Horace Slughorn: Character Analysis

[Sinistra_Furze]

1. Slughorn surrounds himself with select students and helps them get ahead in exchange for favor both in schoold and beyond. Does he feel genuine affection for these students of is he just using them to flatter his own ego.

Both. He wants to believe he is a good man, and the acknowledgements he gets from former pupils will be gratifying to him.

2. Slughorn refuses to join both the Death Eaters and the Order. Why do you think he refuses to side with either group? Why do you think he chose to live on the run before deciding to work at Hogwarts?


He wants to stay out of trouble. He also realises he will have to reveal to Dumbledore the true memory, which would be mortifying. His "reputation" is all-important to him.

3. Did Slughorn know what he was doing when he told Riddle about the horcruxes? Did he realize later when Riddle became Voldemort?


He didn't realise at the time, but did later and should have told Dumbledore much sooner.

4. Is Slughorn a good person? A bad person?
He's a weak person, dedicated to his own comforts.
Good or bad? Hmmm. IRL I recall hearing some friends talking about visiting their home country to see relatives. It was a place where the government was repressive, political opponents were locked up or disappeared. But they said "If you stay out of trouble you will be OK". Staying out of trouble = don't speak up or confront the evil you see. They convinced themselves that the best thing to do was keep quiet and hope for the best. Their lives and loved ones would be under threat otherwise. This is what was happening in HP as Voldemort rose to power, and Slughorn's reaction is an understandably human one.

5. Why do you think Slughorn returned to Hogwarts after HBP? Why do you think he stayed after Snape took over?
Becaues he thought he might be safer at Hogwarts than on the run. He stayed because it was most prudent to do so. However, I think for all his selfishness he was a decent person, and would have tried to protect the students as best he could.

6. What do you think of Slughorn's decision to fight in the final battle?
He showed courage in this. Some people show their best when pushed to extremes and here was his chance to redeem himself for withholding the memory so long. Perhaps he expected to die, so threw off the last of his fear for the sake of the school he loved and the students in it.

[sassygryffindor]

1. Slughorn surrounds himself with select students and helps them get ahead in exchange for favor both in schoold and beyond. Does he feel genuine affection for these students of is he just using them to flatter his own ego.

I think it might be a mixture of both. I think he really liked them and they really liked him back, and that in turn flattered his ego. For example, Tom Riddle was closest to Prof. Slughorn when he went to school at Hogwarts, and Prof. Slughorn really liked him, and having such a bright young boy like him probably went to his head.

2. Slughorn refuses to join both the Death Eaters and the Order. Why do you think he refuses to side with either group? Why do you think he chose to live on the run before deciding to work at Hogwarts?

I think he refuses to join the Death Eaters for obvious reasons, but I think he refuses to join the Order because he doesn't want to become a target. He might've lived on the run to avoid both the Death Eaters like he said, but also maybe because of Dumbledore. They were both trying to recruit him, but it might've been harder to turn down Dumbledore repeatedly because they were friends. Instead of trying to face Dumbledore he decided to run away.

3. Did Slughorn know what he was doing when he told Riddle about the horcruxes? Did he realize later when Riddle became Voldemort?

I think when he originally when he told Tom about Horcruxes, he didn't think that poor, sweet, brilliant Tom would ever try something so Dark and evil. But I believe he understood later on what had happened, and that's why he tampered his memory - so as to not incriminate himself.

4. Is Slughorn a good person? A bad person?

I believe he is a good person. He's nice, he does help Harry when he gives him the true, unaltered memory, he's a good teacher, he's friendly, he always - in the end - does the right thing...These are all qualities of a good person, in my opinion.

5. Why do you think Slughorn returned to Hogwarts after HBP? Why do you think he stayed after Snape took over?

I think he returned because he perhaps he thought Harry was returning - and we all know Harry was his pride and joy. But once Snape became Headmaster, he decided to stay - even though Harry wasn't there - to protect the studnets like the other teachers did.

6. What do you think of Slughorn's decision to fight in the final battle?

I feel that everyone who stayed behind showed amazing loyalty to Hogwarts and bravery in the fact that they knew going into the battle they could very well die fighting, yet they did it anyways.

[bellatrix93]

2. Slughorn refuses to join both the Death Eaters and the Order. Why do you think he refuses to side with either group? Why do you think he chose to live on the run before deciding to work at Hogwarts?

