Hogwarts OverExposed - Salazar's Return

Hogwarts OverExposed - Salazar's Return

"But Muggle technology isn't foolproof," Hermione maintained. "Electricity can fail and computers develop glitches and programs stop working."

"Certainly all that is feasible," Dr. Soderbergh admitted, but we have taken every conceivable precaution. We have a secondary backup system in place and even that system has built in fail-safes."

"Nothing can be made one hundred percent foolproof," Hermione insisted.

"I agree," the doctor conceded with a deep sigh, "but we have done everything wizardly possible to insure the integrity of our security system. We feel confident that we are prepared for any eventuality. For our system to fail it would have to be a case of deliberate systematically planned sabotage. Honestly," he laughed, "who would ever consider such an act of hostility against a zoological park?"

At this statement, Ron, Harry and Hermione exchanged troubled looks.

Chapter Twenty-three
No Where to Go

Dr. Soderbergh suggested that they all sit back, relax and enjoy the scenery, since the drive to the hotel, which was located near the center of the circular shaped island, would require about twenty-five minutes time. Hermione, though, glanced briefly at the vehicle's speedometer and then made some quick mental calculations.

"Doctor, is the entire coast line of the island secured by electrified wards and spells?" she questioned. "The expense to install nearly one hundred twenty miles of such high tech security would seem to be astronomical."

Dr. Soderbergh appeared momentarily dumbfounded by Hermione's knowledgeable query, but quickly regained his composure. "I see that the accounts of your intelligence are not over exaggerated," he replied with an indulgent smile.

"Our original strategy was to fully enclose the island, but as you surmised, the cost was plainly overwhelming. Instead we opted to divide the island in half," he explained. "Creatures with a classification of XXX or below are allowed to freely roam this on side of the island; those categorized XXXX and above are secured beyond the barrier."

"What about the outer limits?" she asked nervously. "What prevents the beasts from swimming by way of the ocean to this side or for that matter leaving the island entirely?"

"Most of our creatures are not well adapted to swimming, but still we have erected barriers that extend well into the ocean so that they cannot reach this side of the island. As for leaving the island entirely... There is no place to go," Soderbergh emphasized. "This is a remote uncharted island. Furthermore the beasts such as dragons and griffins, that can fly, are maintained in separate areas from which escape by flight is out of the question."

"It seems that you've covered every eventuality," Hermione conceded, although her voice did not sound as yet completely convinced.

"We feel that we have," Dr. Soderbergh proclaimed confidently.

Although the contestants from both teams had gotten to know each other remarkably well throughout the course of the year, they nevertheless had still chosen to group as teams for the ride to the hotel. Caitlin had been searching for signs of any magical creatures, not paying much attention to the other occupants of her transport vehicle.

"This place is worse than a Muggle zoo," Caitlin commented, turning to truly look at Kim for the first time since they had climbed into the land rover. "There is too much ground covering in which to hide. I haven't seen a single beast yet."

She stared at Kim incredulously. "Why are you sitting with your hands like that?" Caitlin asked.

Kim was sitting with her left hand covering her crotch and her right hand and arm held across her chest.

"Didn't you feel it?" Kim asked.

"Feel what? Caitlin rejoined.

"Every so often I feel a strange twinge," Kim explained. "I think it's from the electrified wards. I'm afraid they might cancel out the concealment charm. Remember how the Hogwarts wards affected you and Emily last summer?"

Caitlin laughed.

"What's so funny?" Kim asked indignantly.

"You," Caitlin answered. "You've gone on a nudist cruise and have been seen naked by numerous people since then; you've even had nude posters of yourself displayed throughout the castle, yet you're still shy and modest about your body. Personally, I'd much prefer being seen nude than in this degrading, provocative costume." She glanced down at her own body.

"Yeah, I guess I am being rather silly," Kim responded, dropping her arms to her side. "If Nora can get comfortable with being seen naked by Bancroft, I should stop acting all timid and shy."

"Nora?" Caitlin questioned, a perplexed expression on her face. She turned her head and glanced to the rear seat of the vehicle where Nora was sitting snuggled next to, of all people, Dick Bancroft. They were holding hands and Dick's other arm was around the normally timid girl's shoulder.

"I don't believe it," Caitlin gasped. "Nora and Bancroft; talk about opposites attracting."

"Yeah! But at least she has someone," Kim replied mournfully.

"I'm not sure if I'd be jealous if I were you," Caitlin answered. "Unless Bancroft does a one-eighty, I think I'd prefer to be unattached rather than with him. Besides, what do you mean? I thought you were still dangling two boy friends?"

"Past tense," Kim replied sadly. "I'm afraid that I screwed that up big time. Randy dumped me because I couldn't make a choice between him and Brian. Then Brian decided that although he had strong feelings for me, it was ridiculous for the two of us to get serious at such a young age, especially with an ocean normally separating us."

"I'm sorry," Caitlin said genuinely, "but I guess Brian does have a valid point."

