Chapter 16

When James got to the tower, he and Lotte slumped onto the sofa nearest to the fire. Neither of them spoke, and Lotte looked as though she might explode. James couldn't believe what had just happened, what was happening to him. He knew it was connected with this Horcrux thing, and somehow that connected him to stupid Albus' prophesy. Maybe he would be the one who was lost in the means, he thought sourly. Suddenly, Lotte squeaked.

"What?" asked James, a little more sharply than he had meant to.

"I think you should tell someone, about your dreams, you know. Our History of Magic class knows anyway, maybe you should tell McGonagall?" said Lotte, very quickly, not looking at James, as if she feared him.

James sighed, of course she was right. He had put it off for far to long now, "Fine, I'll go see her this afternoon." he said sourly.

"No," said Lotte firmly, "No, you should go and see her right now. While its fresh in your mind."

"But she'll be in the middle of a class." he protested.

"She won't mind if its about the welfare of one of her students."

James huffed, stood up, and walked out of the portrait hole. It was strange how empty the castle was when everyone else was in lessons. The castle seemed to buzz with silence, other than the occasional clatter of Peeves dropping a water balloon on someone's head. James passed the many rows of portraits which scattered the walls, and avoided Sir Cadogan, he still wasn't over his third year when the crackpot old Knight had led him to a window, and James fell out. It was a miracle he hadn't been hurt, he had accidentally apparated in mid-air, the teachers had been incredibly impressed.

He arrived at the Transfiguration classroom, and knocked twice before McGonagall said "Come in."

He opened the door, and for the second time that day, found an entire class of students staring at him.

"James Potter," said Professor McGonagall, "Whatever are you doing here?"

"I needed to talk with you Professor," he said as politely as he could manage.

McGonagall huffed and said, "OK, class I want you to continue trying to turn your badgers into tables. I won't be too long talking with Mr. Potter."

She stood up and walked to the back of the classroom, where she and James left, closing the door behind them.

"Quickly Potter," she said hurriedly, "What have you done this time?"

"Professor, I don't know why you always assume I've done something wrong?"

"Potter, that is because you always have." said McGonagall shortly.

"Well, I haven't this time," said James defensively, "I.. well… I fell asleep in History of Magic and… I had a strange dream…"

McGonagall's face suddenly looked less stern, and more worried, "What? What kind of dream was it?"

"Well… I was in a graveyard… and there was a man… he was called Rat-tail or something-"

"Not Wormtail?" asked McGonagall frantically.

"Yes!" said James, "Wormtail.. And he had a mark on his arm… and I pushed it and people in cloaks appeared… then I tried to kill my dad…" he broke off "I've had one like it before… I was in the forest… and I was talking to Professor Baddock about something… about me…"

Professor McGonagall's face contorted into one of anguish and horror. "You're quite sure that is what happened?"

James nodded.

"And you're quite sure that you've had more than one of these dreams?"

James nodded again.

"Come up to my office James," she said kindly, "I'm going to call your father here."

"What?" asked James, the last thing he wanted was his dad to come to school, "I don't want him here!"

"I'm afraid that no matter your relationship with your father James, he is the best man for the job." said McGonagall curtly, and with a swish of her robes, she set off to her office, pulling James with her.

James was sitting in a comfy armchair in the Headmistress's office. He didn't know what he wad doing there, or how long he had been there. All he knew was that his dad, Harry Potter, was on his way to see him. James was not happy about the idea. It wasn't that he didn't like his dad, on the contrary he actually quite liked him now. It was the way he always took everything so seriously, for all James knew, these dreams were just that, dreams, and his dad would tell him to stop fussing and trying to be like Albus, who had his own special prophesy.

James resented Albus' prophesy more than anything else. There was nothing special about the prophesy, well there was, and James was jealous that Albus was the special one. Even though he doesn't have weird dreams, thought James resentfully, he just gets to float along being the second Chosen One. Git.

Harry was now sitting opposite James, how long he had been, nobody knew.

"James," he said, his face hard, "Tell me exactly what happened in the dream you had.£

James coughed and said, "Well, I mean… I fell asleep in History of Magic… who doesn't? and… well.. I was in a graveyard, and I felt like I had just been born… there was a man… Wormtail…. He was on the floor and grovelling at my feet, and I wasn't terribly nice to him. Then I pressed on this red mark on his hand, and a load of men in cloaks arrived, I talked to them… said horrible things… then you were there… and I cursed you… you looked in pain, maybe it was the crutiatus curse, I don't know and-"

"It was." his father said flatly.

James was shocked by his father's reaction, but continued none the less, "anyway, and then I tried to kill you.. And you tried to disarm me… there was a bang, and Lotte's voice woke me up."

"Was this the first dream of this kind?" asked his dad abruptly.

"No, there was another." replied James.

"What happened in it?"

"I was in the forest talking to Professor Baddock. We were discussing me…." said James quietly. His father looked him in the eyes.

"When did you have this dream?"

"At the start of term."

Harry looked pensive for a moment, "Does any of this have anything to do with your sudden fascination with Horcruxes?" he asked sternly.

"No." James lied easily, he didn't want his dad to find out about that particular exploit.

A wide grin cracked across Harry's face, "Good. Now, go and get your brother from lessons for me James. I think I need to discuss this with him."

James smiled sourly, and left to find Albus.

There was a knock at the door, "Dad?"

Harry heard Albus' voice, and replied, "Come in Al."

The small green-eyed boy came into the Headmistress' office for the first time.

"Wow!" he exclaimed, "I've never been in here before."

"I know you haven't," said Harry, "That's because you're different from your brother."

Albus grinned proudly, "I know. I'm more important, I know how to stay out of trouble."

Harry gave his son a stern look, "Albus please sit down, I haven't got all day, and there's something important I need to talk to you about."

Albus nodded, and sat down opposite his father, "Go on."

"James has been having strange dreams-"

"I know!" interjected Albus, "it's the talk of the common room! Apparently he collapsed in History of Magic and was screaming curses!"

Harry was not happy at this as he, after all, had suffered this sort of fame as a teenager. He grimaced at the thought, "Try to be kind to your brother, Al, its hard for him."

"Not as hard as for me! Voldemort's after me!" said Albus.

"Exactly!" said Harry, "And that's why this is so important. I think that Voldemort is planting these images in James' mind in order to get to you. He was kidnapped as a baby, and I think Voldemort must have instructed a Death Eater to perform a mind-merging spell on him. They are uncommon, and dangerous if done wrong. I think Voldemort will plant the image of you dying in James' head, so he will run to your rescue. If this happens, under no circumstances are you to follow him. Do you understand?"

Albus nodded, and decided it was best not to argue with his dad. He turned swiftly and ran from the office.

James was lying in bed. He knew it was late, but he had too many loose ends floating in his head.

Why wasn't his dad concerned about Baddock being a Death Eater?

Why was Albus still more important, even when James was having weird dreams?

Why had his dad accepted his answer about Horcruxes so quickly?

There was only one answer to all these questions. He was blinded by fear. So much so, he forgot he had more than one son to care for. His mind so fixed on prophesies, that he forgot that James could be in danger too. He had no idea how great danger his eldest son was in.