The co-protagonists and minor characters in Book 7

[mercurybluesmng]

No: HPFGUIDX 143024

Lucianam:
> Assuming Voldemort was after Godric's sword or the Sorting Hat, 
> for example (any more ideas to possible horcruxes in Hogwarts?), 
> how exactly would his teaching DADA help him get them? I guess any 
> teacher in Hogwarts has the same chance to steal such objects as 
> the Defense teacher. Can't see what's so special in that job!

MercuryBlue:
Did Voldemort know about the Sword? My impression was that it was 
sitting safe inside that Hat for ages beyond count.

If the Sorting Hat was something Voldemort wanted as a Horcrux (uh-
oh...), then there's no reason why it couldn't already BE a Horcrux 
(big uh-oh...). He was a murderer three times over before he was 
sixteen, remember? Two of those soul fragments went into the diary 
and the ring. There was still a third. And he was a model student, 
prefect, Head Boy...he probably had no shortage of chances to enter 
the Headmaster's office. All he would have needed was thirty seconds 
alone...

Lucianam:
> I'd also like to know why Lupin chose Defense. I guess he wanted 
> to prove he could deal with Dark Creatures, even if he was a Dark 
> Creature himself - a sort of personal challenge. I don't think 
> this is important enough for JKR to include in B7, but I've been 
> reading ESE!Lupin threads, and ever since I'm very interested in 
> everything Remus.

MercuryBlue:
Lupin didn't choose squat.

Dumbledore needed a Defense teacher. More to the point, Dumbledore 
needed someone who was familiar enough with a certain recently-
escaped mad mass murderer to be able to predict his moves and plug 
any holes in the wards that he might be able to use to get at a 
certain thirteen-year-old. And there was Remus Lupin, old school 
friend of Black's, knew him very well...also conveniently 
unemployed. Well, let's solve two problems at once: give Remus the 
Defense position!

Mind, Dumbledore had to talk Remus into it, first, which probably 
took some doing. And, had Remus decided on his own to become a 
teacher, somehow I doubt he would have chosen Defense. He did know 
he would be chased out of the school the minute it became public 
knowledge that he was a werewolf, and werewolves are, after all, on 
the Defense curriculum.

Lucianam:
> And about minor characters, we definitely need to know if Slughorn 
> is a goog guy or not. I wasn't convinced of his loyalty in HBP, 
> and JKR needs to explain exactly what he saw in Harry to make him 
> accept the Potions teacher position (in my opinion, he saw a 
> goldmine in Harry, but I'd like to know).

MercuryBlue:
Slughorn's heart is in the right place. He's just scared. Yes, he 
probably did see a gold mine in Harry, but he also wanted the safety 
of Hogwarts (once he was assured that the danger of being in the 
Order wasn't part of the package).