Chapter 28
-oOo-
Disclaimer: See Chapter 1
-oOo-
December 12, 1993
Isla Nublar, Costa Rica
Lex was staring at her history book. She was supposed to be working on a report on ancient Samaria, instead she was just starting. For two weeks now she had been waking at night, terrified she would be kidnapped again. Her mother was coming to her, but she was only finding she was getting any sleep when curled up next to Harry. The last three nights they had curled up on the couch in the bungalow to watch a movie. Within minutes she was asleep with her head in Harry's lap or on his chest. Harry had done much the same.
She knew that Harry suffered from nightmares at times. That happened the first day she had met him, and several times when they went to Martha's Vinyard. She had overheard Sirius and her mom talking about it, but they weren't sure how to deal with it. Her mother had recommended a psychologist, but they would have to be let in on the secret of magic, and with the church after them, everyone was starting to become paranoid about letting that one out. Though, with how many knew, her mother was convinced everyone would know soon enough.
She was just worried about her boyfriend.
Lex knew that Harry hadn't had an easy life. He hadn't told her everything, but she knew enough that he had fought dangerous creatures, killed people in fights and suffered abuse. Even knowing that, she wouldn't really suspect anything without knowing him. She was getting to know him enough that she could see it. She just didn't understand how he functioned so well. Most just thought of him as someone far more mature for his age.
Between the kidnapping, the fight and the scare at Jurassic Park a few months ago, Lex was having a challenging time coping.
She was still just staring at her textbook when a hand covered hers. Lex let out a startled yelp and pulled away, looking wildly around. Harry was next to her, his hands had gone up, palms out and fingers spread in a non-threatening pose.
"I'm sorry, you just seemed to be daydreaming," he said.
She couldn't stop herself. Lunging forward, she wrapped her arms around him. "Thank god, it's only you."
Harry wrapped his arms around her. She felt safe and protected as his hand cupped the back of her head. She buried her face into his shoulder. Tears bit at her eyes. "It's alright, Lex. I won't let anything happen to you," he soothed.
She let out a long breath. She wasn't going to break down again. She had done that enough. She could be as strong as Harry. "How do you do it?" she asked.
Harry held her tighter, seeming to understand what she was getting at. The more she spent time with her boyfriend, the more she was starting to understand him. "I just do. It's not worth letting them win. I want to live and that is what I try to do."
She nuzzled his shoulder. "I'm scared," she said in a small voice.
"I am too at times," Harry admitted to her.
Lex gave out a small laugh. "I don't believe that. You never act scared."
"Just because I don't show it, doesn't mean I'm not. At Hogwarts they say that Gryffindor is the house of the brave. My best friend used to say that being brave isn't about not being scared, it's about acting despite being scared. Lex, when we were leaving Beauxbatons, I felt that something was off. When your mum said you were in England and hadn't called yet, I was terrified something happened to you. When I was at the abbey trying to save you, it was almost crippling to think that you could be hurt or killed. Some of the spells would have killed you. I've only every worried or felt like this towards you and those that I care for, but I get scared."
She felt her eyes starting to water again and her nose become a little runny. She was tired of being scared. Sitting up, her blue eyes met his green eyes. His green eyes always showed his inner feelings if his face and body didn't. Usually there was a hard intensity in them that had her feeling all hot. When he was upset, they seemed to shine with a green fire. When he was feeling lustful towards her, she swore they were molten orbs of green desire. Right now, they were soft. She could see the vulnerability he rarely shown to anyone. He had let his walls down so that she could see how he cared, and even worried about her.
The watery emotions she was now blinking out of her eyes wasn't the fear that had dominated her for the last few weeks. It was something far deeper. Her emotions found comfort, safety, desire, friendship, attraction… more emotions than she knew how to name when she looked at Harry and saw how he cared and wanted her. Further complicating her feelings was a pull on her that she could only describe as a need and urge to be with him. She was fairly sure it was her magic, but she was still too new to all this to understand how that works.
Whatever the pull was, she knew one thing. "I love you," she said in a whisper. Since that night she had slept on him, she hadn't said it again.
Harry grinned at her. "I love you too," he replied. Her insides melted. Leaning forward, Harry moved to meet her. Their lips met in a soft, languid kiss that was devoid of the usual hormone filled lust she felt for him. Instead, it was slow, heartfelt and had her legs feeling weak for varied reasons. When they stopped, she leaned her forehead against his, closing her eyes and just enjoying his company.
"Are you two going to kiss all day?" an annoying boy asked.
"Timmy, I swear, if you don't get out of here, I'll make you," Lex threatened her brother.
"I'll tell mom," he threatened.
"Timmy!" she said back in a harsh tone.
"Mom told me to work on my homework and to not do it my room," he said, putting his books down on the table of the dining room.
"Well, that's not my fault you got caught watching TV while you were supposed to be studying," she shot back, still not taking her forehead off Harry's. Harry chuckled at them. Her eyes shot open. "Don't you start!"
Harry was smirking. "Wouldn't dream of it."
She huffed.
Timmy had a huge grin. "Well, that's better than being caught making out by grandpa."
"You wouldn't," she stated, finally looking at her annoying brother.
"Then take me to Rexy later," Timmy blackmailed.
"I can just let him eat him," Harry offered. Timmy's eyes widened.
"I wouldn't want to give Rexy an upset stomach. Annoying brothers can't be that tasty?" she deadpanned, moving her eyes enough to glaring at Tim.
"I am not annoying. You're annoying," Timmy shot back. "And Rexy wouldn't eat me."
Harry shrugged and they turned to start working on their homework. "I could leave it up to him. He has wondered if people taste like cow. We could strap some steaks to him."
