Kalpea Kuin Haamu (Pale as a Ghost)
AULIS VOROZHEYKIN.
KOLDOVSTORETZ. DIRECTOR OF STUDIES.
Russian. | English.
Spoken. | Thought.
Merchants swung in and out of Koldovstoretz much like it was a child's jungle gym. Every few weeks a new one appeared, Apparating in with an exciting crack that could be heard throughout the entire school grounds and then trundling some kind of giant wagon or cart all over Headmaster Aulis Vorozheykin's carefully manicured grass to the allowed setup location, over on the east side of campus near the library yurt. Sometimes a merchant only stopped by once, never to return, perhaps displeased with their sales; other times the same merchant would visit multiple times, sometimes even packing more than one visit into the same school year. It allowed students to purchase things that weren't always available at the three permanent shops on the Koldovstoretz campus (the Baba Yeda, the Basket for Quills, and of course Alexievich's, run by perhaps the most cantankerous old grouch Aulis had ever met). Whether it was plant seedlings from Anfisa the herbologist or new haute couture from Martynov the designer, students always flocked to visit whichever merchant had decided to make the Russian school grounds their home for the day.
Today was no exception; a telltale crack ringing through the grounds at precisely six this morning had announced the arrival of Sobol, a bear Animagus and pet salesman. He was the only one to ever get here so early, and therefore it was always quite obvious exactly who was arriving; Aulis dragged himself out of bed in his Director's yurt a few minutes later, rubbing his eyes sleepily and grumbling under his breath about beauty rest and personal time. Things for which some people had no respect.
It was not that he did not like Sobol; the man was always cheerful and friendly, more like a teddy bear than his giant frame and burly muscles would lead first-timers to believe. He always let students ride upon his back for free whenever he visited, and thus was quite a popular figure amongst the educational body, causing many students to not even care that they had gotten out of bed hours early for this. The frustration, really, came from the fact that Sobol never had any pets that Aulis himself wanted. Having grown up with a lovely non-magical borzoi by the name of Prizrak ("ghost" in Russian), Aulis never wanted anything other than a new hunting sighthound -- a majestic creature, all elongated and with perfectly groomed fur, rather much like Aulis himself. Sobol was not in the market of selling non-magical creatures, however, other than those which were allowed as pets at various wizarding schools worldwide such as cats and fish and ferrets.
Yet Aulis had to drag himself out of bed hours earlier than the sun so that he could go supervise as students galore flocked to ride the bear's back and purchase their newfound pets from him.
Explain to me how this is fair.
Clad in a fuzzy azure sweater over a white button-down shirt, paired with light blue pants and a matching overcoat, the fashionable Director stepped out of his yurt just a few minutes later, heading from his residential yurt near the Memorial Grove over towards the library yurt on the other side (and opposite corner) of campus. Across the practical lesson fields, which were always coated in a fine layer of snow this time of year, and by the old tower that led into the darkened underground he went, leaving footprints of his classy boots behind him. Sobol was waiting in his assigned spot, where all the visiting merchants always stayed; he had already amassed a small audience and was, naturally, in bear form, roaring and pawing at the air. Aulis too had a flair for the dramatic, but this fellow was just a bit much.
Still, at the sight of the Director, he very quickly transformed back into human form -- a few inches taller than the not-so-short Aulis, with a full head and heavy beard of dark, coarse hair. "Director Vorozheykin! A pleasure to see you again," he greeted, turning back to the students. "One moment, children. I have a special surprise for your Director."
Aulis quirked an eyebrow, his interest piqued despite himself. "Oh? And what may that surprise be, Sobol?"
Sobol grinned a hearty grin, then held up a finger and went to rummage in the back of his covered wagon; Aulis, peering around the man's hefty frame, could already see many small cages carrying everything from Puffskeins to toads, all of whom seemed nice and warm in the enchanted cart with plenty of toys and food to keep them entertained. Nothing new, though, from the last time the Animagus had visited -- or so Aulis thought, until Sobol turned around with a large cage in his arms. On the bottom, curled up in a plush pillow of soft golden velvet, was the tiniest borzoi Aulis had ever seen -- a lanky thing of soft white fur, sleeping almost in a donut shape, its long snout tucked underneath its fluffy tail.
The director gasped involuntarily, and whether it was the noise or the movement of the cage he could not be sure, but the creature woke up; it blinked deep black eyes at him, soulful and beautiful, and then began to wag its tails, revealing its soft wet nose-
Wait. Tails?
Sobol, noticing the widening of the director's own gaze, began to laugh, a hearty sound that awakened some of the other sleeping animals behind him. "Ah! I see the Director has noticed! You are correct in your shock -- this is no ordinary Sighthound, Sir Vorozheykin. I have procured a one-in-a-million pet for you, since you are always asking about the magnificent Borzoi: meet Prizrak, the only survivor of a litter of half-Crups borne by a Sighthound mother. Is he not lovely? And all yours, for a discounted price, of course. Thirty Galleons."
Who was Aulis to resist? And even though the procurement of the half-Borzoi cruppy was clearly a bribe to allow Sobol to visit more often, Aulis was not above a good bribe every once in a while.
