Fame W...alrus (HBP Chapter 4, Horace Slughorn)

Summary

MuggleCast: "Fame W...alrus"

Half-Blood Prince, Chapter 4: Horace Slughorn
Release Date: October 28, 2025
Hosts: Andrew, Eric, Laura, and Micah

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Episode Overview

This episode dives into Chapter Four of "Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince," titled "Horace Slughorn." The hosts engage in a lively, humorous, and thoughtful discussion about Slughorn's introduction, Dumbledore and Harry's dynamic, the themes of fame and networking, and the moral complexities surrounding Slughorn as a character. They reflect on new insights from their re-read, unpack favorite moments, and debate the ethics of the Slug Club, while weaving in real-world parallels and listener responses.

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Key Discussion Points & Insights

Dumbledore and Harry’s Dynamic

• Setting the Scene: The chapter begins with Dumbledore and Harry heading out to recruit Horace Slughorn. The setting—a quiet Muggle neighborhood—forms a stark contrast to the previous book’s chaos, highlighting the strangeness of normalcy amid rising tension (07:01).
• Dumbledore's Chess Moves: Dumbledore is, as always, cryptic about Harry's importance in the mission, showcasing his preference for letting Harry figure things out and using him as a chess piece in bigger plans (07:10, 23:17).
• Apparition Etiquette: There’s an amusing exchange about Dumbledore's selective politeness—he respects wizards' privacy by not apparating into their homes, but invites himself into the Dursleys' without hesitation (08:23).

Quote:
Andrew [08:23]: "Dumbledore says to apparate just into this man's house sight unseen would be just as rude as kicking down the front door. But this is the same guy who just in the last chapter, basically invited himself into the Dursleys’ home... Shows just how little respect he has for the Dursleys."

Slughorn on the Run & Muggle Hideouts

• Couch-Surfing Wizard: Slughorn’s strategy of hiding in Muggle homes is dissected, noting both his resourcefulness and the absurdity of his method—he’s hiding “Airbnb-style” with no respect for the Muggle residents (11:11).
• Ministry Uselessness & Pamphlet Satire: The hosts mock the Ministry’s safety pamphlets, with Dumbledore and Harry critiquing their practicality—echoing the recurring joke about Dumbledore’s “love of raspberry jam” and “knitting patterns” as undercover questions (11:46).

Imposters and Trust

• Paranoia and Parallels: After past betrayals, particularly having Moody/Crouch as his teacher for a whole year, Harry arguably should be warier about Dumbledore possibly being an imposter (13:06).
• Dumbledore’s Blackened Hand: The repeated references to Dumbledore’s injured hand serve as subtle prompts for Harry (and readers) to practice critical thinking and foreshadow the Horcrux plotline (14:01, 58:10).

Death Eater Threats and Inferi

• Rising Dangers: The episode covers how Death Eaters’ infiltration of the Ministry renders even the best “protections” ineffective—demonstrated through recent assassinations (15:48), and the haunting introduction of Inferi (17:40).
• Fandom Theories: The hosts recall dark fan theories pre-release, such as Harry encountering his parents or other familiar characters as Inferi—a plot twist thankfully never realized (18:53).

Quote:
Eric [18:53]: "It's like next level insult to not only murder these people, but then to use them for your army."

The Slughorn Encounter

• Hiding in Plain Sight: Harry and Dumbledore find Slughorn disguised as an armchair—Dumbledore’s “jab” reveals both his impatience and confidence (21:35).
• Dumbledore’s Mood: Despite the higher stakes, Dumbledore is notably chipper, believing that simply “parading Harry” in front of Slughorn is enough to get him on board (22:23).

Quote:
Andrew [23:17]: "He knows parading Harry in front of Slughorn is going to do the trick... That’s why he’s just generally in a good mood this chapter."

Slughorn’s Moral Complexity

• Chess Piece or Rescue?: The hosts debate whether Dumbledore is exploiting Slughorn for his knowledge or genuinely rescuing him—recognizing Hogwarts as his only real sanctuary (24:04).
• Slughorn’s Year on the Run: Slughorn’s self-imposed exile after the Triwizard Tournament is dissected. Did he anticipate Voldemort’s return? The timeline suggests he’s more clued-in than most (26:20).

Slughorn: Fame, Connections, and Bigotry

• Fame Walrus: Slughorn is described as a “fame walrus”—someone obsessed with name-dropping and social climbing (39:42). The hosts speculate about his popularity: Do his famous “alumni” actually like him, or tolerate him for their own gain? (40:41)
• Bigotry in Extremes and Subtleties: The hosts sharply critique Slughorn’s casual bias—his admiration for Lily Potter tempered by surprise that she’s Muggle born, illustrating the softer, unconscious forms of prejudice (46:14).

Quote:
Eric [46:54]: "If you have to start a sentence with 'you mustn't think I'm prejudiced, but,' you're lost. It's too late."

• A Softer Portrayal On-Screen: There’s comparison to Slughorn’s film version, noting Jim Broadbent’s “softness” versus the book’s more morally ambiguous character (47:45).

The Slug Club: Benefit or Blight?

• Exclusive Networking: While drawing parallels to real-life academic societies and alumni networks, the hosts question if it’s appropriate for a teacher to curate an inner circle so blatantly at school (51:35).
• Favoritism and Fallout: The club’s exclusivity fosters jealousy and insecurity, raising issues about fairness and the effect of teacher-driven favoritism (52:15).
• Dumbledore’s Endorsement: Ultimately, even Dumbledore admits that Slughorn has a knack for picking “students that will excel," cementing the idea of Slughorn as the wizarding world’s ultimate headhunter (54:51).

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Notable Quotes & Memorable Moments

• Andrew [05:13]: “Between this and his admission that he loves raspberry jam, we should have known after reading this chapter that he was gay. No question. I can’t believe we were all so shocked.”
• Eric [21:35]: "Slughorn, the first thing he says is 'you poked way harder than you needed to.' There’s an edge to Dumbledore. I think Dumbledore is either angry with Horace or just not afraid... He’s not being polite."
• Micah [24:04]: “I think the move is good for Dumbledore, but it’s also really good for Slughorn because I don’t think there’s a safer place for him to be than at Hogwarts.”
• Eric [28:12]: “But he’s also a man of startlingly low conviction. Right. He’s not going to do the right thing—even when he comes back to Hogwarts, it’s an entire year before he finally gives up the memory.”

The Hosts Get Real

• Eric [31:54]: "Dumbledore says he likes his comforts. I could see myself, you know... Sometimes we just like distract ourselves for a little bit if we have something we know we should do. I mean, I’ve never withheld a huge secret that could change wizarding history, but…"
• Laura [46:14]: “I really do love how this aspect of his character is reflected… Many otherwise well-meaning people carry these biases often unconsciously. Just adds a different unsettling layer.”
• Micah [43:51]: “He’s really one of the first and maybe only in these books, Slytherin, who we see willingly branch out beyond the comforts of his own house because he wants the best of the best… I would likely assume that he doesn't [have family] because the most important thing to him is that web of influence.”