"Oh, I like that," Lex said.
"You wouldn't! Mom!" Timmy called out, getting up from the table to run off towards the office she used.
Lex giggled. "You know we'll get in trouble for that?"
"I figured, but it'll give us a few minutes of quiet," Harry said, elbowing her.
She squirmed away. "Don't do that!"
Harry smirked. "I can tickle you instead?"
"NO!" She squealed just before Harry's fingers started to dig into her side. She squirmed and laughed.
"You two are supposed to be working," her mother said a moment later.
Lex stopped laughing, glaring at Harry. Tim came back over, "Yeah, you should be working."
"Tim, stop bothering them. You have your own assignments due for the tutors tomorrow," her mom scolded her brother. "And you two, no more threatening to feed Tim to the dinosaurs." When their mom walked out of the room, Lex stuck her tongue out at Timmy, who did the same.
They settled back down, Lex shifting to lean against Harry and put her head on his shoulder as she read the chapter on ancient Samaria. If Harry could find a way to keep going, she could too. She just needed him to be her rock along the way.
-oOo-
December 20, 1993
Isla Nublar, Costa Rica
The warm air of the island assaulted him the second the door opened on the small jet. The smell of a lush tropical island on the edge of the ocean was just what he remembered from being here a few months back. Of course, back then, he had no idea what he would be stepping into. Now, he was excited at the prospect of spending more time with animals that had filled his dreams since he was a small boy.
Having enjoyed the approach to the island this time, he had been watching out the window for any hint of why he, Ellie and others would be living here for the next few months. Having been advisors, even if he hadn't known that, had earned him and his team the first chance to study the beauties and compare what they speculate to what can be observed. Not since his graduate days had he done field work to observe actual living animals.
"Doctor Saddler, is it true that you have touched a triceratops?"
"Doctor Grant and I were able to spend two days in the field before we had to leave. It probably would have been more, but there was an unplanned issue," she said. They had all agreed not to talk about the problems that happened last time. He had seen in a newspaper last week that Dennis Nedry was going to trial in the Costa Rican courts and Cambridge Analytical was already embroiled in a lawsuit with InGen.
"I still can't believe that we are going to see real dinosaurs," a younger woman enthused. Allen smiled at her enthusiasm. Maisy Day was one of his fourth-year doctoral student. She had some interesting theories on allosaurs and would be able to test them. Allen still wasn't sure if the dinosaurs on the island acted like they did millions of years ago but was dying to find out. As much as Ellie may joke that they were going to go extinct as palaeontologists, he was determined to evolve and keep up his digs to find new species while researching both the living and dead.
Grant let the others go before him, with Ellie giving him a bright smile and a tender pat on his arm. He had never really wanted to be more than a bachelor, enjoying his life and studies, but since their first trip to Jurassic Park, he and Ellie had started something that he found he liked, even if there was a fifteen-year age difference.
They had each taken enough luggage to get by for a few days while their equipment and the rest of their personal effects came by boat. Two of the guards, a few workers and Dr Gerry Harding were already greeting his team. He moved to Dr Harding as the man held a hand open for him. "Doctor Grant, it's wonderful to see you again. Welcome back to Jurassic Park."
"It's great to be back, Doctor Harding. You can call me Grant." He shook the man's hand.
"Gerry then. We were going to give you all a tour and then we can get you settled into the hotel," Gerry told him.
"Hammond said we would have some office and lab space?" he asked.
"Of course. We have one of the labs in the Visitor Center set aside for you, and two offices on the lower level. I'm sure you are eager to get to your research, but Mister Hammond wants you to go through employee training before you start. I have the safety training scheduled for this afternoon and tomorrow will be the lab training. You'll have access to some of the park's computers and resources," Gerry replied.
"That sounds great."
Gerry motioned towards the four jeeps that were waiting for them. He jumped in the back of one after helping Ellie in. Gerry sat in the front with a worker driving. "You've come back at a good time. The allosaurs are doing well. We are going to be taking some of the pterosaurs over around the end of January and we found three more nests in the valley. You will have plenty to do over the next few months."
"I still can't believe that some of the dinosaurs are breeding. Doctor Wu seemed so convinced that wouldn't happen," Ellie had to yell as the jeep started its trek over the ridgeline next to the small airstrip and into the core of the island.
"Henry and his team are still investigating that, but for now, John wants to see what happens. InGen thinks there is enormous potential in that abnormality for genetic treatments in humans," Gerry replied.
"I thought this was all about the dinosaurs?" Allan questioned.
Gerry smiled. "Believe me, Jurassic Park is, but InGen is the one footing the bills, so they use findings from here to make drugs and other treatments. I'm simply happy I get to play with the dinosaurs," he said with a smile.
Grant nodded, thinking the same thing.
He could hear the excited chatter and yelling between the other jeeps when they stopped before one of the giant gates off the main road. Grant felt a little apprehensive but was just as excited to see the dinosaurs again as his grad students. Ellie jumped out to take a few samples off some plants before they rolled into the paddock.
"I still want to know how they did this. Doctor Wu never explained how they got some of these plants. I mean, look, Allen, you can see the vein structure and this colour isn't like anything else I've seen in modern plants," Ellie said with excitement as she looked at a leaf that was larger than her head. This was part of what drew him to her and why they had teamed up as professionals when she was looking for a post-doctoral position six years ago. At thirty, she was the top palaeobotanist in the field and had helped his research immensely. The fact that she didn't mind working in the field and treated the dig sites as reverently as himself hadn't hurt either.
When the melodic call of the duckbills came to him, he smiled and found the herd basking in the sun or eating not too far from the lake.
