Squib Caretaker
a Harry Potter fan-fic
by Ozma
a sequel to Squib Puppet
Chapter Four: Guard Dog
Everything really belongs to J.K. Rowling
Buckbeak was greatly agitated; screeching, rearing up onto his
equine back legs and straining violently at his tether. Black changed
his mind about holding onto the hippogriff. Instead he used his wand to
blast the tether, so that Beaky could escape.
"Oh, that's just fine!" I thought snidely as Beaky soared over our
heads. "Save the bloody hippogriff!"
The young wizard's attempt to protect Buckbeak was futile. The
winged monster seemed unwilling to abandon the Animagus. Instead of
flying away, Beaky dove at the advancing Cerberus!
Sirius is a powerful wizard. Though, after spending so much time
as a dog, he's evidently more accustomed to fighting with his teeth than
he is to fighting with a wand. He Transfigured.
"Wait!" I shouted, summoning red-and-gold back again. I meant to
grab the Animagus and pull him through the Door to safety. Perhaps
Buckbeak would fly away if Sirius was no longer in danger. But it was
already too late. The hippogriff had just been knocked down and was
lying stunned on the ground at the huge dog's feet. Sirius made a mighty
leap, clearing the paddock fence.
The Animagus ran at the Cerberus, growling, preventing Fluffy from
injuring Beaky.
"No!" I yelled, helplessly. "You idiot!! You'll be torn to
pieces!!"
Fluffy is the only dog I've ever seen who makes Snuffles look
small. The Animagus didn't have to face the Cerberus alone. Buckbeak
staggered upright, still groggy, but screeching and flashing its talons.
With my attention focused on the monsters, I didn't see Hagrid
until the big man was right in the middle of the melee. The half-giant's
roaring voice boomed over all the screeching, snarling and growling.
"YEH TRY'N CATCH BEAKY, AN' I'LL HOLD ON TER FLUFFY!" Hagrid
shouted at the Animagus.
Buckbeak managed to get airborne again. Fluffy leaped into the air
after the hippogriff, all three sets of jaws snapping. Catching the
Cerberus in mid-leap, Hagrid grabbed the creature's massive body. He
used his considerable strength and Fluffy's own momentum to flip the dog
onto its back.
Even as the mighty crash shook the ground, Black resumed his human
form. Dodging slashing talons to keep Beaky away from the downed
Cerberus, he jumped and caught the creature around its glossy feathered
neck.
"Easy Beaky, easy..." the Animagus crooned soothingly, though his
voice was hoarse from the snarling and growling he'd done.
"Easy now, Fluffy... there's a good lad..." Hagrid's voice had
softened to a much gentler rumble.
The half-giant continued to keep the Cerberus pinned to the ground
while the Animagus caught the broken end of the tether and coaxed Beaky
back towards the paddock.
Scrambling to open the gate, I helped to hold Beaky still while
Black used a spell to repair the tether. Once that was done, he
restrained the hippogriff once more.
All of them, men and monsters, were bleeding. Ignoring their own
wounds, Black and Hagrid checked the beasts over carefully. They didn't
seem too disturbed by anything they found. I hoped that meant their
hurts were fairly superficial. A good thing too, since Poppy had just
left and I wouldn't have known what to do if any of them were seriously
damaged.
Weak with relief, I sagged against the paddock fence.
"Thank you for coming back..." I said to red-and-gold. The
tapestry had become a little less droopy. Responding to my call had
perked it up a bit.
"Sorry. It was jus' bad timing..." Hagrid was saying to Black. "I
didn't know that the two of yeh would be here with Beaky. I was planning
ter introduce 'em nice and quiet-like. But Beaky was trying ter protect
yeh..."
He sighed. "After we let 'em settle down fer a while, will yeh
help me try 'em again?"
Black nodded, proving once again that Gryffindors have no sense of
self-preservation.
"Hagrid...?" I said, quietly, not wanting to yell or do anything
that might set the monsters off once more, "what is that ...dog doing
back here?"
Hagrid beamed at me. "Why, Fluffy's here ter help yeh, a'course!"
"H-Help me?" I wheezed.
"Sure. Did yeh think Dumbledore an' I'd leave yeh ter guard the
Castle an' grounds all alone? Things being what they are?"
My jaw dropped open in shock.
I'd already promised to look after Fang for Hagrid. I wasn't
pleased about it, really, but Mrs. Norris and I could manage Fang. Did
Hagrid actually intend to leave me to cope with FLUFFY as well???
