Aleksei Poliakoff in troubles again. A sort of continuation to Perosha's Birthday surprise from Igoriffic 2, or rather my idea what could have happened next day after students played prank on Karkaroff. Reading the story below of course has no sense unless you know the original one, which I strongly recommend you to read: http : / / www . fanfiction . net/s / 4980032 / 5 / Igoriffic_2_OneShot_Boogaloo

English is not my native language so if I messed up something please let me know :)

Explanations

„So, Mr. Poliakoff, if I do understand correctly, it was only an unfortunate wheels within wheels you have accidentally found himself in?"

Karkaroff voice was calm and even-tempered. It sounded almost friendly, but Aleksei was not mistaken. The softer and calmer the old goat spoke, the worse it was.

He was in Karkaroff's cabin. They had just returned from Hogsmeade. Karkaroff collected him personally. Poliakoff had never felt so stupid in his life. The innkeeper caught him when he was about the leave, after he returned that stubborn beast to the enclosure on the back of the pub. And of course he didn't want to listen to his explanations, considering him to be a thief. He had almost skin him alive. For sure, that old guy was crazy.

"Uhm, it was as I said... I had no intention of...", he dared to say, knowing he had no chance.

"Don't test my patience, boy!", snarled Karkaroff. In one split moment he turned into his well-know unpleasant self. "Did you really think that I will believe in the silly story you had made up? You had accidentally come across a billy-goat on the deck and you tried to return it to his rightful owner, just after you had a brilliant guess who said owner is. I've never heard so much nonsense."

Poliakoff remained silent. Apparently his partially true explanations sounded unconvincingly.

The problem was that he couldn't tell the truth. Karkaroff wouldn't believe him. What's more Poliakoff suspected that the old goat was not particularly interested in learning the truth. He had a guilty one, so why bother to figure out what had really happened?

"Why did you stole a goat?", asked Karkaroff.

"I did not stole the goat."

"Do not lie to me, Poliakoff", snapped Karkaroff. "You were caught red-handed. Such a disobey to the rules won't be tolerated in Durmstrang. We are not in the school, but this ship represents its aboard, as well as its principles. You are in serious troubles."

Nothing new. He was very often in serious troubles.

"It was not my fault...", he tried again.

Suddenly Karkaroff looked at him sharply.

"Then whose it was?", he asked.

Did he suspected something? Aleksei kept silent. He didn't wanted to say too much. He was going to be punished, no doubt about that, but couldn't give away those three idiots, although Bogdan and the rest deserved to share the detention misery with him. Damned Durmstrang loyalty. Hell, why he was always the scapegoat?

"You don't want to talk, do you?", said Karkaroff, his tone unpleasant. "Well, it's your choice. I'll have to inform your parents about your offence."

Great. Old man is going to kill me, thought Poliakoff.

"Don't think it's finished." Karkaroff went on. "We'll come back to this later. As for now, you have a detention. Cleaning the deck. Every morning starting from today. Valid until recalled. And I do advise you to make every effort to do your work properly, Mr. Poliakoff."

Yeah, and if I miss something what are you going to do? Give me another detention? Kick out of the school?

"Do I make myself clear?", asked Karkaroff and furrowed his brows threateningly.

"Absolutely, professor", answered Poliakoff grimly.

"Then you can go. Perhaps you will manage to finish your duties before the breakfast."

Aleksei rushed towards the door.

"One more thing, Poliakoff. Give me your wand, please. You won't need it while cleaning the deck."

Aleksei hesitated for a moment, but he really didn't had a choice. He took out his wand and put it on Karkaroff's desk without saying a word. Then he left without looking at him.

Igor sit beside his desk and locked the door by the flick of his wand. It was early morning, he was tired, sleepy, unshaved and probably not quite sober yet after yesterday evening drinking with Snape. He looked at his desk. He had a horrible mess on it. What the hell had happened here?

"How it was?", asked Alexandr when Poliakoff appeared on the deck. His classmate was waiting on him outdoor, despite the very early hour.

"Not as bad as it could be", said Aleksei. "Where are those idiots?"

Apparently Alexandr didn't had problems with guessing who Poliakoff was talking about.

"They are hiding in their cabins, scared that Karkaroff is going to kick up a row. Won't dare to go out before the breakfast."

"You know everything, don't you?", asked Poliakoff suspiciously. Had Alexandr known what their classmates were up to and hadn't told him...?

Pereinov nodded.

"Katya told me they had a cunning plan. Bogdan spilled out the rest today. You should see him, he went pale white when he had learnt that Karkaroff know everything."

Suddenly Poliakoff felt a relief. Alexandr had nothing to do with this stupid goat joke.

"You are not going to tell them that I didn't say anything about what part they had played in all this?"

"Why bother? Let them to be nervous for a while."

Poliakoff smiled faintly. Well, at least this was a comforting thought. But it was a minor compensation for the detentions. He looked over the side of the ship, on the lake and mountains towering over its edge. The morning mists were already gathering over the smooth and calm water surface. The sun was shining weakly on the pale sky. It was very cold. He examined the deck. The night was very cold and the result could be seen at a first glance. The deck, the sides, the rigging... everything was covered by a hoarfrost, glittering weakly in the rims of the sun. Cleaning the deck without magic was going to be harder than hell.

"What the old goat ordered you to do?", asked Alexandr.

Poliakoff looked around and shrugged.

"Taking the care of the deck of the tub. Not like I haven't been doing this so far. But this time it seems this is going to last a bit longer..."

"How many days?"

"He didn't precise. Probably to the very end of the world".

"You can't be serious!"

"It's sad true. Ok, I will better take care of this."

He turn away to go for the scrubbing-broom, which was kept in the store under the deck.

"Wait a second. Can't you use charms?", asked Alexandr.

"I would. But the old goat had taken my wand".

"Oh, that's bad", said Pereinov but at instant he smiled cunningly. "But he hadn't taken mine. Just say how can I help you?"