"Thank you, professor."
"Is there really nothing wrong? You know, you can tell me if you encounter any trouble."
"No, Mr. Filch just bought some cleaning crabs from me, which ended up being misunderstood by everyone."
Vid explained the situation helplessly, and only then did Professor Flitwick feel relieved.
"I hope you won't be so impulsive in the future." Professor Flitwick said to Padma and the others, "Observe calmly before you act."
"Sorry, professor."
Padma said apologetically, lowering her head.
The commotion ended, and everyone hastily moved their things back. The girls felt a sense of regained joy when they saw the original crab that liked to blow bubbles was still there.
"Why sell the cleaning crabs to Filch?" Harry asked puzzledly, "Nobody likes him, and you don't really need those few Galleons."
"Though it is satisfying to make things difficult for him, isn't it better to be on good terms with the caretaker?"
Michael retorted, "Think about it, you could be wandering around past curfew, and Filch would just ignore you."
"Really?" Harry asked hopefully.
"False!"
Hermione smacked his head with a book on school rules.
"Even if Filch ignores it, that's only for Vid; he'd still catch you!"
Harry's eyebrows drooped in disappointment.
Vid chuckled and didn't explain further.
...
Afterwards, when students saw Filch, he was always followed by several crabs—sometimes as few as two, other times as many as six, marching in a neat line, resembling his lead sheep.
When students accidentally got mud and such on the floor, Filch no longer hysterically shouted at them.
On the contrary, he seemed delighted, waving his hand as the crab soldiers rushed over with a clatter, quickly cleaning the floors spotless.
At times, when students accidentally squashed slugs or blew up cauldrons, the elderly caretaker no longer needed to climb a ladder to clean.
For cleaning crabs, the ceiling and the floor were no different, not adding any extra workload.
Previously, Filch most hated rainy days, as it meant he could be cleaning all day long.
But now, he even hoped for more rain, leisurely standing by the window to enjoy the feeling of the moisture hitting his face.
The caretaker's temper seemed suddenly much better, leaving students somewhat unsettled.
When they accidentally muddied the main hall, instead of receiving yells and insults, they got a smile from the caretaker, creating a chillingly strange feeling.
Some slovenly habits were suddenly corrected.
"I used to think nothing was worse than Filch's shouting, but now, I realize I was wrong—"
A Gryffindor student said gloomily to their companion, "Worse is Filch's smile."
His companion nodded in strong agreement, "When he smiles at me, I get goosebumps."
...
The student discussions were not something Filch cared about.
He proudly led his crabs through every corner of Hogwarts, satisfied watching them leave places spotless and shiny.
Though cleaning crabs were useful, as semi-finished products, they sometimes had small malfunctions, requiring Filch to seek Vid's help for repairs.
Over time, the two became quite familiar. Filch even hosted Vid in his little hut like a guest.
Not even Dumbledore had received a proactive invitation from the caretaker.
Filch's office was very dark, with only an oil lamp hanging from the ceiling providing a dim yellow light.
Many filing cabinets lined the wall, supposedly containing over a thousand punishment records Filch had logged, but no student had actually seen them.
Items like hinges and handcuffs hung on one wall, metal glinting coldly in the light. Even if unused, their mere presence was enough to intimidate timid students.
An orange crab flipped back and forth in Vid's hands.
"The magic pattern circuits are a little worn, not a big issue."
Vid fixed the crab in just a few minutes, and when placed on the ground, it immediately crawled away, incidentally cleaning up a few ink drops.
The crabs have a built-in Scouring Charm effect; no matter how much cleaning they do, they always remain spotless themselves.
Filch watched it work with affection, sentimentally saying, "Thank you, Vid. Earlier, Omar was struck by a student's spell and stopped moving… I almost thought it was dead..."
He sniffed, appearing still immersed in sorrow.
Vid hesitated, "...Omar?"
"Yes, that's the name I gave it."
Filch happily introduced the other crabs, "This one is Reid, Peg, Ruby, and Stella and Thomas."
"Meow—" Mrs. Loris made a coquettish sound.
"Of course, of course, my most important is still Mrs. Loris." Filch hurriedly said, petting the cat's outstretched back.
Vid was silent for a moment, deciding not to comment, instead asking, "Why is Mrs. Loris so skinny? Is she sick or..."
"...Just old." Filch picked up the cat, saying sadly, "Like me, she's too old, and her appetite isn't too good."
"Meow—" Mrs. Loris called softly.
"Of course, even in old age, Mrs. Loris remains as smart and capable, more exceptional than many humans."
Filch skillfully petted the cat's ears and chin, suddenly recalling something, and asked, "By the way, Vid, would you like some flowers?"
"...Flowers?" Vid said.
"Yes."
Filch placed the cat on a chair and stood up to go into the inner room, which Vid guessed might be his bedroom.
Before long, Filch returned carrying several pots of blooming flowers, bright and colorful, making the narrow hut resemble an oil painting.
"You've often helped me fix the crabs; I really have nothing to repay you with... Recently, Professor Lockhart somehow got a large batch of flowers, and as a reward for helping organize them, he agreed I could keep a few pots."
Filch set the pots on the table in front of Vid, saying, "Take them... You can use them to decorate your house."
"Thanks." Vid didn't decline, smiling as he said, "I'll place them in the Umbrella House; Padma and Michael will surely like them."
"Hmm..."
Hearing those familiar names which had once been reported, Filch hesitated, saying:
"Recently, tell your friends not to venture outside the school, especially those not yet in third year... There are rumors that figures resembling Dark Wizards were seen in Hogsmeade."
Vid's expression grew slightly serious, "When was this?"
"Just the other day... Friday or Saturday, someone said they saw two suspicious figures. Along with several individuals in black cloaks, seeming extremely dangerous."
Filch tried recalling bits and pieces he heard at the tavern, feeling the matter was unrelated to him, so he hadn't paid much attention.
Finally, he said, "If you want to know more, I can ask around."
Vid looked at him for a while, shaking his head with a smile.
"No need... If you encounter any danger, that would be bad."
He paused, then added, "Even if there are Dark Wizards, they can't enter Hogwarts... I'll remind everyone not to run around."
Filch nodded in strong agreement, "That's right. Following school rules avoids mistakes, and thus, danger. With Dumbledore at Hogwarts, even... even he-who-must-not-be-named can't harm you."
Filch didn't like Dumbledore's overly lenient management style, but he had never doubted the headmaster's abilities.