With that angry voice, Filch appeared before the students.
He wore a yellow Daoist robe and a Daoist crown. In one hand, he held a peachwood sword.
The students stared blankly.
"What is that…"
"Filch?!"
They had all thought that, now his identity as a Squib had been exposed, Filch would not be able to last much longer. Everyone said he would be dismissed soon.
Yet he still came.
And what was with that strange outfit?
Halloween had long passed.
Did he think wearing strange clothes could change the fact that he was a Squib?
Filch's icy gaze swept across the students and the ruined corridor.
His anger deepened.
If this had been the old him, with no extraordinary power, he might have needed two or three days to clean up these ribbons and firework fragments.
These children had gone too far.
His face darkened.
"Out of bed after curfew, making this much noise, and turning the corridor into a disaster."
"I'll lock every one of you in detention and hang you up by your ankles!"
Filch's old authority still had some weight.
When he scowled and threatened detention, several students instinctively panicked.
Some even tried to run before he could catch them.
But they quickly came back to themselves.
Especially the students from wizarding families.
No matter which house they belonged to, their disdain for Squibs had been soaked into their bones since birth.
Before, they had not known Filch was a Squib.
They had assumed Hogwarts' caretaker was naturally a wizard like them. Combined with Filch's years of intimidation, they had feared him like a tiger.
But now everyone knew he was a Squib.
What was there to fear?
One student stopped running and gave Filch a challenging look.
"You don't have the ability to catch us!"
"We know now. You're a Squib. You were just scaring us before. You can't actually do anything!"
Another student from a pure-blood family muttered what many were thinking.
"You're a Squib. What right do you have to work at Hogwarts? What right do you have to manage us wizards?"
"We have magic. You don't. You're no different from a Muggle."
Filch looked at them with undisguised disgust.
He had dealt with students long enough to understand them.
Beneath their innocent faces and respectful manners toward professors, children this age still carried a cruel streak.
He had seen plenty of bullying in Hogwarts.
Weaklings and strange, lonely children were often targeted.
In Slytherin, where strength and status mattered even more, students had even been used as spell targets.
Before, his position as caretaker had protected him. Students disliked him, but at least they feared him.
Their malice had not dared fall directly onto him.
But now, childish, foolish cruelty was surging toward him.
A moment later, however, Filch found himself strangely calm.
The word Squib could no longer shake him.
Yes, he was a Squib.
So what?
Theodore had told him that talisman arts were not weaker than magic.
He had also learned the Heavenly Master Method.
He was the first Heavenly Master.
Filch said coldly, "Insulting the caretaker and refusing discipline. Do you know how many points this will cost your houses?"
"Even if Headmaster Dumbledore pleads for you, I believe all of you need a punishment you will remember."
At that moment, the students drew their wands with arrogant expressions.
They were not bold enough to cast spells directly at Filch.
But dealing with a Squib?
There were countless ways.
"Impedimenta!"
One student cast the Impediment Jinx he had only recently learned.
An invisible barrier appeared in the corridor.
Filch ignored it and continued walking forward.
The students saw this and became fully convinced.
Filch really was a Squib.
He did not even have a wand.
They could hardly wait to watch him crash into the barrier and bruise his nose.
But in the next instant, the Impediment Jinx seemed to lose effect.
Filch walked straight through it as if it were air.
The student who had cast the spell froze.
"Wait."
"Where's my Impediment Jinx?"
"Where did my huge Impediment Jinx go?!"
The others were also startled.
"Did you cast it wrong?"
"I think you waved your wand too quickly."
"Maybe the pronunciation was off?"
Another student stepped forward confidently.
"Let me show you."
"Impedimenta!"
A second Impediment Jinx appeared, stronger than the first.
Filch still ignored it.
He walked straight through.
Theodore's words surfaced in his mind.
"The Heavenly Master robe I refined for you is not high-level, but it is enough to let you ignore most magical effects."
"At least among Hogwarts students, very few can affect you. In fact, probably only Aurors can pierce its defense and injure you."
"Combined with rituals and talismans, your current strength is no longer something most Hogwarts students or ordinary adult wizards can compare with. If used properly, defeating an Auror would not be difficult."
At the time, Filch had found it almost unbelievable.
Aurors were elite wizards.
Each had received top marks in many subjects, and even then, they had to go through years of training before becoming official Aurors.
He had been a powerless Squib not long ago.
And now, in the blink of an eye, he could defeat an Auror?
But at this moment, Filch finally understood Theodore's words.
