- "Horace likes his comfort. He also likes the company of the famous, the successful and the powerful. He enjoys the feeling that he influances these people. He has never wanted to occupy the throne himself. He prefers the backseat; there is more room to spread out."
- — Albus Dumbledore[src]
Professor Horace E. F. Slughorn is the current Potions Master and Head of Slytherin House at Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry. He was Potions Professor for over fifty years and Head of Slytherin before retiring in 1981. He was a friend and colleague of Albus Dumbledore, who persuaded him to return to the post in 1996. Dumbledore enlisted the help of Harry Potter to accomplish this, together with the help of Slughorn's own fond memories of Harry's mother. He soon proved to be much kinder to Harry than his predecessor Severus Snape had been. After retrieving a memory from Slughorn it became apparent to both Harry and Dumbledore that the information Slughorn had provided Voldemort with led to the latters immortality. During the Battle of Hogwarts, Slughorn sided with the Order of the Phoenix and engaged his former pupil in a duel. He celebrated Voldemorts death after the Battle, and afterwards resumed his career at Hogwarts.
Biography
Early life
- "My father always said he was a good wizard in his day."
- — Draco Malfoy[src]
It is unknown exactly when Horace Slughorn first walked into Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry. Suffice it to say, he did so when he was eleven years old, as most young wizards in Britain do. Upon seting foot in the school and placing the sorting hat on his head he was sorted into Slytherin House; he soon proved to be an exceptional student, particually gifted in the art of potion making. So much so after graduating from school, he chose to return to teach his favourite subject. At the time of Slughorns youth it was traditional for a young wizard upon graduating from school, to tour the wizarding world, learning from foreign wizards. If Slughorn followed tradition, he too would likely have observed this custom before returning to Hogwarts to teach. Little else is known about Slughorn's youth except that he once took Felix Felicis when he was twenty four years old.
Teaching career at Hogwarts
- "He taught Arthur and me. He was at Hogwarts for ages, started around the same time as Dumbledore, I think."
- — Molly Weasley[src]
Once back at Hogwarts Horace took on the position of Potions master, and would eventually become Head of Slytherin House. He joined the staff faculty at the same time as Albus Dumbledore, when Armando Dippet was the school's Headmaster. Slughorn founded a small club consisting of students he thought were particularly talented, ambitious, clever, or simply well connected. This group would become known as the Slug Club. By showing extreme favouritism to these select pupils, Slughorn was able to benefit from their eventual success or fame, reaping rewards such as free Quidditch tickets, boxes of candy, or simply the chance to give advice to high ranking officials at the Ministry of Magic. Students he felt
Horace Slughorn with Harry Potter.
werent "high-fliers," such as Arthur Weasley, and later Arthur's son Ron Weasley, he simply ignored completely. During the school year of 1944, he hosted a supper in his office consisting of a small group of Slytherin boys, most prominantly among them was Tom Marvolo Riddle. After dismissing them from his study, Tom remained behind and questioned Slughorn on the matter of Horcruxes. Despite being taken aback by Riddle's interest in such Dark Magic, he reluctantly agreed to give him an overview of Horcruxes, on the condition that everything they discussed remained between them. Using the information, Riddle later went on to create no fewer than six Horcruxes, making himself immortal. The fact that Slughorn had provided the knowledge that made this possible was a terrible truth he would carry with him for the rest of his life.
Slughorn remained at Hogwarts for many years after Riddle's departure, going on to teach many talented students, including Severus Snape and Lily Evans; the latter whom he particularly liked for her sheer cheek and natural flair for Potions. The extent of his involvement in the First Wizarding War is unknown. If, however, it was the same as the Second War, he likely went into hiding fearing the Death Eaters would attempt to recruit him.
Retirement and life on the run
- "It's quite easy once you know how, one simple Freezing Charm on these absurd burglar alarms they use instead of Sneakoscopes and make sure the neighbours don't spot you bringing in the piano."
