From Hogwarts to Sturhaven

Before Ivy could finish writing her return greeting card, Malfoy knocked on the guest room door.

"Ivy! Are you up?" Malfoy's voice sounded excited; it was a mystery where he got all that energy.

"Devlin Whitehorn from the Nimbus Company is coming at noon today!" It turns out it's because of the flying broomsticks. "Apparently, he's also bringing a sample of the latest flying broomstick with him, named Nimbus 2001!"

“I’m going to make Dad buy it for me! I’ve had enough of Scarface Potter and his Weasley cronies!” Malfoy rambled on from outside the door. “You know what they said about me last time? ‘That’s a Nimbus 2000! What did you say you had at home, Malfoy? A Comet 260?’”

Chapter 68 Air Spell

Devlin Whitehorn is a punctual wizard.

Just a quarter past twelve o'clock, the gates of Malfoy Manor were knocked on precisely on time.

The alchemical artifacts on the cast-iron gate faithfully conveyed Devlin Whitehorn's name, and at Lucius's command, the gate opened wide, allowing the guest to enter.

Whitehorn, sporting a neat head of short brown hair and a smile, strode through the passageways of the Malfoy family estate.

"Lucius! It's been a long time! I'm so glad you invited me to the Malfoy family's Christmas party!" Whitehorn's voice reached him before he even reached the door. He laughed and opened his arms, wanting to give Lucius a hug.

However, Lucius remained unmoved until Whitehorn arrived before extending one hand—his right. Perhaps because the fright Ivy had inflicted on him at the start of the Christmas holidays was too great, his left hand now gripped a cane tightly, the top of which was decorated with a sterling silver python, and Lucius seemed unwilling to let go of it.

Whitehorn maintained a good facade, his smile unaffected by Lucius's rudeness, and he effortlessly changed his posture, extending his right hand to shake Lucius's.

“Nice to meet you, Mr. Whitehorn. Come in, let’s talk inside,” Lucius replied in a slow, deliberate tone, shaking his hand slightly before letting go.

“Hello, Mr. Whitehorn,” Malfoy interjected inappropriately, “Are you carrying Nimbus 2001?”

“Of course, child, I…” Whitehorn was interrupted by Lucius before he could finish speaking.

“Draco, didn’t I tell you to wait in the drawing room? Where’s Mr. Doom?” Lucius said, trying to calm his son’s excitement, while apologizing to Whitehorn. “I’m sorry, Mr. Whitehorn. This is my son, Draco. As you can see, he’s always been a big fan of your company’s products.”

"Ivy! Whitehorn's here!" Malfoy rushed into the drawing room, leaving the two adults at the door.

“If you don’t mind… please.” Lucius shook his head and extended a hand to show Whitehorn the way.

“Lucius, you have to believe me. Although the Nimbus 2000 is selling quite well, the Nimbus 2001 is a product with more investment value!” After walking only a few steps, Whitehorn couldn’t help but get to the point.

But Lucius stopped him: "We'll talk about that later. Let's first introduce your company's latest products to my son and his classmates."

Whitehorn looked puzzled, but still followed Lucius into the reception room. He had no idea that his investor was such a doting father to his son.

Whitehorn keenly observed that Lucius, upon entering the drawing room, immediately abandoned his usual arrogant and aloof demeanor and adopted a warm and welcoming attitude.

It seems there are guests Lucius wants to win over in the reception room; I'm just one of his bargaining chips.

The founder of Lightwheel thought of this, but he wasn't angry because at this critical juncture, he was unwilling to risk losing the sponsorship of any investor.

Sitting on the armchair in the living room was a handsome young man. Upon meeting him, Whitehorn had an inappropriate thought: "I should persuade him to become the spokesperson for Nimbus Corporation. He would make Nimbus Corporation continue to be great. Wasn't Lockhart's adventure story popular because of his smiling face?"

Just as he was sizing up Ivy, Ivy was doing the same thing.