These students' spells were truly useless before him.
Then what effect would his power have on them?
Suddenly, the stubborn figure from the Heavenly Master Method appeared in Filch's mind.
The method he had comprehended rose clearly in his heart.
His steps changed.
He stepped on the Seven Stars and walked the Dipper.
His robe moved without wind, sleeves fluttering.
An ancient, desolate feeling spread from him, like the ritual dance of ancient people praying beneath the open sky.
At first, the students stared.
Then they laughed.
"What's Filch doing?"
"Is he dancing?"
"That's so weird. Is he trying to make us laugh until we collapse, then drag us to detention? Merlin, that would be the stupidest way to get caught sneaking out!"
Their laughter rang out, but Filch did not move.
His clumsy movements gradually became smoother.
At the same time, he felt it.
A current of power was being born inside him.
Theodore had called it magical power.
For the first time, Filch controlled this power by himself.
He took a deep breath.
Then he flipped his hand, and a low-level talisman Theodore had given him appeared between his fingers.
A Water-Control Talisman.
He poured the magical power gained from the Heavenly Master Method into it.
Instantly, the characters on the talisman began to flow as if alive.
The sound of surging water erupted from the paper.
The laughing students also heard it.
For a moment, it felt as if they were standing beside a great river.
Their laughter stopped.
Where was the water coming from?
The next second, from the talisman floating before Filch, a violent current burst forth.
A roaring stream swept through the entire corridor, swallowing the students along with the mess and trash they had created.
Before the Water-Control Talisman, they could not even cast a spell.
They were swept away, spinning helplessly.
If Filch had not stopped activating the talisman in time, some of them might really have drowned.
Even so, the students coughed violently, choking on water.
They looked at Filch with confusion and fear.
Wasn't Filch supposed to be a Squib?
You call this a Squib?
What Squib could cast wordless and wandless magic and create something like that in an instant?
That sudden torrent was definitely an advanced spell.
If Filch could use magic like this, why was he enrolled in a beginner correspondence course?
Was he sick?
Was he pretending to be weak?
Then a thought struck them.
Could this have been Filch setting a trap?
Maybe Filch was actually an extremely powerful wizard.
Otherwise, why would Dumbledore allow him to serve as Hogwarts' caretaker?
Maybe pretending to be a Squib was just his strange hobby.
Yes.
Wasn't it normal for powerful wizards to have a few odd habits?
How ridiculous that they had actually believed it.
Filch walked toward them.
The students no longer looked arrogant. One by one, they lowered their heads in panic.
Filch said calmly, "Clean every trace in this corridor."
"From now on, all of you will be responsible for keeping these corridors spotless."
"And every one of you will polish the trophy room three times. I don't want to see a single speck of dust."
"Understood?"
The students nodded like frightened quails.
At that moment, Filch swept his gaze over them and failed to see the Weasley twins, who usually caused him the most trouble.
That surprised him.
With those two lawless boys, how had they not joined this mess tonight?
He immediately asked, "Where are those two Weasley troublemakers?"
"Where did they go?"
The students exchanged glances.
After a moment, someone said uncertainly, "They said they didn't want to join our little game."
"They said tonight they were going deep into the Forbidden Forest."
Filch's expression changed.
The Weasley twins' obsession with exploring the deeper parts of the Forbidden Forest was well known.
Before, between his patrols and Hagrid guarding the forest, they had never found a chance.
But tonight, with the castle in chaos and Hagrid still recovering at St. Mungo's after the earlier attack, the Forbidden Forest was nearly unguarded.
Those two had finally found their opening.
Messing around inside Hogwarts was one thing.
The castle still had the protection left behind by the Four Founders, so even if they caused trouble, nothing too terrible would happen.
At worst, they would get detention and lose house points.
But the Forbidden Forest was different.
The protection there was much weaker.
And there were dangers that could kill.
If the twins encountered something, their little bit of magic would not save them.
Filch had no time to think.
He put away the partly used Water-Control Talisman and took out a Wind-Control Talisman.
The next instant, wind roared around him.
Filch rode the wind and flew toward the Forbidden Forest.
The students stared after him in shock.
"This…"
"Is that magic too?"
"Why is Filch's magic so cool?"
"Bloody hell, I'm more convinced than ever. Filch must be some hidden master. Doesn't that happen in novels all the time?"
"Wait. Could making us clean the corridor and polish the trophy room actually be a test? If we pass, maybe he'll teach us this powerful magic."
At that thought, the students scrambled to clean, each more eager than the last. They were afraid to leave even a single speck of dust.
