This was written for the Happiest Moment in Their Life challenge on HPFC. I got the character Argus Filch. I hope you like it!
I never gave much thought to retirement, although I often thought about storming from the castle and resigning. No real punishment on the wrong-doers of the school; not even those diabolical Weasley twins were hung from the ceilings on thumb screws, though they should have been many times. When Professor Umbridge became headmistress thinks began to change, but she wasn't around for very long, and even then those blasted Weasley twins escaped unpunished. And, honestly, the amount of times I complained to the heads of the school about Peeves is uncountable. But they never listened. I felt unappreciated at that castle. But now I can retire, and hopefully be rewarded for my services to the school, which should have happened years ago.
When I announced to Professor McGonagall that I would be retiring, she sighed and said: "I daresay we shall all miss you, Argus, though I must admit I expected your retirement, or indeed resignation, many years ago. I never got the impression you particularly liked this place."
There were plenty of things I didn't like with Hogwarts. The lack of suitable punishments. Peeves. The total lack of respect the students had for me. But there were plenty of things I did like, honestly. I liked some of the feasts. I liked it when Professor Umbridge got in the approval for whipping form, even if no one else did. But why should I have cared what everyone else liked or didn't? I'm the one who took care of the school, cleaning and up keeping every inch of it. Except for the grounds, of course. Left that to the oaf Hagrid, and he somehow managed to keep the grounds looked after even when he somehow got a teaching job. And I liked it when Mrs Norris came, and I liked it even better when she was cured. After she'd been petrified, you know. It was nice to have a companion. She died a year ago, but I couldn't imagine getting another cat.
"I liked this place as well as I could, Professor," I had replied.
"But where you ever happy here?" she pressed on.
"I was very happy the day I came here," I said gruffly. "Might have been the happiest day of my life, actually."
Yes, it was truly a great day. I never thought I'd be able to come to Hogwarts, since I'm a squib. So proud that I could finally walk the corridors, that I had some power over the students who had what I desperately wanted. It was the day I got Mrs Norris. It could have been the happiest moment of my life when I finally walked through the oak front doors, Mrs Norris at my heels. Of course, my happiness vanished at dinner when I met Peeves, who the headmaster somehow forgot to mention when I applied for the job.
I was so happy to first walk through the doors. And now that I'm walking out of them for the last time, I'm almost as happy. I'll never have to endure snot-nosed kids or Peeves ever again.