I think Slughorn mainly stayed neutral, to keep himself safe. He was a Slytherin, and it isn't difficult to imagine that his own safety was his no. 1 priority. In joining the Order, there was a great danger of being hunted down or getting harmed while on a mission. In joining the Death Eaters, there's the danger of facing Voldemort's wrath, and also being harmed on a mission. From the memory of Slughorn we saw, he appeared to be quite a lazy person, who didn't like adventure himself, but rather the people who were in it.

3. Did Slughorn know what he was doing when he told Riddle about the horcruxes? Did he realize later when Riddle became Voldemort?

Sure he realised later (in my opinion, he's one of the first people to believe Voldemort's return). But I'm also sure he didn't know what he was doing, when he told Tom about the Horcruxes. The fact the he didn't think or dream Tom would really use this informations, shows what a 'good' person he is. The thought of murdering one person seemed to horrify him, to the point that made him think no-one else was capable of it.

4. Is Slughorn a good person? A bad person?

A good person. But in his earlier life, I also think his was rather naive, (question 3).

The only reason, I think could make him a 'bad' person, is refusing to join Dumbledore and fight with them. Also refusing to give Dumbledore the Horcrux memory. But I think both things don't make him essentially bad. He did fight against Voldemort, and the memory, I think he only refused to give it to Dumbledore, because he thought the latter might want to tell his secret, he didn't think Dumbledore could really benefit from the information.

5. Why do you think Slughorn returned to Hogwarts after HBP? Why do you think he stayed after Snape took over?

Because he thought Dumbledore would expect him to stay and protect the school? I think he was naturally protective of the students and the school. After going back to Hogwarts, he might've saw how selfish it is to stay hidden and not help protect/teach people who needed the protection or knowledge he could offer.

6. What do you think of Slughorn's decision to fight in the final battle?

It's a brave decision. Because up to HBP Slughorn had still felt for Tom and didn't want to harm him. Deciding to fight against him, and not even hide it, was very risky for his standards, and quite brave in my opinion.

I really like Slughorn as a character. He's funny nice, but also has his flaws and insecurities. He's also an example (probably the only one) of a Slytherin who is on the good side, without having been exposed to loss or torture or anything of the sort.

[merrymarge]

If Slughorn is the only Slytherin on the good side, where does that leave Snape? I know that this thread is about Slughorn, but he isn't the only good Slytherin.

I wasn't too sure about Slughorn when I first read HBP. I didn't trust him, for some reason. I couldn't exactly say why, I just felt uneasy. I had to re-read the book and then watch the movie before I accepted him.
Arthur and Molly Wealsey didn't care for him either.

[lord_moldywort]

He seemed kind of weird to me until the last book where he rallied and battled against Voldemort. I'm curious to see what you all think.

[iluvseverus]

Originally Posted by lord_moldywort

He seemed kind of weird to me until the last book where he rallied and battled against Voldemort. I'm curious to see what you all think.

Well, I always liked Slughorn. He might not have been overtly brave and noble, but I beleive he was essentially good at heart. His coming back to fight after his neutral stance all through book 6 and 7 was heartening.

[AldeberanBlack]

1. Slughorn surrounds himself with select students and helps them get ahead in exchange for favor both in schoold and beyond. Does he feel genuine affection for these students of is he just using them to flatter his own ego.

Mostly for ego. Occasionally there may be one he actually likes.

2. Slughorn refuses to join both the Death Eaters and the Order. Why do you think he refuses to side with either group? Why do you think he chose to live on the run before deciding to work at Hogwarts?

Because the Death Eaters probably realised that not joining them was pretty much the same as joining the Order.

3. Did Slughorn know what he was doing when he told Riddle about the horcruxes? Did he realize later when Riddle became Voldemort?

He must have realised eventually. At the time it seemed he was merely giving a talented and curious student some advice.

4. Is Slughorn a good person? A bad person?

Good for a specific purpose. A useful character who prevents Slytherin from being portrayed as being virtually entirely evil. However this is setback somewhat by Slughorn being rather doddering in nature.

5. Why do you think Slughorn returned to Hogwarts after HBP? Why do you think he stayed after Snape took over?

Passion for the subject and the house

6. What do you think of Slughorn's decision to fight in the final battle?

Disappointing. He should have sided with the Death Eaters like a true Slytherin.

[LyraLovegood]

Originally Posted by bellatrix93

. . .He's also an example (probably the only one) of a Slytherin who is on the good side, without having been exposed to loss or torture or anything of the sort.

emphasis mine

Originally Posted by merrymarge

If Slughorn is the only Slytherin on the good side, where does that leave Snape? I know that this thread is about Slughorn, but he isn't the only good Slytherin.

