The farmer:

The first few weeks after the battle of Hogwarts, many things happened. One of the biggest was inside the ministry of magic. New laws were brought in and old bigoted ones were thrown out.

Now, whenever a crime was committed or someone was accused of a crime, veritaserum would be used during questioning and all trials. No one will be able to get away with committing a crime when the truth potion was being used. But the people doing the accusing would also be questioned with veritaserum. They had a way to find the truth, so they were going to take advantage of it.

There was changes also at Hogwarts. New rules against bullying. Anyone hired at Hogwarts would need to show they can do the job but also that they are suited for the job. One of the biggest changes was getting rid of the four houses. Many believed it kept the students separated and allowed students in Slytherin house to become dark, like many of their parents. But the ones that originally were on the side of grey or even light, where convinced to change because they only heard the points of view from the ones that were dark. All students would now be houses by age and year.

There would be house elves assigned to all area's where students spent time to make sure no one got hurt. Portraits were also hung everywhere so they could now act as a witness so the headmaster or headmistress could finally hear the truth.

During these first few weeks while all these changes was implemented, all the funerals were held and all the trials were held. The wizarding world's population dropped by nearly quarter due to the deaths Voldemort and his death eaters caused. The population dropped further when all those that were arrested and found guilty were sent to Azkaban, for life, so another large number of witches and wizards were gone from their world. They might be alive but they will never leave Azkaban. When they die, they will be buried on the island.

Also during this time, places like Hogwarts, Hogsmeade and Diagon alley was repaired so everyone could move on from the terrible lives that had lived when Voldemort returned.

All students were notified that they would have to redo their last year. It meant that many of the heroes of the war would be able to return to Hogwarts to do their last year. No one had seen the saviour apart from the funerals he attended. He explained to everyone who asked that he wanted some time alone. What he didn't say was he was setting up his dream, a dream of what he wanted to do if he survived the madness.

Harry Potter bought himself a farm and had begun to buy the animals he wanted along with everything he would need to grow all the food he hoped to eventually sell. From the time he was little, Harry always wanted to be a farmer, now he was on his way.

As Harry looked around the house that was now his home, he thought back to his fifth year at Hogwarts. Harry sat opposite his head of house to talk about careers. Since Harry knew that the minister for magic at the time, Cornelius Fudge was trying everything he could to discredit Harry and his spy, Dolores Umbridge was sitting in the room, Harry decided to make it seem like he wanted to be an auror and when he was a lot older, then he wanted to be minister for magic. Since he had the best scores in defence against the dark arts which is what you need to become an auror, he figured it was the best occupation to use, but also to annoy Umbridge and Fudge. He wanted them to believe he was hoping to be minister and being the-boy-who-lived, he knew people would support him. He also figured if Voldemort was still around, it would help if he learned to become an auror. He really didn't want to be an auror or work for the ministry.

It was days later that Harry went to speak with his head of house. Harry explained to Professor McGonagall why he picked an auror as a career. Apart from annoying Fudge and Umbridge, it was also because of Crouch, when Barty Crouch was impersonating Mad-eye, he said Harry would make a great auror.

Harry explained to McGonagall that he always knew what he wanted to do and that was to be a farmer. He wanted the life of a farmer. It was a calm life but one that would give him time alone. Farmers worked from early in the morning until dinner, then usually went to bed not long after. They did not have time to socialise, which Harry wasn't one for doing.

Minerva had been surprised, then she said that she wasn't sure the ministry or the people would like the idea that the-boy-who-lived wasn't going to continue to help their world. Harry said, he would be helping, but helping the way he wanted by making sure there is plenty of milk, chickens, meat, eggs, vegetables and fruit. That was his dream and that is what he was going to do.

After the war, Harry once again spoke with McGonagall about his last year, which is when he found out that every student could return to Hogwarts. Even though he wanted to be a farmer, he did want to sit his newts. It was something Harry wanted to do mainly to prove he could pass his wizarding tests.

