Post by Jess on Jul 15, 2005 17:31:57 GMT -5
I posted this a long time ago on KC's site and thought it was high time I posted it here. That's right... a fan fiction about Filch. I wanted to find out why he was so cranky, what made him the way he is today. To find his depth. So I wrote the prologue to a fic about his feelings and thoughts, told from his point of view, as if he were writing in a diary. Hope you like it.
A/N: I'm not too sure how old he is or how long he's been at Hogwarts. I'm just estimating. I added the flashbacks I've been working on. To submit it to Mugglenet it has to be at least 500 words long, as it's a prologue, so I added in two flashbacks and the last bit of the prologue.
Prologue
"ARGUS!" the woman shrieked. The boy cowered in his room.
"Coming, Mother!" he shouted. He walked down the stairs, trembling. Ever since his parents had found out he was a Squib, they had acted like he was filth on their expensive shoes.
"Argus, I thought I told you..." the woman started.
"Oh, is the boy still here?" the man said in mild surprise. "I thought he'd left ages ago."
"Yes, he's still here," the woman said, looking at the boy with great distaste.
"Oh," the man said, glaring at the boy.
They both converged on the boy. He backed slowly into a corner, surrounded by their hate...
My name is Argus Filch. I am the caretaker at Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry. I have been at Hogwarts for the past 43 years.
All the students hate me. My only friends are my cat, Mrs. Norris, and the old Defense Against the Dark Arts professor, Dolores Umbridge.
One of the worst troublemakers in the school now that the Weasley boys have left is Potter. Him and his little friends, Miss Know-It-All and the other Weasley. The young Weasley girl, though, is living up to the name Weasley. She seems to have taken over her brothers' duties as head troublemaker.
And Peeves. That wretched poltergeist is always causing havoc. One day I'll have him out of this place, I tell you.
If only I were the head of this school; there would be a whole list of things I'd do.
Oh, how I wish I could be headmaster... but for now, I'm still just cranky old Argus Never-Had-A-Friend Filch.
This is my story.
"Go get that, boy," the man commanded. The boy shuffled out to meet the owl, his cat following him.
"You know you're not allowed outside, Mrs. Norris," he told her.
"Mrrrow," she protested.
"Sorry," he mumbled, and went to get the letter the owl carried.
'Mr. A. Filch' read the name on the front of the familiar yellowed envelope.
He opened it with a puzzled expression. Why did they want him back?
Dear Mr. Filch:
I am sure you know that our caretaker, Mr. Pringle, is retiring soon. As we will be in need of a new caretaker, I am pleased to ask you to return to Hogwarts to train for the position if you would like it.
As you know, term starts September 1.
Yours sincerely,
Albus Dumbledore
The boy smiled slightly. He would be able to go back! Even though he had no friends, it would be better than here.
"Well?" the man asked haughtily from behind him. "Who is it from?"
"Professor Dumbledore, sir," the boy replied. "He wants me to go back to Hogwarts."
"Well, I won't pay for you to go. You can't do the magic anyway."
"He wants me as caretaker," the boy explained. "I think it's free, maybe I'll even get paid for it."
"Hm," the man sniffed. "The money will go to us, of course."
"Yes, father," the boy mumbled.
"Get back to work," the man snarled.
"Yes, father," the boy repeated. He walked up to the bathroom resignedly and resumed scrubbing the tiles...
That was me.
That little boy, whose parents hated him so much.
That was me.
That's why I hate Potter so much.
He reminds me of me. And of what my parents did to me.
Sometimes all I want is someone to talk to. Someone who understands what I've been through. That's why I started this diary.
So I could tell you about her.
A/N: I'm not too sure how old he is or how long he's been at Hogwarts. I'm just estimating. I added the flashbacks I've been working on. To submit it to Mugglenet it has to be at least 500 words long, as it's a prologue, so I added in two flashbacks and the last bit of the prologue.
Prologue
"ARGUS!" the woman shrieked. The boy cowered in his room.
"Coming, Mother!" he shouted. He walked down the stairs, trembling. Ever since his parents had found out he was a Squib, they had acted like he was filth on their expensive shoes.
"Argus, I thought I told you..." the woman started.
"Oh, is the boy still here?" the man said in mild surprise. "I thought he'd left ages ago."
"Yes, he's still here," the woman said, looking at the boy with great distaste.
"Oh," the man said, glaring at the boy.
They both converged on the boy. He backed slowly into a corner, surrounded by their hate...
My name is Argus Filch. I am the caretaker at Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry. I have been at Hogwarts for the past 43 years.
All the students hate me. My only friends are my cat, Mrs. Norris, and the old Defense Against the Dark Arts professor, Dolores Umbridge.
One of the worst troublemakers in the school now that the Weasley boys have left is Potter. Him and his little friends, Miss Know-It-All and the other Weasley. The young Weasley girl, though, is living up to the name Weasley. She seems to have taken over her brothers' duties as head troublemaker.
And Peeves. That wretched poltergeist is always causing havoc. One day I'll have him out of this place, I tell you.
If only I were the head of this school; there would be a whole list of things I'd do.
- Banish Peeves
- Severely punish students when they did wrong
- Expel Potter and the Weasleys
- Appoint new teachers, except for Professor Snape
- Give Professor Snape the position of Defense Against the Dark Arts professor
- Ban Hogsmeade trips
- Moaning Myrtle banished- no more mopping up floods!
- Implement new curriculum
Oh, how I wish I could be headmaster... but for now, I'm still just cranky old Argus Never-Had-A-Friend Filch.
This is my story.
"Go get that, boy," the man commanded. The boy shuffled out to meet the owl, his cat following him.
"You know you're not allowed outside, Mrs. Norris," he told her.
"Mrrrow," she protested.
"Sorry," he mumbled, and went to get the letter the owl carried.
'Mr. A. Filch' read the name on the front of the familiar yellowed envelope.
He opened it with a puzzled expression. Why did they want him back?
Dear Mr. Filch:
I am sure you know that our caretaker, Mr. Pringle, is retiring soon. As we will be in need of a new caretaker, I am pleased to ask you to return to Hogwarts to train for the position if you would like it.
As you know, term starts September 1.
Yours sincerely,
Albus Dumbledore
The boy smiled slightly. He would be able to go back! Even though he had no friends, it would be better than here.
"Well?" the man asked haughtily from behind him. "Who is it from?"
"Professor Dumbledore, sir," the boy replied. "He wants me to go back to Hogwarts."
"Well, I won't pay for you to go. You can't do the magic anyway."
"He wants me as caretaker," the boy explained. "I think it's free, maybe I'll even get paid for it."
"Hm," the man sniffed. "The money will go to us, of course."
"Yes, father," the boy mumbled.
"Get back to work," the man snarled.
"Yes, father," the boy repeated. He walked up to the bathroom resignedly and resumed scrubbing the tiles...
That was me.
That little boy, whose parents hated him so much.
That was me.
That's why I hate Potter so much.
He reminds me of me. And of what my parents did to me.
Sometimes all I want is someone to talk to. Someone who understands what I've been through. That's why I started this diary.
So I could tell you about her.