Hogwarts caretaker

Caretaker
Hogwarts crest
Office holder Argus Filch 1973 - ?
Institution	Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry
Style	Mr
Reports to	Headmaster Teaching staff
Seat	Room 234-00, Hogwarts Castle, Scotland
Appointer	Headmaster
Formation	c. 993
Inaugural holder	Hankerton Humble

Caretaker was the title and occupation held at Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry by a witch, wizard, or Squib in charge of overseeing the cleanliness and hygiene of Hogwarts Castle. Aside from this, they could patrol the corridors at night to make sure that no students wandered in the late hours. In the past, they were also in charge of corporal punishment (e.g. caning) until Headmaster Albus Dumbledore banned it. However, the job did still entail helping to oversee punishments, as in 1992, when Ronald Weasley's detention was to help Argus Filch polish the school's trophies without using any magic.

The caretaker of Hogwarts also possessed some disciplinary powers, being able to award and dock house points. In 1987, Argus Filch reluctantly awarded Jacob's sibling ten house points at the behest of the Gryffindor house ghost, Sir Nicholas de Mimsy-Porpington.

Duties

Some duties of the caretaker included:

• Enforcing hygiene of the school and the students
• Patrolling corridors for students out of bed after hours or in forbidden areas
• Handing out corporal punishment (formerly)
• Putting students in detention.
• Doing jobs that the Headmaster required
• Investigating things such as Dungbombs or mayhem
• Being in charge of security for Hogsmeade weekend trips, mail, and people entering and leaving the castle
• Cleaning up the mayhem caused by Peeves, the Hogwarts poltergeist, who got his name from being the "pet peeve" of every Hogwarts caretaker

Known caretakers

Hankerton Humble

Hankerton Humble was the first ever caretaker of Hogwarts, appointed directly by the school founders. He often clashed with Peeves.

Rancorous Carpe

Rancorous Carpe was a caretaker who was active at Hogwarts in 1876. He was responsible for a disastrous attempt to remove Peeves, the resident Poltergeist, in which he devised an elaborate trap baited with an assortment of weapons he believed would be irresistible to Peeves and a vast enchanted bell jar reinforced by various Containment Charms, which he intended to drop over the poltergeist once he was in place. The trap failed spectacularly, with Peeves confiscating the weapons, resulting in a three-day standoff. Carpe took early retirement for health reasons.

Gladwin Moon

Gladwin Moon was the caretaker during the 1890s. He was inadequate at his caretaker duties and was very arrogant and pretentious. He thought he was better than being a Hogwarts caretaker and looked down upon the role.

Apollyon Pringle

"Your father and I had been for a night-time stroll. He got caught by Apollyon Pringle - he was the caretaker in those days - your father's still got the marks."

— Molly Weasley to her son, Bill.

Apollyon Pringle was the caretaker at Hogwarts from at least 1961 to 1968. During his tenure, corporal punishment was allowed, and Mr Pringle was entitled to cane any student found wandering the corridors at night. At one time, at about four o'clock in the morning, he caught Arthur Weasley strolling about the castle and caned him while Molly Prewett, who had been with Arthur, escaped. It was said by Molly, in the 1994–1995 school year, that Arthur still had the marks inflicted on him. By 1973, Mr Pringle had retired, died, or left the school, and was replaced by Argus Filch and his cat, Mrs Norris.

Argus Filch

Argus Filch and Mrs Norris

By at least 1973, Argus Filch, a Squib, had replaced Pringle as the caretaker of Hogwarts School. He, along with his cat, Mrs Norris, frequently patrolled the corridors at night and delighted in punishing students; he desired torturous methods for punishments, such as those inflicted by Pringle, but Dumbledore did not grant him such rights. He also waged an endless war with the school's poltergeist, Peeves. He constantly hassled students over the littlest infraction and took delight in the doling out of detention-worthy write-ups. In 1995, when Dolores Umbridge was made Headmistress, Filch was allowed to use corporal punishment on students, though it was revoked at the end of the year. He also continued as caretaker through Severus Snape's tenure as Headmaster, and it is unknown how Filch was treated under the tyranny of the Carrows, given how he was a Squib. Filch remained at the school well after their removal and was still the caretaker by 2008.

Behind the scenes

Translations

• Faroese: umsjónarmaður ("supervisor")
• German: Hausmeister ("caretaker")
• Greek, Modern: Επιστάτης (superintendent) ("overseer")
• Hebrew: שרת ("sharat") ("caretaker")
• Icelandic: húsvörður ("janitor")
• Russian: завхоз ("zavkhoz") ("superintendent")
• Serbian: домар ("domar") ("caretaker")
• Spanish: celador ("watchman")

Appearances

• Harry Potter and the Philosopher's Stone (First appearance)
• Harry Potter and the Philosopher's Stone (film)
• Harry Potter and the Philosopher's Stone (video game)
• Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets
• Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets (film)
• Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets (video game)
• Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban
• Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban (film)
• Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban (video game) (Mentioned only)
• Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire
• Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire (film)
• Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire (video game) (Appears on Collectible Cards)
• Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix
• Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix (film)
• Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix (video game)
• Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince
• Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince (film)
• Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince (video game) (Mentioned only)
• Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows
• Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows: Part 2
• Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows: Part 2 (video game)
• LEGO Harry Potter: Building the Magical World
• LEGO Harry Potter
• LEGO Harry Potter: Years 1-4
• LEGO Harry Potter: Years 5-7
• LEGO Harry Potter
• LEGO Dimensions (Mentioned only)
• J. K. Rowling's official site (Mentioned only)
• Harry Potter Trading Card Game
• The Making of Harry Potter
• Pottermore
• Wizarding World
• Harry Potter: The Character Vault
• Harry Potter: The Creature Vault
• Harry Potter: Hogwarts Mystery
• Harry Potter: Wizards Unite
• Harry Potter: Puzzles & Spells
• Harry Potter: Magic Awakened