Harry Potter and the Night Race
#01—Illegal Broom Races
Inspiration:
This story came more in response to a question I'd been pondering for quite some time myself. If I was Harry, unable or allowed to use magic during the summer, had access to my own broom, and had just won a major broom competition in school, I would probably have been feeling a tad bit cocky and been wanting to get every chance I could to fly (at night of course, to keep within the secrecy statute). I asked myself: wouldn't Harry have been feeling the same way?
The answer, you probably already guessed, was a deafening "YES!" And, with inspiration from the 'Fast and Furious' movies, this story evolved. Actually, this is one of the few stories that Voldemort isn't even needed to be one of the major (or minor) antagonists.
Recommended Main Characters:
Harry Potter
Nymphadora Tonks
Recommended Timeline:
Summer after Harry's Third Year
Storyline Ideas:
I figured that Harry could visit Diagon Alley at some point and overhears some underground sponsors who are talking about some broom competitions their riders are in and Harry grows interested in it (feeling cocky about his Quidditch victory at Hogwarts earlier). But when he gets there and tries to race, he loses the race spectacularly. And, due to the rules of the race, the last place finisher has to surrender their broom to the victor. This is the central plot point, his desire to win back his lost possession (the Firebolt).
After he lost that race and his broom, Harry's approached by a disgraced old broommaker. The man is willing to train Harry and make him a replacement broom (for a small fee) if Harry does him a few little favors along the way. Stuff like 1) helping him recover his dignity as a craftsman by 2) advertising his new broom designs by 3) winning races, 4) especially against the user of the broomsmith who'd stolen his design ideas and later caused his disgrace. Harry grudgingly accepts after he sees and tests some of the man's brooms, but because he's making a broom specially tailored for him, Harry can't use any of those in the races (lack of proper compatibility).
Using his new broom, Harry's actually able to start winning races. But just after his second race (and win), a surprise Ministry raid occurs. Though his broommaker escapes, Harry gets captured. At the Ministry, Harry is given an ultimatum by Scrimegour. Either he assists in the capture of a dangerous Undesirable (coincidentally, the same man who took his Firebolt) or be expelled from Hogwarts, his wand snapped, and sentenced to five years in Azkaban for participating in illegal activities. Harry easily accepts, on the condition that he's allowed to recover his Firebolt and to keep his new broom. Of course, unwilling to allow Harry too much freedom, Scrimegour assigns Tonks to escort and guard Harry for the job. She joins Harry at the races as one of his new fanbase groupies while she discreetly monitors him and searches for their target.
Sadly, that's as far as I've gotten in the plotline for this particular idea. But I assume that you can see what'll eventually happen. A big Ministry raid, Harry racing against his nemesis, beating him and reclaiming his Firebolt, and then (once all the red tape is dealt with) Harry packs up and prepares for his 4th Year.
Misc. Notes:
I've thought that the name for the broom races should be the 'Night Race' because they traditionally occur at night.
Here's some of the basic rules I thought could work quite nice for the Night Race.
1. Killing is allowed, but not recommended
2. Customized brooms are recommended
3. Win at any cost
4. Each contestant must pay 100 Galleons to race, the victor gets the spoils
5. The last place finisher must surrender their broom to the victor
6. If a contestant wins five races (overall), they can select their opponents for the next race.
Though you may have your own ideas, I personally liked the idea of Harry naming his new broom the 'Blackhawk'. It just seemed fitting to me for some reason.
What I originally had in mind for the 'Blackhawk' broom was that the broommaker takes his craft very seriously. And what I mean by 'very seriously' is that the BEST brooms are ALWAYS custom-made to fit the individual wizard they were meant for. So only the true owner of the broom could bring out the true power and abilities of the broom.
Which is why common brand name brooms like Comet, Nimbus, and even Firebolt are all second-rate. They weren't specially-tailored for the rider, thus no one will ever be able to bring out their true power. Which is one of the primary reasons Harry lost so badly in the first race. Because, for all its awesome performances and speed, the Firebolt was still a generic, Ministry-sanctioned broom. That was just my initial idea though. If you wanna change it, that's fine.