Usually, Anakin doesn't read anything other than mission reports, mission details, and things Obi-Wan forces on him from the Archive to "refresh his memory". Imagine his surprise, when instead of piles of bills, and letters, and drafts, on her coffee table, he found those books.
Harry Potter is all over the holonet--the last book had just come out and people everywhere were desperate to get their hands on the series and read the latest novel. Apparently, his wife was, too, but when did she find the time?
The book sitting out was titled: Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix. What a lousy name. He fought with himself; did he want to be that guy? What was all the hype about anyway? Was he joining the crowd?
Oh, but he was so bored, and Padme's meeting with Bail Organa was running very late. They were working on a bill that would recognize clones as citizens of the Republic, (as if that was even a question to him), but he was tired of sitting on the couch, staring around her apartment as if he'd never seen it before. He was tired of watching the speeders fly past the windows, and so, he opened the book and began.
Clearly, it was not the first book in the series, so he was a little lost, but his interest was piqued when he read about this Voldemort character and the mind-meld he had with Harry. This woman, the author, seemed to vaguely know about the Force and the workings of it. Cleverly, she hid it as magic. As if Jedi's needed to say "stupify" to make someone freeze. But, this he found very curious: the whiny young man was working with the dickish professor to shield his mind from Voldemort, much like younglings learned to control their thoughts, or shield their minds.
Snape seemed like a royal asshole, in Anakin's opinion, but the back and forth probing and protecting of Harry's mind simply reminded him of what he had learned. Very quickly, he found himself immersed within the story, feeling his own worry prickle when Harry saw his father figure about to die. It reminded him of Padme, and for a moment, he saw himself as Harry, and Voldemort as the evil that was drawing Padme's life away.
In the last few pages, his heart lurched and tears sprung into his eyes. Sirius Black was dead. That stupid witch had blasted him back into the portal/doorway, and just like that, Harry was without family. He had no one left alive to remind him of his parents, or care for him as his godfather had. Anakin felt Harry's sadness, his despair, and wondered why an author would be so cruel.
He sniffled, angrily closing the book and tossing it onto the coffee table. Why had the author made Harry's life wrought with strife and struggle? What was the purpose of that? And what was up with Voldemort taunting Harry like that? He made Harry see horrible things to serve his purpose--
Wait.
He felt guilty for even thinking it, but, could someone be putting those dreams of Padme into his brain? Was someone using him as an ends to a means? And if so, who? Who benefitted from Anakin's worry and grief?
Palpatine.
This was crazy, Palpatine was like a father figure to Anakin. He had made Anakin a Jedi Master, had taken him under his wing and offered him guidance, and yet-- for what purpose?
Looking back now, he could recall that Palpatine's gaze was always a little predatory, a little off. He could recognize that Palpatine always seemed to drive a wedge in between him, and the Jedi order he was a part of. Palpatine had been trying to turn Anakin away from his friends, trying to lead him down a path that would not end well, just like Voldemort.
With a start, he bolted to the elevator and pressed the button to descend. Padme would understand, she always did, but he had to talk to the council, had to speak to Obi-Wan. If there was any doubts, he could feel them passing moment by moment, just as quickly as the lift passed by the other floors.
It was time to save the galaxy.