A Daughter and A Phoenix
Chapter one
For a better day
I woke up on a park bench which was unusual because this was definitely not where I had went to sleep at. Several things were unusual I was dressed which I hadn't went to sleep like that, the park bench in question didn't belong to the military base that I had fallen asleep at, there was a chill in the air that belonged to early fall not the early summer, and sitting on the ground next to the bench was my duffle bag. I stood up and shouldered the duffle then began to scan the area nothing looked familiar so I did the only thing I could do, hit the walking path and figured eventually it would lead to an exit.
It didn't take long till I found a massive entry way with a sign that read Hyde Park London England. Well shit. Nothing like waking up in a city damn near six thousand miles away from where you went to sleep at. I looked around trying figure out my next step when I spotted a small newsstand just opened for the morning. I moseyed over as casually as one can when one is trying not to panic. When I reached the front of the stand I spied a man in his forties with skin like leather tending to a coffee machine. I took a sniff the smell of the coffee indicated it was pitch dark and just about perfect for drinking. "News paper, map of London, and a cup of whatever you English call coffee." I grumbled out my voice several pitches lower from having just woken up. The man turned eyed me as he gathered what I requested. As I dug for money in my pockets hoping to come up with something the man paused in what he was doing and looked at the emblem patch on my left arm. "You active service?" "Aye sir just on leave from Okinawa, Japan." The man smiled and stuck a hand out shake, I met shake and we traded grips and the man gave as good as I did. "Sergeant Abner Warren Her Majesty's Royal Marines." I nodded "Lance Corporal Ben Havener United States Marine Corps." He slid the paper, map, and coffee my way and I went to reach for my wallet when he held up a hand to stop me "don't worry about it you look like you need them." I nodded "We were in field for jungle training before my flight barely had time to get everything together before I left." I sipped the coffee enjoying the warmth and the sting flavor. "Now that is a little bit of heaven in a cup." Abner chuckled "Thanks lad not many appreciate how I strong I brew it." I scanned the paper and the first article catch my eye noted that work to replace to the collapsed brockendale bridge had begun, another the that uncharacteristically bad weather in the west country had final began to clear, and finally at top of the paper was date September 1st 1998 hell's bells. Based on everything I was seeing it meant two things one I had time traveled to when I was six years old and two there was the very real possibility that I had travelled into the world of Harry Potter. There was only one way I knew to check I searched the map till I found what I estimated to be my location then traced a route to charing Cross road if my suspicion was correct then I should walk past a empty storefront just past number 42 Charing Cross road. As I looked up comparing my route to the surrounding area Abner spoke "Looks like you've decided on something." I nodded he motioned so that he could refill my cup and I passed it to him as he filled my cup and placed a lidded on it he noted "well best of luck on your travels then." I took the cup back from him and gave him my best salute I heard his low chuckle as I walked away.
As turns out the distance between Hyde Park and Charing Cross Road is only about thirty minutes while walking. When I got to number 42 I expected to see a run down storefront but what I saw instead was the very real entrance to the Leaky Cauldron. I did the only rational thing to do when your faces with fantasy becoming reality I went inside for a drink. As I entered I noted that despite being early the morning the place was fairly packed but that was not surprising five months after the end of the second wizarding war there was still a lot to celebrate and a lot to mourn. I grabbed a miraculously empty booth. I waved Tom off, I needed time to think I couldn't just go running around the wizarding world without a plan and I could hardly think that I ended up here on accident. I brought the duffle up onto the table and opened it taking inventory of my current possessions was the best first step to formulating a plan. Inside the bag contained my standard complement of clothing and toiletries which was unsurprising, surprising was the collection of ammunition, more surprising still was my AR and shotgun at the bottom, but the most surprising was the rolls of money ten of the containing UK hundred pound notes I deposited four of the rolls in my pockets before I zipped the bag closed. Next I began an inventory of my pockets, my old bison hide wallet was where it had always been, back pockets contained a sheath of throwing knives and my multitool, cell phone was in its usual pocket I wonder if it works, coat pockets contained a Zippo lighter that I bought at sixteen, a lock pick set, paracord, my IFAK, my compass, gloves, and a few spare mags. Next I inventoried my person, left boot contained my knife right boot contained my emergency gun a S&W Bodyguard, on my waist was my Taurus Judge and in it's shoulder holster was my Ruger P97. Next checked my wallet out my non magical IDs were there back to dated far enough back that'd be believable even in nineteen eighty one which I found interesting but what was more interesting was the magical ID which included a MACUSA issued wand license and MACUSA issued magical passport. Whoever slash whatever had brought me here had been very thorough except seemingly in two areas I didn't have a wand or any magical currency. Though I suppose I could use the non magic currency as an exchange and then buy a wand. Okay so I'm well supplied and armed well enough to take on a dragon the question that remains is why with the war over I have no need to fight Voldie and The Death Munchers so what could crop up that I could solve? Oh bloody well of course Delphini I could change her fate into something better after all if she was raised by a non money grubbing death eater supporter she just might turn out okay. So that was the plan then go to Gringotts, get money, buy wand, find out where Euphemia Rowle lives, and rescue the baby girl.
