AN: Thank you to all of you who took the time to follow, favourite or review my story :)

AN-2021-08-17: many thanks to Miette and dstone12 for reviewing this chapter and correcting my mistakes :)

"You will now undergo the ultimate step of the Trial. You will be tested by Masters through several tasks. They will then decide which Goblin Arts your apprenticeship will cover and name you in consequence," said Hoardrock, eyes gleaming with... anticipation?

Severus felt his heart quicken. Now was the time to prove himself. He could not fail when he had come this far.

Hoardrock stood up and gestured for Severus to follow. He realised the room was now divided in several parts. Each one was attended by a different Goblin.
His guide led him to one with several stones on the floor, each spaced a different distance from the other, some small, some bigger.
One other Goblin was here, impassive, standing on the smallest stone.

He nodded once when they reached him. Then, barely letting Severus the time to bow in greetings, he moved to the front end of the stones. He turned his head toward Severus, an implied "watch me" in the tilt of his head, then walked leisurely on the stones, through one end to the other.
There, he gestured for Severus to... do the same?

Unwilling to show any hesitation, Severus walked to the stones then followed the path the Goblin had taken as well as he could remember. It was not hard to keep his balance and he went through smoothly.

Impassive, the goblin Master walked through the stones again, following a different path. Severus was not surprised it was harder than the previous one but still made it through smoothly. They did it again and again, the Goblin showing the path, Severus following it. He went through the motions until he lost his balance.

Severus flushed, quickly standing to his feet. The Master only nodded to Hoardrock before leaving, the stones disappearing into the ground in his wake.

Severus barely had time to wonder if he had done well, Hoardrock was already walking him to a new task.

This time, one Goblin was waiting behind a stone table with pebbles of various shapes and sizes on it. Another similar table was beside him and he gestured for Severus to take the place there.

In front of the tables were targets at different distances and heights from them. The Goblin looked over at Severus then chose a pebble. He inclined his head to Severus who had a brief moment of panic before deciding it meant he should find the equivalent pebble on his table. Looking at the Goblin's hand then his table, he settled on one and showed it to him.
He got a tiny nod before the Master threw the pebble to a target, where it stuck right in the centre.

Severus breathed deeply, raising his Occlumency shields to keep panic at bay. Throwing things was not something he had lots of experience with, even less when there were targets. Still, he focused on visualising where he wanted the pebble to land, like he did when aiming his spells – it worked with magic, why not with pebbles right?

The pebble hit the target. Not dead centre but close enough not to be an embarrassment. The Goblin by his side nodded then threw another pebble. And another. They did not stop when Severus missed. They stopped when the tables were empty.

Once again, Hoardrock led him to another Goblin. This time, Severus was to avoid balls flung at him. At first, the balls came slowly. Then their speed increased. Then their number.

Severus thought he did quite well, his experience in dodging Marauders' spells being unexpectedly helpful.

The next task was different. A part of the ground had been covered with leaves and twigs. The goblin Master walked over it gracefully, quickly and without a sound, then gestured at Severus to do the same.

Severus spared a thought to wonder which kind of apprenticeship required these kinds of skills before concentrating. He imagined his father was on the couch, not yet drunk enough to pass out. Severus needed to go to his room without him noticing.

He was nowhere as silent as the Master. Forest grounds were not what he was used to. The Master did not say a word or show what he thought of his performance. Severus bit back a sigh as he followed Hoardrock to the next task.

It was painful. The Master gave him a staff, showed him how to put his grip on it then attacked. Severus did his best to parry or avoid hits, but at the end, he felt he was blue all over his body. He was beginning to worry about how long he still needed to go on. He was tired, and aching, but half the room was still full of Goblins.

Once more, he followed Hoardrock. They went to the far-right end of the room, stopping in front of a Goblin standing beside a door.

"Well met, Learner."

Severus was so glad he had studied goblin etiquette before coming here. Otherwise, he would never have guessed that this simple greeting was one used only by those with the specialty of Knives and Shadows.

"May our meeting be as auspicious as the one of Mjolnir and Thor,"answered Severus respectfully.

He did wonder why this master had offered more information than the neutral greeting used by the others. Severus now knew that this Goblin's strength was in his martial prowess rather than his magical abilities.

"You will enter the room and wander through it for exactly five minutes before coming back here."

Severus waited for more instruction, but the master only stared patiently at him.

Right. What kind of test was this? Could he use his wand?

"May I use my wand inside?"

"You may use what you need."

That was a non-answer if Severus had ever heard one. It all depended on what he would find in the room. If it was something taken right from a horror movie, he would need his wand. If not... maybe he should try to blend in? That would be the Slytherin way to go.

His wand was remaining in his holster then, but ready to be drawn if needed. Severus quickly tested his wordless and wandless Protego, satisfied it came at will after all his practice the past year. He also took care to set a five minutes Tempus timer before going in.

