======Horace E. Slughorn======
=====Introduction=====
Professor Horace Eugene Slughorn was a masterful [[Potions]] master and, for two separate tenures, the Head of [[Slytherin]] House at [[Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry]]. A bon vivant with a love for comfort, luxury, and influence, Slughorn was known for his "[[Slug Club]]", an exclusive group of students he "collected" based on their talent, ambition, or famous connections.
Though not malevolent, Slughorn's desire for a quiet life and his deep-seated shame over a past mistake made him a reluctant figure in the [[Second Wizarding War]]. He possessed the crucial memory that revealed [[Lord Voldemort]]'s secret to immortality, the [[Horcrux]]es, making him a key target for both [[Albus Dumbledore]] and the [[Death Eaters]]. His eventual decision to aid the fight against Voldemort demonstrates a complex character who, despite his flaws, ultimately chose to do what was right.
=====Biography=====
====First Tenure at Hogwarts====
Professor Slughorn's first period as [[Potions]] Master and Head of [[Slytherin]] House lasted for many decades. During this time, he established the "[[Slug Club]]", a collection of his favourite students invited to lavish dinners where he could build a network of influential future [[witches]] and [[wizards]]. He taught many notable individuals, including [[Lucius Malfoy]] and [[Harry Potter]]'s mother, [[Lily Evans]], whom he considered one of the most brilliant and charming students he ever had.
His most fateful student, however, was [[Tom Riddle]]. Flattered by the young Riddle's talent and ambition, Slughorn confided in him the highly dangerous and obscure magic of creating a [[Horcrux]]. Overcome with shame and terror at what he had enabled, Slughorn later used a [[Memory Charm]] on himself to alter the memory, obfuscating the most incriminating parts of their conversation. He retired from [[Hogwarts]] shortly after [[Lord Voldemort]]'s first fall from power, succeeded by [[Severus Snape]].
====Retirement and Return====
Following his retirement, Slughorn went into hiding after the confirmed return of [[Lord Voldemort]], correctly fearing that his former student would seek to recruit him or silence him permanently. He lived a nomadic life, moving between [[Muggle]] houses and employing elaborate charms to remain hidden.
In the summer of 1996, [[Albus Dumbledore]] and [[Harry Potter]] tracked him down to the village of [[Budleigh Babberton]]. To persuade the comfort-loving Slughorn to return to [[Hogwarts]], Dumbledore used Harry as "bait," knowing Slughorn could not resist the chance to "collect" the [[Chosen One]]. Slughorn agreed to resume his old post as [[Potions]] Master, partly for the perceived safety of [[Hogwarts]] and the allure of having Harry in his class.
====The Horcrux Memory and Battle of Hogwarts====
Throughout the school year, [[Harry Potter]] was tasked by Dumbledore with retrieving the true, unaltered memory of Slughorn's conversation with [[Tom Riddle]]. Slughorn repeatedly evaded Harry's attempts, crippled by his shame. Harry finally succeeded after taking a dose of [[Felix Felicis]], which led him to [[Aragog]]'s funeral. During the event, a tipsy and emotional Slughorn, moved by Harry's words about his mother [[Lily Evans]], finally relented and gave Harry the true memory. This memory was the final piece of the puzzle Dumbledore needed to confirm the number of [[Horcrux]]es Voldemort had created.
During the [[Battle of Hogwarts]], Slughorn initially evacuated the younger students and appeared to leave with the [[Slytherin]]s who chose not to fight. However, he later returned with reinforcements from [[Hogsmeade]]. He demonstrated immense bravery and powerful magic by dueling [[Lord Voldemort]] directly, alongside [[Minerva McGonagall]] and [[Kingsley Shacklebolt]].
=====Physical Appearance and Personality=====
Slughorn is described as an enormously fat, short man with a shiny, bald head and a prominent, walrus-like moustache. He has a penchant for luxurious clothing, such as a green velvet smoking jacket and an embroidered nightcap.
His personality is dominated by his love for comfort, influence, and the finer things in life. He is a classic networker, using his charm to cultivate relationships with those he deems important. While this makes him appear opportunistic and self-serving, he is not a cruel person and shows genuine fondness for his favourite students, especially [[Lily Evans]]. He is prone to cowardice and fear, as shown by his years in hiding and his modification of the [[Horcrux]] memory. However, his actions at the [[Battle of Hogwarts]] prove that, when truly tested, he possesses considerable courage and loyalty.