Reshouldering the bag as I stood I waited till a group was head to the backlot of the Cauldron and then used their passage through to make it in to Diagon Alley proper. The place still showed signs of the war but it was now full of life as it once was before the war. As I strode down the alley I noted that Ollivander's had been reopened good that makes things easier hate to have to hump my way to the Hogsmeade branch to a get a wand. I attracted a lot of attention as I walked down the street it's not really surprising both in the wizarding world and the muggle world I was dressed strangely the coat I wore was a full length brown leather duster, perched upon my head was brown Stetson hat, I was wearing cowboy boots, two belts one for holding up my cargo pants the other was a gun belt, and a olive green t-shirt with USMC printed across the front. It doesn't help that I'm not a small man by any measure six foot two inches combined with a broad chest and shoulders and musculature designed for endurance made somewhat of an imposing figure. I have black hair cut in a neat high and tight, green eyes with copper around my pupils often my eyes appear much darker than they truly as my eyes are naturally deeply set into my head, when I can grow a beard it comes in patchwork colored primarily red with a mix of blonde and black, my nose is large and my nostrils flare out, my head is best described as square with my chin coming to a cleft point, and finally I'm covered head to toe in faded stretch marks and scars. I don't honestly if I'm a particularly attractive man or not but I'm very distinct. One of the advantages of being somewhat imposing and attracting attention was that people moved out of my way which made my passage to Gringotts that much easier.
Gringotts stood as it had always at the diverging point between two sections of the alley I got to give it to the Goblins they do quick work none of the damage from the dragon's escape was apparent any longer. I strode into the entryway catching the attention of the two Goblin sentries there I noted that the additional wizard security measures had been dropped. I entered the lobby it was bustling with people, I quickly grabbed the tail end of a line for a teller. You had to admire the efficiency of the Goblins work as it seemed like no time at all had passed before I was standing in front a Goblins teller looking down at me from his desk perch. "How can I help you today?" This was said in a simple business tone. "Hello I'd like to open an account today." He nodded "Name and Assets being used to open the account please." I placed the four rolls of money I had pocketed early on the desk "Ben Havener" The Goblins eyebrows raised just a fraction of a hair he made a gesture and suddenly two Goblin Guards appeared out of side door he then handed the four rolls back to me "Mister Havener if you'll follow these two Goblins please, I afraid you'll have to speak to Head Goblin about your account." I didn't really have another option so I nodded and followed the two Goblins. We entered the side door the two had exited earlier and followed a confusing set turns till we reached an elevator. The speed at which the elevator ascended made me wonder if Goblins had different safety protocols than humans did. The elevator sped to a stop with a little ding and we step into a hallway with only one door at the end flanked by two more guards a golden plaque on its surface read "Ragnok Gringotts Great Britain Head Goblin" I knocked at the door and a Goblins voice called "enter" I entered the room it narrowed front to back the walls were a collection of weapon, framed documents, news articles, and books by the hundreds. At the end of the room sat an intricately carved desk a high backed chair sat behind it containing a Goblin unlike any other I had seen he was well built the kind of muscles that indicated a warrior he wore a well cut suit and his demeanor gave off an air of complete control. "Ah Mister Havener you and I need to have a conversation. Please sit and we'll discuss." I sat in the chair facing Ragnok and I wondered if these chairs were designed specifically so that I was eye level with him. "Please sir call me Ben, Mister Havener is my father." Ragnok chuckled "Not one for formalities then?" I nodded "Not in cases where it is more important to get directly to the point, I figure if I was sent directly up to your office after simply giving my name to the clerk down stairs you likely have an important reason for me to be here." Ragnok nodded "Plus I enjoyed a fairly friendly relationship