A Quiet Life
The London rain drummed softly against the windowpane, a steady rhythm that matched the flickering candlelight in Harry Potter’s small flat. He sat curled up in an armchair, a book resting open in his lap. His glasses slid slightly down his nose as he absentmindedly traced a finger along the yellowed pages, his mind only half-absorbing the words.
It had been nearly a year since the Battle of Hogwarts. The world had moved on, but Harry felt stuck between what was and what could be. The Wizarding World expected him to take on some grand role—a Ministry official, an Auror, a hero forever locked in battle. But he was tired. Tired of expectations. Tired of being The Boy Who Lived.
He glanced down at the book again, focusing this time. “A Traveler’s Guide to Japan.” It wasn’t magic-related. No mention of ancient curses or dark artifacts. Just history, culture, and places where life was—presumably—normal. He imagined himself walking the quiet streets of a small town, where no one knew his name, where there were no whispers of war and prophecy behind his back.
Something about the thought settled into his chest like a seed taking root.
Flipping the page, he read about Kyoto’s shrines, Tokyo’s bustling streets, and the countryside towns that seemed untouched by time. Karakura Town, a small, unassuming place, caught his eye. The name meant nothing to him, but there was something about it that felt right.
With a quiet sigh, he leaned back and closed his eyes. Maybe it was foolish, maybe it was running away, but for the first time in a long while, he felt the stirrings of something close to peace.
And so, as the rain continued to fall, Harry Potter decided to leave behind the world he had always known.