This is a fantastic premise. You have taken a minor character, who is under rated in the books, and a caricature in the films, and made them whole. You have realistically portrayed his difficult choice and also the path that Snape has to walk to propitiate both masters. Thank you.

This was amazing you made me love flitch and I felt moved by the ending it is beautiful and I love that Severus and him are friends and aww I feel so bad for both of them!

I favorited this story a while ago, and I've been rereading my favorites and writing reviews for my blog. Recently, an author of one such fanfic was put out that I didn't share the review with her, so I'm now posting the reviews on the fanfics. Here's this fic's:

"Next in my old favorites list is Harry Potter fanfic "The Squib and The Death Eaters" by Ozma, posted February 11th-February 18th, 2002. A group of Death Eaters, including Snape as a spy for the Order of the Phoenix, victimize Filch during Harry's fifth year.

The fanfic takes thoroughly disliked minor character Filch and manages to turn him into an interesting and sympathetic protagonist who is too often hurt by a prejudiced wizarding world. The parallel between squibs and people born with disabilities is made much more overt. Filch describes being abused in attempts to awaken his magic-the way Neville's magic first showed itself to save him from accidental defenestration-as something similar to the real world practice of abusing children with disabilities out of a belief that these children are fake and their real children have been spirited away by fairies and this will make the fairies give back the real children. Even if the parents mean well in a manner of speaking, they end up committing abuse out of prejudice. It is a believable crime in the wizarding world. This abuse is part of the overall bad treatment Filch encounters through his whole life.

Though the mischief managed by characters such as Fred and George Weasley is generally looked upon as harmless fun or even an act of independence asserted against a harmfully restrictive authority, this fanfic depicts such mischief as inherently harmful against a poor old guy who just wants some basic respect. Argus Filch was hired to take care of the school, something he does very well without magic, and yet people continuously try to make his life difficult. When you think about it, it really is unfair to the caretaker. He's just trying to do his job, after all.

Of course, Filch is flawed himself, as he responds to the pranks with unnecessary aggression. He essentially recreates the pain done to him by trying to make the offending students feel a similar pain. As Dumbledore disapproves, the readers ourselves are not to approve. While unduly nasty, Filch is made very sympathetic, so we can essentially hate the sin and love the sinner at the same time.

When the Death Eaters victimize him to harvest "squib bits" for a spell, it is one more occurrence of the trend in which Filch is disrespected because he happened to have been born a squib. This event causes Filch to think about how people treat him badly, allowing for the readers to be introduced to his side of things as well as sending the character on the path to make him reach his Flowers for Algernon moral dilemma.

The fanfic is dark and has a bittersweet ending. Filch suffers torture at the hands of the Death Eaters and then has to live with realistic PTSD. The fic is sad, really forcing you to feel this man's pain. His pain is so great that even Peeves feels conflicted about harassing him.

What can I say? It's a good fic. It makes Filch sympathetic. It actually makes me regret laughing at McGonagall calling the film!canon Filch a "blithering idiot", and that's a completely different character. The fanfic will definitely stay on my favorites list."

Loved this - and a few of your other fics that I have read tonight. *apologises for not reviewing those*

The relationship between Snape and Filch is an unkown quantity that clearly exists... we can only surmise to what degree. I love to think your version has its merits, which offers hope and support to both characters, really. It has always made me sad that Severus might have felt so alone - and the life of a squib must have been so depressing. I hope they both were able to make eachothers lives that small bit better...

Great job! Thanks for sharing...

misundersnape...

A very interesting story. I felt Filch and Snape are a bit too nice to each other, but the plot was interesting and you write well.

I like your "Squib..." series very much. It has action, mis-adventure, and features a character as brutally honest as a man can hope to be. You may have given Filch the background of Hufflepuff and Ravenclaw parentage, but he has the Slytherin understanding of when to keep his mouth shut, and when to speak. Usually.

I like the Original Idea of Squib Doors, and Arcane Squib Magic rituals. I like how you portray 'squibness' as having the magic in them, but lacking merely the ability to call it forth. And I have *really* enjoyed watching the temptation and chance of Argus' damnation, in truth, The Price For Magic. That he manages to resist it not once, but twice, in your series, is a statement to the man's integrity and strength of will.

I hope there will be more stories to come!

Really interesting story. From the start, being tortured by two brutes in the crumbling dungeon, to the end where he rejects what he most dearly desire - only to regain the trust, maybe even friendship, of the complicated Snape (which just might be worth more) - Filch is wonderfully described. Bitter, sardonic, strong in his own way, but also human with fear, distrust and lust for revange. The small glimps of his magic, as well as the talks with Dumbledore and Snape, were fashinating. I also love McGonagall's part of his resque.

Wow, this is a truly original premise for a HP fanfic - I love fic from the point of veiw of minor/ignored canon characters, and you do a great job of actually making Filch a person. Also, after having read book six, I have to thank you for restoring my faith in Snape! Really, Filch aside, I think this is my favorite portrayal of Snape in fanfiction.

And you know, I've always wanted to read stories where someone besides Hermione who isn't canonically evil acknowledges that Harry can be a damn brat sometimes.

This fic made my day - now I have to go read the others!

I can't really put into words how much a love this story. Filch always struck me as s very underappreciated character, and person in general. It's wonderful to finnally read a story with such realistic and indepth character analysis for such a character.

- Muggle At Heart

This...was...spectacular. It's a whole new Snape. Who knew he actually cared about his Slytherins that much? Who bothered to think about it? Heh, "Where's Longbottom when I need him?" Funny. Man, this story is so sad, and it made me realize for the first time, truly realize, the extent of Voldemort's blight upon the land. How much pain he caused, and how many lives he took. Not ended, took. Lives of innocence and light, he took for darkness. Also, Filch truly is a good man, even if slightly sadistic where students are concerned. You deviated from the usual course of telling us about Filch. You opened big picture windows into Snape's soul as well.

You're a really impressive author. You ought to start writing full time, if you don't already.

Another brilliant fic.

I have to say I feel sorry for Filch.

But another very good story!

So good!

Great story! I like how you portrayed Filch as a decent human being with friends and enimies. Loved the ending.