Horace E. F. Slughorn

Horace E. F. Slughorn (J.K. Rowling interview) was a pure-blood or half-blood wizard who served as the Potions Master and Head of Slytherin House at Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry for many decades. An affable and talented but comfort-seeking wizard, Slughorn was known for his “Slug Club,” a network of his most talented and well-connected students whom he cultivated for his own benefit. Slughorn's core significance to the story lies in a memory he possessed concerning Tom Riddle's inquiries about Horcruxes, the retrieval of which was a primary mission for both Albus Dumbledore and Harry Potter. Though initially cowardly, Slughorn ultimately demonstrated great bravery during the Battle of Hogwarts, duelling Lord Voldemort himself.

Born into the Slughorn family, Horace began teaching at Hogwarts at a relatively young age, taking up the posts of Potions Master and Head of Slytherin House. During this long tenure, he founded the Slug Club, a group of students he hand-picked for their ambition, intelligence, charm, or connections. Notable members included Tom Marvolo Riddle, Lucius Malfoy, and one of his all-time favourites, Lily Evans. In the 1940s, a young Tom Riddle used his position as Slughorn's favourite to ask him about the rare and dark magic of Horcruxes, specifically about the consequences of creating more than one. Though disturbed, Slughorn provided a theoretical explanation. He was later horrified when he realised he had given Riddle the information necessary to achieve immortality. Consumed by shame, Slughorn used a Memory Charm on himself to alter the memory, presenting a version to Albus Dumbledore in which he appeared to reject Riddle's questions entirely. He retired in 1981, and Severus Snape took over his positions.

Following Lord Voldemort's return to power in 1995, Slughorn went into hiding, fearing the Death Eaters would recruit him to gain access to his influential network. He lived a nomadic life, moving between Muggle houses and employing elaborate magical disguises to evade detection. In the summer of 1996, Albus Dumbledore and Harry Potter tracked him down to a house in the village of Budleigh Babberton. Slughorn had faked a violent struggle and transfigured himself into an armchair to deceive them, but Dumbledore saw through the ruse.

Dumbledore convinced Slughorn to return to his old post as Potions Master, using Harry Potter's presence at the school as bait, knowing Slughorn would be unable to resist “collecting” the most famous student in the wizarding world. Slughorn immediately reinstated the Slug Club, inviting Harry, Hermione Granger, and Ginny Weasley, among others. Throughout the school year, Harry, at Dumbledore's behest, attempted to retrieve the true Horcrux memory from Slughorn. After several failed attempts, Harry used a vial of Felix Felicis he had won in Slughorn's class. Under the potion's influence, Harry managed to appeal to Slughorn's conscience and his deep affection for his mother, Lily Potter. Slughorn finally relented and gave Harry the untampered memory, providing the crucial proof that Voldemort had created multiple Horcruxes.

When the Battle of Hogwarts began, Slughorn's first instinct was one of self-preservation. He was seen leading the underage Slytherin students to safety through the Hog's Head Inn. However, his conscience and courage won out. He returned with reinforcements from Hogsmeade, including the villagers and the families of students. During the final stage of the battle, Slughorn heroically engaged Lord Voldemort in a duel alongside Minerva McGonagall and Kingsley Shacklebolt.

Horace Slughorn is described as an enormously fat man with a shiny, bald head, prominent, gooseberry-coloured eyes, and a great, silvery, walrus-like moustache. He has a penchant for luxurious clothing, such as velvet smoking jackets and tasselled caps. Slughorn's personality is complex. He is outwardly jovial, charming, and fond of comfort, good food, and fine drink. His defining trait is his love of collecting influential people, a form of cronyism that allows him to call in favours and live a comfortable life. He is not inherently brave and can be self-serving, as shown by his long period of hiding. However, he is not a bad person; he possesses a strong conscience and feels deep-seated shame and regret for his role in Voldemort's rise. He is a staunch opponent of Muggle-born prejudice and is capable of great courage when his better nature prevails.

• Potions: Slughorn was an exceptionally gifted Potions Master, considered a genius in the field by many. He could identify complex potions by smell alone and was proficient enough to brew the notoriously difficult Felix Felicis potion.
• Dueling: He was a highly competent duellist, capable enough to hold his own against Lord Voldemort alongside two other powerful wizards.
• Transfiguration: Slughorn demonstrated advanced skill in Transfiguration, most notably when he perfectly disguised himself as an armchair.
• Memory Charms: He possessed enough skill with Memory Charms to expertly modify his own memory, a feat described by Dumbledore as very difficult magic.

• Wand: Ten and a quarter inches long, made of cedar wood with a dragon heartstring core, described as “fairly flexible.” (Pottermore)
• Felix Felicis: Slughorn kept a small cauldron of this potion, which he brewed himself, and offered a single vial as a prize to his sixth-year Potions class.
• Crystallised Pineapple: His favourite confection, which he often shared with favoured students.
• Rare Potions Ingredients: Slughorn often acquired rare and valuable ingredients, sometimes through his connections and sometimes unethically, such as when he tried to obtain venom from the dying Aragog.

• Albus Dumbledore: A long-time friend and colleague. Dumbledore valued Slughorn's abilities and understood his weaknesses, using them to persuade him to return to Hogwarts and give up his memory.
• Harry Potter: Slughorn was initially fascinated by Harry's celebrity status, viewing him as the crowning jewel of his Slug Club collection. Over time, he developed a genuine, grandfatherly affection for Harry, largely due to his connection to Lily Potter, which ultimately led him to trust Harry with his darkest secret.
• Tom Riddle (Lord Voldemort): Riddle was Slughorn's most brilliant student and, ultimately, his greatest failure and shame. Slughorn's favouritism and lapse in judgment allowed Riddle to gain the knowledge to create his Horcruxes.
• Lily Evans: One of Slughorn's all-time favourite students. He adored her for her charm, bravery, and prodigious talent in Potions. His fond memories of Lily were a key factor in his relationship with Harry.
• Severus Snape: His former student and successor as Potions Master. While Slughorn respected Snape's immense talent, he seemed to hold a slight grudge against him for taking his job and for Snape's superior knowledge of the subject as documented in the Advanced Potion-Making textbook.

• Horace: The name likely alludes to the Roman lyric poet Horace, who was a prominent voice for Epicureanism, a philosophy that advocates for the pursuit of pleasure and a tranquil life free from fear. This strongly reflects Slughorn's love of comfort and his initial avoidance of conflict.
• Slughorn: This is a compound name. “Slug” evokes a slow, soft, and somewhat slimy creature, which could be a reference to Slughorn's physical build and his moral sluggishness. “Horn” can refer to a drinking vessel or a musical instrument. A “slughorn” is also an archaic Scottish word for a battle-cry or slogan, which serves as an ironic contrast to Slughorn's initial cowardice, only for him to live up to it by the end of the series.

• In the film adaptations, Horace Slughorn is portrayed by British actor Jim Broadbent.
• In the film version of Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince, Slughorn's hiding place is the house of a Muggle family on holiday, rather than a recently vacated house as in the book. He also attempts to Apparate away before being stopped by Dumbledore.
• The film adaptation of Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows - Part 2 significantly alters his role in the Battle of Hogwarts. While he is shown casting a protective spell over the castle, the scene where he duels Voldemort alongside McGonagall and Shacklebolt is omitted.