Author Note: It was interesting to right Harry as such a confident and cocky individual and I hope I portrayed his character appropriately for someone in his position. Enjoy!
Disclaimer: I do not own any character or idea that is recognizable in this story, it is purely a work of fiction created by the insane and sometimes dirty mind of a novice writer. I give credit to J. K. Rowling and Universal Pictures for the characters and ideas from the Harry Potter franchise and Jurassic Park franchise, respectfully.
Indominus Rex, Meet Draconis Rex
Chapter 2 – Dinosaur Games (Harry Doesn't Want to Play)
The Innovation Center wasn't hard to find, the big metal and glass building shaped like a volcano screamed 'look at me' and was only one of the most conspicuous buildings around.
Harry parked his Jeep in the staff lot outside the Center. Looking down at his watch the wizard saw that he had a few minutes to spare, so he decided to look around and followed the signs toward an area noted as Main Street, which was packed with gift shops. Thankfully he had helped himself to one of the maps on the ferry last night, so he knew the general layout but the signs were convenient.
Looking down when his companion gave an impatient huff, Harry smiled apologetically, "Yeah girl, I know we don't want to be late but it's just a quick peek, I promise."
Semat gave what Harry had dubbed her 'I'll believe it when I see it' look before perking up her ears and turning her head slightly.
"You heard that too, huh?" the wizard muttered under his breath, Harry had picked-up a commotion a moment ago and whatever it was had gotten closer.
A minute later, the pair heard a noise from their left and turned in time to see a small dinosaur break through the line of shops and into Main Street, with the scattered contents of a display rolling across the pavement behind.
"It looks like someone wanted to go for a walk," Harry commented off-handedly as he saw the small creature turn in their direction trying to escape its pursuers. Taking a good look at the dinosaur and noting its domed head, the man motioned for his companion to stay back, "Careful, that one has got a skull like a battering ram."
A group of men in black uniforms rounded the same corner the dinosaur had just come from, placing the small Pachycephalosaurus directly between the group and Harry. Seeing the single human as less of a threat the Pachy continued to head for Harry. The wizard could see that the men in uniform were carrying tranquilizer guns but were holding their fire to make sure they didn't shoot him, but he was more worried about them shooting his familiar since the darts would have a hard time piercing his skin. Semat dropped lower to the ground and started growling at the threat coming toward her wizard.
"Get out of the way! Move to the side!" one of the men yelled as he came closer.
Giving a grunt of annoyance, Harry watched as the dinosaur lowered its head and picked-up speed. At the last possible second, Harry jumped strait up into the air using one hand on the animal's head to assist in a flip over the Pachy, which directed the momentum of the charging dinosaur into the ground nose first.
The creature gave a startled cry as it tumbled head over heels, and Semat was over the small dinosaur with bared teeth before it could get up. The Pachycephalosaurus squirmed on the ground trying to get away from the sharp teeth, but stopped when a shadow fell over it and the creature caught the sound of a deep growl only the two animals could hear.
Placing a firm but gentle hand on the small dinosaur, Harry started making cooing noises and leaned into the animal's view so it could see him. Harry was emitting a dominant but non-aggressive feeling that was affecting the animal. As he pet the dinosaur, the men in uniform where baffled by the Pachy acting so docile.
"It's warm," the wizard commented as he thought about the things he had noticed. The animal was only about three feet tall, and with his sense of smell Harry could tell that it was still a juvenile. Its instinct to charge its opponent made the dinosaur seem hostile but it had also run from the men, so it was only mildly aggressive. He knew that this dinosaur was one of the herbivore species on the island.
"I-" the man that had yelled started to speak, but he was shushed by Harry when the man's voice startled the dinosaur. Harry went back to making cooing noises and everyone stayed quiet for what seemed like an hour (about 6 minutes).
Once the animal was breathing calmly, Harry directed his attention to the men. He looked at the one who was obviously leading the group, "So you must be the islands security?"
There was a hint of a frown before the man replied, "ACU, Asset Containment, Commander Hamada."