"I know," Kim admitted regretfully. "Plus, I think he has feelings for Debby. I imagine she likes him too, but neither one of them will own up to it. They're best friends and I think both are afraid to jeopardize their friendship by trying to be more."

"Been there, done that," Caitlin responded briskly. "Matt, Randy and I were also best friends, now Matt and I barely speak."

"But you have Evan and he adores you."

"He is very special," Caitlin said, a smile covering her face. "I know we doubtless make a rather odd looking couple, but I don't care." She bit her lip and then shook her head. "I think he might be the one. Of course, I once thought that about Matt and was proved wrong. I guess only time will tell."

"At least you have a chance to find out," Kim replied disconsolately.

"You'll find someone special," Caitlin said encouragingly.

"All the good ones are already taken," Kim responded dejectedly.

"Give it time. Relationships don't always work out," Caitlin said. "You and I are living proof of that. Maybe a relationship will falter and one of those so-called good ones will become available."

"This bond won't," Kim said, "and I don't want it to. They're perfect together. It's just that when he touched me, I thought I would melt."

Caitlin gave Kim a penetrating look. "Exactly whom are we talking about?" she asked concernedly.

Kim hesitated and then replied uncomfortably, "Tyler."

"Emily's Tyler?" Caitlin replied, horror-struck. "But she's my sister; your best friend."

"I know," Kim answered nervously. "That's why you must promise to never tell her. I'd sooner die than risk the possibility of losing her friendship."

Caitlin stared penetratingly at Kim for a few moments then asked, "What did you mean by him touching you? Were Tyler and you fooling around? Did he somehow cheat on Emily with you behind her back?"

"Oh, no! Tyler would never deceive Emily. He adores her," Kim insisted. "And even if he wanted to, I'd never let it happen. It was all completely innocent. Emily was even there when it happened."

Caitlin stared at Kim, a look of total bewilderment impressed on her face. "I'm confused. Perhaps you should tell me exactly what happened."

Kim blushed crimson. "Did Emily tell you about the experimentation that we conducted in Professor Weasley's class?"

"Are you referring to when you took Polyjuice and all changed sex?" Caitlin inquired.

Kim nodded meekly.

"I wish I had been able to do that," Caitlin stated enviously. "Emily said it was really neat getting to be a boy for a short time."

"Sometimes I think Emily would have been happier being born a boy," Kim sighed, a trace of exasperation unmistakable in her voice. "I've never known a girl to be so captivated by the male sex organ."

"Yeah," Caitlin agreed with a laugh. "Jamie says that Emily has been enthralled by the male penis ever since she was a toddler. Her birth parents thought it was just a phase that she would grow out of, but evidently she hasn't. Anyway, what does this all have to do with you and Tyler?"

"Well," Kim began, "Tyler, Emily and I all took the potion together in the Room of Requirement. We thought it would be amusing to watch each other transform, but in reality it made us more nervous. Tyler didn't like looking at us as naked boys. It made him feel gay and Emily was uncomfortable with Tyler checking out his temporary female form."

"She told me about you substituting Denise's hair," Caitlin admitted uncertainly. "That was a truly inspired prank, but I can understand Emily being worried about Tyler getting to be so familiar with Denise's body."

"Isn't it ridiculous? Emily actually regards Denise as a rival. You'd think that by now she'd realize that Tyler has eyes for no one but her," Kim proclaimed. "Anyway, getting back to the testing. We were supposed to take three doses of the potion and really get acquainted with our temporary bodies. You know, touch and examine ourselves thoroughly, but Emily and Tyler both wanted to cut the test short."

"That surprises me," Caitlin responded. "I would have expected Emily to enjoy being in a boy's body."

"Oh, she did," Kim replied, "but like I said, she was nervous about Tyler getting too familiar with Denise's figure. I hate to admit it, but Denise is nicely proportioned."

"I doubt either you or Emily have anything to agonize about," Caitlin said.

"Maybe not," Kim answered, blushing, "but Emily still considers herself a tomboy. She has no idea how hot the boys think she is."

"But Emily said you had to write a two foot parchment on body differences and how your temporary features felt and reacted. How could you do that if you cut the experiment short?" Caitlin asked.

"We examined each other," Kim answered uncomfortably, her face blushing copiously.

"You and Emily actually both examined and touched Tyler intimately?" Caitlin asked, her face bearing a shocked expression.

Kim nodded meekly. "It got Tyler exceedingly excited having two girls touch him simultaneously. He had sort of a mishap."

Caitlin stared inquiringly at Kim; part of her wanting a full explanation of just what Kim meant by an accident; the other part of her, in truth, preferring to remain ignorant.

"When you finished with Tyler, did he examine you and Emily?" Caitlin asked fretfully.

"Not exactly," Kim began meekly. "It was necessary for both Emily and I to examine Tyler because he was the only boy present, but there was no need for him to inspect both of us; girls might be built differently, but the parts are essentially the same."

Caitlin sighed. "So he just inspected my sister while you sat back and watched?"

