"Family matters?" Percy asked with some concern, probing, "Are his parents unable to sign for some reason?"
But Filch said, "What I mean is... who a student asks to sign is his family's business."
"Whether it's his father, mother, godfather, or mentor, as long as they're a guardian recognized by the school, I won't question it."
"But you... Mr. Weasley..."
The Administrator stared at Percy. Suspicion gradually gathered in his murky eyes.
"Wade Grey enrolls on time every term. He shouldn't be on your 'student safety review' list. You're so interested in House Gray's affairs... what are you after?"
His expression made it seem as though he suspected Percy of using his position to steal from those under his watch.
Percy felt a chill run down his back. He gave a dry cough and instinctively explained:
"I merely... noticed something unusual while registering it. As part of the review process, it was only natural to ask for clarification..."
"Oh," Filch said.
It was impossible to tell whether he believed him or not. Those sly little eyes continued to sweep over Percy's face, instantly bringing back the embarrassment and terror of being grabbed by the arm by the Administrator and cursed out mercilessly.
He took a step back, putting some distance between himself and Filch, and said hurriedly:
"Since the procedure complies with the regulations, there's no problem. See you tomorrow, Mr. Filch."
Filch stood at the doorway, watching the red-haired figure swiftly disappear up the stairs.
Then he shut the door and slowly returned to the brazier. He added some fresh water to Mrs. Norris's bowl, then tossed two chunks of charcoal into the fire.
"It's all right now. Come out," he said quietly.
The Little Crabs crawled out from every corner and gathered around Filch. Some climbed into his