Oblansk

The Minister for Magic of Bulgaria attended the final match of the 1994 Quidditch World Cup. He wore gold-trimmed, black velvet robes and acted as if he did not understand English. Cornelius Fudge introduced him to Harry Potter and asked if he knew about the boy's famous history. The foreign wizard became excited when he recognized Harry's scar. Fudge introduced the man to the Malfoy family next, attempting to pronounce his surname twice (first as "Oblansk" and then as "Obalonsk"), before giving up and simply calling him the Bulgarian Minister for Magic. Fudge excused his poor introduction by claiming that the Minister couldn't understand anything said in English. However, when the Bulgarian National Quidditch team lost to Ireland, the Bulgarian Minister sullenly declared, "Vell, ve fought bravely." Fudge was angered to learn that the Bulgarian Minister really did know English and had only feigned ignorance because he found it extremely amusing to watch his British counterpart try to communicate through gestures.

Behind the scenes

 * "Oblansk" and "Obalonsk" could be mispronuciations of the Russian surname Obolensky. This name belongs to a family of Russian princes and apparently derives from the town of Obolensk. Leo Tolstoy also included a character with the last name Oblonsky in his 1877 novel Anna Karenina.

Appearances

 * Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire