Daphne actually intended to follow Rhys' suggestion and give it a try.
She figured that since this broomstick was supposedly the best in terms of performance, it must also be incredibly comfortable to ride. So why not give it a shot? It could be a chance to unlock a new skill.
The Greengrass Manor was vast, offering plenty of space for practice. She changed into more comfortable clothes for movement, put on her shoes, and carried the broomstick outside.
Rhys and Astoria, having heard the commotion, followed behind her.
"Oh Merlin! This broomstick is gorgeous!" The moment Astoria laid eyes on it, she was captivated by its design.
The entire broom had a sleek, elegant shape. The long, straight white ash handle gleamed under the light, polished to perfection. The twigs at the tail end were carefully selected and arranged, looking impossibly smooth rather than messy.
Hearing both her sister and Rhys praise the broomstick's appearance, Daphne couldn't help but feel pleased as well.
"Can I hold it for a moment?" Astoria asked.
"Of course."
As Astoria took the broomstick, Daphne noticed a silver bracelet around her wrist.
"Huh? This is..."
"It's the Christmas gift Rhys gave me!" Astoria happily told her sister, excited that she now had a treasure just like Daphne's.
Daphne blinked in surprise—so this thing wasn't one of a kind?
She had always assumed that her necklace was a unique artifact of its level.
She never expected Rhys to produce another magical item with identical functions.
Had he made it himself?
Yet another mystery about Rhys had surfaced.
While Astoria was playing with Daphne's broomstick, Rhys casually took it as well, helping her inspect its condition.
Although he wasn't particularly knowledgeable about broomsticks, he knew magic well. The moment he got his hands on it, he realized that this broom was anything but ordinary. It was enchanted with complex spells—not only did it have an excellent braking charm, but it was also incredibly stable.
If Harry had been riding a broom like this last year, it was questionable whether Quirrell would have been able to interfere with it at all.
Rhys also noticed a line of gold-embossed lettering on the lower part of the broom handle. He turned it over and saw the words "Firebolt" inscribed on it.
"A strange name... I've never heard of it before."
He knew of several broomstick manufacturers in the wizarding world, with "Nimbus" and "Cleansweep" being the most famous. But "Firebolt" was completely unfamiliar to him.
That made sense, though. The Firebolt was a product of the "Ellerby & Spudmore Broom Company," which had previously only produced two models—the Swiftstick and the Tinderblast—neither of which had gained much recognition compared to the Nimbus and Cleansweep series. It was only after they created the Firebolt that they became famous worldwide.
After handing the broom back to Daphne, she excitedly ran out to the garden outside the manor, eager to try flying.
"Rhys, I suggest you be ready. I have a feeling my sister is either going to fall off or crash into a tree or the house," Astoria whispered as she stood beside him.
"..."
Rhys pressed his lips together. Though he didn't say it out loud, he had to admit he agreed with her.
Suddenly, a thought occurred to him. He turned to the girl and asked, "How good are you at riding a broom?"
Astoria's face instantly flushed red.
Seeing her expression, Rhys understood everything immediately and burst out laughing.
Astoria's ears turned red as well.
"It's fine," Rhys said confidently, trying to comfort her. "True Slytherins don't know how to ride brooms anyway."
Then he added with a smirk, "Have you ever looked at the people on our Quidditch team? None of them have real Slytherin spirit—they're just a bunch of disgraceful sellouts ruining our house's reputation."
Now that she thought about it, that actually made sense! If you took out some prefects, not everyone was smart enough to—Ah, the team's captain was a troll, and the seeker was a git.
Astoria nodded thoughtfully, and the redness on her ears faded a little.
Rhys' words might have been completely absurd, but she had to admit—they were oddly reassuring.
"What exactly is the Slytherin spirit?"
This question momentarily stumped Rhys, as he couldn't come up with a concise answer right away.
After thinking for a moment, inspiration struck, and he came up with a brilliant response.
"Just take Draco Malfoy and reverse everything about him—that should be the spirit of Slytherin." Rhys couldn't immediately summarize the qualities he wanted in a student, but he could easily define what he didn't want.
"Oh!" Astoria's face lit up with a look of sudden realization. She, too, thought that git—ehm—Malfoy was rather unimpressive.
"Then what about my sister and me…?"
"You and your sister both embody the true spirit of Slytherin. You're good kids."
While the two were chatting, Daphne had already mounted her broom.
"Here I go! Wooo... oh... shiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiit.." She kicked off the ground, shooting up like an arrow leaving the bowstring.
A second later, a piercing scream echoed across the Greengrass manor.
"Help! Help! HEEEEEEEEELP—"
Astoria covered her eyes—she couldn't bear to watch! What was her sister even doing? Even if true Slytherins weren't great at flying, this was just ridiculous.
Rhys had already drawn his wand, aiming it at Daphne as she sped through the sky.
The intense acceleration and roaring wind made it impossible for Daphne to keep her eyes open. Within seconds of being airborne, she made a decision—she was jumping off!
She was certain Rhys would catch her.
With that thought, Daphne didn't hesitate. She flipped off the broom and let go.
Sure enough, Rhys didn't disappoint. As soon as she left the broom, she didn't experience the terrifying sensation of plummeting to the ground. Instead, she floated gently in midair. Without the broom's interference, she was now in her element. She released her magic, controlling her descent as she slowly drifted toward the ground.
"Arresto Momentum!" After casting a cushioning charm on Daphne, Rhys promptly enchanted the abandoned Firebolt, pulling it back down safely.
"Looks like… this really isn't for me…" Daphne, now back on solid ground, gradually calmed down. But as she recalled what had just happened, she couldn't help the warmth creeping up her face in embarrassment.
"Big sister, what were you even doing…" Astoria couldn't help but complain.
"The acceleration on that broom is way too fast! I just wanted it to hover, but it took off with me instead," Daphne defended herself, her face flushed. "My mind went completely blank—I didn't have time to react!"
Rhys let out a sigh from the side.
"We should modify this broom a little." He held the broom he had just retrieved from the sky and placed some restrictions on its performance.
While broomstick manufacturers worked tirelessly to make their brooms accelerate faster and reach higher top speeds, Rhys did the exact opposite. He significantly extended the broom's acceleration time and locked its maximum speed, effectively making it not much faster than a bicycle.
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