A little about me: I'm 24, am a GPS tech/Field engineer. I started working on my story right around the time GoF came out, but gave up on it, and instead gave several of my better ideas to authors I was friends with.

Things I hate that too many authors do:

Harry crying over Sirius. He's talked to the man maybe 5 hours total since end of year 3. He knows the mailman at the Dursleys' better then he knows Sirius. STOP MAKING HARRY A DEPRESSED LOSER OVER A GUY HE HARDLY KNOWS!

Cliched Independent Harry stories where he becomes Super!Harry, a multi/phoenix animagus, suddenly realizes hes madly in love with Hermione/Ginny

Azkaban stories where he suddenly gets tossed in overnight for no reason, somehow becomes Lord of Azkaban b/c his moms really a pureblood who's had 1,000 years of squibs, winds up stronger then Dumbledore, and yet still somehow has to go to school and proceeds to act like a total wuss. Its so overused, and usually poorly written.

The two ones that showed promise went to crap quickly, one from poor update quality and really stupid choices for Harry to be strong as hell and yet everyone treats him like a bitch and he's a crybaby. The other because from some reason for all his power Harry acts like a little puss and is forced into going back to school, when earlier in the story he is blackmailing ppl left and right and is powerful. If you can't write a fic without using Hogwarts (in Azkaban/Evil/SUPER/ Harry fics) as FILLER to create meaningless Harry/Draco fights and filling paragraphs about how Harry really, really, REALLY hate Snape b/c he treats him like crap, DON'T WRITE THE FIC!

Sorry if this makes some mad, but I've seen so many of the stories lately just be carbon copies of each other, while GOOD stories get buried, or don't get reviewed at all. Yet some idiot who writes Harry/Ginny/heir of Voldemort/phoenix animag/Sirius returns/Harry's rich fic #2178628 will get hundreds of reviews all jumping on their jock.

Now onto the story:

I'm writing this story as an Answer to my own challenge placed at Darklordpotter.net in the Fanfic Challenges sub-forum.

I'd made this challenge awhile ago, and seeing noone had actively began writing one, and the high feedback I'd recieved on this idea, I figured I may as well do it myself.

Midknight's Azkaban Challenge

Summary

Harry becomes a man of his own, walking his own path. Most of these stories that are vaguely based on this premise are popular, but a none of them have yet done it to perfection! I have some rules

My rules are geared towards making a story that sets Harry up on
his own, without the unbeliebable power spikes from a slightly strong
wizard to a God similar stories have. It also has odd 'ships that are
made believable by one of the rules =)

Rules:

A)-Harry is tossed in Prison for killing one of the Lestrange's,
pref. Bellatrix's husband, in self-defense. At the trial he confesses
to using "Crucio" and the death. He admits he would kill again, and
that he has to (Prophecy) it may be revealed at the trial that he is
the only one able to kill Voldie. Voldemort will issue a standing order
not to harm Harry no matter what, so he may have his "immortality".

B)-Harry 'ships w/ Bella and Tonks or Bella/OC. Voldie sends Bella
to break him out of prison after a year to try to recruit him. Bella is
freed from the Mark to be able to get in and out of the prison (new
security measures) Bella takes the chance to run off with Harry, and
falls in love with him.

C)-Total betrayal from all but Lupin, Kingsley, Moody, and the Weasley
twins. The rest betray b/c they feel murder is wrong no matter what.

D)Time manipulation, must age him 10-20 years, in the space of 1-2 years.
No use of time turner allowed, uses something found in the Chamber of
Secrets. Spends time training up, and using rituals to become stronger.
Still looks human. Ends slightly stronger then Tom. Bella takes control
of his finances while he trains. Harry returns from training as Lord
Potter/Black/Slytherin

E)-Harry's the true Slytherin heir, Tom taught himself Parsel
through a forgotten ritual, or from being a snake animagus. Purebloods
not already aligned with Voldie flock to Harry when he makes himself
known as the heir. Even more ppl betray him, thinking it really was him
in 2nd year petrifying ppl.

F)-Must not work with the Ministry or Dumbledore. Manipulation of
Voldemort to make himself strong is allowed. No outright hostility
towards Voldemort to start off with, only if Harry is provoked. He will
work to outright destroy the Ministry.

G)"Grey" Harry, uses any and all magic, but to believable power, no
Super/God Harry. May use strong forgotten magic, but make it within
reason!

H)-Must kill Fudge and Umbridge in the most creative way possible.

Discussion for this fanfic may be found at http://darklordpotter.net/forums/viewtopic.php?t=233

A NEW challenge has been posted by me on the msg boards, under the fanfiction challenges. It basically challenges you to write, or submit a story that is unique in as many was as possible, instead of being a cookie cutter POS that we are flooded with lately.