Now Harry Potter was getting ready to return to Hogwarts, for the final time. Harry had hired four people to run the farm and get everything started while he returned to Hogwarts. They would hire the extra hands once it was needed. He had two house elves at the farm as well. Kreacher, who would be helping around the farm and Winky who was looking after the house and feeding the workers. Kreacher already belonged to him and he knew the elf would like to continue to work during his last years. After helping during the battle, Harry thought the old elf deserved to be given what he wanted and that was to work and serve his master. Harry knew that Winky was slowly dying because she wanted to belong to a family. Harry spoke with her not long after the Battle of Hogwarts and asked her what she wanted. She said she wanted a family, so Harry said if Winky liked him enough, she could be part of his family. Winky cried before she bonded with Harry. From then on, she began to live again.

Harry was sitting in one the compartments on the Hogwarts express, reading some farming books. He had some time before the rest of the students arrived. He was learning all he could about farming but also, how to make his farm into a business. When he heard the first lot of students begin to board the train, he put his books away. Harry hadn't told anyone he had bought a farm and was already looking forward to that life, the life of a farmer who got up a four in the morning to begin their days working with the animals and growing things like vegetables.

'How long have you been here?' Ron asked as he walked into the compartment with Hermione.

'About an hour. I wanted to avoid all the reporters and stares. At least you made it faster than you normally do, or was that due to Hermione?' Harry smirked as he looked at his female friend.

'I made sure he packed last night so all we had to do was have breakfast. If it was left up to Ron, he would still be looking for everything,' Hermione said then sat opposite Harry.

'What can I say, I like to leave things until the last moment,' Ron said sitting next to his girlfriend,

'But Hermione's had me revising a lot since we basically missed an entire year.'

'I have been revising as well. Having time to myself has allowed me to do that and do things I always wanted to do. I do spend two days a week for a few hours with Teddy. He's growing fast. So what else have you two been up to?'

The friends talked right until they got to Hogsmeade. Harry had skated around the questions about what else he did with his time. He wanted to get settled back into Hogwarts before his friends find out what he was now doing with his life. Harry also knew he would need to speak with Ginny. She had asked him about getting back together, he said he needed time but he would give her an answer a few days after returning to Hogwarts. He thought it might be worth seeing how they would go but it meant explaining about his life but also, how he wanted his life to be.

Ron, Hermione and Neville kept Harry between them from the moment they got into Hogwarts. All eyes had turned to him and many had tried to get closer to Harry. His friends knew he didn't want that attention so they kept him in between.

Harry sat with his back facing everyone so he wouldn't have to see all the people staring at him. That was another reason why being a farmer attracted him, he would be away from the spotlight. He hated attention, so being a farmer would give him time away from everyone and all the attention.

He had spoken with Neville after the battle. Without telling his friend what he wanted, Harry got a lot of information on plants, fertilisers and just about everything the young man knew about growing things. He had just said that he planned to have a garden, flowers and vegetables. Harry also got a lot of names of books from Neville. Harry spent the first few weeks after he bought the farm reading those books. It helped him figure out where to plant and where to put up greenhouses. He also built a lot of sheds, for the cows for when they need milking and feeding. He had another large shed for the chickens. From the moment he began to buy the animals, Harry spent a lot of time with them. He didn't just want to know how to make a working farm, he wanted to study the animals. Harry also bought a few horses. He loved the idea of riding and using the horses to herd the cattle towards the feeding sheds. One of the men he hired taught him how to ride but also taught him everything involved in owning and looking after a horse along with looking after all the equipment you needed for horses.

It was hard to get back into the routine of classes and studying but for the ones like Harry, Ron and Hermione, it took about two weeks before they felt just like other students. It was right after being there for two weeks that Ginny approached Harry. He decided they needed privacy so they went to the room of requirement so they could talk.

'Alright, I've thought about us. We did get on well and had a good time when we were together. I figured we could see what happens but first, you'll have to know what I have planned for my life. It might not be something you want.'

'I'm not sure what you mean. You were going to be an auror.'