"Those two by that tree in the center of the field are protecting their nests," Gerry pointed out.
"Really?" he asked, jumping out of the jeep as soon as it came to a stop.
"Don't go any closer. They have proven protective," he was warned.
Ellie was still looking at the plants and had taken out a notebook and pen. She had been biting at the bit for the last two months to get back here to investigate the plants since they had been offered this.
"Fucking hell!" a man exclaimed rather loudly from the jeep behind them. That would be Thomas Sullivan, a doctoral student in his second year of study, but with a knack for computers and modelling how bones fit that Allen thought was useful. Instead of spending years to piece a skeleton back together, he had been able to cut that down to weeks on two new finds last summer. As much as he didn't care for new technology, he might be convinced to use it more.
"This is… this is…" Maisy said, seemingly at a loss for words as she got out of her jeep.
Allen smiled at them, remembering his first reaction to seeing them.
"This is absolutely brilliant!" another young man said in an English accent. Simon Howl was a third-year student of Ellies.
"Can we get closer?" Thomas asked.
"Not until you go through the safety training and can prove you can use a tranquilizer gun," Gerry told them.
"What are we waiting for?" the last graduate student asked. She was a young woman that was constantly changing her hair colour. As a first-year graduate student, she shouldn't be on this trip, but she had proven to be an absolute crack at modelling animal motions. Her models were already challenging some of their long-standing beliefs… some of which he already knew to be wrong after being to Jurassic Park.
"Easy there, Dora," Grant said.
"Doctor Grant, this is absolutely amazing," Thomas enthused.
"It is," he agreed.
"If you want, we can get you to the hotel and lunch, then start on your training," Gerry told them.
"Let's go!" Thomas and Dora exclaimed, running back to their jeep. Grant shook his head, sure he hadn't been that enthusiastic in his early twenties. He would have to keep an eye on them.
-oOo-
That evening…
Isla Nublar, Costa Rica
"Can you believe it? I mean, they were calling to each other," Dora excitedly said to Simon. "They were all moving like a herd."
"They were fast as well. Doctor Grant was right. These are fully endothermic. I mean, I thought they were, but my entire thesis is now out the window," he replied.
They were at the end of the line of people moving towards the large bungalow at the edge of the cliffs of the main compound. Mister Hammond, the benefactor of their semester to be spent at the island, had invited them to a special dinner at his house tonight.
"I couldn't tell though if they were set up by alpha animals or not. There were at three colour patterns I could make out," she rapidly shot back.
"Do you think its different family lines or just a natural or planned deviation? I mean, I can't even imagine how this is done. I have more questions than answers after the tour today," Simon said.
"You're telling me? I can't wait to get my cameras set up and see if any of my models actually work or if I spent the last year spinning my wheels," Dora told him.
"Thank you, John," Allan said before them. He insisted that his grad students call him by his first name. "And these last two are my newest grad students. Simon is in his second year, while Dora started with us second semester last year and is just finishing her first year."
She turned to see an older gentleman with grey hair, a rounding belly and a congenial smile. "It's a pleasure to meet you both. I've informed the staff to roll out the carpet for you and give you any access you need to the island and what we have here," Mr Hammond greeted them.
She shook his hand. "Thank you, Mister Hammond. You have no idea how excited we've been to get out here. Allen and Ellie keep telling us all about it, but this is so much more than I thought it would be. I can't wait to get some measurements. Do you think it will be possible to get measurements of the tyrannosaurus rex? I've been able to model then at potentially reaching thirty-five miles per hour, but I think that is too much for their overall skeletal structure."
The man chuckled while Allen laughed. "You can see she is rather passionate about her research."
Mr Hammond gave her a wide smile. "I'm sure we can arrange that. If you really want to get to know about the tyrannosaurs, you should talk to one of our residents. Allen, if you want, I can introduce her to Harry?"
Allen brightened. "Excellent, I was hoping he would be here tonight. I've been wanting to have a talk with him again and thank him for what he did the last time we were here."
"I'm sure he will be happy to talk with you. Lex, Tim and Harry have been excited to see you and Ellie again. Dora, if you want to come with me?" Mister Hammond offered, leading them into the house.
Inside was just as impressive as it had been outside. The large lounge area was already busy with some of the staff they had met today. Dr Bones, Dr Wu and Dr Harding were here. As was a blond woman with a younger boy that must have been her son, Mr Arnold and Mr Muldoon. As far as she knew, this was the senior staff of the island.
Mr Hammond greeted a few people before stopping at the blonde woman. "Dora, this is my daughter, Lynne. Lynne, one of Allens graduate students."
The woman held out her hand. "It is good to meet you, Dora. What my father didn't say is that my full name is Doctor Lynne Murphy. I'm an applied mathematician and statistician that is working here. If you need any data that I have, or my expertise, I'm sure I can find the time for you."
Dora shook the woman's hand. She must be in her late thirties or early forties but had a killer figure and hardly looked that old. "It's a pleasure to meet you, Doctor Murphy. I may ask for that help. I did a double major in mathematics and palaeontology and have been working on using video to model dinosaur movement based on modern birds. I would love for you to review some of my calculations at some point. I admit, I'm a little weak in some of the linear algebra I'm having to use."
"That sounds like an interesting project. I'll make some time to meet with you this week. Once you get on our system, I keep an up-to-date schedule. Though, if you are doing modelling and using video, you should talk to my daughter. She's helped the park redo its video recognition software," the woman said with some pride.
"I definitely will. Wait, you already have the park wired for video?" she asked, her excitement surging up. She could feel it and had try to clamp it down. She couldn't afford to have it happen tonight.