The room was not what he had expected. It looked like a reception room, decorated with a mix of drapes and weapons. Goblins were milling in the room, talking in groups of diverse sizes. Food and drinks were on offer on five tables dispersed through the room. The atmosphere was light and relaxed.

Severus knew he had no hope of being unnoticed. He was the only non-Goblin in the room. There were no places to hide in shadow, as he quickly assessed the drapes provided no cover, and there were no hidden crooks in the walls. Judging from the room decorum and atmosphere, he needed... to pull a Malfoy.

Straightening himself, Severus moulded his gait in Lucius nonchalant walk, the one he used when he wanted to be taken for a spoilt rich pureblood heir whose only care was planning his next hunting party or choosing the next ball he was going to deign to attend.
He walked leisurely through the room, as if he had every right to be there. He nodded shallow bows to Goblins he met eyes with but only stopped when he reached one table. Severus had never been more uncomfortable in his life, aware of the many eyes on him, unsure if he was using the right strategy. He tried watching everything without seeming to, sure he was missing crucial details. Considering the food as if trying to look undecided about what to choose, he extended his sense to look for tampering. Neither the food nor the drinks glowed positive, though most potions could not be detected that way.

Fruits were the hardest to compromise without trace, so Severus helped himself to some grapes. He scented and tasted one cautiously but tried his best not to show it. He did not find anything wrong with it and slowly ate the others, walking again through the room to admire the weapons adorning the walls.

To his relief, the timer went off and he made his way out. The goblin Master was waiting for him and asked him every possible question on every possible detail of the room. How people were dressed. Which weapon was on the far left corner of the room or what the room ambiance was like. He also asked Severus if he had picked up any gossip. The Goblins having spoken in their mother tongue only, he had not had much to tell. At this point, the Master talked him through deducting as much as he could from the behaviours he had observed. When he finally stopped and left, Severus was unsure if any of his deductions were right, but he was pretty sure he had said some funny things. What the Master would make of this, he had no idea.

Severus did not sigh or drag his feet when Hoardrock moved to another stand, but it was a near thing. For the first time, two Goblins were waiting for them. While one looked like the goblin Masters Severus had seen previously, the second one looked young. Like an apprentice perhaps.

"Greetings Learner," said the Goblin Master. "You will need a partner for this trial. My own Learner volunteered."

The smile he gave as well as the flicker of his Learner's ears made Severus think the younger Goblin had not had any choice in the matter. It might be a trial for him too.

Severus nodded. It had to be a trial where cooperation was needed, as the previous Masters had had no qualm opposing him. He was not a team player, but the goblin Apprentice did not look like a dunderhead. Severus trusted his instinct. Or it might be wishful thinking. Goblins were hard to read when he had no basis for comparison.

"Both of you will be tied together and must achieve a course obstacle in the minimum amount of time," said the Master while tying them up by the hand.

Severus checked his movement amplitude, noting how it impaired him. The other Learner did the same, and soon they were experimenting how to compensate for their forced closeness.

The Master let them for a fleeting time before barking words in what Severus assumed to be gobbledegook. The sounds were both hard and fluid, like water full of rocks speeding toward a fall.
At once, the Apprentice moved to the beginning of the course, gently enough that Severus had the time to take the hint and follow him.

Severus appraised the course, observing a water pool which looked quite deep, and was that a climbing Wall with spikes? He imagined it was the kind of training soldiers or Aurors had. Without being tied to someone else.

The master barked, and they were off. The Apprentice clearly was not novice to this exercise, although Severus surmised their height difference was a new challenge. Himself felt awkward and graceless, struggling with obstacles he would have had a tough time with even on his own. Still, only the climbing wall stalled them for several minutes. The spikes were difficult to avoid when they were linked, but Severus was not sure he would have had the strength to climb to the top without the Apprentice's help.

They were both breathing hard when they finished the course, Severus struggling not to collapse altogether. The master said nothing as he cut the bond, but the apprentice bowed slightly. Severus did the same and watched them walk away side by side.

"Here."

Severus almost jumped in surprise. Hoardrock was holding a steamy mug emitting unknown but salivating fragrances.

"Thank you Master Hoardrock."

"You have ten minutes until the next trial. Do not sit down."

Severus nodded and cautiously took a sip of the beverage. It was refreshing and invigorating. He took the time to savour it, ignoring the Goblins still present in the room, except to note they all had a mug too.

The reprieve was brief, and soon enough Hoardrock was leading him to a new Goblin. The Master sat at a table covered by various herbs, leaves and flowers, dried and fresh. He gestured at Severus to sit down, then picked one leaf up and looked at Severus again. Severus felt himself relax. It was a "guess what it is'' game. This one was easy.

"Aconite."

