CHAPDISC: HBP4, Horace Slughorn

[dumbledore11214]

No: HPFGUIDX 143308

Here we go. Thank you Petra, Svetlana ( hoping you joined the list 
finally :-)), SSSusan and Sherry Gomes for your help.

Alla.

CHAPTER DISCUSSIONS: Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince, Chapter 
4,Horace Slughorn.


Harry and Dumbledore walk towards the end of Privet Drive and 
Dumbledore is preparing to apparate, while telling Harry to hold on 
to his uninjured hand very tightly, since Harry has not passed his 
Apparition test yet .

They apparate to what appears to be the deserted village square. 
Dumbledore leads the way to the point of their destination, of which 
Harry is still unaware. While they walk Albus asks Harry whether his 
scar had been hurting at all this time. Harry answers in the 
negative and says he was wondering about it since Voldemort was 
getting more powerful. According to the Headmaster, Voldemort 
finally realized how dangerous it is that Harry has access to his 
thoughts and feelings and now employs Occlumency against him.
Dumbledore also tells Harry the name of the place to which they have 
apparated. He calls it "the charming village of Budleigh Babberton". 
Albus also explains the reason why he and Harry came to this 
village, which is that they are again one member of staff short and 
they are there to persuade an old colleague of his to come out of 
retirement. Harry wonders how he could help with that and Dumbledore 
answers vaguely that "we'll find a use for you."

While Albus and Harry walk up the narrow street with houses, where 
all windows are dark, Harry wonders why they could not just apparate 
to Albus colleague's house. Dumbledore replies that it would have 
been rude; because courtesy dictates to allow the fellow wizard the 
opportunity to deny them entry and most wizard buildings are 
protected from unwanted Apparators anyway.


During their walk Dumbledore also confirms Harry's inquiry about 
Fudge being sacked and that he has been replaced with Rufus 
Scrimgeor, who used to be the Head of the Auror office.  Harry asks 
for Dumbledore's opinion about whether the new minister is "good" 
and Dumbledore answers that he is "able" and has "more decisive and 
forceful personality" than Fudge.  Dumbledore also agrees with Harry 
that Amelia Bones' death is a terrible loss.

Harry asks Dumbledore about his injured hand, but Albus answers 
that  he has no time to explain it now, because it is a thrilling 
tale and he wants to do it justice.

Harry seems to be satisfied with the answer. While Harry and Albus 
walk they also briefly discuss the security pamphlets, which the 
Ministry of Magic distributed to the general population, and 
Dumbledore appears to make fun of them. Harry asks about Inferi, 
which were mentioned in the pamphlet and Dumbledore explains what 
they are. "Dead bodies that have been bewitched to do a Dark 
wizard's bidding."

Finally they come to the point of their destination. It is a small 
stone house set in its own garden. When they reach the front gate, 
the Headmaster "stops dead" and Harry walks into him. They see that 
the front door is hanging off its hinges. Albus orders Harry to take 
his wand out and follow him. When they enter the house, they see 
a "scene of total devastation". Dumbledore thinks that something 
horrible has happened there, then looks around again, followed by 
Harry. Harry thinks that there was a fight and Headmaster's 
colleague was dragged off some place, but Albus disagrees 
while "peering behind an overstuffed armchair lying on its side."

Albus thinks that the person they are looking for is still here 
somewhere and a moment later it turns out that he is correct. 
Dumbledore plunges the tip of his wand into the seat of the 
armchair, which yells "Ouch." Albus greets an "enormously fat, bald, 
old man", which appears instead of an armchair with "Good evening 
Horace."

Horace wonders what gave away his charade and Dumbledore explains 
that there was no Dark Mark set over the house.

Dumbledore and Horace clean up the room together. After they do so, 
Albus wonders what kind of blood Horace put on the walls and Horace 
replies that it was a dragon blood and laments that it was his last 
bottle, since it is so expensive now.

When Horace finally notices Harry and his scar, he appears to be 
surprised and shocked. At that moment Dumbledore finally proceeds 
with formal introductions. He introduces Harry to Horace as Harry 
Potter and we learn that Horace`s last name is Slughorn. It seems 
that Horace connects the dots right away and tells Albus that the 
answer to his request is no.

