Thanks to all of you who took the time to review my story!
AN-2021/01/26: Thanks to dpstone12 for correcting the mistakes left by Miette and myself :)
Severus glared at his vocabulary list. Tomorrow was Monday. It had become his least favourite day of the week as it was now devoted exclusively to learning Gobbledegook, with the exception of his daily morning Taichichuan practice. Master Wordlang was relentless and by the end of the day, his head ached even more than after his Trials. She also gave him many boring exercises to be done by the next lesson. He had never really thought about learning languages. It soon was obvious he had no gift for it and he felt like he was back in first year when Transfiguration did not make sense. Except Transfiguration was useful everyday. Gobbledegook not so much. Well, it might be useful to understand if some Goblins were talking about him. But really not as necessary a like skill as Transfiguration.
It did not help that his nights were troubled since Abraxas' death. Werewolves as well as hundreds of clones of his father haunted Severus' nights. They always prevented him from saving Abraxas as well as foiled his attempts at escaping Lord Prince. He often woke up before dawn, breathless, sweaty and too wound up to fall back asleep. Severus checked his Occlumency boxes, thinking he had repressed his feelings too much since Abraxas death. There were less boxes than he had expected. He faced them, as hard as it was, but the nightmares did not stop. His Familiar was his saving grace on those nights, offering endless comfort and reassurances. The foal still did not have a name as he claimed Thestrals chose their name and he would know his when the time came. On the other hand, he had firmly denied Severus the name of master and either called him Broer or by his name. It was weird how they communicated through Sensing with feelings or picture while Severus' name was as clear as if the foal spoke it, with an underlying Sense of family.
Tuesday and Wednesday usually focused on Defence and Infiltration, both fields taught in group study. To Severus' surprise, Defence meant Defence against any kind of threat without using Magic. Master Suoajack explained that as long as they could not defend themselves through conventional means both from physical weapons and Magic, they were not allowed to use Magic of any kind. The first lessons had been humbling, and gave Severus a new appreciation for Taichichuan when he realised the different forms could be deadly if used the right way.
Severus also had a hard time not using Magic to defend himself. He only realized he was not using his wand – he did not have one anymore! – when Master Suoajack exasperatedly told him to stop using wandless Magic and to put the kriffing wand away as it was hindering the exercise. Apparently, the Goblin was not aware Severus had passed the Ritual – who knew besides his master's family and maybe Wirkrund– which complicated Severus lessons greatly. He did pretend to put his wand away, carefully transfiguring a piece of wood he found on the ground into a facsimile of his old wand and putting it in his backpack. He was amazed at how easily he managed the transformation. However, it did not help Severus with his problem. How did one stop using Magic instinctively? It drove home how much Severus had grown since the beginning of his Apprenticeship. He had focused on Taichichuan, Oaths and Runes, fields which did not require the use of wands. He had also become used to wordless Magic, even before his Apprenticeship, and among Goblins who did not possess wands, he had unconsciously mostly used wandless magic, even for Sensing. Now he had passed the Ritual, he did not feel different, but Magic acted before he even finished thinking about a spell. He needed to find time to practice and experiment with Wizard Magic because he knew his intensity and precision were going to be off. He also needed to work on reconciling Wizard and Goblin Magic if he wanted to get used to meshing both together to be able to benefit from the best of both worlds.
Infiltration was fun but exhausting. They used the Room of Crossings a lot to practice blending into any setting. They learnt how to plan successful infiltrations, be it inside buildings or to prepare an attack. During practice, the Usta were either pitted against each other or all against the Master. They had not won once for now.
Severus' group composition changed every day, the number of Usta changed each time and he seldom had lessons with the same ones. Drunek explained that depending on their Apprenticeship major and minors, Usta did not attend the same courses. At times, Usta even had to go to other parts of the Goblin nation to attend the right lesson, which was easy considering the Room of Crossings. Twice, other non-Goblin Apprentices shared Severus group study, both were Faes but different kinds. The constant turnover within the group study meant Severus did not really need to fraternise with the other Apprentices and that suited him just fine.
On Thursday, Severus studied Herbs. More precisely, he was taught how to find herbs and plants he had learnt about the year before. He also began to study the various interactions of plants, herbs and Magic various interactions.
