Chapter Five

The week before Harry's birthday, there was a Wizengamot session scheduled. Feeling that he should be learning his duties as quickly as he could, Harry was to attend with Sirius, and they had discussed the bills coming up and agreed on their votes. They were going to attempt a follow-up meeting as well that Harry had suggested, in the event Bertie Croaker was available. They wanted to introduce themselves and see how Croaker would relate to 'young Harry' and feel out the potential for teaming up against Voldemort – or at least against his horcruxes.

The Wizengamot session itself was unremarkable although there was an opportunity to limit the restrictions on 'werewolves and other creatures of concern', as well as the corresponding opportunity for those who wanted restrictions tighter to attempt to tighten them. There was also a bill to increase training for Auror trainees, with corresponding budget funding which both Harry and Sirius supported. However, the big session of the summer was due to be the one in August which would approve the Ministry budget for the fiscal year ahead.

Sleakeasied and primped, as Harry thought of it, Harry joined Sirius in flooing to the Ministry for the session. Harry was wearing new black robes with the Potter Head of House crest, as he was planning to sit for the first time in the House of Potter seat. He still wore his rings for all three Houses however, and intended to vote both the Potter and Peverell seats. Harry had told Neville he was planning to attend the session and Neville had decided to attend as an Heir, since Hannah Abbot and Susan Bones were going as well. Harry saw them, Richard Abbot and the Dowager Longbottom standing outside the chamber and they exchanged friendly greetings. He noted that Ernie MacMillan was also there, standing with his father, and gave him a smile and a nod as the chime sounded signaling it was time for them to take their seats.

Chief Witch Marchbanks had permanently taken on Dumbledore's old position, and unsurprisingly Harry felt much more relaxed in a Dumbledore free chamber. The session itself passed without surprises and Harry found it novelly restful but also boring to attend a session where he was not part of some grand plan. Sirius's work with the Regent Longbottom and Daniel Greengrass had clearly paid off, as the funding increase for Auror hiring and training passed with a much more decisive margin than had the increase in funds at the prior summer's budgetary session.

As rumored, there was a move to increase restrictions on werewolves, vampires and veela led by Amos Diggory and Pansy Parkinson's grandfather, making it a 'bipartisan bill'. Harry noted that Malfoy voted in favor of the restrictions and remembered Sirius telling him that those restrictions alienated the werewolf community and made them ripe for recruitment by Voldemort. Harry wondered if Malfoy was doing anything to actively bring Voldemort back at this point, and worried, again, about the diary horcrux. However, until they knew where it was, worry was all they could do.

The greater restrictions on "creatures of concern" failed, but so did Sirius and Daniel Greengrass's proposed amendment to relax restrictions. Harry knew Sirius would be unsurprised by this, although disappointed. Sirius felt that whatever the outcome of the vote, it was important to let the targeted communities know there were wizards pushing for their rights as well as those pushing to curtail those rights.

When the session was over, Harry joined Sirius in chatting with 'his peers', and was introduced to a number of people Sirius would never have introduced him to in rounds at a party. This included a formal introduction to Lucius Malfoy by Daniel Greengrass. Harry was polite but not warm, and the number of people wanting introductions limited the time they spoke to each other. Harry was waiting for Sirius to suggest they leave, knowing Sirius did not want some of the people present to determine that they were going to the Department of Mysteries, and Harry was very sure Lucius Malfoy was one of those people. Finally, Sirius seemed to think it was time and he smiled and bid Daniel farewell and looked to make sure Harry was with him as he walked from the chamber.

When they entered the Department of Mysteries, Harry led them to the Department Head's office, and assumed that the unfamiliar wizard sitting at the desk in front of that office door was Croaker's secretary. The name placard on the desk said the wizard's name was Dirk Woodley. Harry approached the desk, and Woodley looked up at him and Sirius. "Yes?" he asked Sirius who nodded towards Harry.

"Hello, I'm Henry Potter and this is my father, Sirius Black…." The wizard was already reacting with interest. "Is Director Croaker available?"

Woodley hesitated, then pushed his chair back from his desk and stood. "Let me see if he is busy at the moment." Woodley said, then knocked on the door, opened it, stepped inside and closed the door behind him.

Harry had been counting on Croaker's endless curiosity gaining them entrance without an appointment, as he and Sirius both wanted their visit kept under wraps until it was over. If that hadn't worked, they would have had to make an appointment, but Harry's faith in Croaker's need to know bore fruit as Croaker himself, with Woodley following, came out of the office. Croaker offered his hand to Harry and then to Sirius despite Harry's age which Harry noted as he performed the introductions and followed Croaker into his office at his invitation.

When they were all seated in Croaker's office, Bertie steepled his fingers and peered at Harry over them. "When you didn't make an appointment immediately after Dumbledore's trial, I wondered if you were planning on coming at all."

Harry smiled. Clearly, he didn't have to worry about his cover story for the visit being believed. Croaker had anticipated him. "During the school term my visiting the Ministry would probably make the news. We thought that coming after a Wizengamot session I was attending this summer would be at least a bit more discrete."