"Not exactly," Kim muttered. "Tyler and Emily thought that their close feelings for each other would make it difficult to maintain a controlled situation."

Caitlin was stunned. "Are you saying that he examined you?" she asked, taken aback. "How did you feel about him doing that?"

"Scared and nervous," Kim replied. "I'd never been touched intimately before, but it somehow all seemed logical. This wasn't sexual, we were doing research for a class project and clearly Emily and Tyler would be unable to maintain a methodical approach."

"And you thought you could?" Caitlin asked, astonished.

"I did until he fingered me down there," Kim confessed. "It might have been totally scientific to him, but I didn't want him to ever stop touching me. He was so gentle and it felt so good."

Caitlin was bowled over. "Exactly how far did you guys carry out this testing?" she questioned apprehensively. "You didn't do anything more than touch, did you?"

"No!" Kim answered. Although her voice was empathic, it also sounded slightly disappointed. "We didn't do anything more than what a person could do by themselves."

Caitlin pondered all this newly acquired information for a short time before responding discreetly to Kim. "I've never been touched there by a boy. Evan once innocently placed his hand on my bare upper thigh and that was enough to cause me to break out in a nervous sweat. I can understand you being aroused, but don't be too swift to equate sexual arousal with love."

"Do you think I was reacting more to what Tyler was doing to me than actual feelings I have for him?" Kim asked.

"I don't know," Caitlin responded, shrugging her shoulders, "but you're currently in a terrible, no-win, position. The worst thing would be to react without being sure of your true feelings. At this point you seem to have a lot more to lose than to gain."

"Yeah," Kim agreed sadly. "I wish I had Divination so that I could see the future in a crystal ball."

"I have Divination and thus far all I've ever seen in the crystal is clouds and my own reflection," Caitlin sighed. "Trelawney says that my inner eye is nonexistent. Mum and Dad told me not to fret about it. They say that I should just live properly today and the future will take care of itself."

"Look!" Jamie yelled excitedly, catching everyone's attention. "It's a Niffler village."

Dr. Soderbergh signaled and the three vehicles came to an abrupt halt.

"I wish all of our creatures were as obliging as those little buggers," Soderbergh said happily. "They build their towns right out in plain sight next to the road. They actually seem to like people and attention." The doctor placed his wand at his throat in order to amplify his voice. "If you'd like to get out and observe the Nifflers at close range, feel free to do so. I would, however suggest that you first remove any shinny or glittery objects because of the Nifflers' predilection for such objects."

The Niffler is native to Britain. The animal is fluffy, black and long-snouted. Although the Niffler is gentle and even affectionate, because of its burrowing nature, it can be destructive to belongings and should never be kept in a house. Goblins often keep Nifflers to burrow deep into the earth for treasure.

"You'll notice that we have a number of new pups," the doctor announced. "Many of our females recently gave birth to litters ranging in size from six to eight."

The students spent several minutes cuddling the newborns until they were finally gathered back onto their conveyances.

"I know you'd like to spend more time with these lovable creatures," Soderbergh said kindly, "but we must be moving along. I would like you to have a few hours to enjoy the many amenities the resort has to offer before we sit down to lunch. Speaking of which, lunch will be served in the main dining room at one o'clock. Please feel free to dress comfortably for lunch and the tour of the park this afternoon. It is not necessary for you to wear your unique competition uniforms."

Rishard glared angrily at Soderbergh as if he had just uttered one of the three unforgivable curses, but he resisted making any comments as they continued their journey. After a few minutes more the vehicles passed through an ornate gate and they got their first view of the beautiful sprawling resort hotel.

* * * * * *

"Wow! This room is great," Caitlin exclaimed, canceling the concealment charm as soon as the door closed behind her. "Look at the size of these beds. They make our old four posters back at Hogwarts seem dinky."

"They are by comparison," Kim declared. "I imagine that these rooms are designed to accommodate a family of four." Kim likewise canceled her concealment charm and then flung herself spread eagle onto one of the beds. "This feels great. I could spend the rest of the day here."

"Now that would be a waste of paradise," Caitlin complained. "How can you think of sleeping when we're on a lush tropical island populated with the most fantastic beasts in the world?"

"Can I help it if I enjoy a comfy bed?" Kim sighed, stretching contentedly.

"I wonder what kind of view we have," Caitlin said approaching the closed draperies. Then without warning bright sunlight filled the room as she flung the window coverings open wide.

"Are you crazy?" Kim shrieked, quickly covering herself. "We're naked. Close those blinds before someone sees us."

"What if they do?" Caitlin laughed. "We're naturists. I'm not ashamed of being seen nude. Besides, the resort is practically empty. Come here and look at this gorgeous pool. The water is crystal clear."

Kim slowly got off the bed and walked toward Caitlin dragging the bed coverings with her to hide her bareness.

"We have three hours until lunch," Caitlin declared. "Let's go take a swim."

"I don't know about you, but I didn't bring my bathing costume," Kim stated. "I guess I could wear a top and shorts or maybe even our hideous event costume."

"What's wrong with what you have on?" Caitlin inquired.

