The Brightest Star Of The Darkest Night

19. The Ritual

Hadrianus knocked twice, before peeking inside the ritual room, blinking in surprise when more than one pair of eyes blinked back at him. Even his mum was here, perching on a warm runic-stone watching them work.

"Hadrianus, come in." Marvolo nodded at his son, "This is Goblin Ritualist Lord Gornuk, he is under Unbreakable Vow and will be in charge of the ritual. Lord Gornuk, this is my son and Heir, Hadrianus Marvolo Slytherin."

Hadrianus approached them, remembering they had chosen the ritual which will need a Goblin's help, and pouted inwardly. He had anticipated his favorite Gobfather to arrive, not someone unknown. But, understandably, his Gobfather is a Healer, not a Ritualist by profession. And of course, his father will search for the best professional Ritualist Goblin to get the ritual done.

"May your coffers replenish, Lord Gornuk." Hadrianus bowed his head in respectful greeting, the way his Gobfather had taught him. The Goblin Lord raised his eyebrow in obvious surprise.

"And may your health never decline, Heir of The Darkest Lord. Shall we begin?"

"Of course," Marvolo picked up a small white robe and gave it to him, "Go to the next room and change into this."

Hadrianus blinked, then nodded, accepting the robe. He had seen Tom and his father performing a ritual before. He knows most of the advanced rituals need to be done by going sky-clad. He silently went to the changing room and changed into the white robe, and folded his old clothes and kept it beside his father's neatly folded clothes. Then went back to the main ritual room.

"Young Hadrianus will need to remove his robes and enter into the center of the cycle and lie inside the basin, submerging himself in the potion." The Goblin Teller who was in charge of the ritual informed them, pointing at the golden-colored almost ten feet big ceramic basin full of a potion of with some sort boiling away in it as he looked over the ritual circle and other preparations for the last time, before picking the long silver ceremonial dagger and giving it to Marvolo, "And you will need to pour blood into the runes on top of the circle when I signal."

"Of course." Marvolo nodded and accepted the dagger at the same time Hadrianus shouted, "Wait, WHAT?"

The adults raised their eyebrows at the youngest who was staring incredulously at the basin. "Are you kidding me? That thing is boiling! I will die!"

Marvolo rolled his eyes inwardly as if he will let anything happen to him. But he can understand his confusion. After all, he is still a child, and not familiar with Magic enough to know it is harmless. Looks like he found which subject to teach his son next. And he knows a brilliant Potion master who is capable of that. "Do not fret Hadrianus, it is not water that will scald you. Some substances boil even under low temperatures, you will learn soon about them. You may feel some sort of stings, but that's on the final part of the ritual."

Hadrianus gulped, torn between not wanting to believe this and trusting his father. After all, his father won't hurt him, neither he will lie to him. And obviously, his father knows the best. And he doesn't tolerate hesitation or delay to obey his commands, he has learned that in the last few months. So he settled for finding out himself.

He hesitated for a moment, blushing to be starker in front of an unknown Goblins. He is not ashamed in front of his parents, they have already seen him naked on several occasions. But the Goblin didn't. As he glanced at him, he saw the Goblin is busy looking over some parchment. So he quickly removed the robes and folded them, keeping them on his mum which she accepted with a pleased hiss, loving the residual warmth and his smell in the robes.

Hadrianus quickly made his way over to the huge basin, making sure to not touch any rune or ingredients as he went. He quickly tested the crystal clear potion, which was, just as his father said, not hot but warm enough to be comfortable. He quickly sank in it, obscuring his nudity from the Goblin who is yet to raise his head from the parchment. Hadrianus found the height of the potion inside the basin is the exact height of him, without the head needing to sink; almost smell-less, with a hint of foreign leaf-like weird scent, though it was not bad. Hadrianus relaxed into the warm water-like potion, letting himself soak, and glanced at his father who was examining the ceremonial dagger in his hand. So he started to amuse himself by playing with the bubbles from the boiling potion around him.