Slughorn

[Tanuki]

I don't know why. He really is a vain man. He's very manipulative and somewhat prejudiced, though he does try to work around it. I can't help but like the man. He just seems to feel like a decent guy, despite his flaws

[thestral]

yeah i felt the same. i think the way to sum it up is harry's reaction to him, which when asked by DD if he liked him was "Er...".

but although he was a bit prejudiced, he wasn't really because his 'slug club' was made up of all 4 houses. showing that he values people (and their connections) more than house prejudices. and he was a slytherin yet his favourite was a gryffindor (lily, then harry).

i saw a bit of house unity in the actions of slughorn. there was a blurring of the house lines there that you didn't really see with other teachers. i think he's significant in the way of the the whole unite or divide thing. that's just a feelings i have at the minute. but yes he also is shallow, superficial and probably a bit of an alcoholic. but despite that you like him he just seems like a decent guy. he's human. we all have prejudices but i think the thing about slughorn, is that although he has prejudices that isn't foremost in his mind. and he doesn't constantly project his prejudices, which means that they don't hurt people. in the way that malfoy or snape does.

[Scarlet Lioness]

I'm not too fussed on Slughorn he's not the sort of person I like...

[thestral]

yeah i'm not fussed on him. i don't like him cos he's too shallow and concerned about people's 'connections' but i don't hate him even though he seems to have weird prejudices, but then he doesn't seem prejudiced cos he doesn't care about houses or blood even though he does.... i don't know he's strange.

[pandora315]

Why did DD bring him in though? Why did he give the Dark Arts job to Snape and bring in Sluggy? Was it to protect him like Trewlawny? He's just so strange. Collecting famous names and associations, rather reminds me of lockhart in a way....the other things is that he doesn't seem to do things unless he gets something for it. I mean, with his "collections" he gets to boast that he knows so and so and the send him all sorts of free gifts and things, with Hagrid he gets some Acromantula venom, what does he get from DD to teach aside from the POSSIBILITY of collecting Harry- which he then gives up entirely at the end of the book?

[thestral]

i think his purpose is house unity, when he said lily was his favourite student you expected him to be head of gryffindor, but then he said head of slytherin and it sorta surprised you.

i think there will a change in house relationships. and something about him represents that. e.g the slug club, made up all all houses and all bloods.

[Tanuki]

I think he's a better person than he lets on, but he'll definitely gear Slyterhin's to house unity. He may be mercenary, but he still seems like a stand up guy at times

[Imelyen]

I was kind of caught in the middle with this guy. Not sure if I liked him and not sure if I disliked him. But then came the scene with the burial of Aragog and then I hated him for being so thoughtless towards Hagrids feelings...thought he was just a self-centered emotionless man...But, then came the next couple of pages and showed that he did care about things, and proved how incredibly wrong i was...So now, i find myself actually liking him...alot, he's made it to #4 on my fav list. (1. snape, 2. Voldemort 3. Harry (was dumbledore) and 4. Slughorn)

[thestral]

i think if it came down to saying in black and white, do you like him or do you not like him. i would have to say i like him.

[sirius_lives_forever]

im not too crazy about him, it doesnt seem right that he picks favorites because of their relatives...

[pandora315]

I wouldn't get too close to him though....I may be just me but there seem some subtle clues that he is goingt to be offed. He is described as a spider a few times, and its pretty accurate if you think about it. He spins these great webs with him at the center. But Snape lives in a place called Spinners end...a chapter that is right before he's introduced. I don't know...it just popped in my head as I was re-reading last night.

[thestral]

i find it hard to say what i mean, but i don't like the guy, he's shallow and weirdly prejudiced. you don't paticularly warm to him, or like him cos he seems like he's out for himself, but if you had to say unequivocally without shades of grey and put him either into the 'hate' or 'like' column he'd be in the 'like' column (but with lots of little notes in the margin, like superficial, shallow, weirdly prejudiced etc).

does anyone know what i mean? in the way i'm trying to say you don't like him but you don't hate him either?

[Kalessin]

Yeah, I think I get what you mean. He seems to be on the right side of things... just that he's not exactly the most endearing fellow because as pinted out, he's shallow, sly, superficial, prejudiced and excludes people easily. That list kind of makes me think I should dislike him, but he is just sitting on the fence in my mind, neither here nor there really... inconsequental I would say.

[BertieBottsBeans]

He collects trophies. Voldemort collects trophies. Is it possible that he has one of the Horcruxes without knowing? Is it possible that he'll have insight into Lord Thingy's character, and help Harry figure out what the last Horcrux is?

[thestral]

yeah, i think he will be important, cos remeber he is now one of the last remaining links to voldemort. one of the last people who knows voldemort was really once a schoolboy called tom riddle. and he was close to him. i think he could give us alot more info on VD and other things along the way. he's no simpleton. he knows stuff and i think he could help harry.