AN: This is based off of a challenge I read once. However, I was unable to find it and so I made up my own challenge to go with it!
PLOT:
Harry Potter loved Archery. It was something that he had found when little that the Dursley's couldn't take away from him. In fact, the encouraged it. The reason? It seemed to curb the 'freakishness' inside of him. How does this affect the story of Harry Potter? Heh, Majorly.
REQUIREMENTS:
~ Harry discovers Archery somehow and is unnaturally gifted in it. This can happen whenever you want as long as it's before Hogwarts.
~Harry doesn't become all powerful. Every hero has a weakness.
~Someone needs to try to take away his Bow and gets their butt kicked for it.
~Harry doesn't meet the Weasleys at 9 3/4. I always thought that it was stalkerish how they met. I'm not saying they can't be friends, just not how it was it the book.
~Have Fun. Don't set too many limits for yourself.
SUGGESTIONS:
~Others bond with weapon of choice.
~Crossovers
~Magic Arrows.
PAIRING:
I personally tend to pair Harry and Hermione, but that's just me. You can choose whoever you want as long as it makes sense.
Chapter One: Field Trip….
"Harry you can sit up front with me." The boy looked up at his teacher and sighed, sitting down on the brown seat and scooting over to the window. In no time at all they were heading across the countryside, the teacher from earlier talking his ear off about how cheating was bad and if he ever had problems he should just go to the teacher instead of hurting others. It was a talk he had had with many teachers.
The only problem was he never did that. He studied hard at home in his tiny room, using the small light above his head to read the words and a broken pencil to write out his answers. Of course he did better than Dudley so his Aunt called into the school and said that Harry always stole Dudley's work. Now all of his work went to Dudley and he was dubbed the troubled kid. Just last week Dudley and his gang had gone Harry Hunting again and when he tripped one of the boys in his haste to get away, they had told a teacher he had kicked him. Harry sighed, his eyes closing as he leaned against the cool glass.
When he opened them again he saw his reflection staring back at him. He grimaced. His hair was black and was always a mess, never staying put or at the length that his Aunt Petunia cut it to. It had caused him a lot of beatings with-.. Maybe he would be normal soon, at least, the Dursley version of normal. Uncle Vernon was trying to 'condition' him he said. Another sigh.
"Alright kids, when you get off the bus form a line next to Mrs. Smithe! Remember to be extra good!" Harry waited for the other kids to get off before he joined them, standing quietly in the back of the line. He hoped that if he just stood next to the teacher and didn't touch, say, or do anything that nothing untoward would happen.
The group of kids traveled along a path into a large wooden building, 'ooh's and 'ahh's ringing through the air as they looked around. Along the walls were pictures of random people, each one of them holding a bow and aiming at something. Some of them had dead animals next to them, others had a person holding this cylindrical thing. Harry squinted and tried to read the words beneath the pictures, frowning when he couldn't make anything out. They stepped through a large doorway and were suddenly in a large field.
"Welcome! I am the Lead Instructor here at Sunthe Archery Studios and today I'm going to teach each and everyone how to shoot a bow and arrow. You may call me Archer." A man with long black hair pulled back into a ponytail at the back of his neck was walking towards them. He wore jeans and a plain white shirt, a bow slung over his shoulder. Blue eyes raked over them as he came to a stop.
"Now, bows are very dangerous so while I teach you one at a time, I have some of my other students here to show you their skill. I'm going to split you into three groups and then we'll get started!" He grinned and clapped his hands together, his eyes searching through the crowd of eight and nine year olds. They came to a stop on a small boy who stood away from the others, his eyes downcast as he listened.
"Alright, I'll start with this guy and you five are going to go with Timothy while the next five will go with Samantha. The rest of you will go with Will. Have Fun." Archer walked over to Harry and put his hand on his shoulder as he spoke, taking note of all the glares that the rest of the kids directed at the small boy. In a couple minutes they were alone.
"What's your name kid?" The two walked across the field to where Archer had previously come from.
"Harry." The boy mumbled as he walked.
"Well Harry, have you ever shoot a bow before?" Archer looked at the kid out of the corner of his eye. He was skinny, too skinny for a kid his age. Jet black hair looked as if it had just escaped a windstorm and pale white skin shone in the rare english sun.
"No sir."
"Then today's your lucky day. I'm going to show you how." They stopped walking and Archer began to explain safety to him. "Alright now before we start I want you to check your bow string to see if it's frayed or broken. No? Good now, here's how you hold it."
Harry went through the motions quietly, his mind calming as Archer kept talking. The bow shaft was smooth in his hand, hard, yet soft at the same time. His hand wrapped perfectly around the wood and when the fingers of his other hand fumbled along the string, he smiled. When his eyes opened, Harry ignored Archer, his right hand reaching for the outstretched arrow and swiftly knocking it. He widened his stance, making sure the arrow was pointed down and he turned away from Archer and faced the target 50 feet away. Sunlight glinted off of his wire glasses as he brought the bow up and pulled the shaft back, the end of the arrow resting against the edge of the jaw. He breathed in and as he let the air out of his lungs, he released the string.
A sharp 'Twang!' Sounded and Harry watched the thin wooden shaft twirl silently through the air before letting out a loud 'thump' as it connected with the hay bale. A smile tugged at his lips as he lowered the bow and turned to face the Lead Instructor. Archer's mouth was wide open as he stared at the target across from them. His arms were outstretched as if to grab Harry and he silently lowered them.
"Are you sure you've never shot a bow before kid?" Harry nodded. "Alright then. Let's try again, only this time aim for the 100."
AM.o~O~0~O~
It had been years since that field trip had taken place. Harry had never been happier in his life. When he held his bow, when he calmed his breathing to look down the glowing arrow shaft to aim at his target, his magic was calm. Every month he was allowed to go to the Archer Range and shoot all of his pain, all of his troubles away. It was easy to forget that the world even existed. But now it was all going to be changing. He had gotten a letter from the Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry.
In fact, he was supposed to be boarding his train in ten minutes. That Hagrid fellow he had met was really nice, almost like an older brother!, but he forgot to tell him how to get onto the platform. He groaned and then looked at his new familiar.
"Hedwig what am I going to do?" The beautiful snowy owl let out a soft hoot, her presence drawing the eyes of many passing by. He chuckled and then lowered his head back down onto his hands and began to think.
"Excuse me?" His head shoot up and he found himself staring into deep brown eyes. Flecks of soft gold and light brown layered themselves to mix a maze of windows. As he focused his gaze onto the owner of the eyes he noticed that it was a girl about his age. She too had a trunk similar to his and she was glancing at his owl in awe. "I was wondering if you needed help getting on the...the platform?"
"Yes please! I had a man named Hagrid to take me to get my stuff and my ticket but he didn't show me anything else!" The girl giggled as he stood up and waved his arm dramatically. Harry grinned and then bowed over his arm, his emerald eyes locking her hers once again. 'If you would help a gentleman in distress it would be most appreciated Miss…."
"Granger. Hermione Granger. And of course! I'm new to this too but Professor Sprout showed me how to get on and off weeks ago. We just walk through this pillar here!" The two students grabbed their trunks and made their way over to the tall brick pillar she had pointed to.
"Are you sure?" She nodded and readied her cart. "Alright. I'll see you on the other side then." And with that he took off at a light jog, his eyes closing as he got within a foot of the wall.
And that's all I have for the beginning! I stumbled upon this idea through another story and I pictured this in my head. For some reason it wouldn't leave so tada! My thoughts are with Europe as they go through this horrible time of bombings and borderline war. Stay Strong Guys!