Mr Hammond said, "We've spared no expense to keep our visitors and our animals safe. I'm sure if you need video we can talk to Ray or the programmers to get you access."
"That would be wicked," she said. "Thank you, Mister Hammond."
Dr Murphy's eyes flashed to her hair. A surge of fear rippled through her before she was sure she was in control. She hoped it hadn't been too bad.
"It's John, please. Lynne, I was going to introduce her to Harry so she could talk to him about the t-rexes, and now it appears Lex too. Do you know where they are?" he asked, looking around the room.
"Try the balcony. Siri went out to get them about ten minutes ago and never came back," she told Mr Hammond… John.
The man beamed. "Well, I had been hoping to hold that surprise, but I suppose I could take Dora out there. Dinner isn't for another hour," he said.
"Mom, can I get some snacks?" the boy next to her asked.
"Yes. Before you go, Dora, this is my son, Timothy," Dr Murphy said.
"I like to be called Tim," the boy whinged.
"It's nice to meet you," she said, waving to him. He did a half-hearted wave back, before disappearing towards the table of refreshments by the sitting area.
"He finds all this incredibly dull, but he wanted to see Doctor Grant tonight. And there he goes," she said with a small laugh. She turned to see the boy stop by Doctor Grant. She rose a brow. The man usually hated children, but he greeted Tim warmly. With some of the way the staff treated Dr Grant and Dr Saddler, she was starting to suspect that something else had happened on the island the last time they were here.
"Just this way, Dora," John indicated.
She followed him outside. It was early evening. The sky was still lit some in the twilight hours, but the valley below was in shadows. What caught her attention was the sounds of the parasaurolophus calling to each other.
"Wicked," she said, stepping towards the railing.
"It's my favourite time to stand out here," a man said from her left. She turned to see a rather buff boy she thought to be about seventeen. He had intense green eyes, a strong chin, jet black hair and a rather serious look to him. Like many of the staff she had seen, he was wearing khaki shorts, but with a Jurassic Park t-shirt. She wanted one right away.
Next to him was a blonde bombshell in a cute black skirt and a rose-coloured halter top that exposed her belly button. She reminded her of Lynne right away and could easily believe that the older woman had been this hot when the same age, not that Lynne wasn't still hot.
What brought her up short though was the man that had been talking with him.
He looked older. More worn down by life in his face, but he had the same grey eyes, grin and black hair… the last time she had seen this man she had been ten. He had been laughing about something when he looked over to her. It took only a second for his face to turn as shocked as hers.
She didn't register that the boy looked equally as shocked.
Perhaps the most surprising to everyone, but her, was that her hair went from the blue she had chosen for this week to the pink she really liked, to the more chestnut brown of her mum.
"Nymphadora!"
"Tonks!"
"Uncle Sirius! You're dead!" she exclaimed at the same time the other two called out to her. Her eyes rolled up into her head before she fell limp to the floor…
-oOo-
December 21, 1993
Isla Sorna, Costa Rica
Sirius sat on the edge of the couch. Dora was sitting on another one. Harry had wanted to be here, but she didn't know him. He had seen how much that had hurt, and secretly hoped they wouldn't find anyone else from their previous life. He wasn't sure how much more Harry could take? At least he knew Lex would keep him preoccupied and had dragged him off to see Rexy.
The egg on her forehead was a deep black and blue. Her hair was back to the blue it had been when he had first seen her last night.
She was looking at him very confused, and not sure if she believed him. "So, you… and this Harry kid… came from a different dimension? You've been here since March. What I can do with my hair is magic and you're a wizard?"
"That about sums it up," he answered.
Lynne came back in with a tray of tea, coffee and some snacks. "Thanks, luv," he said to her as she sat down next to him.
Dora turned to Lynne. "And you believe all this?" she questioned.
"If I hadn't seen some of it for myself, I wouldn't, but Lex and Tim are learning to use their wands. I've been told I will be able to at some point, but we are starting to doubt that since my magic level is starting to plateau and no wand has responded to me yet," Lynne told her.
Dora touched her head with her hand, winced when she accidentally brushed the egg on her forehead, then got up. "Mental. That's it. I've gone around the twist," she muttered to herself.
"Siri, why don't you show her?" Lynne suggested.
"Dora, I am a wizard. What would you like to see?" he asked her.
She spun around on them. The uncertain look on her face was followed by a snarky, "I don't bloody know. Pull a rabbit out of your hat?"
He grinned at her. Pulling his wand out, he didn't miss how she took a step back. "I give you my word that I will do you no harm."
She kept a wary eye on him. He wasn't sure why she wasn't believing him given he had seen that she had some of the metamorphic abilities the Tonks he knew had. He tapped a book on the table. It morphed into a hedgehog. "I could conjure a rabbit in a hat, but I find that to be a little cliché," he told her.
Her eyes comically widened. "Dear god!" she quietly exclaimed.
"It is as unbelievable as it is fantastical," Lynne told her.
Dora watched the little guy scurry around the table, sniffing for something to eat. "So…so, you and this boy and her? You're wizards?"
"Well, we prefer to call our women witches, but yeah," Sirius said with a grin.
Lynne didn't look impressed.
"Right," she said, then started to pace around. "My hair? Those times that strange things happened? What my mother used to say that we were special… that was all magic?"
"I can only assume so. How is Andromeda?" he asked her.
She stopped, a quick bit of anger passing over her face. "Dead," she told him.
His eyes dropped. "I'm sorry. She was my favourite cousin," he told her.
She had stopped and was glaring at him. "How the hell would you know? You died when I was ten. My mum and dad moved us like five times after that. It was like they were running for something, then when I was fifteen, they were killed in a car crash, and I had to go live with my dad's sister. You did die, right?"
