Slughorn a dead end topic?

[hermionegallo]

No: HPFGUIDX 137714

Ffred:
> The allusion that came to my mind was from a poem by Robert 
Browning "Childe
> Roland (I think) to the Dark Tower Came" or something like that and 
that at
> the end of the poem Roland blows a blast on a slug-horn.
> 
hg:
That's it.  My husband is the lit major, he knows more about it, but 
from what I understand Roland has been on a quest, his companions 
killed off one by one, but gives a rallying cry on his slughorn as if 
to accept the fight, alone and almost certainly doomed, to honor 
those who had gotten him thus far.  
Aside from the obvious Harry/Roland connection, it also makes me 
think of Dumbledore.  He has brought in Lockhart, Lupin, then Moody --
 then wasn't able to secure a teacher for 5th year (probably was 
trying to get Slughorn).  And I got the impression that this wouldn't 
be another failure, but more of a "pulling out the stops" kind of a 
move.

marydianne:
I too am interested in Slughorn. I am interested to know why JK
pointed out that he is a metamorph if it is not revelant in some
way.

hg:
Me, too.  I thought it possible for Slughorn to have taken 
Dumbledore's place in the cave/tower scene; particularly compelling 
to me are: the potions knife, the eyes reflected green in the basin, 
the highly dramatic death.  Even if I can't determine one way or 
another that it was Slughorn, his metamorphmagus skills would likely 
come into play later.

Potioncat (snipped):
As for the Dumbledore theory: "He's dead, Jim."
We know that in Harry's 6th year, Slughorn avoids taking any DE-
connected students into his club.I wonder about the Marauders' time.
We think he had Snape in his club. Was he aware of which ones were
connected, or was he not so particular then?

I wonder if he owed anything to DEs in the
last war? He's younger than DD, he seems in good health, why did hte
retire? Was he strongly encouraged by someone? Someone who wanted an
opening for a new teacher?

hg:
I don't get the impression that Snape was in the Slug Club, but I 
can't say for sure he wasn't.  What makes you think so?  I'm curious.

I've also wondered if the DE's got to him before Dumbledore did (in 
the scene with Harry) but it's all speculation.  I was thinking he 
retired when Lily was killed.  His retirement neatly coincided with 
an opening for Potions professor, filled by Snape; maybe there was 
some encouragement somewhere.

catkind:
I'm interested in Slughorn, though, because I'm not at all sure what
we're supposed to make of him. To me, he's the sort of person I
really truly hate - he's bigoted and public-schoolish and selfish, but
he's right about people often enough to make it hard to condemn his
biases and charming to boot.

Personally, I wouldn't trust him further than I could throw him.

hg:
I trust him.  I don't find him bigoted at all, but his picking people 
and ignoring others is obnoxious to say the least.  I think 
Dumbledore really trusts him and sees him as more of an equal than 
anyone we've seen to date.  (More of an equal, not EQUAL.)

catkind:
I'm interested in Slughorn, but it's hard to refute your
theory if you don't tell us why you think it's true.

hg:
I agree -- it's hard for anyone on the board to refute or back up my 
theory -- but not because I left out why I think it's true, but as I 
said, because I don't know what it is!  Without understanding why 
Slughorn would take Dumbledore's place, I can't assert that it 
happened.  That was why my original post was asking if anyone would 
hazard a guess as to WHY that could have happened.  I think I could 
explain the HOW.  

I have collected a lot of odd bits from the cave/tower scene, some of 
which I mentioned above.  Additonally are: the trickle of 
blood; "the" instead of personal pronouns used when Harry view's the 
body; Dumbledore's language in the scene; the "five minutes;" 
Slughorn's unaccounted-for absence through the whole event; 
Dumbledore after drinking the potion reacting like Ron after 
swallowing the bezoar.  There are other things here and there that 
don't add up to me.

So I think it's possible to explain the stage magic of any of the 
indicators of Dumbledore's death; however, is it possible to explain 
what dramatic purpose that would serve?

Thanks to all who've responded thus far.  I hope you and others 
continue to find Slughorn interesting and worth exploring.

hg.