Harry's eyes snapped open and he gasped for breath, sitting up on his bed and looking at his surroundings. He was in his room – wait, in his room? At Hogwarts? He remembered hitting his head and gently reached back to touch it. Nothing. No pain. No blood. And he was back home. Back in the Second Chances Reality.

The wishing potion had worked.

He was home!

He was fifteen again – just fifteen, not twenty-one anymore with teenage hormones.

Which meant . . .

"Dad!" Harry called, jumping off his bed and running out of his room. "Dad!"

He found Severus sitting in the living room in a chair, rubbing at his head. When Harry came running to him, he stood. Harry wrapped his arms around Severus and squeezed tightly, glad that his father was unharmed.

"It worked!" Harry cried. "It worked! We did it! And it worked!"

Harry became aware that Severus wasn't even hugging him back. Instead, the man seemed tense and he gripped Harry's shoulders and pushed him back, keeping him at that distance.

"Excuse me? What are you talking about – what worked?"

"The potion – my wish – wish that . . ."

Harry suddenly remembered the details of his wish. "I wish that, in the Second Chances Reality, I never told my father, Severus Snape, about the original universe." So, as Severus had told him as the vortexes were destroying everything, the events that took place there had never happened now. He had never told his father about the alternate world. And he never would again. That meant that Severus, nor Sam, knew or remembered anything that had happened. And if he tried to remind them or make them remember, he would be practically telling Severus about the alternate reality and starting the whole mess over again.

He wouldn't do that. He was just so happy to be back where he belonged. He pushed his father's hands away and hugged the man again, laying his head on Severus's chest.

"Nothing, Dad. I just wanted to say that I love you and I never want to lose you." Again, Harry thought. "I'm really sorry for what I said. I don't hate you. I'm really sorry."

Severus pushed Harry back again.

"Son," Severus took Harry's chin and held it up. "I want you to be completely honest with me."

"Yes, yes, anything! What?"

"Have you been drinking?"

"What? No!"

"Drugs? Some kind of potion? Maybe you were slipped something at dinner."

"Dad, no, I'm fine! I didn't do anything and no ones done anything to me. I just had a . . . reality check is all. Time to reflect."

"In . . ." Severus looked at his watch, "two minutes?"

That had been it in this world? Days of running, hiding, fighting, and two minutes pass here?

"A lot can happen in two minutes, Dad. Now can you just hug me back?"

Severus snorted, not sure if he should be concerned and perform some diagnostic test or trust Harry's word that he was fine. Teenagers. He just didn't understand them like he thought he did. Severus wrapped his arms around his son and pulled him close.

"Very well," Severus smiled. "But just because you have reflected and realized that everything you said earlier was wrong doesn't mean you're not going to your detention."

Ah, yes, that unfair detention with Umbridge for forgetting his homework, though she accused him of never having done it and lying that it was complete just forgotten. Not that it mattered one bit anymore.

"I know," Harry agreed. "I'll go to the detention. I'll do whatever she says."

"Alright, now I know something's definitely wrong with you." Severus pushed Harry back and felt his head and cheeks. "Are you sure you're feeling well?"

Harry groaned. Honestly, he wasn't acting that crazy – at least not after everything he's been through.

"I'm sure. I feel fine. You don't have to check me over! Dad, stop!" Harry pulled away as his father began peering into his eyes and feeling around his face and throat.

Severus crossed his arms annoyed though he gave Harry a look of concern and suspicion.

"I swear I'm okay," Harry insisted. "I just . . ."

Harry remembered everything he had put everyone through with his stupid tantrum. He had been selfish and uncaring, after everything both Severus and Sam had done for him. He had gone and nearly destroyed this world permanently. It was overwhelming to know how close it had ended and how nice it was to be back. He sighed and tried to keep himself together and not start crying. Then his father would surely ship him off to St. Mungo's.

"I feel really bad for telling you . . ." Everything that nearly destroyed us, Harry thought, and, "that I hated you and all. I don't, really! I was acting like an ungrateful brat earlier and thinking about myself. You must think I'm the worst son ever, after everything you do for me."

Severus stepped closer and Harry resisted backing away. He realized he was back to his fifteen-year-old size, nearly a whole foot shorter than his father. It made him feel small and he hoped he had another growth spurt soon so he could be as tall as he was back in the other reality. But anyway, if Severus wanted to punish him, he would take whatever punishment was given.

Instead, Harry was surprised to find his father's arms around him. He rested his head against Severus's chest contently.

"I don't think that at all, Severus said, giving his son a warm squeeze and a kiss on the top of his head. "No, you were just angry. You are the best son anyone could ask for."

"I love you, Dad."

"I love you, too, Harry."

: What's with all the sentimentalities in here?

Harry looked down at the wolf-sized red fox starring up at them, his ears perked up, one ear slightly flopped over.

"Sam!" Harry dropped down and wrapped his arms around the fox's neck.

: Okay, Sam's ears fell flat on his head and he looked up at Severus, who merely shrugged his shoulders.

"Teenage dramatics," the man said in a suggestive tone.

Harry snorted and released Sam, patting the fox's head and scratching behind an ear, which Sam leaned into appreciatively.