Friday mornings were spent with Drunek. Severus asked questions about what had intrigued him during the week, or Drunek taught Severus about one subject of his choosing. More often than not, he quizzed Severus about his Gobbledegook. Severus' Master had instituted a new rule at home. While Severus could speak English – for now – the other members of the family had to speak Gobbledegook. Severus knew it was to help him learn faster, but the first weeks had been really complicated.
Finally, Friday afternoons saw Severus and his Familiar practice how to communicate and learn about their Bond. The little one communicated through Sensing, projecting feelings or pictures to Severus. Severus had been surprised the foal could understand him but the little Thestral had explained that Severus Sensed to him while he talked. Severus had feared he had been doing so with everyone, but the little one quickly assured him he only Sensed to his Familiar. They both had to practice a lot to be precise when Sensing to each other, and the first afternoons, Severus was exhausted and had troubles remaining awake during dinner. He was also learning to decipher the various sounds his Familiar produced coupled to his Sensing. For now, the range of his Thestral expressions was a mix from horses, birds and, more surprisingly, felines.
Severus had drawn a rough schedule of what they needed to work on. Sensing was the priority, but Severus wanted them to practice with someone trying to prevent them from communicating with each other and he was going to enlist his Master help.
Drunek now had him practice outside Sensing while performing Taichichuan, to get Severus able to readily Sense while moving or using Magic. To Severus' frustration, Drunek had deemed his Sensing shield good enough but only to begin working properly on double shields. His Master explained that to be able to protect himself while using outside Sensing effectively, Severus needed to maintain two Shields: one close to him, his core Shield, which would protect his core from Sensing attacks, a second shield, called personal shield, which was supposed to both filter the information his Sensing provided and protect himself from Sensing attacks.
Drunek explained Severus' core shield would ensure his own Magic was not twisted or used against him but not that the attack would not harm him otherwise. Maintaining two Shields was hard work, especially when the personal shield had to be adapted constantly to what he was doing. For example, if Severus was trying to Sense the meaning of a peculiar rune, his shield had to let the information from the runes pass through while filtering unwanted information from other Magic sources. Drunek assured Severus it would become as easy as Occlumency in time, but he was not convinced. Severus' personal shield also had to let him talk with his Familiar, which had not been easy at first.
One thing Severus was worried about was his foal's capacity to defend himself. Severus had no idea how his wand might have affected the Thestral's use of Magic, if some instinctual reactions would be different... He also had no idea of what Thestrals' usual weapons and defences were, as most of the writings he had found were more superstitious than informative, even among Goblins.
To Severus' surprise, his Familiar was not visible to all, as he realized when the foal amused himself during one of his Defence lessons with funny acrobatics and neither the Master nor the other Usta noticed. His little one was not sure of what made him visible or not as all Drunek's family could see him and none or the children had witnessed death yet – Severus fervently hoped they never would. Frekka theorized his Familiar only showed himself to people Severus trusted, which seemed confirmed when Wirkrund was the only other able to see the foal. Severus wondered what it implied concerning their Bond.
The little one seldom wandered far away from Severus, even though he loved to explore his surroundings. His current size allowed him to sneak in improbable holes and nooks, sometimes to the great amusement of Severus, like when he invaded a mouse home and had to retreat hastily in front of its angered cries. However, his Familiar refused to use the Room of Crossings for now and remained with Frekka when Severus had a lesson away.
Weekends were for homework and free time. Severus had never spent so much time outside since he had his Familiar. The foal loved forests and was always asking Severus to run out, enjoy some fresh air and play in the grass. The little one was much like Kiveä and Soraa, and Severus sometimes felt like a fourth kid now composed their family, especially when he was cornered to read them a story, giving in to fourth pairs of pleading eyes.
Quite often, like today, Severus spent his Sunday evening studying his Gobbledegook vocabulary one last time.
Severus sighed as he once again tried to learn the vocabulary list Master Wordlang expected him to know tomorrow. The bright side of learning Gobbledegook was that he had realised all goblin names had a meaning. Master Wordlang had explained Gobbledegook mostly was a mixture of many human languages as the Goblin Nation spread all over the world. As such, Gobbledegook often had various words to designate the same thing. Clans favoured some variant of the word more than others, and as Goblin names had meaning, members of the same clan tended to have names with the same sonority. It was helpful to guess which clan came an unknown Goblin came from, although there were exceptions to the rules. For example, Severus noted the Runsaus clan names were on the English side, like Roathtook or Hoardrock. On the other hand, his own clan were on the Northerner side. Severus' goblin name was more from the Asian side, with a reference to either the path or the sabre. Drunek had explained non-Goblin apprentices' names were always chosen with the Asian vocabulary because the Korkein lived in China, cradle of Goblin-kind.
