Thanks to all of you who took the time to review my story!
AN1:Chapter betaed by Miette (Thank you so much !).
AN2-2021/01/22: dpstone12 kindly corrected the mistakes Miette and I had not caught as English is not our first language, thank you!
Severus was not nervous. Today merely was a formality. The Goblins would not end his Apprenticeship after only one year among them. Yet, he was fidgeting as he waited to be called into the room where he had taken his Trials. It felt like a lifetime ago. He had learnt much during the past year but Severus knew he had only grazed the surface of what the Goblins could teach him.
Severus turned toward the doors as he felt someone approaching – it felt like a Goblin – marvelling at his growing sense for Magic although Drunek was still unsatisfied with his shields.
"Daoack, Learner of Shields and Crossings. The Wises are waiting for you."
Severus was surprised to see Hoardrock. He had not crossed paths with the Goblin since his Trials one year ago. He hoped his presence today was auspicious.
Severus followed Hoardrock as the Goblin led him to the centre of the room. He swallowed a groan as he realized that the room was divided in five areas which reminded him far too much of his last Trial. Drunek had not warned him he would be tested.
At the centre of the room, five Goblins were seated on a stage. Severus only knew Wirkrund. One of the other Goblins' faces was familiar, the others were totally foreign.
"Wise Masters of Balance and Self, may I present you Daoack, Learner of Shields and Crossings," said Hoardrock, bowing slightly in front of the Wises.
"Thank you Hoardrock, Master of Shields and Self. Welcome Daoack, Learner of Shields and Crossings. May today further your path," said the unknown Goblin in the middle.
Severus bowed deeply.
"Thank you, Masters of Bonds and Beyond. May your light unveil my path."
"Learner," began Hoardrock, "the Wises will evaluate your skills and improvements in five fields. They will judge whether you will advance on your Apprenticeship path or stop and leave back to the Wizarding world."
That definitively did not feel like a formality.
"Master Quarzek will judge your progress in Taichichuan, Master Smagründ your runes knowledge. Master Isäntä will test your stealth, Master Puolik your knowledge of Herbs and finally, Master Wirkrund will try to circumvent your Sensing Shields."
He was going to find his Master, cut him in tiny little parts then use him in the most destructive potion ever brewed.
"Let's begin," concluded Hoardrock briskly, leading Severus to one of the room areas.
Master Quarzek was already here. Severus had neither seen him leave the stage nor arrive at the testing area. He had not heard any Apparition noises either. Was there a kind of Crossing near the stage leading to each testing area?
"Learner Daoack," said Master Quarzek, "please run through the kata you've learnt. Do not actively use Sensing of any kind."
At least, that should relax him. Breathing deeply, he fell into Chi Kung, focusing on nothing, letting ideas pass through his mind without holding them here. After three breaths, Severus began.
He moved slowly, fluidly yet precisely, taking care of moving from his body instead of only moving parts of his body – yes, that had confused him a lot at the beginning but he was getting there now.
Time lost any meaning as he felt the motions, Magic dancing around him. The whole kata usually lasted around thirty minutes when executed at a slow pace. Severus never had the impression it had lasted more than ten. The last part was sloppier as he sometimes moved his arm instead of moving his back then his shoulder then his arm. But his footing was always assured – Wirkrund had had him practice hard enough he sometimes had not felt his feet anymore.
When he reached the end of the sequence, Severus fell back into Chi Kung and waited.
"Again, at your fastest speed."
Severus bowed slightly then moved. He concentrated on not losing his balance or getting overwhelmed by the power that speed was giving to his movements. Always remain in control. Taichichuan is the control and balance of Self, as Wirkrund often said.
Once again, he fell back to Chi Kung when the sequence was over, breathing more heavily and hot enough to light a fire. Excellent, would say Wirkrund, it means Magic is moving through you instead of stagnating.
"Thank you Learner," said Master Quarzek.
Immediately, Hoardrock was leading him to another area. Severus noticed Quarzek remained behind, almost as if he was Sensing or something.
Contrary to his Trial, there were no written Runes in front of Master Smagründ, no guessing of what they meant. Instead, the Master asked Severus to write Runes combinations. The subjects ranged from water conservation to magic protection. Sometimes, the Master would ask Severus to use a specific alphabet for one task.
It was what Severus loved most in Runes, to find how to combine them to obtain the best result. He did not know how long he worked under Master Smagründ directions. It felt like the blink of an eye but when he stopped, he felt almost light-headed.
