77I've wondered why I never see this scene in a FanFic but then again I'll never come close to reading 1% the ones on this site alone. It drove me out of bed one night demanding to be written. I've put it here for your enjoyment as I don't foresee using it in a fic but who knows what my muse will demand.
As always JKR and those various rights owners are the ones who get all the money.
"This broom will need to be checked for jinxes," said Professor McGonagall. "Of course, I'm no expert, but I dare say Madam Hooch and Professor Flitwick will strip it down -"
"Strip it down?" Repeated Ron, as though Professor McGonagall was mad.
"It shouldn't take more than a few weeks," said Professor McGonagall. "You will have it back if we are sure it is jinx-free"
[ Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban, Chapter 11, Page 232 ]
My continuation below.
A week later:
"Professor McGonagall I'm being pressured by Oliver he wants to know when I will be able to practice for the upcoming game with my Firebolt. Do you have any idea when you will be done with it?" Harry asked after class.
McGonagall had been dreading this question since last night. But true to her Scottish origins she faced it head on. "There has been an accident with your broom."
"An accident?" Harry asked his confusion evident in his voice.
"Yes, a couple of your professors were examining it and well it burned up."
My brand new Firebolt broom burned up?" Harry asked his voice rising and attracting the attention of both Ron and Hermione who were waiting for him on the other side of the classroom door.
"Yes."
"How is that possible? Surely you know the Aguamenti spell?"
"Of course we do don't be stupid," an embarrassed McGonagall sharply replied.
"Obviously someone was being stupid to let my BRAND NEW, NEVER EVEN BEEN RIDDEN, FIREBOLT BURN UP WHILE THEY WERE EXAMINING IT!" Harry yelled loud enough to be heard far beyond the classroom causing Hermione to rush into the room. She rushed over to Harry and gave him a hug crying on his shoulder while muttering, "I'm so sorry Harry I didn't."
"Mr. Potter control yourself," McGonagall said sharply as Hermione rushed past her.
"Sure right you destroy a 6,000 galleon broom that belonged to me and I've got to control myself," Harry replied before turning to Hermione and quietly reassuring her he didn't hold her responsible for the loss of his broom.
"Snape destroyed you broom?" Ron asked from the door.
"Professor Snape, Ron," Hermione automatically corrected him her voice coming from Harry's shoulder where she'd buried her head to hide either her embarrassment or her tears.
"Greasy git no doubt wanted to make sure no one had a better broom than Malfoy," Ron said full of anger before he turned to Hermione "This is all your fault Hermione, If you hadn't turned in it Professor Snape wouldn't have been able to destroy Harry's Firebolt."
"Ron that's not cricket. She was just looking out for me. Apologize to her!"
"Not on your life! Scabbards is so scared of that bloody monster of a cat she lets roam all over Gryffindor's dorm he's can't eat and is losing hair. She probably turned in your Firebolt hoping Snape would give her extra credit in potions!"
"Ron just shut up!" Harry yelled doing his best to stop his now former best friend while wrapping Hermione in the first hug he'd ever initiated holding her tight to his chest while murmuring, "Don't listen to him you're very important to me. He approaches me again on this I'm going to tell him to shove off. You're my best friend," into her ear.
Seeing she had to fully explain McGonagall said, "Actually it was Professor Flitwick and Professor Vector who were examining the broom, I was present observing out of curiosity."
"And?" Harry asked firmly his posture tight as he waited for further explanation.
"At our first scans did not detect any jinxes but the professors doing the scanning noticed a few oddities. So they started to probe a little deeper. As they did Professor Flitwick received a shock. A quick check revealed an alarm ward, which he quickly bypassed and continued to probe which tripped a second alarm ward. By this time all of use present were determined to see just what someone was trying to hide.
The third ward was didn't give us any warning it just incinerated the broom where it lay on the bench," McGonagall said.