Severus sighed again. Tomorrow's vocabulary was weapons. Goblins were fierce warriors, with or without magic, and held weapons closely to their heart. He shook his head, thinking how he was learning weapon vocabulary before food or home furniture. His Familiar loved the lessons as he found very funny Severus attempts to pronounce the words while he was learning them. Depending on the days, it either annoyed Severus or lifted up his mood.
Today, the little one was quietly listening to Severus. He looked… focused. Severus felt a sense of anticipation coming from him and wondered what his Familiar was plotting. He kept working on his list and was startled when the foal jumped on the desk. He Sensed his Thestral desire to have Severus read his vocabulary list once more, so he obliged.
"Kuī, helmet. Gōng, bow. Dao, sword. Ṭāṅgi, battle-axe. Dhaal, Shield-"
His Familiar interrupted him, jumping and tapping his hooves on the desk. Severus felt a sense of accomplishment and grounding.
"Is your name Dhaal?" asked Severus, unsure he had correctly understood his Familiar as the Sensing between them still lacked precision at times.
The foal Sensed back a strong feeling of affirmation and rightness. Severus thought back to the symbolism of supports he had chosen for his Ritual. In hindsight, Communication seemed to relate to his Familiar's disability when they had first met. Loneliness, well... they had both been lonely at the time. Self and Justice did not make sense yet. Protection, from his Familiar chosen name, indicated he considered himself Severus protector. He smiled at the thought.
"Well," said Severus, gently taking his Familiar in his arms. "Welcome Dhaal. This is quite a fine name."
He got a joyous purr and a lick on the cheek in answer and chuckled lightly.
"Let's introduce you properly to the other members of the family."
Severus felt a pang in his heart. He wanted to tell Lucius and his friends about Dhaal in person, but that would not be for years. Unless he told them about Dhaal as he would about a friend. He did not want to mention the Ritual in his letters because it felt too impersonal and… he was not sure how to put everything into words without explaining how he had come to pass the Ritual. So he would tell them about Dhaal but omit who he really was. He pushed aside the thought that Abraxas would never meet Dhaal and took his Familiar to the living room to share his name with Drunek's family.
Dhaal already was the children's favourite, but Severus felt his Familiar became a member of the family the day he found his name. As days passed, he was amused to watch Frekka treat the little Thestral the same way she did her own brood, be it for sweets or scoldings. Dhaal had a mischievous side Severus found endearing and sweet, but sometimes, his Thestral did not know when to stop. The day he decided to paint the kitchen wall by using mud and his hooves because he was unable to use Soraa colour chalks, same child obviously deciding to follow her friend's example, was a disaster. Severus shared the washing chore because Frekka was so angry she claimed he should be the one to keep his Familiar in line. Dhaal sheepishly brought one daisy to Frekka every hour until she forgave him with a stern admonishment to behave himself.
Severus' birthday came and went without any fuss. The passing months had confirmed his place was with the Goblins. Thinking back about his behaviour after Abraxas death made him cringe. His only defence was that he had been blinded by grief. When his life had finally been on the right path, when he had thought he was finally happy, his Mentor death had been a knife in the back. The bright side was that he might never have found Dhaal if he had been more rational. Still, his Master and his family deserved an apology. As did his grandfather, he admitted to himself grudgingly. This is why two evenings after his birthday, after writing his weekly letter to Lucius, thanking him for the beautiful photograph of Abraxas, Lucius and Severus he had sent him – Severus could not believe one existed, he had never noticed any being taken – Severus set up to pen two letters of apology. He could have apologized in person to Drunek and Frekka, but he wanted to be certain not to stumble during his apology – and he was uncomfortable enough already. He finished the letters late in the night, after countless drafts and crossing-out.
Dear Frekka and Drunek,
I wish to formally apologize for my behaviour the past months. I have no excuses for hurting you with my actions and my words. I can only say the unexpected death of my Mentor in such a cruel way caused me much grief and anger, blinding me to all which was not my need to support my brother through this trial, my guilt for the moments I missed with my Mentor while I was living with you and the pain of knowing we would never share another conversation.