Next, Hoardrock led him to Master Isäntä. She looked sharper than the other Masters. In fact, when Severus thought about it, female Goblins felt a lot scarier than their male counterparts, Frekka included. Admittedly, he had not met that many goblin females, and the Black Witches were as scary if not as sane.
"Learner. A Crossing Path has been established here. Several Goblins as well as other magic Creatures are along the way we will follow together. Your objective is not to be noticed by any of them," explained Master Isäntä with a smile which would have scared Severus if he had not become used to Frekka's.
He nodded and they were off. Severus tried to apply all he had learnt from Wirkrund, surprising himself when his body acted on his own. He also took great care in shielding himself so as not to be discovered by Sensing.
The Master kept a brisk path, as silent as the shadows. Severus had a few close calls, almost heading right into a Warg and climbing a tree at the last moment to go over it.
He had no idea if he successfully avoided being noticed and knew Wirkrund would make him practice whatever he had fumbled, if he remained an Apprentice.
As soon as they were back, lunch was served. Severus realised he was famished and almost gobbled down his plate before reminding himself he was eating with Masters who would decide his fate later in the day. Conversation was sparse and soon they got back to the tests.
"Daoack," said Master Puolik sternly, "I know your lessons have not focused on herbs the past year. However, Master Wirkrund is adamant you have learnt enough for me to test you."
As if it was not hard enough without Herbs. He briefly looked at Wirkrund who looked far too pleased with himself and swallowed a sigh. Masters...
"The test has three parts. First, I will give you herbs or plants that you will name. Then I will give you names of herbs or plants that you will draw. Finally, you will give me for all the previous herbs and plants, the places they are most commonly found, and their properties as well as any particular requirements necessary to obtain these properties. You will also tell me the ways to both collect and conserve them in their most pristine condition." Master Puolik smiled serenely. "Any question?"
Severus shook his head. Wirkrund really had to insist on Herbs.
"Let's begin."
Severus focused all his might on dragging out from his mind any little pieces of useful information on the herbs he was asked about. He quickly realised that while he had not expressly been taught about herbs, Wirkrund had sneakily used their travels to learn stealth to impart Herbs knowledge. How Slytherin, he thought with a wry smile.
"Stàt. I have enough for today. If I exhaust you, Wirkrund won't be able to test your Shields," stated Master Puolik, to Severus' relief.
"On the contrary," smirked Wirkrund in his I-am-going-to-eat-you-alive-and-it will-be-very-painful way. "The more tired the better. Shields must hold when nothing else does."
Marvellous. He already felt tired when he worked on his Sensing Shields with Drunek without having drained himself before. Wirkrund was going to crush him.
Grudgingly, Severus followed Hoardrock to the last area. Wirkrund was standing serenely, although his predatory smile belied his relaxed stance. Severus walked to stand in front of Wirkrund and bowed. The Master bowed back slightly.
"Last test of the day Daoack. Better make it count," warned the old Goblin. "It will be simple. I will try to take Magic from you. You will use your Sensing Shield to stop me."
Simple did not mean easy.
"Byrjä!"
Severus put up his Sensing Shields, focusing on keeping them strong and even. He was not good enough to always maintain them but he could put them up quickly. It saved him as he felt Wirkrund press on his Shield. Severus held as the pressure moved around his Shield, sometimes light as a feather, sometimes so strong he felt he might break. He tried to breathe evenly, providing enough energy to feed his Shield while not exhausting himself.
Sensing shields were harder to maintain than Occlumency shields, although Drunek said Severus just did not remember how hard Occlumency had been at the beginning. He knew he could not afford one second of inattention.
Suddenly, Severus felt his Shield weaken. He realised Wirkrund was siphoning Magic from his Shield thus creating an opening in them. He focused on the weakening part and willed Magic to close up the breach. It did but immediately, Severus felt another weakening point. Over and over again, Severus repeated the process until he began to feel light-headed. He was on the verge of passing out when the attack stopped. He blinked, looking at Wirkrund who seemed fuzzy and far away.
"Sit and drink."
Severus obeyed automatically, half falling on the wooden stool that was now behind him. He avidly sipped the hot beverage from the mug Hoardrock was pressing against his lips, feeling better as the warm liquid coursed through his body.
"You are too stubborn for your own good Vijana," said Wirkrund, standing in front of Severus. Despite his words, the Master looked pleased and gently patted Severus' shoulder. "Take your time before joining us on the stage."
