The Marauders: Year One | #Wattys2016

Return to Filch's Office

Return to Filch's Office


"Lucius Malfoy and Severus Snape's files?" Remus asked, looking at James and Sirius with stitched eyebrows, pondering the news they'd shared. "Who would steal their files, though? And, better yet, why?" he mused, rubbing his chin.

James, Sirius, and Remus were sitting around their dorm, while Peter went to get snacks from the kitchens. Sirius and James had filled Remus in on all the things Professor McGonagall had told them when she called them to her office, and, although Remus thought it very unfair that they had skived so many classes and only gotten sandwiches for it, he was still intrigued by the facts of the story.

"That's all McGonagall said about it," James said with a shrug, "Apparently whoever's done it was in Filch's office this morning, when Sirius and I were up here, asleep."

"I'll bet it was ol' Snivelly," Sirius announced.

"Why would Severus steal his own file?" demanded Remus sensibly.

Sirius answered, "To make it look like it wasn't him who's done it!"

Remus rolled his eyes, and, turning to James, who was idly rummaging through Bilius Weasley's file, "Is it only the detention notes in there, or are there other things, like grades and addresses and all that?"

James flipped back a few pages, "I mean it's basically just Filch's notes about misdoings but, sure, there's a section of your typical information – you know, the birthday, addresses, blood status, and that lot." He shrugged. "Why?"

"Well maybe whoever stole the notes was interested in that information, rather than their detention records?" Remus suggested.

Sirius was laying on his back. "Nobody really wants to know anything about that lot. Not for any good reason, anyway."

Peter came back then with a bag full of food he'd knicked from the kitchens, including thick roast beef sandwiches, complete with au jous, which was Sirius's favorite, and the boys laid about on the floor of their dorms, doing homework and laughing over jokes that they made with each other as they studied, the mysterious disappearances of the files forgotten, for the most part.

That night, James really did intend to stay in bed. But his eyes just would not sleep, and he found himself still wide awake well after midnight, when all three of the other First Years were fast asleep. He'd stayed asleep too long that morning to make for good rest that night. He sat up and looked over at Sirius, considering waking his mate up for an adventure, but Sirius looked too peaceful to disturb. So, James got quietly out of bed alone and snuck the invisibility cloak out of his trunk and crept down the stairs to the common room.

It was dead quiet in the castle and he snuck through the corridors as silently as he could, careful to listen out for any signs of life – or afterlife, for that matter, as an encounter with Peeves the Poltergeist was worth ten run-ins with Mrs. Norris.

He wanted to go down to Filch's office and look for clues as to who might have stolen the files from the cabinet drawer. James didn't know why exactly, but he had a feeling that, should he venture down there, his efforts would not be in vain and he'd find out something to do with this great mystery.

And he certainly wasn't disappointed.

James slunk quietly down the corridor towards the office, and snuck into an alcove where a suit of armor stood. He peeked 'round the armor's legs at the spot along the wall where Filch's office was. Filch himself was sitting outside it, with Mrs. Norris perched on his lap, being stroked and petted and whispered sweet nothings to. The cat's tail flickered as she purred. James was nervous perhaps Mrs. Norris might be able to see through the invisibility cloak, or, at very least, be able to smell him. But if she could do either, she showed no indication of it.

Then, from the darkness behind him, came a madly dashing figure and it took a moment of the light reflecting from him before James recognized him as Professor Tutman. "Mr. Filch," said Tutman, "I've just been informed that there's a student out of bed – in the west wing."

Filch leaped to his feet, knocking Mrs. Norris to the ground with a merrow! and looked at Tutman with an expression of absolute hunger. "A student out of bed, you say? Hear that my pet?" he growled to Mrs. Norris, "Probably the little sneak thief that stole my records!" His eyes flashed with anger.

"I came as quickly as I could so as to relieve you of your post," Tutman explained, "So that you could go and catch the little rule breaker."

Filch didn't even hesitate, he just nodded and handed Tutman his keys and lumbered off quickly, headed off to find the student Tutman had told him of. James ducked further back behind the suit of armor as Filch and his cat rushed past, but neither gave even a hint of knowledge about James's present as they ran off. It was when James leaned forward once again that he found the evidence he'd come for.

Tutman had disappeared into the office.

James could hardly believe his eyes. Tutman had stolen the files? By what for? Did this have something to do with the mysterious happenings going on down in the dungeons, he wondered? He just couldn't wait, though, he needed to see for himself, with his own two eyes, what Professor Tutman was doing. James glanced both ways down the hallway, to be sure nobody else was coming, and he ran full tilt – or at least as close to full tilt as one could get without their trainers making a great deal of racket.

The door to Filch's office was opened up a smidgeon, just enough space for James to sneak through. He held his breath as he just barely slipped through the gap. Filch's office was even murkier and mustier in the moonlight that filtered in through the high windows. He moved slowly in, standing just a little ways off from the door and blinked his eyes to adjust to the darkness. The light that came through the door cut a sliver across the floor, illuminating Tutman's back as he moved. James couldn't clearly see what he was doing, but he heard the creak of the filing drawer and saw Tutman reach into his robes.

Despite the tales about Tutman that Remus had told them, James still felt utterly betrayed. All that time, he'd been hoping that they would investigate the whole thing and find somehow that Professor Tutman hadn't done anything fishy at all but it'd been coincidence and coincidence alone, but this was no coincidence he was seeing now. This was wrong, and by a member of staff, no less, the ones, above all else, that they, as students, were supposed to be able to trust! And it was a shame, too, because Tutman had been a very interesting teacher, full of knowledge and fun ways to present information, even the boring stuff.

James didn't know what to do.

He should tell Dumbledore, he decided.

He moved to leave the room, but his foot caught on one of the coiled chains on the floor and it moved, making a chinking sound and Tutman froze, as did James. Both stood, waiting; Tutman, listening. "I know you're there," said Professor Tutman quietly.

James couldn't breathe. His heart hammered. He was surely about to get caught – again – and only now did he properly fear what Professor McGonagall would say when she found out he'd been caught in Filch's office. There'd be no sandwiches this time, that was for sure. He'd probably end up expelled. He closed his eyes.

But then the door swung violently open, only just missing James, and in walked Filch, his wide eyes glowing, Mrs. Norris at his heels. "And what the bloody hell is this?" he demanded, staring at Tutman.

"It's not what it looks like," Professor Tutman said, "I can explain. Fetch Dumbledore."

James wanted to stay, wanted to wait for Dumbledore and tell him everything he'd seen and what Remus had seen, too, but Mrs. Norris's eyes suddenly opened wide and she swung them, lamp-like in the dark, to look at him, her nose twitching. She started sniffing the floor, slowly moving closer... and James knew he didn't want to be caught, it would give Tutman a scapegoat, a reason to say he was in the office, and he'd end up blamed for things he hadn't done and fear welled in James's throat. His only hope was out the still wide open door. So he leaped over Mrs. Norris and ran full tilt down the hall, even as Filch reached back in reaction to the thump of his trainers on the floor behind him. James's lungs seared as he ran, and although he knew Filch was too distracted with Tutman to properly chase him, he still did not stop until he'd reached Gryffindor Tower.