Master

The following week after the results of the C.S.A.E. exam, Rowan and Severus were summoned to their grandfather's office. Dawn had insisted that they both be properly dressed before being let out of their bedrooms. Making their way downstairs they found Aunt Georgine properly dressed waiting in the Great Hall. Giving them a quick look over, Georgine nodded in approval and said, "Hurry to the study now."

"Yes, Aunt Georgine," Rowan and Severus muttered, before they head over to the study as previously instructed.

On their way there, Rowan gets a most terrible feeling. She quietly says, "Severus?"

"Hmm, what?" Severus grunted.

"Don't you get the feeling that we used all our luck to pass the exams?"

"What's that got to do with anything?"

"Well, I just have the distinct feeling that we used up all our luck. And now, everything that can and will go wrong will in fact happen."

"You're just being pessimistic again."

"Two fourteen-year-olds memorized four years' worth of studies in under two months. That does sound like an impossible feat or an act of Merlin himself so to speak. And I'm fairly confident that I'll never be able to repeat the same miracle in this lifetime again."

Severus is still for a moment as he too starts to get an eerie feeling. "Now that you mention it, that does seem odd. We should have at least failed one or two courses. And at best passed most of them with an acceptable only. And that would have still been considered a rather good grade and would have passed the apprenticeship exam."

"That's my exact point," Rowan said with a tiny shiver. "We're Slytherins not lucky Gryffindors." The two of them unconsciously gulped as they made their way down the corridor to their grandfather's study. The door was closed as Rowan timidly knocked on the door.

"Do come in, children," Reginald could be heard saying from inside.

Rowan opens the door and both her and Severus pause in the open doorway. There sitting in one of the armchairs is a long silvery-haired wizard with his beard neatly tucked into his belt. His robes for once were rather demure in a silvery sort of color. The tip of his polished buckled high-heeled boots peeked out from underneath his robes. While his childlike blue eyes sparkle rather innocently at them from behind half-moon spectacles hanging on his long, crooked nose that had been at least been broken twice before, Headmaster Albus Dumbledore.

"Good afternoon, Professor Dumbledore," Rowan and Severus said as they stepped inside the study. There wasn't anything strange about his being here as no doubt he'd come to discuss the changes to their schedule and so forth. They'd been told as much by the office of C.S.A.E.

"Have a seat, children," Reginald said as Rowan and Severus did as they were told. To their surprise, Reginald arose and said, "I shall leave the three of you to it to discuss." Bowing once, he departs and firmly closes the door shut behind him. Leaving Rowan and Severus behind exchanging rather wary glances.

"I must admit I found myself both surprised and rather pleased to receive the letter from the Ministry of Magic of the two of you passing the C.S.A.E. exam," Dumbledore said with a grin. "The last apprenticeship that Hogwarts had was roughly over a hundred and fifty years ago."

Seeing Rowan and Severus merely just staring at him, Dumbledore chuckled. "Forgive me, I do tend to ramble a bit at times. Now, let us get to the matter of business at hand. Now that you have both passed the C.S.A.E. exam, the deadline to find a master to apprentice under is August 13th. Have the both of you found a master yet?"

"Grandfather said, he would arrange one for us, Professor Dumbledore," Severus replied for the both of them.

"I see," Dumbledore mused out loud. "And he did not inform you of his choice?" Both Rowan and Severus shook their heads in response. Their grandfather and Aunt Georgine had been rather secretive about the whole affair.

"In that case," Dumbledore rose to his feet and formally bowed to both of them. "Mr. and Miss Prince, I hereby accept the formal apprenticeship request to become your master. I shall endeavor to pass down all my earthly knowledge be it from the creation of spells to Defense Against the Dark Arts all the way down to the alchemy skills I possess. So, mote be."

Two silver badges zoom out of Dumbledore's robes to gently fall into their laps. It was two apprenticeship badges, which the master forged using his own magic. The badges were typically instilled with the protection of the highest order to protect his still student apprentices from harm be it from attacks or a simple accident in class. The badges in question were that of a pentagram within a circle with the points of the pentagram in Ancient Runes.

Rowan slightly smiled in delight at recognizing the Ancient Runes as Severus tentatively touched his badge. Both glanced up still rather bewildered at Dumbledore as they still seemed rather confused by the suddenness of the situation. Chuckling to himself, Dumbledore sits down and says, "The badges are to be worn over your regular school robes declaring that you are both apprentices, mine to be precise."

Rowan and Severus slowly nod their heads as they both carefully put the badge in their pocket. Both of them were still in shock and rather wary at finding the headmaster as their new apprenticeship master. It wasn't because he was powerful, but rather that he was a Gryffindor, and they were Slytherins. There were bound to be some crucial idealistic differences.

"Now then, shall we begin to review your schedule?" Dumbledore professionally said Rowan and Severus finally seemed to awaken from their stupor.

Dumbledore pulled out their exam results from his robes to better study their choices. "I must say I am most pleased to find that the both of you passed all your subjects and even acquired several O's each of you."

Glancing down at Rowan's first, Dumbledore says, "Which subjects will you be dropping, Rowan?"

Rowan startles at being called by her first name, but still answers, "I would like to drop Astronomy, History of Magic, Herbology, and Potions, Professor Dumbledore. As for the rest of the classes I would like to retain them with the exception of Arithmancy. I would like to request to be transferred to Advanced Arithmancy."

"Excellent choices," Dumbledore said. "I would like for both of you to maintain your present Charms, Defense Against the Dark Arts, and Transfiguration courses. At present, all the Hogwarts Professors are aware of your passing the C.S.A.E. I do not need to warn you that they and I expect neither of you to slack off in your studies simply because you both have achieved such a success."

Severus and Rowan paled knowing full well that from now on they would be spending a lot of their time with the Headmaster. It was never a good thing when the principal of the entire school body is suddenly your guardian so to speak. It absolutely wasn't!