Severus nodded vaguely as he watched Wirkrund spring back to the other Masters and Drunek – when had he arrived?- who appeared to be talking with animation. He waited until his body stopped feeling as if it was made from cotton and stood up. Hoardrock was beside him instantly, leading him to the Masters.
He stood in front of them and waited patiently, too tired to be anxious. Master Quarzek was the one who spoke.
"Thank you Daoack for giving everything and more in your Trials today."
The tests were called Trials? He really needed to talk with Drunek. Somehow, they seemed to be a lot more than a mere assessment of his progress in all his study areas.
"We are pleased with your improvements in each discipline. I must say you are further into your practice of Taichichuan than I thought possible for a Wizard after only one year of study, well done."
Severus bowed lightly, pleased by the praise and the recognition of his hard work and too tired to be embarrassed.
"From Your Trials as well as our discussions with Master Drunek, we have agreed to advance you to the grade of Usta."
Severus perked up. He had not realised there were levels of Apprenticeship.
"Usta means you have enough understanding of your field to improve on your own, although you still require a master to guide you at times. The main difference in your Apprenticeship is that you will have group study from time to time. It allows all our Usta to improve and develop ideas together."
Severus hid a sigh. He had chosen an Apprenticeship not to be among his dunderhead peers anymore. Hopefully, goblin teenagers were better behaved.
"In addition to becoming Usta, you now officially belong to the Röykkiö clan until your Apprenticeship is over. Your behaviour will reflect on your clan's standing and any transgression will be dealt with by your clan. You will meet the head of the clan the next time he visits. As you may have guessed, both Drunek and Wirkrund belong to your clan. You were assigned to them according to your admission Trials. Today, we are confirming they are the ones in charge of your Apprenticeship. It won't change until you leave us."
Severus smiled. He has not even been aware that changing his Master was a possibility. Drunek must have believed it would not happen. Anyway, he was glad to remain with him although the idea of belonging to a clan was something else. He had known he was considered like a Goblin for the duration of his Apprenticeship, but he had foolishly not realized there would be strings attached to the status.
"Do you have any question Daoack?" asked Master Quarzek.
"Not right now Master Quarzek," answered Severus.
The Master smiled.
"Yes, I have no doubt Wirkrund and Drunek will have many things to explain later."
"Now, here is a runic stone for you as proof of your Usta status as well as your belonging to clan Röykkiö. We need to renew your Apprenticeship vows to activate it," said Master Smagründ while handing the stone to Wirkrund.
Wirkrund put one hand on the stone and spoke firmly in Gobbledegook. The stone flashed white.
"I, Wirkrund, Master of Bonds and Balance, Wise and Teacher from clan Röykkiö, representative of the Röykkiö Johtaja in Europe, claim Daoack, Usta of Shields and Crossings, as a member of my clan until the end of his Apprenticeship," translated Hoardrock helpfully.
"Your turn Daoack," said Master Smagründ. "You need to say: I, Severus Snape, Daoack, Usta of Shields and Crossings, accept Röykkiö as my clan until the end of my Apprenticeship."
Severus recognized both Oaths as adapted versions of generic Oaths in the Prince book. However, according to the book, his part was lacking some precision. He wondered at the omission.
"Daoack, please," asked Master Smagründ again.
"I, Severus Snape, Daoack, Usta of Shields and Crossings, accept Röykkiö as my clan until the end of my Apprenticeship. I recognize Master Wirkrund as my Senseï and Master Drunek as my Hüter," said Severus, heart beating hard in his chest. He hoped he was not making a mistake.
The stone flashed gold and Severus felt something... shift, for lack of a better word. He looked up to the Masters. Master Smagründ and Master Isäntä were handing coins to Wirkrund who looked quite pleased with himself while Master Puolik and Master Quarzek were shaking their heads.
"Well done Daoack," chuckled Wirkrund with a toothy smile. "They did not believe you would know to give the proper Oath."
Another test. He was too tired for this.
"What if I had not?"
"Your Apprenticeship would have been different this year," answered Master Isäntä.
They did not add more, and once again Severus was reminded the Goblins were not all sunshine and rainbows.
"Your assessment is now over Daoack," announced Master Smagründ. "Starting now, you have one week to do as you please and you are forbidden to study your Apprenticeship subjects for the entire week. Please rest and enjoy yourself, your second year will be harder than the first," he concluded with a brief smile.
