[HPforGrownups] What side is Filch on?

[k12listmomma]

No: HPFGUIDX 170172

From: "karen" <karen.l.evans at wmich.edu>
> I'm re-reading 1-6 so I may have forgotten some things that have
> happened past book 2 however I found something interesting in book 2
> today.  I do hope that I'm not repeating a previous discussion...
>
> Ron: "I know that name... T.M. Riddle got an award for special services
> to the school fifty years ago."
>
> "How on eart d'you know that?" said Harry in amazement.
>
> "Because Filch made me polish his shield about fifty times in
> detention," said Ron resentfully.  "That was the one I burped slugs all
> over.  If you'd wiped slime off a name for an hour, you'd remember it,
> too."
>
> Now we know Filch is very particular about keeping the school clean but
> could it be a clue that he wanted this shield so clean.  Ron says
> nothing about scrubbing the others for so long.  Is Filch who we think
> he is?

Shelley:
First, Ron was on detention, so of course the aim is to get everything
spotless because it's a punishment.
Second, Ron kept burping slugs on it, meaning he kept getting it dirty. See
#1 for why he would be made to clean it again after each slug. Frankly, it
didn't matter which trophy it was that he belched a slug on, he was going to
have to redo it.
Third, there are plenty of other cannon instances where Filch is particular
about the castle. I remember one time that the students were avoiding him
because he had a cold, and was cranky, and was giving out detentions for
muddy footprints on the floor when they came in from the rain.

Filch is nothing more than a cranky old Squibb who is happy that he has a
home with Dumbledore in the Castle rather than being an outcast somewhere
else.

Shelley