Racing Broom

• Type: Transportation, Broomstick
• Owners: Notable owners of specific models include Harry Potter (Nimbus Two Thousand, Firebolt), Draco Malfoy (Nimbus Two Thousand and One), the Gryffindor Quidditch team, the Slytherin Quidditch team, and various professional Quidditch teams.
• Maker: Various, including the Nimbus Racing Broom Company, Cleansweep Broom Company, Comet Trading Company, and the unidentified creators of the Firebolt.

A racing broom is a specialized class of Broomstick designed for high speed, maneuverability, and performance, primarily for use in the sport of Quidditch. They are distinct from standard or family brooms, which are slower, less responsive, and more utilitarian. Racing brooms are typically crafted from high-quality, polished wood such as ash or ebony, giving them a sleek and aerodynamic appearance. The twigs forming the tail are individually selected and bound to be perfectly streamlined; the Firebolt, for example, uses hand-picked and individually numbered birch twigs. Many models feature the brand name and model number inscribed on the handle in gold lettering. Unlike older, more uncomfortable brooms, racing models are enchanted for comfort and stability, even at extreme speeds.

The primary purpose of a racing broom is to provide its rider with a competitive advantage in Quidditch. Their magical properties are focused on achieving this goal:

• Speed and Acceleration: Racing brooms possess incredible speed that far surpasses that of ordinary brooms. The Firebolt, for instance, could accelerate from zero to one hundred and fifty miles per hour in ten seconds.
• Handling and Precision: They are enchanted for superior balance and pinpoint precision in turning, allowing riders to execute complex maneuvers required in Quidditch, such as the Wronski Feint.
• Braking: Advanced models like the Firebolt are equipped with an Unbreakable Braking Charm, a significant safety and performance feature that allows for sharp, controlled stops.
• Durability: Built to withstand the rigours of Quidditch, including collisions and impacts from Bludgers, they are more resilient than ordinary brooms, though not indestructible. Harry's Nimbus Two Thousand was destroyed after flying into the Whomping Willow.

Beyond Quidditch, these brooms are used for rapid personal Transportation. Harry Potter notably used his Firebolt to evade a Hungarian Horntail dragon during the First Task of the Triwizard Tournament. They were also used by members of the Order of the Phoenix during the Battle of the Seven Potters.

The history of the racing broom is synonymous with the history of Quidditch. Early Broomsticks were crude and uncomfortable. The development of specialized racing brooms began in the early 20th century with the establishment of dedicated broom-making companies, leading to a competitive market focused on constant improvement.

1. 1926: The Cleansweep Broom Company releases the Cleansweep One, the first broomstick produced in large numbers and designed specifically for sporting use.
2. 1929: The Comet Trading Company is founded, releasing the Comet One Forty with a patented Horton-Keitch Braking Charm to compete with Cleansweep.
3. 1967: The Nimbus Racing Broom Company is founded and revolutionizes the industry. Their models, including the Nimbus One Thousand and its successors, became the broom of choice for professional Quidditch teams for many years.
4. 1991: The Nimbus Two Thousand is released and considered the best broom on the market. Harry Potter receives one from Professor McGonagall to play as Seeker for Gryffindor.
5. 1992: The Nimbus Two Thousand and One is released, outperforming its predecessor. Lucius Malfoy purchases a full set for the Slytherin Quidditch team to secure a place for his son.
6. 1993: The Firebolt is released, a state-of-the-art racing broom that surpasses all previous models. It becomes the standard for international teams, used by both the Irish National Quidditch team and the Bulgarian National Quidditch team in the 1994 Quidditch World Cup.

Racing brooms serve as important plot devices and status symbols throughout the series. For Harry Potter, receiving his first racing broom, a Nimbus Two Thousand, marks his true integration into the Wizarding world and provides him with an arena where he can excel and feel a sense of freedom. The brooms often highlight class and economic differences. The Weasley family can only afford older or second-hand brooms, while Draco Malfoy uses his family's wealth to secure his team's advantage with a gift of top-of-the-line Nimbus Two Thousand and Ones. The mystery surrounding Harry's Firebolt in Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban drives a significant part of the plot. Hermione Granger's suspicion that it was sent by the fugitive Sirius Black and potentially cursed causes a rift in her friendship with Harry and Ron Weasley. Finally, racing brooms are crucial tools in major action sequences, including all Quidditch matches, the First Task of the Triwizard Tournament, and the Battle of the Seven Potters, where they are used for high-stakes transportation and evasion.

• Much of the detailed history of racing broom models, such as the Cleansweep and Comet series, is detailed in Quidditch Through the Ages, a supplementary book written by J.K. Rowling for the charity Comic Relief.
• In the film adaptations, racing brooms are given more detailed and sometimes mechanical-looking designs, often featuring foot stirrups and intricate twig arrangements that are not explicitly described in the books (film).