The potion maker

[Jen Reese]

No: HPFGUIDX 141283

I'm increasingly curious to know who concocted the cave potion.

Voldemort's skill and focus don't appear to be in potions. Riddle's 
first impression of magic was the power of a wand: After finding out 
he was a wizard, Riddle eyed Dumbledore's wand 'greedily' and 
demanded to know where to get one. Later Ollivander said Voldemort's 
powerful wand did indeed perform 'terrible but great' deeds, and the 
duel with Dumbledore at the MOM highlighted Voldemort's skill in 
Transfiguration and perhaps Charms as well (excellent in DADA too, 
if only to stay one step ahead of the enemy). 

So most likely Voldemort contracted out for the potion, using one of 
four possible experts: Lily, Pettigrew, Snape or Slughorn.

1) Lily can be discarded immediately as a suspect <g>. 

2) Pettigrew we know little about his potion-making history, but he 
did whip up the re-birthing potion correctly. Given he was only in 
Voldemort's ranks for a year, and had more important spying 
activities to attend to, he seems unlikely as well.

3) Snape is the most obvious person, a DE and potion whiz kid, 
except for the fact of timing. Voldemort secured the locket when he 
was only a few years out of school. By the time he visited 
Dumbledore for the DADA position, he had changed significantly. The 
locket horcrux was likely one of the first horcruxes he made after 
the diary, and probably hid shortly thereafter along with the ring 
at the Gaunts.  

Which leaves us with Slughorn, in the cave, with a potion kit ;).

Slughorn's horcrux discussion with Riddle would certainly be enough 
to send him into hiding when Voldemort returned to power. Riddle 
laid his entire plan at Slughorn's feet, and Voldemort must think of 
him as the only living person aware of his 7-part horcruxes. I just 
have a nagging feeling there's another reason Slughorn went on the 
run when Voldemort returned to his body. Dumbledore mentioned 
Sluggy's 'considerable talents' and we find out he's an accomplished 
Occlumens as well as saavy enough to carry antidotes on his person. 
He's definitely not an old buffer! But he does have a great 
weakness, a huge appetite for creature comforts, flattery and 
attachment to powerful people, a person Voldemort could easily 
manipulate in other words.  Slughorn may have uneasily or 
unwittingly helped Voldemort in exchange for creature comforts and 
connections with powerful people; Dumbledore probably wasn't the 
only one who showed up at Slughorn's door with a 'jewel' to be 
collected, expecting something in exchange.

Once Voldemort turned to vapor at GH, the situation changed for 
Slughorn. He and Dumbledore were the only people who suspected why 
Voldemort didn't die that night, and Slughorn alone had the 
information about multiple horcruxes. When Voldemort returned to his 
body in GOF, Slughorn went into hiding, knowing Voldemort could not 
be killed.

The next question is: Why does the story need Slughorn to make the 
potion? It's easier to have Voldemort concoct his own potion and be 
done with it. The problem is LV can't answer any of Harry's 
questions. The fake locket and Dumbledore's death are shrouded in 
mystery, and at some point the Trio will figure out Dumbledore's 
strange mutterings during the potion-drinking were significant for 
either the locket question or Dumbledore's immediate need for Snape 
(and perhaps subsequent death). Hermione will naturally try to 
discover what the potion was and perhaps won't find it in Moste 
Potente Potions, so they will ask Slughorn a few hypothetical 
questions. He will blanche, realizing what he did to help Voldemort, 
and likely the Trio will manipulate him into giving the information. 
I was joking about Slughorn actually being in the cave to make the 
potion, but it might come in handy if he had been! 

Unfortunately, I think Slughorn knows too much, and could be next on 
the chopping block without Dumbledore protecting Hogwarts. I'd 
imagine Voldemort isn't looking to coerce him this time around so 
much as kill him.

Jen