I realize my failure at the Ritual would have impacted Kiveä greatly and I apologize for not thinking of his well being before mine. I thank you for taking care of Dhaal when I was in the coma, and I promise to do my best to rein him in. I thank you for not kicking me out or pushing me in the river when I deserved it. I will work hard to deserve your generosity, your kindness and, I hope, your forgiveness.
With all my respect and love,
Severus
Dear Grandfather,
I wish to formally apologize to you for my behaviour following Abraxas death. My mind, if not my heart, is today clear of grief, and I realise my conduct was foolish and unbecoming. Please accept my heartfelt thanks for preventing me from making the biggest mistake of my life.
I also wish to offer you my condolences for the loss of your best friend. I know as well as you do the emptiness he left in our hearts.
I know our relationship is not what you wish it were. I am not ready to forget and forgive the past, but I would be amenable to more correspondence between us.
Please convey my regards to my grandmother,
Sincerely,
Severus
The words felt stilted and awkward, but they conveyed his meaning.
The evening after, he gave the letters to Frekka in exchange of his own mail and disappeared up his room before she could ask him anything.
Severus opened Jonathan and Evan's letter first, needing some comfort.
Hey Severus! (Hey Genius!)
Very Happy Birthday! To celebrate the occasion, Evan and I are writing our letter together. (You are so lucky.)
We had quite the excitement today as for the first time in many years, we seventh years had a true career day. I think McGonagall was the one to organize it with the help of Flitwick. There were several representatives of the different guilds as well as from various magic universities from all over the world. (Many Muggleborns were surprised to learn you could do something else than becoming apprenticed, going to work at the Ministry as the coffee maker or become dark Wizards fodder in the Auror division. Honestly, don't the other Houses care about integrating their Muggleborns?) The day was enlightening on this point. I begin to understand why Muggleborns are so apart from us if they are not even aware of what our world offers (this is what lord Voldemort has been saying all along!).
It was a useful reminder for us of the various options we have. I know I will go to university as they are the only ones to offer estate managing and commercial mastery. However,I'm hesitating between remaining in England or going abroad. (I told him he did not have to remain in England for me, we can still see each other on weekends and holidays. It won't be like your hermit apprenticeship).
What Evan did not realize was that Jonathan worried about Mulciber's influence on him. The Mulcibers never left England. Severus knew as well as Jonathan that the chances of Evan leaving to study abroad were slim. Yet, Jonathan could not jeopardize his future for mere worries. Everybody knew Horeword was the best for finances and politics, but trips between England and the USA were strictly regulated. Jonathan would only be able to come home once a month at best.
Father and I are still weighing the pros and cons of each of the universities. Evan is not as undecided. (Indeed, my academics are not as good as yours so I have less trouble choosing. To Father's disappointment – but not his surprise – I will begin my Defence against the Dark Arts Apprenticeship after we graduate with an English Master. I am useless as a diplomat and I think I better be prepared for the future.
Severus frowned. Evan clearly was expecting to fight for the Defenders during the coming years. But the Defenders were hoping to win the next elections in three years. It did not make sense, except if Evan had been shaken by Abraxas death and alluded to fighting against muggle child abusers. Severus hoped that was what his friend meant.
(Of course, we will join the Defenders officially after graduation.)
On another note, to everyone's surprise (yeah, what a surprise really...), Evans and Potter are dating. The only upside is that she is keeping him leashed so he only fights us when she is not around. (It is very funny to see him try to act innocent the moment she appears.) To be honest, the number of fights involving seventh years is not that important, I think we can thank NEWTs for this. Dumbledore seems very pleased by his perfect Gryffindor couple. (yes, his eyes are twinkling as madly as before his probation. Too bad there were not more consequences.) I am not sure if we told you, they are implementing the new werewolves policy next year, ten werewolves from eleven to seventeen years old should be in Hogwarts then.
We hope you are still happy with your Apprenticeship, I have no doubt you will be extraordinary when you come back. (Do try not to look too intimidating for us).
Jonathan (and Evan)
Severus had no idea how long his Apprenticeship would last. Would he even finish at the same time as his friends? Goblins seemed to have so much to teach him... His sigh earned him a nuzzle from Dhaal and he smiled slightly, petting his Familiar' head before reaching for the next letter.