"How can I swim wrapped in a bed cover?" Kim asked.

"Don't be silly," Caitlin laughed. "The pool area is empty. Let's skinny dip."

"But it's broad daylight," Kim said hesitantly, "What if someone sees us?"

"Then we'll ask them to join us," Caitlin replied matter-of-factly. "The worst that can happen is that someone will yell at us and make us get out of the pool."

Kim stared first at the pool, then at Caitlin and then once again back at the pool. "Sometimes you're as crazy as Emily," Kim said shaking her head in exasperation. "Why do I let you two talk me into your insane antics?" She dropped the bed coverings to the floor. "Come on, let's run and get in the water before I come to my senses."

Kim opened the sliding glass doors and without pause the two young girls bounded toward the pool, jumping in without even first checking the water's temperature.

"The water is great," Caitlin proclaimed.

"Yeah," Kim agreed, looking toward the open door to their room, which now seemed somewhat distant. She gulped. "We didn't even bring towels with us."

"The sun and air will dry us," Caitlin said unworriedly. "Let's swim for a while and then lay out in the sun. I could use a little tan."

"But what if someone comes along while we're tanning?" Kim asked anxiously.

"That would be great," Caitlin answered, excitedly. "Then maybe we could play some pool games. There is a volleyball over there next to that lounge chair."

"Yeah! That would be fun," Kim replied, but her voice didn't sound quite overjoyed at the prospect.

The girls had been swimming for about ten minutes when a voice called out, "Is this a private party or can anyone join?"

Emily and Kim looked up to see Brian and Debby standing at the pool edge, both clad in towels. Brian's towel was folded and concealed his body from waist to knees. Debby's was secured under her arms and extended to mid thigh.

Kim looked like she wanted to run and hide, but Caitlin just smiled and said, "The more the merrier. Come on in."

Brian gave Debby's hand an encouraging squeeze. "You can do this," he said. "Just close your eyes and take a deep breath."

A moment later, both towels were lying at the edge of the pool and the two American students had joined Caitlin and Kim in the pool. It was no surprise that Brian was nude, after all Kim and Caitlin had originally met him on a naturist cruise, but Debby was also sans a swim costume.

"I've been trying to convince Debby to give naturism a try for years," Brian confessed as the four splashed happily about.

"I always thought he was just being a typical boy," Debby added. "You know, trying to get a peek at a girl naked. But during this contest I realized that he honestly doesn't consider nudity to be an important thing. Also, he's been so supportive of me. When he suggested that we join you guys today for a swim, I decided to give it a try."

Within the next thirty minutes, Kim and Caitlin were joined in the pool by all but three of the remaining contestants. Only Jamie, Nora and Dick remained absent. Although all the competitors from both teams had finally adopted using the concealment charm rather than wearing the actual revealing team costume, they were still not all completely comfortable with being seen totally nude. Therefore, some of the contestants decided to wear swim costumes. A few of the girls opted for a halfway approach; they kept their bottoms on but swam topless.

"We wondered where everyone had got to," Jamie called out as she approached the pool accompanied by Nora and Dick. "How's the water?"

"It's great," Caitlin confirmed. "Why don't you three discard your clothes and join us?"

Nora and Dick both exchanged nervous looks, but it was Jamie who spoke. "As temping as that idea is, I'm not sure if it would be appropriate for me now that I'm about to..."

"What does you becoming a professor have to do with your being a naturist?" Caitlin yelled. "You always taught me to be an individual and not to give in to majority pressure. I never thought you'd be one to sell out."

"I'm not selling out," Jamie protested. "It's just that..."

"You're selling out," Nora protested. "You've spent the last year convincing me to be brave and strong and now you're the weak one. If you truly believe in something deeply, you don't just give up your beliefs for convenience sake."

"But I have responsibility now; an image to maintain now," Jamie insisted.

"Professors Potter and Granger don't seem to have any trouble with getting paid respect and the entire wizard world knows that they are practicing naturists. I think you should listen to your own preaching. People should be judged on their merit, not what they do or don't wear. Dick and I are going to go swimming and if you're half the person I know you to be; you will too."

Nora quickly discarded her blouse and jeans and was soon standing at the edge of the pool wearing only her bra and knickers. She glanced impatiently at Dick. "What are you waiting for? I thought you wanted us to do things together?" Nora took a deep breath, unhooked her bra, slipped her knickers off and dove in the pool.

Dick noticeably gulped and then quickly slipped out of his garments and followed Nora into the pool leaving Jamie standing at the edge open-mouthed.

"It's not really about being a naturist," Caitlin said. "It's more about changing. You don't fix something that isn't broken. You've been a success your entire life and everyone loves you just as you are. We all want you to be a great professor, but we don't want to lose the person we've loved and respected in the process."

Jamie smiled and said, "I love you Sis," before slipping out of her blouse and skirt and jumping naked into the pool.

* * * * * *

"Hurry and get dressed," Kim bellowed. "Dr Soderbergh said that lunch was at one o'clock."

