The Amazing Race: Harry Potter Style

Hello, my name’s Phil Keoghan and this is the Amazing Race. Twelve teams have signed on for this trip around the world. We have a small twist. Half of the teams are Muggles while the other half is wizards and witches. We’ve teamed each Muggle with a witch or wizard that matches them best. We took each witch or wizard to their Muggle teammate to let him or her get to know each other. Now let us meet the teams.

Team one is…

Remus Lupin and Carey Gerhart

Remus is a Professor at Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry where he teaches Defense Against the Dark Arts. He is also a werewolf. Carey is a librarian that loves mythologies and legends. Werewolves fascinate her. Both have an extreme thirst for books.

Remus – When I first met Carey last week I knew then that we had a lot in common. She was busy working at her desk with a mythology book open beside her. I knew then that we were going to get along just fine.

Carey – Yeah. When he met me, I was busy rereading a book about Roman myths. When he told me his name I freaked out. I blurted out “Like the Remus and Romulus who were raised by a wolf?” He just started to laugh. I’m surprised that my boss didn’t fire me.

Remus – What can I say? My mum had a thing for the Roman myths. I don’t think that my friends even picked up on it.

Carey – {pats Remus’ arm} My daddy always said “Be on the look out for the obvious otherwise you might be taken for a ride.” Besides I like the name.

Remus – My friend Sirius wonders about the Muggle world and now he’s going to get to experience it the hard way.

Carey – I’ve got a feeling he’s going to be in for a very rude awakening. I’m just looking forward to all the fun we’re going to have learning about each other’s worlds.

Remus – I’m looking forward to getting to know you better, love. I mean, Carey.

Team Two is…

Sirius Black and Paulina Eversole

Sirius is an ex-fugitive that was on the run for seven years before the capture of an old friend freed him from all the crimes. He loves to play pranks on people when they’re not looking. He is also able to transform himself into a large black dog. Paulina is a police office for the New York City Police Department. She specializes in crime scenes and is a dog lover. She refuses to play pranks because her brother had died in a prank gone wrong. This is going to interesting to see.

Paulina – When I met Sirius, I wasn’t too sure about him. I mean he was laughing like a crazy person and that just freaked me out. I wasn’t sure I wanted to work with a crazy person.

Sirius – {mock anger} I resemble that remark.

Paulina – {giggles slightly} Sirius, it’s I resent that remark.

Sirius – See I knew you’d agree with me.

Paulina – {rolls eyes} As I was saying, I sat with him across from me in my captain’s office. He told me all about his false incarceration. I told him that if it had happened here in the States he would have been innocent until proven guilty. That’s when I knew we would be a good team.

Sirius – I’m going to be serious for a minute. {laughs at the word serious} Sorry, I try not to use that word too often. Anyways, when Remus and Harry, my godson, told me that they had signed us up for this thing I freaked on them. I told them that I wasn’t going to go. Then Harry made me sit down and watch one of the episodes that were airing at the time. That’s when I agreed. I figured I’d be able to play as many pranks as I wanted on a certain greasy haired git that I just love to hate.

Paulina – I’ve heard all about the pranks he used to play in school and I might be up for one or two. Usually I don’t condone it but we’ll have to see if Sirius can convince me that not all pranks are bad.

Sirius – {rubs hands together} I’m looking forward to it.

Team Three is…

Nymphadora Tonks and Zach Fisher

Nymphadora is an Auror for the Ministry of Magic in London. She is also a Metamorphagus, which means she can change her form at will. Zach is a retired Marine Drill Instructor. He has been in at least two wars and trained thousands of soldiers for dozens of other wars. Will the team of disciplined players win the race?

Tonks – The next person that calls me Nymphadora is going to get hexed into next week.

Zach – The first thing that Tonks said to me was “Never call me Nymphadora.” And I never will. I don’t want to get on her bad side.

Tonks – We sat and talked for hours about training and various other things. Only thing was that his training wasn’t nearly as intense as mine. I even warned him that I’m a bit of a klutz.

Zach – So am I that’s going to be why we’re going to get along great. I can’t wait to see what they’ve got lined up for the first task for us to do.