Meanwhile, deep in the Forbidden Forest, Fred and George Weasley were running through the darkness, faces full of fear and despair.
They had always been fearless.
Fearless enough to believe Hogwarts held no real danger, that even the Forbidden Forest was only another playground for them to explore.
But tonight, after entering the deeper part of the forest for the first time, they finally understood why students were forbidden to come here.
It was terrifying.
Truly terrifying.
Fred could not help glancing behind him.
In the darkness, countless scarlet lights flickered.
He could not see the full body of the thing chasing them, but he knew what it was.
A giant spider larger than a carriage, covered with dozens—no, perhaps over a hundred—eyes.
It had tried to ambush them earlier.
If George had not happened to cast a Lumos Charm, they might already have been torn apart.
They had been running at full speed for five or six minutes, but they had not widened the distance at all.
If anything, it was getting closer.
The twins could almost feel death pressing against their backs.
Why was there a monster like this in the Forbidden Forest?
It resembled the legendary Acromantula, but it was far more vicious.
It had nearly a hundred eyes.
Then, in the next instant, their footsteps stopped abruptly.
The brothers stared ahead.
On the path leading out of the forest, one scarlet point after another lit up.
More hundred-eyed demon spiders emerged from the darkness.
Their hideous mandibles opened and closed with clicking sounds.
At the same time, chilling whispers reached the twins' ears.
"Two little wizards?"
"Delicious. Sweet. It's been so long since we tasted this."
"They entered the Forbidden Forest themselves. Then they can't blame anyone."
The hundred-eyed demon spiders surrounded the twins, tightening the circle.
Fred and George's faces were filled with despair.
Regret crashed over them.
They should never have entered this deep.
Now they were going to die here.
They raised their wands and tried to force the spiders back with the spells they knew.
Their grades were not bad, but they were still only students.
Worse, fear weakened their spells further.
The magic bursting from their wand tips struck the demon spiders and failed to burn even a few hairs.
Instead, the scarlet glow in the spiders' eyes grew brighter, as if their appetite had been stirred.
"How should we eat them?"
"I want their eyes."
"I want their brains."
"Then I'll take the soft organs…"
The wands in the twins' hands began to tremble.
"Hey, Fred. Didn't think we'd die like this."
"Merlin… is this punishment for scaring Ron with spiders?"
"I'd rather kill myself than be eaten by these things."
"I can't do it to myself. Want to help each other?"
Just as the twins were discussing how to die with less pain, the demon spiders suddenly turned in unison.
Their scarlet eyes fixed on one direction.
"Hm?"
"What kind of day is this?"
"Another wizard?"
Filch's figure soon appeared in the sight of both the spiders and the Weasley twins.
The spiders sounded disappointed.
"An old one?"
"Old ones are dry and tough. They can't compare to tender little wizards."
Then they seemed to notice something.
"Wait."
"Something's wrong. This old thing has no magic."
"What's the word again?"
"He's a Squib?"
The demon spiders became even more disappointed.
"Fine, fine. Something is better than nothing."
The Weasley twins also showed despair.
Monsters like these would be difficult even for professors to handle, let alone Filch, who was a Squib.
But as they watched Filch walking toward them, shame surged through their hearts.
The Kwikspell letter had been found by them.
They had sneaked into Filch's office and seen it.
They had also stolen it.
At first, they had only meant to show a few close friends.
But too many people hated Filch, and once the secret leaked, it could not be contained.
In the end, copies of the letter had been posted publicly.
In other words, everything Filch had suffered tonight had begun with them.
And now, Filch—the Squib they had humiliated—had entered the Forbidden Forest to save them.
The twins gritted their teeth and tightened their grips on their wands.
They shouted toward Filch.
"Run!"
"Mr. Filch, run!"
"We'll hold these monsters back! Go find Headmaster Dumbledore, or Theodore! Only they can save us!"
"We'll buy you time!"
Spells burst from the twins' wands again, flying toward the hundred-eyed demon spiders.
Compared with before, because their resolve had strengthened and they had cast aside life and death, their spells became far more powerful.
If these had only been ordinary Acromantulas, they might really have injured them.
But what they faced were hundred-eyed demon spiders catalyzed by Theodore's imperial essence.
Even in the Primordial World, these creatures could be called demons.
How could the twins' spells shake them?
The demon spiders ignored their attacks and rustled forward, preparing to surround Filch as well.
Until a scent drifted through the air.
A scent that was unimaginably sweet to them.