Albus wonders if they could have a drink and Slughorn reluctantly 
agrees to one drink. They sit down to the table in silence. Albus 
asks Horace how he has been and Horace complains about his 
illnesses. Dumbledore compliments Mr. Slughorn on preparing his 
charade on such short notice, since he could not have had more than 
three minutes' notice that intruders were coming and Slughorn 
proudly replies that he had only two minutes' notice, but then 
begins to complain about his old age. Albus replies that Horace is 
not as old as he is. Horace remarks that maybe Albus should think 
about retirement too.

Slughorn notices Dumbledore's injured hand and comments, "Reactions 
not what they were, I see." Dumbledore agrees that he is slower than 
he was, but shrugs and spreads his hands wide, which Harry 
interprets as his headmaster's way of indicating that age had its 
compensations. Harry also notices a gold ring on Dumbledore's 
uninjured hand.

Dumbledore wonders whom Slughorn set all those precautions against – 
Death Eaters or him. Dumbledore also expresses doubt that the DEs 
did not come to recruit Slughorn yet. Horace explains that he did 
not give them a chance, that during the last year he was running 
from them. Dumbledore wonders whether such an existence would not be 
tiring for Horace and maybe if he were to return to Hogwarts


Slughorn again answers in the negative and tells Dumbledore that he 
has heard some rumors about Umbridge and that he does not like how 
Dumbledore treats his teachers if those rumors are true. Albus is 
sure that Horace would not have gone to the centaurs in the forest 
and surely would have known better than to call centaurs "filthy 
half-breeds".  Slughorn calls Umbridge an "idiotic woman" and at 
this point Harry agrees with him.

At this point Albus excuses himself to search for the bathroom.

Harry and Horace Slughorn are alone in the room at this point. 
Slughorn tells Harry that he looks like his father, but has his 
mother's eyes, which Harry finds a bit wearing after being told it 
so many times.

Slughorn also tells Harry that his mother was one of his favorite 
students. Horace speaks very highly of Lily. Turns out that he was 
the Head of Slytherin House while he was teaching. Slughorn 
reminisces about Sirius Black and tells Harry that he would have 
loved to have had Sirius in Slytherin House, because even though he 
got his brother Regulus, he would have loved a set.  At this point 
Slughorn is being compared to enthusiastic collector who had been 
outbid at auction.

 Slughorn again compliments Lily, *even though* she was muggle-born. 
Harry remarks that one of his best friends is muggle-born and she is 
one of the best students at Hogwarts.  Slughorn reassures Harry that 
he is not prejudiced and points to the pictures of his famous 
students who all keep in touch with him and do little favors when 
Horace asks them to (like getting Quidditch tickets)

Harry wonders how all those people are able to find Horace if he has 
been on the run. Turns out that the last year he is not in touch 
with anybody.

Mr. Slughorn tries to explain to Harry that for him to join 
Hogwarts's facility at this point would be to declare his allegiance 
to the Order of Phoenix and he does not fancy the mortality rate. 
Harry replies that not all teachers are members and Slughorn does 
not have to join in order to teach. Harry also tells Horace that the 
teaching staff is safer than most people, with Dumbledore as 
Headmaster, and Slughorn reluctantly agrees with his reasoning.

Dumbledore finally comes back from his trip to the bathroom and says 
that he is ready to leave because he knows a lost cause when he sees 
one. Before Dumbledore and Harry leave, Slughorn quickly agrees to 
take a teaching job at Hogwarts. While Albus and Harry walk back to 
their apparition point, the Headmaster wonders whether Harry liked 
Horace and Harry is not sure whether he did. 
Dumbledore tells Harry about a club which Slughorn had while he was 
teaching, where he invited his favorites. Albus warns Harry that 
Horace will try to collect him. When they are back to the apparition 
point, Harry is again told to grasp Dumbledore's arm and they 
apparate, as it turns out, to the Burrow, which makes Harry happy.

Dumbledore wants to talk to Harry more in private before they part 
the ways, and he leads him to the Weasleys' old outhouse, where 
broomsticks are kept. Albus congratulates Harry on how well he is 
coping with Sirius' death and Harry tells about how hard it is to 
imagine that Sirius will not write to him anymore, but that he also 
realizes that Sirius would not have wanted for him to shut himself 
up. Harry proclaims that if he were to be killed next, he would take 
with him as many DE as he could.