For a moment or two I just stared, hoping that he was joking.
Instead the oaf continued to beam as if he'd just given me the most
wonderful surprise ever.
Biting back an incoherent howl of astonishment, disbelief and
fury, I turned away from the barking mad Gryffindors and their monsters
and stormed through red-and-gold.
"Maybe this wasn't the best moment to give him the good news," I
heard Black say wryly, as I disappeared through the Door.
*******
"Headmaster, you can't be serious!!!" I wailed. "You're letting
that thing... that beast... roam the grounds all summer? Without Hagrid,
who's going to stop it from tearing my legs off? And who will stop it
from tearing up the Quidditch pitch and all the bushes and flowers and
whole stands of trees? What's to stop it from getting loose and wreaking
havoc in Hogsmeade? Unless you mean for me to allow it to roam inside
the Castle, which would be unthinkable!!"
I paused to gasp for breath, and another horrible thought struck
me.
"Medusa's Dugs! There'll be vast, reeking mountains of dung
everywhere! I'll be the only one here to clean up after it! Ohh, it's
not fair... the last straw... I won't stand for it... I won't...!"
Dumbledore said nothing since he wouldn't have been able to get a
word in edgewise anyhow, unless he used magic to shut me up.
Instead he let me go on until I'd ranted myself into exhaustion.
Eventually he handed me a cup, filled with something that I assumed was
water. I gulped it down and choked. It was Ogdens Firewhiskey.
I did the only sensible thing that I could do under the
circumstances. I held out the cup for a refill.
*******
The second cup went down a lot more smoothly. I collapsed into a
chair, listening as the Headmaster spoke to me in the same sort of low,
gentle, soothing voice that Hagrid and Black had been using to calm
Beaky and Fluffy.
"Hagrid told you the truth, Argus. Fluffy is here for your aid and
protection," Dumbledore said. "Hagrid has a week left before he is
scheduled to leave. He will be able to make the Cerberus understand what
is expected of him. Rest assured, Fluffy will not harm you."
"As for the trees, plants, flowerbeds and bushes," the Headmaster
continued, "Professor Sprout is placing strong protective charms around
them. Madam Hooch is taking similar measures to preserve the Quidditch
pitch."
"And I," he told me, "have placed charms around the boundaries of
the Castle grounds to prevent the Cerberus from straying into
Hogsmeade."
"You've been understandably anxious about being here alone," the
Headmaster said, even more gently. "You have never had to bear the
responsibility for such a length of time. Hagrid has always been here
with you in the summer."
"Last year..." I started to protest,
"Last year," he reminded me, "I remained at the Castle for an
unusual amount of time. When I could not be here, Minerva came. Filius
was here when neither of us were available. This year, the situation has
changed."
"Worsened..." I said, miserably.
"Yes, for the most part," he said, sounding tired. "Minerva,
Filius, all of us... we have much work to do elsewhere, beyond the
Castle."
My first thought then, was for Minerva. I was overcome by a wave
of fear for her. It was foolish, I knew, as she'd always been able to
take care of herself quite well, plus any number of other people
besides.
I didn't care if my fears were foolish. Nothing must ever happen
to her...
"Argus, not every situation has changed for the worse," the
Headmaster told me. "There is a good reason why I feel that you do not
need any of us to stay."
I knew what he was going to do before he did it. Wandless, he
reached out with his magic, touching a vast, slumbering inhuman
presence.
His touch was so deft that the Castle did not wake. He knew as
well as I did that attracting the Castle's attention is almost always
very painful, not ever a thing to be done lightly.
(Abruptly, a new thought occurred to me, as I pondered the
Hogwarts motto. Was the sleeping dragon that the Founders had warned
against tickling an actual dragon or a metaphor for something else that
was even bigger and more terrible...?)
"Caretaker," Dumbledore said, quietly, bringing my mind back to
the present. "You know, Argus, there have been caretakers here, and
Caretakers, if you know what I mean. And headmasters and Headmasters..."
Dumbledore's connection to the Castle was palpable. I could feel
Its link with him resonating through my own bond. And there seemed to be
a third bonding... incomplete as of yet, but the potential was there.
"Groundskeepers and groundskeepers," Dumbledore continued, smiling
at my suddenly wide-eyed expression. "Yes, it shouldn't be too much
longer before Hagrid gets himself Noticed. It's a bit more complicated
for him. His connection with the wild magic in the Forest is so strong
that it may muffle the Castle's `voice.'"