=====Magical Abilities and Skills=====
  * **[[Potions]]**: Slughorn was an exceptionally gifted Potioneer. [[Albus Dumbledore]] referred to him as a master of the subject. He could brew extremely difficult [[potions]] like [[Felix Felicis]] and immediately recognized the advanced techniques in Harry's textbook, which belonged to the [[Half-Blood Prince]].
  * **Dueling**: Slughorn was a highly competent and powerful duelist. His ability to stand against [[Lord Voldemort]] alongside McGonagall and Shacklebolt places him among the most skilled [[wizards]] of his time.
  * **[[Transfiguration]]**: He displayed a considerable talent for [[Transfiguration]], expertly transforming himself into an armchair to evade detection and effortlessly vanishing large splatters of [[dragon]] blood from a ceiling.
  * **[[Memory Charms]]**: He was proficient enough with [[Memory Charms]] to skillfully modify his own memory of the [[Horcrux]] conversation, a feat that made the memory difficult but not impossible to retrieve.
=====Possessions=====
  * **[[Hourglass]]**: Slughorn kept a large, ornate hourglass in his office. The sand within it would slow down or speed up depending on the quality of the conversation, flowing smoothly when the discourse was stimulating.
  * **Photographs**: He maintained a collection of signed photographs of his most famous and successful former students, which he proudly displayed on a dresser.
  * **Rare [[Potions]] Ingredients**: As a Potions master, Slughorn often acquired rare and valuable ingredients. He collected a significant amount of highly-prized [[Acromantula]] venom from [[Aragog]]'s body and was also gifted a crystallised pineapple by [[Tom Riddle]].
  * **[[Felix Felicis]]**: He possessed a small vial of "Liquid Luck," which he offered as a prize to the student who could brew the best [[Draught of Living Death]] in his first N.E.W.T. class. It was won by [[Harry Potter]].
=====Relationships=====
  * **[[Harry Potter]]**: Slughorn saw Harry as the "crown jewel" of his collection of students. While his initial interest was based on Harry's fame, he developed a genuine, if paternalistic, fondness for him, often seeing reflections of his parents, [[James Potter]] and particularly [[Lily Evans]], in him.
  * **[[Albus Dumbledore]]**: A long-time colleague and friend. Dumbledore understood Slughorn's nature perfectly and was not above using his weaknesses—flattery and a desire for comfort—to achieve his goals. Their relationship was one of mutual, if sometimes strained, respect.
  * **[[Tom Riddle]] / [[Lord Voldemort]]**: Slughorn considered the young [[Tom Riddle]] a brilliant and charming student, but this admiration became his greatest source of shame and fear after he provided Riddle with the secret to making [[Horcrux]]es.
  * **[[Lily Evans]]**: Slughorn described Lily as his all-time favourite student. He cherished her memory, praising her vivacious personality and exceptional talent in [[Potions]]. His deep affection for Lily was ultimately the key to persuading him to give up the true memory to her son.
  * **The [[Slug Club]]**: Slughorn acted as a patron to the members of his club, offering them connections and opportunities. His relationship with them was symbiotic; he basked in their reflected glory, and they benefited from his network.
=====Etymology=====
  * **Horace**: Likely a reference to the classical Roman poet Horace. The poet was known for enjoying a comfortable, leisurely life provided by a patron, mirroring Slughorn's own love of luxury. One of Horace's most famous phrases, //carpe diem// ("seize the day"), also reflects Slughorn's opportunistic nature.
  * **Slughorn**: This name is likely a compound of "slug" and "horn." "Slug" could refer to the slimy creature, alluding both to his role as a [[Potions]] Master (slugs are common ingredients) and his sometimes cowardly, sluggish nature. It could also derive from the Scots Gaelic "sluagh-ghairm," meaning "battle-cry," which is the origin of the word "slogan." This provides an ironic contrast to his initial cowardice and foreshadows his ultimate bravery in the [[Battle of Hogwarts]].
=====Behind the Scenes=====
  * In the film adaptation of //[[Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince]]//, Horace Slughorn is portrayed by actor Jim Broadbent.
  * The scene where Harry retrieves the memory is significantly altered in the film. Instead of using [[Felix Felicis]] to attend [[Aragog]]'s funeral, Harry confronts Slughorn directly, and it is Harry's emotional appeal about his mother's sacrifice, rather than alcohol and shared grief, that persuades Slughorn to give up the memory (film).
  * J.K. Rowling has stated that she created Slughorn to show that not all [[Slytherin]]s are evil. He represents a different facet of [[Slytherin]] ambition—one based on influence and comfort rather than pure-blood supremacy and domination (J.K. Rowling interview).
  * It is confirmed that Slughorn survived the [[Battle of Hogwarts]] and continued to teach at the school (Pottermore).