with my last bank of choice and as it seems like Gringotts shall be my next bank of choice then I'd like to re-establish that kind of relationship." Ragnok nodded then place a folder that I suspect had been bought from muggle suppliers on the desk "So Ben can you tell me what this is?" I looked at the folder it was blank on the outside and didn't look like it contained all that much but I had a fair guess as to what it contained. "If I were a betting man I'd say that is a report, specifically a report linked to an incident of time travel, time travel that is linked to my name. The rest of the papers in there are likely account details an account that didn't exist till this morning." He nodded "Very good, now tell me do you know why I have this report?" It was my turn nod "Gringotts as the singular institution of finance in the wizarding world likely keeps track of any fluctuations in time specifically in time travel. Looking for the those would be attempting to profit off future knowledge either by going back in time to use the knowledge they have to set themselves up for when they return to the future or by going forward in time to find out information from the future to then travel back an use that information to make a profit." "Good one final question and I'll let you guess it then." "Did I intentionally travel in time or not? The answer is no I did not intentionally time travel. Yesterday I was at my base in Japan happy to be out of the mud and muck looking forward to a long weekend being a tourist in Tokyo, this morning I woke up on a park bench in the middle of London England to find myself twenty plus years back in time. Finally and most importantly yesterday everything around me was entirely fictional." He nodded "Why should I believe you?" I shrugged "Honestly you have no reason to but I'd be willing to undergo veritaserum to prove it" he shook his "That won't be necessary, we have the ability to identify the magical signature of the time traveler we have been using your time here to see if it was yours as it doesn't match up it can be safely assumed that you didn't come back in time willingly. Now onto a more complicated matter whoever sent you back apparently did not wish for you to be without resources as you are now listed as the account owner of a vault holding some fifty million galleons. Do you see why this is a problem." I nodded "Fifty million previously non existent galleons suddenly introduced into a recovering post war economy could easily destabilize the economy as it could inflate the value of the galleon significantly." he grunted an affirmative and looked contemplative "On the one hand our bylaws will not allow us to take the money from the account on other the we cannot simply allow a dangerous amount of money like that to leave these premises." Thanking my lucky stars that money math was always my favorite in school I made a proposal "Indeed not but I believe I have a solution that benefits both myself and Gringotts. Move an amount off the main account say a five hundred thousand galleons have that amount refilled from the main accounts store. Then the bank takes say twenty million from the account and uses it as investment capital taking in thirty percent of the profit and the rest goes back into the main account." Ragnok nodded then took out a pen and some paper began writing notations "The bank makes a profit and controls a much needed influx of capital." "any other caveats to this agreement?' I nodded "Just one I need a letter of accreditation." He looked puzzled "What do you need that for?" I indicated the folder on the table "because I've already been timed jumped once against my will necessitating this whole conversation in the first place a letter of accreditation would grant me a jump start should this occur again." Ragnok and looked contemplative "That's a very practical approach despite your unorthodox situation do you have any idea why you are here?" I shrugged my shoulders "With the war already concluded my best guess is I am here for Delphini." "Delphini I'm afraid I'm not familiar with that name?" "Ah my apologies Delphini Riddle or as she is more commonly known in her time Delphini Diggory is the daughter of Tom Riddle and Bellatrix Lestrange. I should explain that Tom Riddle is the true name of the very deceased lord voldemort." Ragnok shook his head a surprising amount if disgust on his face "You are telling me that snake faced piece of filth actually managed to breed?" I shrugged he steepled his fingers "Besides her inauspicious heritage what makes this girl important?" "As