| • Science | • People | • Locations | • Timeline |
| Argus Filch | |
|---|---|
| Gender | Male |
| Hair Colour | Unknown |
| Eye Colour | Unknown |
| House | None |
| Blood Purity | Squib |
| Loyalty | Loyal to Dolores Umbridge |
Filch has a cat named Mrs. Norris. Mrs. Norris is hated by the students as well. If Mrs. Norris catchs a student putting one toe out of line, Filch will come, drawn by the mysterious power that connects him with his cat. It is the dearest ambition of many to give Mrs. Norris a good kick. Whenever Hagrid goes up to the school Mrs. Norris follows him everywhere, he can't get rid of her. Filch puts her up to it. Hagrid wants to introduce Mrs. Norris to Fang someday. Filch calls Mrs. Norris "my sweet."
For years Filch has been trying to bring the "old punishments" back, where students are hung by their hands in the dungeons for days, are whipped, etc. In Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix when Dolores Umbridge took control of Hogwarts he briefly got his wish. Filch called Umbridge the best thing that ever happened to Hogwarts, making him the only staff member to take her side.
Filch and his cat are mutual mortal enemies with Peeves, against whom they constantly wage war. Harry and his friends sometimes get involved in this conflict, though they don't take sides, as none of those characters are very likeable.
Filch is played by David Bradley in the films.
The name "Argus" comes from Greek mythology, where it was the name of a giant with one hundred eyes who served the goddess Hera as a watchman (much like Mr. Filch's role in patrolling the hallways of Hogwarts). His surname, "Filch", is an English word meaning "to steal", usually in a sneaky manner.
Filch was revealed to be a Squib in Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets, when he is caught by Harry trying to teach himself basic magic from a correspondence course. Also, many fans believe that Mrs. Norris will play a larger role in the forthcoming books.
Filch, Argus