"But, sir," I asked, "can't we just TELL him?"
Dumbledore shook his head. "There are some things that one must
discover on one's own, Argus."
"Speaking of which," he said, "let's go see how they're managing
at Hagrid's cabin, shall we?"
*******
The Headmaster and I found things under control at Hagrid's hut.
Hagrid and Black had patched the monsters up, washing their assorted
bites and gashes clean of blood and bandaging their worst wounds.
Buckbeak, minus a few feathers, but not looking too much the worse
for wear, was in his paddock around the back of Hagrid's cabin. The
Animagus had restored the glamour, and Beaky was a pinkish-roan
hippogriff once more. Hagrid had comforted Buckbeak with another pile of
what looked like either dead stoats or weasels; it was difficult to
tell.
Now, Dumbledore was seated on Hagrid's front steps, with Black (in
dog form) resting at his feet. The Headmaster was gently cleaning a
bloody wound on Black's left ear.
Fang lay sprawled and sleeping beside the Animagus. With bright,
interested eyes, Black and the Headmaster watched Hagrid introducing me
to the Castle's new guard dog.
"All righ', Fluffy?" The big man asked gently, patting the
Cerberus with a bandaged hand. "See, Filch here needs yeh ter look after
him. An' yeh'll be helping him ter keep the Castle safe..."
Hagrid's abilities with monsters have always impressed me. Much as
I dislike admitting this, the oaf does have the makings of a really fine
Care of Magical Creatures teacher.
Some day Hagrid will finally realize that most people are honestly
terrified of creatures like Fluffy. Then I shall be forced to start
treating him with the same deference and respect that I reserve for the
other professors at this school.
That day has not yet arrived. Hagrid was patient with his
Cerberus, but he was exasperated with me.
"Yeh don't have ter be so scared, Filch," the big man sighed.
"Yeh've got nothing ter fear. Fluffy's met yeh before, and he knows that
yeh're not a thief. Relax."
Impossible! He might just as well ask me to kiss a Dementor! I
stood trembling in front of Hagrid while Fluffy sniffed me with all
three noses.
Then I received moral support from an unexpected source as Mrs.
Norris joined our gathering. Meowing loudly, she leaped into my arms and
climbed onto my shoulder. My cat and the Cerberus are old friends.
Immediately Mrs. Norris and I were engulfed by a wave of foul
breath as Fluffy's middle head licked both of us with a massive tongue.
"Eurgh!" I choked, gagging as I wiped rivulets of hot drool out of
my eyes. Mrs. Norris leaped to the ground and began giving herself a
dainty but purposeful bath.
"See? He likes Mrs. Norris, an' yeh'r with her so that makes yeh
all righ' too," Hagrid said, beaming. He handed me an enormous sack,
filled with huge doggy-treats. "Here. Give him a few a' these."
Trying not to cringe, I did as he instructed. Tossing the treats
into Fluffy's mouths wasn't too bad. I could do that from a distance.
Glancing around as I dodged some flying drool, I noticed to my
alarm that the Animagus seemed to have sprouted a pair of golden eyes in
the middle of his back. Then I realized that Azoth, Severus Snape's
small black cat, must have followed his mother out of the Castle. The
tiny cat had draped himself across Snuffles' back and was blending in so
well that only his eyes were visible.
Azoth looked as amused as everyone else did.
"Yeh've made a good start, Filch," Hagrid told me, kindly, as he
took the sack from me.
Grateful to be released, I picked up Mrs. Norris. My cat regarded
me with some disapproval, as I was covered with drool.
"Professor Dumbledore, sir!" Hagrid said, happily. "Fluffy an' I
have got summat ter show yeh! He's been workin' hard. Watch!"
Pulling a wooden flute from one of his pockets and raising it to
his lips, the big man began to play a soft, soothing tune.
The head on the right became a bit droopy-eyed and started to
yawn. The center head quickly gave it a nudge to wake it up. When the
center head yawned and drooped, one of the others gave it a nudge. The
head on the right didn't even yawn.
The dog listened to the whole song and then, wide awake, barked
for an encore. Both Hagrid and Dumbledore were as pleased as if the
Cerberus had gotten up and danced.
"Excellent! Well done..." Dumbledore beamed and conjured up some
more doggy treats for the Cerberus.
"That'll be a shock fer anyone who thinks they know an easy way
ter get past him..." Hagrid said, with satisfaction.