The raised eyebrow and glance down at the dinosaur was all that was needed to convey his thoughts about how well they were doing their jobs, "Harry Potter. Right, so do you feel like taking her back to the paddock or should I do that for you too?" He watched as Hamada grit his teeth and clenched his hand around his gun, and tried to placate the man, "easy, I'm mostly teasing. It was dumb luck that I happened to be standing here, but you might want to step back," with his last words Harry nudged the dinosaur's shoulder and the Pachy rose off the ground. Harry made sure to follow closely and quickly placed a hand on the back of the animal's neck when it looked like it would try to bolt; the dinosaur froze at the action. He let go and started to nudge the Pachycephalosaurus back down Main Street in the direction it had come, soon enough the dinosaur started following him without needing to be directed.
"Someone might want to lead the way," Harry prompted, and Hamada ordered one of the ACU men in the back to lead them back to the paddock.
The ACU and animal attendants stood in awe as Harry directed the dinosaur back into the enclosure. However, he was a little miffed that everyone was just standing around letting him do their jobs; at least someone was smart enough to close the door to the paddock but it must have been remotely since he didn't see anyone make a move to the panel next to the door.
The asian man that had introduced himself as Hamada stepped forward, "How did you do that?"
With a quick glance at the commander out of the corner of his eye, Harry turned and started his way back before responding, "I'm already late, ask me later."
Semat gave a huff, and the wizard frowned, "Yeah, yeah, I know. Save the 'I told you so' for later, and hurry up."
The jackal growled in displeasure, it wasn't her fault they were late after all.
"Did he really just do that with his bare hands?" a female attendant asked one of her fellow animal helpers.
"Bare hands, hell," the security man standing next to the woman said, "he got that Pachy all the way back to the paddock without touching it."
[Break]
When he made it back to the Innovation Center, Harry was shown the way to the meeting by a very helpful employee. He breathed a sigh before opening the doors and waiting for a reprimand for being late, but instead he received a round of loud applause from the room.
"Hey, can everyone quiet down, please," a voice said from the front of the room. Harry was the only one that heard it over the noise from the crowd. "Ugh," then there was the sound of feedback over a microphone, causing everyone to cover their ears, before the same voice spoke louder through the mic, "Excuse me. Can everyone please find their seats again? This meeting is already running behind schedule."
The group backed off and shuffled back into the chairs that had been set up in the room. There were about twenty other people in the room, including the two women that stood at the front, and the redhead with the microphone was giving off an annoyed scent that made Harry want to sneeze. He and Semat went to find a seat, and of course the only one left was at the front of the group. As he made his way, Harry saw the large screen behind the redhead that had an image from what he assumed were the CCTV's. The camera was showing the front doors to the building they were in.
The black haired woman standing behind the redhead was flipping through papers on the desk next to her but she didn't seem to find what she was looking for, because when the redhead turned and said, "Zara?" the black-haired female just shook her head. At the same time, Harry heard the doors behind him open and caught a familiar scent.
The redhead turned with an obviously fake smile trying to cover up her increasing annoyance and addressed Harry, "Since you arrived late, let me introduce myself, I am Claire Dearing the operations manager of the Park, and you are…?"
"His name is Harry Potter," the voice of Simon Masrani came from the back of the room; Harry was the only one who wasn't surprised, "Mr. Potter is my new Manager of Asset Welfare, and unlike the previous manager he expressed an interest in working in the field. Harry is going to be my eyes and ears where the animals are concerned, to make sure that the animals are happy and healthy. As the Operations Manager, Claire, you and Harry will be working together to make sure that this place runs smoothly. I'm counting on the both of you."
The wizard watched the red-head take in this new information and she did not look pleased, "Did something happen to Mark?"
Masrani took a few seconds before he spoke, "Mark was not handling things the way I would have liked, and when he expressed a desire to be reassigned I approved his transfer to something that was more his speed."
Harry scoffed, "In other words this "Mark" bloke was an incompetent coward who can't even manage an ant farm and certainly didn't need to be managing an island full of prehistoric animals."
The look on Masrani's face was blank but he couldn't hide a small smirk as he replied, "I prefer the way I worded it."
"Yeah, I bet you do."
Claire chose to interject herself back into the conversation that Simon was having right in the middle of her orientation meeting, "It's a pleasure to meet you Mr. Potter and I look forward to working with you," she said extending her hand.
Harry accepted the handshake with a smile and a knowing look, "It's a pleasure to meet you too, Ms. Dearing. Even if you don't believe a word you just said."
Claire made a spluttering noise in the back of her throat at Harry's statement, but Masrani spoke before she could, "It is good to have you here, Harry, and it looks like you are off to an early start."
