1 Sep 2022, 21:55
Can you see your face shining in it?
Date: August 31, 2022
Today Valentin wore a dusky all-green jumpsuit, as one might spot on a muggle aircraft mechanic. Beside him lay canisters of varnish, paint brushes large and small, an array of sand paper grits, and bristle smoothing combs. Although his hands were on his hips as he walked past the players, Val couldn’t hide the warmth in his smile. He knew something the others didn’t. Then, with a sudden flourish, Val brandished his wand and pointed it at the dirt.
“Alright, get in line. It’s time for an INSPECTION! Teeeeen-hut! Preseeeeent brooms!” snapped Val melodically. “You first, go on, show me your broom... Mhm, see, that’s a hairline fracture. One wrong whap from a bludger and that’s a fast pass to eating dirt. And here, the veneer is wearing off. You know that coating is protective, right? Once that’s eaten away, the elements can start chewing up the wood itself. Get enough moisture in there and it could develop little pockets of weakness from rot. The humidity here is very strong. Start fixing it, and I’ll come back to see your progress. Next!”
The captain went slowly and thoroughly through the line-up, making several passes as he pointed out more and more structural weaknesses to be fixed before the big game. While it may have been annoying to spend the entire day under the captains’ nitpicking as the players toiled away at sanding and revarnishing and cleaning and re-enchanting their brooms, by the time they’d finished, everyone’s rides looked like showroom models.
“Very well done. I presume many of you are tired now, but before we stop for dinner, there’s one more task. Our newest members, please step up. Astrid, Johannes… for all your hard work, both in training and cooperating, and for showing such ambition and teamwork, I want to present you each a new Silver Arrow. Yes, yes, your old broom is very shiny now, but more importantly... from today on, you will understand how to take care of your new one better, as well as why it’s better to handle brooms with care to save yourself more work in the long run.” After all the struggle to restore their old brooms, these brand new Arrows Valentin handed to Johannes and Astrid would seem to glisten all the brighter. Such perfectly reliable and functional condition was a prize they could now enjoy during the championship game. “I know it will feel unusual being on a new broom so close to the big game, but we still have time to get you used to their new feel. Durmstrang is lucky to have you, and what you have now, you truly earned.”
