Learning Tricks of the Trade

Watching Randolph work was a marvel to behold, like a trained chef or a master artist, every step of his process was delicate. He spent a long time initially looking at his blueprints for his next project, in a notebook he'd then scribble down some notes and after nearly an hour of just this he finally headed over to a pile of wood, inspected it and picked a piece he was happy with.

He made the piece of wood levitate onto a table in front of him and he used an interesting spell which seemed to mark out guidelines on the wood for where he needed to cut. Lines of soft white light created a sort of template to work from and seeing this template he grabbed a carving knife and started to get to work.

The carving knife was made out of some special material, I could tell this from a glance. As he cut the wood, the knife glided through it like it was butter. Seeing me look intently at the knife with interest he stopped for a moment and smiled whilst showing me the knife closely.

"Goblin-Iron… I have a few 'goblin connections' as my brooms make use of goblin-iron for the 'bonds' and footrest".

Goblin-Iron from what I knew was indeed a really fine material. It was a type of iron that goblins infused with their own magic that produced wondrous effects. These effects were profound and wizardkind were incapable of reproducing the effects the goblins had mastered making goblin-iron work one of a kind.

After giving me a brief explanation on the knife he was using, he instantly went back to work. His gaze focused on the wood as he carved at it slowly. It was honestly an incredible feat to watch as he didn't use magic to aid him in the cutting, the only time he used magic was to rotate the wood in the air to cut at different angles.

During this, my job involved setting aside the wood he was cutting off and passing him carving knives of various sizes as he refined different areas down. Many hours passed and his concentration never wavered. His hands slowly became splintered as he only focused on cutting the wood and his eyes stayed peeled on the guide he had casted, as if he wanted to pluck the broom from the wood he was carving.

Finally after a whole 8 hours, a full working day to most, he had made the first part of the broomstick. He sanded down the entire broom and coated it with multiple oils and such that made it shine. Finally he casted a few charms on it that seemed to overlap on the sticks surface giving it a momentary glow before settling.

Wiping sweat from his brow he sat down and looked at the stick he had carved out in front of him.

"Hmm… the end is a little rough but its not terrible. I won't throw this one out at least…".

An artist really did judge their own art harshly. I looked at the end of the broom he was referring to and it didn't look rough at all to me but his own vision must have not been fully met. Still, he seemed somewhat happy with it. Pointing his wand towards the sheds side he flicked and started to make us drinks with his magic. A few moments later, two cups floated our way.

"Oh… I made you a coffee on reflex Axel... Do you like coffee?"

Looking down at the black coffee, I smiled.

"Yeah, this is fine, thank you".

He gave a small grin as he sipped his drink. "You saw me cast those charms at the end of the process right? In broomstick making, we charm nearly every part of the broom and the more thorough the charms the better the broom. I've created many charms in my time as a broomstick maker and each time they improve slightly with every new broom I forge".

I listened intently as he started to speak more and more.

"The initial stage of broomstick making in my eyes is split into three sections. Carve, Refine, Finish. Some call it Carve, Refine, Charm which also makes sense. The idea is to see the shape you want to carve in a piece of wood, bring that shape out of the wood, refine that shape to be clean and smooth and then charm that shape you've uncovered with flying charms and any other quality of life charms also. The 'handle' is only part of the broom but it's the foundation of it hence it has its own three sub-categories, Carve Refine and Finish, when creating it".

Looking at the wood that was carved into a broomstick's handle. I felt a question surface to my lips.

"Couldn't you fly the broom like this if its already got flying charms on it?".

Randolph smiled a moment and let out a slight chuckle. Gesturing over to the handle he'd created he answered my question.

"As the broom is now, you could technically fly it… the balance would be greatly off though and you most definitely fall off it when airborne. At the end of the broom, we usually add some 'bristles' to counterbalance the weight of a witch or wizard who flies on the broom. We cast weight charms on the bristles that modify based on the weight sensed on the handle of the broom as of course weight differs for each person who flies on the broom".

Randolph sipped his coffee and leant back in his chair. He smiled calmly and closed his eyes divulging some information that took me aback quite a bit.