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Timestamps for Key Segments

• Dumbledore’s Apparition Etiquette: 08:23
• Death Eater Threats & Protections: 15:48
• Inferi Introduction and Fan Theories: 17:40–20:17
• Finding Slughorn (the Armchair Ruse): 21:35
• Slughorn’s Biography & Year on the Run: 26:20
• Fame Walrus & Networking Analysis: 39:42–44:40
• Slug Club Ethics Discussion: 51:35–54:51
• Dumbledore’s Subtle Guidance/MVP moments: 56:59–58:37
• Most Coveted Slug Club Perks (MVP of the Week): 59:10–61:12

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Listener Engagement

• The episode highlights submissions from listeners who boast about their own “Slug Club-worthy” talents and accomplishments, adding humor and real-world connection (61:12–63:39).

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Final Thoughts

Dumbledore’s Mastery

• The hosts end on a positive note for Dumbledore, praising his deft handling of Sirius’s death with Harry and his subtle steering of students’ paths (57:02).

Looking Ahead

• Next week, the team will cover "Half-Blood Prince," Chapter 5 ("An Excess of Phlegm") and review the first full-cast Harry Potter audiobook.

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Takeaways

• Horace Slughorn stands out as a Slytherin whose primary allegiance is to comfort, influence, and his own circle—a collector of talent and of favors, but not without his flaws.
• Dumbledore’s methods are as Machiavellian as always, but in this case, they appear to benefit everyone—Slughorn included.
• The Slug Club raises interesting parallels to real-world elitism and networking, prompting important questions about merit, favoritism, and inclusivity.

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For Listeners Who Missed the Episode

This summary covers all key arguments, jokes, and nuances of the hosts’ debate, peppered with signature MuggleCast wit and Potterhead insight. It’s perfect for re-readers or newcomers trying to understand the layered introduction of Horace Slughorn and the themes of fame, morality, and social networking that underpin this pivotal chapter.

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Don’t forget: next week covers Chapter 5, “An Excess of Phlegm,” and a special audiobook review!

Transcript

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[Eric]

When did making plans get this complicated? It's time to streamline with WhatsApp, the secure messaging app that brings the whole group together. Use polls to settle dinner plans, send event invites and pin messages so no one forgets. Mom 60th and never miss a meme or milestone. All protected with end to end encryption. It's time for WhatsApp message privately with everyone. Learn more at WhatsApp.com Micah thinks he's going to make it in the Slug club. Boy, do we have anything.

[Andrew]

Yeah. Is this your audition?

[Laura]

They're genuinely academic societies for high performing students.

[Andrew]

Oh, I wouldn't know.

[Laura]

I'm not saying whether or not that's fair, but like it is.

[Micah]

As Ravenclaws, Laura and I would find ourselves invited by Professor Sluggow.

[Andrew]

Spoken like a true Slughouse.

[Micah]

You gotta get it in somehow.

[Andrew]

True. Welcome to Mugglecast, your weekly ride into the world of Harry Potter. I'm Andrew.

[Eric]

Hello everyone. I'm Eric.

[Micah]

I'm Micah.

[Laura]

And I'm Laura.

[Andrew]

We're your Harry Potter friends. Here to talk about the books and and the movies and the upcoming TV show. So make sure you follow us in your favorite podcast app so you never miss a week with your Harry Potter friends. And this week, Woo hoo. We hope you've studied up on Albus favorite jam because chapter by chapter continues with chapter four of Half Blood Horus Slughorn. That's how I imagine that boo hoo sounds.

[Eric]

I was gonna say it's a unique take on that. Yeah.

[Andrew]

Or like the Pillsbury Doughboy.

[Laura]

Like Woo Hoo.

[Eric]

Yeah. It kind of sounds like Super Mario.

[Andrew]

Yeah. If you love Mugglecast and want to help keep this show tidier than a home slug horns blown through, we invite you to become a member of our [e-mail] mugglecast and by joining, you'll get instant access to two bonus Mugglecast episodes every month, plus ad free episodes, access to our live streams, a personal video thank you message from one of the four mugglecasters, a new physical gift delivered by Al each year, and much more. Laura, what are we doing in Bonus Mugglecast this week?

[Laura]

In Bonus this week we're going to be playing an old school game of would you rather? Except it's going to be Wizarding world edition. So think things like would you rather have Snape as your head of house or Umbridge as your defense against the Dark arts teacher? I heard from a little bird before we started recording that the lineup of would you rather scenarios we have for this week is not dirty enough to go behind the paywall. So I have a feeling there's going to be a follow up segment to this one where we get a little more. A little more.

[Micah]

Who are you calling little?

[Andrew]

Who are you calling a bird?

[Eric]

You're the little bird, big bird.

[Laura]

I was trying not to throw anyone under the bus.

[Andrew]

Well, it'll be a fun edition of Bonus mugglecast, so don't miss that on our Patreon. But if you're looking for other ways to support us, you can leave us a review in your favorite podcast app, you can tell a fellow Muggle about our show, and you can visit mugglecastmerch.com to buy official show gear. And a reminder, our merch store now has some lower prices on things like T shirts. So visit mugglecastmerch.com Click the overstock Store link at the top and you'll find previous year's Patreon gifts that we still have some extras of. And we'll get those gifts out to you if you want to order from our Overstock store. All right, let's get to chapter by chapter, and this week we're discussing Half Blood Prince Chapter four. Horace Slughorn. Now I'm just going to be thinking about Mars.

[Eric]

Mars that is not we last discussed chapter four of Half Blood Prince on Mugglecast number 381, which had a fun title. It was called Chair today, Gone tomorrow. Ooh, clever. What you're looking at are memories. This is the most important memory I've collected. It is from mugucast episode 381.

[Andrew]

Dumbledore says he's reading a magazine in the bathroom and he was like, I do love knitting patterns. Between this and his admission that he loves raspberry jam, we should have known after reading this chapter that he was gay. No question. I can't believe we were all so shocked.

[Eric]

I don't know what you mean, Andrew.

[Andrew]

Well, it's just. It's a little gay to love knitting and raspberry jam. Pat, you actually knit, did you. Did you know he was gay once you read that line?

[Eric]

I always thought he was well before.

[Micah]

This because it always talked him of.

[Andrew]

Wearing high heeled boots and always a lot of like.

[Micah]

Not that purple's a gay color, but.

[Andrew]

Okay, more like voluptuously purple vibrant robes and stuff. Yeah, gay in the classic sense. Happy?

[Eric]

Why raspberry jam? Why is raspberry jam gay? Because it's fruity.

[Andrew]

That just seems. It's just very fruity. I don't. It's just, it's beyond strawberry. It's like, it's just extra.

[Eric]

This memory is everything.

[Andrew]

I was so annoying. I'm sorry.

[Eric]

I love that discussion.

[Micah]

I feel like we've had a couple of those now at this point, haven't we?

[Eric]

What?

[Andrew]

What? Yeah.

[Micah]

Andrew calling out Dumbledore.

[Eric]

Oh, maybe.

[Laura]

Yeah, but it's with love, right? Because you're a daughter.

[Eric]

Times change.

[Andrew]

Yeah, the knitting pattern thing. I still stand by the raspberry jam thing. That's a stretch now, I believe.