"Excuse me?" the wizard asked.
"I was on my way here when the dinosaur escaped this morning, and one of the security team informed me of the situation. When they reported that a man with black hair and green eyes stopped the animal single-handed, I had a feeling they were talking about you," the older man explained.
The red-head nodded, "When I received the news I thought it would be a good idea to show everyone how ACU handled Assets out of containment, so I had the control room direct the feed in here. We were all surprised by how you handled the situation."
There were excited whispers that started in the room among the rest of the new employees.
Harry gave an understanding nod, "So that's what all the fuss was about when I walked in," he looked down at the jackal standing next to him, "and I did have help."
"Oh yes, your little friend," Masrani said as he smiled at Harry's companion, "we mustn't forget her. What was her name again?"
"Semat, it's Egyptian," the wizard answered helpfully.
"She was very brave to face down a dinosaur like that," the brown-eyed man commented, "you must have trained her well."
Harry chuckled, "She's brave and smart as a whip but that's all her, I didn't have much to do with that, and don't forget she's spoiled rotten too." Semat growled and smacked him with her tail in reprimand but it just made him chuckle again.
"Claire, you're supposed to meet with the investors for the yearly meeting in thirty minutes," Zara said quietly but received the attention of the room.
"Oh," the redhead looked from her assistant to the waiting group and back, "Zara, can you go ask the investors to wait and tell them I will be there as soon as possible. I just need to…"
"Nonsense," Simon interrupted, "Go and meet the investors. They are here to talk to you. I will finish giving the orientation for you."
Claire looked apprehensive, "I'm sure I could manage…"
Simon gave a reassuring smile, "Go, I can handle this. I had scheduled a meeting with my new Asset Welfare Manager after this anyway. Once I'm done, I will be talking to Harry about the Park."
"Right, then please excuse me," Claire conceded before brushing imaginary dust from her dress and leaving the room with Zara following closely behind.
Masrani turned to the rest of the room and gave one of his picture perfect smiles, "Well, shall we get started?"
[Break]
The orientation meeting lasted two hours before the group was split up by departments and lead to different areas by a Department Head.
'Simon Masrani,' Harry thought as he observed his new boss talking to the head of the Veterinary Department, well not so much talking as listening to the man whine about several different things, 'Got to hand it to him, he sure knows how to handle his company and the people that work for him, plus he's a genuinely nice bloke. There can't be too many of those left in corporate business. He's one of those people that everybody loves unless you're from a rival company. He's smart without being condescending and genuinely values other people's opinions. I know I like him, but that's a given, or I wouldn't be here. Still, must have a heart of gold, for listening to this wanker prattle on.' Harry felt a heat rising in the back of his throat and swallowed roughly before taking a sip from the water bottle that had been handed to him earlier.
Semat sensed her wizard's mood, and gave a bark toward the two men that must be the cause of it.
The noise reminded Simon that Harry was waiting on him and he wrapped up the conversation with the man he was talking to before addressing his Asset Welfare Manager, "Harry, let's take a walk shall we?" Masrani took them down to the creation labs where he headed straight for the head of the lab.
"Henry, hard at work I see," Simon said making the man in the lab coat look up from his clipboard, "I brought by someone to meet you. Doctor Henry Wu, this is my new Asset Welfare Manager Harry Potter. Harry, Henry is head of the lab and the man who discovered how to create dinosaurs."
"Hello, Mr. Potter," Henry said as he shook hands with the man.
"Hello, Doctor Wu," the wizard replied.
Simon nodded and continued, "As the Manager of Asset Welfare, it is your job to monitor and assess the animals in the Park, Harry. That starts in this lab. Since our assets are very valuable it is important that they are healthy and happy even inside their eggs. When I was interviewing you for the job you mentioned that as an animal behaviorist it is important for you to study the animals and know everything about them from their diet to their mating habits, and I'm sure that is something Henry can help you with. That is why I am giving you authorization to access all the files on the animals in the Park, including those classified as restricted. Essentially, you will know everything that Henry knows, and know the animals inside and out."
Harry narrowed his eyes slightly when Wu gave an involuntary flinch at Simon's declaration. Simon might have missed the action but Harry hadn't, 'Looks like Wu is hiding something. Probably something dangerous, that's just great.'