Severus bowed deeply then walked out of the room, mind focused on his bed. Drunek was waiting for him.
"You impressed them, Usta Daoack. Kiitos," said his Master as he clasped Severus' shoulder.
Severus tried to glare at him but only managed a yawn.
"That was not a formality."
Drunek laughed.
"Of course it was. Most Apprentices do not reach Usta before their third year."
Oh.
"Now, let's go back home, you look ready to fall asleep."
Severus could only agree and quietly fell into step with Drunek.
"After your holiday, you will begin Gobbledegook lessons as well as courses in all your minor fields. However you will not work on potions, except to help furnish our healers."
Severus nodded absently. He only wanted his bed. They remained silent until they reached their destination. Severus did not even stop to sample some of Frekka's cooking and went to sleep right away.
He woke the next morning far later than usual. Frekka had not come to fetch him as she usually did when he overslept. The realisation he did not need to get up today hit him in the face.
Severus was at loss. After one year spent learning and training everyday, his unexpected week-long holiday left him uneasy, as if he did not know what to do with himself when left to his own devices. The Masters had told him not to study or practice for his Apprenticeship during the whole week, even Taichichuan.
Severus realised with a pang of homesickness that Evan and Jonathan were the ones who usually dragged him into games or walks on Hogwarts' grounds. Kiveä and Soraa were cute but playing with them more than a few hours was both exhausting and boring. They already monopolized most of his evenings anyway.
Thinking of the two children gave him an idea. They had complained last week about spending two days in a row at the Library instead of their usual mix of Taichichuan practice and theoretical learning – yes their schedule looked quite like Severus'. He had never visited the goblin Library – Evan would have a stroke in his surprise – as his days were already full. Now was the perfect time to go.
His mind made up, Severus got up, washed quickly and went to have breakfast. While he ate, he asked Frekka for directions. She gave him the goblin equivalent of a wry smile.
"Daoack. I know the Wises told you not to study for a week."
"I won't," answered Severus earnestly, "I´m only going to explore!"
She laughed lightly.
"Ah Vijana. Drunek was the same at your age." She patted his face gently. "Very well. We are walking Felsen around first and then I´ll show you the way."
Severus seldom spent time alone with Frekka, and he thoroughly enjoyed their peaceful walk, Felsen sometimes emitting undefined noises which Frekka translated for him. Severus was pretty sure she made up some of her translations but it was fun.
He was surprised when Frekka left him in front of a small unassuming and narrow building. The Goblin at the entrance barely glanced at him before he waved him toward a stone staircase. Severus went down slowly. The more he descended, the more he felt like he was entering a cave, although torches lit the way. When he finally reached the bottom, Severus stared in wonder.
The cave – if you really could call it that- was magnificent. Wooden polished shelves full of books, parchments and even thin cuts of stones were begging to be explored. Severus felt his fingers itch as he tried to take in the immensity of the Goblins library and the treasures it offered.
Slowly, he walked among the shelves, stopping to peruse one item which caught his eye before walking on. Without meaning to, Severus remained in the library the rest of the afternoon. Only the bell signalling its closing brought him back to the present and he hurried not to be late for dinner.
Drunek had a knowing look the next morning when he asked Severus how he was going to spend the day. Severus wanted to scoff. If Drunek were given access to a fabulous Library full of unknown Wizards secrets, he would spend his days exploring it too. If Wizards had useful knowledge Goblins did not.
As he explored the Library, Severus tried his best not to remain stuck on one discovery and browse through as many subjects as possible, to try and give himself an idea of the range of fields the Library covered.
He did take the time to read most books on one subject though—The Ritual. It felt as attractive and dangerous as the first day he had learnt of it. The added information about Khorlos from his goblin Masters had him even more cautious, and he was determined to find out as much as he could before deciding whether to attempt it or not.
Along the years, many tried to develop methods that would guarantee the Ritual's success. Several spells and potions can be used to evaluate the readiness of one´s Khorlos for the Ritual. None who were deemed unfit by these spells and potions survived the Ritual. Still, only a few who were ready according to these potions and spells passed the Rituals. Many ended with their wands broken. Several spiralled into craziness.
That was both scary and interesting. Severus carefully committed to memory the names of the readiness spells and potions.
Successfully accomplishing the Ritual means to open one´s main Khorlo. The Bridge is no longer necessary for the Wizard to perform Magic and takes the form of a familiar who always is a magical creature.