*******
Both Dumbledore and Hagrid wanted me to learn to be more relaxed
around Fluffy.
Obediently, I agreed to take the Cerberus for a stroll around the
Castle grounds. The dog was a massive, shadowy presence looming over me
as I wandered aimlessly towards the lake.
I was actually starting to get used to the situation. Perhaps even
starting to feel calm with the monster at my back, when the sound of
barking shattered the late afternoon stillness.
It wasn't Fluffy who was making all the noise, it was Snuffles.
The Animagus was racing uphill towards the Castle, barking a frantic
warning. When I saw who he was trying to warn away from Fluffy I felt
anything but calm.
Severus Snape was coming down the hill towards us.
"Yeh've nothing ter fear," Hagrid had reassured me. "Yeh've met
Fluffy before. He knows yeh're not a thief."
But, the poor Potions Master could be offered no such
reassurances...
END OF CHAPTER FOUR
Author's Notes:
Fluffy looked way too huge in the movie for even Hagrid to toss around
in the way I've described, but (using my son's Fluffy and Hagrid action
figures for reference) I decided that it was plausible. It's nice of my
son to let me play with his toys...
Jelsemium: Thank you!! Filch would deny that he's getting civilized.
He's just really bored. (Hagrid will get the filing cabinet for
Christmas, even though he's just as likely to use it as a hutch for some
form of animal.)
I loved your comment about Sirius courting Trouble, and her sisters!
It's so true.
It's easy to imagine Peeves pining for the students. With the Castle
empty there's not enough people for him to pick on...
Fluffy and Beaky will eventually be friends. Beaky attacked the Cerberus
because he was protecting Sirius. And Filch too, though Argus doesn't
realize it.
Richan: Thank you!! Salazar's Door adored Tom Riddle, the human, mortal
wizard and Heir of Slytherin. But when Lord Voldemort began to change,
seeking immortality, he lost his bond with the Door. Now his reaction to
a trip through Salazar's Door would be even more painful than Snape's.
(Salazar Slytherin may have been intolerant of Muggle-born wizards, but
I still think that he would have disapproved of Voldemort.)
Ariana Deralte: Thank you!! The reunion between Harry and Godric's Door
will happen in a later story. The poor Door is doomed to pine for him in
this one.
Saphron: Thank you!! Befriending the Doors is a "Filch" thing. The four
Doors actually exceeded their "programming" (to borrow a Muggle term)
when they adopted him. After so many centuries of being forgotten and
feeling useless, they were longing to be of use to someone.
The Doors would not harm Callandra, but they are not keyed to her.
Gramarye: Thank you!! We may hear more about the children's summer
vacations in a later story. This one is only going to cover the very
start of summer.
I've had fun imagining scenes where Filch sees Harry with the Dursleys,
but haven't figured out how to work such a scene into a story yet. Filch
would be appalled if he ever saw how the Dursleys treat Harry. On the
other hand, the ancient and powerful magic that Dumbledore used to make
Harry safe from Voldemort while he's in the Dursleys'(so-called) care
would be obvious to Filch too. He would understand why Harry needs to
stay with his blood relations, even if it's not a good situation.
RADKA: Thank you!! Letting Voldie actually win a battle is an idea in
the back of my mind at the moment.
Besnaped: Thank you!! Yes, I can also see some students taking a
voluntary trip through a Door (blindfolded) to avoid an even worse
detention. "I can either agree to test a spell for you, be sick for
about ten minutes and be on my way, or scrub bedpans for several hours?
Hmm."
Minerva would share Filch's and Poppy's disapproval of using the Doors
to punish students, she was very quick to rescue Draco-the-ferret.
Your thoughts on Harry and the Door had me on the floor laughing! This
is actually close to some of what I had pictured. ("Why am I being
attacked by a flying carpet?" Harry wondered, scratching his head in
bewilderment.) He won't realize that it's Filch's Door until he tries to
go for a ride and keeps falling through and ending up in various rooms
all over the Castle.)
Larania: Filch (and Harry) will eventually learn that the Door was
pining for Harry, and why.
Yes, the Castle can defend its inhabitants in many ways, with various
tools at its disposal. Filch isn't a Heir but as Caretaker, he's
considered one of the Castle's `tools.'