"Thank you, I prefer learning about the animals habits in the field, but I'm sure the information will be invaluable," Harry replied.
"Animal behaviorist?" Wu asked.
Simon gave an enthusiastic nod, "Harry studied Zoology, and Behavioral and Cognitive Psychology. In fact, he has PhD's in both fields."
"Ah, it seems you came somewhat prepared for this island, but are you ready for the kind of animals we have here," Wu said with an air of superiority and a condescending smile.
"We'll just have to see, won't we Doctor?" the wizard replied.
[Break]
Simon and Wu showed Harry around the labs and the hatchery, before the CEO left the Doctor to his work and guided his new Asset Welfare Manager to the control room. When they reached the right floor, the elevator doors opened up to a room filled with people and computer screens that drew Harry's attention everywhere. The lights and sounds bombarded his heightened senses for a moment before Harry reined them in.
"From this room you can control the whole island," Masrani informed as he walked into the room.
"All I'm saying is, it would be nice if the employee discount was a little more generous, that way it seems less like a scam when we buy things from the park," a man with a mustache, glasses and vintage tee said to the small blonde woman sitting next to him.
The woman just rolled her eyes, "Where else are we going to buy things? We're on an island, besides we get free meals and drinks. You're just upset that you have to pay for your toys." She leveled an accusing finger at the plastic dinosaurs that had taken up residence on the man's desk.
"No, them I willingly pay for, I'm talking about the vending machines."
The blonde scrunched up her face in confusion, "You can't get a discount at the vending machines."
"That's the problem," was the indignant reply, "they should be free or at least the ones in the break room."
"Hard at work, I see," Simon said as he came up behind the two employees.
The man jerked so violently in surprise that he knocked over a large cup on his desk, and it would have made a mess on the floor if not for Harry's quick reflexes.
"Whoa, man, nice catch," the glasses-wearing man said as he took the cup back from Harry's outstretched hand.
"No problem," an amused smile curved the wizard's lips as he glanced back at the dinosaur figures, "building your own park?"
"Huh? Oh, no. This is just, uh…"
"Don't sweat it, mate," the wizard said extending his hand, "Harry Potter."
The man accepted the handshake, "Lowery Cruthers," then he seemed to take a closer look at Harry, "hey wait, you're the guy! The one who took down that Pachy, man that was awesome!"
Harry shifted his gaze away from the awestruck look on the other man's face and studied what seemed like a digital map of the park on the big screen, "Hmm, not really. Poor girl was having a grand-old time until I came along and ruined her fun."
"Why do you say that?" Simon asked with an interested look.
"Like a dog that goes running around when you leave the door open, she was just exploring and seeing what she could find, she has a whole island she hasn't seen yet. When I showed up in front of her she felt cornered and she wasn't ready to go back which is the reason she charged," the explanation hung in the air as Masrani examined the young man he had recently hired.
"Fascinating," the word was quiet, but Masrani continued at a normal volume, "you certainly seem to understand the animals. It seems I was right in hiring you, but I may have to increase your hazard pay if you intend to take-on the dinosaurs."
"Only if they start it," the wizard teased back.
"It must have been scary," said the blonde woman who had been quiet until then, "fighting that Pachy."
"It wasn't really a fight, more like a game of chicken and I just let her know I wasn't in the mood to play," Harry smiled politely and tried not to grimace at the increased pheromones she was giving off, which clashed with her overpowering flowery perfume that smelled stale in the in-closed space. "Excuse me, but I didn't catch your name, Miss…"
The woman blushed a pale pink and replied, "Vivian."
"Nice to meet you Vivian, I'm Harry."
Simon chuckled, "So modest, I would like you two to meet my new Asset Welfare Manager, Harry Potter, though I suppose it should be Doctor Potter."
"Just Harry's fine," the wizard said, "I'm an animal behaviorist."
"Uh, no offense," Lowery started, "but isn't that part of the Veterinary department."
"Harry has worked in a Manager position at the last two Zoos he has worked for, and he is very capable of working as the Welfare Manager at this Park. In fact, he was the one to ask to work closely with the animals, which is why I brought him here. Any incidences involving the animals will be reported to Harry, keep him in the loop, and don't worry his information is already in the system."
"You got it, boss," Lowery agreed.
"Okay," Vivian said with a nod.
"Good, now we need to head out for a tour of the island. You two keep up the good work," Masrani said as he turned and left, Harry calmly walking behind him.
