Chapter 20

Harry was aware of a strong burning smell when he finally awoke, and when he opened his eyes, he found himself sitting up in a dimly lit room. He reached out automatically for his glasses, and found them, lying on an ancient brown-dyed table. He sat up and looked at his surroundings: a candle was burning feebly in a holder set on a stone wall, and there was a curtain sealing Harry off from the rest of the room. At first, he thought he was in the hospital wing, but Luna entered and Harry caught a glimpse of outside: there were lots of people and with Luna, a smell of mulled wine drifted in, making Harry thirsty.

"Here," said Luna, handing him a cup. Harry didn't think that after doing whatever he was doing drinking alcohol was a good idea, but he didn't really care so he drank heavily. He drained the cup and his senses were soon dulled.

"Are you wondering what you're doing here?" Luna asked. Harry wasn't.

"You," Harry started saying, pointing at Luna randomly, "are drunk!" Harry saw his empty cup and his wand laying next to it – that was where it was hiding! He grabbed both and refilled his cup with more warm liquid.

"Quite not really," Luna said. She hiccuped and laughed, snorting sporadically. She suddenly stopped and looked at Harry seriously. Harry looked back at her. He had a sudden jabbing pain sweep through his body, but he ignored it: electricity from the moment, he thought. Luna started to lean towards him, and he leaned towards her.

Stop.

Harry came crashing back to reality abruptly, and opened his eyes to find himself surrounded by dark. Something was on his hand, crushing it, but it was so numb he couldn't move it away. He tried to shout, but his throat was too dry to let him speak. He knew what was happening. Lily. His own mother, possessed, presumably, was attacking him, and Harry had just seen his son, whom Voldemort had aged in an alternative universe, contained within a Hogwarts room.

"Father," the boy said hoarsely – he was laying close to Harry, who ddn't respond because he wasn't used to being called Father – he hadn't expected his child to speak for at least another year!

"Silence," a monotonous voice said. A wand lit up and Lily's face became visible once more. Harry saw she was standing on his hand, and the little boy – his son – was laying a few feet away, blood seeping from his jet-black hairline. He was still awake, though, and he was mouthing something. Harry thought he saw his lips form the word 'wand'.

"Master," Lily said. She was looking upwards and rolled up the sleeve on her left arm. Harry moaned softly when he saw he press the tip of her wand to it – she must have the dark mark, he thought. Harry averted his gaze back to the boy, who was gesturing for them to get up. Harry nodded, and concentrated on making his injured body get up and move again. It worked, and Harry was soon on his feet, although he didn't feel he'd be able to stand up much longer. Lily looked at him as the little boy also got up, murder flashing furiously in her once gentle eyes.

"Run!" shouted Harry, finding his voice finally. They both did, and Lily started to follow using her own robotic way of walking. They kept running, occasionally looking at each other. Harry smiled as he saw how much they looked a like and how little he looked like Bellatrix, although like her and Voldemort, he was deathly pale.

"Stop! I'm gonna collapse!" he shouted. Harry stopped and found him clutching his side, breathing heavily. "Sorry – I'm fine now!" He looked eager to keep going, but he was hiding his fatigue. Harry said nothing whilst they both rested.

"Do you have a name?" Harry asked, needing to break the awkward silence.

"No," the boy lied. Voldemort had named him Lord, but he hated it, and knew Voldemort wasn't his real father. However, he didn't know that Voldemort was evil, and was probably behind his grandmother's strange behaviour.

"What do I call you then?" A thought came to the boy's mind.

"Quest," he said, dignified. There was much Harry wanted to ask him, but he decided to say only a few things. "I know what the time warp room does. Voldemort took me there because I was sick, and he raised me, but you are my real father. My Mother is dead." Harry nodded. However, there was one unanswered question: when Harry and Tara had last gone in the time-warp room, time outside the room had also sped up, but why hadn't it when Quest went in there? He was sure Quest wouldn't know, so he left it unasked. Down the corridor they were on, a green light was becoming more and more vivid, and Lily's robotic footsteps were becoming more audible.

"Quest," Harry said, smiling slightly at the strange name, "We need to keep going. Look, there's a secret room that I think we'll be safe in." He was thinking of the room of requirement. Quest nodded and they carried on. They soon reached it, and with a slight shiver, Harry realised it was here, behind the statue guarding the room of requirement, that he had murdered Tara. Shaking the memory off, Harry set to walking past the entrance 3 times, each time thinking "I need a place where I won't be found by anyone else." To his immense relief, an intricate door appeared, melting from the stone, and Harry ushered Quest inside, just as Lily reached the statue.

"Shh!" Harry said, seeing Quest was about to speak. "Just in case she can hear us!" Quest nodded and looked around. The room was mostly dark, ecept for some shimmering gold light in a corner of the room. There was a body in the light, unmoving. Harry walked up to it, telling quest to stay where he was.

"Hello?" Harry said. He got closer to the body and saw it had short, blond, greasy hair, and very pale skin. Draco Malfoy. "Draco!" Draco snorted – he wasn't dead, just asleep! Harry slapped him playfully around the head, and he snorted again, without waking.

"Harry!" Harry spun round to see Hermione coming out from the semi-darkness. She was wearing a pink. Fluffy dressing gown. "I can explain!" Harry knew what was happening – he had already seen them in the quidditch dressing room, after all! "We have been hiding out here because I know the headmaster is really Voldemort. We tried to tell other people, but no one can do anything about it. What are you doing here?"

"Nothing – stay out of my business and I'll stay out of yours." Harry saw Hermione was hurt. " Sorry – I'm being chased, but you stay in here and keep safe – I don't want you getting hurt." Hermione opened her mouth to retort but saw Harry was being deadly serious, so she just nodded, a tear glistening in her eye.

"Good luck Harry," she said, and pulled him into a hug. Harry broke away and walked back to Quest, who was hunched against the door, out of sight.

"Quest –we have to get out of here."

"I agree – we need to get out of Hogwarts."

"Are you ready?"

"Yes, father." With that, they burst out of the room. Lily immediately bombarded them with a wealth of inaccurate spells. Harry shouted "Protegio!" and Lily was pushed away, She landed in a crumpled position, her limbs touching. Harry feared she was dead. He walked towards her, prepared to back away if he should need to. He reached her and she sat up. He jumped away.

"Harry! What are you doing here?" she asked. Her forehead was purple with bruising, but Harry thought she was OK. He explained that they were in Hogwarts, and needed to get out, adding that he would answer her questions when they were out. She understood, and they started running, flying down staircases. Soon enough, they reached the entrance hall.

Quest suddenly stopped.

"What's wrong?" Harry asked, sounding out of breath.

"My heart," he said. Harry understood: he said he was sick at birth; he must have a heart problem.

"Are you O-" he was interrupted when Quest collapsed to the floor, unconscious. Lily cried out and rushed over to him. Harry started to rush to him, but a jet of hot, white light knocked him off his feet.

"Harry! What are you doing here?" Harry groaned as he recognised the voice of his crazed ex-girlfriend, Cho. He stood up.

"What's wrong, Cho?" He said, condescendingly.

"I'm here to kill you, Harry, Avada Kedava!"

A/N Not much revealed in that chapter as to Harry's fate yet...What do you think about Quest, Hermione and Draco, Lily, and Cho? Please review and tell me all your thoughts - thanks to everyone who reviewed last time - you are all my inspiration! That chapter took ages to write and I have rewritten it about 3 times, because I couldn't decide what should happen. More about Quest's past will be revealed, but he's in jeopardy! Peace out, and Merry Christmas!