited internet access. Also I keep getting ideas for new possible stories and I have to write a little of it so I don't forget. Also I spent half my weekend with internet watching a very potter sequel, you may find a couple allusions to it in here. Hope your having a great summer break everyone.
"So dad why did you want to go to this park?" Hermione asked. They had just had their bags checked at the entrance and walked into what looked like a giant out door shopping center.
"Well it looked like fun. The park is based on a movie lot in California. They are said to have a lot of rides that take you through how movies are made."
"Wicked." Harry said taking the map. "Hey what do you think that is?" He pointed to the left side of the city walk to a giant white wall the only thing you could see was that it had a green roller costar in it.
"They must be building another park. It must be hard to compete to Disney World who has 3 parks." Hermione said looking over at it.
"They're not very good competition if the crowd here is any thing to go by." Minerva said noticing how the crowds were much more manageable here.
"Now Minerva don't be judgmental. They just may have more room here." He said handing the man their tickets and a machine scanned their fingers.
"Sure." She said doubtfully. A bunch of Brazilian students pasted them heading up to the Nickelodeon studios. "Let's go to World Expo first Albus to beat the crowds." They took off through the Hollywood section and Woody's kid section to the world expo.
"Oh look Men in Black." Hermione pointed out.
"Yeah lets ride that first." Harry said. They quickly got into the queue. The point of the ride was to shoot as many aliens as you could, and Harry easily beat out the rest of them, with his seeker skills locating the aliens before anyone else. They also ran through the Back to the Future ride which Hermione had to explain to them. Next they headed to San Francisco and Albus participated in the Fear Factor live show and won to their amazement. They got a video copy of the little show, and a fear factor sweatshirt. After they were finished they headed to Earthquake, the big one, which freaked Hermione out a little bit. They headed out to eat lunch at Finnegan's Irish pub and restaurant; it was there the surprise happened. The server came up dressed in a green uniform.
"Hello, welcome to Finnegan's my name Shannon and I'll be your server…Professor McGonagall?" She asked. The Professor looked up startled.
"Shannon Murphy is that you?" Minerva asked with a smile. "I haven't seen you since you graduated a few years ago."
"Wow now this is a surprise I never thought I see anyone I knew here. What are you doing at a muggle theme park in Florida?"
"Well my daughter and her friend wanted to come and it sounded like fun. But what are you doing here? I thought you wanted to work in the international relations office at the Ministry."
"Well in some ways I am. See they like to have people from all over the world come and work here, in order to get the job at the Ministry they wanted me to travel the world. What better way then to work in a theme park."
"Well this is my daughter Hermione, her friend Harry, and my husband…"
"Alfred, nice to meet you." He lied smoothly shaking her hand.
"Wow talk about weird, well what would you like to drink." After taking their drink orders she left.
"I can't believe that's Miss Murphy." Albus said looking at Minerva.
"I know how odd."
"Who's that Mum?"
"One of my old students Shannon Murphy. She was in Ravenclaw and she graduated with Ronald's older brother Bill. There had been rumors she had left England but I never would have though she'd came here."
"That is weird," Harry said agreeing. "What are the odds of something like that happening?" Shannon came back with their drinks.
"This is amazing, have you enjoyed the park so far?" She asked.
"Oh, yes it's amazing." Harry said, causing Shannon to look at him for the first time. Her eyes widened.
"You're Harry Potter!" She said amazed, but she composed herself quickly. "Nice to meet you." She said formally. Harry who had cringed sighed and shook her hand.
"Nice to meet you." He said relieved she hadn't freaked out.
"I have an idea," she said. "What rides do you still have to go on?"
"The Studio Production Tour, Ghostbusters Spectacular, and we were going to watch the taping of Double Dare at Nickelodeon studios." Minerva told her.
"Would you mind coming back here around 4 that's when I get off and I want to show you something." Albus and Minerva shared a look.
"Sure thing."
(Brief AN: Now I am taking creative liberties with the time frame in this section, but bare with me.)
They meet Shannon outside the restaurant and they headed back through the New York section and Shannon led them down a way near Nickelodeon studios.
"Where are we going?" Hermione asked, going to walk next to Shannon.
"Well I'm sure you saw the giant wall when you headed into the park."
"Yes we thought it looked like there was going to be another park." Harry informed her.
"Well you're correct." She told them steering them through a door. "You see do to the fact the Walt Disney World has three theme parks, and rumors of a fourth one, the headquarters in California decided about 2 years ago to create another theme park. It would have a Port of Entry, and there would be 7 islands including the port. They're calling the theme park Islands of Adventure."
"So you're taking us to this park?" She asked eagerly. Shannon nodded.
"Oh, Shannon I can't ask you to do that for us." Minerva said to her former student. Shannon dismissed her.