The Goblin put it away and picked up another. And another. Until the table was empty. By that time, Severus was sweating. Some plants he had recognised thanks to the Malfoys' extensive and worldly greenhouse only. There were still several he had never seen before.

The next task was the same, except with liquids instead. Severus was extremely cautious, not knowing if some were noxious. He was pretty sure he had identified all of them correctly and had the feeling the goblin Master approved of him – he might have been laughing instead.

"Three more to go."

Severus wanted to hug Hoardrock. He settled for a nod and a bow.
Then promptly wished he could throttle him. He did not know how he had missed them, but there were animals – creatures really, beasts that big had to be – everywhere. Of course, Goblins would have their version of Care of Magical Creatures.

The goblin Master was petting a huge black wolf he could have easily ridden. When the beast yawned, it displayed impressive teeth and Severus was instantly reminded of one similar dentition he had come far too close to.
It must have sensed his unease because it lazily turned it's head toward him and yawned widely again.

Severus tightened his Occlumency shield as much as he could, focusing on projecting relaxation and ease outside.

The goblin Master looked amused by his efforts but did not say a word. He took Severus' hand and led him to the different animals, sometimes stopping five feet from them and shaking his head, sometimes petting them with Severus' hand in his.

Severus was proud of himself for bearing with this without histrionics, but he was grateful when it ended.

With a knowing quirk of his lips, Hoardrock took him to one of two remaining tables.

"Greeting Learner."

"Greeting Master of Bonds and Beyond," answered Severus, bowing his head.

"I will ask you a question. You will pick one object in front of you in answer to that question."

The table was covered with objects of various sizes and materials, seemingly without any connection between them. Severus could not guess at the uses of some of them.

"Who was the first Goblin to travel to China?"

Hmm. Was there supposed to be logic in this? Maybe the colourful fan?

"Who was Grandilock's favourite hound?"

The Golden collar maybe?

It went on, and Severus could not make head or tail of this trial. He stopped trying to use logic and went with luck when the Master asked "which spoon was the favourite of the late queen's aunt?" and there were none on the table.

Finally, Severus was at the last table. The last task. Watching over the table, he felt excitement as well as dread build in his stomach. Seven stones were set on the table. Each was carved with symbols, the ones which looked like runes but were not. Some looked more like runes than others.

The goblin Master gave Severus a pen and a parchment.

"First, you will copy each symbol. Then you will write their meanings. The task is over when you have proposed a meaning for each symbol."

"I understand, Master of Bonds and Beyond," said Severus.

He could not wait to begin but he needed something to write and organise his ideas.
"May I ask for some scrap paper please?"

The master looked at him until he wondered if he had made a grave error in judgement before giving him several sheets of paper, never saying a word.
Severus quickly organised his table as he liked then looked at the master. At his nod, he went to work.
Severus took the time to study each symbol's curve and straight lines before copying it on the parchment, leaving room beside each to write its meaning.

Copying the symbols, he realised some parts really could be runes combined with other kinds of symbols. Unless there were goblin runes? He identified two kinds different from the one he knew.
With this thought in mind, he began working on the meanings of the symbols. He wrote the runes he recognised to guess the symbol's whole meaning from it, but the sense of runes depended on their combination. Without knowing the others…

Well, he had passed his NEWTs. NEWTs were all about feeling the magic. It should not be that different whether it was wizard or goblin magic.
Severus stretched his senses, searching for magic. He was elated to feel some emanating from each symbol.

He breathed deeply and focused on the first one. It mostly possessed wizard runes, with two more goblin ones as Severus had dubbed them.
The usual combination of the wizard runes was used to boost one's health. From what Severus felt, the goblin runes enhanced the other runes to heal. However, it did not feel powerful, so it had to be a symbol used for minor healing. Severus nodded when he felt how little energy was necessary to power the symbol. Another indication that it was minor, meaning useful for colds or slight headaches but not a broken arm.

Severus worked on the other symbols, from the one with the most wizard runes to the one who used none. He determined there was one to keep water cold and one to keep a sword sharp. Two felt like keeping vermin outside but with very different runes used. Severus wondered but after studying the symbols, he determined he could learn nothing more without knowing all the runes' significance.
He was less certain of the other two, only getting a sense of family and meeting for one, focused heat for the other.
But the last one baffled him. He did not feel anything coming from it.

Severus frowned, trying to use what he had learned of the goblin runes from the other symbols to decipher this last one. Either it was a kind of shield or it was not activated. He did not see other possibilities.
Severus studied the symbol again, following the curves and lines to see if one looked cut off. There. This end line looked unfinished, compared to the one on another symbol. If it was the same rune, which was not a guarantee.

"This one is not active," he said, tapping in front of the symbol with his hand.

"Indeed Learner," said the goblin Master. "Sometimes, you need to work on symbols old enough that the stone has been eroded to the point it broke the symbol. Or sometimes, the symbol must be deciphered but is too dangerous or unknown to keep activated."