[Laura]

Oh, have you evolved on that? Is raspberry jam no longer gay?

[Andrew]

No, it's just the jam. It's just another jam that anybody can enjoy.

[Laura]

Well, that's good to know. That means I can start buying it again. Well, it's a good thing that we focused so heavily on Dumbledore's interest in knitting patterns and basically what he was doing to kind of keep himself out of the room and leave Harry and Slughorn alone last time because we're not going to focus on that too much this time. But it goes without saying that so much of this chapter is focused on the Dumbledore and Harry dynamic with the introduction to Slughorn. So this chapter picks up with Dumbledore and Harry traveling to recruit Horace Slughorn. And Harry asks like, yo, Albus. Like, why do I need to come for this? Like, how can I help with this? And Dumbledore is, per usual, super cryptic about it and he just says something like, oh, I'm. I'm sure you'll. You'll find a way to be useful, ever the chess master that he is. But what is so interesting about the setting that we are seeing is this is a Muggle neighborhood. So we're getting a glimpse of normal life after the chaos of the previous book. So we're really exposed to this suburban Calm. Which feels really strange given the rising tension in the wizarding world. But an interesting contrast, Andrew, that you called out here I want to throw to you, is we're wandering into this Muggle environment. Harry has spent the vast majority of his life living in a Muggle neighborhood. And he has a bit of a strange idea about how he and Dumbledore could track Slughorn down, doesn't he?

[Andrew]

Well, yeah. He says, how about we just apperate into this mystery man's house? And I thought this was funny because Dumbledore says to apparate just into this man's house sight unseen would be just as rude as kicking down the front door. But this is the same guy who just in the last chapter, basically invited himself into the Dursley's home. And I think this shows just how little respect he has for the Dursleys. He does have respect for fellow wizards. He's not going to operate into their homes. But the Dursley, he'll just watts right in.

[Eric]

Yeah, and it's even later in the evening.

[Laura]

Right, Sorry, Go ahead, Eric.

[Eric]

Yeah, it's even later in the evening. It was 11pm when he showed up on the Dursleys. Now it's about midnight.

[Andrew]

Yeah, but it also got me thinking about this idea of apparating into a wizard's home. And it's. Could you imagine if wizards didn't A have the common courtesy to not operate into others homes and B have their own protection charms in place? It would be a disaster. I mean, imagine you're sitting in your room right now and somebody just apparates in or you're asleep or you're doing funny business in your bedroom or bathroom.

[Micah]

And somebody just, you know, Slughorn was taking a bath.

[Andrew]

He was. Yeah, good point.

[Eric]

There's gotta be a, like something like a doorbell, right? Like something that prevents somebody from just barging in. But I guess probably. Then again, maybe not.

[Micah]

MEB does raise a good point in the discord though, Andrew. She says that at least Dumbledore did let Harry know that he was coming to Privet Drive. It's not like he just showed up unannounced.

[Andrew]

Yeah, my point is the Dursleys didn't want him to come in and he did anyway.

[Eric]

Well, something that interests me is just how the past few chapters have really shown how much in the minority wizards are like Snape lives in this Muggle home in the middle of Muggleville. You know, the Dursleys, obviously, as you just said, Andrew, the Dursleys are in a Huge Muggle area. And now Slughorn, too, does not have this grand, sweeping estate. He's bumming on couches at these other, you know, homes of Muggles that he finds because there just aren't many wizards at all in the world. It's mostly a Muggle world, and the wizards are just stone skipping on the river of it.

[Andrew]

Slughorn probably enjoys crashing in Muggles homes, I would think. And this.

[Eric]

He likes the variety. Yeah.

[Andrew]

And this concern that Dumbledore has about entering a wizard's home without their permission while Slughorn is literally moving into Muggles Homes every week. Like. Like, this is all so messed up. And then Dumbledore asked Slughorn if he can use his bathroom. I mean, it's just like. It's so weird.

[Laura]

I mean, he's just treating it like an Airbnb. Slughorn's just been hopping from Airbnb to Airbnb for the last year.

[Andrew]

Yeah. Without the Airbnb owner's permission, Right.

[Laura]

Well, I mean, when you're magical, who needs permission? Except, you know, don't apparate into someone's house, apparently.

[Micah]

But Muggle Holmes makes sense, though, because he's not gonna go stay with other wizard folks. He needs to be undercover. And what better place? There's so many more options available to him if he's gonna go into Muggle homes, Right?

[Laura]

Yeah. So, I mean, clearly Slughorn is a little bit ahead of the game if you were to compare him to the Ministry, for example, we also get this mention of the pamphlets that the Ministry sends out with the Daily Prophet. And remember a few episodes ago, we were talking, we were laughing about how pretty useless these things seem to be. And Dumbledore pretty much confirms that for Harry and being like, well, for example, you didn't ask me my favorite flavor of jam. Or, apparently that my favorite flavor of jam makes me gay. So it's just very clear that, you know, say what you will about Slughorn, he does have a pretty good understanding of what's going on, and that's why he's taking all the precautions that he's taking.

[Eric]

I think, too, maybe the precautions that he's being shown to have taken set you up for believing that he's going to be the new Defense against the Dark Arts teacher, because it has not revealed his true profession until day one of Hogwarts in a little bit. So you tend to think, oh, like, he's good at concealment. We've heard Aurors do that, you know, as part of their test. So it's kind of a Neat little red herring, I think, to like, have you suspect something entirely different than what it is we're getting here.

[Micah]

And I don't think the raspberry jam thing really is that bad. The advice that the Ministry is giving isn't that bad. Because Harry should have known better than to have not challenged Dumbledore at Privet Drive. Especially given the fact that a Death Eater posed as his Defense against the Dark Arts professor for his entire fourth year. And Harry's just left what we know to be his only place of protection outside of Hogwarts and he's Apparated to this village in the middle of nowhere. I say what better way? What better ruse to lure him out of his safety net and murder him? Dumbledore could have been somebody totally different.

[Eric]

Thank you.

[Micah]

And let's not forget I was gonna bring this up later, but this hand, right, this black hand that's been referenced four times in this chapter.

[Eric]

Well, it could be.

[Micah]

Maybe that's a tell. Maybe that's not who he really appears to be.

[Eric]

Right?

[Andrew]

I was kind of seeing the numerous times that Dumbledore brings up the hand as a way to kind of test Harry's critical thinking. He says he'll tell Harry later, but maybe he wants him to start thinking now about what could possibly be going on with his hand. And ultimately he's not going to come to the answer himself. But you know, it's probably good practice for Harry to be thinking about that on his own without Dumbledore giving him the answers.

[Eric]

But that's such a good point about how often Harry's been around imposters and people who would want to do him harm. Like he should absolutely be taking the Ministry's decent advice and asking a follow up question here or there. I don't, I don't know where Dumbledore and Harry both get off on insulting these pamphlets. Like they, they both kind of have a laugh about it and it's like, look, these are the type of people that like, just because a solution that's touted out is not 100% foolproof or like, interesting, you're gonna crap all over it and get fewer people to put stock in it. Come on, guys.