Lizard of Fire: Thank you!! Fluffy and Beaky hadn't had a chance to meet
before. Things would have been a bit calmer if Beaky hadn't been
protective.
a Harry Potter fan-fic
by Ozma
a sequel to Squib Puppet
Chapter Four: Guard Dog
Everything really belongs to J.K. Rowling
Buckbeak was greatly agitated; screeching, rearing up onto his
equine back legs and straining violently at his tether. Black changed
his mind about holding onto the hippogriff. Instead he used his wand to
blast the tether, so that Beaky could escape.
"Oh, that's just fine!" I thought snidely as Beaky soared over our
heads. "Save the bloody hippogriff!"
The young wizard's attempt to protect Buckbeak was futile. The
winged monster seemed unwilling to abandon the Animagus. Instead of
flying away, Beaky dove at the advancing Cerberus!
Sirius is a powerful wizard. Though, after spending so much time
as a dog, he's evidently more accustomed to fighting with his teeth than
he is to fighting with a wand. He Transfigured.
"Wait!" I shouted, summoning red-and-gold back again. I meant to
grab the Animagus and pull him through the Door to safety. Perhaps
Buckbeak would fly away if Sirius was no longer in danger. But it was
already too late. The hippogriff had just been knocked down and was
lying stunned on the ground at the huge dog's feet. Sirius made a mighty
leap, clearing the paddock fence.
The Animagus ran at the Cerberus, growling, preventing Fluffy from
injuring Beaky.
"No!" I yelled, helplessly. "You idiot!! You'll be torn to
pieces!!"
Fluffy is the only dog I've ever seen who makes Snuffles look
small. The Animagus didn't have to face the Cerberus alone. Buckbeak
staggered upright, still groggy, but screeching and flashing its talons.
With my attention focused on the monsters, I didn't see Hagrid
until the big man was right in the middle of the melee. The half-giant's
roaring voice boomed over all the screeching, snarling and growling.
"YEH TRY'N CATCH BEAKY, AN' I'LL HOLD ON TER FLUFFY!" Hagrid
shouted at the Animagus.
Buckbeak managed to get airborne again. Fluffy leaped into the air
after the hippogriff, all three sets of jaws snapping. Catching the
Cerberus in mid-leap, Hagrid grabbed the creature's massive body. He
used his considerable strength and Fluffy's own momentum to flip the dog
onto its back.
Even as the mighty crash shook the ground, Black resumed his human
form. Dodging slashing talons to keep Beaky away from the downed
Cerberus, he jumped and caught the creature around its glossy feathered
neck.
"Easy Beaky, easy..." the Animagus crooned soothingly, though his
voice was hoarse from the snarling and growling he'd done.
"Easy now, Fluffy... there's a good lad..." Hagrid's voice had
softened to a much gentler rumble.
The half-giant continued to keep the Cerberus pinned to the ground
while the Animagus caught the broken end of the tether and coaxed Beaky
back towards the paddock.
Scrambling to open the gate, I helped to hold Beaky still while
Black used a spell to repair the tether. Once that was done, he
restrained the hippogriff once more.
All of them, men and monsters, were bleeding. Ignoring their own
wounds, Black and Hagrid checked the beasts over carefully. They didn't
seem too disturbed by anything they found. I hoped that meant their
hurts were fairly superficial. A good thing too, since Poppy had just
left and I wouldn't have known what to do if any of them were seriously
damaged.
Weak with relief, I sagged against the paddock fence.
"Thank you for coming back..." I said to red-and-gold. The
tapestry had become a little less droopy. Responding to my call had
perked it up a bit.
"Sorry. It was jus' bad timing..." Hagrid was saying to Black. "I
didn't know that the two of yeh would be here with Beaky. I was planning
ter introduce 'em nice and quiet-like. But Beaky was trying ter protect
yeh..."
He sighed. "After we let 'em settle down fer a while, will yeh
help me try 'em again?"
Black nodded, proving once again that Gryffindors have no sense of
self-preservation.
"Hagrid...?" I said, quietly, not wanting to yell or do anything
that might set the monsters off once more, "what is that ...dog doing
back here?"
Hagrid beamed at me. "Why, Fluffy's here ter help yeh, a'course!"
"H-Help me?" I wheezed.
"Sure. Did yeh think Dumbledore an' I'd leave yeh ter guard the
Castle an' grounds all alone? Things being what they are?"
My jaw dropped open in shock.
I'd already promised to look after Fang for Hagrid. I wasn't
pleased about it, really, but Mrs. Norris and I could manage Fang. Did
Hagrid actually intend to leave me to cope with FLUFFY as well???