So, Severus was supposed to find out what this symbol meant without feeling it or knowing any of the runes, except from what he had deduced from other symbols. Perfect. He always liked a challenge.
He went back over all his deductions on the use and meaning of each rune he did not know, then studied the symbol again. Severus did not know how long he remained focused on this puzzle, only the runes and him existing in his mind.

Finally, he decided he had the best possible meaning he could deduce. It was a shield against happiness. Or the sun.
Writing both meanings on his sheet, he put it in front of the master.

The Goblin looked over his answers, eyebrows rising along the way.
"Give me your rough draft."

Severus startled but quickly complied.

The goblin Master looked over everything, face impassive except for his arched eyebrow. After what felt like hours, he nodded, got up and left.

"Come eat."

Severus blinked, feeling his exhaustion dropping on his shoulders as the adrenalin and focus he had used during the Trials faded. Hoardrock was walking to a stone table which had appeared from nowhere – or he had been too distracted to notice.

They sat down while one Goblin brought to every attendant a full plate of stew with bread and ale to wash it down. The smells made Severus salivate and he wasted no time emptying his plate. Finally looking up from his food, he saw Hoardrock had been as enthusiastic as him.
The Goblin gestured to the one who had served them. Immediately, the other Goblin brought to Severus a plate of what looked like various cakes as well as hot chocolate.

"We were told that you have a sweet tooth," said Hoardrock. "Enjoy yourself, I have a small matter to attend to."

Severus stared as the Goblin left him alone at the table. Only the waiter remained with him. How long would he need to wait? Now that he had no task left to focus on, he was feeling the exhaustion creep in his body.

"You should really try the cakes," piped his goblin waiter.

He looked so eager, at least for a Goblin, that Severus could not help but take one cake and bite in. It was delicious. So was the hot chocolate which seemed to be the universal comfort food.
Severus took his time to enjoy his desert, the waiter happily refilling his cup with hot chocolate as soon as it was empty. Then he waited, stomach full and mind hazy with exhaustion.

"Are you ready for the Trial verdict?"

Severus would have jumped in surprise at Hoardrock's arrival if he had not been so tired. In truth, he would have rather gone to bed and slept for twelve hours. Instead, he acquiesced dutifully.

"You have shown aptitude in most goblin Arts. Some we expected. Others we did not, or not on this scale. Your Trial lasted longer than most. We debated lengthily and have decided to grant you an apprenticeship proposal with one major, three minors, and one project. Your major would be Runes. Your minors would be Infiltration, Herbs and Defence. Your project would be Potions. Your major will be your main field of study while your minors will be learnings on the side but to be later used in your main field. Your project is in a field we cannot teach you anything more about but will provide goals to reach and means to attain them. It will also later be combined with your major."

Hoardrock paused, looking at Severus.
"Would it be acceptable to you?"

It was way better than acceptable.

"Yes, Master Hoardrock."

The Goblin was obviously not surprised by his answer.
"We will iron out your Contract now."

Severus stifled a groan. He knew it was going to take forever. And it did.

The Apprenticeship encompassed the study of the fields Hoardrock had mentioned to Severus, as well as housing, feeding and clothing. Severus could have no contact outside the Goblins, except for letters he could send and receive once a week. The Contract stated that to break that condition meant to never be able to deal with Goblins again.
The Apprenticeship lasted until Severus either passed or was rejected, although it did not specify which kind of test was required to either pass or fail. He had ten years at most to pass.

They hit a block when Severus asked what would happen to his house and garden during this time. He did not have the means to pay someone to both care for it and guard it – although he doubted anyone would try to steal him seeing the state of his home. He refused the offer of a loan from the Goblins to pay for someone, arguing it was their term for the Apprenticeship that put him in this quandary. He also explained he could not become indebted to someone outside of the Goblins as it would nullify the Cleansing.

They finally agreed the Goblins would have one House Elf care for Severus' house and garden once a week. They would also put wards on to protect Severus' property.

Severus read his Apprenticeship Contract carefully twice before signing it. He felt a weight lift from his shoulders. The Goblins also told him what his name would be for the duration of his Apprenticeship, thus ending the Naming trial. He barely noticed when the room lights turned blue.

Exhausted, Severus did not look around the room Hoardrock had led him to before climbing into the bed. He fell asleep smiling, with a name on his lips. Daoack, Learner of Shields and Crossings.

Tomorrow the Goblins would show him where he would live during his Apprenticeship. Tomorrow he would meet his Master. Tomorrow he would arrange for some of his clothes to be brought. Tomorrow he would write letters. To warn his Mentor and his friends they would not see him for the duration of his Apprenticeship – Goblins better be friendly. To apologise to Lord Voldemort for not being able to meet again soon. Tomorrow.