Sirius frowned. Lynne reached for his hand. "I'm sorry, Dora. The Sirius you knew did die. We could only find he was stabbed in a bar fight. I only arrived here in March after almost dying myself."
The young woman had tears in her eyes. "Mum was convinced you were murdered. She was paranoid that you had gotten yourself into something and whomever got you would find us," she said, tears running down her cheeks. "After that, she stopped telling me things. She said she was trying to protect me. Did she know about magic!"
Sirius looked to Lynne. He was getting a bad feeling about this. "I don't know. I don't know anything about you or your mother, Dora."
"WHY NOT!" she yelled at him.
He ran a hand through his hair. "I didn't want to find out I had family here that I could never get close too. How do you think people would react if I suddenly came back from the grave. If I knew that Andi, you or Ted were here, I would have come running for you, and that wouldn't have ended well."
She sniffed. "Who is Ted?"
"Your dad?" he asked unsure if that was another change he didn't know about.
"My dad's name is Edward. He hated it when people shorten it," she snapped back.
He let out a long sigh. This was not going the way he had hoped. She started to pace again. Her blue hair developed pink tips. "This is all completely barmy. I mean, my dead uncle is back, but he's not my uncle. There are bloody boys that know me, but I've never met them before. They are bleeding fucking wizards! How many!" she suddenly demanded, spinning on them.
"How many what?" Sirius patiently enquired.
"How many wizards? I'm not going to be called a witch," she told him plainly. He rose a brow at her. She was apparently starting to accept she was magical.
"We don't know, but so far, we have found thirteen children and ten adults, but no one over the age of twenty-five has developed enough magic to use a wand that didn't already have the ability at a younger age. The only ones that have gained enough power have been under the age of seventeen," Lynne replied.
"Don't forget all those priests and what not. We've counted more than twenty of them so far," Sirius said.
Dora blinked at them. "Priests? But they used to burn witches," Dora said with concern.
"And they still do if they can't convert you. Dora, if you want to sit, have a cuppa, and let me explain, I can answer any questions you have after that," Sirius offered.
She shook her head in disbelief. "I really hit my head too hard, didn't I?"
He grinned at her. "You are no more mental than I am."
"We are all in trouble then," Lynne exasperatedly commented.
"Oi! I am perfectly insane," he whinged to his girlfriend.
She had a slight uptick to her mouth. "Harry is more put together than you are, Siri."
He wanted to be indignant but had to concede the point. "Fair enough."
Dora, watching their by-play, took an unsteady step over to the closest chair, then sat. "So, how does this work then?"
"How does what work?"
She pointed to her hair. "Not that I believe you, mind you, but how does this work? I've been able to change my hair colour since I was about twelve. Freaked my mother out. She took me out of school and started to homeschool me. I never understood what she was so scared about. Said that I had to be older before she would tell me everything. She had be working on exercises to teach me to control my emotions. How does this work? I've learned to control it, but if I stop thinking about it, my hair always reacts to my emotions."
"To tell you the truth, I don't know. Where I came from, your mum figured it all out from our family library. I heard that our grandfather let her in, even though her father had tried to excommunicate her from our family," he said.
"And she didn't tell you?" Dora asked, a bit of her anger creeping through again.
He frowned. "Dora, I didn't see you from about the time you were six until you were an adult. There were things going on in my world that had your mother go into hiding and then I was thrown into prison for twelve years without a trial, so I never had time to learn anything your mum knew about your powers," he explained.
She let out a long breath, her anger deflating. "You really aren't my Uncle Sirius, are you?"
"I'm sorry, but I'm not," he told her, his own sadness at everything leaking through.
Maybe it wasn't just Harry that was feeling the strain of everyone they knew either being dead, not there or having no idea who they were. Lynne took his hand. He squeezed it to show his thanks.
Dora took in a long breath and then let it out. "What can you tell me?"
"A lot. If you are powerful enough, Harry and I can teach you how to use your magic. Seeing that you can change your hair, I think you will be," he told her.
Dora frowned. "What do you mean 'powerful enough'? It sounds like you can test me?"
"We can. Since Harry and Sirius arrived, there has been a team of scientists working on this. Certain electronics can detect the radiation emitted by those that can practice magic, as well as the power of the spells. We can take you to see Doctor Bones later. She is the head of our research into magic," Lynne told her.
"Really? You can detect this?" Dora asked, indicating her hair.
"Don't look to me. Where I came from, magic killed anything that used electricity. We can overpower electronics, but in general, our magic doesn't do much to electronics," Sirius said, feeling proud he could talk about this without messing up the terminology now.
"Lex wants to see if she can combine magic and computers when she goes to college," Lynne told Dora.
"Bloody heellll," Dora dragged out. She let out another calming breath. "So, what else is there?"
They spent the morning going over everything they knew without overwhelming her. She was curious and asked many questions. A little before lunch, she had asked to meet Harry, since Sirius had said Harry had known her.
He was driving them out to the tyrannosaur paddock after confirming that Harry was still there. Lynne had stayed behind while he took Dora.
As they approached, he wasn't surprised to see two other jeeps here already. Gerry was here with one of the other vets. Harry and Lex were down with Rexy. The smaller tyrannosaur was now nearly eleven feet tall. The vets were keeping an eye on him because they said he was growing at almost triple the normal growth rate. In the last four months, he had grown almost as much as they would have expected over the next year. Sirius wasn't surprised though. Familiars often matured faster and would be more powerful and brighter than the average animal.
Dora screamed when Rexy chased down the running boy. It bumped Harry in the back. He went into a roll to come to a skidding stop while in a crouch. Rexy turned to roar at him. The answering roar from Harry was almost as loud.