Dumbledore touches upon the prophecy by pointing out to Harry that 
there were not so much leaks in the Daily Prophet about the 
prophecy. Albus asks Harry whether he has told anybody about the 
prophecy, and when Harry's answers no, Albus urges him to tell Ron 
and Hermione.

Another piece of news that Dumbledore informs Harry about during 
this conversation is that he will be giving Harry private lessons 
this year. Nevertheless, Dumbledore does not give Harry a straight 
answer as to what he will be teaching to him. Dumbledore also 
confirms that Harry won't be taking Occlumency with Professor Snape, 
but when Harry assumes that he won't see much Snape this year, he 
urges Harry "not to count his OWLS before they  are delivered."

Before they part Dumbledore tells Harry to keep his invisibility 
cloak with him at all times and not to get into trouble while he is 
staying with the Weasleys, because "it would be poor repayment if 
you risked your neck while staying with them."
Harry agrees.


QUESTIONS.

1. Consider the following quote from this chapter:
Dumbledore: "However, I do not think you need worry about being 
attacked tonight."
Harry: "Why not, sir?"
"You are with me," said Dumbledore simply.   
 Now look at this quote in chapter 26,"The Cave:"
 "I am not worried Harry," said Dumbledore, his voice a little 
stronger despite the freezing water. "I am with you." 

Do you see any symbolic connection between these two quotes?

2. When Albus says, "Lord Voldemort has finally realized the 
dangerous access to his thoughts and feelings you have been 
enjoying," does he mean that in OOP Voldemort had no idea that Harry 
had access to his thoughts and feelings? Wasn't it necessary for 
Voldemort to know that Harry would receive the vision of Sirius in 
order for his plan to lure Harry to MoM to be successful? In other 
words, I thought that Voldemort was aware of the connection during 
OOP. Are we supposed to think that he was not? How does Dumbledore 
know that Voldemort is now employing Occlumency against Harry?

3. Horace Slughorn tells Dumbledore that he did not have time to set 
the Dark Mark over the House. "The Dark Mark," he muttered. "Knew 
there was something 
 ah well. Wouldn't have had time anyway" 
I realize that I am missing something obvious here, but it bugs me 
nevertheless. Can anybody set the Dark Mark? Anybody who has no 
connections with Death Eaters at all? I am guessing that since 
Winky  was accused of doing so in GoF, the answer is probably yes, 
but the suggestion  that a house elf had done it was met with such 
disbelief that maybe not  anybody could do it? What do you think?

4. If Horace had been "out of touch with everybody for a year," how 
does Dumbledore know that he is now hiding in charming village of 
Budleigh Babberton?  

5. When I was preparing the questions for this chapter discussion, I 
could not shake the feeling that I am having Mark Evans de ja vu. 
Why? Because I started seeing symbolism where JKR probably had no 
intention to write anything symbolic. Nevertheless, when Albus asks 
Slughorn whether he needs his assistance in cleaning up and Slughorn 
answers positively, I for some reason saw the possible foreshadowing 
of Gryffindor and Slytherin cooperation. Am I seeing things? 
 "They stood back to back, the tall thin wizard and the short round 
one, and waved 
their wands in one identical sweeping motion."

6. Slughorn claims that he spilled dragon blood on the walls, when 
he was preparing his little charade. He also says that it may still 
be reusable. How do you think it could be reusable after already 
being spilled? Dragon blood keeps showing up in the series. Do you 
think it may play important role in the ending? Do you think it 
already played the important role in the beginning, but we may not 
know about it yet?
What do you think?


7. If Horace has been "out of touch with everybody for a year", how 
does he know about Dumbledore's injury? Is there any significance 
that he describes the reason for the injury basically the same way 
Snape describes it to Bella in "Spinner's end"?

Horace's words are, "Reactions not what they were, I see." 

Snape, in the relevant part of conversation, says basically the same 
thing: "He has since sustained a serious injury because his 
reactions are slower than they once were." – p.31. (US.ed).

8. Would you agree that Slughorn seems to be *too* unconcerned about 
Dumbledore's injury? If you disagree, why?


9. What was your very first impression of Horace Slughorn?  I mean, 
particularly, if it's possible for you to recall before you read 
anything about him on the HPFGU. 

10. We know that Harry does not ask questions about his parents even 
in those rare situations when he has the chance to do so. Here Harry 
meets the man who taught his mother, who seems to like his mother 
very much and Harry is still not asking him any questions about 
Lily. What do you think about it?


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