"The handle and the bristles are two parts and they are usually conjoined in my creations with goblin-iron or as some call the 'bond'. Other makers change the bond material around dependant on their style, I've personally always favoured goblin-iron though for its conductivity of magic. The final step after all of this is making the last adjustments after the bond is in place, usually making a place for feet to rest when in flight is important in this last step".

Pointing at the handle of the broom on the table he had carved he spoke further.

"This is what I call a 'manufacturable broom' that can be mass marketed. Those who have made brooms for years though know that it doesn't just end with the handle, bristles and bond though… it's possible to even add 'cores' to brooms much like a wand. The process for this though is extremely delicate and difficult. If you can embed a core into a broom, you are seen as a pinnacle master of broomstick making. I've only ever succeeded once in doing so and it was by pure luck honestly…".

Hearing the mention of cores within brooms, I couldn't help but ask. "What happens when cores are placed in brooms then? What effects does it bring?".

Randolph's smile only increased as he saw my interest be peaked. He began to explain, "The effects of a core within a broom are usually very enigmatic. Sometimes it's simple like increasing speed or handling but in other cases it can grant the broom special abilities. One ability I had seen a broom gain once was a very strong self-repairing ability. The owner proud of embedding the core successfully flew the broom like a maniac and crashed, not long after the broom started to self-heal and fix itself much to the owner's surprise…".

My eyes narrowed slightly as I heard Randolph mention this mystery owner. "That owner wasn't you by any chance, was it?"

Randolph's face went pure red as I called him out. He hurriedly drank his coffee masking his face and his embarrassment. 

Hearing all this though, my initial thoughts on broomstick making were nearly right on the money. Wand makers and Broomstick makers were like two side of the same coin. They produced different results in the end but the mindsets and practice were similar even down to the cores. The basics came down to the Handle, Bristles and Bond but there was the option of a Core if you were a talented enough broomstick maker. Considering Randolph had only managed it once though, the difficulty was apparent in embedding a core in a broom.

Finishing his drink, Randolph set the coffee cup down on the side. Looking over at me with a smile after recovering from his embarrassment he spoke.

"The next part of the process we need to do is the bristles. Compared to the handle of the broom, the materials used aren't considered too important in the process and different bristles don't generate too different end results really. The only important part here is the weight charms that create a balance. I've seen some brooms in my time made with 4 bristles on the end and they look ridiculous… they looked more like a dead branch rather than a broom stick".

Randolph got up and gathered some bristles in one end of the shed. He casted a few spells on them, making them mouldable in a weird way. It was like turning sticks into strands of hair. Bunching them together he placed them on the table and started to layer more and more on top until he had a desired thickness.

He styled the bristles for a long while, furrowing his brow nearly every other moment until eventually he seemed happy. I watched as he got to his desired end result and he casted a spell that fused the bristles together, bonding them into one entity. Casting a few charms on the bristles he placed them next to the handle he had made. 

Outside the sky was starting to darken already, he had spent the longest time carving the handle but the bristles took another couple of hours on top of that.

"Now Axel, watch closely for the true 'finish' here. The final step is to carefully fuse everything together, using the goblin-iron to create a bond between bristles and handle…"

The pile of goblin-iron in the corner of the shed levitated into the air as the last part of the process begun. Randolph picked out a bond that he liked and a couple other pieces of goblin-iron that would work as the footrest. His focus strengthened as he kept all his attention on finalising the broom.

The moon started to rise and the soft wind whistled. As the moonlight trickled slightly into the shed, Randolph had finished the broom. It floated on the table in front of him and seemed almost sentient. Grabbing it, Randolph held it for a moment and then clicked his tongue.

"Somethings still not right… did I mess up one of the charms?"

I couldn't even guess at what he spotted the 'defect' was by holding the broom. To me the broom looked incredible and clean. Watching the broom making process from beginning to end really opened my eyes to the world of broomstick makers.