"He also said that we should dress comfortably for lunch," Caitlin retorted. "I'm quite comfy like I am."

"If I didn't know better, I'd think that Emily was channeling through you," Kim retorted. "She's the one usually pushing the boundaries of nudism, not you."

"I'm just pushing your button," Caitlin answered back with a laugh. "I know I can't tour the park or eat lunch like this, but you have to admit that it would be nice if we could."

"Yeah," Kim reluctantly agreed. "So what are you wearing? I'm going to dress in a halter and shorts."

Caitlin winced. "I don't know how you can endure to wear jeans and shorts. I hate rough restrictive clothing that rubs against my body." She walked over to her duffle bag and pulled out a brightly colored garment, effortlessly slipping it on.

"That's cute," Kim commented, checking-out the vivid backless sundress. "But isn't it awfully short?"

"Actually, it's intended to be worn as a bathing suit cover-up," Caitlin commented innocently as she checked herself out in the full-length door mirror. She stretched her arms high over her head and turned around in a full circle to see the effect this had on the garment's already minimal coverage.

"Remind me to be certain and sit lady-like today and not climb any trees," Caitlin said, her voice sounding slightly guilty. "Dad gets nervous when I wear exceptionally short outfits and this seems to have shrunk a good deal since I last wore it.

The girls both applied hair-grooming charms and then rushed out the door and headed toward the main dining room. As they entered the room, Hermione seemed at first to glare at her teenage daughter. Caitlin smiled and tugged her ear in greeting. Hermione gave an annoyed smile and tugged her own ear in return.

When everyone was lastly seated, Dr. Soderbergh got to his feet. "Again, welcome to Fantastic Island. Before we begin our meal, I would like to quote a few words from a dear friend. And here they are: Nitwit! Blubber! Oddment! Tweak!

"Thank you!"

He sat back down. Everyone clapped politely, but most of the students bore puzzled expressions on their faces. Harry's eyes seemed to be watering.

"Did you know Professor Dumbledore?" Harry asked, his voice shaky.

"Rather well," Soderbergh said, hanging his head sadly. "A great man, a great wizard and a terrible loss to our world. I had the pleasure of working on several projects with Albus and his partner, Nicolas Flamel, when I was a much younger man. Throughout my life, I often sought out his counsel and opinion."

Harry nodded his head sadly. After all these years, Harry still greatly missed Dumbledore's sage advice and guidance.

The meal served by the resort was sumptuous and rivaled the feasts provided at Hogwarts. After everyone had finished dessert, Dr. Soderbergh got to his feet again. The room fell silent.

"Ahem - just a few more words now that we have all satisfied our desire for food. I'm quite pleased that the television network has decided to make use of Fantastic Island as the location for the third task of your intercontinental competition. Fantastic Island is the culmination of my life-long dream to create a safe environment for wizard-kind to view the magical creatures of our world.

"But this is in no way akin to a Muggle zoo. Our interactive park will never be complete. Our goal is to educate you, entertain you, and at the same time thrill you."

Suddenly Soderbergh seemed a tad dejected. "Regrettably construction is running slightly behind schedule and not all of our interactive attractions are available for your enjoyment. Today you will only be able to experience our Safari into Fantasy and Dragon Encounter rides, but I hope they will give you an understanding of our ultimate goal."

"Now if you'll please follow me, we'll proceed to Dragon Encounter. It's a bit of a walk, but Apparition is unfortunately not possible within the park."

"Rides?" Kim questioned. "I wonder what he means by rides."

Caitlin shrugged her shoulders. "Anything is better than walking around all day looking at penned up creatures."

Both Kim and Caitlin squinted as they walked out into the bright sunshine. "I thought a heavy rain storm was predicted for today," Caitlin said. "The weather man must have been wrong again. There isn't a cloud in the sky."

"I wish there were," Kim uttered nervously. "Caitlin, I don't want to upset you, but in this bright sunlight your dress is translucent."

"Translucent? What do you mean translucent?" Caitlin asked.

"Transparent, see-through," Kim repeated horror-struck. "You can see everything and I mean everything. You might as well have remained nude."

Caitlin appeared not to be the least bit disconcerted by this revelation.

"I guess it's good then that we all went skinny dipping this morning," she said unconcernedly. "No one will be seeing anything they haven't seen prior to this. I wouldn't want to embarrass anyone."

Kim just stared dumbfounded at Caitlin. "Are you sure you're not Emily using Polyjuice?"

"I'm sure," Caitlin laughed. "Unlike Emily, I wouldn't, with intent wear something that I knew was completely see-through, but I'm not going to scream and go hide in embarrassment either. I'm comfortable with my body and with people seeing it. I guess, though, that this explains why Mum gave me that strange look when we entered the dinning hall for lunch. She must have known this outfit would be transparent out in the bright sunlight. At the moment, I doubt that she and Dad are extremely pleased with me."

The walk to the entrance of Dragon Encounter took about fifteen minutes and Caitlin could feel many eyes staring at her the entire time, but it didn't fluster her. She knew that nudity in and of itself was completely innocent.