: Well, I'm glad everyone's not in an angry mood. I could sense that earlier. How quickly moods change.

"Right," Harry agreed, smiling at the fox.

If only they all knew. Or at least remembered.

The next morning, Harry made his way to the Headmaster's office after receiving a note to meet Albus before morning classes. The detention hadn't been bad, just writing lines stating that he must not tell lies. Umbridge did threaten to use a blood quill. Harry gave the password and hurried up the stairs to the office. He definitely didn't want to be late for Professor McGonagall's class.

"You wanted to see me, Professor?" Harry asked as he entered the office and stood in front of Albus's desk where the man was sitting.

"Ah, yes, have a seat, Harry," Albus smiled.

Harry sat down, unsure what Albus wanted to talk to him about. He hoped he wasn't in trouble of any sort.

"Am I in trouble, sir?"

"Oh no, no, dear boy, no trouble," Albus waved his hand dismissively. "I wanted to talk about what happened last night. Or in your case, what happened days ago. I am curious to know about what happened."

He knew! How did the man know? But Albus did create the Second Chances Reality. He probably knew everything that went on or felt a disturbance in the world. But how did he know that Harry was the cause of it?

"I, uhh," Harry stammered. "How did you even know? I thought two realities couldn't exist at one time."

"They cannot," Albus answered, "but that doesn't mean the reality ends. It just doesn't exist time wise when you are in another dimension. Time continues on, but some things in this world changed dramatically. Events changed, I had new memories of you and your father dying in a tragic fire caused by a potions explosion with an unknown reason. I even attended your funeral, as did your uncles, aunts, and several other relations. Of course, all of that is forgotten by everyone as it never happened now."

"Oh," Harry frowned. So that was how the reality here took care of their losses. "And Sam's absence?"

"The fox was only loyal to your family, Harry. Many assumed that if he didn't die in the explosion, he simply left and returned home in Japan."

"Oh. So now no one remembers those events."

"Not a soul but myself. But you remember what led to those events having to happen."

"Right. Well, it was an accident. I didn't mean to tell my father about the other world – it just kind of slipped. And then we all found ourselves and worked together to create the Wishing Potion and I was made out to be a criminal because of it. I was even taken to Azkaban, but Sam and Severus broke me out and . . . merlin, it is such a long story."

"I'm sure you could share all the details in a few tea sessions with me," Albus smiled. "I am very curious to hear your story."

: As am I.

Sam suddenly appeared laying on Albus's desk, cat sized. Damn camouflage illusions, Harry growled in his head.

: What an adventure it seems I've missed in the old world, Sam smirked, tilting his head, his ears flopping. Memory wise, anyway.

"Trust me, Sam," Harry smiled. "You were a huge help."

: What would you do without me?

"Probably would have died several times," Harry answered honestly. Sam laughed. Harry smiled then looked at Albus, asking, "What I don't get is why the wish took so long to take action. It was so immediate with the chocolate frog. I mean, I know it had to destroy all the events, but . . ." Harry trailed off.

"It destroyed more than just those events, Harry. It had to destroy an entire world. Life continued on for everyone, Harry, not just the ones surrounding you. The choices we make have the biggest impact on our future; even choices as little as the words we say. We can accomplish great things with our choices. Or we can destroy ourselves, our lives, with bad decisions. As you've learned yourself."

"Yes, sir," Harry nodded.

"So, the vortex had to destroy all the events that happened worldwide. Think of Sam for example. He had no sister in that world. Events that happened around that time did not happen here. People who existed at that time may not exist here. A lot could have happened in Japan influenced by Sam himself, but those events no longer happened. From what it sounds like, the wizarding community was frightened by what you were doing and the Aurors hunted you. People developed opinions of you, you may have injured or even killed people, as did Sam and Severus. Now, none of that ever happened. People's opinions had to be changed, lives had to be restored and pushed back to where you died of alcohol consumption. Everyone had to start over."

"Wow," Harry blinked. "I never really thought of that."

"I would like to hear from you that you will try your hardest to avoid repeating this mistake. Remember, things never play out the same way twice. You might not be so lucky should this happen again."

"Yes, sir."

"You are dismissed."

Harry left the office with Sam at his heels.

: You'll have to share every detail with me. It's got me thinking – I was murdered in that reality by strangulation – hung by those humans in Suicide Forest. How would I have even escaped? That doesn't seem right. I was with you, you said? Hmm, perhaps . . .
"Don't worry, Sam," Harry smiled. "I'll share everything I know. You escaped out of that situation, but all you told me was that you were resourceful. You never really went into detail."

: Chikusho! Sam snapped. I wasn't resourceful enough to explain how I escaped for future reference.

Harry smirked. He had learned that that particular word was similar to saying 'damn.' Harry was sure Sam would never need to know how he had escaped. Harry was determined to never reveal the alternate world to anyone who didn't know of it.

Not ever again.

The End! Wow, thank you all for joining me on this incredible journey! This side story has been so much fun and so intense! You are all great supporters and reviewers. I hope you had as much fun with this story as I did. And remember, if you have any ideas for side stories, one-shots, or even a whole new idea itself – I am open to anything at this point! Writing for you has helped me learn and grow and I hope to continue to do so.

Thanks again!