His impeccable attire suggests he is wealthy. However, the oil stains on his shirt indicate he was short on time and didn't even have time to check his appearance before leaving. The turned-up collar below his ears and the barely noticeable creases at the hem of his robe further corroborate this.

“It’s a pleasure to meet you, Mr. Whitehorn.” Ivy introduced himself briefly. “I am Ivy Doom.”

“Hello, Mr. Doom.” Whitehorn hesitated for a moment, unsure of what to say to persuade Ivy to become the spokesperson for Nimbus Corporation.

"Let us see this! Mr. Whitehorn! Nimbus 2001!" Malfoy couldn't wait any longer. After the two greeted each other, he immediately urged Whitehorn to bring out the latest model of broom.

“Uh… although it’s still an internal secret, Lucius is my most important partner, after all.” Whitehorn didn’t hesitate much and quickly pulled a beautiful broom from his small bag, which was enchanted with the Unseen Extension Charm.

Nimbus 2001 uses black and silver as its color scheme. The main body is slightly shorter than that of Nimbus 2000, but the branching part at the tail is longer.

"Cool!" The color scheme of Nimbus 2001 immediately caught the eye of Malfoy, a Slytherin. He rubbed his hands together excitedly, looking very eager to try it out.

"This is Nimbus 2001, my latest design. Although some details are not yet finished, this is roughly what it looks like," Whitehorn introduced with considerable pride.

“I see.” Ivy looked enlightened. “This broom must have taken you a lot of time, right? But its performance improvements are minimal. The adjustable pedals and more comfortable grip, apart from the more distinctive color scheme, make the Nimbus 2001 at best an improved version of the Nimbus 2000.”

Whitehorn looked uneasy, his anxious gaze sweeping over Lucius's face, but the latter paid him no heed, still focused on Ivy's every move.

"I can see you're trying really hard to make it fly faster. After all, Nimbus has always been known for the best competition brooms. The Nimbus 2000 was already a groundbreaking product in Quidditch, but you're still in such a hurry to release the Nimbus 2001. It seems someone has put a lot of pressure on you regarding competition brooms." Ivy was, of course, referring to Firebolt. It was already 1992, just over a year since Firebolt's groundbreaking debut.

Therefore, it seems that commercial espionage cannot be prohibited even in the magical world.

"What? How did you know?" Whitehorn was surprised; he hadn't expected this young man to be so well-informed.

“Let’s talk business, Mr. Whitehorn.” Ivy pulled out her wand, pointed at Nimbus 2001 in his hand, and said, “Windbreaker.”

This is an aerodynamic charm created by Ivy, drawing inspiration from the 0th-level spell Wind Dance and the 2nd-level spell Wind Spell, as well as the Bubble Head Charm favored by wizards. It creates an air shield in the direction the broom is moving, altering its aerodynamic shape during flight to reduce air resistance.

Even when riding a bicycle on the ground, you can clearly feel the wind resistance at speeds exceeding 30 kilometers per hour. Wizards' flying brooms are even faster, requiring them to use magic not only to overcome the vibrations generated during flight but also to ensure they don't fall off.

Therefore, Ivy invented this spell. Although it was untested, he believed it would definitely increase the speed of the flying broomstick and also provide some protection against wind and rain, because the aerodynamic shape provided by the Pneumatic Charm was based on the design of a water droplet.

Chapter 69 Business Negotiation

"Wahaha!" Devlin Whitehorn rode the Pneumatic Wheel 2001, which had been imbued with the Pneumatic Charm by Ivy, and flew freely over Malfoy Manor. As a seasoned broom maker, Whitehorn was also very skilled at flying on a broom.

However, with the blessing of the Qi-movement spell, the speed of the Light Wheel 2001 can be described as breaking through the sky, almost doubling that of the Light Wheel 2000.

Although the speed has indeed made a qualitative leap, the broom's maneuverability has been greatly reduced. Even though Nimbus 2001 still uses the same metal brake bands without any corner-cutting, the excessive speed makes it difficult for Whitehorn to change direction in the air, and he almost got caught on the tall Gothic spire of the mansion several times.

