Chapter 222: Rumors and Deals

Argus Filch, the caretaker of Hogwarts Castle, was infamous for finding joy in catching rule-breaking students and was disliked by most of them.

For the first time, his usually dour and stern face twisted into a smile. His sunken cheeks lifted, and the crisscrossing wrinkles around his eyes made the smile look rather peculiar.

Mrs. Norris, his scrawny cat, crouched at his feet. Her long tail curled around Filch's trousers, and her bulbous eyes were fixed unblinkingly on Wade.

Wade showed no sign of discomfort. He nodded and said,

"Are you referring to the cleaning crabs? They can indeed help with cleaning, though they aren't as thorough or meticulous as house-elves. They might leave some corners untouched."

"That's fine, that's fine," Filch said cheerfully. "As long as they can get the job done… How much do they cost?"

He clutched his heavy money bag as he asked.

Hogwarts provided room and board year-round, and Filch spent most of his time at the school. Apart from the occasional trip to buy liquor, he rarely had reasons to spend money.

So, despite his modest salary, Filch had managed to save up a substantial sum, and his tone carried confidence.

"The cleaning crabs aren't quite finished products. If you want them, I'll just charge you the cost price… 15 silver Sickles each," Wade said.

It was a very fair price, far better than Filch had expected. Feeling flush with cash, he exclaimed, "Then I'll buy ten… no, twenty!"

Wade couldn't help but chuckle. "I don't have that many. These crabs haven't gone into mass production yet; I've only made seven myself. Hmm… I'll need to keep one for myself, so I can sell you the remaining six."

"Uh… alright then," Filch said, sounding slightly disappointed. But the thought of no longer having to handle most of the troublesome cleaning tasks by himself soon brought a smile back to his face.

"Follow me," Wade said. "I've stored the cleaning crabs in the activity room."

The two of them ascended the staircase. Filch, in a good mood, became more talkative.

"I'm so sick of it… frog brains, rat intestines, slug slime… Those little devils are always spreading that stuff everywhere…"

Filch couldn't help but grumble before adding,

"Of course, you're an exception, kid. I know you've never been one to make a mess… And those Quidditch players, tracking mud all over the place…"

As they walked through the corridors, passing students noticed someone walking alongside Filch and assumed Wade had been caught by the caretaker. They quickly stepped aside and casted sympathetic glances at Wade.

Some eager lower-year students rushed off to warn the other members of SSC.

"Something bad has happened!"

A young girl grabbed Padma's hand, and panic was written all over her face. "Filch has caught Wade Grey! And now he's coming for the rest of you!"

"What!"

Padma was stunned. She immediately ran back to the Umbrella room, where most of the members were gathered, and relayed the alarming news.

Everyone was shocked. "What gives him the right to arrest people?!"

"Could it be that the fight from last time has been exposed?" Theo asked worriedly.

"It's definitely those Malfoys snitching behind our backs!" Harry declared with conviction.

"He can't just grab people randomly!" Padma stamped her foot. "I'm going to find Professor Flitwick!"

She threw the door open and bolted out, while Hermione clutched her face and squeaked, "Forming a club isn't against the school rules! I've memorized all of them!"

"Give it a rest, Hermione. We've broken so many school rules we've lost count ourselves!"

Fred clapped his hands loudly and said, "What are you all standing around for?! Pack up and run!"

Everyone suddenly snapped out of their stupor and sprang into action, hurriedly gathering anything they thought might be considered contraband. Hugging their backpacks, they dashed out of the Umbrella room.

The corridor was eerily quiet, with no sign of an ambush or pursuers.

Panting, they stashed their items in a nearby empty classroom. Still anxious, they sneaked back and tried to blend in as ordinary students.

"—Have you heard? Wade Grey got caught."

"By who?"

"Filch."

"No idea what rule he broke…"

The rumor spread among the students like wildfire, faster than the flu.

The Weasley twins getting caught was nothing unusual. Harry or Hermione being apprehended was also fairly commonplace for Gryffindors. 

But Wade Grey, an exemplary student and a Ravenclaw no less, being caught? That was downright astonishing.

As a result, Wade soon noticed the corridors were unusually crowded, with students casting furtive glances in his direction. But as soon as he met their eyes, they quickly looked away.

Some familiar classmates stared at him with conflicted expressions.

A few sent him subtle signals with their eyes—'What's going on? Need help?'

Others stealthily pulled out various prank tools, seemingly prepared to hit Filch with something and create an opportunity for Wade to escape.

Wade quickly realized what was causing the commotion and couldn't help but find it amusing. He shook his head at a few of the students, signaling them not to cause trouble.

However, Filch couldn't understand why more and more students were crowding the corridor. It seemed like the entire school had come out to watch. He glared at some of them menacingly, ready to catch anyone breaking the rules.

The two of them soon arrived at the Umbrella room. Students gathered at the far end of the hallway and watched intently. They saw Wade open the door without issue, while Filch remained standing at the entrance and did not step inside.

Even Mrs. Norris, usually haughty and domineering, sat quietly by his side without her usual aggressiveness.

A string of question marks seemed to appear over the heads of the students watching from afar.

It wasn't until they saw Wade carrying out a few cleaning crabs and handing them over to Filch that the situation became clear. Filch counted out a few Galleons and Sickles, handed them to Wade, and happily left with the crabs in his arms.

The spectators suddenly understood, but their emotions were a mix of amused frustration and vague disappointment.

The sound of hurried footsteps echoed in the corridor as Professor Flitwick was practically being dragged along by Padma, barely able to keep up.

"Slow down, slow down… Oh, Merlin, don't run so fast… What's happened?" he kept shouting.

The girl who had started the rumor shrank back nervously and quietly slipped away.

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