Chapter Text
The polished oak trembled under his fingertips, and he loosened his grip. The wind rushed around him, a vacuum left in his wake as he pushed the shuddering wood to its very limits. The broomstick smoothed out as he allowed it space to move.
Broomsticks were like animals. The tighter you leashed them, the harder they fought back.
Harry Potter knew that to get the most out of a broom, you had to work with it, not against. Just as the rattling subsided, and his flight became smooth, Harry tightened his fingers around the broom’s neck and pushed. He felt the wind pummel against his skin as the broom accelerated further, reaching even higher speeds.
Broomsticks were also like people. They weren’t always aware just what they were capable of.
Harry Potter knew exactly how to find that hidden potential. It was his job, after all.
“We have a meeting in fifteen,” warned a voice in his ear. “Hit the ground, Harry. I don’t want you meeting Zabini with leaves in your hair.”
“Live a little, Lisa,” Harry laughed, and in the control booth, Lisa Turpin was certain he wore his infuriating devil-may-care grin. His right hand slid up the grip of the broom as he attempted to avoid swallowing a bug. “She wants to go faster, I can tell.”
Harry leant forward, his left hand sliding down as he tucked his arm into his side. The wind whipped faster at his face, but he only pushed the broom that much harder.
“New record, Harry.” He could almost hear Lisa’s impatient tapping against her control panel. He grinned wider. Harry leaned lower, his belly pressed against the carved oak.
There was some science, Harry knew, to describe why he was gaining speed. And Harry knew that science, too. But once he was in the air, all that went out the window. Instinct took over.
And his instinct was telling him that he wanted to go faster.
Beneath his palm, he could feel the broomstick begin to rattle again. He ignored it, tightening his grip as he exerted his will onto the magical object.
“Come on, come on,” he mumbled through gritted teeth. Even with his goggles, Harry could barely keep his eyes open as the gale battered his face like one of his cousin Dudley’s haymakers.
The broom’s vibrating intensified, but Harry could feel that he was so close. Harry blew out a careful breath before giving his broom one last push.
BOOM.
Harry felt an unimaginable force attempt to rip him off his broom. If it weren’t for the protective charms on his body and broom, it would have been successful. The broom shook under his fingers with intensity oddly reminiscent of his first-ever Quidditch game.
The moment of acceleration passed, and Harry stilled. The moment stretched, frozen in the face of the infinite possibility before him. The flight smoothed out for only a half-second as each charm was pulled, stretched to its limits, and finally, torn to shreds.
The broom stuttered, and Harry’s confidence faltered. A blue wave pulsed a few inches between him and the wall as the protective wards activated. Cushioning charms and momentum stealers activated en masse as the enchantments absorbed the impact.
Harry was frozen in the air for a minute, as he felt the overwhelming sensation of being surrounded by a pillow. Then, the spell released him, and he dropped to the ground with a loud thud.
He groaned long and low, staring up at the blue sky with the largest grin on his face.
Mach-1.
“I love magic,” he mumbled to himself as he heard the medical staff rush to him. He sat up, wincing at the throbbing pain in his side where he’d collided with the wall. He waved off the medics as he stood, cradling his right arm.
“I said to hit the ground, not the wall,” Lisa said heatedly as she hastily walked to him. Or at least as fast as her heels would allow on the grass. She was dressed in a grey pencil skirt, lilac blouse, and black blazer. Meeting clothes. Harry groaned as he rubbed his temples.
“Sorry, sorry,” he said, forcing himself to his feet. “Did you see that, though? We hit Mach-1!”
A grin cracked through Lisa’s stern facade. “I did. That’s fantastic. The broom didn’t survive the push, though. We’ve got to rework the durability enchantments. I’ll show you my notes after the meeting.”
Harry groaned. “Right. Let me get cleaned up first.”
Lisa shook her head as she looked him over. “No way. Medical first.”
Harry shook his head, gesturing for his wand, which Lisa handed to him exasperatedly.
“I’m fine, see?” He waved his wand, and his injured arm was wrapped in a sling. One of the medics behind him, Penelope Clearwater, made an angry noise. “Penny, I can’t miss this meeting. It’s with Zabini.”
“Today’s renewal day?” Penny asked sympathetically, a trace of worry inflecting her tone. Harry nodded grimly. She looked up at the heavens and mumbled to herself.
“You’ll be the death of me, Harry Potter,” she wagged her finger at him accusingly. Harry gave her a winning smile.
“You know you love me, Penny.”
She sniffed haughtily. “I tolerate you because you pay my bills.”
“The boss lady pays your bills,” Harry retorted, gesturing at Lisa. “I just get banged up so she has no choice but to pay you.”
Before Penny could reply, Lisa hemmed, interrupting the banter. “I would love to listen to you two bicker all day, but Zabini will be here any minute now, and Harry still has to get changed.”
Penny glared at both Harry and Lisa. She then made a shooing gesture. “Go on, then. But, Potter, if I don’t see you in the infirmary in at most two hours, I’ll call Hermione.”
Harry groaned. “That’s low, and you know it.”
“We’re making progress!” Harry was very close to shouting. “We just broke the sound barrier today!”
“Where’s the prototype then?” Blaise Zabini asked coolly, rolling a galleon between his fingers.
Harry flushed, and Lisa spoke, her voice even-keeled. “The prototype didn’t survive the trial. There were complications we needed to resolve.”
“I’m not paying you for complications,” Zabini slammed the coin onto the table, and Harry’s teeth clenched when Lisa jumped in her seat. “I’m paying for results. I haven’t seen any yet.”
“You want a broom that can reliably and safely break the sound barrier,” Harry ground out. “We’ve nearly accomplished it. We — I just need more time.”