Familiars are more intelligent than most animals and more attuned to their master's thoughts, however it is a myth they can telepathically communicate with their master, feel their emotions or read their thoughts.
That was oddly reassuring. Severus liked his mind to be his own.
The Bond between Familiar and Master is unique and depends on what happened during the Ritual. No relationship has been discovered between the versions of the Ritual and the Bond.
The different existing versions are ...
Wait a second. So what happened during the Ritual? Severus looked over the whole text. Nothing on what to expect once the Ritual had begun. He perused the other sources he had gathered and once again, nothing. He found detailed recipes and castings of readiness potions and spells, as well as lists of the greatest known pairs of Masters and Familiars. However, the sources only alluded to the Ritual itself, never even hinting about what happened to definitely open the main Khorlo and gain a Familiar.
Severus sighed to himself. They could not make this easy. At least, he had several detailed versions on how to begin the Ritual.
The four main different Ritual versions have one common point, Runes. Runes are the only magical conduit which remains and endures, as such they are always used in rituals as they require longevity. However, the runes used for support are different for each version. The runes will be engraved in metals, woods, stones or bones. Each support represents a different side of the Ritual, and is supposed to influence the kind of Bond that will exist between the Familiar and its Master. Metals represent protection while Woods stands for power. Stones embody stability in contrast to Bones which symbolise adaptability.
The different supports must not be mixed, but different kinds of each support can be used depending on the sub-aspect one wishes to emphasize.
Chances of succeeding at the Ritual have not been linked to a kind of support. However, it is recommended to follow the process of wandmaking to choose one's support.
Severus nodded. It made sense. Now that he thought of how Maverick had made him select materials for building his wand, Severus must have sensed for the wood and core his Magic was the most attuned with. He suspected the Wand-maker had guided him without him realising it.
Depending on the chosen support, the selected runes must be adapted or optimiser for best results. It is recommended to use runes from all continents as they are complementary.
Severus frowned. From what Drunek was teaching him, the use of the different runes increased the precision of the spells and allowed more subtlety in the casting. It could also increase the power in the castings, but Drunek had never said mixing them was a requirement. Could the use of only one kind of runes imbalance a spell? It sounded ludicrous and yet…
Severus quickly scanned the rest of the text but it was only pompous rambling on what was already said above – was this text really written by a Goblin? He could not believe it. He was ready to put it back when the end of the page caught his attention.
Note that both the Familiar and the Master can survive the death of the other, although it is seldom the case because of their strong attachment to one another. The main Khorlo will remain open in case of the Familiar death. The real danger is that it will widen as it tries to reach for the Familiar's sense of Magic.
Severus frowned. What did it mean? Did the Familiar act as a Wall? Or was the Master's Magic so attuned to its Familiar's it tried to sense it through death?
He growled quietly. The information he had found left him with the most crucial questions unanswered. Many Wizards lived without Familiar. He wondered how many Goblins did. He surely had more chances of surviving by not attempting the Ritual. Sighing quietly, he dived back into his research.
Severus was still trying to wring out some deductions from what he had read about the Ritual when he arrived back home. He was early as he had left the Library when he had had enough of not finding clear and precise answers.
Frekka was feeding Felsen who did not pay Severus any attention. Nourishment clearly was the most important thing in his world. Drunek's wife smiled at him and tilted her head toward the table where one letter was patiently waiting for him. Severus mouthed a thank you before taking the letter and hurrying to his room.
Dear Severus,
I take advantage of the lull after the welcoming feast to pen a letter to you. I regret I did not write much during summer, homework and preparation for my last year as well as junior Defenders meetings – yes they are calling meetings like that, do not laugh- took up much of my time – I did not receive that many letters from you either.
The junior D. meetings are quite informative and a bit worrisome I must admit. Mulciber is the leader of the group despite being more extreme in his views than our Lord. While Regulus does not seem as fond of him as most think he is, Evan is totally besotted with the guy. I admit Mulciber can talk, but really I expected more criticism from Evan. Mulciber really is quite violent in his words and stance.
Severus was surprised because Evan's last letters had only briefly mentioned Mulciber. He felt his stomach tighten with guilt. This would not happen if he were at Hogwarts with them.
Last time, Mulciber even said that the Muggleborns who disagreed with us were not only against us but against Magic, and as such were no better than Muggles and should be treated in consequence. Lord Voldemort has already quelled such talks before but I feel the subject keeps on coming back to the table.
