Broomstick

• Type: Transportation, Sporting Equipment
• Owners: Various witches and wizards. Notable owners of specific models include Harry Potter (Nimbus 2000, Firebolt), Draco Malfoy (Nimbus 2001), and Ron Weasley (Shooting Star, Cleansweep Eleven).
• Maker: Various companies, including the Cleansweep Broom Company, Comet Trading Company, Nimbus Racing Broom Company, Flyte and Barker, and Ellerby and Spudmore.

A broomstick is a wooden handle with a bundle of twigs, known as the tail, bound at one end. The design and materials vary greatly depending on the broom's purpose, age, and quality. Older or cheaper models, like the Shooting Star, are often slow, may lose altitude during long flights, and are prone to giving riders splinters. Standard family brooms are functional but lack the high performance of racing models. Racing brooms, designed for speed and manoeuvrability in sports like Quidditch, are highly advanced and expensive. They are typically sleek, with polished hardwood handles made from materials like ash (Firebolt) or mahogany (Nimbus 2000). The tail twigs are individually selected and aerodynamically perfected. High-end models often have the broom's name and registration number engraved in gold on the handle.

The primary function of a broomstick is to provide flight for a witch or wizard. To mount a broom, a wizard typically commands it to fly into their hand by saying “Up!”. Riders control the broom's direction by leaning and its speed through a combination of will and minor physical adjustments. Broomsticks are enchanted with a variety of complex Charms:

• Flying Charm: The fundamental enchantment that allows the broom to levitate and fly.
• Braking Charm: More advanced brooms, like the Firebolt, possess a flawless, built-in Braking Charm.
• Cushioning Charm: An invisible Cushioning Charm is used for seating comfort on long journeys (Pottermore).
• Anti-Summoning Charms: High-quality brooms are often enchanted to resist the Summoning Charm, Accio, to prevent theft or unauthorized use by opponents in Quidditch. Harry Potter's Firebolt was an exception, allowing him to summon it during the first task of the Triwizard Tournament.

Despite their enchantments, brooms are not indestructible. They can be jinxed, as seen when Professor Quirrell attempted to throw Harry from his Nimbus 2000. They are also susceptible to physical damage, such as being struck by a Bludger or, in the case of Harry's first broom, being destroyed by the Whomping Willow.

The association between witches and broomsticks dates back to at least 962 A.D. (Quidditch Through the Ages). Early brooms were rudimentary and uncomfortable. The development of specialized broom-making companies revolutionized broomstick travel and led to the creation of Quidditch. The Nimbus Racing Broom Company dominated the market in the 20th century, producing the famous Nimbus 1000 and its successors, the Nimbus 2000 and Nimbus 2001. The Firebolt, released in 1993, became the new standard for performance, a state-of-the-art racing broom capable of accelerating from zero to 150 miles per hour in ten seconds. It was eventually succeeded by the Firebolt Supreme (Pottermore).

Broomsticks are a fundamental part of the wizarding world, serving as the most common form of personal transportation and the central piece of equipment for Quidditch.

• Harry Potter's natural talent for flying is discovered during his first lesson with Madam Hooch, which leads to him becoming the youngest House Seeker in a century.
• His first broom, a Nimbus 2000, is a pivotal gift from Professor McGonagall that allows him to excel at Quidditch and brings him immense joy.
• The Nimbus 2000 is destroyed by the Whomping Willow in Harry's third year, a significant loss for him.
• He later receives an anonymous gift of a Firebolt, the fastest broom in the world, which is later revealed to be from his godfather, Sirius Black.
• The Firebolt plays a crucial role in Harry's victory against the Hungarian Horntail in the Triwizard Tournament.
• Brooms are used extensively by the Order of the Phoenix and Death Eaters for transportation and in aerial combat, most notably during the Battle of the Seven Potters, where George Weasley is injured and Mad-Eye Moody is killed while flying.

• The image of a witch flying on a broomstick is one of the most enduring archetypes in Muggle folklore and art, which J.K. Rowling incorporated as a literal truth in her wizarding world.
• In the film adaptations, the broomsticks are often depicted with stirrups or footrests for the actors' feet, a feature not described in the novels. The design of each model was also given a unique visual identity (film).
• The Wizarding World website has expanded on broomstick lore, detailing additional models and the history of broom racing (Pottermore).