Was Severus in the Slug Club? (Was: Snape liked Hogwarts? )

[leslie41]

No: HPFGUIDX 154360

--- In HPforGrownups at yahoogroups.com, "justcarol67" <justcarol67 at ...> 
wrote:
> Carol adds:
> I'd say that his being at the Christmas party is pretty strong
> evidence, considering that the only other teacher we see there is
> Trelawney, great-great-granddaughter of a famous Seer, and all the
> other guests are apparently either current Slug Club members like
> Harry, Hermione, and McLaggen and their dates or former Slug Club
> members like Eldred Worple and their guests. (Or perhaps Worple is a
> current celebrity who was somehow overlooked by Slughorn in his
> Hogwarts, but I doubt it.)
> 
> Slughorn tells Trelawney, "We all think our subject is most
> important," and it's highly unlikely that he would have overlooked 
> the shining talents in his own subject of a boy who also happened 
> to be in his House. Slughorn doesn't care about personality (look 
> at McLaggen). What he cares about is talent or potential for 
> advancement, and he would have seen plenty of that in young Severus 
> Snape. (No doubt he got O's on his long, detailed essays as well as 
> the potions he produced in class.) 

Leslie41:

You know, I can't agree, because in that case wouldn't Hermione have 
been asked to join?  She wasn't, was she (I don't have the book with 
me, but that's what I seem to recall)?  I know that the whole "house 
loyalty" thing might have come into play, but I don't think that 
would have been enough to get Snape into the club.  He was very poor, 
and ugly, and not at all well-liked. Despite his perceived 
intelligence I can't see Slughorn letting him in.  And truthfully, 
intelligence is not always (or even most often) the best indicator of 
how important a person will be, or how high they will rise.    

As for why the adult Snape was invited, well they're colleagues now, 
and Slughorn has taken over Snape's old position.  In addition, Snape 
has now achieved a position of trust and is head of house.  There's 
no way he couldn't invite him.