For a moment or two I just stared, hoping that he was joking.
Instead the oaf continued to beam as if he'd just given me the most
wonderful surprise ever.
Biting back an incoherent howl of astonishment, disbelief and
fury, I turned away from the barking mad Gryffindors and their monsters
and stormed through red-and-gold.
"Maybe this wasn't the best moment to give him the good news," I
heard Black say wryly, as I disappeared through the Door.
*******
"Headmaster, you can't be serious!!!" I wailed. "You're letting
that thing... that beast... roam the grounds all summer? Without Hagrid,
who's going to stop it from tearing my legs off? And who will stop it
from tearing up the Quidditch pitch and all the bushes and flowers and
whole stands of trees? What's to stop it from getting loose and wreaking
havoc in Hogsmeade? Unless you mean for me to allow it to roam inside
the Castle, which would be unthinkable!!"
I paused to gasp for breath, and another horrible thought struck
me.
"Medusa's Dugs! There'll be vast, reeking mountains of dung
everywhere! I'll be the only one here to clean up after it! Ohh, it's
not fair... the last straw... I won't stand for it... I won't...!"
Dumbledore said nothing since he wouldn't have been able to get a
word in edgewise anyhow, unless he used magic to shut me up.
Instead he let me go on until I'd ranted myself into exhaustion.
Eventually he handed me a cup, filled with something that I assumed was
water. I gulped it down and choked. It was Ogdens Firewhiskey.
I did the only sensible thing that I could do under the
circumstances. I held out the cup for a refill.
*******
The second cup went down a lot more smoothly. I collapsed into a
chair, listening as the Headmaster spoke to me in the same sort of low,
gentle, soothing voice that Hagrid and Black had been using to calm
Beaky and Fluffy.
"Hagrid told you the truth, Argus. Fluffy is here for your aid and
protection," Dumbledore said. "Hagrid has a week left before he is
scheduled to leave. He will be able to make the Cerberus understand what
is expected of him. Rest assured, Fluffy will not harm you."
"As for the trees, plants, flowerbeds and bushes," the Headmaster
continued, "Professor Sprout is placing strong protective charms around
them. Madam Hooch is taking similar measures to preserve the Quidditch
pitch."
"And I," he told me, "have placed charms around the boundaries of
the Castle grounds to prevent the Cerberus from straying into
Hogsmeade."
"You've been understandably anxious about being here alone," the
Headmaster said, even more gently. "You have never had to bear the
responsibility for such a length of time. Hagrid has always been here
with you in the summer."
"Last year..." I started to protest,
"Last year," he reminded me, "I remained at the Castle for an
unusual amount of time. When I could not be here, Minerva came. Filius
was here when neither of us were available. This year, the situation has
changed."
"Worsened..." I said, miserably.
"Yes, for the most part," he said, sounding tired. "Minerva,
Filius, all of us... we have much work to do elsewhere, beyond the
Castle."
My first thought then, was for Minerva. I was overcome by a wave
of fear for her. It was foolish, I knew, as she'd always been able to
take care of herself quite well, plus any number of other people
besides.
I didn't care if my fears were foolish. Nothing must ever happen
to her...
"Argus, not every situation has changed for the worse," the
Headmaster told me. "There is a good reason why I feel that you do not
need any of us to stay."
I knew what he was going to do before he did it. Wandless, he
reached out with his magic, touching a vast, slumbering inhuman
presence.
His touch was so deft that the Castle did not wake. He knew as
well as I did that attracting the Castle's attention is almost always
very painful, not ever a thing to be done lightly.
(Abruptly, a new thought occurred to me, as I pondered the
Hogwarts motto. Was the sleeping dragon that the Founders had warned
against tickling an actual dragon or a metaphor for something else that
was even bigger and more terrible...?)
"Caretaker," Dumbledore said, quietly, bringing my mind back to
the present. "You know, Argus, there have been caretakers here, and
Caretakers, if you know what I mean. And headmasters and Headmasters..."
Dumbledore's connection to the Castle was palpable. I could feel
Its link with him resonating through my own bond. And there seemed to be
a third bonding... incomplete as of yet, but the potential was there.
"Groundskeepers and groundskeepers," Dumbledore continued, smiling
at my suddenly wide-eyed expression. "Yes, it shouldn't be too much
longer before Hagrid gets himself Noticed. It's a bit more complicated
for him. His connection with the wild magic in the Forest is so strong
that it may muffle the Castle's `voice.'"
