Type: AU/Crossover

Premise:

This challenge is based on the idea that music can be used to produce magical effects when the powerful emotions it induces are properly directed. ​

Summary:

Soon after Harry is placed with the Dursleys, they remand him to an orphanage, where he learns an instrument (try to avoid the guitar) and is taught to sing by an aging black man by the name of Curtis. Harry is a lonesome boy, and somewhat socially inept, as a result of his lack of parents and his prior experiences in the Dursley household. In an attempt to resolve his behavior problems, the nun running the orphanage assigns him to be mentored by a middle-aged ex-con by the name of Elwood Blues...

Harry must somehow defeat Lord Voldemort with Music, (which is "The Power the Dark Lord knows not") and ridiculous hijinks must ensue. Bonus points for Harry/Luna.​

 

For instruments, I suggest the following, for manliness or just plain awesome:

Wind Instruments:
Flute
Alto Saxophone (Maybe Tenor)
Bassoon
Oboe

Assorted, Non-Wind Instruments:
Viola
Bongo Drums

That's all I've got, for now...

On the challenge itself...interesting, but could be a bit more detailed.

 

Right now that's really just an idea for a story. You need to flesh it out a bit for it to be considered a challange. Does the author include his years at the orphanage and his years at hogwarts? Will he be recieving special "magical" training, because there is no way he would know that music would defeat Voldemort.

Give the author more to work with.

 

Interestingly, in Janny Wurt's Wars of Light and Shadow series, music played by a master bard with a perfectly tuned instument (a lute in this case) could actually activate or alter magical wards based on the perfect intonations and frequencies or melodies played. It would be interesting if Harry could do something like this at Hogwarts. Perhaps he could even "play" spells and create magical contructs by playing certain songs or melodies.

 

Whoever chooses to write this, DO NOT, I REPEAT, DO NOT USE THE OBOE. I played it for three awful years, it sounds like a dying duck.

 

Perhaps he could play a Didgeridoo.

 

Lol, I think the obvious choice would be voice or piano.

 

No, piano isn't portable enough. He'd be without it at Hogwarts, unless he found the RoR or something. A sax could be cool.

 

If it weren't for the fact that it's not even remotely portable, I would have suggested a Xylophone in that list I put up. A shame that it's not, though.

A Soprano Saxophone is fine too.

 

Its got to be something he can carry around in his back pocket. Maybe a kazoo or a tamborine. They aren't heavy, so Harry can do some serious ritualistic dances and shit while playing the instrument.

 

Well, at first he could just have it strapped to him - or carried around in a simple form, much like a briefcase - then have it shrunk later on when he knows how to cast that charm. Anything that he could reasonably play while moving is fine, really.

 

I agree with the sax.

 

The author is Prodigy had a fic up at one point, I think he deleted it though, which used the idea that music is magical. It had a man move in a couple of doors down from Harry, and Harry is attracted by the sound of music. The man turns out to be some sort of person that Dumbledore wouldn't approve of, thus ensuring that Harry likes him, and he promises to teach Harry many things, including how to play the cello. It was actually quite a good fic, but got deleted before it really took off.

 

The cello is an interesting instrument, to be sure (I played it for a couple years way back when), but not quite portable enough for anything except performances. It certainly wouldn't work in a magical duel, that's for sure.

If you can find it again, though, let me know; I'd be willing to give that story a read all the same.

 

I'd definitely pick a smaller instrument, maybe a violin even if you can pull it off because it's portable and I've always been able to tell the different tones to a musician's piece when they are using a violin better then I could when they were using almost any other instrument. It would allow for better range of emotion within Harry, but you would have to stop him from turning into an emo with a violin that plays harsh melodies that strike up storms when he is angry.

 

Eh...Viola > Violin, in my opinion. Of course, there's also the Alto Sax, which is my current favorite non-Guitar instrument at current; maybe it's because I used to play it (and still can, if I remember where it is)? Who knows.

As stated before, a Soprano Saxophone is fine too.

 

I can't believe that not one of you mentioned the harmonica. For shame.

Also, how about bells? Necromantic bells from Garth Nix's Old Kingdom series, to be specific. His magic system was fun. Especially necromancy. A real bitch to explain to the uninitiated, though.

 

I am all for the Didgeridoo. Make him grow up with the Aboriginals.

 

I want to know what kind of orphanage would let a random old black man hang around with the children.

 

The Spoons? They'd be easier to carry around than anything else and if he looses some he just steals them from the Great Hall/Kitchen.

Maybe Curtis works there because he couldn't make it into the music industry?