Caretaker

Caretaker is 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 may patrol the corridors at night to make sure that no students wander in the late hours. In the past, they were also in charge of corporal punishment (e.g. caning^[1]) until Headmaster Albus Dumbledore, banned it. However, the job does still entail helping to oversee punishments, as in 1992, when Ron Weasley's detention was to help Argus Filch polish the school's trophies without using any magic.

Duties of the Caretaker[]

Some jobs that caretakers do include:

Enforce hygiene of the school and the students
Patrol corridors for students out of bed after hours or in forbidden areas
Dolling out punishment (formerly)
Put students in detention
Do jobs that the Headmaster requires
Investigating things such as Dungbombs or mayhem
Be in charge of security for Hogsmeade trips, mail, people entering the castle, and people leaving

Known Caretakers[]

Hankerton Humble[]

Hankerton Humble was the first ever caretaker of Hogwarts, appointed directly by the school founders. He often clashed with Peeves.^[2]

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.^[2]

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.^[src]

Mr. 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[]

File:Filch & mrs. norris-1-.jpg

Argus Filch and Mrs. Norris.

By at least 1973, Argus Filch, a Squib, had replaced Pringle as 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 seemed not to mind Snape nor the Carrows, nor did they mind his lower status as a Squib. It is likely that Filch remained at the school after their suspensions.

Appearances[]

Notes and references[]

↑ Molly Weasley told Harry Potter that Mr. Pringle caned her husband for being out late
↑ ^2.0 ^2.1 Pottermore Chapter 8, Moment 1 - New from J. K. Rowling - Peeves

Hogwarts Faculty

Founders	Godric Gryffindor \| Helga Hufflepuff \| Rowena Ravenclaw \| Salazar Slytherin
Headteachers	Eupraxia Mole \| Vulpus \| Phyllida Spore \| Dexter Fortescue \| Eoessa Sakndenberg \| Ambrose Swott \| Everard \| Vindictus Veridian \| Dilys Derwent \| Quintin Trimble \| Limebert \| Phineas Nigellus Black \| Walter Aragon \| Basil Fronsac \| Armando Dippet \| Albus Dumbledore \| Dolores Umbridge \| Severus Snape \| Minerva McGonagall
Deputy Heads	Minerva McGonagall \| Amycus Carrow \| Alecto Carrow
Heads of House	Filius Flitwick \| Minerva McGonagall \| Horace Slughorn \| Severus Snape \| Pomona Sprout
Teaching Staff	Bathsheda Babbling \| Herbert Beery \| Cuthbert Binns \| Charity Burbage \| Alecto Carrow \| Amycus Carrow \| Albus Dumbledore \| Firenze \| Filius Flitwick \| Rubeus Hagrid \| Rolanda Hooch \| Silvanus Kettleburn \| Gilderoy Lockhart \| Neville Longbottom \| Remus Lupin \| Minerva McGonagall \| Galatea Merrythought \| Quirinus Quirrell \| Aurora Sinistra \| Horace Slughorn \| Severus Snape \| Pomona Sprout \| Sybill Trelawney \| Septima Vector \| Unidentified witch
Support Staff	Rancorous Carpe \| Dobby \| Argus Filch \| Wilhelmina Grubbly-Plank \| Rubeus Hagrid \| Rolanda Hooch \| Hankerton Humble \| Kreacher \| Ogg \| Irma Pince \| Poppy Pomfrey \| Apollyon Pringle \| Lucinda Thomsonicle-Pocus \| Winky

[1] Molly Weasley told Harry Potter that Mr. Pringle caned her husband for being out late

[pottermorepeeves-2] 2.0 ^2.1 Pottermore Chapter 8, Moment 1 - New from J. K. Rowling - Peeves

[1]

[2]