Chapter Text
The Daily Prophet nearly knocked over Hermione’s pumpkin juice before she was able to grab it from the air, the clumsy delivery owl just barely able to get out from his dive instead of flying headfirst into the Gryffindor table.
“Bloody hell! What is it with those Daily Prophet owls lately??" Ron exclaimed, plucking a fallen owl-feather from his morning porridge. “Katie’s nearly landed on her plate yesterday I swear! These birds have gone crazy!”
To Harry’s surprise Ron’s observation seemed to be immediately confirmed when multiple other shrieks of students echoed across the hall as some owls bombarded straight into their breakfast. “Thats..?” He started, but he was interrupted as an owl flew straight into the face of an older Gryffindor student further along the table.
The older student sputtered loudly and spit out a few feathers swinging an angry fist at the delivery owl, said owl only barely managing to dodge the boy's swing before flying off again.
“Not normal?” Harry finished.
“Honestly!” Ron called out. “Crazy!
“Why are you getting the Daily Prophet anyway Hermione? I thought you cancelled your subscription?" The red-head added as he saw his friend folding out the paper.
“I did.” Hermione grumbled. “But I felt it– unfortunately –necessary to restart it, after I realized the necessity of reading what the ministry is up to. I do not like being surprised again. That Inquisitor nonsense only appeared in the Potter’s a day after.”
It was as she finished talking that a second owl strode down and delivered her the Potter’s Paper in a much more orderly fashion. When Hermione laid them side by side both seemed to share a similar headline but in different words.
The headline of the Prophet read: TRESPASS AT MINISTRY Sturgis Podmore, 38, of number two, Laburnum Gardens, Clapham, has appeared in front of the Wizengamot charged with trespass and attempted robbery at the Ministry of Magic on 31st August. Podmore was arrested by Ministry of Magic watchwizard Eric Munch, who found him attempting to force his way through a top-security door at one o’clock in the morning. Podmore, who refused to speak in his own defense, was convicted on both charges and sentenced to six months in Azkaban.
But the headline of the Potter’s read: THE UNCOVERING OF LIES IN THE MINISTRY. Mr Sturgis Podmore, 38, was charged with trespassing and an attempted robbery at the department of Mysteries in the Ministry of magic. It is clear that he tried to uncover the secrets the Ministry was trying to hide. Podmore, after barely being allowed to build his own defence, was convicted and sentenced to six months in Azkaban.
The department of Mysteries, the most shrouded and secretive part of the Ministry, has been under fire before as it is said to hold dangerous magical artifacts. Artifacts that might very well be used to control the entire magical community in Britain.
Both articles went on but that was not what Harry was interested in, because underneath the headline of the Potter’s was a photograph. A photograph that displayed the exact door he had been dreaming about every night. The one Voldemort seemed obsessed with. The door to the department of Mysteries.
–
Harry hesitantly stared at his mirror as he sat on his four poster-bed with the curtains drawn. He had already placed a silencing charm, even though he was well aware none of his year mates would be in any time soon–Harry had skipped dinner to opt talking to his parents first. But now he was hesitant. He hadn’t talked to his parents about his dreams at all yet. All they knew is that he didn’t exactly sleep very well. But as they clearly wanted to give him space, they hadn’t asked about it yet.
Despite all they talked about, about him not sharing because he didn’t want them to worry, he still did it anyway. He just wanted to keep it to himself. Because what was the point of making them worry? But this Podmore… he was an Order member, Harry knew that; so this had to be important. Podmore tried to get through that door, that door that Voldemort seemed so very obsessed with. This was not just about him anymore. This was important.
“Dad?” He called, talking into the mirror.
It took a minute but James’s goofy smile quickly appeared on the reflective surface. “Harry! Didn’t expect to hear from you today. Isn’t it dinner time? I thought you had Quidditch practice this evening?”
“Yeah.. I mean, yes, I did. I mean, I do.” Harry replied, not able to suppress the nervous stammer in his voice.
James frowned as he seemed to immediately catch on to the nervousness in his voice. “Something wrong Harry?”
“No!” Harry quickly replied before correcting himself. “I mean, well yes, kind of.”
“Kind of?” James inquired.
“It’s about the news. The article. About Podmore.”
James grimaced. “Yes, the Ministry got to him unfortunately. But that is not something for you to worry about Harry. He is a member of the Order, he knew what he might get himself into.”
“I understand but–” Harry interrupted himself. “It’s not about that really. It’s about the door. The door he was trying to break into.”
He swallowed, feeling his throat tightening up for some reason. “The door to the department of Mysteries?”
“Harry…” James seemed to hesitate as he let his voice stall. “I want to tell you as much as possible, you must understand that. But some things–” He paused.