- — Horace Slughorn[src]
After the outbreak of the first war in the year 1981 , Slughorn decided he had had enough and resigned from both his positions at the school and went into a secluded lifestyle moving from one Muggle house to the next, using his many and varied contacts to maintain a very comftable lifestyle. His reasons for doing so because he feared Voldemort would attempt to recruit him into the Death Eaters. He felt so guilty, in fact, that he modified his own memory of the incident both to hide his guilt from others and also to shield himself from the terrible shame he felt.
Horace Slughorn's residence in the village of Budleigh Babberton.
Slughorn was not able to hide forever, though, as he discovered one evening in the summer of 1996 when Albus Dumbledore and Harry Potter came to call in the Muggle village Budleigh Babberton. In an attempt to escape Dumbledore, Slughorn faked a struggle wrecking the house and disguised himself as an armchair. He hoped Albus would be fooled into thinking the Death Eaters had kidnapped or killed him; in his haste he forgot to cast the Dark Mark over the building. Dumbledore saw through this guise and forced Horace to reveal himself. Dumbledore feigned going to the bathroom leaving Harry alone with Slughorn. Slughorn was unable to resist an opportunity to recruit the "Chosen One" into the Slug Club, and so agreed to return to the school on the condition that he recieved a pay rise.
Out of retirement
- "If you're going to tell me my life would be more peaceful at that pestilential school, you can save your breath, Albus!"
- — Horace Slughorn[src]
In his first potions class upon returning to Hogwarts, Slughorn offered a bottle of Felix Felicis to the student who brewed the best cauldron of Draught of Living Death. Using tips scribbled in a borrowed copy of Advanced Potion Making, Harry impressed Slughorn with his attempt and won the potion. Slughorn remained impressed with Harry's ability, beliving that the young wizard had inherited Lily's ability in the discipline. Later that year Albus Dumbledore would task Harry with coercing the full memory of Slughorn's conversation with Tom Riddle from the reluctant potions master. After a disasterous first attempt in which Slughorn shouted at Harry and slamed the classroom door behind him. After this Slughorn became determined not to give Harry another oppertunity to question him, staying out of his way in class and not inviting him to any more Slug Club suppers. Fortunately chance and Felix Felicis gave Harry the perfect oppertunity.
Horace Slughorn teaching potions to a class of sixth year Gryffindors.
One night at Hagrid's hut, to help bid farewell to Aragog, Slughorn reluctantly passed the memory about Voldemort to Harry. Harry, in turn helped Slughorn obtain some valuable Acromantula venom from Aragog. Harry then passed the memory to Dumbledore. At the end of the school year Albus Dumbledore was murdered by Severus Snape. Slughorn was deeply shaken by this saying that he thought he knew Snape. He also expressed his concerns that parents would not allow their children to return to Hogwarts. Nevertheless he remained at the school and resumed his old post as Head of Slytherin.
Duel with the Dark Lord
- Minerva McGonagall: "I shall expect you and the Slytherins in the Great Hall in twenty minitues, also. If you wish to leave with your students, we shall not stop you. But if any of you attempt to sabotage our resistence, or take up arms against within this castle, then, Horace, we duel to kill."
- Horace Slughorn: "Minerva!"
- Minerva McGonagall: "The time has come for Slytherin House to decide upon its loyalties. Go and wake your students, Horace."
- — Minerva McGonagall and Horace Slughorn[src]
Slughorn stayed at Hogwarts under the tenure of Severus Snape as Headmaster, and like the rest of the teachers attempted to protect the students from Snape and the Carrows. When the Dark Lord invaded the castle with his army, it was initially beleived that Slughorn had fled in cowardice, but as it transpired had gone to Hogsmeade to round up reinforcements. He returned to the castle and engaged the Dark Lord head on, proving himself a masterfull duelist, able to hold his own against the most dangerous dark wizard of all time. After being incapacitated by Voldemort, Harry entered the fray and resumed the duel killing Voldemort once and for all. Slughorn later celebrated with the rest of the survivours, and presumably continued to teach at the school after it was reastablished under Minerva McGonagall.