'No, I wasn't. It was never something I wanted. I was first told by the fake Moody that I would make a great auror. With the way Fudge and Umbridge was, I decided to annoy them by saying I wanted to be an auror. I will never work for the ministry even with someone like Kingsley as minister. No, I've always known what I want to do. From the time I was six years old, I knew that if I could manage it, I had my career picked out.'

'So it's something in the muggle world?' Ginny asked looking confused.

'No, its something that both worlds need. Its just easier in the wizarding world but it's still a lot of work and a lot of long days. It's something I want and I've already got it started.'

'I thought for sure you would either be an auror or play quidditch. As you know, I'm hoping to get picked up this year.'

Harry sighed, 'Then it looks like we won't be together. What I want to do is something that I want my girlfriend or wife to do as well. It's a family business, that takes a lot of time and a lot of hard work. Because of the work, the girl I end up with has to be involved or we'd never see each other. It's a life without anything exciting but it's what I'm now doing. I just hired some people to take care of it until I finish off here.'

'But why couldn't I have quidditch and still be part of your life?'

'Because the life I want is for the husband, me and the wife to work side by side. It's more though, we start from four in the morning until dinner time, then basically sleep after that. You would need to join me or we'd never be together since I would be out working from four. But I also want it to be a full family business.'

'Four in the morning,' Ginny squeaked, 'There is no way I'm getting up that early. But as I said, I'm hoping to play quidditch.'

'Then there's no use talking anymore. Find someone else. I want a girlfriend to join me in what I'm doing.'

'Harry, husband and wives often work apart, they don't need to be together for them to have a life.'

'I know, but it's not what I want. My wife, whoever she will be will be part of my life, which is already started.'

'Can you at least tell me what this life you want is?' Harry stared at Ginny for a full minute. Even though he knew she would like them to be together, he also knew she would never want to be a farmers wife.

'Alright, I always wanted to be a farmer. I bought a farm, with cows for milking along with chickens for eggs. I'm also working on growing vegetables and fruit.'

Ginny sat there with her eyes wide. She would never want to live on a farm. She wanted to go out, have fun, a farmer work all day, every day.

'I could never live on a farm. I always hoped to live in a city.'

Harry shuddered, 'That is something I would never do. I hate crowds and noise. Anyway, you can see now why we're not suited. We both want different lives. Mine is going to be calm and quiet.'

Ginny always hoped her and Harry would eventually marry, now she knew that would never happen since she would never marry a farmer.

'We do want different lives,' Ginny sighed before getting up.

'I didn't think you would like the life I wanted, which is why I thought waiting to talk was a good idea. You would see how I am, but also you might see that there was someone here that does suit you and the life you want.'

'Well, I didn't look and I wouldn't until I knew if we were going to try again. Alright, bye Harry.'

'Bye,' Harry watched the girl leave before he decided to head to Gryffindor tower. He had finished his homework but he still had studying to do so he would know how to run a farm.

The following morning, Harry was the first one in Gryffindor tower awake. He was used to rising early but now he was getting his body used to rising earlier ready for when he began working the farm. He knew there was no use hiding what he was going to do, not now that Ginny knew, so he took a few books with him down to the great hall to wait until breakfast was served.

Harry was reading and making notes, he was so engrossed in what he was doing that he didn't hear other students and staff entering the great hall. He didn't notice anything until the food appeared on the table. When he closed his book and note book, he went to dish up some food. That's when he noticed that his friends were sitting opposite him, staring at him.

'What?' 'Ginny told us what you want to do. Harry, you could do so much for the ministry, especially with your reputation,' Hermione said.

'It's not what I want. Also, I knew I was always going to have my own farm one day. It's something I've wanted since I was six. I finally own a large property with cows along with chickens. I've hired men to help out, one of them taught me how to ride a horse. I want to get started on the gardens as soon as I've finished here. That's the life I want, calm, no excitement and no stares.'

'That's what all those questions were about, farming?' Neville asked.