. . .

emphasis mine

I don't think that Bella was saying that Slughorn was the only Slytherin on the good side. She's saying that Slughorn does not have any loss or torture that we know of that would cause him to oppose Voldemort. In contrast, Snape is an example of a Slytherin who is on the good side because he was exposed to loss and torture and things of that sort.

And even Slughorn finally decided to give the memory over to Harry and Dumbledore when Harry reminded him what happened to Lily, which could be seen as a loss in that Slughorn had fond memories of Lily as a student.

[bellatrix93]

Originally Posted by lord_moldywort

He seemed kind of weird to me until the last book where he rallied and battled against Voldemort. I'm curious to see what you all think.

I think he was always against Voldemort, just not daring enough to face this fact, or admit it to himself. And as long as he didn't have to make the decision, he stayed neutral. But in the Battle of Hogwarts it was inevitable, he had to make the choice, and was probably motivated to do so by Minerva's urging. I don't have a doubt that he was always in the good side in his heart, and some of his actions showed them. For example, on the train he didn't invite Nott to his little party, because he knew his father was captured among the Death Eaters who broke into the Ministry. He wasn't prejudiced and many of his favourite students were muggle-born. And most certainly, he didn't treat students according to their house or blood status.

Originally Posted by LyraLovegood

She's saying that Slughorn does not have any loss or torture that we know of that would cause him to oppose Voldemort.

That's what I was trying to say. Thanks for making it more clear, .

[Charlotte_Snape]

Carried over from the Snape thread:

Originally Posted by Goddess_Clio

Saying Harry "inherited" a talent like potioneering from his mother who died when he was a year old is stretching it to me.

Okay, but I don't really see a significant contradiction between your statement and what Mirrormere said (Slughorn was wrong in his assumption).

One could have a prexisting apptitude for that type of learning or subject matter but saying Harry was good at potions or not good at potions based on whether his dead mother was good at potions or not good at potions is going to far.

Okay, but who was ever saying this? Mirrormere??? Slughorn???

What Slughorn said was that Lily had an intuitive grasp of potion-making, and that could be interpreted as having a "pre-existing aptitude". I would say this intuition is synonymous with "natural talent", and I don't see why it's so outlandish to assume that talent/intuition/aptitude can be inherited.

Basically what I'm saying is that obviously Slughorn was mistaken in his assumption -- but not because it's a huge mistake to assume such a thing (imo). He was mistaken because of a factor that he was not aware of (the HBP). From Slughorn's perspective Harry was a very intuitive potions student, and since Harry obviously was never tutored by Lily, and it never crossed his mind that he was copying someone else's work, I think he just assumed that Harry had inherited his mother's intuition for the subject (and I think that's reasonable).

What's being left out is the time and effort that Lily would have put in to building her abilities at potions and James's hard work and dedication in wanting to become an animagi and maybe Harry just had an aptitude for flying. Harry never shows this kind of will to apply himself to schoolwork.

But Slughorn hasn't taught Harry for 5 years, so he doesn't know that about Harry. Besides, it clearly takes more than just brains & hard work to become a "dab hand" at the subject. Just look at what Hermione went through that year. Arguably the most hard-working and intelligent student in her year, she followed the book recipies to the letter and could not manage what Snape was able to do at her age. She lacked the intuition in this subject that Snape and Lily had. Harry's "intuitive grasp" gave him the edge over Hermione's rote-understanding, and I'm sure Slughorn had seen this alot over his teaching career.

In fact, I'm sure most teachers are well aware of the difference between innate talent and learned skill. McGonagall knew pure talent when she saw it (Harry flying, spotting, and catching the rememberall). He only got better as the years went by, and if one can reasonably assume that he inherited his physical coordination from his father, why not his mental intuition from his mother? Why was Slughorn so wrong to assume that he got his talent from Lily?

[SirDobster]

1. Slughorn surrounds himself with select students and helps them get ahead in exchange for favor both in school and beyond. Does he feel genuine affection for these students or is he just using them to flatter his own ego.

I think a little bit of both.

2. Slughorn refuses to join both the Death Eaters and the Order. Why do you think he refuses to side with either group? Why do you think he chose to live on the run before deciding to work at Hogwarts?

I think he cares more about himself than these causes. I don't think he is selfish or uncaring, he's just not that keen about going out of his comfort zone. The same reasons for his being on the run.

3. Did Slughorn know what he was doing when he told Riddle about the horcruxes? Did he realize later when Riddle became Voldemort?

No, I don't think he knew until he learned about Voldemort.

4. Is Slughorn a good person? A bad person?

I think he is a good person. He can be ambitious and self-centered, but he is pretty transparent about this. He doesn't really try to hide his qualities.

