Chapter 14
The dinner took place near the tranquil pond, right outside the tent. Koby, ever resourceful, cleared a patch of land and set up a long table piled with all sorts of delicious food: roast chicken, steaks, mash, apple pies, and more.
The table was almost on the verge of collapsing under the weight. Happy was called over by Colonel Rhodes, and they all had a filling meal in the oasis of the desert. After a short break, Koby dismantled the tent and stuffed it into one big trunk, together with Jamie's belongings.
Then, they boarded the plane and Happy took charge of flying it back to the US military base. With Rhodes' assistance, the military gave them the green light, and they embarked on their return journey to the United States the next day.
The moment the plane crossed into New York airspace, Jamie leaned towards Tony and said, "I think it's time for me to go. I trust you'll fulfill your end of the bargain. Believe me, you don't want to know what I'm capable of." Her voice resonated with unwavering determination, leaving no room for doubt.
Tony gazed at Jamie, a mix of confusion and surprise evident on his face. "You're not joining us?" he asked, puzzled.
"I think there'll be a crowd eagerly anticipating your return. I don't want to impose. And remember, let's keep this low-key," Jamie replied, rising from the chair and picking up her compact suitcase. "Koby, take me back home, please."
With a soft pop, Jamie disappeared from the plane. "Jarvis, erase all the surveillance footage from the plane and make sure to back it up on my personal server," Tony swiftly commanded.
"Sure thing, sir."
Rhodes approached the spot where Jamie had disappeared, waved his hand, and turned to face Tony. "So, what's the deal with her? Superpowers?"
"Magic!"
"You're joking with me right?" Rhodes deadpanned.
Tony chuckled, finding Rhodes' reaction amusing. "No, I'm not joking. Jamie has magical abilities. She's a skilled sorceress."
Rhodes raised an eyebrow, clearly skeptical. "Magic? In this day and age?"
Tony nodded. "Believe me, I was just as surprised when I first found out. But I've seen her powers in action. She can manipulate energy, conjure objects out of thin air, and even teleport, as you just witnessed."
Rhodes crossed his arms, still processing the information. "And you trust her?"
Tony's expression turned serious. "I do. She saved my life, and she's proven herself to be a valuable ally. Plus, she made it clear that I should fulfill my end of the bargain, so I have no reason to doubt her."
Rhodes let out a sigh. "Alright, Tony. If you vouch for her, then I trust your judgment. Just make sure we keep this low-key, as she requested."
Tony nodded in agreement. "Absolutely. We'll keep her involvement under wraps. The last thing we need is the world finding out about real magic."
With that settled, Tony and Rhodes focused on the rest of their journey back to the United States
* * *
Back at home, Jamie flopped onto her bed and released a contented sigh. Nothing compared to the comfort of her own home, regardless of how cozy the tent was.
A gray barn owl suddenly swooped through the open window and landed gracefully on Jamie's bedside table. It blinked its large, piercing yellow eyes at her before sticking its leg out, presenting the letter it carried.
Koby took the letter and made sure it was clear of any curse before handing it to Jamie. "It's mail from the US Congress, Mistress."
Frowning, Jamie took the letter, and breathed a sigh of relief once she finished reading it. It turned out to be a notice from the Department of International Travel office confirming her return to the United States and requesting her to register at her earliest convenience.
Thank god it had nothing to do with her business with Tony; otherwise, she'd have to pack up and go on the run again. She knew she wouldn't stand a chance against a team of elite aurors.
Dismissing the letter aside, Jamie continued to lounge around instead. The Department of International Travel, or whatever ridiculously long name it had, could wait. All she wanted at that moment was sleep.
"Forgive me, Mistress, for interrupting your sleep, but Koby has no other choice!" Koby's squeaky voice shattered Jamie's tranquility just as she was about to drift into a peaceful slumber.
"Stop dawdling, Koby! Tell me already!" Jamie groaned, rolling her eyes as she sat upright on her bed to meet the house-elf's gaze.
"Our funds are depleted, Mistress. We're in dire need of restocking almost everything." Koby stood cautiously near the door, not wanting to disturb his master, but their stay in Afghanistan had left them depleted of supplies, even the most basic cleaning items.
"Remember those gems they sent us? Just cash them in! The goblins go crazy for them. Keep one for me and take the rest to Gringotts for exchange. If there's nothing else, don't disturb me. I want to sleep," Jamie stated before diving beneath her warm blanket.
