Fifteen-year-old Harry stormed out of Gryffindor tower and headed for his father's quarters in the dungeons. It was Friday evening and he had detention with her again. Harry was thinking that if he could at least convince his father that the detention was unfair, then the man could get him out of going later that night. Hermione warned him not to make things worse, Ron just agreed with everything he said. His friends did little to soothe his temper however, a characteristic Harry knew came from the Snape side of the family. Harry arrived at his father's quarters in minutes and he roughly pushed the door open. Before he could slam it shut, however, he heard his father's voice.

"Slam that door and you'll be fixing and staining it the muggle way."

Harry took a deep breath and slowly shut the door, letting it close on its own when it was nearly shut. He found his father in the study.

Severus looked up from his desk where he was busy grading papers. He frowned.

"Before you begin your infamous tantrum, I was hoping we could have a quiet discussion of today's events over a nice, hot cup of tea," Severus warned.

"I wasn't going to throw a tantrum," Harry growled. "And I have detention with her tonight, so you can just forget about the tea."

"Her," Severus's frown deepened into a glare, "has a name. And whatever Professor Umbridge gave you detention for was more than likely deserved. If she –"

"She accused me of lying!" Harry nearly whined.

"Did you?" Severus asked.

"No! I did the homework. I just . . . misplaced it. But that doesn't mean I didn't do it! I asked her if I could give it to her later or if I could even run back to my dorm and find it and she said that all I wanted to do was borrow someone else's homework to copy because there's no way I have it done. She said that, for lying, she's giving me a detention! Any other teacher would have let me because I rarely forget my homework, but no, that bi-"

"Don't you dare finish that sentence or you'll be eating soap, young man," Severus threatened. "I don't care how mad you are at her, you do not address a professor or anyone that way, do you hear me?"

Harry said nothing. He seethed where he stood, trying not to become too frustrated with his father.

"I don't understand why you can't just go to her detention. It would just be easier to –"

"It's not a fair detention! I didn't do what she accused me of!"

"Harry," Severus growled, "lower your voice. Regardless of whether you did what she accused you of or not, she is still a professor and you will –"

"So now I can get in trouble for nothing!" Harry was furious now. "You're just like the other professors, always sticking up for each other. You're always right, the student's always wrong. You –"

"Stop interrupting me!" Severus slammed his hand down on the table as he stood up. Harry took a cautious step back. Severus was still taller than him by a head or so. "If you don't calm yourself down, I'll drug you with a calming draught and assign you a couple 'unfair' detentions myself."

"You know what, never mind, Dad! I don't have time for this. And I'm not attending that detention with that stupid toad either!"

Harry turned and left his father's study, slamming the door behind him. He was just reaching for the door to leave when a hand grabbed his upper arm.

"What did I tell you about slamming doors." Severus growled as he dragged his son to the living room, forcing the boy to sit in one of the chairs. "And you just earned yourself a mouthwash. And you will be attending the detention if I have to drag you there myself."

Harry felt his father grab a hold of his chin, the tip of the ebony wand pressing against his lips. Harry pulled his head away and pushed against his father, trying hard to stand and shove past him. Severus put his wand away and grabbed Harry's wrists and pushed down, using his height and heavier build to push Harry back into the chair.

"Stop this, now, Harry."

Harry tried to push against his father, but found himself slowly lowering back into the chair.

"Let me go!"

"You need to calm down this instant!"

"I hate you!"

"Will you just sit down? Stop fighting me."

"No. Let me go. I hate you!"

"Yes, you've said that."

"I mean it. I hate you as much as I did in that stupid, old reality!"

"You know you don't mean – what did you say? Old reality?"

"Yes. Where you were a greasy git who gave unfair detentions just like Umbridge. And you hated me just because I looked like my father! I hate you just like I hated him!"

"I think a calming draught is definitely in order. You sound insane."

"It's true!"

"Stop fighting me, son! Sit down!"

Harry fell back into the chair. Even more furious now at being overpowered, Harry looked at his father's hands gripping his wrists. Leaning forward in a last desperate attempt, Harry bit down on one of his father's wrists. He heard Severus hiss and the hands released him.

However, before he could jump to his feet and run for the door, a hand slapped his cheek.

Tears sprang to Harry's eyes as the stinging took several seconds to fade.

Harry leaned back in the chair, his head still turned to the right. The anger he had in him had dissipated. He felt his father's gentle hands take a hold of his chin and turned his head to face him, tilting it upward. Harry stared into the warm, coal eyes.