5. Why do you think Slughorn returned to Hogwarts after HBP? Why do you think he stayed after Snape took over?

I think he might have anticipated Slytherin House regaining some power at the school.

6. What do you think of Slughorn's decision to fight in the final battle?

It was courageous because he finally picked a side.

[arithmancer]

Originally Posted by hermy_weasley2

Welcome to the post-DH discussion of Horace Slughorn.

1. Slughorn surrounds himself with select students and helps them get ahead in exchange for favor both in school and beyond. Does he feel genuine affection for these students of is he just using them to flatter his own ego.

I think, both. Lily Evans seems a case of a student he favored in school, for whom he also felt genuine affection. He still remembers her fondly years after her death, and even though she has not in any way provided him with tangible benefits from her successful career (which, being dead, she never had. )

2. Slughorn refuses to join both the Death Eaters and the Order. Why do you think he refuses to side with either group? Why do you think he chose to live on the run before deciding to work at Hogwarts?

I think that despite holding mildly bloodist views, Slughorn is a Voldemort opponent at heart. Thus he would naturally not join the Death Eaters. Also, he has personal knowledge of Tom Riddle, and both fears him and disapproves of him based on that knowledge. His reasons for not joining the Order, I would imagine, are a feeling that stopping a threat like Voldemort is not a job for a teacher like him, it is a thing the Ministry should take care of.
3. Did Slughorn know what he was doing when he told Riddle about the horcruxes? Did he realize later when Riddle became Voldemort?

Both Albus and Horace, in the conversation they have in the Muggle house in HBP, seem convinced the Death Eaters would like to recruit Horace. This seems a sensible reason to live on the run if one is not planning to join, I thought.

4. Is Slughorn a good person? A bad person?

Like all HP characters, a mixed bag. Certainly, he is on the "good side", and we see him battle Voldemort himself in the final chapter of DH.

5. Why do you think Slughorn returned to Hogwarts after HBP? Why do you think he stayed after Snape took over?

I think Dumbledore was able to remind Slughorn of the advantages of living at Hogwarts as opposed to life on the run, and Harry appealed to him despite his efforts to resist the temptation of Harry's fame.

As to why he stayed, I think, for one reason, that Snape asked him to. Which would have kept the Death Eater recruiters away.

6. What do you think of Slughorn's decision to fight in the final battle?

I approve!

[horcrux4]

3. Did Slughorn know what he was doing when he told Riddle about the horcruxes? Did he realize later when Riddle became Voldemort?
I think this is an interesting question. He was clearly uncomfortable when Riddle asked him about horcruxes and I suspect he was afraid that Riddle might actually try it. He seemed to have admired Tom before that but I wonder if his attitude to him changed after that conversation; whether he began to think Tom was not the ideal student he had seemed. I'd have thought he might have told someone else that Tom had been enquiring about horcruxes as it was a very serious matter (Dumbledore or Dippett maybe?) but he seems to have kept it to himself. He clearly felt guilty about the conversation or he wouldn't have modified his memory when he gave it to Dumbledore but I can't quite see why as he didn't say anything that should have encouraged Tom to go ahead and try it. In fact he showed how horrified he was at the thought of it. Consequently I think he did realise that Voldemort had been making horcruxes and that perhaps he should have let someone know earlier. Exactly when he realised that Riddle and Voldemort were one and the same we can't tell, but I don't think he'd have modified the memory if he hadn't realised it.

If he had come to mistrust Riddle and if he did realise Riddle was Voldemort that would be a good reason for his not wanting to join the DEs. I wonder if he feared that Voldemort might want to silence him so that the secret of the horcruxes would never come out. He came over when we first met him as a frightened man, I thought. I think that for many years he had put his head in the sand, ostrich-style, and tried to forget that he had ever told Riddle anything about horcruxes.

[ChestnutDream26]

I don't know why, but I really enjoyed reading about Slughorn It's not that I love him as a character, but I liked the scenes he appeared in.

1. Slughorn surrounds himself with select students and helps them get ahead in exchange for favor both in schoold and beyond. Does he feel genuine affection for these students of is he just using them to flatter his own ego.
Both of them. I think he does feel affection for some of them -Lily or Tom, for instance-, but he also needs to feel that he's been their boost to success

2. Slughorn refuses to join both the Death Eaters and the Order. Why do you think he refuses to side with either group? Why do you think he chose to live on the run before deciding to work at Hogwarts?
I think he just wanted to live a comfortable life, out of troubles; or maybe he was too coward to put his life at risk.