“They are Order secrets.” James pushed out in the end, the tightness of his lips indicating that he far from liked the reply he had to give.
Harry felt his chest getting heavy from those words, but he also realised even more the importance of telling his father. “I understand Dad. But..” He paused. “You know I have been having nightmares right?”
“Yes..?” James replied, squinting his eyes slightly, seeming confused at the question.
“They.. they are not normal nightmares.” Harry finished his sentence quickly, not allowing himself to stop talking. “They are from Voldemort. I think they are his thoughts.”
At those words James’s face visibly paled. “Harry–”
But Harry interrupted him. “And I have been dreaming about that door. Voldemort has been thinking about that door. About the door to the Department of Mysteries.”
“You have..” But James stopped talking, his eyebrows furrowed and his eyes having grown big. “That.” He stopped again. “Just that door? In what way?”
That was the least of the questions Harry had expected. “Just that door over and over. It feels like I really want to go inside, but I can never manage to open it.”
“How are you so sure that these dreams are coming from Voldemort?” James went on questioning. “Let me be clear, I do believe you Harry. But I need to know.”
“I did talk to Sirius about it last year..” Harry started to reply. “Back then I had dreams too. Of the graveyard, of a snake. This feels the same, that’s how I know.”
“How long have you been having these dreams?” James returned unwavering.
“I..” Harry’s wavered, he now felt bad for not sharing it before. “I have been dreaming about the door all summer…” He looked away from the mirror when he said that.
“Harry.” James called, making him look back. “Firstly, I’m not upset with you for not sharing this. Lily won’t be either.
“But secondly… In an attempt to return your openness about this..” James paused, seeming to contemplate what to say as his eyebrows nearly touched. “I have been having the same dream.”
–
Harry could barely pay attention to Angelina’s pre-training speech as his thoughts were still rushing through his head. His father had been having the same dream? What did that mean?
Truthfully it turned out that James hadn’t even thought about having the dreams. Because apparently, the Department of Mysteries had been of great importance to the Order. Although James had to his regret not been able to share as to the why.
“Potter!” Angelina interrupted his thoughts. “Did you hear what I said?”
“No. Sorry!” Harry sputtered in embarrassment as he was dragged out of his thoughts. “What was it?”
Angelina observed him for a few seconds before answering. “You told me you wanted to work on some new Seekers tactics. Do you want to try them now?”
“Yes uhh, well yes why not?”
Angelina simply raised her eyebrows at him before turning away again and speaking to the entire team. “Most important is still training our new Keeper for the upcoming matches. Are you ready Weasley?” She finished by looking pointedly at Ron.
All of them were quickly off into the air. The Chasers running drills with Ron, Fred and George doing their own independent warmup and Harry beginning on his own new training. The training in question had been an earlier idea of James as they had discussed Quidditch together during the summer holidays. Harry had never thought about the suggestion his father had made. He had only seen one professional Quidditch match after all, and that one had been so focused on the snitch because the Irish Chasers had been so much better then the opposing side. In Hogwarts apparently it was almost never tried because it was a very risky way of playing.
Risky or not, Harry wanted to at least try it. So that was why he was now practising throwing and catching a quaffle by himself. Angelina would only allow him to practice with the Chasers when he could prove he could successfully handle the quaffle in basic flight.
But despite his enthusiasm doing this new practice routine he still found himself distracted by the earlier conversation with his father. ‘Door, dreams, his parents, Voldemort’. He was so distracted that he didn’t even notice the beginning of the catcalls on the sidelines of the pitch.
“And Weasley fails again!” Sounded through Harry’s consciousness. “He can’t even stop one quaffle!!” The voice went on, the voice Harry now recognized as Malfoy’s.
Looking down at the pitch Harry spotted Malfoy and his two lackeys, Grabbe and Goyle, along with Pansy Parkinson laughing and shouting away. “Can he even keep his broom straight?!” Malfoy went on shouting.
The four Slytherins laughed and guffawed at their own jokes. Harry’s irritation immediately spiked. He should have known, of course they would come after Ron now that he had gotten the Keeper position.
That Quidditch practice ended, well, disastrous. Ron managed to get Katie Bell into the Hospital wing when he flew straight into her. Luckily it was mostly only a nose bleed. However Ron seemed to have lost all his confidence as he left the changing room with a bright red face, not even waiting for Harry.
But the rest of that night Harry felt like he had much more important things to worry about then Ron’s pride. Because somehow, James was also seeing Voldemort's thoughts, and maybe Lily was too. What did that mean? Was it connected to how they somehow survived by living within him? Were theirs and Harry’s thoughts still connected somehow? Or maybe.. Did they have their own connection to Voldemort?