He stopped the car, then looked at Dora. She was white, her eyes as large as saucers, then her mouth dropped open as Rexy stomped to Harry, who stood up defiantly to the monster that was easily twice as tall and probably a thousand pounds of muscle heavier. They growled back and forth before Rex leaned down. After a moment, Harry relaxed, then moved in to pet his snout. Even from where they were, they could hear the thing give out a sound like a gravelly purr.
Lex approached them, shaking her head at the two big children.
"What the bloody hell was that?" Dora demanded.
"My godson being a fool with his familiar," he said.
She looked to him, then to Harry and Rexy and Lex, then back to him, then she pointed to Harry. "Bloody fuck! Are you saying that thing is his pet?"
Sirius chuckled. "More like a companion. Familiars are animals that bond with a witch or wizard. It is… well, I don't know what it's like. I've never had one, but I hear it's an intimate bond. They share each other's strength. They grow with each other and usually the animal lives as long as its wizard. Most wizards never have a full familiar bond, but those that do always treasure it."
Her eyes were still wide as saucers as Harry talked with Lex. Rexy nuzzled her shoulder, then she blushed at whatever Harry said to her. Sirius grinned, probably knowing what the big guy was telling them to do. Harry had told him how Rexy kept telling him to shag her senseless. He knew they were probably close, but Harry hadn't said if they had gone that far yet.
"Is he talking to it?" she asked.
"Yeah. He has a natural ability to talk to snakes. Using an old spell, he was able to use that to understand any dinosaur that had snake DNA used to complete its genohm," he said.
"Genome," she said. "They really have mapped their genomes? I never believed that. Fuck," she muttered.
He chuckled. "You want to go out and meet them? I'm sure he can convince Rexy to let you touch him. He usually likes the girls."
She swallowed. "He won't eat us?"
"Harry won't let him. Unless you piss him off, then he might let Rexy take and arm or something," he said rather seriously, before laughing when she looked around ready to pass out.
When she realized he was pulling a prank on her, she started to hit his arm. "You complete arse!"
He laughed. "You sound like Lex," he goaded her.
She gave him a look that promised retribution before getting out of the jeep. Sirius got out to introduce them. Rexy stood tall as they approached. He stepped to protectively stand before Harry and Lex. Harry tried to push the tyrannosaur out of his way with negligible effect. Sirius chuckled to himself.
Harry may think he's in control, but Rexy would do anything he had to protect Harry and Lex. He had little doubt about that, and the big guy had been very protective of both since coming back to the island.
-oOo-
The same day…
Washington, D.C., United States
For a month now, he had been trying to hunt down three people that he was now convinced had destroyed the abbey and taken several children that had obvious signs of the devil on them. Part of his investigations had led him back to the seminary. He would have liked to talk to Brother Micheal and Father Ricardo again, but they were no longer available.
What he did have was some contacts that were able to find a CCTV camera near the alley where Owen Grady was taken from their salvation. He now had a grainy picture of a man and a woman. They entered the alley, but never left.
From the colouring of the black and white photo and video, he was fairly certain the woman was blonde. He just wished that her facial features were a little better defined. He thought he recognized something in her but wasn't sure what it was.
There was no denying the man was the mysterious Sirius Black.
He was going over all the evidence he had been able to gather and had it spread out on a table and pieces pinned to a cork board behind him.
A knock on the door brought Father Reginald out of his musings. "Come in," he called out.
A rather short man with close cropped dark hair and blue eyes walked in. He was in the more traditional brown robes of the monks that lived in the seminary and taught the new recruits and followers. The man gave him a slight bow. "Father, we just received a call from Brother Thomas and Emerick. They observed a man that fit the description of Edward Creevey enter the house they have been watching."
"Excellent. When will they have the Creevey children here?"
"The man didn't have his children or wife, but four men that looked like security guards were with him. A moving crew is packing the house. What would you like them to do?" Brother Arnold asked.
He frowned. They couldn't afford to be found at the moment. The council was extremely angry at what happened to the abbey and the team there but were weary to let the Pope or the cardinals know about it. Technically the abbey had been part of the Order but wasn't officially part of the papacy. If they were to mobilize the entire church, they needed proof of what they had been saying, but were forbidden by church doctrine to reveal their powers of God to their brethren. Only the pope knew, and he thought their powers true gifts, not magic.
Magic was a heretic's way of thinking.
No, they needed to capture the ones that had done this. The two teens they had right now would make strong additions to the Order, but they were like him. Found at an early age, trained in using the gift God granted them, and would be true believers of the cause. No, they needed true wizards to convince the pope and the cardinals. Once they did, they would get the funding and backing needed, and the governments they worked with would be pleased to purge their nations of the evil.
"I only want them to move in if they see the children. In the meantime, try to follow the men. They are to investigate where they have been and if they are going anywhere else," Father Reginald replied.
"Yes, father. I will let them know when they call back," the short man said.
Father Reginald nodded. If God was looking down on them, they would soon know who took the Creevey children. The evidence against them showed that at least the two boys were touched by magic, and since the devil usually went down the family line, their younger sister most likely was as well.
-oOo-
December 22, 1993
Isla Nublar, Costa Rica
John was sitting in the conference room. Robert was in the process of handing his security responsibilities over to the recently promoted Yvonne. She had said for a while she wanted to do more, and after how she had helped save his granddaughter, he thought he should give her the opportunity.
Robert was sitting across from him, with Sirius, Lynne, Anders and Wendy around the rest of the table.
"Have you found out anything else about the men that kidnapped by granddaughter and Miss Granger?" he asked.