"I can't believe you bit me," Severus said softly. "You're fifteen years old, Harry."

Harry said nothing and just allowed his father's scolding words wash over him, bidding away whatever remained of his temper.

"Before either of us says or does something we'll regret, I believe it might be best if you go to your room. I need to cool off and you need to think about your behavior. Go on. To your room."

Harry stood and quietly walked past his father and into his bedroom where he had slept when he lived in his father's quarters as a child. He laid down on his bed, rubbing slightly at his warm cheek before burying his face in a pillow and screaming into it. He wasn't as angry at his father as he had been before, but it felt good to release a bit of emotion into something. He rested his head on the pillow and simply laid there, waiting for either his father to come and talk to him or for his detention time.

Severus collapsed into the chair that Harry had just vacated. It was becoming harder to control his son when the boy threw a fit. He would have to work with Harry more on anger management and meditation techniques. Perhaps Sam could help with that. The three tailed kitsune that had come to live with them as a protector when Harry was nine knew several harmless ways to deal with anger, if the fox wasn't in a temper either, at least.

Severus closed his eyes in thought.

Old reality, Harry had said, old reality.

Severus frowned, his eyes still closed.

"Potter, what would I get if I added powdered root of asphodel to an infusion of wormwood?"

Severus was confused. He was in his potions classroom with a room full of students. He recognized Draco and a few other slytherin children, but everyone else was unfamiliar. He found himself glaring at a young boy who had a striking resemblance to James Potter, an enemy turned friend back when he was in Hogwarts. Who was this boy? A relative of James? Why was he yelling at the boy?

A little girl with bushy hair sitting next to him raised her hand. He ignored her, as he usually did with students who seemed to know answers.

"I don't know, sir," the James look-alike finally said.

"Tut, tut – fame clearly isn't everything," Severus felt himself sneer. "Let's try again, Potter, where would you look if I told you to find me a bezoar?"

The little girl stretched her hand higher up in the air. She reminded Severus of his son's friend, Hermione.

"I don't know, sir," the boy said again.

"Thought you wouldn't open a book before coming to class, eh, Potter?" Severus heard himself growl. Severus wasn't sure why he sounded so sinister. Usually, he fired questions at unsuspecting students to teach that preparing for class was important, however, berating this particular boy almost felt . . . personal. "What is the difference, Potter, between monkshood and wolfsbane?"

That little bushy haired child was out of her seat reaching for the ceiling now.

"I don't know," the boy almost whispered, "I think Hermione does, though, why don't you try her?"

Severus grew annoyed at the laughter that broke out in the room. No one dared to challenge him in his class, except his son, so why this little boy felt the need was unacceptable. Severus opened his mouth to berate and correct the child . . .

Severus's eyes flew open and he shot out of the chair, backing away from it, his breaths short and heavy.

What did it mean? Had Harry been right? Was there another reality out there? Had he possibly lived another life? No, that was absurd; it couldn't possibly be real. Not true. Severus tried to recollect his thoughts. His head was pounding, the pressure sending shocks of pain through his body and he closed his eyes in pain.

"Fight back!" A boy screamed at him. It appeared to be the same little one from earlier, but an older version. "Fight back, you cowardly –"

"Coward, did you call me, Potter?" Severus heard himself shout back. "Your father would never attack me unless it was four on one, what would you call him, I wonder?"

Was he talking about James? Would that make this boy James son? What was happening? Hogwarts looked in chaos behind the James kid and Hagrid's hut was on fire, a dog yelping and howling from within.

"Stupe –" The kid was getting ready to curse him. Severus naturally blocked it.

"Blocked again and again and again until you learn to keep your mouth shut and your mind closed, Potter!" Severus felt himself sneer. Occlumency? Did the boy even know how to perform such complicated mind control? Who were these people around him? They looked like . . . Death Eaters!

Severus heard himself calling out to these Death Eaters, willing them to hurry before the ministry arrived. Was he with them? He was just a kid when the battles were going on, still in Hogwarts.

The kid was talking again, ready to fire another curse.

"Impedi –"

Severus watched as a Death Eater cursed the boy from behind, causing him to fall to the ground and quiver in pain.

"No!" Snape shouted. "Have you forgotten our orders? Potter belongs to the Dark Lord – we are to leave him! Go! Go!"