Every hundred-eyed demon spider revealed greedy, bloodthirsty eyes.
Fred and George held up their arms.
Deep wounds had been cut into them, blood flowing freely.
They waved their bleeding arms at the demon spiders.
"Come on!"
"You want to eat people, don't you? Eat us!"
"If you don't come over now, more of our blood will spill into the ground!"
Stimulated by the blood, the demon spiders drooled and could no longer hold back.
They rushed toward the twins.
"Eat them."
"Eat these two little wizards."
"So fragrant. Don't waste anything. Even the dirt under their feet must be eaten clean."
The twins trembled, faces pale, but their eyes stayed fixed on Filch.
"Run, Mr. Filch! Run!"
"Mr. Filch, we're the reason you came here. We're sorry. We're really sorry. If we survive, we'll apologize properly. But now, run!"
Filch looked at the twins.
His expression softened.
These two pranksters loved causing trouble, but at least they did not lack courage or kindness.
Then he turned his gaze to the hundred-eyed demon spiders, his expression becoming extremely grave.
Even though the Heavenly Master Method had temporarily given him magical power, Filch could still feel an intense threat of death from the spiders.
Perhaps, with the Heavenly Master tools Theodore had refined for him, he could kill one in a duel.
But there were at least ten here.
With his own strength alone, this was certain death.
However, if he had talismans, that was a different matter.
Filch flipped his hand.
A Heavenly Thunder Talisman Theodore had given him appeared between his fingers.
At the same time, a killing move recorded in the Heavenly Master Method surfaced in his mind.
Filch leapt up.
He stepped on the Seven Stars and walked the Dipper.
His Daoist robe billowed.
He poured Heavenly Master power into the peachwood sword in his hand and pierced the Heavenly Thunder Talisman with one strike.
Boom!
Thunder exploded in the Forbidden Forest.
The hundred-eyed demon spiders felt fear, their bodies stiffening.
Fred and George stared at Filch in disbelief.
Filch raised the peachwood sword high.
At the tip of the sword, the Heavenly Thunder Talisman burned.
A majestic incantation came from Filch's mouth.
"Nine Heavens Mystic Thunder, transform into divine lightning."
"Majestic heavenly might, be guided by my sword."
"Heavenly Master Method—Divine Sword Thunder Command!"
Under the power of the Heavenly Thunder Talisman, lightning fell from the sky and was drawn to the sword tip, transforming into dancing thunder.
Blood poured from Filch's seven orifices.
The pressure was immense.
The peachwood sword in his hand felt as heavy as a mountain.
But he only gritted his teeth, growled, and swung.
Thunder roared.
Lightning tore through the darkness of the Forbidden Forest.
One hundred-eyed demon spider after another screamed beneath the lightning. Several were reduced to charred husks, while the rest retreated wildly, no longer daring to approach.
After the demon spiders were forced back, Filch dropped to one knee, pale as paper and trembling.
For someone who had only just received the Heavenly Master Method, that strike was far too heavy a burden.
Fred and George finally reacted and rushed over to support him.
Seeing Filch bleeding from his eyes, ears, nose, and mouth, their eyes reddened.
Memories of their past pranks and tricks against him surged through their minds.
A thousand words rose in their chests.
All that came out was a useless apology.
"Mr. Filch, we're sorry. We're really sorry…"
"We were wrong…"
What they heard was not Filch's complaint or scolding.
Instead, they heard his weak laughter, gradually growing louder.
All this time, the gloom, severity, and harshness surrounding Filch had been like camouflage.
It was something he needed to survive in the magical world and keep his place at Hogwarts.
But now, with that all-out strike, it was as if he had poured out the repression of half a lifetime in a single night.
The hardships of the past had become fleeting shadows.
There was no need to cling to them anymore.
In Filch's heart, there was only one thought.
He had to cherish this hard-won chance with everything he had.
He had to enter the Dao.
He had to achieve the Dao.
Only then would he be worthy of his half-life of struggle.
Only then would he be worthy of Theodore's grace in passing down the path.
After a long while, Filch struggled to stand.
He shook his head at the Weasley twins, his expression calm and peaceful.
"It's all right."
"Merely a little wind and frost."
◇ BONUS & SUPPORT ◇◇ Filch has finally taken his first true step onto the Dao.◇ New chapters have already been updated on P@treon!◇ Read ahead now to see how Hogwarts reacts to the rise of the first Heavenly Master.◇ Unlock early access chapters here: patreon.com/StrawHatStudios