Magical Transportation
written by Hermione Potter
This book will cover the very intricate and unique ways that muggles and magical people use to get from point A to point B! This book will cover things like the Knight Bus, Hogwarts Express, Brooms, Portkeys and much more! I hope that you will find this book to be a brilliant asset for you!
Last Updated
05/31/21
Chapters
9
Reads
2,270
Broomsticks
Chapter 2
Chapter Two
Broomsticks
History of Broomsticks
The broom is one of the easiest and cheapest ways for wizards to get around. Wizards have used brooms for centuries. The first recorded use was in 962 in a German manuscript. In 963, the same German manuscript shows that multiple wizards were now using brooms as their main form of flight. The manuscript shows 3 German wizards taking off with a look of discomfort on their faces. This is because the very first brooms were very uncomfortable. In fact in 1107, a Scottish wizard by the name of Guthrie Lochrin wrote about "splinter filled buttocks and bulging piles" after a quick ride on his broomstick. Brooms would only go at one speed and they could only go up and down. By the 12th Century, people were starting to make brooms for the purpose of selling them.
In 1829, the Cushioning Charm was invented by Elliot Smethwyck which increased the production of brooms. They were still made by individual wizards but more people were using them because they were more comfortable.
In 1926 the first racing broom was made and that was when flying with a broomstick became more mainstream. The Cleansweep Broom Company, founded by Bob, Bill & Barnaby Ollerton, came out with the Cleansweep One and instantly sold thousands. A couple of years later in 1929, The Comet Trading Company was founded by Randolph Keitch and Basil Horton and they created the Comet 140. The Comet 140 was the first broomstick to use a Braking Charm. These two companies owned the broomstick industry until the Nimbus Racing Broom Company came to be in 1967. A lot of you have probably heard of the Nimbus collection. They've been favorites for Quidditch teams until the Firebolt came out.
Ministry- Department of Magical Transportation
In the Department of Magical Transportation, there is an office specifically for brooms. Their office is called the Broom Regulatory Control. It is their job to make sure that each new broom that comes out is safe for people to use. If it is not safe or will cause damage, they will confiscate the broom and put a stop to the production.
There is also a division that is responsible for tampered brooms. Some people think that it is a good prank to tamper with brooms and put curses on them for the sole purpose of scaring or even hurting others. This is not a funny prank as it can cause serious injury and even death. The Broom Regulatory Control office is tasked with finding these brooms and the people who put the curses on the brooms.
Reasons to Travel by Broomstick & People Who Travel with Brooms
One of the biggest reasons people use brooms is the accessibility. You can find brooms everywhere you go and you can get most of them for a good price. A lot of people enjoy flying and that’s another reason people travel with broomsticks.
Brooms vs. Floo Network
Some people prefer brooms over the floo network because they do not like floo powder. We will learn that floo powder takes you through every fireplace that is connected to the Floo Network. If you keep your eyes open, this can make you very dizzy and riding on a broomstick will avoid that feeling. Traveling with a broom is also a cleaner way to travel.
Not all places you need to get to have a fireplace that is connected to the Floo Network, this is another advantage of flying. You choose your destination and exactly where you will end up instead of some random fireplace.
Brooms vs. Apparating
If you do not know already, apparating is a way wizards travel that will take them from one spot to another instantly. This may sound appealing but it can be very dangerous. Every time you apparate, you have a chance to splinch yourself which can be very dangerous and even life-threatening. If you do not know what splinching is, you will learn when we start to learn to apparate.
People who use Brooms
Families who have all school age children use brooms the most. Their kids are too young to apparate and by flying they are able to stay together as a family. It is also fairly cheap to get a broom as long as you do not get a racing broom.
Anyone who doesn’t like apparating will generally own some type of broom. They may use floo powder as their main form of travel but, like I said earlier, not all destinations are connected to the Floo Network and these people will need some other way to get to those places. That is why most people will own a broom.
Flying on a broom
Walk up to the left side of a broom. Okay, put your right hand over your broom and say 'Up.'
Now mount your broom. It is important that you have a firm grip on your broom handle, but not too firm. You want to be on it properly but you also need some freedom for you to direct your broom. If you hold on too loosely, you will not be securely on your broom and you have a higher chance of falling off. If you hold on too tight, you will be secure on your broom, but you will not be able to steer while you are in the air. This is why you need to find a happy medium between the two.
Now try kicking off the ground, hover for a moment, then lean forward slightly, and touch back down. Great! So!