"But, sir," I asked, "can't we just TELL him?"
Dumbledore shook his head. "There are some things that one must
discover on one's own, Argus."
"Speaking of which," he said, "let's go see how they're managing
at Hagrid's cabin, shall we?"
*******
The Headmaster and I found things under control at Hagrid's hut.
Hagrid and Black had patched the monsters up, washing their assorted
bites and gashes clean of blood and bandaging their worst wounds.
Buckbeak, minus a few feathers, but not looking too much the worse
for wear, was in his paddock around the back of Hagrid's cabin. The
Animagus had restored the glamour, and Beaky was a pinkish-roan
hippogriff once more. Hagrid had comforted Buckbeak with another pile of
what looked like either dead stoats or weasels; it was difficult to
tell.
Now, Dumbledore was seated on Hagrid's front steps, with Black (in
dog form) resting at his feet. The Headmaster was gently cleaning a
bloody wound on Black's left ear.
Fang lay sprawled and sleeping beside the Animagus. With bright,
interested eyes, Black and the Headmaster watched Hagrid introducing me
to the Castle's new guard dog.
"All righ', Fluffy?" The big man asked gently, patting the
Cerberus with a bandaged hand. "See, Filch here needs yeh ter look after
him. An' yeh'll be helping him ter keep the Castle safe..."
Hagrid's abilities with monsters have always impressed me. Much as
I dislike admitting this, the oaf does have the makings of a really fine
Care of Magical Creatures teacher.
Some day Hagrid will finally realize that most people are honestly
terrified of creatures like Fluffy. Then I shall be forced to start
treating him with the same deference and respect that I reserve for the
other professors at this school.
That day has not yet arrived. Hagrid was patient with his
Cerberus, but he was exasperated with me.
"Yeh don't have ter be so scared, Filch," the big man sighed.
"Yeh've got nothing ter fear. Fluffy's met yeh before, and he knows that
yeh're not a thief. Relax."
Impossible! He might just as well ask me to kiss a Dementor! I
stood trembling in front of Hagrid while Fluffy sniffed me with all
three noses.
Then I received moral support from an unexpected source as Mrs.
Norris joined our gathering. Meowing loudly, she leaped into my arms and
climbed onto my shoulder. My cat and the Cerberus are old friends.
Immediately Mrs. Norris and I were engulfed by a wave of foul
breath as Fluffy's middle head licked both of us with a massive tongue.
"Eurgh!" I choked, gagging as I wiped rivulets of hot drool out of
my eyes. Mrs. Norris leaped to the ground and began giving herself a
dainty but purposeful bath.
"See? He likes Mrs. Norris, an' yeh'r with her so that makes yeh
all righ' too," Hagrid said, beaming. He handed me an enormous sack,
filled with huge doggy-treats. "Here. Give him a few a' these."
Trying not to cringe, I did as he instructed. Tossing the treats
into Fluffy's mouths wasn't too bad. I could do that from a distance.
Glancing around as I dodged some flying drool, I noticed to my
alarm that the Animagus seemed to have sprouted a pair of golden eyes in
the middle of his back. Then I realized that Azoth, Severus Snape's
small black cat, must have followed his mother out of the Castle. The
tiny cat had draped himself across Snuffles' back and was blending in so
well that only his eyes were visible.
Azoth looked as amused as everyone else did.
"Yeh've made a good start, Filch," Hagrid told me, kindly, as he
took the sack from me.
Grateful to be released, I picked up Mrs. Norris. My cat regarded
me with some disapproval, as I was covered with drool.
"Professor Dumbledore, sir!" Hagrid said, happily. "Fluffy an' I
have got summat ter show yeh! He's been workin' hard. Watch!"
Pulling a wooden flute from one of his pockets and raising it to
his lips, the big man began to play a soft, soothing tune.
The head on the right became a bit droopy-eyed and started to
yawn. The center head quickly gave it a nudge to wake it up. When the
center head yawned and drooped, one of the others gave it a nudge. The
head on the right didn't even yawn.
The dog listened to the whole song and then, wide awake, barked
for an encore. Both Hagrid and Dumbledore were as pleased as if the
Cerberus had gotten up and danced.
"Excellent! Well done..." Dumbledore beamed and conjured up some
more doggy treats for the Cerberus.
"That'll be a shock fer anyone who thinks they know an easy way
ter get past him..." Hagrid said, with satisfaction.