3. Did Slughorn know what he was doing when he told Riddle about the horcruxes? Did he realize later when Riddle became Voldemort?
I suppose he didn't have bad intentions at all when telling Riddle about the horcruxes; he just thought he was satisfying his pupil's curiosity -he was a brilliant student, it seems logical to think he also had more 'advanced' interests than the rest-. Perhaps he'd have become suspicious if it had been another student who had asked the question: Tom was very cunning, but I don't think Slughorn could have ever thought that his charming pupil would use his knowledge to master Dark Arts.
He must have realized his mistake much later.

4. Is Slughorn a good person? A bad person?
I see him as a good person, the problem is that his selfishness and own convencience makes him stay away from problems. On the other hand, he was a helpful teacher and he even fought in the final battle.

5. Why do you think Slughorn returned to Hogwarts after HBP? Why do you think h
e stayed after Snape took over?
Probably he wanted to protect the students in the absence of Dumbledore, as most of the teachers did.

6. What do you think of Slughorn's decision to fight in the final battle?
Despite his selfishness he was on the good side, and maybe he wanted to show that slytherins also have loyalty to Hogwarts.

[Moriath]

Originally Posted by ChestnutDream26

4. Is Slughorn a good person? A bad person?
I see him as a good person, the problem is that his selfishness and own convencience makes him stay away from problems. On the other hand, he was a helpful teacher and he even fought in the final battle.

But would you say that having no intent to cause harm makes someone a good person? I think Slughorn's character represents a big majority of people who stand by when bad things happen until they can no longer look away. I wouldn't say that he was evil or bad, but that his self-interest and love of comfort were the cause for other characters' troubles, if he wanted to or not. Slughorn was, after all, the one who told Riddle about the Horcruxes because he was easily to flatter. In my view, Slughorn was very bad at judging other people's character. He seemed to be interested in greatness and willing to swallow a certain degree of dodgy dealings.

[MerryLore]

Originally Posted by Moriath

Slughorn was, after all, the one who told Riddle about the Horcruxes because he was easily to flatter. In my view, Slughorn was very bad at judging other people's character. He seemed to be interested in greatness and willing to swallow a certain degree of dodgy dealings.

Personally, i think Slughorn was a good judge of character, being particularly skilled at picking out students who had the potential to excel and aligning himself with those students (he would enjoy flattery from one, though, and I think he saw Riddle as an up-and-comer). I think he recognized Riddle's brilliance, and I think he also had that Slytherin sense of self-preservation as well as a feeling of how dangerous Riddle was, and he didn't want to become a target. I think his greatest failings were selfishness, his preference of ignoring what was going on and to put his own needs and safety above all else.

[merrymarge]

I didn't care for Slughorn. He was not a very good person, simply because he was like Harry imagined, a giant spider luring people into his web. He didn't realise until later, how dangerous his information to Riddle was. slughorn should have discussed this with someone, if not professor Dippet, then Dumbledore. but, he was too ashamed, embarrassed and couldn't admit that he talked about the horcruxes with a student.

[ShadowSonic]

But the strange thing is that his "great sinful act" really wasn't much of anything: He never really answered Tom Riddle's questions and Tom already knew about Horcruxs at that point. What was strange was Slughorn acting like he did something awful.

[merrymarge]

Slughorn confirmed to Tom Riddle that horcuxes were powerful and very dark magic. Tom suspected it but needed someone to confirm the fact. Still, I think Slughorn should have talked to someone, to just reassure himself that he didn't do anything bad. We don't know when horcruxes were no longer discussed at Hogwarts .There could have been a ban on the subject and Slughorn broke the ban by talking about it. He couldn't admit to anyone that he broke the ban. That's why he tried to change his memory.

[cool_chick_div]

Perhaps if Slughorn had told Dumbledore about the conversation on horcruxes Dumbledore would have gotten an idea of one of the things making Voldemort more powerful. It is that memory that confirms the enitre horcrux theory. Something could have been done earlier if Dumbeldore knew this. The original Order of the Phoenix could have been hunting horcruxes. Dumbledore seemed to have needed this confirmation from the memory if he had suspicions earlier.

But I do understand why Slughhorn might have kept his head in the sand. Once he realized it was Riddle and Death Eaters tried recruiting him he most likely became afraid that Riddle would want to kill him. If he had told Dumbledore about the horcruxes and Dumbledore had failed to find them all Riddle could have thouht that it was Slughorn that supplied Dumbledore with the information. Btw, I'm thinking of before Harry was born, if Slughorn had given up the information at the peak of the first war.