7 Chapter 5 - Some Things Never Change

*** A/N: All done with work so here my chapter for the day. Also please vote for your preferred release schedule. Vote ends in a few hours! Enjoy everyone!*****

Appearing in a bright *FLASH* by the small floo flames on the wall, Khan hurries into the familiar room.

"Deek?" He calls out with a tiny hope that maybe his old friend is still alive.

'I doesn't know much about House-elves or their life-expectancy.' Khan mused to himself, attempting to distract himself while waiting/hoping for Deek to appear. 'Got something else to research now!'

Gazing around the familiar room, he noted that not much had changed, at least at first glance.

Originally setting the room up with a Botanical theme, to match his Vivariums, he looked around in surprise at how well maintained everything appeared, even after 100 years. This gave him hope that perhaps Deek was still alive!

Walking forward, into the main part of the room of requirements, he stopped at the Large Botanical table situated in the middle of the room. It had been a long time since it had been used, but surprisingly there were no signs of dust.

Skipping his vivariums for now, he glanced backwards towards the left corner of the RoR. This was the area where unsurprisingly, he spent the most amount of time. His study nook.

Using conjured Dressing Screens to portion off a corner of the room, he had his Desk and various Bookshelves placed neatly. Being a Ravenclaw, not only was he worried about his studies, but this was compounded by the fact that it was still technically his first year of Hogwarts, and he had to take the O.W.Ls with that little amount of education. So naturally, the first thing he did when Professor Weasley introduced him to the RoR, was create a suitable study area, for him to catch up at.

Walking slowly up to his desk, he glanced down to the book he was last studying.

"Secrets of the Darkest Art…" he mumbled to himself picking it up.

Stopping to pause, he thinks. 'Wasn't that the book Sebastian and I found while exploring the restricted section?' Why is it here? I don't remember ever studying this….'

A little confused, he places the book back down, before turning around, intending to check on his plants.

Heading downstairs, he travelled through a hallway, leading away from his vivariums, towards what he called his 'production line'.

Taking this name from muggles, Khan smiled to himself in admiration of them. No magic, no supernatural capabilities. Yet they were able to make such amazing machines. He could only imagine their progress in the last 100 years.

Initially, the Room had created the area downstairs for Khan to practice his spells. The original purpose however, was soon forgotten as soon as Khan started his various adventures. No longer having to simply practice his spells, as he was now getting a practical application of their use every day in live combat, Khan decided to make use of the now open space, by creating a potion 'production line'!.

He called the lower part of the RoR his 'production line' because that is exactly what it did. It produced plants (both for combat and for potion ingredients) and produced potions.

Arriving at the lower floor he steps into the large open room. Off towards the left, he sees his various T-shaped potion stations, in an orderly fashion all in a circle, which at one point allowing him to brew up to 21 potions at the same time.

Out of habit, he actually heads to the closest potion table, setting 3 Wiggenweld potions to brew via an automation charm, to replace the ones he had recently used. Nodding to himself happily once complete, he takes the Wiggenweld potions back and stashed them away, before turning back towards the other side of the room.

Making his way over, he is soon back in his own routine, harvesting and collecting all the various potion and combat plants, fertilizing them, setting up some overstock to be chopped magically by his chopping tables; fully absorbed into his familiar and comforting movements.

An hour later he has just completed his maintenance.

Slowly making his way back upstairs, he begins to brace himself to visit his beasts. His beasts feel like his one hope of a connection to the past. Something familiar from his own time.

And quite frankly, Khan is clinging to any hope of the past in his heart. What he would give for a personal connection to someone, anyone, to help him through this.

Witches and Wizards do live longer than the average Muggle. However all his school friends were well over 100 years of age, even if they were still alive in the first place.

His mentor was dead, right in front of him.

His 3 best friends were probably dead, not even given a chance to say goodbye.

His family was probably dead. His parents only had himself as a child, and were well past child rearing age when he started Hogwarts.

Deek was probably dead from old age. He did appear to be a bit older in age than other elves Khan had met.

He really hopes that a few of his beast friends were left at least. He knew Phoenixes for example were an ancient and magical beast. So perhaps his rescued Phoenix Sol, would still be here at least.

Anxiety building up, Khan's eyes glow red for a split second, before fading away. Khan was getting really worried, thoughts getting jumbled in his head.

'Was he truly alone now? Should he even go into his vivariums? What if all he finds there are dead bones? Maybe he should see if his beasts are alive tomorrow.'

Thoughts swirling, he stops right before setting foot into his Coastal Vivarium, pausing a few feet from the entrance.

Taking a few deep breathes to psych himself up, hand and palms sweaty with anxiety, he stares at the entrance.

'Left foot, right foot' Khan mumbles to himself like a toddler, convincing himself to get it over with already.

Yet a few more minutes pass, and he has yet to move.

Suddenly smacking his face with both his palms, he surprises even himself by the sound created.

*PAK* as both palms impact his cheeks quite loudly.

Khan shakes his head of depressing and distracting thoughts after the wake-up smack.

'Where the hell did that come from?' Khan mused to himself. 'Since when have I ever been so overwhelmed with emotion and indecision that I quite literally paralyzed myself'.

Analyzing his feelings, Khan is soon interrupted of his thoughts, as he notices something stepping out of the Vivarium.

'A house-elf!' Khan thinks to himself as he rushes over.

"DEEK!?!?"