"Wow!" Kim said as they approached the roped off queue area. "They must really expect this place to be popular. Can you imagine being at the back end of a line that long?"

"I'd rather not," Caitlin said as they walked directly into the main door of the large building in front of them. "This must be some sort of exhibit," she said, slightly disappointed. "They certainly don't have any live dragons in here."

They continued down a long winding corridor until they finally came to a large open area decorated to resemble a wooded area. There, they saw a platform and next to it what resembled roller coaster cars on a track.

Once everyone was assembled, Dr. Soderbergh cleared his throat to get his or her attention. "This will be our transportation for our encounter with dragons. Each train holds twenty-four passengers, so we'll all be able to ride together. Please watch your step when boarding and be sure to pull the body restraint down and secure your seat belt."

"Harry, why do you think they have such a sophisticated restraint system?" Hermione inquired. "It seems rather over-kill for a slow tour tram."

"I imagine they just want to make sure that no one gets out while we're in motion," Harry answered unconcernedly. "Even at a slow speed someone could get hurt by trying to get off and then sue, plus people are so destructive nowadays. I imagine it is also partly to prevent vandalism."

"Dr. Soderbergh, everyone is secured," said a security guard who had just finished inspecting everyone's restraints.

"Then let's begin," Soderbergh said expectantly.

The guard approached a panel and pushed a button. Immediately a traffic signal on the wall turned from red to yellow, and then just as quickly to green. Without warning heads hit the back of the cushioned seats as the coaster straight away sped off.

It sounded like everyone was screaming. No one had anticipated a roller coaster ride; especially not one that it seemed was instantly rocketing along at over eighty miles an hour.

They were surrounded by total darkness. Without warning, a brilliant blue flame temporarily blinded Hermione and then the coaster went into a spiraling corkscrew. It shot down one hill and then up another until it was totally inverted. Hermione was about to close her eyes when she saw two huge deep red eyes staring at her before the coaster was again blasted with flame.

It was the longest thrill ride that any of them had ever experienced; at every peak and valley they were greeted by the sound of horrible roars and the blast of furnace-like flames. Finally the coaster slowed dramatically and everyone thought they were returning to the starting point, put instead they entered a glass like tunnel and were suddenly basked in dazzling sunlight. As their eyes tried to adjust to the bright light, a voice emanated from speakers embedded in their head rests.

"We hope you enjoyed the first part of Dragon Encounter, Flying with the Dragons, a simulated dragon flight. We are now entering Land of the Dragons. The tunnel through which we are now traveling is made from one of the strongest polymers known to man; it is fireproof and virtually indestructible. The material has been magically charmed so that we can see out and study the dragons in their natural habitat, but so that the dragons cannot see us.

Our journey begins in a lush valley of New Zealand, home to the Antipodean Opaleye. Unusually for a dragon, it dwells in valleys rather than mountains."

Caitlin gasped. They were about to pass within a few yards of a female Opaleye who was nesting on a group of pale grey eggs.

"The Antipodean Opaleye is of medium size, just between two and three tons. It is arguably the most beautiful type of dragon with its iridescent, pearly scales and glittering, multi-colored, pupil-less eyes, hence its name. This dragon produces a very vivid scarlet flame. By dragon standards it is not particularly aggressive and rarely kills unless hungry. Compared to the Hungarian Horntail it could actually be considered docile."

Harry felt a brief shiver at the mention of the Horntail. He still vividly remembered his encounter in fourth year with a very angry Horntail.

The tunnel went dark briefly as the coaster began to climb slightly.

"I think we're going from one enclosure to another," Hermione commented. "It's clever how they've avoided us seeing any barriers between the dragons."

"Great Britain is the native home of two dragon types," the programmed voice continued. "You will need to watch carefully in order to spot the Common Welsh Green because it blends well with the lush grass of its homeland."

Kim nudged Caitlin and pointed to a pair of dragons barely visible in the tall grass.

"This breed is among the least troublesome of the dragons, preferring like the Opaleye, to prey on sheep and actively avoid humans unless provoked. The Welsh green has an easily recognizable and surprisingly melodious roar. Fire is issued in thin jets. The Welch Green's eggs are earthy brown, flecked with green."

"I wish Hagrid was alive to see this place," Hermione said, her voice melancholy.

"Yeah!" agreed Harry sadly. "He loved Baby Norbert."

The journey continued for another fifteen minutes as they visited Norwegian Ridgebacks, Ukrainian Ironbellies and many other breeds, including the most dangerous of dragons, the Hungarian Horntail.

What no one had become conscious of during the journey was that as they had progressed from breed to breed, they had also climbed higher and higher. Dragon Encounter ended as it began, with an exhilarating coaster ride that started with the highest coaster drop in the world.

"That was terrific," Kim exclaimed to Caitlin as they exited the ride. "I've been to zoos and amusement parks, but that was the best of both places."