The name, however, had to change. As he later set up the cruppy in his yurt, arranging cushions of gold and the best possible food and toys he could purchase in one corner, Aulis knew that though Prizrak was a wonderful name for a dog of pure white such as this one, he would only ever have room in his heart for one Russian ghost. The name would have to be changed, then, to another ghost of a different language of his heart: Haamu, spirit in Finnish. His first dog had been his father's; this one would be to honour his mother. And from this day forward, Aulis would be inseparable from his beloved Haamu.
Today was no exception; a telltale crack ringing through the grounds at precisely six this morning had announced the arrival of Sobol, a bear Animagus and pet salesman. He was the only one to ever get here so early, and therefore it was always quite obvious exactly who was arriving; Aulis dragged himself out of bed in his Director's yurt a few minutes later, rubbing his eyes sleepily and grumbling under his breath about beauty rest and personal time. Things for which some people had no respect.
It was not that he did not like Sobol; the man was always cheerful and friendly, more like a teddy bear than his giant frame and burly muscles would lead first-timers to believe. He always let students ride upon his back for free whenever he visited, and thus was quite a popular figure amongst the educational body, causing many students to not even care that they had gotten out of bed hours early for this. The frustration, really, came from the fact that Sobol never had any pets that Aulis himself wanted. Having grown up with a lovely non-magical borzoi by the name of Prizrak ("ghost" in Russian), Aulis never wanted anything other than a new hunting sighthound -- a majestic creature, all elongated and with perfectly groomed fur, rather much like Aulis himself. Sobol was not in the market of selling non-magical creatures, however, other than those which were allowed as pets at various wizarding schools worldwide such as cats and fish and ferrets.
Yet Aulis had to drag himself out of bed hours earlier than the sun so that he could go supervise as students galore flocked to ride the bear's back and purchase their newfound pets from him.
Explain to me how this is fair.
Clad in a fuzzy azure sweater over a white button-down shirt, paired with light blue pants and a matching overcoat, the fashionable Director stepped out of his yurt just a few minutes later, heading from his residential yurt near the Memorial Grove over towards the library yurt on the other side (and opposite corner) of campus. Across the practical lesson fields, which were always coated in a fine layer of snow this time of year, and by the old tower that led into the darkened underground he went, leaving footprints of his classy boots behind him. Sobol was waiting in his assigned spot, where all the visiting merchants always stayed; he had already amassed a small audience and was, naturally, in bear form, roaring and pawing at the air. Aulis too had a flair for the dramatic, but this fellow was just a bit much.
Still, at the sight of the Director, he very quickly transformed back into human form -- a few inches taller than the not-so-short Aulis, with a full head and heavy beard of dark, coarse hair. "Director Vorozheykin! A pleasure to see you again," he greeted, turning back to the students. "One moment, children. I have a special surprise for your Director."
Aulis quirked an eyebrow, his interest piqued despite himself. "Oh? And what may that surprise be, Sobol?"
Sobol grinned a hearty grin, then held up a finger and went to rummage in the back of his covered wagon; Aulis, peering around the man's hefty frame, could already see many small cages carrying everything from Puffskeins to toads, all of whom seemed nice and warm in the enchanted cart with plenty of toys and food to keep them entertained. Nothing new, though, from the last time the Animagus had visited -- or so Aulis thought, until Sobol turned around with a large cage in his arms. On the bottom, curled up in a plush pillow of soft golden velvet, was the tiniest borzoi Aulis had ever seen -- a lanky thing of soft white fur, sleeping almost in a donut shape, its long snout tucked underneath its fluffy tail.
The director gasped involuntarily, and whether it was the noise or the movement of the cage he could not be sure, but the creature woke up; it blinked deep black eyes at him, soulful and beautiful, and then began to wag its tails, revealing its soft wet nose-
Wait. Tails?
Sobol, noticing the widening of the director's own gaze, began to laugh, a hearty sound that awakened some of the other sleeping animals behind him. "Ah! I see the Director has noticed! You are correct in your shock -- this is no ordinary Sighthound, Sir Vorozheykin. I have procured a one-in-a-million pet for you, since you are always asking about the magnificent Borzoi: meet Prizrak, the only survivor of a litter of half-Crups borne by a Sighthound mother. Is he not lovely? And all yours, for a discounted price, of course. Thirty Galleons."
Who was Aulis to resist? And even though the procurement of the half-Borzoi cruppy was clearly a bribe to allow Sobol to visit more often, Aulis was not above a good bribe every once in a while.
The name, however, had to change. As he later set up the cruppy in his yurt, arranging cushions of gold and the best possible food and toys he could purchase in one corner, Aulis knew that though Prizrak was a wonderful name for a dog of pure white such as this one, he would only ever have room in his heart for one Russian ghost. The name would have to be changed, then, to another ghost of a different language of his heart: Haamu, spirit in Finnish. His first dog had been his father's; this one would be to honour his mother. And from this day forward, Aulis would be inseparable from his beloved Haamu.
|| DATE. 15th Nov. 2025 | LOCATION. Koldovstoretz, Lake Bear, RU | OUTFIT. in banner | WORD COUNT. 1,136/400 ||
|| KEEN EYE | PERFECTIONIST II | CHARMER | NONVERBAL MAGIC | WANDLESS MAGIC | LEGILIMENS | OCCLUMENS ||
|| KEEN EYE | PERFECTIONIST II | CHARMER | NONVERBAL MAGIC | WANDLESS MAGIC | LEGILIMENS | OCCLUMENS ||