Slug Club

"He used to handpick favourites at Hogwarts, sometimes for their ambition or their brains, sometimes for their charm or their talent, and he had an uncanny knack for choosing those who would go on to become outstanding in their various fields. Horace formed a kind of club of his favourites with himself at the centre, making introductions, forging useful contacts between members, and always reaping some kind of benefit in return [...]"

- Albus Dumbledore on the Slug Club

The Slug Club is an informal name for Horace Slughorn's favourite and sometimes famous students at Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry. Slughorn taught Potions at Hogwarts during two different stints; both times, he singled out students he thought had potential.

The students he singled out eithether had influential relatives, such as Neville Longbottom and Cormac McLaggen or they themselves possessed fame or talent, such as Harry Potter and Ginny Weasley, or even both. He invited these selected students to parties, notably to a lavish one at Christmas, and kept in touch with them even after they had graduated, as they could provide him with insider information or various luxuries.

Meetings
"A toast, to Hogwarts' brightest and best!"

- Horace Slughorn toasting the Slug Club



During the course of the school year, Professor Slughorn would hold various get-togethers of the club. These were usually dinners with fine foods, during which Slughorn would lead conversation in order to get to know the members better and to encourage them to associate with one another as well. Sometimes he would invite famous former members in as well, such as when he introduced professional Quidditch player Gwenog Jones at a dinner in 1996.



Slughorn's hope was to cultivate talent and to give his favourites "leg-ups" in their careers, hoping to reap the benefits of being connected to them once they became the "high fliers" Slughorn expected them to be. These benefits came to him in various forms, such as being able to recommend people to Ministry of Magic positions to receiving various gifts and perks, such as excellent seats to any Quidditch match he cared to attend or his favourite treat, crystallised pineapple. However, some members tend to let Slughorn down once they grow up and graduate, such as Lucius Malfoy and Tom Riddle, both of whom became Dark Wizards. On 20 December, 1996, there was a lavish Slug Club Christmas Party for past and present Slug Club members held in Slughorn's office at Hogwarts. It was the only get-together of the club that Harry Potter attended, and reluctantly at that. After Harry's failed attempt to get a particular memory out of Slughorn, Slughorn apparently stopped these meetings in order to prevent giving Harry another attempt.

It is unknown what became of the Slug Club under Severus Snape's rule during 1997–1998 school year. But it should be noted that Snape was described as "Bringing back Umbridge's old laws", which included Educational Decree Number Twenty-Four, banning all organisations not approved by the High Inquisitor (or in this case, Headmaster).

Slughorn's first tenure as Potions Master

 * Adrian – class of 1978, became a photographer.
 * Ambrosius Flume – owner of Honeydukes, who sends Slughorn sweets.
 * Avery – member in the 1940s, became a Death Eater.
 * Barnabas Cuffe – editor of the Daily Prophet.
 * Dahlia F. – unknown.
 * B. C. – mountain climber.
 * Dirk Cresswell – former Head of the Goblin Liasion Office with insider information on Gringotts, killed during the Second Wizarding War.
 * Eldred Worple – author of Blood Brothers: My Life Amongst the Vampires.
 * Gwenog Jones – now Captain of the Holyhead Harpies.
 * Lestrange – member in the 1940s, part of Tom Riddle's gang, became one of the first Death Eaters.
 * Lily Evans – good student, talented at Potions, murdered during the First Wizarding War.
 * Lucius Malfoy – good student, member of the rich and influential Malfoy family, later a Death Eater under the mask of a respected Ministry of Magic official.
 * Mr. Nott – Theodore Nott's father, who Slughorn inquired about and referred to as an old friend.
 * Regulus Black – Slytherin Seeker, became a Death Eater (later betrayed Lord Voldemort and was killed trying to destroy Salazar Slytherin's locket, one of Voldemort's Horcruxes ).
 * Severus Snape – good student, brilliant at Potions and creating new charms. Became a Death Eater, but defected. Succeeded Slughorn in the post of Potions master at Hogwarts, murdered during the Second Wizarding War.
 * Tom Marvolo Riddle – very promising student with excellent marks, later became known as Lord Voldemort, the most powerful dark wizard, killed during the Second Wizarding War.
 * Unidentified individual – class of 1967, became Minister of Magical Transportation.
 * Wendy Slinkhard – author.

Slughorn's second tenure as Potions Master

 * Blaise Zabini – his mother is a beautiful witch, who has been married and widowed at least seven times and has thus inherited a great deal of gold from her former husbands.
 * Cormac McLaggen – uncle Tiberius is well connected within the Ministry of Magic.
 * Flora and Hestia Carrow
 * Ginny Weasley – popular student, talented at casting the Bat-Bogey Hex.
 * Harry Potter – "The Boy Who Lived" and "The Chosen One", son of Lily Evans, a former 'Slug Club' member.
 * Hermione Granger – the best student in her year.
 * Melinda Bobbin – her family owns a large chain of apothecaries.

Students not accepted

 * Marcus Belby – his uncle Damocles invented Wolfsbane Potion, but Marcus hadn't spoken to him in a while since his father and uncle weren't on good terms . Belby was nevertheless invited to one of the club's supper meetings, but by the time of the Slug Club Christmas party, Slughorn had Belby passing out towels in the loo.
 * Neville Longbottom – his parents, Alice and Frank Longbottom were great Aurors, but Neville was held not to show their talent.

Both were invited to the initial meeting in Slughorn's cabin on the Hogwarts Express, but failed to pass muster.

Slughorn’s benefits
When helping others become famous, which, if successful, gained him influence and/or benefits from them, such as being able to recommend the next junior member of the Goblin Liaison Office, free Quidditch tickets or a box of his favourite crystallised pineapple. Horace preferred to be a "back-seat driver", obtaining things he desired by using his contacts makes his life comfortable and cosy. In Harry Potter's case, Slughorn was able to profit from him even before the young man graduated, by attaining Acromantula venom from Aragog's corpse.

Students' benefits
To students being in the Slug Club is an honour and opportunity because of its exclusiveness and with Slughorn’s connections they would have future first-rate careers after Hogwarts set.

Behind the scenes

 * In Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince it is mentioned that there are two seventh-year girls. This may be referring to Flora and Hestia Carrow. Twins Flora and Hestia Carrow have only appeared in the film adaptation of Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince..
 * Sybill Trelawney and an unidentified female teacher may have been members of the Slug Club.
 * In LEGO Harry Potter: Years 5-7, Marcus Belby makes it into the Slug Club.
 * It is very possibly that Slughorn saw Ginny higher when she began dating Harry Potter, his crown jewel, as both Ginny and Harry were in the Slug Club in 1996.

Appearances

 * Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince
 * Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince (film)
 * Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince (video game)
 * Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows: Part 2
 * LEGO Harry Potter: Characters of the Magical World
 * LEGO Harry Potter: Years 5-7

Notes and references
Club de las Eminencias Club de Slug Klub Ślimaka Клуб слизней Kuhnukerho Слизоклуб