Personality and traits
Slughorn generally displayed traits of Slytherin, such as ambition. He never wished to be famous himself; instead, he preferred to help 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 Liason Office, free Quidditch tickets or a box of his favourite crystallized pineapple.
Slughorn is keen to make evermore connections, and in his post as teacher made a habit of having regular meetings with students who were either famous (Harry Potter), related to famous people (Cormac McLaggen), or gifted or talented in one way or another (i.e. Hermione Granger, Ginny Weasley). Known as "the Slug Club", this group of students were constantly being invited to Slughorn's office for dinner and parties. Slughorn's personality contradicts the typical "evil Slytherin" stereotype held by many Gryffindors. Despite his ambition, he is not a bad person and has little prejudice against Muggle-born witches and wizards. However, he is horribly guilt-ridden about the information he gave to Tom Riddle about Horcruxes that helped his rise to power, and crudely edited his memory of the event to prevent anyone finding out what he'd done, and also to releive himself of his own guily feelings.
Physical description
- "He looks a bit like a walrus and he used to be Head of Slytherin."
- — Harry Potter[src]
Slughorn has prominent, pale gooseberry colored eyes, a shiny pate, and an enormous, silver, walrus mustache, which in his youth was gingery blond and his hair was thick and straw colored. He is short and round, and claims to suffer from old age, rheumatism and a weak chest. However, he is still sufficiently agile to turn himself into an armchair and create a scene of chaos at short notice, when he is trying to avoid unwelcome visitors, and managed to live on the run from Voldemort moving house every couple of weeks (including his grand piano). He has a liking for embroidered clothing, with gold buttons and plenty of velvet.
Magical powers and abilities
- Horace Slughorn: "What would the Death Eaters want with a poor, broken-down old buffer like me?"
- Albus Dumbledore: "I imagine that they would want to turn your considerable talents to coercion, torture, and murder."
- — Horace Slughorn and Albus Dumbledore[src]
Horace Slughorn was an uncommonly powerfull wizard, with a wide variety of skills. Horace was an extremely able Occulmens being able to shield his mind against even a wizard of Albus Dumbledore's calibre. Despite his wide frame he was extremely agile, being able to create the impression of a struggle within his house in a matter of seconds and transforming himself into an armchair, human transiguration is something only a master of that art could accomplish. Slughorn was a master duelist being able to hold his own against even Lord Voldemort himself the fact that Voldemort was wielding the Elder Wand during that duel is futher evedince of Slughorns amazing abillity. Perhaps chiefly among Slughorn's many talents, is his abillity as a potioneer. Slughorns was able to create extremely complicated potions such as Felix Felicis, Polyjuice Potion and Amortentia the former two which would take a normal wizard months to brew, he is able to concuct within a few days.
Behind the scenes
- On September 17, 2007, it was announced that Jim Broadbent would play Slughorn in the film version of Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince. So far there is no information regarding Broadbent's return for the seventh film.
- After the first pictures of Broadbent as Slughorn were realesed, many fans were quick to pick up on the drastic physical changes made to the character. The movie Slughorn is neither short nor fat, is depicted in tweed outfits rather than the described velvet, is not bald and does not sport a moustache.
Name
'Horace' was the name of an epicurean Roman poet, fond of food and someone who liked to make friends with people of influence. 'Slughorn' is a historical heraldic term meaning 'war-cry', derived from an old Scottish word and later becoming the modern 'slogan', but may also be derived from his large, sluggish physique.
Appearances
- Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince (First appearance)
- Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince (film)
- Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows
See also
- Hp-Lexicon character description
- Mugglenet disccusion of his name
- One good Slytherin Character analysis by Redhen
