bacchusnovels Chapter 315 The Repulsive Filch
Chapter 315 The Repulsive Filch
Chapter 315 The Repulsive Filch
Harry immediately turned around and saw Lupin standing at the other end of the corridor, waving kindly at him.
Without much thought, Harry chose to ignore Filch, pretending not to hear, and ran quickly toward Lupin.
Upon seeing Lupin, Filch hesitated for a moment, then quietly clenched his fist.
"Harry, what are you doing?" Lupin asked, his tone completely different from Filch's. "Where are your friends?"
"In Hogsmeade," Harry replied, trying to sound as lighthearted as possible, but the disappointment in his heart was still evident.
"Ah." Lupin nodded, paused for a moment, observed Harry's expression, and then said, "Why aren't you coming with me? I just received a Grindylow, and I'm planning to use it in the next class."
"A what?" Harry asked curiously, following Lupin into his office. In the corner stood a large water tank, inside which was a disgusting, horned green monster making all sorts of strange faces behind the glass, constantly bending and stretching its thin fingers.
"The water monster," Lupin explained, looking at Grindelwald thoughtfully, "dealing with it shouldn't be too difficult."
Especially after you've already dealt with Kaba. The key is to break free from its fingers. Have you noticed how unusually long its fingers are? Although powerful, they are brittle and fragile.
Grindy lolled out its green teeth and then buried itself in the seaweed in the corner of the tank.
"Want a cup of tea?" Lupin suddenly suggested, looking around for a teapot. "I was just about to brew a pot of tea."
"Okay," Harry replied awkwardly, and sat down.
Lupin opened a dusty jar and said with a smile, "I'm afraid I only have ordinary tea bags—but I guess you've had enough of tea-infused drinks, haven't you?"
Harry couldn't help but chuckle; Lupin's eyes gleamed with amusement, which made him feel a little more relaxed. "How did you know about this?" Harry asked.
“Professor McGonagall told me,” Lupin said, handing Harry a cup of tea with a small chip in it. “But you’re not worried about these things, are you?”
"Yes," Harry said, but there were still some things he didn't say aloud. He desperately wanted to tell Lupin about the black dog he'd seen on Magnolia Crescent Street that day, but he hesitated. He was afraid Lupin would think he was a coward, especially after Lupin had already shown some doubt about his magical abilities.
Harry's emotions seemed written all over his face, and Lupin quickly noticed this, asking gently, "Is something bothering you, Harry?"
"No," Harry answered dishonestly, his gaze fixed on Grindelwald, who was waving his fist in the water tank. "Actually, yes," he said suddenly, placing his teacup on Lupin's desk, "Do you remember the day we dealt with the Boggarts?"
"I remember," Lupin said slowly.
"Why won't you let me deal with it?" Harry asked abruptly.
Lupin raised his eyebrows slightly, clearly somewhat surprised by the question.
"I thought it was obvious, Harry," Lupin said calmly, but with a hint of surprise.
Harry was somewhat taken aback by Lupin's direct admission. "Why?" he pressed.
"That's right," Lupin explained, raising a slight brow, "I naturally assume that if Boggart were to face you..."
It will transform into Voldemort's appearance.
Harry was convinced. He hadn't expected Lupin to mention Voldemort's name so frankly; apart from Dumbledore, Harry had never heard anyone else mention the name directly.
"Obviously, I was wrong." Lupin still frowned. "But at the time, I did think that Voldemort's image shouldn't be revealed in the faculty lounge; it would frighten the others."
"I did think of Voldemort first," Harry admitted, "but then I thought of all the Dementors."
“I understand,” Lupin said thoughtfully. “That makes a lot of sense. Your fear of Voldemort has been replaced by a deeper fear—fear itself. That’s a very mature reaction, Harry, very wise.”
Harry didn't know how to respond, so he simply lowered his head and took a few more sips of tea. He hadn't expected Lupin to understand his fear so well, which brought him a sense of relief.
"Did you always think I didn't believe you were capable of dealing with Boggart?" Lupin asked astutely.
"Yeah, I guess so," Harry admitted, feeling a sudden sense of relief.
"Professor Lupin, you know about those Dementors—" Harry was about to bring up his biggest worry when someone knocked on the door, interrupting his thoughts.
"Come in," Lupin called out.