'Yep, I've been studying everything I could and those books you mentioned have been great. Oh, I plan to get a very large dog. I wonder if I can get one that looks like padfoot, that would be so cool.'

'So no auror, no quidditch, no ministry,' Ron said looking disappointed.

'No, I am already a farmer and I know it's what I'm meant to do but it's also what I want to do. What about you Ron, have you decided what you want to do?'

'I really don't think I'll get the scores to become an auror. I'm hoping maybe the Chudley Cannons will take me on.'

'They could, you just need some extra training. But quidditch isn't a long career, what about after?'

'Well, I could probably coach, maybe, I don't know. I haven't thought that far ahead.'

'You've got the entire year to think about it then if you do get picked up by the Cannons, you'll be able to use that time as well. I just say do what your heart wants, then you'll be happy. If you aren't happy in your work, it won't be a good life. After everything we've gone through, we deserve to get a good life and one we want.'

'Well said Harry,' Neville said, 'Professor Sprout has been given permission to take me on as an apprentice. She said by the time I've finished learning, she'll be ready to retire.'

'Good one mate. See, it's something you love doing so you're going to enjoy your life.'

Hermione couldn't believe what she had been hearing. Harry was the saviour, he could do so much good for their world if he used his fame. Now she finds out he wasn't going to be involved at all. She wondered if she could get someone to talk to Harry, maybe he would change his mind. A small voice in Hermione's head reminded her what Harry said about how she always tried to boss him around. How she didn't listen to his opinions or ideas. Harry told her if she did it once more, they would no longer be friends. She realised she could not ask anyone or Harry would know it was her.

It was only a few days later that everyone at Hogwarts knew that Harry Potter planned to be a farmer. Many had gone up to him and asked if he would change his mind. It was when they heard he already owned the farm, the animals and had hired help, that they realised how serious he was.

Over the next week, Harry had every teacher speak with him about working for the ministry, to use his reputation. Harry refused to change his mind. Then he was visited by some of the Wizengamot, Harry refused to meet with them even when the letter came from the headmistress. When the next visitor arrived, Harry had enough. He refused to go to the meeting with the minister for magic. He skipped classes, packed his things, wrote a letter, leaving it on his bed and used his invisibility cloak to sneak out using the tunnel to Honeydukes. One thing Harry wrote was how he had the prophecy dictate his life, the life Albus Dumbledore forced him to live. He thought he would finally get one year at Hogwarts where he could be a normal student and finish his education by taking his newts. But again, no one let him and kept badgering him to do what they wanted. No one cared what he, Harry wanted.

'We weren't expecting you back until Christmas boss,' John said as he saw Harry walked towards them.

'From the moment everyone found out about the farm, I kept getting annoyed. I even had the Wizengamot and the minister wanted to talk to me about working for the ministry. I said enough and left. I'll just go unpack and change then meet you in the field.'

'We're just about to head out, want me to saddle Prongs for you?' Kevin asked.

'That would be great. See you in a few.' By the time Harry got inside, Winky was waiting for him. She instantly wanted his trunk so she could unpack. Harry smiled, pulled out his trunk from his pocket, resized it then followed the little elf upstairs. He changed into his work clothes then headed out to join the men.

By the time Harry mounted his horse, everyone at Hogwarts knew that Harry left. He didn't just leave Hogwarts, he left the wizarding world because of how everyone thought they could tell him what to do, again. He did his bit, now it was time to do what he wanted, not what others wanted for him. He did write that he originally said he would continue to help the wizarding world, now he wouldn't, he would never again be part of it, he had enough with everyone butting into his life.

It was the following day that the Daily Prophet printed Harry's letter and many felt ashamed at trying to push the saviour into doing what they thought he should do instead of being allowed to have his dream. More than three hundred letters arrived the following day. Harry had Winky check them for poisons, curses, portkeys and anything else that could hurt him in any way. Once Winky was done, she was to put the letters in his office, on his desk. He would get to them when he could. Right now, he was too busy, but also, he felt at peace for the first time in his life.