Tonks – Neither can I. {smiles broadly while hair changes from neon purple to bubble gum pink}

Team Four is…

Harry Potter and Courtney Valentine

Harry is a student at Oxford University for Young Witches and Wizards. He’s the star Seeker for his Quidditch team. He’s also able to transform into a phoenix. In the Wizarding World he is known as The-Boy-Who-Defeated-Voldemort. Courtney is a student at Penn State in Harrisburg. She is a 3^rd degree black belt in her Karate School. She loves birds and has never seen a phoenix.

Harry – This was a great idea that Remus and I had when we saw the ads on TV about teams signing up for the Amazing Race. I’m out of school for the summer and this is going to be a great way to spend it.

Courtney – I’m glad someone else thinks that this is going to be a great way to spend the summer. My folks wanted me to go work at some factory for the summer. This is going to be loads more fun. Besides I’ve got a cutie sitting beside me and he might be able to take me.

Harry – When I first saw Court, I thought, damn, she’s going to be able to kick my butt. But now that I know her it’s more like I’d like for her to kick my butt.

Courtney – {blushes slightly} And such a cute butt.

Team Five is…

Ginny Weasley and Colton Garfield

Ginny is an Assistant Healer at St. Mungo’s Hospital. She’s the youngest of the Weasleys enrolled in this race. Colton is a pediatric physician with St. Jude’s Children’s Hospital. He keeps his patients in stitches with stories about magic.

Ginny – Colton has been great fun to get to know. He even took to St. Jude’s to introduce me some of his younger patients.

Colton – They even asked her if she could do some magic for them.

Ginny – {laughs slightly} I turned someone’s stuff dog into a stuffed dragon. The little girl loved it.

Colton – This is going to be a very interesting race with the witches and wizards trying to do most everything without magic.

Ginny – Mum used to make us scrub things without magic but now that I’m of age I still do without it when I’m at home. It makes stuff more interesting and it annoys my brother Ron.

Team Six is…

Severus Snape and Nita Heyward

Severus is a Potions Master at Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry. He was a spy for the Order of the Phoenix during the war. Nita is a high school chemistry teacher. She once worked in the Pentagon as a research assistant.

Nita – This man is insufferable. He refuses to learn anything about me in order for us to work together on this trip. He’s thinks he’s going to be able to handle this trip without me.

Severus – You think that you can handle this trip without me?

Nita – I know I could.

Severus – If my job didn’t depend on working with you, woman, I would never have signed up.

Nita – {holds up hands} Hold on one second. You mean that if you don’t work with a Muggle then you lose your job?

Severus – {rolls eyes} Of course. Do you honestly think that I would sign up for something like this?

Nita – {shakes head} I should have known. Let me guess. You haven’t had a vacation in like ten years?

Severus – More like seventeen years. Dumbledore thinks that I need a break.

Nita – My boss has done the same thing to me. I really need a vacation before those idiot students of mine blow up my lab one more time.

Severus – {slight smile} You have a bunch of dunderheads too? {Nita nods} At least we have two things in common.

Team Seven is…

Ronald Weasley and Elizabeth Armherst

Ronald is an Auror for the Ministry of Magic. He was Keeper for his Quidditch team at Hogwarts. Elizabeth is a sixth grade teacher. She also volunteers with the youth in her hometown.

Elizabeth – Ron is such a sweetheart. He came into my classroom and caught three of the biggest kids picking on a skinny little boy that was wearing hand me downs. He told them all about his best friend who used to wear hand me downs and how he defeated the darkest wizard in a century. Then he said, “You never know. He could become rich and famous and want to help all his friends.” The bullies stopped picking on him and started to protect him.

Ron – I remember what it was like to wear hand me downs and so does Harry. It’s an uncomfortable feeling when all your friends have new things and you wear an older sibling’s old clothes. I just wanted to save that boy some of the feelings that I had in school.

Elizabeth – I thought it was sweet of him to stand up for a student that he knew nothing about. That’s why I think we’re going to have a lot of fun on this race.

Ron – It’s not like I travel all over the world for the Aurors. It’ll be more fun to see it without any work taking up my time.

Team Eight is…

Draco Malfoy and Ashlee Monday

Draco is the Care of Magical Creatures Professor at Hogwarts School. He is the son of known Death Eater Lucius Malfoy. He never supported Lord Voldemort. Ashlee is a music major at Julliard. She wants to play in band when she graduates.

Draco – My father was highly upset when I told him that I would be racing with a Muggle. It’s a good thing he’s in Azkaban.

Ashlee – Really. My mother kept telling me that there was no such thing as a wizard. When I told her that I would be racing with one she went nuts. It’s a shame our folks don’t support us.

Draco – My father never supported me in anything I did. I just want to prove to the entire world that I can do the right thing.

Ashlee – I just to show Mother that not everyone is the same and to stop treating them like they are.

Team Nine is…

Fred Weasley and Victoria Troupe

Fred is the twin brother of George. Together they own Weasleys’ Wizard Whizzes, which is a joke shop they opened while they were still in school. Currently it is at Diagon Alley and Hogsmeade. Victoria is co-owner of Victoria & Karina’s Treat Shop. She started it while in her last year of high school with her best friend Karina Little. Together they mix and create different types of candy for the world to try.

Fred – When I met Victoria, I thought she was cute so I gave her one of our Canary Creams.

Victoria – I tried it and turned into a canary. When I turned back, I asked him if he wanted to join us in the candy business. We keep getting asked for all kinds of weird candy and we just can’t keep up with the demands.

Fred – I told her that I would have to talk to George. We might decide to expand into the Muggle world.

Victoria – I happen to think that the two of us are going to be the greatest of friends before the end of the race.

Team Ten is…

George Weasley and Karina Little

George is the twin of Fred Weasley. Together they own Weasleys’ Wizard Whizzes, which is a joke shop they opened while they were still in school. Currently it is at Diagon Alley and Hogsmeade. Karina is co-owner of Victoria & Karina’s Treat Shop with Victoria Troupe. Together they mix and create different types of candy for the world to try.

George – Karina was a little wary of anything I gave her to eat after talking to Victoria.

Karina – There was a reason for that. My best friend got turned into a canary. I didn’t want feathers all over my apartment.

George – Fred called me a few minutes after he met Victoria and told me about her offer to sell our jokes in her shop and for us to join them. I thought it was a great idea. I mean how could we go wrong?

Karina – Victoria told me that we were going to be racing with joke shop owners so when she told me that they might be able to help out I said, “Let’s go for it.” Victoria is usually the one that jumps into things headfirst so when I told her that she called me impulsive.

George – {drapes arm over Karina’s shoulders} I can’t wait for the end of the race so we can get started with the new shop.

Team Eleven is…

Hermione Granger and Jarrod DeWitt

Hermione is Professor of Charms at Hogwarts School. She graduated top of her class. Jarrod is an English Literature Professor at Harvard. He is one of the top professors in the school.

Jarrod – When I met Hermione I thought I would like to have at least one of my students with her abilities. She’s smart and beautiful and I can actually have a halfway decent conversation with her.

Hermione – You would think that I never talked to another person before the way I was talking with Jarrod. After spending eleven years with Harry and Ron, I guess I needed someone to talk to that I could carry an intelligent conversation on with.

Jarrod – We’ve got a lot in common. We both enjoy learning and we both can speak several languages.

Hermione – I can’t wait for the race to start.

Team Twelve is…

Bill Weasley and Kaci Lopez

Bill is a curse breaker for Gringotts bank. He worked in Egypt and has now returned to his home in England. Kaci works in the restored World Trade Center. She wasn’t there when the first towers were destroyed.

Bill – Kaci is cool. She didn’t say a word about my hair or my earring. We’re going to be able to work together without getting on each other’s nerves.

Kaci – I wanted to see the world. Now I can see the Muggle world and the Wizarding world. This is going to be so great.

Now that you’ve met the teams, let the race begin. The start of this Race is here at Fort Sumter in the harbor of Charleston, South Carolina. This fort was the location of the first battle of the Civil War.