To go up on your broom, tilt your broom up.
To go down, lean forward slightly and tilt the broom down.
To go left, lean to the left.
To go right, lean to the right.
Sometimes leaning forward can help you go faster.
Broomsticks
History of Broomsticks
The broom is one of the easiest and cheapest ways for wizards to get around. Wizards have used brooms for centuries. The first recorded use was in 962 in a German manuscript. In 963, the same German manuscript shows that multiple wizards were now using brooms as their main form of flight. The manuscript shows 3 German wizards taking off with a look of discomfort on their faces. This is because the very first brooms were very uncomfortable. In fact in 1107, a Scottish wizard by the name of Guthrie Lochrin wrote about "splinter filled buttocks and bulging piles" after a quick ride on his broomstick. Brooms would only go at one speed and they could only go up and down. By the 12th Century, people were starting to make brooms for the purpose of selling them.
In 1829, the Cushioning Charm was invented by Elliot Smethwyck which increased the production of brooms. They were still made by individual wizards but more people were using them because they were more comfortable.
In 1926 the first racing broom was made and that was when flying with a broomstick became more mainstream. The Cleansweep Broom Company, founded by Bob, Bill & Barnaby Ollerton, came out with the Cleansweep One and instantly sold thousands. A couple of years later in 1929, The Comet Trading Company was founded by Randolph Keitch and Basil Horton and they created the Comet 140. The Comet 140 was the first broomstick to use a Braking Charm. These two companies owned the broomstick industry until the Nimbus Racing Broom Company came to be in 1967. A lot of you have probably heard of the Nimbus collection. They've been favorites for Quidditch teams until the Firebolt came out.
Ministry- Department of Magical Transportation
In the Department of Magical Transportation, there is an office specifically for brooms. Their office is called the Broom Regulatory Control. It is their job to make sure that each new broom that comes out is safe for people to use. If it is not safe or will cause damage, they will confiscate the broom and put a stop to the production.
There is also a division that is responsible for tampered brooms. Some people think that it is a good prank to tamper with brooms and put curses on them for the sole purpose of scaring or even hurting others. This is not a funny prank as it can cause serious injury and even death. The Broom Regulatory Control office is tasked with finding these brooms and the people who put the curses on the brooms.
Reasons to Travel by Broomstick & People Who Travel with Brooms
One of the biggest reasons people use brooms is the accessibility. You can find brooms everywhere you go and you can get most of them for a good price. A lot of people enjoy flying and that’s another reason people travel with broomsticks.
Brooms vs. Floo Network
Some people prefer brooms over the floo network because they do not like floo powder. We will learn that floo powder takes you through every fireplace that is connected to the Floo Network. If you keep your eyes open, this can make you very dizzy and riding on a broomstick will avoid that feeling. Traveling with a broom is also a cleaner way to travel.
Not all places you need to get to have a fireplace that is connected to the Floo Network, this is another advantage of flying. You choose your destination and exactly where you will end up instead of some random fireplace.
Brooms vs. Apparating
If you do not know already, apparating is a way wizards travel that will take them from one spot to another instantly. This may sound appealing but it can be very dangerous. Every time you apparate, you have a chance to splinch yourself which can be very dangerous and even life-threatening. If you do not know what splinching is, you will learn when we start to learn to apparate.
People who use Brooms
Families who have all school age children use brooms the most. Their kids are too young to apparate and by flying they are able to stay together as a family. It is also fairly cheap to get a broom as long as you do not get a racing broom.
Anyone who doesn’t like apparating will generally own some type of broom. They may use floo powder as their main form of travel but, like I said earlier, not all destinations are connected to the Floo Network and these people will need some other way to get to those places. That is why most people will own a broom.
Flying on a broom
Walk up to the left side of a broom. Okay, put your right hand over your broom and say 'Up.'
Now mount your broom. It is important that you have a firm grip on your broom handle, but not too firm. You want to be on it properly but you also need some freedom for you to direct your broom. If you hold on too loosely, you will not be securely on your broom and you have a higher chance of falling off. If you hold on too tight, you will be secure on your broom, but you will not be able to steer while you are in the air. This is why you need to find a happy medium between the two.
Now try kicking off the ground, hover for a moment, then lean forward slightly, and touch back down. Great! So!
To go up on your broom, tilt your broom up.
To go down, lean forward slightly and tilt the broom down.
To go left, lean to the left.
To go right, lean to the right.
Sometimes leaning forward can help you go faster.
