Hogwarts: Even Voldemort Can't Stop Me From Studying

But only Sirius knew, Vid looked relaxed but was actually tense all over.

Turning the corner, a sharp scolding broke the silence.

”...Riding broomsticks in the corridor, I’m going to string you all up...”

Filch hunched over, yelling at two first-year students who were trembling. The other students walked around the area, afraid the gloomy, harsh caretaker would catch some mistake and give them a few days’ detention.

Vid narrowed his eyes slightly, scanning the caretaker from head to toe, and his racing heart finally settled.

Perhaps sensing a particularly strong presence of a gaze, Filch suddenly turned around, meeting Vid’s eyes, a flash of anger in his cloudy eyes.

”You—you stepped on the mud outside and came in!”

Filch rushed like a scrawny cat whose tail got stepped on, his nostrils twitching as if searching for evidence of a crime.

”Mud! The whole corridor is mud! Even if you’re the school’s Champion, don’t you know to follow a bit of school rules?”

Vid was momentarily stunned by the yelling, he looked down and realized he had indeed left a trail of muddy footprints behind.

It had rained in the evening, and the damp mud outside the castle clung to his shoes and got brought inside.

Usually, before stepping on the stairs, Vid would consciously cast a Scouring Charm on himself, to not add to poor Filch’s workload. But today, he indeed forgot about it.

Of course, there were many muddy footprints in the corridor, his own trail wasn’t particularly noticeable.

”I’m fed up! No one respects my work!” Filch grabbed Vid’s arm, dragging him toward his office, grumbling angrily: ”Come with me, I’m giving you a detention! The crime is tarnishing the castle...”

The two first-year students who were originally getting scolded looked at the caretaker in a panic, unsure if they should follow too.

Then, Vid, being dragged along, turned and waved, signaling them to leave. The two cautiously glanced at the caretaker, then quickly ran into the Great Hall, looking back to show Vid a grateful expression.

Filch seemed to entirely forget about the two from before, focused on making an example, catching Vid the Champion, intent on giving him a spot of punishment.

And beside him, Vid’s lips also curled slightly.