Lowery looked over at his coworker, and spoke while disregarding the way her eyes followed the new Asset Manager, "I liked him. He seemed like a nice guy."
"Yeah, I like him too," Vivian agreed.
"Did you notice how he never called the animals 'it'? That's a nice change."
"Yup, nice."
[Break]
Simon took Harry up in the chopper to get a birds-eye view of the island, where he showed him the different areas. Sector One, was the golf course and Botanical Gardens; Sector Two was the bamboo forest; Sector Three was the lagoon and the area around it; Sector Four was the plains area designated at Triceratops Territory and the Gallimimus Valley; Sector Five was restricted and currently uninhabited; and Sector Six was the mid-East part of the island from the Cretaceous Cruise to the Raptor Paddock near the beach.
The helicopter made it back to the landing pad and the two were on their way to Harry's new office.
"So, what did you think of the island," Simon suddenly asked.
"It's pretty big. Do you have problems with the herbivores wondering outside of their zones?"
"I have been informed that that was taken care of," the older man responded.
Harry didn't say anything and just nodded, but he had a feeling something was off with that answer. "I should take a closer look at the animals personally."
"Ah, I can arrange for someone to take you out…"
"No, that's alright. I've got my own vehicle and I'd rather not have anyone know that I'm coming before hand," Harry interrupted.
"That's fine," Simon agreed opening a door into a chromatic nightmare of an office that made the wizard's eyes water. "This is your office," he announced walking over to the table to pick up something on top of the desk, "This GPS is programmed with the latest map of the island," he sat the GPS down and picked up a phone, "and this phone is pre-programed with all of the Park contacts and capable of calling from anywhere on the island, it's yours."
"Oh, and I didn't get you anything," Harry gave a playful smirk.
Masrani laughed, "Technically these are business expenses."
"Then I guess I saved you money by bringing my own equipment."
"I remember offering to buy new equipment."
"…and I remember declining." Harry grabbed an apple from the gift basket that was also sitting on his desk. He took a bite and snagged the gift card that was sitting on top. The wizard glanced at the note inside and smiled, "'Nice to have you on board, Regards Simon.' You're so sweet. Maybe I should knit you a sweater for Christmas."
Simon handed over a card, "Just make sure the animals are happy and the Park stays running, and I'll be content."
"Will do," the green-eyed man agreed while examining the card, it was Harry's employee I.D. with an electronic strip for door access. He tucked the key card in his left shirt pocket. His eyes were drawn to the metal walls and furniture again, "One more thing, I appreciate the clean and sterile look when it comes to the hospital, but I prefer wood and earth tones."
"That can be arranged," the other man stated, "Our architects have been begging to design the offices with a more natural and tropical theme, but it was decided to go with a more modern look in the work areas to appear more professional. They will love the idea of redecorating for you. You should have their contact so call them later."
Harry gave his employer a critical look, "You are being overly accommodating, Simon. Should I be worried that you have ulterior motives?"
Simon smiled, "Only one, Mr. Potter. You are enthusiastic, passionate and a genius in your field and I believe you could do great things here. That is the reason I hired you personally, against the advice of others. I have been hearing about you from recruitment personnel for the past three years. You are well qualified and extremely good at what you do, but they recognized a pattern based on your previous employment. You don't stay in the same place for long. So you're right, I do have an ulterior motive…I want you to stay. Truth is I need someone like you Harry, you have the heart that Jurassic World is missing because you genuinely care about the animals under your supervision."
It was quiet for a minute as Harry watched the man, "I have my own reasons for my semi-nomadic lifestyle and I often move to a new place knowing that I won't be staying long," he swallowed and his gaze went to the glass wall behind the desk, "but something feels different here."
"I hope it's a good feeling."
Harry's green eyes pinned his boss, "Me too, because if something bad were to happen here, it would be dangerous for everyone on this island."
Masrani cleared his throat, "Well, I still need to meet with Claire and I was hoping to visit the Park as well, but if you need anything…"
"If I can't get it myself, I'll ask Mr. Cruthers he seems like a capable man," Harry interrupted, "You're busy and I can handle myself, or you wouldn't have hired me."
Simon nodded, "Right. Well, until we meet again, Mr. Potter."
"Until then," Harry agreed and they parted ways at Harry's office door.