It did not help that some Muggleborns rallied this summer to ask for the dissolution of the Wizengamot. They want to elect representatives from the entire wizarding population and cancel the privileges of the Old Houses. Their motion is under review by the Wizengamot which has no interest in accepting it for now. But I am afraid that if we do not manage to win the next Minister of Magic election and establish Slytherin's rules as laws, they will keep on lobbying until the Minister of Magic finds a way to make it happen. It would be the end of our world, traditions and culture as we know them.
Severus did not see how it could legally happen. Unless they were on the brink of civil war and it was a gesture of appeasement toward one party. That was really improbable. Except Jonathan was not one to worry over nothing. And muggle England and French history was proof it could happen.
Sorry for the rant, the return to Hogwarts has been a bit stressful. I spent the entire ride breaking up fights between pro-Dumbledore, pro-Ministry and pro-Voldemort. There were even some inter-House fights.
Severus wondered who the Marauders had found to target.
I am looking forward to the end of the year. I hope, perhaps naively, that our graduation as well as beginning an Apprenticeship or a University course of studies will make the others grow up. Political disagreement is one thing, fighting is another when it is not self-defence.
Jonathan was deluding himself if he thought the fools who passed for Hogwarts students would change once they left the school. Unless they all came to the Goblins to get some sense knocked into them. He snickered, imagining the Potters studying under Wirkrund.
I sincerely hope you are not brooding as much as I am tonight. I wish you well for this new year of Apprenticeship. Write soon.
Jonathan
Severus put the letter on his desk thoughtfully. His friends' letters usually left him feeling homesick. Today, he was troubled.
Shaking his head, he caught the Prince book to take his mind of Jonathan's worries. To his surprise, the book opened on a new chapter.
Goblins Clans
The Goblin race has the peculiarity of being one big territory linked together through the Rooms of Crossings. These rooms allow them to travel from one continent to the other as if they were the same. This peculiarity means all Goblins are united into one big nation spread across whole continents.
The goblin Nation is divided into twenty-eight clans. Each clan is headed by its Johtaja. One representative of the Johtaja is chosen for each continent where his clan is present. The twenty-eight Johtaja compose the goblin Council. The Council elects the leader of the Goblins, the Korkein, for a five year term. He cannot be one of the Johtaja. Two successive Korkein cannot belong to the same clan.
The Korkein always lives in China. He is the close advisor of the wizard Chinese Emperor. Today, the Korkein belongs to the Vauraus clan.
Traditionally, the Prince House is allied with the clan Runsaus. They share the values of loyalty, trade and words spar. The House Oaths were first gifted to one Head of House by his goblin Master when he finished his Apprenticeship.
The Alliance between the House and the clan Runsaus is reinforced by each member of the House chosen as an Apprentice by the clan. The House of Prince has also welcomed several goblin Apprentices.
Interesting. But what did it mean for Severus to be apprenticed to the Röykkiö clan? He sincerely hoped the two clans were not enemies. He wondered if his grandfather had been a goblin Apprentice too. He had not seen a Familiar with his grandfather, but he might wish to be discreet and not to advertise the fact he had passed the Ritual. He could have concrete useful information on what happened during the Ritual.
Severus briefly entertained the thought of writing to his grandfather to ask about his link with the Goblins as well as inquire about the existence of a Familiar before dismissing the idea. The old man should not feel he had earned any leeway yet.
Severus quickly read through the rest of the chapter and was a bit disappointed. It listed all the goblin clans names as well as their particularities and links with wizard Houses. Clan Röykkiö was barely mentioned, and it was clear there had never been any interaction between the House of Prince and Severus' adopted clan.
Severus resolved to discreetly determine if any Goblins around here were from clan Runsaus and to watch them carefully. They might be spying on him for his grandfather. Or they might be displeased he was from Röykkiö. Or they might not care or even know he was half-Prince.
Thinking about other Goblins reminded him of the study groups and he groaned. He knew it was important to socialize and have a net of people you could trade favours with, Jonathan and Evan had drummed it into his head. It was logical, practical and the Slytherin's way. He would rather Drunek teach him on his own during his whole Apprenticeship.
Severus sighed. Holidays were not good for him, he had not brooded that much since fifth year. Shaking his head, he resolutely joined his Master and his family downstairs to bask in the warm and joyful atmosphere, hoping he would absorb some of it.