Name of PC: Avery McCall
Name of iNPC: Nikolai Ryzhkov
School of iNPC: Koldovstoretz
Year: 4th

Physical Description: Maintaining a relatively shorter stature than the majority of his peers, Nikolai stands at a noticeable 5'1. Short dark brown hair covers his head, only just long enough for the occasional strand to obscure bright blue eyes. An assortment of dotted birthmarks trail haphazardly from his chin and down his neck and across fair skin. The boy sports a rather lean build, primed more for agility than anything to do with raw strength. Upon first glance, he typically appears a little disheveled and wild-eyed at any given moment. His boundless energy translates into his movement, and it tends to be a rare sight to ever observe him fully motionless. A small, barely noticeable scar runs along the right side of his jaw.

While wearing the new military-like school uniforms, it's a common sight to find the boy attempting to get away with slight alterations. Typically simple adjustments for comfort, such as the collar being left unclasped or the pressed sleeves rolled up to his forearms. His boots are often worn down and sporting an assortment of scuffs from his day to day adventures. A lopsided papakha can often be seen atop his head in the colder months. His general attire outside of the school uniforms borders on the line of scruffy, favoring practicality over fashion. It can generally be described as streetwear, based upon muggle fashion trends for the most part. He favors oversized sweaters and jackets, and will always layer if the opportunity presents itself.

Mental Description: Very much a people person, Nikolai prefers to be spending time at least in the proximity of others rather than on his own. With seemingly boundless amounts of energy, he's almost always on the move. Once he's friends with someone, he tends to do whatever he can to maintain that friendship regardless of whether their influence is beneficial or not. He has a tendency to ramble or talk to himself to fill any silences, and can be somewhat oblivious in social situations. He can lose focus rather easily, especially in academic pursuits. Nikolai's not the best at 'taking a hint' and tends to do whatever he can to stay on someone's good side. In the years since starting at Koldovstoretz, and across a number of visits to Hogwarts, he has developed something of a distrust for the school and the student population in general, especially after events of the Hexwizard tournament left him scarred.

Biography: Nikolai was born in the midst of a particularly unpleasant winter storm in 2010 to his mother Verinka Ryzhkov in a small town near Kazan. Though his mother was a half-blood witch, the boy never learned much about his father beyond the fact that he was a muggle carpenter. Granted, his mother stated she barely knew the man as it was. It wasn't long before he lost interest in asking about the man, content with the fact that it was unlikely he'd ever meet him.

Growing up, mother and son kept a relatively low profile in both muggle and wizarding communities. Though his mother had been born just around the fall of the Soviet Union, her parents had drilled caution into her as a child herself. Despite the progress Russia saw over the years, she still sought to provide an otherwise mundane life for the two working as a muggle nurse. Every handful of years the two would move to a new town much to Nikolai's objections. He grew to hate having to move and leave behind the few friends he'd managed to make in the years since. His objections were always noted with a sad smile and a few words of reassurance, but nothing more.

Though she would never admit it, he knew his mother held onto some vague hope that he would turn out a squib. Whereas she had little desire to interact with the wizarding world anymore, Nikolai had an avid fascination for all things magic. His mother's hope was promptly dashed at age nine. She'd been in the kitchen on a night as normal as any other, prepping ingredients for an otherwise simple supper when a sudden crashing sound from her son's room rang through the apartment. Running to investigate, she found the state of the room in complete disarray. Various toys and books were scattered across the room, the large bookcase that usually housed them overturned and, even more surprisingly, partially upside down. Kolya sat on the bed with his back against the wall, face flushed red even as a wide smile turned to his mother. She came to find out he'd accidentally discovered a spider crawling on his shoulder and startled enough to send the bookcase into the air.

Since the moment he discovered his magic, his mother was fighting a losing battle to try and keep him from attempting to call on it again. Though he'd not managed to recreate any further magic on his own, he remained persistent. Realizing that she wouldn't be able to temper his curiosity, especially not wanting to run the risk within muggle cities, Verinka came to a difficult decision. Contacting Koldovstoretz, boarding the boy on the grounds were discussed.

When the possibility was brought up with him, Nikolai was torn between finally getting to explore the wizarding world a little more and leaving his mother behind. She did her best to reassure him that should would be alright and that they would keep in touch or visit as often as they could. And so, with some discussions with the necessary parties and the promise to write, Nikolai found himself boarding on school grounds at just under 10 years old. Despite not being able to participate or learn magic himself yet, he kept himself preoccupied with learning as much as he could simply through watching older students out on the grounds.

First Instance of Magic: At age nine, Nikolai's mother had been in the kitchen on a night as normal as any other, prepping ingredients for an otherwise simple supper when a sudden crashing sound from her son's room rang through the apartment. Running to investigate, she found the state of the room in complete disarray. Various toys and books were scattered across the room, the large bookcase that usually housed them overturned and, even more surprisingly, partially upside down. Kolya sat on the bed with his back against the wall, face flushed red even as a wide smile was given to his mother. When she finally asked, she came to find out he'd accidentally discovered a spider crawling on his shoulder and startled enough to unintentionally send the bookcase into the air.