Flying Manual

Chapter One

For many centuries, humans have tried to fly just like the birds. Wings made of feathers or light weight wood have been attached to arms to test their ability to fly. The results were often disastrous as the muscles of the human arms are not like a birds and can not move with the strength of a bird. Many magical attempts are recorded as total disasters when trying to imitate birds.

Successful flight can be traced back to around 400 BC in China. The discovery of the kite that could fly in the air by the Chinese started humans thinking about flying. Kites were used by the Chinese in religious ceremonies. They built many colorful kites for fun, also. More sophisticated kites were used to test weather conditions. Kites have been important to the invention of flight as they were the forerunner to balloons and gliders for Muggles, but they also inspired wizards and witches. When the Chinese Muggles began putting scouts in kites to check out the enemy, wizarding kind was already hard at work on other methods.

The thrill of flying though was far more interesting then other advanced methods and long after floo powder and appiration were discovered, wizards would still yearn to roam the skies freely. Neither gave the grace and freedom that the birds had and thus birds would continue to inspire the wizarding world for many hundreds of years as they sought to cut the ties to the earth.

Chapter 3: Methods

One of the first flying methods developed by wizarding kind is a simple, but effective, hovering charm. While it did not provide movement of any kind, being able to hang in the air out of harms way became an increasingly popular spell. It was not without hazards though as it did not last long and the word was complex to say correctly so frequently it was used in conjunction with an item or object.

Here are some of the more interesting variants used:

stones - Both the Egyptians and the Celtics used variations on the hover charm to push stones into places for large scale construction. The difference is that while the Egyptians pulled them with ropes, the Celtics sat on them and used wind charms to push them where they wanted to go. A significant difference when looking at the future of flight.

disks - The Chinese developed a curious twist on hover charms. They made disks that you could sit in the air and they were as solid as ground. What this meant was that you could climb and carry heavy items to rooftops, cliff edges, and other places. These items were used by many to get to places away from the Muggles and hide magic supplies as well.

butterchurns - As silly as it seems to us, the earlier Europeans used things around their house for flying and before broomsticks, there were butterchurns which at least had a seat to them to sit on, unlike brooms. In Scandinavia and other far north countries they tended to be more common then broomsticks and several famous witches were known for them.

capes and rings - Included in this list to be compatible, no proof of these inventions has ever been found. Supposedly one could simply put on the item and then fly (by some sort of command word apparently) but since none have ever been found (or if they have, no command words survived).

shoes - In several Arabic lands in the early 1200s pairs of shoes were found to be enchanted with a variant of the Chinese disks idea, except it was like skating on air. One pair has survived in private hands for proof, although they have grown to fragile to use recently. There is no known method to make another set.

Chapter 5: Crafting

Broom making is an old craft going back hundreds of years, often passed down from father to son for several generations at a time. Along the way many discoveries have been made and lost, but the craftsmanship of a broom made just for you is still a special thing. Many modern wizards and witches still prefer to buy their brooms from large scale dealers, but all should still know how a broom is made to let them appreciate the difficulties in the work itself.

Racing brooms are a highly specialized field and should not be attempted by an individual maker.

Here are some pointers to be sure and keep in mind.

materials - Fresh materials as with anything work best and a broom made right off the proper tree retains a certain feeling of the tree. Broom makers suggest that this is important to the final making. Most often used is "broomstraw" growing in fallow fields and open woodlands, but grain straw like wheat, oat, or others, or even split cornstalks will do. All change both the working and the maneuverability of the broom later on. Clean your straw, shaking out loose stems, leaves, and other debris.

Cut a straight limb with smooth bark(see enchanting below), and few knots or smaller limbs for your broom handle. Sand the broom well with fine sandpaper. Stain with dark wood stain and then varnish and allow to dry according to the varnish manufacturer's instructions. You may want to sand down the dried varnish with an ultra-fine sandpaper and add a second and third layer of varnish to give an extra gleam and polish.

design - Before starting any project, figure out how you will do it, what materials you want to use, and how the final look is to be accomplished. Being flexible until you find the materials is fine, but careful planning works best.

area - All craftsmen agree that no broom can be made or enchanted in the city or near human habitation. The wilder the better when it comes to keeping off the chaotic nature of energy. Wild, untamed magic is key to the making of a good broom.

mind set - A few specialty makers require getting in the right mind set to do the enchanting. For each it is different, but suffice it to say you don't want to be interrupted, disturbed, or engaged in any other activity during the process. Ignore any who tell you to wrap yourself naked in the skin of a freshly killed beaver and spend three days in a waterfall, etc. If it makes you feel better, go ahead, but it's not necessary.

building - Buy or find some twine to tie off the broomstraw, shaping your finished broom. Small gauge wire will work, too, but care should be taken when using it, and you will need pliers to cut and tighten it. Gather it into bundles about 1 to 1 1/2 inches (2.5 to 3.8 cm) thick, wrapping each bundle tightly, and trimming the ends straight. Tie individual bundles of straw tightly. This will help keep the finished broom neat. Tie bundles together. Using twine or wire, tie the bundles together, one at a time, and side by side. Keep them as flat as possible. By wrapping your wire or twine back and forth from opposite sides around each bundle, they will lay closer together and flatter.

Sharpen the end of your "handle" stick so that it can be pushed up into the end of your bundles at the center. Push it about 6 inches (15 cm) deep between the center bundles, then tie it off securely with more twine. Using sharp, heavy duty scissors, or even tin snips, cut the ends of your straw straight across if they are not even. Professional broom makers will go so far as to place each individual bristle of straw to get the best fittings.

enchanting - This depends entirely on the individual the broom is being made for. Often craftsmen will tell you that the best brooms are those who fit the user so often picking the woods based on your birthday makes a difference, but now a days it has been proven to be a small difference and most ignore this old advice.

The limb should however be picked at significant times. Any of the four solstices, midnight, full moon or direct noon are all magical times. The time picked will say much about the brooms influences. Once picked and the bark stripped, most agree that leaving it in the light of the moon or sun (depending again on the time picked) will add quite a bit of power to the broom. Most broom makers from older families have special charms and protective spells they lay at this time, but the only way to learn these is to bean apprentice.