It was six in the morning, and the sun was only barely beginning to clear the treeline of the Mount Paozu. Its light startled Gohan, who had been meditating there for the past two hours.

Many things had changed since Gohan's year at Hogwarts, but they remained the same, paradoxically. Perhaps it was only his perceptions that truly changed.

Everything seemed smaller now. The woods, once a mysterious bastion of faeries and wildlife, now seemed little more than a collection of trees, like music that had grown quieter and quieter.

The Son family's once-cozy home was now a little too cramped for Gohan's liking, and he often spent as much time outside as he could. His mother did not dote on him very much anymore, sensing that his countenance had hardened since his return.

The responsibility of being the strongest fighter on the planet weighed on his heart heavily. Was this how his father felt all the time? He would've once doubted it. His father was the invincible Goku, the Superman who would never stop smiling even if the planet was only moments away from destruction.

However, Gohan now knew that his father was not invincible. Seeing him get beaten to a pulp by the Cell Jr swiftly dispelled that particular notion. Before Hogwarts, he often saw individuals in black and white, as a child would.

Goku was the superhero who would never let him down. Vegeta was the cackling villain who always received his poetic comeuppance. Piccolo was the stern, grounded father-figure who alternated between being a harsh commander and a wise sage. He now saw these men as they were; men, not concepts.

Goku could lose. Vegeta could cry. Piccolo could make a mistake. They were his friends, his equals now, and he accepted them for who they were as people. Was this what being a man was like?

With the departure of Future Trunks back to his time, Gohan had taken up a strenuous schedule of training and studies. A healthy body led to a healthy mind, and he refused to favor one aspect of his life over another, regardless of both of his parent's wishes. He would've liked to spend more time with his dad, but he knew that it was important to learn all he could. And he certainly wouldn't cave into the overbearing demands of Chi-Chi, who would sooner condemn him to the mediocre life of a scholar than allow him to reach his full potential as a fighter.

While he trained daily with the other Z-Fighters and raised his younger brother Goten, his mind often wandered back to the world of magic that he had left behind. What would become of him if he stayed at Hogwarts and learned the way of the wizard? It would always be his biggest what-if.

A few times a year, he would ascend to the level of a Super Saiyan 2 and travel into space, replicating Cell's technique and breaching the gaps between dimensions. He usually scheduled his visits in the summer, when Hermione and the others wouldn't be busy with school.

Occaisionally, he would bring one of his companions along. Goku and Vegeta usually accompanied him, with Piccolo and Krillin only making sporadic visits to Hogwarts, understandably. Krillin was leading a busy life of his own, retiring from fighting to raise the daughter he had with Android 18, who had been wished back to life along with her brother by the Dragon Balls. Piccolo was never very social, and he seemed to think it better if the students of Hogwarts simply forgot about him.

Gohan always made time to visit the trio of Harry, Ron, and Hermione. He and Hermione would always be friends, but they could never truly connect on an intimate level. They each had their own lives to live, and they understood that. Still, the selfish part of Gohan wished that he could've stayed with her.

Regardless of his personal feelings, nothing brought Gohan more joy than seeing the face of Harry Potter at peace. The young man had already lived a hard life, and whenever Gohan visited, Harry always gave him his humblest thanks. He even gave Vegeta his regards, never forgetting their battle against Voldemort in the graveyard.

The prince, who had mellowed significantly after marrying Bulma, would always smirk and shake his head whenever Gohan would tell him of Harry's adulation. After many battles against Goku and Gohan, Vegeta's hatred had dulled and morphed into respect, but he would never settle for being second-best, and always challenged his fellow warriors to push their limits. Although some, like Piccolo, would never forgive Vegeta for his crimes, Gohan could not help but view him as a comrade.

And so, Gohan lived a life of peace, of joy, and of responsibility. Whatever threats would come, he and his friends would fight as they always would, for the fate of two worlds now rested on their shoulders.

A/N

And this is the end of Never Tickle A Sleeping Dragon!

I originally planned for this fic to be more cracky, but the characters took me to rather serious and introspective places. Still, the fic was a pleasure to write. Thanks to you all again for your feedback. I hope you go one to read many more great works in the future!

The DBZ timeline from this point on is affected as follows. This is just what I think would happen, and if you think differently, please tell me how you think the timeline would change! I'd love to discuss with you.

- Since Goku is alive, combined with the other events of the story, Gohan has now grown a spine. This means that he will no longer shirk away from his potential, and instead choose to train both his mind and body, becoming a respectable young man instead of Yamcha 2.0. He regularly keeps up with his studies, but also finds time to train with his father, Piccolo, and sometimes Vegeta.

- Goku is alive, and thus he will not learn SSJ3 or the Fusion Dance, unfortunately. Both he and Vegeta would achieve SSJ2 by the Buu Saga, however. Also, since he had yet to conceive Goten with Chi-Chi before his impromptu trip to Hogwarts, this means that Goten will now be 2 and a half years younger than Present Trunks. This shouldn't affect their friendship too drastically, however.

- Vegeta still lives with Bulma and Trunks, and over time, he eventually loses his more malicious tendencies, although he remains a stern and cynical man. Goku and Vegeta have plenty of spars and training sessions over the seven-year gap, and Vegeta's hatred of Goku eventually dulls into a grudging respect. Because of this, Vegeta would resist Babidi's mind control.

-Since Goku and Vegeta would not fight, there would not be enough energy for Majin Buu to be revived, and the series would most likely end with one of the three Saiyans defeating Dabura and Babidi. If, somehow, Buu was revived at full power, none of the Z-Fighters would possibly be able to defeat him, and thus Buu would destroy the Earth.

The HP timeline from this point is affected as follows. Again, this is just my speculation!

-Voldemort still exists as a metaphysical wraith, since he still has horcruxes binding him to the mortal realm. However, with Pettigrew imprisoned and Crouch dead, the pureblood clans would be too frightened to seek their master out again, and Voldemort would most likely exist as a wraith forevermore.

- Since Voldemort is gone, Harry would probably not pursue battle magic as much, and would probably become a professional Quidditch player or something. It's entirely possible that he would still become an auror, though. Since Harry and Draco never saved each other's lives in this timeline, though, they would remain bitter enemies.

- Hermione becomes a private wizarding attorney on behalf of magical creatures. It's hard for me to believe that an intelligent woman like Hermione would become a government employee, seems like a waste. The pairings hardly matter, of course. If Ron somehow got together with Hermione though, he'd become a stay-at-home dad.

-Dumbledore peacefully passes away at the age of 120, and names Minerva McGonagall as the next Headmistress of Hogwarts, with Snape becoming the new deputy headmaster. Snape, like Vegeta, slowly becomes less pernicious over the rest of his career, although he is by no means nice.

-Fred and George open up Weasley's Wizard Wheezes to record breaking success. This time, Fred gets to grow old with his brother and friends.

Thanks again for reading, and may you live a full and excellent life!