Over the years, no one saw Harry Potter. His friends got the occasional letter but they never saw him. He wrote in the few letters they got that he didn't have a lot of time so he might not be able to answer any letters. But he did write that he won't be back. He had the life he wanted, finally.

It wasn't until fifteen years later that the headmistress was reading the book of names of the new first years that made her sit straight up. Orion James Potter and Jasmine Lily Potter were the two names that jumped out at her.

'Harry named his children after his parents and godfather,' Minerva wondered who he married. It wasn't anyone from his old life as no one from his old life had seen him. She thought maybe he met a witch in relation to his farm.

No one knew that Harry met a woman, a muggle woman who was looking for work. She was good with horses and knew gardens. Harry gave her a go and within months, they were a couple. Kira loved working on farms and that's what she used to do. She would move around from farm to farm, working. She explained to Harry that she had never had a permanent home, not from the age of sixteen. She always hoped to find the right place where she could work and live. She never expected to fall in love with the boss.

After Filius sent out the letters to all the first years, he worked on the letters for the rest of the students. He did not expect to get any responses until the following day. He got a surprise during dinner, one of the Hogwarts owls turned up with one of his letters. It was returned, unopened and unread. That meant that the home was warded to stop owls or the ministry from finding them. Those were powerful wards. When he read the name, he realised why and how. Harry Potter was powerful, more powerful than most knew and he was not sending his children to Hogwarts. After thinking about it for a while, Filius realised why Harry Potter would not send his children to Hogwarts.

Harry had a terrible life at the castle, due to Severus Snape and due to all the danger he found himself in. He did wonder if maybe Harry planned to send his children to another school in another country. He figured there was no use guessing when he would never find out. Now he had to explain to the headmistress that she will not be getting the saviours children as students. After everyone annoyed Harry when he had been at Hogwarts the last time, Filius hoped the ministry did not try to get the Potter children to Hogwarts. He didn't think they would since no one knew where Harry Potter was nor could they send him an owl.

No one knew it but Harry had created his own wards for his property. It allowed him to use magic without the ministry picking it up. This also allowed Harry to teach his children how to control their magic. He wanted his children to go to normal school, they would just learn magic at the same time, but they were taught by their father every evening. He explained to them what his life had been like in the wizarding world and what they had tried to make him do. He said if his children wanted to be part of the wizarding world when they were older, they could. They knew their mother wasn't magical so she could not be involved in the wizarding world. So far, his children did not want anything to do with the wizarding world. They loved their life on the farm. They would decide what they wanted to do when they were older, but so right now, they wanted a farming life.

What Harry didn't know was many in the ministry had worked on a new law. All children who were living in Great Britain had to go to Hogwarts. No matter what the people at the ministry tried, they could not find Harry Potter and not one letter was ever answered. They even tried to find out more about his farm. They thought if he did supply food, then they could make sure those businesses stopped using anything supplied by Harry Potter's farm. They could not find out if he was one of their suppliers or if he supplied to just muggle shops.

The ministry never stopped trying to find Harry Potter and his children. It wasn't until the names of the Potter children disappeared from the Hogwarts registry, when they turned seventeen, that the people at the ministry finally gave up looking for Harry Potter and his children.

Harry and Kira made sure they along with their five children had duel citizenship. Kira was Australian, she kept that even after living in England for years. It was Kira who suggested Harry and the kids get duel citizenship, which would help their kids if they wanted to take their owls or newts. Harry and his family did move to Australia for a year and left his workers in charge of the farm. Once they had their duel citizenship, they were able to get all the information on the school and ministry in Australia. Orion and Jasmine went to Australia to sit their newts before returning to the farm. Jamie did the same when she turned seventeen, then Hadrian and Hathem did the same. But all five of the Potter children returned to the farm. They all said the same, they loved their life on the farm, that's what they were going to do.

Harry decided to have homes built for his five children so they could have their own space and own lives but still be part of the farming life alongside their parents. To Harry Potter, he finally got the life he always hoped to get.

The end: