Chapter 223: The Cleaning Crabs
Chapter 223: The Cleaning Crabs
"Thank you, Professor."
"Are you sure there's nothing wrong? You know, you can always come to me if you have any troubles."
"It's nothing, Professor Flitwick. Mr. Filch just bought some Cleaning Crabs from me for cleaning, but it caused a misunderstanding."
Vold explained the situation with a hint of exasperation, finally putting Professor Flitwick at ease.
"I hope you'll be more careful in the future," Professor Flitwick said to Padma and the others. "Think before you act."
"Sorry, Professor."
Padma lowered her head, feeling embarrassed.
As the commotion came to an end, the students scrambled to retrieve their belongings. The girls felt a sense of joy upon seeing that the original bubble-blowing crab was still there, a recovery from their loss.
"Why did you sell the Cleaning Crabs to Mr. Filch?" Harry asked in confusion. "No one likes him, and you don't need those few Galleons."
"While it is satisfying to give him a hard time, wouldn't it be better to get along with the caretaker?"
Michael countered, "Imagine this: you're out past curfew, but Mr. Filch turns a blind eye to you."
"Really?" Harry asked, his eyes lighting up with anticipation.
"Not a chance!"
Hermione smacked his head with the rule book.
"Even if Mr. Filch ignores Vold, he'd still catch you!"
Harry's eyebrows drooped in instant disappointment.
Vold smiled but didn't elaborate further.
...
From then on, whenever the students saw Mr. Filch, he was always followed by a group of Cleaning Crabs—sometimes as few as two, other times as many as six—marching in a neat line behind him, like obedient little soldiers.
When students made a mess on the floor with mud or other substances, Mr. Filch no longer screamed and yelled hysterically at them.
Instead, he seemed pleased, and with a wave of his hand, the little crab soldiers scurried forward with a clatter, cleaning the floor spotlessly in no time.
Whether it was a student accidentally bursting a bogey or blowing up a crucible, the elderly caretaker didn't have to climb a ladder to clean up.
For the Cleaning Crabs, there was no difference between the roof and the floor, and it didn't add any extra work.
In the past, Mr. Filch hated rainy days the most because they meant endless cleaning for him.
But now, he even wished for more rain, and he leisurely stood by the window, enjoying the feeling of the moist air on his face.
The caretaker's temper seemed to have suddenly improved, and the students found it a bit unsettling.
When they accidentally made a mess in the entrance hall, instead of being met with roars and curses, they received a smile from the caretaker, a strange feeling that sent shivers down their spines.
Some of the messier students suddenly found themselves correcting their bad habits.
"I used to think nothing could be worse than Mr. Filch's yelling, but now I realize I was wrong—"
A Gryffindor spoke to his companion in a deep voice, "What's worse is Mr. Filch's smile."
His companion nodded in agreement, "When he smiles at me, I get goosebumps all over."
...
Mr. Filch paid no heed to the students' whispers.
He proudly paraded his Cleaning Crabs through every corner of Hogwarts, contentedly watching as they left behind clean and shiny surfaces.
However, while the Cleaning Crabs were useful, as a semi-finished product, they occasionally malfunctioned, and Mr. Filch had to seek Vold's help for repairs.
Over time, the two became genuinely acquainted. Mr. Filch even invited Vold to his cottage as a guest, a privilege not even Dumbledore had received from the caretaker.
Mr. Filch's office was dimly lit, with a single oil lamp hanging from the ceiling, casting a yellowish glow in the room.
Along the walls stood numerous filing cabinets, rumored to hold over a thousand files of punishment records, none of which the students had ever seen.
On one wall, hinges, handcuffs, and other metal objects hung, reflecting a cold metallic light in the light.
Even without using them, just having them on display was enough to intimidate the more timid students.
An orange-yellow Crustacean Helper flipped back and forth in Vold's hand.
"The magic circuit is a bit worn, but it's not a big issue."
It didn't take Vold long to fix the Helper, and as soon as he put it down, it started crawling around, cleaning up a few drops of ink on the floor.
The Helper had an innate cleaning charm effect, and even after cleaning all day, they never seemed to get dirty.
Filch watched it work with adoration and said emotionally, "Thank you, Vold. OMA was hit by a student's spell and stopped moving... I almost thought it was dead..."
He sniffed, still seeming to be immersed in his sorrow.
Vold hesitated for a moment. "OMA?"
"Yes, that's the name I gave it."
Filch happily introduced the other Helpers: "This is RYD, PEG, RUBY, STELLA, and TOMAS."
"Meow~" Mrs. Loris made a coquettish sound.
"Of course, of course, Mrs. Loris is the most important to me," Filch said, reaching out to stroke the cat's stretched back.
Vold remained silent for a moment, deciding not to comment on this. Instead, he asked, "Why is Mrs. Loris so thin? Is she sick or..."
"She's just old," Filch said, picking up the cat and speaking sadly. "She's like me, we're both too old, and our appetites aren't what they used to be."
"Meow," Mrs. Loris meowed softly.
"Of course, even though she's old, Mrs. Loris is still smart and capable, more so than many humans."
Filch skillfully stroked the cat's ears and chin, and suddenly, as if remembering something, he looked up and asked, "By the way, Vold, do you want some flowers?"
"Flowers?" Vold asked.
"Yes."
Filch put the cat down on a chair and walked into the inner room, which Vold guessed was probably Filch's bedroom.
After a while, Filch came out carrying several pots of flowers. The vibrant flowers in full bloom made the narrow cottage seem like an oil painting.
"You've been helping me with the Helpers a lot lately, and I don't have much to repay you for it..." Filch said, "Recently, Professor Lockhart got a large batch of flowers from somewhere, and as a reward for my assistance, he allowed me to keep a few pots."
Filch placed the flower pots on the table in front of Vold and said, "Take them... You can use them to decorate your house."
"Thank you," Vold accepted without refusing, and smiled, "I'll put them in the Umbrella House. Padma and Michael will definitely like them."
"Hmm..."
Hearing the familiar names that had been reported before, Filch hesitated and said, "Recently, tell your friends not to wander outside the school, especially those who haven't reached their third year yet... There's a rumor that a few people who look like Dark Wizards have been spotted in Hogsmeade in the past few days."
Vold's expression turned slightly serious. "When was this?"
"Just the other day... Friday or Saturday, someone said they saw a couple of suspicious-looking guys. There were also a few people in black cloaks who felt very dangerous."
Filch tried hard to recall the bits and pieces he had overheard at the tavern. At the time, he had thought it had nothing to do with him and hadn't paid much attention.
Finally, he said, "If you want to know, I can go and ask around some more."
Vold looked at him for a moment and shook his head with a smile.
"No need... It wouldn't be good if you got into any danger."
He paused and added, "Even if there are Dark Wizards, they can't enter Hogwarts... I'll remind everyone not to wander off."
Filch nodded in strong agreement. "That's right. Following the school rules will keep us safe. With Dumbledore here, even... even that person whose name cannot be mentioned, can't harm you."
Filch didn't like Dumbledore's overly lenient management style, but he had never doubted the headmaster's abilities.
(End of Chapter)
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