Slughorn, slytherins etc.

[prep0strus]

No: HPFGUIDX 177841

Irene:
>
> It's not that I love him that much, it's just seems to me that he is as 
> good as Slytherins can get, and if the author positions even him as a 
> bad character, then what hope for the rest of them?
> 

Prep0strus:
This is it, exactly.  What hope IS there for the rest of them? I
think, not much. Because I agree that he is as good as Slytherins can
get - and I think he's significantly worse than you do.

Irene:
> 
> So, the only thing we, as readers, are invited to hold against him 
> remains - he wasn't immediately enthusiastic about fighting
Voldemort in 
> the battle of Hogwarts. 
> 

Prep0strus:
And this is where I disagree. Because I don't believe the only thing
we are invited to hold against him is his reluctance to fight.  I
think he completely makes up for that, and even his previous
cowardice, in returning to the castle to fight.

What I dislike about Slughorn has little to do with his cowardice -
the primary anti-Gryffindor trait we see in him from his first scene
up until the moment he decides to return to Hogwarts at the end of DH.

What I dislike about him is not his lack of Gryffindor qualities, but
the presence of Slytherin qualities.  His selfishness, his greed.  His
self image is what matters to him.  His club is a way for him to take
anyone who he thinks can do anything for him and suck up to them.  It
can be about talent, but that's not what it's primarily about.  It's
about what they, or people they know, can do for Slughorn.  It's about
how it makes Slughorn feel to have these kids around him, to have
those adults out there that he thinks he can take credit for.  It's
his own little universe, and if you don't fit in, you're out.  Social
cliques are hard enough when they are orchestrated by the kids
themselves - a professor should not be encouraging that, especially
not for his own benefit.  Who wants to be the kid that isn't passed
the candy?  Who isn't given the invitation?  Who is obviously not
deemed worthy of the cool kids club?

The entire thing is slimy and inappropriate, because it exists for the
sake of Sluggy's ego.  It is Slytherin, without the evil - no murder,
no genocide.  Just soft bigotry, exclusion, and slimy back-door
ambition.  Slughorn is kind of a delicious character, but if he's as
good as Slytherin can get, then Slytherin is certainly the gutter.

~Adam (Prep0strus)