of the moment little she is a baby not even a year old yet later on after she grows up she gets access to a time turner one without the restrictions in place and nearly destroys the future we're living in." He ponder this for a moment before asking "If the girl known to be stopped then why involve yourself at all?" I held up to fingers "Two reasons, one I'm not a man to leave things to chance and two that poor girl never had anyone who gave a damn about her, the guardian put in place for her only cared about her because a large some if galleons was given to them. She was locked away with no friends or family and it's little wonder she went the way she went." He nodded "So then what is your plan?" "Plan A is to obtain the location of Euphemia Rowle and convince her politely to secede custody of Delphini to me if needed offering a large sum of gold as apparently that is the only reason she took in Delphini in the first place." "And the plan B if that fails?" I smiled "Kick in her door and remove Delphini by force. That's the plan I hope not to have to use." Ragnok gave a toothy grin "I do like plan B it is very goblin in nature but I doubt the wizards would appreciate it the same way. We goblins have quite a few information broker contacts I'll put the word out with them for you it will cost a fee of course but that shouldn't be a problem. It will take a about a day is there anything you need to do in the meantime." I nodded "I need to purchase a wand, acquire some muggle transportation, and of course gather the supplies for raising of a child." My thoughts got pulled to that concept I was one way or another about to take on the task of raising a child, one whom with I have no connection to. Yet despite my knowledge of the challenge I was about undertake I felt calm. Ragnok said something and it snapped me back to reality "I'm sorry?" Ragnok repeated "You will be need some galleons for the wand transaction yes?" I nodded a goblin attendant seem to appear from nowhere carrying a bag of coins "That should be more than enough to cover the wand and a nights stay at the cauldron should you so desire drawn from the sub account as you requested." I nodded stood and offered my hand to Ragnok he shook with a surprising amount of vigor. I Departed the room and quickly found my way out onto the cobblestone streets of diagon alley. I walked down the crowded streets and stepped inside Ollivander's only to be immediately greet by a wand zipping towards me at surprising speed I caught the thing as it sailed towards me "about bloody time blasted thing as has been rattling in its box all morning. Well boy give it a wave." I flicked the wand towards the ceiling and a fountain of blue sparks came pouring out "Ah so you're the one come here boy let me get a look at you." I stepped towards the counter sitting behind the counter was Garrick Ollivander looking aged by his ordeal the year prior his eyes however were bright and lit with curiosity "First time I've had a wand react that strongly to the presence of it's master. So who are you and do try to lie to me?" I nodded "My name is Lance Corporal Ben Havener and well sir I'm and involuntary time traveller." The old man ponder my response before nodding "Ah of course your wand sought to protect you. That wand is made of ebony it is fourteen and a half inches long with a dragon heartstring core and rigid flexibility should serve you well." I reached into the pouch Ragnok had given me "How much so I owe you?" He looked me up and down gave a small laugh and said "Twelve galleons that's five more than mister Potter because I had to put up with that thing buzzing like a bee." I counted out the galleons and shook his hand. I left with my newest addition to my arsenal and head back out into muggle London I needed muggle transportation I'm sure some might wonder why and my answer to that is I'm not taking a baby through the floo or side long apparition.
So naturally after a quick trip to a phone booth to find a phone book I was on my way to nearest used car dealership. Some time later I was the proud owner of a nineteen eighty one Jeep Cherokee. Now on the move at a much faster pace I hit multiple stores to acquire everything to raise a baby girl for the next several months. A stop at a muggle medical store to round out my medical supplies. Finally one stop left I went back to diagon alley to to acquire several potions of a medical nature. Once my day if shopping was completed I retired the a mid range muggle hotel to enjoy the conveniences of the modern before whatever the next day held.