Croaker laughed. "Without notice-me-not charms, I'm not sure any appearance you make in public will pass unmentioned Mr. Potter. At least not for years."

Harry grimaced but didn't dispute this. "Dumbledore said during his trial that a prophecy about me had been made in his presence…." Croaker was nodding, "and we'd like to hear it if you have a copy in the Department of Mysteries. Do you?"

Croaker grinned at him. "How much do you trust your father here?" he asked.

"I trust him entirely." Harry said, with certainty, and Croaker nodded, still smiling, having intended no offence. "And if what you are asking is if I want him to hear the prophecy, the answer is yes." Harry's expression became mischievous. "Although, there is still the question of whether I want you to hear it."

Croaker gave him a dirty look, but his eyes lit up, delighted to be engaged. "As you clearly know, you don't need to let me hear it. But the way you phrased that it sounds like you are considering it, and I would be very interested in hearing it. What would decide you in favor?"

"Would you be willing to take an oath not to pass it on to anyone without my express approval?" Harry asked.

Bertie looked like he was struggling with himself but ultimately nodded, pulling out his wand. "On my magic I give my oath I will not divulge the contents of the prophecy about Henry James Potter to any third parties without his express approval." Harry nodded, satisfied. Since without that oath Croaker knew he wouldn't hear the prophecy at all, and given his overpowering curiosity, Harry had been certain from older Harry's memories of the man that Croaker would agree. Harry was interested that Croaker was treating him as if he were an adult, and guessed that if Magic said he was, Croaker would follow that rather than his eyes. It was an interesting point of view, but very helpful.

"Would it be possible to hear it now?" Harry asked, "I'd rather not have people realize we have been to the Department of Mysteries and try to forestall or spy on us before we can hear it ourselves privately." Croaker nodded decisively and stood from his chair, Harry and Sirius mimicking him.

"Follow me." Croaker said, pausing to cast a charm over his desk which Harry presumed would maintain the privacy of the documents on it in his absence, before leading them out his office door and to the Hall of Prophecies, the eyes of several people in the department following them as they left.

When they reached the Hall of Prophecies with its rows and rows of shelves with prophecy orbs, Harry's found his wand in his hand as older Harry's memories slammed into him. Sirius noted the change in Harry's expression with concern, but with his Marauder reflexes Sirius immediately diverted Croaker with small talk about the Hall of Prophecies to cover Harry's sudden grim silence. Croaker led them to the shelf with the prophecy orb labeled as having been told to Albus Dumbledore by Sybil Trelawney. He then cast a privacy charm so that no one who might be in the Hall unseen would hear the prophecy but the three of them, were anyone there. "You need to pick up the orb and hold it, focusing on it playing the prophecy." Harry did so, the hairs going up on the back of his neck as Trelawney's rasping prophecy voice spoke the now familiar words. Sirius and Croaker both looked grave as it came to a conclusion.

"Is there any reason we really need it now?" Harry asked. "I assume Voldemort would love to hear it if he gets a body back as Dumbledore was suggesting he might, and I don't see any benefit in it continuing to exist, to be honest."

Croaker looked like he was struggling with himself much harder than he had over the oath he had taken, and finally he sighed. "I certainly can't be destroying prophecies," he said, turning his back on them and moving away down the aisle.

Harry looked at Sirius and grinned then smashed the orb to the ground. "Oops!" he said cheerfully, as the prophecy played again. Sirius vanished the pieces of the orb with a smirk. They then joined Croaker who had waited for them to catch up with him.

Croaker gave them a wry smile. "That does, of course, put the three of us in particular danger since it will be assumed we heard the prophecy, and if Voldemort does want to hear it, it is likely he will come after one of us."

Harry sucked in his breath. "I'm sorry. I didn't think of that. It does put the two of you in danger," he said, worriedly. "As for me, Voldemort has wanted me dead since I was a baby, so I don't really think it adds much to the danger I was already in."

Croaker shrugged. "In fact, Voldemort cannot get any information out of me that I don't give willingly. He can kill me, but the Department of Mysteries has many mysteries that must be kept secret at all costs not just this one prophecy, and I am mind protected as part of my position requirements."

Harry's eyes turned worriedly to Sirius who shook his head at Harry, grimacing. "Don't even think it for a second. Voldemort isn't getting you without going through me, in any event." Harry sighed but knew that was absolutely true if Sirius had anything to say about it.

"Well, thank you for letting us hear that, Director Croaker." Harry said. "If we wanted to discuss this and related matters with you at some point, would you be able to visit us at Potter Manor? It's a topic I'd feel safest kept behind family wards." Bertie looked intrigued, picking up on the fact that Harry and Sirius expected they would have reason to speak with him again about the prophecy. He nodded.

"That could more easily be kept confidential than you coming to the Department of Mysteries in any event." Bertie said what they all knew and Harry nodded. They parted with pleasantries but left Bertie with a speculative look on his face. Harry knew he was hooked on the puzzle they had presented, which meant their visit had served its purpose. He told Sirius so with much satisfaction, as soon as they got back to Potter Manor.