Chapter Seventeen

"We aren't going to win the house cup this year" Ruth muttered.

Lucy had lost Hufflepuff twenty points today. Which made her slightly unpopular with her house. The Hufflepuff 'Head Boy' and 'Head Girl' had already chastised her enough to last a lifetime. They put the blame on Argus Filch mostly as she always seemed to get in trouble when he was around. She was in her dormitory with her three roommates (who advised her to avoid the common room for a bit). She just did her homework.

"I am so sorry. I know I made a mistake" Lucy told them with deep regret.

"You keep making mistakes, Lucy. You need to keep your head down...People keep calling you 'Saint Lucy' to mock you. You know because you seem to be trying to help everyone...no matter what the consequences are" Poppy chimed in with concern.

"I...You should have seen his face, he wanted to fly the broomstick so much. Argus feels so awful about not being able to use magic" Lucy explained.

Making her friends shake their heads. They weren't getting through to her tonight. Lucy's problem was that she couldn't see the bigger picture. She just did things that only helped in the short run. They didn't quite like her hanging out with Argus Filch either. The boy was quite nice to her but he was a bit of a bully to everyone else. His little book was filled with names and ticks. His cane had been used on most of the wizards and it seemed that his reasons were becoming more small.

"Argus isn't very nice, Lucy. I don't know why you think he is" Ruth spoke up.

"He's only doing his job. Argus just feels like nobody likes him because he's a squib. He's ignored at home" Lucy replied, trying to defend him.

"Nobody likes him because he's a bully. You think he would be nice as pie if he was magical? He be even worse...thank Merlin he can't do magic" Ruth said.

Lucy briefly looked up at her. Not wanting to argue or be in the same room. She forced herself up from the bed and made her way out the dormitory and out of the Hufflepuff common room. She really didn't see why everyone else kept saying Argus was a bully. As she began to walk through the Hogwarts corridors in a childish strop. She just needed some time alone.

...

The next two weeks or so consisted of students studying outside. On this particular morning in late May. Lucy had received a small package with muggle sweets and a card with the number '12' written across it from home. The Hufflepuff table picking up the muggle sweets with interest as they wished her a happy 12th birthday. Argus watching from the side as he nervously paced up and down with his mop and bucket. He ran away however the moment she made eye contact. Myrtle had walked over from the Ravenclaw table as she passed her a handmade card.

"Thank you...I love it...I feel like such a spoiled princess today" Lucy remarked as she picked up her sweets and bunch of cards.

Her fellow Hufflepuff students had forgiven her for losing them more house points. As that was in a Hufflepuff's nature after all. Her 'Head of House' Charity Anne Burbage wishing her a quick happy birthday as she walked past. A slightly jumbled Argus Filch returned ten minutes later with a poorly packaged gift wrapped in a muggle newspaper and a messy handwritten card. As he went over to her table and passed them over to her, telling some third-year girl to get out of his way as he did so.

"Aww...Argus. Thank you" Lucy spoke gently; making him sit down besides her.

He showed his total lack of respect towards the other students by grabbing some breakfast with his hands. They just rolled their eyes, they liked Lucy but why she hung out with Argus was anyone's guess. As a couple of third-year girls moved away from him completely. Lucy opened his card as it read in an obviously rushed handwritten way...

Dear Lucy,

Happy birthday. Hope you have a nice day

From your squibby friend, Argus

She unwrapped his present next. Which was just something he clearly took from the office mere moments ago. It was a half-burned feathered quill pen. Lucy's friends smirking as they excused themselves so they could laugh elsewhere. Lucy giving a polite smile as she passed him back the muggle newspaper (she could clearly see it was the 'Borley Rectory fire' article). He put it back in his pocket with a red face. He had forgotten her birthday and this was his last-minute attempt of pretending he hadn't.

"Thanks Argus...It's really good" Lucy told him in a very fake tone of voice.

"Ungrateful brat!" Argus snapped.

Storming away from the table. He was taken aback by her sarcasm despite it being one of the nicer reactions he could have gotten. She just let him go, she wasn't going to deal with his bad temper today. Argus had never really took out his frustration on her either so she knew it wasn't a habit of his. He was already in a bad mood before he even laid eyes on her that morning. She put his rushed letter in the pile of her birthday cards.

...

"Jack Pettigrew! Don't run down the corridors. This isn't a running exam" Charity Anne Burbage was heard saying.

Making him pause with a scowl. The exam day had arrived for all the students as it was now June. Some of the fourth-year students were seen on their way to the 'Muggle Studies' classroom, including Jack himself. Some of the first-years and second-years looked into this classroom as toasters, radios, bicycles and muggle newspapers were seen near the desks. Most of the students who took this exam were muggle-borns looking for an easy grade.

"Oh! I do miss toasters" a muggle-born second-year girl was heard saying as she tiptoed to look into the classroom through the window.

"I hope you all fail!" Walburga Black hissed at the fourth-year students lining up outside.

One of the fourth-year girls giving her a sarcastic wave. Charity telling the first-years and second-years to go as they needed quiet. Making them walk away with sighs and groans. Lucy and Myrtle among them as they forced their eyes away from the toaster and radio (two products they miss). There were a couple half-bloods and pure-bloods there as well though. Most of them were wannabe ministry workers who were only taking muggle studies in case they have to work in one of the muggle-related departments.

"I wouldn't bother!" Druella Rosier was seen shouting over as she stood with Walburga.

"Thank you girls for your contributions" Charity told them; making them walk away with a scoff.

Lucy and Myrtle walked away by then too. They were doing the potions exam today and were very nervous, trying to remember what Eileen Prince had told them. They tried to get the thought of toasters and radios out of their minds and focus on potions. As the first-years lined up outside the potions classroom with a smiling Horace Slughorn setting up both the written and practical exam inside. He put the final ink pot down before inviting them all in.

...

TBC