Dear Severus,
I hope you are well and that your Apprenticeship agrees with you.
I need advice and I thought that with your experience, you might offer some interesting hindsight. This is my OWLs year, and I had my first career orientation meeting. Slughorn was particularly unhelpful. You must know heirs seldom become Apprentices as they are required to learn how to manage their House and associated assets, skills only taught by tutors or universities. I am torn between going to a foreign university where I could meet unknown potential business and political allies, and going to Oxfarer, meaning I could partake in our movement more fully. The elections are in three years and I am unsure of the best path to follow.
I hope you do not regret your own choice and I am looking forward to exchanging ideas in person with you when you return.
Sincerely,
Regulus
Well. Who would have thought everyone would one day look up to him for advice on their future? Especially when he had almost thrown his own away. But he had the feeling Regulus and Jonathan were quite alike. He was pretty sure Horeword would be interesting for Regulus and allow him to mature away from the Black influence. Even Narcissa's. Severus refused to apologize to her for his behaviour at Abraxas funeral. As right as she might have been, he was certain she had not been thinking of Severus that day.
He rolled his eyes as he looked at the last letter. Witches.
Dear Severus,
I hope this letter finds you well.
First, let me wish you a Happy Birthday!
Seventh year at Hogwarts is really difficult, the workload is huge and there are so many subjects I wish I had more time to explore thoroughly. I am once more amazed you passed your NEWTs almost two years ago.
We had career orientation today. It was far more informative than the one in fifth year. I did not even know there were other possibilities than becoming an Apprentice. I am hesitating between becoming a healer and going into laws and politics. Total opposites I know, but I feel those would be the most useful choices considering the tensions in our world. What would you advise me? You must have asked yourself many questions when you prepared your own NEWTs.
I wish to tell you myself that I am dating James Potter. I know what you will say, but he has really changed and matured since Sirius adoption. He has been helping Remus and myself rein in the most extreme from our house, Professor McGonnagall is pleased with him too.
I hope you will answer this letter unlike the four others.
Love,
Lily
Severus had to admit she was persistent. He had thought not answering her first letter would deter her, that she was only trying to rekindle their friendship because she was intrigued by what he had achieved. Now he was not so sure.
He could not even think she was trying to ingratiate herself to spy on him for Dumbledore as she had kept disapproving of the Defenders openly in her previous letters – but not in this one, was it a change of strategy or had she thought dating Potter was already a huge point against her? He did not understand what she was hoping for. He might need to answer her once, if only to ask her to state clearly what she wanted from him.
He went to sleep with too many questions.
The next morning, Severus woke up excited. Today was his first class with Wirkrund since the beginning of his second year of Apprenticeship. They were five, waiting for the Master. He had already met two of them during previous group study. The first one was Qūzhé, a Fae, who had impressed him – and scared him – during one of the Defence class. He had a healthy respect for her hands that could form sharp claws and her unreal agility. The second one was Arnyék, a Goblin Apprentice who moved so silently Severus had wondered why he needed infiltration classes, until he saw how awkwardly he behaved when he was working with a team. The other two were Goblins he had never met. One was Sesterce, a female who was in her last year of Apprenticeship. She looked tiny and frail for a Goblin, but her eyes made Severus shiver. The last Usta was Rěnnàik. He was bigger and sturdier than any Goblin Severus had met, and almost as tall as Severus whereas most Goblins towered at one meter and a half. His stature was as imposing as his voice was low and gentle. Like Sesterce, Rěnnàik was in his last year. His speciality was Herbs. During the whole time they waited for Wirkrund, he explained to Severus how much he loved all plants and wanted to grow them in his family forest. The way he described it, Rěnnàik family' forest was either a paradise or a scary jungle full of deadly plants that Rennaik nonetheless had eating out of his goblin claws. Thoughts of Hagrid came fondly to Severus' mind.
All the Ustas were older than Severus and a lot scarier than him. He wondered why he had been put with them in this study group and was even more intrigued by today's lesson. When Wirkrund arrived, they fell silent immediately and waited for the old Master to speak with anticipation.
"Yíngjiē, Ustas."
"Yíngjiē, Master Wirkrund."
Severus was glad the traditional greetings had been in one of the first vocabulary lists he had learnt. The word was one he had struggled to pronounce correctly, but his work had paid off. The other Ustas would not think him beneath them because of this.