"Let me make sure I understand this," Hermione started asking in her clinical tone, "Two school teachers, however skilled they are, decided to examine in detail all the spells on a very expensive broom and after they tripped not one but two alarm wards placed on this expensive broom, possibly to protect any trade secrets involved in the spellwork on said broom. Kept at it until the broom was destroyed? Is that a basic summation of what happened?"
"None of us would not have revealed anything we found!" McGonagall said almost in outrage that they would think any of the Professors would be so unprofessional.
"Did anyone of you think to just send it back to the company with an explanation of your concerns and let the makers check it over?" Hermione asked.
"Miss Granger, I assure you the Professors here at Hogwarts are quite capable of detecting any jinxes," McGonagall started only to be interrupted by Hermione.
"On any simple item I would agree but how many of you have devoted the years a professional broom charmer has spent studying the specific charms, researching alternate methods, not to mention going through the numerous trials and errors required to craft a broom like the Firebolt. There is a reason they can charge what they do for one. I am sure the Professors here possess general knowledge in abundance but I rather doubt you possess the specialized skills required to craft a world class broom otherwise you would have done so given the amount money involved."
"Come on Harry you need to tell Oliver they destroyed your broom," Hermione said trying to move things along.
"We will look into getting you a replacement broom," McGonagall replied trying to comfort Harry while wondering just how to accomplish what she was saying.
"Look all you want, that broom was ordered specifically for me. You never even noticed the serial number did you?" At McGonagall's confused look Harry continued, "Firebolts for professional teams have a unique two letter preface followed by two numbers. So each team has their own number sequence. The Holyhead Harpies' brooms are serialized starting with HH01 and they can go up to HH99 though I doubt any one team will buy 99 Firebolts. Mine was one made for public sale so it started with just a "P" for public then there are three numbers. My numbers were 007. Or to be blunt the serial number on my broom was P007 or as I preferred to think Potter seven. My uniform number incase you also forgot that. There is no way you cannot replace that specific broom Professor." Harry finished heading out the door with tears in his eyes, Hermione walking beside him. As they reached the door Hermione stopped them and said, "Professor I asked you to insure Harry would be safe. Not to do... this," she said waiving her hands around tears streaming down her face. Harry took one of her hands leading her off to the Gryffindor common room.
Harry's loud outburst had drawn more than Hermione and Ron's attention. As they entered the Gryffindor common room they were approached by the Gryffindor Quidditch team a nervous Oliver Wood said, "We've all heard a rumor your broom was destroyed. For the sake of all that is Quidditch tell me it was just a rumor."
"Sorry Oliver, everyone the Professors destroyed my Firebolt while checking to see if it was jinxed."
A voice from the crowd that had gathered around them asked in disbelief, "The Professors destroyed it?"
"Yup, it's gone."
"Did they tell you what happened?" another voice called out.
Hermione squeezed his arm silently asking him to let her speak. Raising her voice to allow her to be heard by the entire common room she explained, "After they were unable to find any jinxes placed over the company's charms. The professors, in their collective wisdom, decided the best way to insure there were no hidden jinxes was for them to strip all the charms off intending to replace them after insuring everything was safe. They ran in to several warning charms as they stripped Harry's broom before one of the charms they were removing caused the broom to self-destruct. Harry and I prefer to think that particular jinx was placed by the company to prevent anyone from discovering all the secrets that make up a Firebolt."
"Can it be replaced?" Oliver asked hope in his voice.
"It was destroyed. They company won't care how it happened. I'm sure they will say 'you want a replacement Firebolt buy another one'. To be honest right now I'm not even sure I want to fly again," a despondent Harry said from the large chair he and Hermione had settled into.
Oliver started to say something but the three chasers aka, the flying foxes, shook their heads stopping him from saying anything before they lead him away. The two beaters, grabbed their bother Ron leading him away while making sure the rest of Gryffindor allowed Harry and Hermione their privacy. If Harry were going to play seeker again it would be Hermione who convinced him to do so.