Doctor Soderbergh beamed brightly as he listened to the students talk excitedly and lavish prase on the Dragon Encounter experience.

"They certainly seemed to all enjoy the event," Harry said, shaking the Doctor's hand in congratulations. "If the rest of the park is half as exciting, I'd say you have a guaranteed success on your hands."

Hermione was still trying to catch her breath, but nodded in agreement.

"We wanted to be more than just a wizard version of a Muggle zoo," Soderbergh elucidated. "Even looking at the rarest and most interesting of magical creatures can become, after a time, boring, especially to teenagers."

"I doubt that anyone will ever consider that experience boring," Hermione commented, trying unsuccessfully to adjust her wind blown hair.

"In time we plan to have over a dozen such rides," Doctor Soderbergh remarked. "Unfortunately, only four will be completed when the park initially opens and of those four only one other is available for you to enjoy today."

"Is it another coaster type ride?" Hermione asked apprehensively.

"No," Soderbergh replied with a grin, noting Hermione's obvious nervousness. "This is more like a safari ride. We're working on some ideas to make it fairly exciting, but they aren't ready to implement as of yet."

As they followed the signs toward Fantastic Safari, Caitlin noticed that Debby and Brian seemed to be lagging behind, but she declined to point this out to Kim feeling it might be upsetting to the girl.

"Dr. Soderbergh," Ron asked uncertainly. "You mentioned that Fantastic Island was the home to nearly all of the beasts described in Newt Scamander's book. Does that mean that you have Acromantula?"

"Oh yes!" Soderbergh answered animatedly. "We started out with only one couple, but now we have one of the largest colonies in the world. It would undoubtedly be even larger, but the creatures have the unfortunate habit of sometimes feeding on their young."

Ron quaked. Although Ron had often in the past showed his outstanding bravery, when it came to any type of spiders, he was an admitted coward.

"Don't tell me that you're afraid of spiders," Rishard Simone, barked teasingly. "I thought members of the covenant of three were purportedly fearless?"

Ron resisted pouncing on the obnoxious twerp. As much as he would inwardly like to crush Simone, he had the image of a Hogwarts professor to maintain.

"You'd be fearful of Acromantula, too if you'd experienced them at close range as Ron and I have," Harry responded angrily. "You're hardly someone to pass judgment on another's manliness."

"Well, I never!" Rishard spouted haughtily. He placed his hands on his hips and walked temperamentally away from Ron and Harry.

"I swear, one of these days I'm going to kill that little fag," Ron cursed.

"I'm afraid you'll have to take a number," Hermione said understandingly. "There are a lot of people ahead of you."

Ron smiled resentfully.

"Here we are," Soderbergh called out breathlessly pointing to the entrance sign that read, Safari into Fantasy. "Unfortunately we'll have to split up and take two vehicles."

"Team USA, this way!" Bud Ryan, the American coach, shouted.

Hurriedly the American team boarded the first of two waiting transports.

"I think I'll ride with Coach Ryan and his team," Rishard said, throwing Ron, Hermione and Harry a sneering look.

"I wonder if he actually imagines that will upset any of us?" Ron asked no one in particular.

When Rishard and the American team were all secured in their vehicle, it departed.

"Who is driving?" Hermione asked.

"No one," Soderbergh answered proudly. "This excursion is completely computer charm controlled. We have a fleet of these vehicles that will escort our visitors through the park. They take different routes so that other than your own group, you never see another human during the safari. If you'll all please board, your vehicle will depart as soon as the other is completely out of sight."

"Aren't you going with us?" Hermione asked.

"No, unfortunately I must get back to the hotel and make some last minute arrangements for tomorrow's competition," Soderbergh answered apologetically. "The journey is completely computerized and the vehicles are charmed to locate and point out the various creatures. I hope you all enjoy your adventure. I'll be looking forward to hearing your observations at dinner tonight."

"Wait for us," Brian and Debby called out frantically, running to catch up to the already departed vehicle containing their teammates.

Harry jumped in front of the two students. "You'll never catch up to them; besides you can't get on the transport once it is moving. Can we make room for two more?" he called out to his team.

Caitlin and Kim scrunched close together and motioned frantically for Debby and Brian to join them.

"Hurry, take a seat," Harry said, returning to his own seat next to Hermione.

Brian smiled guiltily to Caitlin and Kim as he and Debby squeezed in next to them.

"So you two finally came clean with each other," Kim said, staring knowingly at the young couple.

Debby blushed. "What are you talking about?" she asked anxiously.

"It was clear that you two were meant to be more than friends," she declared. "I think everyone could see it. Is that why you lagged behind; so you could talk and snog in private?"

"We weren't snogging," Brian protested.

"Brian, I'm not mad," Kim said. "Maybe a little envious, but I'm not angry." She hesitated briefly. "But, if you weren't snogging, then how did you happen to get Debby's lip gloss all over your neck and face?"

Debby jerked her head in Brian's direction, and then turned a vivid red. There was no denying the incriminating evidence.

