A Taste of Magic

Chapter 121: 121st Course - Nemesis No More

"Whoa, is everything okay?" Harry asked.

Inky sniffed. "Everything is fine."

"Doesn't sound it," Harry said, watching the very large argument going on in the kitchen. He had a free period and was caught up on classwork so he decided to visit the kitchens and cook with the house elves for a bit. He walked in and was flabbergasted to see a lot of incredibly polite but emphatic arguing between a good portion of the elves.

"Ebbers is irritated," Inky said dismissively. "He cannot find some of the older pots and pans. They were not stored right and are missing. Last to use them was Basil but Basil says Sage was last. Sage says storeroom is a mess so now Quarters is irritated. So lots of arguing."

"I always thought the kitchen here is a lot smoother than Gringotts sometimes," Harry smiled. "As in less yelling and ribbing and that sort of thing. Same with Hog's Head technically but that's usually the bar bleeding into the kitchen."

"We is on our best behavior when Harry visits," Inky giggled. "Is no good showing Harry bad house elf manners."

"I'm used to it. You've met Kreacher."

"Yes, Inky has," Inky sniffed with disapproval.

"Kreacher is great though and he's a lot better."

"If Harry says so," Inky said with a small shrug. She shook her head at Ebbers when he stomped over. "So? Where is?"

"No idea," Ebbers growled. "Elflings! Lose head if not attached to the body."

"You spent three days looking for your favorite off-set spatula and you had it tucked in your toque," Inky snorted, "the whole time!"

"Ebbers doesn't remember that," Ebbers sniffed, looking away with flushed cheeks.

"Of course Ebbers doesn't," Inky said airily. "Like he doesn't remember putting it there and blaming others for nicking it."

"Is there anywhere else they could be?" Harry asked with a wide smile. "Is there another storeroom or something you don't use often?"

"Good idea! Inky, take Harry to Come-and-Go room," Ebbers said. "Could be there and you have time to spread terrible tales about so you have time to go look."

"They aren't tales if they are true!" Inky said indignantly as she wiped her hands clean. "Come Harry, Inky needs company with mature person." She and Harry left the kitchen and she led him up a back staircase to go higher in the castle.

"What's the Come-and-Go room?" Harry asked.

"Is a magic room in Hogwarts," Inky explained. "It's where lots of lost things end up actually, so is good that you made us think of it. Hogwarts likes to collect lost things and put them somewhere to be found when needed."

"That's good of the school," Harry said. He followed Inky to a bare patch of wall between tapestries. He watched as Inky walked back and forth three times and he gasped in delight as a large door appeared, as if growing from the stone. "That's amazing!"

"Hogwarts is the best," Inky smiled.

"It sure is," Harry agreed. He followed Inky as she opened the doors and his jaw dropped at the incredibly large room within that was full of lots of things. The collection, there was no other way of describing it, was vast and varied. There was no discernable organization either. Things were piled haphazardly on the floor or on tables or on one of the myriads of shelves. Quills, brooms, books, cauldrons, objects that he did not recognize, just about anything one could think of was there in varying states and conditions.