"Don't worry Professor it's not a big deal. You see for the last month or so they have been getting random people to come and experience the park and give feedback."
"Free?" Albus asked.
"Yes, and since you have these two with you," She patting Harry and Hermione on the shoulder, "They are surely going to let you in." She walked them through another gate with a casual 'Hi Rick' to the guard. Eventually she led them to the base of the white wall.
"Welcome to Islands of Adventure."
As Shannon led them through the park, Minerva couldn't help but be amazed at the emptiness of it. They only saw the other occasional family like theirs and the cast members walking about. It was as if they had the whole park to themselves. The rode the green roller costar they had seen from the entrance, it was called the Hulk. Harry even bought him, and Ron as an after thought, some Spider man comics. The next island was called toon lagoon, and they rode a water ride. Next they headed to Jurassic Park where they rode yet another water ride called River Adventure. As they walked to the next section of the park they walked next to another white wall.
"What's that?" Hermione asked Shannon who both kids had decided they liked a lot.
"The 7th section of the park. It's planned to be the most important part of the park so big that they won't let anyone in. Even workers. I even heard that there not going to open it until next June, the 18th I think. This park is scheduled to open March 27th next year." They walked over a wooden bridge to get to the next section.
"Oh! I can hear the music." Hermione said putting here ear against the wall.
"Yeah, I come and eat my lunch here sometimes just to listen to this music. I keep asking Mike, one of the head producers, if he can get me a copy of the CD but no luck." The kids both looked up the wall.
"You know it kinda looks like Hogwarts." Hermione said craning her head to get a better look.
"It does!" Harry said with a laugh as they stole Albus' camera to get a picture of it. Minerva snatched the camera away from them and looked up at it.
"It looks absolutely nothing like Hogwarts." She said looking at them like they're crazy. Albus looked at it too.
"You're completely right my dear." He said letting her walk in front of him. He turned to the kids and shook his head and mouthed 'it looks just like Hogwarts' causing them to giggle. The next section was called the Lost Continent. They thought it was cool, it had a section called Merlinwood, that had a dueling dragon costar that had two costars going at the same time, and they came within 10 feet of each other. Rubbing their eyes Harry and Hermione slumped through Poseidon's fury, which Hermione wasn't as pleased with as other rides. Minerva thought it was just because they had to walk from room to room, and Hermione was tired. Skipping the final section, the Dr. Suess land, they finally arrived back at the entrance.
"Thank you for all of this Shannon." Minerva said gratefully as they finally sat down for dinner, at a restaurant in the Citywalk area. Harry and Hermione were drawing on the kids menu page sleepily after they had all eaten their food.
"No problem Professor, it was nice to see a familiar face from back home. Have you had a chance to see the wizarding village near by? That's where my apartment is."
"We were hoping to go tomorrow." Albus told her.
"You'll love it, not as grand as Diagon Alley or Hogsmeade to be sure, but it's got more of a new age flare to it. They have a pizzeria that…" She was cut off by laughter from Harry. Hermione was blushing a bright red.
"I like my picture." She said pouting. Harry leaped up and showed them the picture; it kind of looked like a cat.
"Hermione can't draw." He said with a grin.
"You're picture is no better Harry."
"Yes it is notice the shading." He said pointing to his picture of Mickey Mouse.
"It's not that good." Hermione said with a frown and a glare. Minerva rubbed her back to calm her down, it had been a long day, and it was already 9 at night. Harry wouldn't be deterred though.
"Hermione can't draw, Hermione can't draw, Hermione cannot draw. She only reads books and she cannot draw… ugh… even if she reading a how to draw book." He sang happily and a bit to cheery for so late. Minerva called the waitress over with the check.
"And I think that is a good sign that we should be heading out." She said still rubbing Hermione's back who was now fighting some tears. "I'm sorry Shannon, but their getting tired. How I don't know, they can stay up all hours at school but here their tired." Shannon just laughed.
"This heat and two theme parks can be tiring, it's no problem Minerva." She had been asked to call the Minerva and 'Alfred'.
"Well thank you for a great day." Albus said shaking her hand. Minerva gave her former student a quick hug, before leading Hermione into the bathroom to apparate away.
"I liked my drawing." The girl said sadly.
"I thought it was very nice." Minerva said with a chuckle. "And I think some one's going to bed when we get back."
"I'm not tired." She complained.
"Sure sweetie." Was the last thing she said before apparating back to the hotel.
Sorry this took so long and it wasn't that big. But I worked 47 hours this week. YAH! And I bought an ipod touch because if I didn't tell you guys, my car got broken into at work, they smashed my window and stole my ipod and camera in June, so I've been music deprived. And I have band camp tomorrow for 6 hours, I am luckier then other schools though. One other local school goes for 2 weeks I go for 2 days. Any way please review I know it's not the best chapter and I don't own a very potter sequel.