Slughorn "clearly good"?

[finwitch]

No: HPFGUIDX 137782

Sue W: 
> I agree that he is not nice and not fair, but I don't see what 
evidence
> there is that he is a good person. 
--
> Also does anyone else think that it is significant that Slughorn 
seemed
> to recognise Slytherin's ring in the scene where DD and Harry visit 
him
> at the start of the book? How and why would he know anything about 
that
> ring, since it was supposedly hidden in the ruin of the Gaunt house 
for
> all those years?

Finwitch:

Well, I think he IS a good person. His game of favourites is very 
different from Snape's. 

For one thing, the fact that his little club has members from all 
houses. This in itself acts as a unifier of Hogwarts, whereas Snape's 
Slytherin/Malfoy/DE-favoritism was cracking it. How, if not for this 
little club, could a Gryffindor befriend - or at least learn to know -
 a Slytherin? Then you get these persons tell their housemates that - 
NO, that person in the Slug Club is not bad... what better way to get 
rid of house-rivalry and prejudice?

Secondly, the members themselves have either good connections or 
great talent. By introducing talented Muggleborns like Lily and 
Hermione to the so-called purebloods with connections (to future 
employers) he helps them to get excellent jobs. One does need both 
talent and connections, you know. This - while this club seems to be 
unfair in the school-world, actually increases equality between 
Muggleborns and Purebloods... by enabling the Muggleborns to get good 
connections!

Third, this little club of his, trough the well-placed members 
actually benefits the entire Wizarding World. And of course, 
Slughorn's connections make him influential - which enables him to 
assist the next generation even better... 

What I'm saying is that, unless one can come up with a better idea 
than this little club that benefits all involved - to unify Hogwarts 
and place Muggleborns into high places so that would slowly but 
surely change certain attitudes... it is a good thing.

Slughorn does value his own life, even as Phineas Nigellus told 
Harry, Slytherin saves his own skin first. And Slughorn makes no 
secret of that, either. About giving that memory -- blurring it -- 
well, he's ashamed of ever telling Tom Riddle about the Horcruxes. 
And he certainly isn't going to repeat the mistake. He won't discuss 
them anymore, and not giving that information to ANYONE. He gives the 
memory to Harry only after he figures that it will 'make up for it', 
and when he's certain it won't be used to make horcruxes but to 
destroy them. I think Harry's 'my mother gave her life for me and you 
won't give me a memory' had great influence, too.

Finwitch