The door opened, and Snape walked in, carrying a slightly steaming wine glass. Upon seeing Harry, he paused briefly, his dark eyes narrowing in displeasure.
"Ah, Severus," Lupin said with a smile, "thank you very much. Could you put it on the table?"
Snape put down his glass, his gaze shifting between Harry and Lupin with a hint of displeasure.
"I just showed Harry my Grindylow," Lupin explained cheerfully, pointing to the monster in the tank.
"How amusing," Snape said dismissively, not even glancing at the water tank. "But you'd better drink this right now." He gestured to the glass, his tone leaving no room for argument.
"Okay, okay, I'll drink it," Lupin replied nonchalantly.
“I’ve made a whole pot,” Snape said coldly. “You’ll probably need some more tomorrow.”
"Perhaps," Lupin said with a soft laugh. "Thank you very much, Severus."
"Don't mention it," Snape said, but the look in his eyes was one that Harry didn't like.
Just as Snape and Lupin's conversation was about to end, the door was suddenly pushed open again, and Filch walked in with his usual shuffling gait.
As soon as he entered the room, he wore a world-weary expression, his eyes revealing his dissatisfaction.
The next second, he fixed his gaze on Harry behind Lupin.
"Porter—I just called you, why didn't you hear me?"
"Filch," Lupin interrupted Filch's questioning, stepping forward, "what do you need?"
Filch slowly turned his gaze back, cleared his throat, and squeezed out a sentence: "I just wanted to remind you, Professor, that Hogwarts rules do not allow students to leave the castle without permission. You know, I need to make sure the rules are strictly enforced."
"Thank you for reminding me, Filch," Lupin said calmly, clearly not wanting Filch to bother Harry any further. He turned and waved lightly. "Harry was just discussing some classroom issues with me; he has no intention of leaving the castle."
Filch snorted, clearly reluctant. He glanced at the smoking glass on the table, a hint of confusion in his eyes. "What's this?"
"This is a potion that Professor Snape kindly brewed for me," Lupin said. "I'm not very good at making medicine, and this one is particularly complicated." He picked up his glass, smelled it, and said, "It's a pity that adding sugar makes it ineffective."
After saying that, he took a sip and shivered.
Why?
Harry's attention had shifted from Filch to the potion.
"I've been feeling a bit unwell," Lupin said. "Only this medicine works. I'm really lucky to be working with Professor Snape. There aren't many wizards who can concoct this kind of medicine."
"Thank you for the compliment, Lupin, but—"
"Professor Snape, so you're here too." Filch pretended to suddenly notice Snape, his tone carrying a feigned realization. His eyes darted between Snape and Lupin, clearly pondering something.
Snape glanced at Filch with his usual indifferent expression and said calmly, "Yes, Filch, I just happened to bring some potions that will be useful to Professor Lupin."
Filch nodded, shrugged, and said with his usual sharp sarcasm, "It seems our Hogwarts needs to worry not only about student discipline but also about professors' health... I just wonder if these medicines are even effective."
Upon hearing Filch's taunt, a strange light flashed in Snape's eyes.
But he didn't say anything more, just snorted and turned to walk out the door.
Before leaving, he added, "Lupin, remember to come to me tomorrow to pick up your medicine."
Lupin responded with a sound of agreement, then looked at Filch, who, seeing Lupin's gaze, also walked towards the door.
He and Snape walked out of Lupin's office one after the other.
Just as he reached the corner of the corridor, Snape suddenly turned around, a cold turn, his eyes sweeping over Filch with a sharp, razor-sharp gaze.
Filch felt Snape's gaze, and the smug expression on his face froze slightly.
"Filch," Snape said in a hoarse voice, "you'd better remember what your duties are and not overstep them."
Lupin's health doesn't need your concern, and his medication doesn't need your judgment.
"Me One"
Inside Lupin's office.
"Professor Lupin," Harry couldn't help but ask, "Professor Snape—why is he making you medicine? He doesn't seem to like you."
Lupin smiled slightly, his expression as gentle as ever. "Harry, relationships between people aren't as simple as they seem. Professor Snape and I did have some unpleasant past experiences, but he has his duties, and I have mine. On important matters, we can cooperate. He's more proficient than anyone else in dealing with complex potions like this."