"Romford in San Diego has been able to dig up something," she said. "Uhm, so the book that Harry and Sirius found had a seal that belonged to a group that was thought to be defunct in the Catholic church. The Order of Saint John d'Atares was an order that rose during the crusades. The first time we can find records of this seal was in 1302."
A picture of a round seal with a rod and sickle over an orb came onto the video display.
Sirius sat up. "That looks like the rods and orbs the priests were using."
"I thought it looked like what you described," Yvonne replied.
Robert reached for the packet. "And they can do magic, like Harry and Sirius?"
"It's cruder. They can't control magic like a wand can, but those orbs concentrate magic more than our wands. We've been going through the grimoire we found at the church in England. If that is most of what they know, its equivalent to a third- or fourth-year student at Hogwarts, with some nastier spells, and I haven't seen anything to suggest anything more advanced," the man informed them.
"I've been adding the book into the database we are building. Lex has been working to modify a program to scan in pages and have it put into a word processing file," Lynne told them.
"What will that get us?" Wendy asked.
"We are hoping to be able to make it easy to cross reference similar spells, maybe even how to counter them, as well as make a database of everything we have in case something happens to the books and scrolls. Some of them are over a thousand years old," Lynne replied.
Robert tapped on the page of the packet that held the seal. "That is fine, but that doesn't keep these people from kidnapping again. And are we certain they don't have any more children? Our team in England said there were two men watching the Creevey's place that we think are associated with the church."
"They are," Yvonne said. "We were able to follow them to the monastery that we thought abandoned. They were tracking Mister Creevey, and we can't be positive that they, or other agents, haven't found out that he got onto an InGen jet."
Sirius put a hand over his mouth. When he pulled it down, he commented, "What happens if they track us here?"
"Construction on Isla Matanceros is starting next month. It will take a year or more to have the facilities ready to move in," Robert told them.
"Robert and Yvonne, I need you to make sure that no one else finds out about the witches and wizards here. Sirius, no more magic around anyone that doesn't need to know," John ordered.
"John, it's most likely too late for that. We should focus on new people," Robert said.
"Why would you say that?" he asked.
Yvonne and Robert shared a look. John didn't like it. "We have word that Gym and the Korean scientists are looking for magical users, and potentially other creatures. They have started a project asking for volunteers that have special abilities. If the church, if this order finds out, it could get worse."
He hit his fist on the table. "Damn! I don't want my grandchildren, or the others hunted down."
Sirius was frowning. He looked to be in deep thought. Lynne was looking at him.
"Yvonne, before this goes further, tell them what else you found," Robert told her.
"What else could there be?" John enquired.
She flipped through a few slides. "The Order of Saint John d'Ateres were involved in the crusades, then the inquisition for the next five hundred years. Wherever the inquisition went, the Order did as well," Yvonne said. In each picture, there was at least one man with the seal on a medallion in the pictures.
His stomach twisted to see witch burnings, tortures, trials, burning towns… all with at least one man with the seal around their necks.
"Yvonne, are you saying that the Order is the one that started the inquisition?" Lynne questioned.
"I am saying they are the bloody hand of the church. Up until eighteen-oh-eight, the Order was every place a suspected witch, settlement or magic event was either known or suspected to occur. After that, they just disappear," she said.
Lynne looked a little sick. "That was when the catholic church ordered the Inquisition to end. The Order didn't stop or disband, did it?"
"We don't think so. Officially, the Catholic church doesn't have such an order of monks and priests anymore, but there are more than fifty properties around the world that receive tax relief or other dispensation in the name of the order, and about a hundred and fifty more we suspect linked to them," she told them.
"Dear God! They've been hunting witches and wizards for that long? And they capture anyone they can and convert them?" John queried.
"We think they kill most of the ones they find," Robert said. "We can find some references where their memories spells didn't seem to work."
"How many?" Sirius asked, a dark quality to his voice.
"We are still researching. The home office has given out a few grants to find out, but it may be months to years before we get a clear idea," Yvonne told them.
"How many?" Sirius asked. There was a build-up of pressure in the room. Everyone turned to the man.
Robert softly said, "We suspect thousands, probably more like tens of thousands around the globe, but that could be wrong."
Sirius took in a long breath. After a few seconds, he let it out. It took him repeating it six times before the pressure in the room subsided.
"Dad, they can't get Alexis and Tim," Lynne panicked. "Harry is only sixteen. How can he be expected to protect them?"
"What of my Susan? Or the others? Owen and Hermione can't go back home," Wendy questioned.
"We will do everything we can to protect the children," John tried to assure them.
"We will have to find a way to get rid of the order," Sirius said.
He looked to the man. His grey eyes looked lit from the inside. It wasn't the power he had seen Harry display, but it was a power he would never be able to understand and prayed it was never turned on him.
"We will, Sirius. John, we won't be able to keep this a secret forever," Robert told him.
He nodded, suspecting as such. "I know, but what will happen if it gets out? What if more awaken and there are too many for us to take in an teach?" he asked Robert.
Sirius spoke up. "I had a long talk with Dora yesterday. She suggested that there might be a secret society of magicals in Britain. She said her mum thought I was murdered for what I knew. If that is true, then we may not be as alone as we thought."
"Then why did they abandon the preserves?" John questioned.
For the first time, Anders spoke up. "I cannot say why the other preserves were abandoned, but if there are more people that know, I don't know them. I think that there may still be pockets that know, but that is it. I was always told to keep this away from the non-magicals, but the wards of Durmstrang are failing. You said the wards around Hogwarts have gone wild. John, you said that acromantula and sea serpents have been found in the southwest pacific. I was able to find something in my family tomes that I never understood before. There are four preserves in that area of the world. If one of their ward schemes are failing, then it will be inevitable that magic is found out about again."