[Andrew]

These are the two people who believed most that Voldemort was back while everybody else was ignoring them. So I can see why they're like, oh, now they're getting serious about it. But I agree with you, it is still good advice.

[Laura]

Yeah, yeah, it is. Too little too late though. I think in a lot of ways, like this is advice that would have probably been really helpful a year ago. But at this point, Voldemort and the Death Eaters kind of have their claws sunk in to society and the Ministry. So it really becomes a question of, like, how helpful is Ministry advice at this point.

[Eric]

Right.

[Laura]

You know, but we're also reminded of the political instability and the violence that's going on. You know, Harry hears about this a little bit earlier in the book, but Slughorn brings it up again in talking about his reasoning for being in hiding the way he is. The assassinations that have happened recently, Madam Bones, as well as Emma Vance and Slughorn, you know, opines, he's like, hey, if those two got taken out with all of their Ministry protections, you know, how safe am I? And I guess my question to that would be, do we think their Ministry protections were foolproof? Because I think at this point, the Death Eaters have a death grip on the Ministry. So I just wonder how effective a safety detail is at this point.

[Eric]

Like if there was a mole or something. Yeah, it's hard to say. We hear that Voldemort himself came to do the killing, at least for one of the murders. So I think that if Voldemort really wants to find you, he's going to find a way. Anything short of the protection for Lily and James and even that failed, is not going to do it. So it's pretty scary to think the.

[Micah]

Ministry is probably the one place you don't want to be working right now if you're somebody who is on Voldemort's bad list. Right. Or hit list, I should say. And the other place you probably don't want to be is in the Order of the Phoenix. And those are the two areas in the people that you mentioned that were targeted, that were mentioned in Emily Vance and Amelia Bones. But I agree with what was said about if Voldemort wants to get you, he will. It's just a matter of time.

[Laura]

He will. Something else that gets called out in this pamphlet that Harry gets to learn about. Very convenient timing for this because it'll become relevant later. We get to learn about the Inferi, which are Voldemort's undead army. Dumbledore says, yeah, he killed enough people the first time around to have a whole army of Inferi. And it's perfect timing for Halloween. But it also reminded me of all the theories that were going on back in the day, you know, around what dead characters we might potentially run into as Inferi. I do remember there was a particularly dark fan theory that Harry's parents might have been enlisted into the Inferior army and that he might come face to face with them. Thankfully, that did not come to pass. But it does kind of feel a little shocking to me that there wasn't an opportunity for Harry or Dumbledore or someone to see an Inferiori that they recognize. Do we think that they're too decayed at that point to be recognizable?

[Eric]

Or from later in this book, I think that Dumbledore is simply too distracted to recognize the completely distinct face and visage of Regulus Black at the cave at the end. From the watery depths that have preserved him. Dumbledore's just got other stuff on his mind. It's terrifying. I think the Inferior in this book exactly as much as they need to be and not a page more. You know, I'm. I'm grateful for that. There's actually. I'm reminded of a song by the Mudbloods called like Inferior are terrifying or Scary. It's really good stuff. But yeah, they're horrifying and you wouldn't want to see. It's like next level insult to not only murder these people, but then to use them for your army.

[Andrew]

Well, that's sort of. I was wondering if the author maybe thought it was too dark to have, let's say Harry's parents or Siri. I guess Sirius wouldn't come back because of the veil. But other dead characters. Cedric Tickory coming back as in theory, because it's just. It's too dark a thought. I think for Harry to have to face his parents who are now his enemies, and then potentially kill them again. Like, I don't know, that might be a step too far.

[Micah]

It. It's very reminiscent of Game of Thrones with the White Walkers.

[Eric]

Oh yeah.

[Micah]

And yeah, their ability to resurrect won't spoil too much. But yeah, I do remember those theories and they were definitely scary to think about that that could happen somewhere down the road. It also makes me think about Hogwarts Legacy and how much of a pain in the ass it is to deal with the Inferior sometimes.

[Laura]

Oh my gosh, they're so annoying. They're not hard to beat. It's just there's so many of them.

[Micah]

Yeah.

[Laura]

Ugh. Wow. That. That took me back to Hogwarts Legacy days. But anywho, you know, as a. As a true crime girly myself, I really appreciated the job that Slughorn did trying to disguise his hideout. So Harry and Dumbledore enter a scene fit for a true crime story. There's smashed furniture Ripped open cushions, feathers everywhere, glass, blood spatter on the walls. But Dumbledore is pretty quick to realize that this is all a ruse. And he gives an armchair, AKA Slughorn, a nice sharp jab with his wand, which reveals Slughorn's true identity as an armchair man.

[Eric]

Like Dumbledore really leans into it too. Like Slughorn, the first thing he says is that, you know, you poked way harder than you needed to. And I think, like, this Dumbledore, there's an edge to him. There's an edge to Dumbledore. I think Dumbledore is either angry with Horace or not afraid of, I guess, just even having that edge. He's not, despite what he told Harry, he's not being polite. He's here to basically ensure that Slughorn goes back to Hogwarts. And I don't think he thinks very highly of Slughorn. What he thinks highly of, or respects is the missing puzzle piece that Horus has in his memories. But you can just tell that Dumbledore has, like, almost an ax to grind. And he even is just like Harry. You deal with this man.

[Andrew]

Like, the poking kind of lines up with what I think I've said in recent episodes that Dumbledore doesn't really feel like wasting any time right now. He just wants to get down to business. So he's not going to play any games like, oh, where's Slughorn? He's just gonna poke and activate him. And then I will say, though, the movies did it better where his head kind of pops out of the couch first before fully turning back. Whereas reading the scene a couple times, it seems like he just like instantly transformed from armchair to Horus. But yeah, that's besides the point. I will also say Dumbledore is in a bit of a good mood overall throughout this chapter. And I think it speaks to how confident he is that he will, he and Harry will be able to get Slughorn to go back to Hogwarts. He's not stressed about this. He knows parading Harry in front of Slughorn is going to do the trick. And that's why he's just generally in a good mood this chapter.

[Laura]

Yeah, and we see Slughorn is a little bit grumpy at first because he's on to Dumbledore's plan. Yeah, Slughorn definitely has an ego on him, but he's not dumb. As soon as he lays eyes on Harry, he puts two and two together and realizes exactly what Dumbledore's plan is to get him to come back to Hogwarts. And in hindsight, it's pretty clear this is another one of Dumbledore's chess moves to get the right pieces in place. Using Harry to lure Slughorn back to Hogwarts and then also use Harry to get the unaltered memory from Slughorn. I wanted to ask, just because we. We criticize because we care about. One of the characters that we do criticize a whole lot is Dumbledore. And how do we feel about this plan?

[Micah]

I think, as you like to say, Laura, multiple things can be true. I think the move is good for Dumbledore, but it's also really good for Slughorn because I don't think there's a safer place for him to be than at Hogwarts. And if anybody going back to what we were talking about earlier with Amelia Bones and Emmaline Vance, if there's anyone who has a target on their back right now, it would be Slughorn, knowing what he knows. I mean, he holds the key to Voldemort's immortality. We don't know that at this moment, but that memory really is everything. And I say protect him at all costs.

