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

[zgirnius]

No: HPFGUIDX 154377


fair wynn:
> I don't have my book here, but I'm fairly certain that Slughorn 
*did* try to 
> get Hermione to join. 

zgirnius:
That is right. She even attended those meetings Harry foudn ways out 
of (like detention, or Quidditch practice).

fair wynn:
> Hermione's primary attribute (in Slughorn's estimation) would 
probably be 
> her intelligence and possibly her link to Harry.  She's not 
wealthy, 
> well-connected, beautiful, or popular.

zgirnius:
That it was her intelligence that interested him is less clear. In 
his first meeting with Harry, the blood question came up. Harry told 
Slughorn that one of his best friends was a Muggleborn, and she was 
also the best student in his year. Slughorn knew this was Hermione 
during the first class-he made this clear be referring to Harry's 
comment. So it could be either or a combination of both, that made 
her worthy of inclusion in his eyes.


fair wynn:
> I agree that Slughorn's inviting Snape to the Christmas party is 
strong 
> evidence that he was in the Club.  No other faculty member was 
there other 
> than Trelawney (and she did have "connections" from her ancestry).  
If it 
> was simply professional curtesy that Snape was invited, then all 
other 
> faculty would have been invited as well.  
> If that was the case, wouldn't 
> professional curtesy have brought at least a few other faculty 
members to 
> accept their invitations and attend the party? 

zgirnius:
I had assumed the faculty were invited, and courtesouly declined, 
except Sybill, who could not missd the opportunity for a greater 
quality of booze, and Snape, who wanted to keep an eye on any 
suspicious outsiders Sluggie may have invited. (Hence, the skulking 
in the corners).

Also, Snape has a different relationship to Slughorn compared to the 
other faculty. He was his student, in his house, and took over his 
teaching position. To my mind, this could be another reason to accept 
the invitation.

fair wynn:
> There is some evidence that he would have 
> been (Christmas party, his own aptitude with potions, being in 
Slytherin).  
> Therefore, the weight of evidence rests in him being in the Slug 
Club.

zgirnius:
I don't think he was. Not being recognized for his achievements and 
abilities just seems to be what happens to him. I have trouble 
imagining it was different at school.

Of the evidence for you list, I do not think being in SLytherin 
belongs. We have no indication it makes one more likely to get in. In 
HBP, we see the SLytherin Blaise Zabini in the club. That's it. Among 
Gryffindors, Harry, Hermione, Ginny, and COrmac make it in (and 
Neville is considered). It appears that Sluggie does not favor
his House in this (or anything else, for that matter).