*******
Both Dumbledore and Hagrid wanted me to learn to be more relaxed
around Fluffy.
Obediently, I agreed to take the Cerberus for a stroll around the
Castle grounds. The dog was a massive, shadowy presence looming over me
as I wandered aimlessly towards the lake.
I was actually starting to get used to the situation. Perhaps even
starting to feel calm with the monster at my back, when the sound of
barking shattered the late afternoon stillness.
It wasn't Fluffy who was making all the noise, it was Snuffles.
The Animagus was racing uphill towards the Castle, barking a frantic
warning. When I saw who he was trying to warn away from Fluffy I felt
anything but calm.
Severus Snape was coming down the hill towards us.
"Yeh've nothing ter fear," Hagrid had reassured me. "Yeh've met
Fluffy before. He knows yeh're not a thief."
But, the poor Potions Master could be offered no such
reassurances...
END OF CHAPTER FOUR
Author's Notes:
Fluffy looked way too huge in the movie for even Hagrid to toss around
in the way I've described, but (using my son's Fluffy and Hagrid action
figures for reference) I decided that it was plausible. It's nice of my
son to let me play with his toys...
Jelsemium: Thank you!! Filch would deny that he's getting civilized.
He's just really bored. (Hagrid will get the filing cabinet for
Christmas, even though he's just as likely to use it as a hutch for some
form of animal.)
I loved your comment about Sirius courting Trouble, and her sisters!
It's so true.
It's easy to imagine Peeves pining for the students. With the Castle
empty there's not enough people for him to pick on...
Fluffy and Beaky will eventually be friends. Beaky attacked the Cerberus
because he was protecting Sirius. And Filch too, though Argus doesn't
realize it.
Richan: Thank you!! Salazar's Door adored Tom Riddle, the human, mortal
wizard and Heir of Slytherin. But when Lord Voldemort began to change,
seeking immortality, he lost his bond with the Door. Now his reaction to
a trip through Salazar's Door would be even more painful than Snape's.
(Salazar Slytherin may have been intolerant of Muggle-born wizards, but
I still think that he would have disapproved of Voldemort.)
Ariana Deralte: Thank you!! The reunion between Harry and Godric's Door
will happen in a later story. The poor Door is doomed to pine for him in
this one.
Saphron: Thank you!! Befriending the Doors is a "Filch" thing. The four
Doors actually exceeded their "programming" (to borrow a Muggle term)
when they adopted him. After so many centuries of being forgotten and
feeling useless, they were longing to be of use to someone.
The Doors would not harm Callandra, but they are not keyed to her.
Gramarye: Thank you!! We may hear more about the children's summer
vacations in a later story. This one is only going to cover the very
start of summer.
I've had fun imagining scenes where Filch sees Harry with the Dursleys,
but haven't figured out how to work such a scene into a story yet. Filch
would be appalled if he ever saw how the Dursleys treat Harry. On the
other hand, the ancient and powerful magic that Dumbledore used to make
Harry safe from Voldemort while he's in the Dursleys'(so-called) care
would be obvious to Filch too. He would understand why Harry needs to
stay with his blood relations, even if it's not a good situation.
RADKA: Thank you!! Letting Voldie actually win a battle is an idea in
the back of my mind at the moment.
Besnaped: Thank you!! Yes, I can also see some students taking a
voluntary trip through a Door (blindfolded) to avoid an even worse
detention. "I can either agree to test a spell for you, be sick for
about ten minutes and be on my way, or scrub bedpans for several hours?
Hmm."
Minerva would share Filch's and Poppy's disapproval of using the Doors
to punish students, she was very quick to rescue Draco-the-ferret.
Your thoughts on Harry and the Door had me on the floor laughing! This
is actually close to some of what I had pictured. ("Why am I being
attacked by a flying carpet?" Harry wondered, scratching his head in
bewilderment.) He won't realize that it's Filch's Door until he tries to
go for a ride and keeps falling through and ending up in various rooms
all over the Castle.)
Larania: Filch (and Harry) will eventually learn that the Door was
pining for Harry, and why.
Yes, the Castle can defend its inhabitants in many ways, with various
tools at its disposal. Filch isn't a Heir but as Caretaker, he's
considered one of the Castle's `tools.'
Lizard of Fire: Thank you!! Fluffy and Beaky hadn't had a chance to meet
before. Things would have been a bit calmer if Beaky hadn't been
protective.