Silently shutting the door behind him, Koby went to fetch the gems they had received from Pepper. With a sudden flash of magic, he transported himself to the magical shopping district near Time Square, and set his course for Gringotts, the largest wizarding bank in the world.
Using Jamie's vault key as identification, Koby successfully exchanged all the gems for a considerable amount of dragots. The pure gems brought in enough money to elevate Jamie's vault in the American branch of Gringotts to a number below 500.
Gringgots maintained a uniform approach with its vaults across the globe, with the lower numbers indicating higher security and greater wealth. Jamie's vault now, ranked among the most secure and affluent in the United States.
The freshly appointed manager of Jamie's account placed a letter and a shiny silver card in Koby's hands, tasking him with the responsibility of delivering them to Jamie. Securing the items, Koby pocketed some dragots in a pouch that had an extension charm cast on it before setting off home.
With the dawn of a new day, Jamie finally roused from her slumber, feeling rejuvenated. Following her morning routine, her gaze immediately fell upon the conspicuously positioned letter and card left on her desk by Koby. Intrigued, she picked them up, examining the goblin-crafted silver card with her name elegantly engraved upon it.
Upon opening the letter, penned by the manager of Gringotts' American branch, Jamie discovered the news of her upgraded vault and the heightened security measures implemented. The correspondence also informed her of the substantial sum of dragots now at her disposal, designating her as an esteemed patron of the bank.
The goblins' desperate attempt to sell their service was not lost on Jamie as she read the letter. It was a clever tactic she had picked up from observing how the muggles ran their banks. Annoyed by the advertisement letter, Jamie scoffed and tossed it into the trash without a second thought. However, she kept the card in her pouch.
After putting on a black dress with long sleeves, Jamie headed straight to the fireplace in the reception room. She grabbed a handful of floo powder, and stepped into the flames. A few minutes later, Jamie arrived at the office of the International Travel Department, where the same witch she saw a week ago sitting behind the counter. As soon as Jamie came up, the witch spoke up in that same monotone voice, "State your name and purpose."
"I'm here to register my return to the United States," Jamie replied, her voice carrying a hint of impatience.
The witch glanced at Jamie and then down at her paperwork. "Name?"
"Jamie Black."
The witch flipped through a few pages on her desk until she found the relevant section. "Ah, here you are. Jamie Black, returning from Afghanistan. Please fill out this form," she said, sliding a sheet of parchment and a quill across the counter.
Jamie took the quill and quickly filled in the necessary information, including her name, and date of return. She handed the form back to the witch, who inspected it briefly before stamping it with an official seal.
"Your registration is complete. Welcome back to the United States, Miss Black," the witch monotoned, showing no emotion in her voice.
"Thank you," Jamie replied curtly, taking the form and tucking it into her bag. As she was about to leave, she spotted something that caught her eyes. She casually picked up a copy of the New York Ghost, an American wizarding newspaper, from the front desk. On the front-page headline was a photo of Tony Stark, surfacing after missing for two months in Afghanistan.
"Why did a muggle make it to the front page of the newspaper?" Jamie's heart skipped a beat as she read the headline, feigning nonchalance.
The witch behind the counter looked up and said, "You don't know yet? This muggle seems to have ties to the wizarding world. Even the aurors were ready to take action when the muggle authorities failed to come up with any results in their search."
"Do you know what kind of connection he has here?" Jamie asked, looking eager for some juicy gossip.
The witch straightened herself, casting furtive glances in every direction. In a hushed voice, she said, "They say he's a secret descendant of a famous person, exiled to the muggle world. I've heard many people in the wizarding world are keeping an eye on him."
Jamie forced an awkward yet polite smile, took out a dragot from her pocket, and placed it on the counter. "Thanks for the story. I have to get going now, and I'll take this newspaper with me."
"Come again next time!" The witch waved enthusiastically, shifting her attention to a large group of travelers emerging from the floo. Jamie was already forgotten from her mind as she got caught up in her work.
Jamie's laughter echoed through the house upon her return. A secret descendant? Despite displaying no magical prowess, the man referred to as "Tony Stark'' in the picture, radiated an unmistakable magical energy. In stark contrast, the real Tony Stark possessed no magical energy whatsoever. Nonetheless, this was big news to her, as one of the wealthiest men in the world possessed ties to the wizarding realm, unbeknownst to Tony himself.