John could see what was being said and what was happening. As he looked around the room, he understood what he needed to do. He was a salesman and visionary. Jurassic Park was his dream. His family was his life.
"We need to bring out the order and start applying pressure to the church to stop this," John said.
They all looked to him. "How, dad?" Lynne put to him.
He was thinking.
"You said Gym is already looking for other magicals?" he posed to Robert.
"Yes. They are looking all over South Korea right now, but if it really takes off, other governments and research groups will take notice," Robert answered.
He looked to Sirius. "Sirius, can you go back to Beauxbatons? I need you to get on good terms with them and then warn them."
"Warn them about what, John?" Sirius asked, a hard quality to his voice.
"I am selling the world on dinosaurs. I can sell it on magic as well," he told them.
Sirius gave him a hard look. "We aren't some animals to just parade around."
"No, but if things are going the way we think, then what almost happened at Jurassic Park in August could be far worse if the preserves fail. If we want to get rid of the Order and prepare the world for what may come, then we need to prepare it for it," he said.
"And how do you suppose to do that? This is Lex, Tim and all the others you are talking about," Lynne angrily countered.
"Jurassic Park will be opening in a few months. What if we were able to set up another park? One where we can bring in the fantastical beasts that you and Harry talk about? What if we could show the world dragons and unicorns. Real dragons and unicorns, and slowly introduce them to magic. If everyone is enthralled with them, then they will not support any organization that would try to get rid of them," he said. It may be a little optimistic, but if people were already used to the idea of magic, then if it burst out, like Malcolm always said Jurassic Park would, then things could be better eventually.
Everyone was quiet.
"Do you understand what it takes to contain a dragon?" Anders asked, not looking comfortable with the idea.
"No, but what could happen if we don't do this? Lynne, could we use the library you are building to learn how to contain a dragon?" he asked.
She thought about it for a few. While she did, Robert asked, "John, you are talking years to get this done. There are already fantastical beasts breaking free. Where do you plan to find the time?"
"I was hoping that you might be able to work with Sirius and Harry. They are the best we have at the moment. We can setup a rapid response team when we hear about breakouts," he suggested.
"What about the school we are setting up? Harry is good for his age, but he is still only sixteen. We can't ask him to fly all over the world. He loves the dinosaurs here," Sirius countered.
"What if the half-giants at Beauxbatons were willing to help?" he asked.
Sirius grinned. "Well, that might be an idea. I know a man there…"
Anders looked to him. "Hagrid?"
"Yeah. We need to go back anyways. I'm thinking we need to find out how they made those vanishing cabinets," he replied.
"What are those?" Robert enquired.
"They allow you to go from one place to another instantly. I don't know how far they can work, but without knowing how to make portkeys, they may be the best option we have to set up a rapid response team that can get to anywhere in the world within hours, if not minutes," Sirius told them.
"That would be an enormous advantage," Yvonne said.
"It would. We could use a few between here and the other islands as well. Where would you want to set up this park, John? We only have two other sites that are already being approved for Jurassic Park," Robert put to them.
"What if we try to retake part of Hogwarts? Make it into a true nature preserve and display enough of these beasts to catch people's attention and imagination. Slowly show them how witches and wizards have been protecting them. It could work," he told them.
Lynne reached for Sirius hand on the table. "I don't like this," Sirius said.
"Why?" John asked.
"The last time everyone knew about us, we were almost completely eliminated," Sirius said. "It's been a genocide that's gone on for hundreds of years here."
"If we don't, there is a possibility you will be all killed this time if magic suddenly just breaks loose," Robert said. "John's idea has merit."
"Sirius, dad may be right," Lynne reluctantly agreed.
After a moment, he looked to Anders. The man nodded. Sirius let out a sigh. "Fine. But that doesn't resolve the issue with the Order right now."
"We are bringing in fifty more guards from the mainland. We'll need them for when the guests start to arrive in April and could probably use them now. There are people poking around the mainland trying to find this place now," Robert told them.
"I think that Harry and I should move into the compound on the north of the island. Lynne, you and your kids should too. It will be easier to protect us all there," Sirius told them. "I don't want to leave any of you unprotected until we know the Order can't get us."
"What about Beauxbatons? We need to talk with them, to convince them to help," John said.
"When we left, they said the pass in and out is pretty much unpassable until the snows start to melt in the spring. I don't think we can talk with them before April or May," Sirius said.
"Karl and I can make it," Anders confidently told them. "We are used to harsh winters and trekking in the snow."
"But you don't know how to drive," Sirius pointed out.
"We can get a car and driver for them," John assured them. "Anders, if you could, this might be more important than anything else."
Anders nodded his head. "We will do what we can. When would you like us to leave?"
"I would like to get things together to offer them what we can," Robert told them.
"How long do you need?" John asked.
"Maybe until New Years?" Robert responded.
"Good. Lynne, I need you to get me what you need for your project. I can get you the resources for it. We will have to get a team together to plan everything. Yvonne, keep up with the other teams to find out everything you can. We will find a way to deal with the Order. Sirius," he said, a much more serious and pleading tone to his voice, "can you and Robert make sure my family and the others are safe?"
He watched the man hold Lynne's hand tight. "I promise."
-oOo-
Next time on The Magic of Amber: Christmas on the island. Plans move forward. The church doesn't stop its investigations…
-oOo-
A/N: For the fans, I have found my muse again. I am hoping it lasts for the last of what I have planned. I will be keeping a 2 -3 week posting schedule and figure this is between 5 to 8 chapters to go.