Shelby Stein, a senior at George Mason University, had finished opening all her presents on Christmas morning when her boyfriend, Jared, brought in the gift of a lifetime: a handcrafted Nimbus 2000 from the Harry Potter series.
The broom, which was wrapped in brown paper and an exact match to how it’s presented in the movie, took Jared three weeks to craft. A civil engineering student at George Mason, Jared prefers to build gifts himself rather than buying them, and this was the perfect opportunity to surprise his girlfriend with a little dose of magic.
Shelby’s been a die-hard Potter fan since her high school days, when she fell in love with the book series. She’s even taken a few trips to the Wizarding World of Harry Potter. She also has an impressive collection of memorabilia, including everything from Hermione’s Time Turner to a handmade Hogwarts acceptance letter to a functioning Ron Weasley’s Howler, which actually screams. Her favorite piece of memorabilia is the acceptance letter. “I feel like it is such a symbol of the story,” says Shelby in an interview with Her Campus. “And the person who made it for me is so talented.”
The broomstick was a terrific addition. It’s crafted with pine for the handle, basket reed for the bristles, and finished with a mahogany wood stain and a polyurethane coat. There’s even a hand-painted Nimbus 2000 logo.
“I could tell what it was from the shape of it,” says Shelby, “and I just remember being so excited and even cried!”
In the past, Jared has also handmade a Deathly Hallows symbol for Shelby to use to store her Elder Wand.
Shelby’s magical gift went viral online after she posted it to a Facebook group she’s a part of called the Room of Requirement, where it got over 4,000 social shares within days.
It’s an incredibly thoughtful gift, given how much detail was put into the creation of it. “I was amazed at how beautiful it was and how accurate it was,” Shelby says. “It really does look just like the one from the movie! My mom immediately made me mount it so she could take a picture.”
How long will we be seriously jealous of the most magical present of this year? Always.