Chapter 61 - 25 May 1998, Monday

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- ...And this is why you have one Quidditch coach and one Flying teacher? To teach students a handful of complicated unnecessary moves that this guy came up with because he didn't have anything better on his mind to justify his paycheck? – The tall slim man bearing the emblem of the Ministry of Magical Education as a small pin on the lapel of his dark red official robes seemed less and less amused by what Mr. Reydle, the Quidditch coach was explaining to him and his colleague.

- Now, now, Mr. Hardy, let's not be rash in our conclusions, our tour of the Academy has just started - the other Inspector said, his tone more mellow, and turned to the Quidditch coach again.

The face of his subordinate manifested immediate disagreement, but before he could object or comment anything else, a silhouette on a broom swiftly descended from his flight above their heads and flew between them, slowly coming to a halt. Curiously enough, instead of riding the broom, the man was keeping his balance standing on it as if he was gliding on a Muggle surfboard.

- It's called "Inspired Broom-Surfing" – Darius Isley lightly kicked the nose of the broomstick ant the tail popped directly into his hand as he jumped effortlessly on the grass to face the three men. Despite the harsh comment, the usual smile curved the corners of his lips. – And as much as I wish that I had come up with such a unique technique, it was actually created by Orion Amari, Hogwarts graduate and captain of Ravenclaw's Quidditch team some 15 years ago. Really nice bloke too, I had the pleasure of playing a friendly match against him couple of years ago. His move is one of the things that you can find in my lectures on the history of modern broom flying. Also, fun fact, it was one of Harry Potter's most impressive performances that lead to him catching the Snitch in one of his first matches back in 1991 – that alone blows my mind because to my knowledge no one ever taught him that move. Back to your concern, Inspector...

- Hardy – the taller, grumpier man replied.

- Inspector Hardy. My discipline is called "Advanced Flying" for a reason, and is not mandatory. Every student here has selected it out of curiosity and will to learn exactly that, because they might need it in their future endeavors. Not all maneuvers are relevant to everyday flying and some may never come in handy for the regular person, but I am getting paid to share my flying skills with those willing to learn more complicated techniques. Many of the moves included in my curriculum are also part of the Advanced Flying course I'm teaching for Ministry of Magic employees, mostly Hit Wizards and Aurors.

- Mr. Isley, please do excuse my colleague – the senior Inspector, his pin reading "Schwarzstein", replied in a hurry to outstrip his colleague's reaction. – He has his own professional reasons to ask such questions, though the way he voices his concerns could use a little improvement. We are, of course, familiar with the fact that you are not just randomly teaching fancy moves to our young people.

- As for Mr. Isley's credentials, in his 12 years of playing professional Quidditch he has been a part of three of Germany's most accomplished teams – another voice surprised them – this time a female one. – His resume includes being the youngest player ever recruited by the Munich Manticores while he was still studying at Innestrad. He was one of the most renowned players for both the Manticores and the Dresden Dragons, and after that the star Chaser for the Hanover Horned Serpents until his retirement, not to mention being a part of the national team for the past three World Championships and winning two of them. I can assure you however that his curriculum is not build upon old laurels or sports fame. It bears not only my stamp of approval, but also that of his first coach, now colleague, Mr. Reydle.

The group turned to face the newcomer – Principle Ashdrake was striding energetically towards them, accompanied by the Vice-Principal Professor Rupert. She extended a hand to both Inspectors.

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