"The five of you are here today because your Masters and Wises have decided you must be aware of some sensitive information."
Sensitive information? Severus curiosity was definitely piqued.
"Their decision was based on your current Apprentice path, the questions you asked as well as what our seers foresaw."
Seers? Seriously?
"Before we begin, you will need to sign a Contract, to prevent you from telling others of what you will learn today. You are only allowed to discuss the contents of our future lesson with your own Master and Wise."
Severus was not surprised Goblins wanted to control sensitive knowledge, especially if it was dangerous. None of them batted an eye, and they signed the Contract after reading it thoroughly.
"Alright. Today we will talk about the Dark Arts."
That was definitely very interesting.
"To talk about Dark Arts, we must first understand where Magic comes from. Nobody knows how Magic first came to be, if it existed on its own before magic creatures did. What we know is that today, Magic flows through the world, under and above ground. We will liken it to a multitude of rivers for better understanding. Rivers of Magic are flowing distinctly around us. Some places are saturated by rivers while others are only crossed by two or three. Sometimes those rivers are big, sometimes only a trickle of Magic flows through them. "
So far, there were no big surprises.
"The rivers sometimes meet, creating nodes in the land. Magical beings tend to settle on those node locations instinctively. Where things become more complex is that when magical beings settle on a node, either its size increases in time, or the rivers composing the node get bigger. Sometimes, both happen. It means we, magical beings, create Magic which join with the existing rivers around us."
That was new. To be honest, Severus had never wondered where Magic came from. He could not fathom a world without Magic.
"The bigger nodes are called nexus. They usually require several conditions, like different kinds of sentient magical beings living there, as well as magic plants and creatures. The fall of a nexus is catastrophic and can happen in two different ways. One, the nexus dries up. Two, the Magic of the nexus is twisted. The consequences are different but disastrous in both cases. I will get back on this point later in my explanation."
That sounded ominous.
"When we use Magic, two things happen. We will take the example of Runes. To use runes, you must first determine their intention as well as the path to your intended target. Then, you must trigger the runes to make them work. Intention and path are fixed through the combination of runes you chose. Magic rivers flow through your runes without any goal until you trigger the runes. To do so, you must use some Magic from your core like you would use a spark to light a fire. The Magic taken from your core triggers the runes which give the rivers flowing through them a goal. If you do not use enough Magic from your core, the rivers won't reach their goal because they will lack energy to attain it. If you use too much, you risk exhausting your core Magic. The Magic used to trigger a casting is consumed and lost to you, this is why you must be careful not to over-exhaust yourself in your castings."
Severus closed his eyes, trying to visualize the different steps in Drunek explanation. He nodded to himself. So far, it was coherent with his understanding and experience of Magic.
"So how do we create Magic? It happens when we use too much Magic from our core in comparison to the casting need. The overflow of our core Magic will join with the Magic rivers."
Severus frowned. That could not be the only way to produce Magic.
"However, the Dark Arts are different. Dark Arts consume external Magic, Magic from the rivers. But what you take must be given back, this is what you do when you make a sacrifice. As you are all aware, you can either make a personal, also called an internal sacrifice, or an external sacrifice. But external sacrifices produce less Magic than internal ones because some part of the Magic from the sacrifice is recovered by the caster and included in his magical core. It makes Magic unbalanced, which is why it keeps wanting you to cast the dark spell again until you have given back enough Magic. Moreover, the caster added foreign Magic to its core so it tries to reject it. It means the core widens its Khorlos to eject the foreign Magic through them and back to the external Magic source. If it fails, it keeps on widening the Khorlos, causing a twisting of the core."
The explanation still made sense as far as he understood it, linking what he knew of Dark Arts from the Wizard point of view with his Goblin knowledge.
"Imbalance of Magic will affect every being, plant, rock… As the Magic they use is imbalanced, they will get twisted and imbalanced too, and in the worst case die. Twisted nexus, or vikrt, will contaminate huge part of the land, changing and twisting everything they touch, including yourself, unless you know how to protect your core and Khorlos from the imbalance. Taichichuan can be a great help, but Sensing shield are necessary. Nexus can also die if more Magic is used up than is created. They will dry up, leaving the land poor and drained."
"I don't understand how a nexus can dry up without being twisted first," said Rěnnàik.