[Andrew]

I think Slughorn does start talking himself into the idea that Hogwarts is the safest place for him to be. But he also hints that he doesn't like being on the move so much because Harry asks him how his favorite students currently stay in touch with him. And so Corn's like, well, they don't, because I don't have a permanent address. I haven't. I've been on the move for the last year. He isn't getting those precious Quidditch tickets or the inside gossip at Gringotts. This sucks. He has to hide as a couch to avoid Dumbledore. Like, this isn't good at all. Only good thing is maybe that tub he's got in his house right now. But he's also shaken up about Amelia being killed. And as I observed on the show a couple chapters ago, if she isn't safe as the Ministry of Magic's top cop, who is? So maybe Hogwarts is the best place to be protected right now.

[Eric]

It's uncanny how they just kind of walk into this. Like, Harry has not been prepped beforehand, right? He just happens to ask. And Harry has no idea what he's doing, too. He's making kind of polite conversation with this guy who he doesn't even really like. Because Slughorn, among many things, is not altogether very likable. He's kind of prejudiced, and we'll get into all that later. But Harry just kind of stumbles into saying exactly the right thing that, you know, convinces Slughorn to return. And it's really neat. Like, it's uncanny to see it unfold because we know, we've known Harry for five years now, and this is the kind of stuff that he would, like, would normally say to keep a conversation going. But it's exactly what Slughorn needs to hear to, like, make the decision. It's kind of clever.

[Micah]

Yeah. And one of the things that I found to be interesting, or at least a little bit curious, is that he mentions that he's been on the run for a year. And so this means that he went on the run not long after the events of the Triwizard Tournament. So my question is, was he getting intel from all these connections that he had? Did the Dark Mark from the Quidditch World cup scare him?

[Andrew]

Maybe.

[Micah]

Was he corresponding with Dumbledore? Because the other question here is, how did Dumbledore find him? He would have had to be doing some kind of recon.

[Andrew]

Yeah, I was wondering that, too.

[Micah]

But being on the run for a year seems like a pretty long period of time.

[Eric]

Yeah.

[Laura]

And it does really make me laugh at his whole, like, why would I be hiding from the Death Eaters, what would they want with little old me? Routine that he tries to pull at first because Dumbledore's like, so, you. This whole masquerade, like, you. You did this for me, huh? Not. Not for the Death Eaters. And he's like, oh, of course. Like, why would they want me? It's like, come on, man. We know exactly why you're hiding a little. Me, I wanted to ask, what does it say about Slughorn that he clearly isn't pro Voldemort, but he also doesn't want to stick his neck out there to fight the good fight? And is he. Does that make him the most morally gray Slytherin we've met so far? Snape doesn't count at this point in the series.

[Micah]

I think he feels responsible. I think he truly, you know, is holding himself accountable deep down inside for the fact that Voldemort is who he is right now. And I think that in and of itself is holding him back from moving forward.

[Eric]

But he's also a man of startlingly low conviction. Right. He's not going to do the right thing. Even if he comes back to Hogwarts, it's an entire year before he finally gives up the unedited version of the memory. He knows what Dumbledore is about. He knows that Dumbledore is trying to Find Voldemort and the secrets of Voldemort. Why not just give Dumbledore the memory as a peace offer, saying, hey, thanks for letting me be safe all year back at your school. Here's the piece of info that you want to know. Don't. I hope you don't fire me now that you've got it. Something like that would be more courageous. So I do agree that he's, you know, a gray area character and probably the most gray area Slytherin at this point.

[Andrew]

Yeah, I, I use the word coward. I'm, I'm hesitant to really call him a coward, but he is just somebody who sort of just like, as Robert's putting it, he's content with sitting on the sidelines and just waiting for it to play out. And he could stay in hiding for as long as he needs to. Yeah, he's not waiting for this to blow over.

[Eric]

I think a Gryffindor trait would be like writing an injustice in the world or like going out there and like, fighting evil or whatever, whatever for Slughorn. Unless it directly affects him. And even then he has to be guilted for, like, so long to, like, finally do the right thing, you know, I, I, I think that that shows who he is really, because it's not, this is not something that's affecting him. What does it matter to him, you know, that Voldemort's out there longer? And the secret to defeating him, which only Slughorn basically can confirm because he's the only one that Tom Riddle ever confided in about this, you know, like, he's not going to do the right thing because it doesn't, he's not incentivized to do it, especially given.

[Micah]

Yeah, no, I don't disagree. But in fairness to him, and we're aways from Deathly Hallows, he does duel Voldemort. And I think there is something to be said for the fact that after everything that's happened, the history between those two, that he would, as the head of Slytherin house, step out there and duel his former student.

[Eric]

I'd have to reread it, but if Voldemort's coming at you, you're gonna duel Voldemort. If you don't want to die or.

[Micah]

Run, I mean, he could have ran or he could.

[Eric]

Well, that's the thing. Okay, I'll say this to his credit in case everybody thinks that I'm going against, you know, good old Walrus y Mustache Man. He sticks around. He's at Hogwarts in Year seven and he.

[Micah]

So yeah, that's what I'm saying.

[Eric]

That's a full year. You know, that he's there on McGonagall.

[Micah]

Shacklebolt, all three of them at once. Dual Voldemort.

[Eric]

Amazing Max, that.

[Laura]

I think it is an interesting observation to point out that Slughorn is kind of like the patient Zero of enabling Tom Riddle to do what he ultimately goes on to do. Because we know it's not just Slughorn, right? Like Snape is part of it too. Peter Pettigrew is part of it. Like all of these people enable him to do what he does. But Slughorn's the start of it and I think he knows that and he's deeply ashamed of it and probably for his reputation's sake, terrified about that information getting out there. I think it's fair to say that Slughorn is really self serving. At the same time, when Voldemort finally shows up at his doorstep and he's forced to make a decision, he does make the right one. But I think it does say something less than admirable about his character that it takes that long. Yeah, I mean everyone, especially since it's his fault.

[Eric]

Yeah, everyone can benefit from him doing the right things sooner and it's a real shame that he doesn't. But you know, here's the thing where I relate to Slughorn the most. Dumbledore says he likes his comforts. And you know, I could see myself, you know, like sometimes we just like distract ourselves for a little bit if we have something we know we should do. And like, I mean I've never like withheld a huge like secret that could change the course of wizarding history. But at the same time, like you can distract yourself with a routine of like new city every week. And can you travel, see the world, see places. It's easy to forget that you're sitting on this, this time bomb or that, that people might, you know, seek to use you or whatever. So, so I, and I've completely distracted myself. I'll very into a new video game. All of a sudden, 80 hours later, I still haven't done set up a doctor's appointment I should set up. You know, it's like, it's so easy to get this discomfort. What, what Slughorn has set up for himself is actually quite impressive. A network of students that, you know.

[Andrew]

And being on the run, actually to your point, Eric, probably helps distract him from the realities that he's afraid to confront. If you're kind of like mentally staying on the run and I Think the fact that when we first, the first thing we hear about him is that he was just in the bath speaks to his laid back attitude right now. It's symbolic of just his position on. On the war.

[Eric]

Wow. I like that a lot. Also, he knows that this is the last chance he's going to have all year to take a bath because, you know, there's no real facilities bathroom, but that's for the prefects.