Having tested it out himself, Whitehorn lowered his altitude and landed on the lawn of Malfoy Manor.

He looked energetic and neatly dressed, not at all like someone who had been soaring through the air for nearly ten minutes.

"By Merlin! This is amazing!" Whitehorn, who had landed on the ground, kept looking at the Nimbus 2001 in his hand, as if he could see the honor of being the world's fastest racing broom and countless large orders beckoning to him.

"Even at such high speeds, I didn't feel the slightest discomfort. It was as if I wasn't charging into the wind, but rather enjoying a leisurely spring outing!" Whitehorn came forward and excitedly shared his experience with everyone.

Upon seeing Ivy in the crowd, he vigorously wiped his hands, which were sweating profusely from the high-speed flight, on his expensive formal robe, then grabbed Ivy's hand and shook it forcefully.

“Mr. Doom! Name your price! I will buy this spell no matter what.”

"A 20% stake in the Lightcycle Power Broom Company." Ivy's demand was outrageous, leaving Whitehorn speechless and wide-eyed.

“Perhaps Mr. Doom is unaware of the market, but the transfer of 20% of the shares requires a meeting of all shareholders to discuss and vote on it before it can proceed. Even if I were the founder of the Lightwheel Broomstick Company, I couldn’t manipulate such a large-scale transaction with just a few words.” Whitehorn composed himself, attempting to use various persuasive tactics to lower the price. “How about this, 3000 Galleons… no! 5000 Galleons! That’s enough for a wizarding family to live on for a lifetime!”

Ivy gave him a cold glance and forcefully pulled her hand away: "If Mr. Whitehorn isn't sincere, then I can use the Pneumatic Charm to find other flying broom companies. For example, the Ellerby and Badmore companies in the Black Forest. Their founders, the Badmore family, have been making flying brooms for nearly a century, and their creativity and passion as broom makers are well-known. I believe they understand the value of the Pneumatic Charm."

“But Ellerby and Badmore are long gone; they were utterly defeated by the Nimbus 1000!” Whitehorn added urgently.

Whitehorn was referring to events from over 20 years ago, when the wizarding broomstick companies were flourishing, offering both speed-focused brands like the Swift and maneuverability-focused Sweep. The first Nimbus broomstick combined the strengths of both, which allowed it to quickly stand out and become the official broomstick for competitions at the time.

Leveraging the selling point of being "for competition use," the Nimbus series rapidly expanded its production capacity and continuously updated and upgraded until the Nimbus 2000, which completely dominated the flying broom market in the magical world.

However, there are only so many wizards in the world. So what if you dominate the market? If you fail to keep up with the next upgrade of your flying broom, Nimbus will become a forgotten figure in history, just like its defeated predecessors.

“Of course I know that. Even though Ellery and Badmore went bankrupt, the Badmore family is still active in the German wizarding world as broom makers.” Ivy smiled, but there was no joy in her eyes. “Tell me, if I found a member of the Badmore family, used the Pneumatic Charm as a technical investment, and partnered with them to start another broom company. Then…”

The youngest son of the Badmore family was the famous maker of the Firebolt, but because he used fairy silver in his work, the production of the Firebolt never met the requirements.

Although Ivy had never seen the Firebolt or its creator, she was all too familiar with the behavior of fairies.

Fairies have a different concept of property than humans. They unanimously believe that a piece of fairy silverware undoubtedly belongs to its maker. As for the wizards who buy it, the fairies only acknowledge their right to use it and will try to reclaim the fairy silverware after the wizards die.

Therefore, Ivy guessed that the Fire Arrow had probably been around for several years, but because the production of Fairy Silverware had not been high enough to meet the requirements for quickly capturing the market, it was kept secret.

With the Quidditch World Cup in 94 just around the corner, it was the perfect opportunity to build up production over the past few years and then capitalize on the momentum of the winning team to dominate the entire flying broom market.

However, secrets don't stay hidden forever. The Nimbus Company somehow learned of this news, which is why they hurriedly launched the Nimbus 2000 and Nimbus 2001, two flying brooms that would compete with each other in the market.