Severus agreed. It did not make sense, unless nexus were more than just big nodes.
"Very good point," said Wirkrund approvingly. "What I did not tell you yet is that nexus are more than huge nodes. Nexus become sentient. They are born from the intent given to their castings by the beings living on it. I remind you intent is primordial in any kind of Magic castings," said Drunek pointedly before continuing his explanation. "Nexus stop growing when they become sentient – meaning when they transition from big nodes to Nexus. They consume the overflow of Magic through their sentience. Nexus sentience is complex and different from one nexus to another. Their common point is they are focused on their goal. Their goal is defined the moment they become nexus, from the intent of the beings who live on it."
The Master paused, letting the Usta digest the load of information he was giving them. Severus was concentrating to try and catch all the details.
"Nexus act to achieve their goal, thus producing Magic. When they stop acting, they stop producing Magic. It requires the beings who live on it to produce even more Magic for it not to dry up. Once a nexus is born, it won't go back to a node state because it lacks Magic. It will use up all the Magic available before dissolving when there is no more to sustain it."
The five Usta were silent as they took in the Master last words. Severus felt a shiver run down his spine. To dry up all Magic from a part of the land… Would it only mean the end of magic use, or would it cause the death of the magic creatures living in the area? Thinking of Dhaal, he knew Thestrals would not survive without Magic.
"What is the range of a nexus?" asked Severus.
Wirkrund smiled at him.
"Nexus range can vary, and you will never have two nexus ranges overlapping one another. To give you an idea of the area affected by a nexus drying up… To my knowledge, there are only three nexus in Britain and they cover the land entirely. It means the dissipation of one of them would affect a third of the country."
That was worse than he had thought. But…
"Does it mean it is impossible for a fourth nexus to be created in Britain?" asked Severus.
"Always the hardest questions Daoack," chuckled Wirkrund. "You are all aware the world seldom is black and white. Theory and reality are two separate entities. Depending on their goals, on their age, on the beings sustaining them, nexus may evolve and adapt. They may reassess their range so there is enough room for the birth of a new nexus. The same way, it is not unheard of that two nexus will alternate between being the bigger one of the two."
"Has someone ever tried to harness a nexus power for his own?" asked Sesterce.
Severus was certain that was the best way to widen one's Khorlos into oblivion.
"Of course," said Wirkrund. "Though I strongly advise against trying to. Most burnt on the spot. Nexus are sentient, they will defend themselves if you try to use them."
"Even if you are helping them achieve their goal?" asked Severus.
Wirkrund looked at him thoughtfully.
"It may work, if you are well versed in Inside Sensing. But you would only borrow the nexus power. To take it from it, even by pretending to help, has never been done. It would require a control of Magic I can not imagine," said Wirkrund gravely.
"Even by using the Dark Arts?" asked Qūzhé.
Wirkrund got up, pacing quietly in front of them.
"I honestly don't know," he finally answered. "The sacrifice required… you are almost guaranteed to become a Pahuu."
A Pahuu? Severus was not the only one lost.
"What's a Pahuu, Master?" wondered Rěnnàik.
"Nowadays, the word is mostly forgotten. It is unfortunate as many now confuse Dark Lords with Pahuus," growled Wirkrund. "Dark Lords are Masters of the Dark Arts. They always make their own sacrifices. Dark Arts have interested many because to use external Magic to trigger castings means you are not limited in power by the size of your own core. To use external Magic means a greater source of Magic. Greater source of Magic means more powerful spells. The more powerful the spell, the bigger the sacrifice. Dark Lords often learn how to make their personal sacrifice in several step over a given time, but it is an extremely delicate process. In the end, most Dark Lords fail to master themselves and become Pahuus. The reason for their failure is mainly because they never stop trying for more, they always try to push back the limit of what they can achieve. Pahuus are twisted beings who are addicted to Dark Arts and need to cast them even when it is not required. As I told you before, Magic will make you give back what you've taken. When a Pahuu dies, he gives back the Magic he had taken and more."
"Making your own sacrifices cannot be enough to deserve the Dark Lord title," Objected Qūzhé.
That was not what Wirkrund had said. Dark Lord were Masters of the Dark Arts. It implied they had cast spells or used rituals most did not dare to. Like raising inferi without losing their control.