Severus heard the boy prepare to fire more curses. He recognized all the curses, the ones he created, and the boy dared to use his inventions on him. Severus deflected all of them easily and berated the boy for even thinking of using them against their creator, something the boy's father would do and had done.

The boy stared at him, his face heartbroken yet filled with rage.

"Kill me then," he panted, "kill me like you killed him, you coward –"

"Don't call me coward!" Severus heard himself scream with a rage he'd long forgotten he had. He murdered someone? Who? Why? Snape prepared to fire a curse to inflict pain on the boy . . .

"No – stop!" Severus shouted at himself as his eyes flew open and he stumbled backwards and fell to the ground in his own living room. He back crawled until his sweat covered back was against the cold wall. He took in heavy breaths, his hands clenching hair, pulling tightly to somehow match the burning pain in his head. He closed his eyes tightly to fight against the searing pressure, trying to occlude his mind as he felt another assaulting memory he didn't understand nor had any idea existed.

"No – Stop!"

Harry's head shot up as he heard his father's voice. What was the man doing? Who was he saying no to and telling to stop?

Harry jumped out of bed and ran to his door but paused before opening it.

Would his father be angry at him for leaving his room?

Harry decided he would just be honest and explain that he just wanted to make sure his father was alright. Opening the door, Harry slowly walked into the living room. Harry found Severus on the floor with his hands holding his head, back against the wall.

"Dad?" Harry asked cautiously. "Are you okay? What's wrong?"

Severus's eyes flew open and the man glared at Harry. The coal eyes were darker and colder than before.

"What did you call me, Potter?" Severus growled.

Harry gasped and backed away as Severus stood to his feet and approached him, the glare only deepening. Severus roughly grabbed Harry's arm and shoved him against the wall, pinning his shoulder to keep him still.

"You have precisely ten seconds to explain to me what you are doing in my personal quarters before I drag you to the Headmaster and see you expelled for invasion of a professor's privacy."

"Dad, it's me," Harry cried, "I'm your son. I live here with you."

"Are you trying to insult me, Potter?" Severus growled. "How dare you insinuate that I am as lowly and pathetic as your father was. What are you doing in my quarters? Answer me and do not even think about lying to me!"

Severus slammed his free hand on the wall beside Harry's head, the noise startling Harry. Remembering some defense training he had had with Severus and Sam, Harry kneed his father in the stomach. Before Severus could get over the shock, Harry pushed him back and slipped away from the wall. Severus's eyes had closed for a few seconds as he stumbled back and when he opened them, the eyes were no longer dark looking. Severus looked at Harry and winced.

"Harry, I – I'm sorry," Severus looked pained, "I don't know what came over me. I didn't hurt you, did I?"

"No, Dad," Harry said, walking towards his father, "Are you okay?"

"Don't!" Severus held a hand out and backed away, keeping Harry from coming any closer to him. "Don't come near me. I don't want to hurt you. Just – stay. Stay there."

Harry gulped.

"Do you need anything? A potion? Water?"

"No, just don't – yes, water. Get me some water – please. Good boy."

Harry ran to the kitchen and grabbed a cup from the cupboard. What was happening to his father? Why had the man called him Potter?

Harry remembered their argument and dropped the glass cup to the floor and it shattered.

I hate you as much as I did in that stupid, old reality!

He had revealed to his father that there was a second reality. Bring back their alternate memories, Harry remembered Albus telling him when he was four. His father was remembering his alternate self.

Perhaps that would be all that happened. A whole world couldn't just disappear by a couple words, could it? Harry put a little hope in himself that this was stoppable and all his father needed was some water and perhaps a couple potions. And maybe a memory charm. Could he obliviate the argument they had had earlier.

Harry grabbed another cup and held it under the faucet. As he was filling it at the sink, a white mist flew into the kitchen and solidified into Sam on the counter. The fox was normal sized now, though he looked very concerned, the black tips of his ears were pivoted back and the white tips of his tails twitched.

: What happened? Sam spoke through telepathy. Everything seems tense in here. I sense a dark power.

"I screwed up, Sam," Harry said. "I told Dad about the second reality. I didn't mean to, I swear. I was so angry earlier and he wasn't being fair and . . . I don't know. I really screwed up though."

For some reason, Sam was the only other person, or creature, besides Albus that knew and remembered the alternate universe they had lived.

: Calm down, Harry, Sam said. Perhaps there's a way to stop whatever is about to happen. The world hasn't ended yet. Maybe we just need to . . .

There was a loud crash in the living room. Harry dropped the cup in the sink and ran out to check on his father.