“That’s a commodity you just don’t have,” Zabini’s tone was frosty, and Harry could feel the final nail being banged into the coffin. “This was just a courtesy visit. The project is off.”
Harry scowled. “Thanks for letting us know.”
Zabini nodded curtly before standing from his chair. Harry’s gaze followed him as he buckled his case, nodded at Lisa, and swept out of the conference room.
The moment Zabini left, Harry’s head hit the table. Lisa pushed her chair closer to his and rubbed her temples.
“We’re buggered, aren’t we?” He peeked out from between his arms. Lisa nodded grimly.
“Right up the arse.”
Harry snorted. “I ‘spose we’ve got to break the news to everyone.”
“I can handle it,” Lisa said gently, her hand coming to rest on Harry’s back. “You’re hurt. You should go to the infirmary and get some rest.”
Harry shook his head, brushing off Lisa’s hand gently. He stood, wincing as his abdominal muscles flexed. He nudged Lisa’s shoulder as he passed. “It doesn’t feel right, pushing this off on you. We’re a team, right? We win together, we lose together.”
Lisa hummed her assent, smoothing out her skirt and her dark red hair.
“Do I look presentable?” She asked, pausing in front of the door.
“Stunning as always,” Harry said without even looking, pushing the door open. She called him a few choice words, and he chuckled.
With a flick of his wand, Harry sent out three patronuses: one to the medical bay, another to the research division, and the last to the testing team. It was with a heavy heart that Harry greeted each member as they entered the conference room.
The researchers, Fenwick, Ben, Winter, Camryn, Khalil, and Aster, designed and made the brooms under Lisa’s leadership. Harry’s band of lunatics, Jason, Zoe, Lenny, and Henrique, who put their lives on the line to test and improve these cutting-edge brooms. And lastly, the medical team, Albert, Oliver, Aaliyah, and Karina, led by Penelope Clearwater, who kept all of them alive.
Harry remembered all of their names. He had been out to drinks with them, hosted weekly pickup Quidditch matches, and had even been invited to Aaliyah and Karina’s wedding. He bit back a sigh.
The team sat down around the conference room, but Penny walked up to the front, where he and Lisa were milling about in tense silence. She took one look at Harry’s face and sighed.
“We’re buggered, aren’t we?” She asked. Harry and Lisa replied at the same time.
“Right up the arse.”
Penny’s lip twitched, and she pulled her dirty blonde hair back. “Bollocks, I think I forgot my scrunchie. You got a spare rubber band, Lisa?”
Lisa pulled one from under her sleeve and handed it to the lead healer.
“Thanks, love.” Penny tied her hair back. “How bad is it?”
Harry’s measured countenance cracked. Penny smiled sadly. “Ah. Well, I’ll save the goodbyes for after you announce it, then.”
Harry nodded jerkily, and Penny gave him a one-armed squeeze before plopping into her seat near the head of the table.
Lisa stood at the head of the table. And Harry could tell, from her incessant picking at the scab on her thumb, that Lisa was faltering. Harry stood, and Lisa raised an eyebrow at him. He smiled in his best approximation of reassuring, and she sat down.
He took a deep breath. “So, bad news,” he tried. The jovial tone felt wrong. His shoulders drooped, and his frame shrank.
“I’m sorry, everyone,” he said, to a point fixed just above the desk in front of them. He grit his teeth and forced himself to look at his teammates. “Zabini called off the project. We’re done.”
There were cries of dismay, jeers at Zabini’s name, and several curses upon it, too. Harry supposed he should be grateful that none were directed at him or Lisa.
“Listen — everyone, listen,” Harry barked, his voice teetering on the edge of a shout. The noise peetered out, but the anxious energy remained. Unsettling. Lingering.
“Lisa and I —” he looked at his partner. “We’re sorry it came to this. It’s been an honour to work with you all. We’ll do what we can to make the transition easier for everyone involved. I —”
He stopped himself. He dropped into his chair. “Listen, everyone. I’m not really good at these things — goodbyes. You’d think I would be, with all the funerals I’ve attended.”
Harry’s dark chuckle went unaccompanied.
“You’ve all been fantastic to work with,” he repeated. “I genuinely do wish you all the best. Stay in touch, yeah? Camryn, you still owe us all drinks. A bet’s a bet.”
A ripple of laughter — some genuine, some forced — passed around the room. Harry smiled sadly.
“I guess, for the last time, you’re all dismissed.” Harry slumped back into his chair.
As the clock ticked to one in the afternoon, Harry’s team — former team now, he supposed — cleared out of the conference room, heading to their desks and lockers to clear out their belongings.
Penny lingered by the door. She turned back to Harry. “Will you still be coming over for dinner tomorrow? Molly would miss you if you don’t.”
Harry worried his lip between his teeth. “I’ll try…”
“No promises, though,” Penny finished. She paused, opened her mouth, paused again, then closed it. “See you tomorrow?”
Harry nodded jerkily, and Penny left. He heard Lisa let out a deep sigh behind him and turned around.
“I’m going to go to the Cauldron and get pissed,” Harry said seriously. “Want to join?”
Lisa snorted and gave him an apologetic look. “I called Terry and asked him to pick me up in an hour. I was going to curl up with a book and cry myself to sleep. Sorry, Harry.”
“No, no, that’s probably a healthier solution,” Harry admitted. “I usually just work myself to death, but I’m trying something else since that isn’t an option any more.”
“You could try therapy like an adult, Lisa suggested dryly. Harry gave her a nonplussed look.
“Merlin, no one deserves to have to poke through my brain.”
“Funny lad,” Lisa drawled, opening the door. She paused. “And Harry? I'll give you till Sunday to sulk, but afterwards you'll be spending time with your friends. We're going to the Cannons' match this Sunday. No bailing. Else I'll sic Hermione on you.”
“Why does everyone keep threatening me with that?”