"I'm sorry Kim," Brian pleaded. "I didn't mean to lead you on or hurt you. Honestly, I didn't even recognize that my feelings for Debby went beyond simple friendship."

"Don't apologize," Kim said sincerely. "I'm happy that you two finally woke up to your true feelings for each other."

As they were chatting, their transport began to slowly move. Ron, Hermione and Harry, who were all sitting behind the driver's seat, exchanged anxious looks. It was unnerving to be riding in a Muggle type vehicle and watch the steering wheel turn, yet know there was no one actually driving. For a time they followed the road, which ran parallel to, and about twenty-five yards from the security fence.

"Isn't this the same road that we used to get to the hotel?" Brian questioned the girls. "If we didn't get to see any beasts before, what is going to make this trip any different?"

"That is," Kim answered, her voice shaking as she pointed to a ramp ahead. "It looks like we're going to leave the main road and actually go under the protective barrier."

Everyone fell silent as they proceeded down the thirty-degree incline and entered a torchlight tunnel.

"Do you think we are actually going under the fence?" Hermione asked uneasily. "How can that be safe?"

"I'm not sure, but it must be," Harry responded. His hand, however, had automatically reached for his wand.

The passage continued for some time until finally dim natural light was visible ahead.

"Are we coming out of the tunnel?" Ron asked nervously.

"Yes and no," Hermione answered. "It looks like we're going to remain in this protective tube, but it appears that we are now above ground." She looked around. "We must be in an extremely dense forest. Despite it being mid afternoon, it's extremely dark."

Without warning the speakers implanted in their headrests came to life. "Please relax, you are completely secure. For your safety and to avoid any accidents all wands have been temporary deactivated."

Hermione and Harry exchanged uneasy looks. No matter how safe they might actually be, neither was fond of the thought that their wands would not function.

Hermione grasped Harry's hand and as he looked in her direction, she indicated the top of the transparent tunnel. They both glanced at Ron, who fortunately was looking straight ahead.

Suddenly there was a scream, then another and another. Spiders, Not tiny spiders like those Hermione had noted, but spiders the size of carthorses, eight-eyed, eight-legged, black, hairy gigantic spiders were thudding down onto their protective tube.

"Harry, they can see us," Hermione screamed. "They're trying to get to us."

The students, both male and female were screaming in panic, trying to undo their restraints and escape the vehicle that now seemed to be moving ahead at an excruciatingly slow speed. Ron's eyes were closed; sweat was pouring from every pore of his body.

"Attack of the Acromantula is the first of many adventures you will experience on your safari today," the bodiless voice in their headrests announced. "This beast is believed to be wizard-bred, possibly intended to guard wizard dwellings or treasure. Despite its near-human intelligence, the Acromantula cannot be trained and is highly dangerous."

Hermione wondered how many of the students had calmed enough to hear any of the informative dialogue.

"This creature originated in Borneo. Its distinctive features include the thick black hair that covers its body; its leg span, which may reach up to fifteen feet; its pincers, which produce a distinctive clicking sound when the Acromantula is excited or angry; and a poisonous secretion."

The description continued, but most of the listeners were more interested in the ride moving on than they were in learning more about the beasts. Finally the tube sloped and the transport was again underground.

"You can open your eyes," Harry said, nudging Ron.

Ron peeked before slowly opening his eyes. "That was bloody dreadful," he cursed. "They should warn people what the hell to expect."

"Actually, they did have a list posted of the beasts we would see," Hermione explained. "But they didn't make it clear that we'd view them from an entrée's point of view."

"I'm glad that's over," Caitlin sighed. "I thought for awhile there that I'd pull an Emily and pee my knickers."

"How could you do that?" Brian asked innocently. "You noticeably don't have any on."

"It's just a figure of speech," Caitlin retorted, crossly.

They next encountered a Chimaera before traveling underwater to observe at close range a Hippocampus and then a group of Kelpies. Once again on dry land, they visited the Quintaped followed by a Sphinx.

"I think that was the same Sphinx that I bumped into in the maze during the third task of the Triwizard tournament," Harry said conversationally.

Hermione was about to comment when a shrill alarm sounded and the vehicle came to a sudden halt.

"Please remain seated, the safari ride will continue momentarily."

"I wonder what's wrong?" Nora asked, gazing concernedly at Dick.

"I doubt that it is anything important," Dick said. "You have to remember that this place uses a lot of Muggle technology and Muggle stuff is constantly breaking down. We'll probably start back up in a couple of minutes."

Just then, off in the distance, there was a great flash of light followed by the sound of a huge explosion. Within seconds the tube in which they were traveling was filled with a foul smelling smoke. Red lights began to flash on the ceiling of the tube and their seat restraints suddenly unlocked.

Over the speakers came a loud voice commanding, "Emergency evacuation! Emergency evacuation! Please follow the arrows to the nearest emergency shelter immediately!"

"Harry, what are we going to do?" Hermione asked staring at the flashing red evacuation arrows. "That's the direction the smoke came from; if we follow the arrows we'll be heading in the direction of that explosion."


End of chapter 23