Severus was sitting on the ground, holding his head once more, his eyes shut tightly. A side desk had been knocked into and books were scattered on the ground. A leg had broken off the small desk.

"Dad?" Harry slowly approached his father. "Are you okay? Dad?"

When Harry was right in front of Severus, the man's eyes flew open, dark, cold, and inhuman.

In the next second, Harry was flying across the room and he crashed brutally into the wall. When the stars cleared from Harry's eyes, he saw Severus standing with the ebony wand fixed on him. Severus slowly stalked forward, his eyes unrecognizing and determined.

"Dad!" Harry called to him, pressing his back in to the wall, tears in his eyes. "Please, snap out of it. Dad – stop-please!"

Severus was in front of Harry now and angling his wand to Harry's chest.

Sam, now the size of a large wolf, jumped between Harry and Severus, the white tips of his three tails blazing with foxfire. He snarled at the man before releasing a jet of flames from his mouth. Severus quickly back stepped away and out of reach of the flames. Sam stood protectively in front of Harry, snarling and flicking his fiery tails in warning.

From where he stood, the dark eyes still holding know remembrance, Severus fired a spell. There was a spark of familiar white light – a spell Harry knew was of his father's creation.

Deep, long wounds slashed at Sam's chest, neck, and face. The fire died from the fox as the animal dropped to the ground, rolling and thrashing, screaming – a sound Harry had never heard the fox make. It was like nails on a chalkboard and Harry watched in horror as his friend changed from a fox red to a blood red. The fox finally stopped thrashing and laid limp on the ground, the color fading from his eyes.

"Sam!" Harry cried.

He crawled over to the fox and cradled the lifeless body. Sam began to glow and shimmer static like, resembling TV static. Then, Sam's body disappeared from Harry's arm. Harry stared down at the blood stains on his arm, wondering what had happened. He felt a foreboding presence above him and looked up.

Severus stood over him with his wand ready to fire another spell.

"Daddy," Harry cried, tears falling from his eyes. But the man did not know him. This man was not his father. It was still worth a try to somehow get through to him, to reach the Severus Harry had come to know and love.

"Daddy, please. Remember me. Remember who you are. Don't do this."

Severus never said a word. There was another flash of white light and Harry felt a horrible pressure on his chest and face. The last thing he saw was the dark and cold blackness of his father's eyes.

"Sir?"

"Sir!?"

"Come on, sir, wake up!"

Harry heard the stranger's voice and slowly opened his eyes. His head was pounding and he was dying of thirst. He was slouched over at some table with several, empty firewhiskey bottles around him. The pressure in his head made it feel ten times heavier as he slowly lifted it up.

"About time, sir," a young man said from behind the bar counter. "I was starting to think that you were dead. I'm surprised you're not with how much you drank. Do you need someone to apparate you home? You know it's dangerous to be drinking and apparating."

Harry ignored the man and looked around. He was in a bar. Hog's Head to be precise. There was no one else around and judging from the light outside, it was early in the morning if it wasn't still dawn.

"Sir?" Harry looked at the man behind the bar. "Are you okay? You don't look all there."

Harry stared at him for a moment.

I'm back in the original reality. No. I can't believe it. What have I done?

Harry stood from his seat and left the counter he was at.

"What, no tip for keeping you alive?" The man behind the counter called after him.

Harry stumbled to the door. He looked out into the village of Hogsmeade. He just stared out from the doorway.

He had ruined everything. His second chance. He was back in a world where everyone was dead. His Uncle Sirius, Uncle Remus, Albus Dumbledore. Aunt Petunia was the unchanged, magic hating woman in this world. Sam. From what Harry remembered, the last thing Sam had done in this reality had landed him in hot water with dangerous men who set out to kill him. If Harry remembered correctly, the men had hung Sam in some kind of forest and threw a knife at him.

Even if Harry had somehow escaped alcohol poisoning, there was no way for Sam to possibly escape his death. Fate wasn't that kind. His friend, Sam, was dead in this reality.

And so was his father. His hated professor in this world, but his loving and adoring father in the Second Chances reality. Severus Snape was dead. And to think: the last thing he said to his father was 'I hate you.' And now, he was gone.

Everyone was gone.

"Hey, mate!" A familiar voice called to him. "I've been looking for you! Were you here all night? You had my sister worrying about you."

Harry only saw Ron Weasley's face for a second before he collapsed and the world went dark.

Well, what do you think?