Slughorn, slytherins etc.

[Goddlefrood]

No: HPFGUIDX 177843

> 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.
<SNIP>

Goddlefrood:

Before DH came out I'd quite liked Slughorn, still have no 
real problem with him as it happens. Anyone who once worked 
at Honeyduke's must be doing something right and can't be too 
bad (he never poisoned the sweets, anyway). One speculation 
that hasn't yet been refuted and is still canon consistent. 
Here it is (originally posted Nov '05):

Goddlefrood of the dim and distant:

Just a short observation regarding Horace Slughorn.

Perhaps as usual I am reading too much into it but I think we met
Horace briefly prior to Chapter Four of HBP. My reference is the
following quotation from POA (Chapter Ten - The Marauder's Map, 
p. 146 Bloomsbury paperback edition):

- 
he saw an enormous backside and a shiny bald head buried in a 
box.

(This assistant was sent to get Jelly Slugs)

Part of Horace's mysyterious past, or simply did he want to be 
close to the crystallised pineapple?

Goddlefrood of the present:

Like you say in your posts it's a little worrying that Horace is 
about as good a Slytherin as they get. Whatever his prejudices 
might be I never and still don't see him as bad. I've said all 
I'm likely to on Slytherins several months ago, in a nutshell 
I saw a glimmer of hope for some eventual harmony between the 
houses, but appreciate that others did not.

Oh, and there certainly were Death Eaters from other houses 
and other schools even. Slytherin did supply the bulk of the 
Death Eaters, however the Death Eaters were never a huge force 
(numbers wise). That you're a Slytherin and don't become a 
Death Eater doesn't, naturally, mean you're a sweetheart.

The only other point I have to make is that, due to several 
instances of outright misinformation in statements made by 
JKR outside the books themselves, whatever is said in interviews 
and even on her site should not really be relied upon to make 
out any kind of case. That a case for whatever assertion one 
cares to make can be made out from the books is something I 
have little doubt many on this list would agree with. Witness 
Goyle Snr, superspy, Ma Black as RAB and many more such 
speculations from the typewriter of this LOON.

Goddlefrood, who also likes the name Horace as his brother's 
late cat had the same moniker (not that this influenced his 
opinion of Slughorn)