Unfortunately, the huge difference in performance led to the Lightwheel Corporation's defeat in this technological arms race, ultimately becoming a stepping stone for the Firebolt.

“If Mr. Doom wants to start a flying broomstick company, then we hope you will accept the Malfoy family’s sponsorship,” Lucius interjected at the opportune moment, drawing a glare from Whitehorn. “As for the amount, how about ten thousand Galleons as an initial investment?”

Whitehorn understood, of course, that Lucius was trying to provoke him, but he had to consider the possibility.

"I admit that the Pneumatic Charm is an exceptionally powerful spell, but we have to consider its compatibility with existing Nimbus brooms. I'm sure you can see at a glance that it still has many flaws that need improvement. Aside from the fact that excessive speed affects the broom's maneuverability, it also has some more critical issues. For example, will the Pneumatic Charm affect the players' movements in Quidditch matches? Will the special air shield affect the trajectory of the Quaffle or the Golden Snitch?" Whitehorn, a veteran broom maker with nearly thirty years of experience, succinctly pointed out all the shortcomings of the Pneumatic Charm in just a few words.

He adopted a sincere expression, as if every word he spoke was for Ivy's benefit: "In short, you only need to provide the Pneumatic Charm, but as a seasoned broom maker, we need to consider many things. Perhaps 5% would be a suitable price?"

Chapter 70 Sponsorship

“Five percent?” Ivy scoffed, turning to Lucius, who maintained a dignified aristocratic demeanor, and asked, “Lucius, do you have connections with the Badmore family?”

“Well…” Lucius hesitated for a moment, then shook his head under Whitehorn’s surprised gaze. “The Badmore family used to live in the Lowlands, where they were not well-known until they moved to the Black Forest to make superior brooms. Even after they became famous, they were mainly active in the wizarding world as broom makers. Mr. Elleryby handled all of Elleryby’s business affairs with the Badmore Company, so the Malfoy family had little contact with them.”

A smile appeared on Whitehorn's lips. He knew that as a shareholder of Lightwheel Corporation, Lucius Malfoy was on his side. Perhaps he should give Lucius a gift after the negotiations were over?

No, if Lucius and Nimbus were on the same page, why would he have offered to sponsor 10,000 Galleons to help that kid start his company? Could it be that this guy wants to have his cake and eat it too?

Surely it couldn't be for a marriage alliance? Although this young man named Doom is indeed a prodigy, I've never heard of the Malfoy family having a daughter.

Just as Whitehorn was struggling with Lucius's motives, Lucius changed the subject and said, "However, German wizards usually go to Durmstrang. I have an old friend who is the principal there. Perhaps he can get in touch with the Badmore family."

"Ten percent! Ten percent!" Whitehorn hurriedly and loudly revised his offer before Ivy could nod.

“Twenty percent.” Ivy’s gaze swept over the sweat on Whitehorn’s forehead, and she said firmly and without room for argument, “Without a decisive improvement to Nimbus 2001, you either accept the offer or it will be kicked into the trash heap in a few years.”

“Fifteen percent!” Whitehorn gritted his teeth, looking at Ivy with expectant eyes, but the latter’s face was expressionless, and he didn’t even seem to want to speak.

"What kind of negotiation is this? You won't even lower your offer by a tiny bit!" Whitehorn pulled off his wizard's hat, crumpling it in his hand.

“Twenty percent,” Lucius said, “but the Malfoy family will push for the research funding for the new broom to be in place as soon as possible at the shareholders’ meeting.”

“Oh, Lucius! You’ve been on his side from the very beginning!” Whitehorn complained loudly. “So that’s why you invited me to this Christmas party! You were just setting a trap for me!”

"So, we've reached an agreement?" Ivy gestured with her chin at him.

Whitehorn rolled his eyes, seemingly trying to banish Ivy's handsome face from his sight: "What else? Mr. Doom? You've got me... Alright, where's the patent document for the Pneumatic Charm? But at least Nimbus 2001 will definitely be a groundbreaking product now."