[Andrew]

Yeah.

[Micah]

I think also it really comes down to how he probably thinks he'd be perceived by others, especially those that he collected over the years, to be revealed as the one who was responsible for Voldemort's rise to power ultimately. Not that. I mean, I want to be careful here too because it was clear Voldemort was up to no good before he asked what he did of Slughorn. It was more that Slughorn affirmed what he was looking to ultimately create. But still the fact that he knew how Voldemort was able to survive and he didn't share that information with anybody. I think if he knew that it was somehow going to come out he's more concerned about his own own reputation.

[Laura]

Yeah. Well, especially since, you know, at the time you would think, I mean, clearly we see in the memory. It makes him uncomfortable that Tom asked for this. And the fact that he doesn't think to go to Headmaster Dipit and be like, so we might have a problem.

[Eric]

Little psycho. One of our students asked me how to do this.

[Andrew]

A little heads up about what just happened. Speaking of his relationship with Tom Riddle, I'm wondering if this line Harry had been sure Slughorn would be one of those wizards who could not bear to hear Voldemort's name spoken aloud and was not disappointed. Slughorn gave a shudder and a squawk of protest. Is this line a mild foreshadow alert? Or maybe a purposeful misdirection? Because Harry might think he's just another wizard recoiling from the name Voldemort. But perhaps he's recoiling because he's in denial about helping Voldemort with Horcruxes. Don't remind me of that, man.

[Laura]

I think you're onto something there. I think it's probably deeply troubling to him in a way that he doesn't feel like he can express without outing himself as creator.

[Eric]

There wouldn't have even been a Voldemort if it weren't for what Slughorn did. I mean, not in the same way. Right. It just would be Tom Riddle and he would have died after the first battle, if he never found Hogwarts or.

[Andrew]

Horcruxes, I'm gonna lean on purposeful misdirection here. Not necessarily a foreshadow alert.

[Eric]

Yeah, but it's clever. I mean, this just shows his character too. And we talked about this before. Like, I don't think Slughorn is a, is a full on coward, but he's exhibiting cowardice here. And, but, but even Hermione or Ron shy away from saying Voldemort's name. And these are two Gryffindors too. So I think the difference is for Harry, especially because he's with Dumbledore. And Harry and Dumbledore both never have had a problem ever saying Voldemort's name. That it really pits. It shows you where Slughorn stands between Harry and Dumbledore and everyone else. And if Slughorn were the kind of character that wasn't afraid to say Voldemort's name, well, that would actually be really interesting. You know, I don't know too many characters that don't have a problem with it, so you kind of. They would be very heroic and brave and not fearful. And that's just not who Slughorn is.

[Laura]

Right. Well, we need to take a quick break here so that we can pay our bills, so that we don't have to migrate on a weekly basis, breaking into people's homes and taking up residence there. So right after that, we'll be right back to talk a little bit more about Slughorn.

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[Laura]

Okay, so getting back into our discussion. Discussion. I was struck in rereading this chapter and realizing that Harry, by meeting Slughorn, gets a very different reaction to fame than the one that he's used to getting. You know, he's usually used to just being met by shock and awe. And certainly people would love to get in tight with him so that they could, like, name drop him and. And all of these other things. But that's not something Harry's ever. It's not something he's ever fallen prey to. But it's clear that Slughorn kind of fancies himself the mentor and influencer of the rich and famous. And I feel like we all know someone like this, right? Someone who likes to brag and name drop and over emphasize the perks they get for who they know.

[Andrew]

Yeah. Slughorn would have loved Instagram. He would have loved taking selfies with his group, with his Slug Club gang and shown off in the tub. I don't know about in the tub, but tagging all the friends in the Slug Club, hoping they would all repost it to their feeds. He would be a total fame W word.

[Micah]

And what went that?

[Laura]

What's that word?

[Andrew]

A walrus.

[Laura]

Fame Walrus. There we go. I wanted to ask y', all, too. How much do we buy Slughorn's story here? He kind of runs through this list of all of these amazing perks and benefits he gets by remaining in contact with these students who've gone on to do, you know, really big important things and, you know, in some cases, become famous. Do. Do we actually think he is as highly regarded as he says he is, or do these people just give him this stuff to make him shut up and go away?

[Eric]

Well, it's impossible to know. I. I do get the distinct impression that when he says he calls up the editor of the Daily Prophet, who will always take his. To hear his opinion on any day's news that he wants to call, that's BS and that guy is tired of Slughorn call. No, because, like, what editor of a. What editor of a major paper has time for that? Absolutely none. In fact, that relationship, I can say with a hundred percent certainty, is grading for that poor person. And, like, because you feel like you owe this guy your time, but he keeps calling and you're hearing opinions from.

[Andrew]

People within the newsroom every day about, you know.

[Eric]

Yeah. But I, what I find endearing is I actually do totally believe Slughorn, like, this is where he finds his joy. He's really proud of these relationships. Yeah, he's. He's really proud of his top 10 list, you know, of all of his friends.

[Andrew]

Yeah, I, I do think that these people he surrounds himself with do enjoy Slughorn's company.

[Laura]

He.

[Andrew]

He's. He can just get along with any person that he wants. Will he get a little grading sometimes? Sure. I can imagine that happening. But I think he, these people like to be with him because otherwise I do think they would shut him out permanently.

[Eric]

Well, and, and there is, it's a truism in, in life. It's a fact of life that it is who, you know, in some cases that get you these types of prime positions that Slughorn offers. And so there's there, like Slughorn really is offering a concrete kind of social status that is a class above. We're going to get into this when it happens later in the book. But, like, I think that the reason he has so many contacts still is because people are actually also genuinely grateful for, for knowing him.

[Micah]

He's really one of the first and maybe only in these books, Slytherin, who we see kind of willingly branch out beyond the comforts of his own house because he wants the best of the best. Right. Regardless of what house they're in or what their blood status may be. And I just think that. I think he talks a good game. I think he's married to fame. We don't know much about his personal life, whether or not he has a partner or children or anything of that sort. And I would likely assume that he doesn't because I think the most important thing to him is that web of influence. It is the Slug Club, both those that join it in this book and those who are alumni of it, that he constantly taps into. Now, in terms of, like, how much he's like, kind of fluffing this up, I'm not sure I could totally see all of it being true. But I like what you said earlier, Eric, about the editor just getting so annoyed by Slughorn's calls.

[Eric]

Yeah, but think about this too. Is that Slughorn's trying to maybe impress Harry or show Harry how connected he is. So these are the examples he gives. And it's nice that you can kind of see maybe a maybe that it isn't all super peachy, only mostly peachy. But Slughorn, at its core is a teacher who, like, I think those who should be teachers are the Ones that would give it away for free without any kind of expectation of something in return. And Slughorn is not that kind of character. Right, so the instilling knowledge in others. Slughorn chooses to be a teacher, you know, because of what it's going to give him, maybe in the end, other than the satisfaction of having instructed people. So it's just a different type of person than it is capable possible to be.

