/I don't own anything you recognize in this story. /
Chapter Seven
"Where are you taking me?" I shouted, struggling against Filch's strong arms. "Let me go!"
"Mind your own business," Filch growled, taking a firmer grip on my already sore arms.
But I wasn't about to mind own business. What he was doing was my business, the little Squib, I thought furiously. If it wasn't my business then why was he so determined to get me in trouble? Still, I continued to put up a furious fight. I didn't want to be expelled for anything.
"What's all of this racket?" Professor McGonagall stepped out of her classroom to see what was going on outside. Filch finally stopped and gave the professor a meaningful look while I, tired from my struggle, stood limply in between them.
"This young man has been calling me the most vile names imaginable and I was just taking him up to see the headmaster, Minerva," Filch said, his face beaming with pride that he did something good.
"Is that right?" McGonagall asked, her eyes narrowing down at me.
I squirmed uncomfortably under her scrutinized gaze. She always made you feel like you did something ten times worse than it actually was and that wasn't a good feeling at all.
"Well, he is a Squib," I said bitterly. "He can't deny it, nobody can."
"See how he is," Filch growled, "he's a dirty thief spreading lies about wherever he goes. I say an expulsion is in hand."
"Oh, I wouldn't go that far, Argus," a voice said behind us.
Turning around as best as Filch's grip would allow me, I saw the tall, slim figure of Dumbledore. Why did he always seem to be popping up everywhere, especially when I needed an adult there? It seemed all really odd to me.
Filch growled. "Professor, have you heard what this boy has said about me? It's preposterous!"
"And I'm sure this isn't the first time that a student has said things other than a few kind words about a teacher," Dumbledore exclaimed.
"How would you, Albus? I'm sure you've never heard anything but kind words throughout your career. You don't know what it's like to be the butt end of a person's jokes," Filch sneered.
Dumbledore just smiled. "I'm afraid that it's inevitable for everybody to escape such treatments now and again. There are things that people have said to me and I still remember them years later."
"I think, Argus," McGonagall said, "that Albus is saying that what Severus has said about you is no doubt horrible, but no doubt that he can't possibly be expelled for it."
"But you can't possibly just let him go unpunished!" Filch stated angrily.
"Of course not," Dumbledore said. "He'll have a week's worth of detention and twenty points from Slytherin House. I don't think you can say anything less is unfair, do you, Argus?"
"I suppose," Filch breathed and he let go of my arm and stalked away.
Massaging my arm where Filch had gripped my arm, my gaze went from Dumbledore to McGonagall and back again. I didn't want to leave in case I got into more trouble, but I didn't know what to say, either, in case what I said caused me to be in more trouble, though I knew I wouldn't regret saying it.
"I'm sure you regret what you've said Mr. Filch, Severus, and to say anymore would be pushing it too far. I know you've missed your appointment with your mother. But I'm sure if we hurry, you'll still be able to catch up with her before she leaves," Dumbledore said.
"We?" I blurted out before I could stop myself. "Who's the we?"
"Why, I'm going to escort you there. Then no one will think twice about where you're going and get you into more trouble than you already are," Dumbledore said sternly.
"Are you sure you can handle this, Albus?" McGonagall asked.
Dumbledore nodded. "I can handle it perfectly fine, Minerva. It's not taking me out of too much time that I'm supposed to be doing."
Minerva nodded and Dumbledore grasped me gently on the arm. I flinched, but I didn't make a move to shake him off. I didn't want to get into any more trouble.
"Let's go then," Dumbledore said to me and soon the two of us were heading down the hallway out the school towards Hogsmeade.