The Ryan O'Shiel Chronicles: The Return of the Hallows

Chapter Eight: House Elves and Arguments

Ryan grabbed the ingredients that was necessary for the potion that they were making and placed them on the desk, he had really been hoping that Slughorn would in a better mood whilst they brewed potions. He wouldn't admit it to anyone but he secretly loved the attention and praise that Slughorn gave him on his brewing skills.

"O'Shiel; pass me your shrivelfig root" Kate Hughes demanded, she had become particularly nasty since their first lesson and always demanded that he hand over his good looking; well prepared ingredients

"Back off Hughes" Ryan retorted, he hated working with group two, he shot a meaningful glare at Andrew and Teddy both of whom were laughing at a joke that Teddy had obviously told. He stared for a couple of seconds, neither boy returning the glare.

"O'Shiel what are you doing? Cut up my ingredients now!" Darrel said, elbowing him in the ribcage. Ryan had grown used to this since Slughorn's suspicious change of demeanour. The Slytherins started to get away with a lot more in the Potions Classroom and sadly the majority of the time he caved in.

"Fine but stop hitting me in the ribs!" Ryan shouted - stealing the attention of the other first years. Slughorn gazed up from the piece of parchment he was reading before shrugging his shoulders and continuing reading what was going on. Ryan pulled the ingredients and began to chop the other students shrivelfig at the same level of perfection that his were cut to.

***

After an agonising ninety minutes the bells finally sounded and Ryan was the first one to leave the classroom, not caring that he had left his cauldron exposed to an open flame, ignoring the shouts from Slughorn and the calls from Andrew and Teddy he raced up the stairs from the dungeon.

"Ryan! What's gotten into you today?" Andrew asked concerningly, Ryan knew that his friend was only trying to help but he was in such a furious mood! He was annoyed with Slughorn, the Slytherins and just about everything about his potions classroom.

"Whats wrong? Are you stupid? Andrew, I spend every practical potions lesson being harassed by the Slytherins - essentially forced to do the majority of their work because they can't be bothered! I have no friends to sit with in that class, at least you have Teddy!" Ryan roared at his friends.

"Merlin's sake Ryan!" Teddy started "I think you need to calm down."

Ryan huffed, breathing in air and exhaling it rather loudly and hotly. "Don't.Tell.Me.To.Calm.Down.Teddy" Ryan seethed before storming away from his friends.

***

Ryan stormed up the Grand Staircase, fully intending to walk up to Gryffindor tower but it appeared that the staircase had other plans leading him up to the seventh floor. He looked around for a room, he needed to vent some of his anger and after walking past a tapestry of some old wizard named Barnabas a few times a small silver handled appeared on the wall, not long after a gigantic copper door burst into physical form in front of him.

He was conflicted, his father had always told him not to trust a magical item that he couldn't see where it hid its brain and here he was. Excited by the opportunity to explore some of Hogwarts secrets but torn by the words of his father, he decided to take life by the handles and thrust himself in through the door.

What greeted him was a large chamber, that strangely resembled a muggle gym; he saw strange objects that looked suspiciously like a podium with a moving belt and a large red bag hanging from the ceiling. The dark walls looked scorched, as if a giant fire had previously destroyed the walls.

"Merlin?" Ryan sighed, "I really wish that someone would be able to explain how this place exists" he continued before a loud crack scared the wits out of him. Turning around he saw a rather old house elf. "Who are you" he shouted, pointing wickedly at the old elf.

"Er?" The house elf started, his eyes darted around the room as if he didn't even know why he was here, before straightening itself up "I'm Slink young master and you sir, are in the Room of Requirement, this room will give you nearly anything. Just not food. Don't bother trying" Slink said, his old tired eyes snuck a glance at Ryan.

"Why are you here?" Ryan started, he had hundreds of questions but he first he wanted to know why the old elf graced him with his presence.

"I honestly don't know young master, I was tending to the fire in the Slytherin common room and all of a sudden I felt the necessity of being right here." Slink said honestly. Ryan internally laughed at the thought of the old house elf just leaving the fireplace in the Slytherin common room to openly burn whatever it could.

"So you said that the room can give me whatever I want?" Ryan asked the elf, "What if I wanted a time turner to turn back time." He glanced hopefully at the elf, he felt absolutely horrible for shouting at Andrew and Teddy now that he had begun to cool off. Especially when it wasn't even their fault he was in a foul mood..

"Why would you want to go back in time?" The elf asked, "the present is the best time to be in, you only have to do the one chore your assigned for that point, if you look to the future you know you have a never ending cycle of chores but looking at the past shows you all the chores you had to do to get to the point of the present. Oh yes, the chores never do end." The elf groaned, Ryan laughed at the elf - never having met a house elf who hated to do chores. The elf was an odd one that was for sure.

Ryan sighed, not sure if the elf would understand. He wasn't even sure if house elves understood the concept of friendships, arguments and the like. He had only met one house elf and it was his Uncle Bartholomew's and that meeting had been extremely short. "Well, I shouted at a couple of my friends for something they didn't do and now I feel absolutely horrible. What if they don't want to be friends with me anymore?"

"Well then they're not very good friends are they? I remember some other students who used to have a lot of problems, they were Gryffindors just like you. Always rowing they were. Think one of their names was Herms or something, it has been way too long for me to remember. Just go back and explain what you're going through. If they don't forgive you then they don't deserve to be your friends; do they young master?" The house elf said "well, you go and do that okay young master. If you need me just call me, remember my name is Slink okay?" The house elf clicked his fingers and disappeared from the room. He had given Ryan some pretty solid advice, after shooting the room a gigantic grin, he set off to find his friends.