[Andrew]

Make the real life connection. Do y' all have somebody who maybe calls you too much, texts you too much? I have an uncle like this who I wish would never call me. He's calling me for tech help. I'm like, you have three children younger than me who can help you with your Apple problems. Why are you coming to me for this?

[Laura]

He just misses you.

[Andrew]

Exactly. That's probably what it is. But come on, I don't need this. Talk to your kids.

[Eric]

So, Andrew, should I not call you for tech help all the time? We speak at least three times a.

[Laura]

Week in Harry's conversation with Slughorn. Because of course, at this point, this is when Dumbledore has conveniently excused himself to the bathroom to go read about knitting patterns. Slughorn proceeds to tell Harry that Harry's mother was actually one of his favorite students and she herself was a member of the Slug Club. And he ventures this opinion that he was shocked at learning that she was Muggle born because she was so good, he'd have assumed she would have been pure blood. And this is where we really get to see how Slughorn's need to collect top talent outweighs his casual bigotry. Because to him, it's like, well, yeah, she's Muggle born, but she's really, really good. So that kind of cancels out her being Muggle born, right? And Harry's like, hey, my best friend is Muggle born and she's the best in our year. And Slughorn's just like, huh, Funny how that happens sometimes.

[Eric]

I guess. She's one of the good ones.

[Laura]

That's basically what this is. And I really do love how this aspect of his character is reflected. I think a lot of times in these books, we think of the most bold and overt examples of bigotry. But the reality is, you know, in this series, but also in real life, that many otherwise well meaning people carry these biases oftentimes unconsciously. Just adds a different unsettling layer of interpretation to all of this.

[Eric]

Here's a red flag slash rule of thumb that I've picked up over the last, let's say, 10 years in, in the real world, if you have to start a sentence with you mustn't think I'm prejudiced, but you're lost. It's too late. It's too late. You're racist, but not to be racist. Or I know this sounds bad, but like, just need to say color. But yeah, you've lost the plot there a little bit.

[Andrew]

Maybe.

[Eric]

Maybe rephrase.

[Andrew]

I think it just demonstrates a lack of self awareness that Slughorn carries as well. Like he's talking about Harry's deceased mother.

[Eric]

Yeah.

[Andrew]

And not realizing the bigotry.

[Eric]

Well, it's because that's funny, because he thinks he's relating to Harry and instead he's turning Harry off, like, you know, from him. And his foot is firmly in his. Or his. Yeah, his own mouth here.

[Micah]

Well, it starts when he's talking about Sirius and he just doesn't have the context to the Harry Sirius relationship. And then there's also the comment about wanting the set of him and Regulus and he never ended up getting Regulus. Important name drop, right? That he's included as early on in Half Blood Prince as he is. But yeah, it's just there's something very sleazy that comes across about Slughorn and his character. And I wonder, like, we don't. We don't necessarily get it as much because I feel like there's a softer side in the movies with Jim Broadbent's portrayal of Slughorn. Like we're. He's almost kind of just like this. I don't know, like he's more of a lovable character.

[Eric]

He looks like he'd be soft to sit on, just like the couch version of him was soft to sit on.

[Micah]

Yeah, I, I feel like Horace's or Broadbent's portrayal of Slughorn, like the Slytherin doesn't come through as much as it does in the books.

[Eric]

Well, and to put a cap on that, this whole scene where he's talking to Harry about his mom and Mudbloods or sorry, Muggleborn's being talented reminds me of the conversation in Year One with Draco Malfoy. You don't want to be making friends with the wrong sort. I can help you there. Shake my hand, Potter. And Harry doesn't touch it. Harry doesn't want anything to do with this Slytherin view of the world that Draco and now Horace Slughorn are shown to embody.

[Micah]

Yeah, well, and one other fun fact that we learned earlier this week is that in the new audiobooks, Horace Slughorn is going to be played by Bill Nye. So, you know, definitely conflict of character. They are going from scrimgr to.

[Laura]

I'll be interested to see his portrayal because I do agree. I think the Slughorn that we got in the films was a softer Slughorn. I mean, I liked it. I thought Jim Broadbent was brilliant, but he was a good deal more likable in the movies than he was in the books. Is that fair to say?

[Andrew]

Oh, yeah, yeah.

[Eric]

And I like him in the books. But, yeah, there's this distinct tone of I want to it to, you know, in the eventual HBO Max series, too. I want it to sit and be uncomfortable because that is where you show, like, the full breadth and width of these deep characters in this series and the ones that are especially gray. We need to, like, spend some time in that discomfort and figure out if we even like this guy. Like, Harry's not sure.

[Andrew]

And a little clarification for our audience. When we say Bill Nye, we do not mean the science guy. We mean Bill Nighy, who was in the movies.

[Eric]

He's a dog.

[Andrew]

Times.

[Eric]

There's no denying it.

[Andrew]

Slug. Slug. Slug. Slug.

[Eric]

Bill Nigh. That's Horace.

[Laura]

Well, before we kind of wrap up the chapter here, I did just want to pose the question. I think it's really easy to look at the Slug Club and kind of be dismissive of it, think it's unfair. But is it really such a bad thing? In principle, in real life, we have academic societies and fraternities, professional networking. We have all of these things. And oftentimes, you know, at least, at the very least, at a collegiate level, oftentimes there are professors who are the sponsors of these things. So is it. Is it really that unusual?

[Andrew]

The problem to me is that this is a teacher running the organization. This is his group, his club. Like, yes, teachers will run or help run clubs at schools, but this is the Slug Club. This is like, either you're cool enough to be pals with one of the professors or you're not. I just think it's so blatant with how he's playing favorites. And if I were a student at the school and I wasn't invited into the Slug Club, but people I knew were, or just seeing the club and seeing who's on the list, it'd make me feel insecure and like I'm less than these other students.

[Eric]

Yeah, that's. Yeah, that's a hundred percent it. And I appreciate that in this book we see people get jilted about it. Like Ginny's not involved until she's witnessed by Slughorn. Hermione's pissed. You know, Ron is upset, but. Oh well, I think that's the right call. But you know, to your point, Andrew, with Slughorn being at the center of it all, when I was in my one year of undergrad in Chicago, the school that I was at was very much making a point to have professors that worked in the field. They teach. Right. So when the time came and when it was like, the reason for that is that they have an in or can actually speak to experience. Now, Slughorn has a network of people, but he himself has not been wherever he's sending his students. The purpose of the Slug Club, like you said, it's his club and everyone knows it. It's all about Sluggy. It's all about Horace. Yeah, I mean, if you had a name like that, like, the best thing you could possibly do with it is make a Slug Club.

[Andrew]

Like, I think that's pretty neat, but.

[Micah]

I don't really have any issue with it. I. I really like the fact that he is building a network of Hogwarts alumni. Like all schools have alumni networks. Yeah, and alumni.

[Andrew]

Yeah. I mean, but. But like the Slug Club is actively happening within the school too.

[Micah]

Yeah, yeah, but he's curating it for when they graduate Hogwarts.

[Andrew]

You're just saying he's thinking about their.

[Micah]

Careers much more than any other professor is.

[Eric]

Micah thinks he's gonna make it in the Slug Club. Boy, do we have any? Yeah.

[Andrew]

Is this your audition?