Randolph sighed as he casted a spell, sending the broomstick outside and resting it on the fence next to the rest of the broomsticks he had made. Whilst he did this I peaked over his blueprints on the side in the shed. The designs were all distinct and each one bared a resemblance to a specific broom I read about before…

As I stared a bit longer at the different blueprints It finally clicked in my head. That's right… Randolph Spudmore was the creator of the firebolt. He was said to finish its creation in 1993. What he was trying to perfect was the firebolt this entire time. I knew how the firebolt ended up being made, at least what materials it was made of, but I decided against giving him any hints. Even if I did, after watching the process of making a broomstick I don't think just knowing what materials to use would really help achieve the end result he wanted.

We both headed back into the house after what felt like a long day. Randolph spoke the entire time, mentioning the history behind broomstick creation and the different methods broomstick makers had used over the years. Passion accompanied each word he spoke; it was clear he truly loved his work.

As he talked more and more, I felt the urge eventually to ask him.

"Randolph… Ellerby and Spudmore's brooms are a manufacturing company of brooms from what I've heard… Since that's the case, why are you alone out here making these brooms? Don't tell me its just you holding up the entire company?".

Randolph grew quiet for a moment, as if contemplating his next words. After some time, he started to speak in a solemn tone.

"There are more branches of our company of course… they are based all over Europe. This place, this simple and modest home and shed was where the company was first started though. My father and his business partner started from here when they first decided to make a broomstick company and managed to grow the buisness to what it was today from here alone. I've visited those other branches but they feel so… I guess 'modern' and 'stifling'".

Leaning back in his chair within the living room of the house, he looked up at the ceiling he continued to speak.

"Honestly, I like things simple. I survive fine out here and I work at my own desired pace. If I worked in one of those 'factories' I would be scrutinised constantly and my workflow would take a heavy hit and my overall freedom would also be restricted... Living here and managing this 'branch' means that I have the freedom to make what I want and really test the limits of my broomstick making prowess…".

Listening to Randolph talk, I could see my fathers face mirror his for a moment. He was truly… very similar to my father. 

"That's not to say I don't speak with others in the company, after all I am the owner of the company so I do need to give input and speak to my employees".

Hearing the final statement from Randolph solidified one point. His father had passed and he had taken up the mantle. I wasn't entirely certain without confirming but maybe his desire to create the firebolt was stemmed from a need to prove himself as the owner of the company now. I felt my tongue slip as I thought of a random question that surfaced in my mind.

"Did uh… Ellerby not have a child?"

Randolph shook his head. "No, I took place as the sole owner in the end. Ellerby was more obsessed with brooms than even my father and died a solitary man. Both were truly masters of their craft and brought forth a golden age of broomstick making…".

The tone in Randolph's voice became emotional as he spoke further.

"The Tinderblast of the 1940's… The Swiftstick of the early 50's… They left behind a legacy that shaped the broomstick making world. It's a tall order to live up to…".

As he noticed the emotion in his voice, he pulled himself back to reality. He looked at me with a smile.

"Sorry, I didn't mean to get all deep with you. I'm going to head off to bed now, feel free to go bed whenever, just don't stay up too late as you will be helping me again tomorrow".

I watched as Randolph headed upstairs to his room, leaving me alone in the living room. Hearing Randolph explain in such detail about his broomstick companies' current climate really highlighted the trust he had in me. Showing vulnerability to someone much younger than himself must have felt weird but I hoped it let him feel more at ease going forward. 

Bottling up emotions, remaining in extreme solitude, would always end in a bad way and disrupt progression. I myself was victim to this after my 2 years in the Black Forest. Only when I found this place and Randolph housed me did I start to open up slightly and when I did my mind felt more at ease.

In a way, Randolph may have needed me as much as I needed him when I first came here. He claimed he liked the simple life out here but no man can live in pure loneliness for that long. I knew that first hand…

I eventually picked myself up from the chair I sat in and headed out the front door of the house. Standing in the clearing just in front, I looked up at the moon that was steadily rising in the sky.

With my body now decently healed and my mind clear, I wanted to tackle my first obstacle in this long period of building strength.

Refining the control of my obscurus.