Harry nodded thoughtfully, a feeling that there were still many unsolved mysteries, but Lupin was clearly unwilling to discuss the topic further.
"Alright, don't worry about these things anymore," Lupin added with a smile. "You have your challenges to face, Harry, and some things have their own solutions."
Harry didn't ask any more questions, but his doubts didn't completely disappear.
He always felt that the relationship between Snape and Lupin was more than just a working collaboration; there seemed to be a deeper story behind it.
But... as Harry left Lupin's office with doubts, he had just stepped out the door when he saw Filch's familiar and malicious face.
Harry instinctively wanted to retreat back into the office, but before he could react, Filch's thin hand had already gripped his arm tightly.
"Oh, Potter, don't leave so soon." Filch's voice carried a hint of schadenfreude, as if he were waiting for an opportunity to catch Harry red-handed. "Come with me."
"I didn't do anything wrong!" Harry said hastily, trying to break free from Filch's grip, but the other man held on too tightly.
"Whether you did something wrong is not for you to decide," Filch sneered, his tone chilling. "Rules are rules, Potter. You're not getting away today."
Harry felt a sudden surge of tension. He didn't know what Filch was up to, but he knew for sure that Filch wasn't going to take him out for tea and a chat.
Filch's cane made a dull "clack-clack" sound on the stone floor as he dragged Harry toward his office.
When the door to Filch's office opened, a strong musty smell hit him. Old files and clutter were piled up all around, and chains hung on the walls, as if reminding everyone who entered that this was once Hogwarts' "place of punishment." Harry couldn't help but frown, trying to avoid looking at the ghastly chains.
"Sit down!" Filch shoved Harry hard, shoving him into a hard wooden chair.
"What is it?" Harry asked coldly, suppressing his inner irritation.
Filch sat down behind his desk, his eyes narrowed into slits as he scrutinized Harry. After a moment, he slowly said, "Go and wipe the walls in the fourth-floor hallway."
Harry was stunned for a moment, his initial confusion quickly turning into dissatisfaction and anger. "Wiping the walls?!"
He couldn't believe what he was hearing. Filch had brought him here just to do this manual labor?
“You heard me right, Potter,” Filch’s voice was full of smugness, he clearly derived some pleasure from the command, “The walls of Hogwarts don’t keep themselves clean. If you don’t want to follow the rules, you’ll have to pay the price.”
Harry pressed his lips together, his anger burning. He knew he hadn't done anything wrong; it was just that Filch's consistent targeting and harassment had subjected him to unjust punishment.
His hands unconsciously gripped the chair armrests, his knuckles turning white. He desperately wanted to protest loudly, but he knew that would only make the situation worse.
"Why should I clean the walls?" Harry tried to keep his voice calm, but his eyes were filled with anger.
"Because I'm the one in charge." Filch's smile was sinister and smug. "You don't follow the rules, Potter, so I have to find a way to teach you to listen."
Harry took a deep breath, his anger still burning, but he knew there was no point in arguing any further.
Filch was clearly trying to torture him, and any resistance would only make things worse.
Finally, Harry gritted his teeth, suppressed his anger, and compromised, saying, "Fine, I'll go wipe the walls."
Filch's smile deepened; he seemed immensely satisfied. He handed Harry a dusty rag. "Go to the fourth-floor hallway. Remember, wipe it clean. I'll check every inch of the walls! Remember, every single inch!"
Harry took the rag, suppressing his displeasure, and turned to leave Filch's office.
He felt a surge of frustration, wanting to vent but unsure how.
When Harry reached the fourth-floor hallway, it was deserted and eerily quiet. The stone walls were covered in dust and grime from years of neglect. He sighed and began to wipe the walls absentmindedly, his mind still on Filch's sinister face.
After wiping for a while, Harry suddenly noticed that halfway down the corridor, a piece of parchment had been pasted behind a statue of a hunchbacked, one-eyed witch.
He stopped wiping, walked over with great curiosity, and brought the mirror close to his eyes: Don't press here.
Harry stared at the words for a few seconds, then slowly stretched out his arm, rubbed it behind the statue, and pressed on one of the spots.
The statue made a soft "click" sound, and then the entire statue seemed to come alive, moving slightly backward to reveal a narrow entrance hidden behind it.
At that moment, at the corner at the end of the corridor, Filch was watching this scene unfold intently, a relieved smile on his face.