"Exactly. As I said, they are Masters of the Dark Arts. The last known true Dark Lord is Lord Gellert Grindelwald. His most famous Dark Art achievement is his tower. He built it in Russia, raising it from the ground itself. He surrounded it with several layers of protection, from inferi to mist which confused the mind."
Despite himself, Severus felt a grudging respect for Dumbledore. He had beaten then locked down the man in his own tower after all. It made him wonder if both Wizards knew about Khorlos. He felt like you could not become a Dark Lord without having mastered Sensing as well as having opened your main Khorlo. He could not believe Dumbledore could have won against Grindelwald without having passed the Ritual. Of course. The Phoenix. Severus could have hit himself. He was still having trouble applying the goblin knowledge he was learning to the Wizarding world.
"Did Grindelwald really make a Horcrux?" asked Arnyék, talking for the first time since the beginning of the lesson.
Severus was taken aback by the question. He had heard about Horcruxes for the first time on the day of Lucius wedding. From his brother explanation, he doubted a true Dark Lord would create one.
"Have all of you heard of Horcruxes?" asked Wirkrund, looking at them in turn.
They all nodded. Qūzhé and Sesterce looked disgusted, while Rěnnàik seemed uncomfortable. Arnyék only looked curious. Severus hoped his own face was impassive. He wondered if their knowledge was one of the reasons they were having this lesson. Although how the Goblins knew Severus knew of Horcruxes was a mystery. Seers... He did not believe it.
"Horcruxes. Wizards think they are part of souls. I don't know if it is true as souls are intangible and cannot be quantified. What is certain is that Horcruxes are part of Khorlos. At the beginning, Horcruxes were only temporary. They were the consequences of the forceful opening of Khorlos."
That sounded barbaric.
"Centuries ago, no goblin leader could be respected if he had not passed the Ritual. Johtaja and Korkein were dismissed or killed if they were unable to. Wises created a way to open Khorlos forcefully, thus greatly improving the chances of passing the Ritual. It required a huge amount of Magic only found in a vortex. Vortex are nodes in the process of becoming nexus but that have not reached sentience yet. Nodes can remain at the vortex level a long time if no goal clearly emerges from the beings living on them. Finding a vortex was not enough of course, many Arithmancy calculations and studies of planet alignments were necessary to determine the most propitious day for the Khorlo opening, as well as to make sure the ritual would open the main Khorlo. This opening ritual usually lasted several days. First, the Khorlo was forcefully divided in two, one part imprisoned into an object that became a Horcrux. Then you waited several days before putting the Horcrux back into the Khorlo," Wirkrund paused and looked at them with sombre eyes. "Then, the ritual of death was discovered. The Magic released through one death, when harnessed the right way, was enough to open one's Khorlo. It was easier than waiting for several years for the right moment and vortex. And one day, after an assassination attempt, it was discovered Horcruxes could prevent death."
The Master's voice seemed too loud to Severus. None of the Usta dared move, afraid to make a noise.
"When the half-Khorlo contained in the Horcrux is not reunited with the main Khorlo, it creates an anchor in the world, preventing death, which does not mean you are alive. However, the longer it is not reunited, the more the Khorlo is stretched and becomes unstable and wider. Khorlos are not meant to be divided. Both parts will try to become complete again, either by manipulating beings to be in contact again, or by using external Magic to fill the empty part of them. In both cases, the core usually ends up twisted. To remain sane with a Horcrux demands preparation and care as well as constant surveillance of the spells used to maintain its stability and protect it from external Magic," stated Wirkrund firmly.
He looked at them, searching their faces as if to be sure they understood the gravity of the knowledge he was imparting them with.
"You know that we have seven Khorlos. So in theory, it is possible to make seven Horcruxes. It is however unheard of, and no one knows what kind of creature you would become."
Wirkrund's words hung in the air. All of the Usta looked dazed by what they had learned.
"This will be the end of our lessons. Please consider what you learned carefully and do not hesitate to question your Master and your Wise. Thank you Usta."
Wirkrund left them with those final words. The five looked at each other before standing up to leave. Severus had never been so glad to feel the sun on his skin. He hurried back home to cuddle with Dhaal and the children, unashamed of seeking their warmth to prevent himself from wondering why he had been chosen for this past afternoon lesson when he had almost broken up his Apprenticeship a few months ago. No matter his regrets and apology, them trusting him with this kind of knowledge was not logical.