[Laura]

But no, I mean, they're genuinely academic societies for high performing students to never know.

[Andrew]

I wouldn't know.

[Laura]

I'm not saying whether or not that's fair, but like it is.

[Micah]

As Ravenclaws, Laura and I would find ourselves invited by Professor Sluggon.

[Andrew]

Like a true.

[Micah]

You're in this house, you got to get it in somehow.

[Eric]

True.

[Andrew]

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[Eric]

Upgrade your laundry routine with a durable and reliable Maytag laundry pair at Lowe's. Like the new Maytag washer and dryer with performance enhanced stain fighting power designed to cut through serious dirt and grime. And what's great is this laundry pair is in stock and ready for delivery when you need it the most. Don't miss out. Shop Maytag in store or online today at Lowe's to settle this part of the discussion. It's Dumbledore himself that tells Harry that Horace really does have a knack for picking the students that will excel at whatever it is that he puts them into. And, and sure, some of that is like, had he given someone else a shot, could they be just as good? Like, we'll never know. But for the most part, Dumbledore is giving Horace, who he's annoyed with right now, credit for actually having some level of talent in, in his curating as creepy or as, as bad as it feels or, or seems to like, collect people and like, you know, all the ways in which it's characterized as not being a good thing. And Horace is a giant spider and all of this other stuff. He still ultimately is getting people, you know, to find success. Helping students find success.

[Laura]

Yeah, helping them make connections in the real world and everything too. Well, Dumbledore dangles Harry the crown jewel as he says he would be in front of Slughorn just long enough to waltz out of the bathroom and say, you know what, Horace? I know a lost cause when I see one. So you have fun breaking into Muggle homes for the foreseeable future and we'll just be on our way. And of course Slughorn breaks and he's like, okay, fine, Dumbledore, I'll go. But I want to raise.

[Andrew]

I love that line.

[Laura]

That's where we leave him. Hey, you know, he, he knows what he's worth.

[Andrew]

Dumbledore played him like a fiddle.

[Laura]

Yeah, you got to give it to him.

[Andrew]

And we do have some Dumbledore related odds and ends.

[Laura]

I was going to say. You want to kick us off with those?

[Micah]

Sure.

[Andrew]

Let's start by praising Dumbledore. He shines at the end of the chapter here. We didn't discuss it today. We don't need to. But confronting Harry over the loss of Sirius, encouraging Harry to tell Ron and Hermione about the prophecy so that he's not alone in his thoughts and feelings, and then telling Harry he'll be teaching him some lessons this year. And I love this line. Harry's like, what are you going to be teaching me? And Dumbledore's like, oh, a little this, a little that.

[Micah]

I'll teach you how to knit and make brassberry jam.

[Eric]

It's Home Economics with Albus Dumbledore.

[Andrew]

Really? Two great chapters for Dumbledore. In a row.

[Micah]

Yeah, I agree with that. We talked about Dumbledore's hand earlier and it does. I, at least by my count, get mentioned directly or indirectly four times in this chapter. So we're meant to be paying attention to what's going on with Dumbledore's hand. And then one other thing. Dumbledore alludes to Harry still taking potions in this shady shed combo that's going down because he says to him. Because Harry's very hopeful about the fact that he's not going to have to deal with Professor Snape both for occlumency lessons and potentially for potions. To which Dumbledore says, don't count your owls before they are delivered. So that's a little tip of the.

[Eric]

Cap at Harry's test results.

[Laura]

Right, well, and he also knows that Slughorn doesn't have as strict standards for potions as Snape did.

[Micah]

Exactly. But we don't know at this time that Slughorn is going to be taking over that post.

[Laura]

Yeah, well, and I love that you pointed out all of the mentions of Dumbledore's hand, Micah, because there is one point where he makes kind of an exaggerated gesture of showing off the hand, the injured hand that also has the ring on it. And Slughorn definitely takes notice of that ring.

[Andrew]

Woohoo.

[Eric]

Pretty interesting.

[Micah]

Yeah. Good call.

[Eric]

It was a Horcrux.

[Laura]

Yep. All right, well, now we're going to get into our MVP of the week. This week's best perks Slughorn gets from his Slug Club alumni.

[Andrew]

The Quidditch tickets. That'd be so much fun to get tickets to games that you want to attend.

[Micah]

We could go together, Andrew.

[Andrew]

Yeah, sure.

[Eric]

I'm gonna hand it to Crystallized Pineapple. I don't quite know what it is, but it sounds delicious. I once had a tropical drink that was put into a pineapple. Like the pineapple was hollowed out and it was the cup and it was delicious.

[Micah]

Delicious. Wonder if it's just like dried pineapple.

[Laura]

I think it's just candied pineapple.

[Andrew]

Yeah, Well, y' all are going to want to make friends with somebody who responded to the links line. In a couple minutes, you'll see what we're talking about.

[Micah]

I'll back you up though, Eric. I'll go for the hamper of sweets that Slughorn says he gets from Honeydukes. And the reason why is I looked this up. Hamper is high end. This is high quality candy that he's receiving. He's not just getting the stuff that, you know, the other hogwarts students pick up on their trips to Hogsmeade.

[Eric]

That's funny because in the US Hamper is where you put your dirty laundry.

[Laura]

I was imagining a laundry hamper full of sweets. I was like, oh, they're just sending him a lot of candy.

[Eric]

Okay, just a rucksack, a bindle, and.

[Laura]

I'm gonna go for that Gringott. That's insider knowledge. I'm sorry. Money doesn't buy happiness, but you know, it doesn't hurt. That's all I'm saying. All right, now we're going to get into our links line. Mugglecast listeners who are Slug Club members. The very special Slug Club members, as we spent so much time talking about today [e-mail] mugglecast have answered this week's question, which is tell us about a talent or accomplishment that would get you recruited to the Slug Club. We wanted everyone to brag on themselves this week.

[Eric]

This is honestly one of my absolute favorite links lines that we've ever done. It's just so inspired and it's like, talk yourself up. What an opportunity.

[Andrew]

Matthew said, I make cakes that look like things that aren't cake. Perhaps I am cake too. Slughorn would never know if so this.

[Eric]

Is the first time we've read cake's message to us on the show. For sure. Zachary says, I think Slughorn would have me as the caterer for her for his events rather than the house elves. I'd bring a variety of Texas style barbecue, smoked sausage, ribs and brisket, along with cheesecakes made to his requests. Zachary, if you are for hire, let us know.

[Laura]

That sounds delicious.

[Micah]

Susan says, I've made a few good cosplays and props over the years. Slughorn would be impressed with how convincing I was able to create a railgun out of a Nerf gun, foam and paint with an impressive Zagreus cosplay from the franchise Hades. Hopefully I said that correct.

[Laura]

Very cool. Oh, this is for you, Eric. Leah says, I make small batch crystallized pineapple and pair it with candied ginger and chocolate honeycomb. Ooh.

[Eric]

Okay, this sounds delectable.

[Laura]

And I. Yeah, I'm gonna need a hamper of that.

[Eric]

Leah, please tell me that it's actually delicious and not. I've been burned before on Turkish Delight, so it's something I read in the book and it's actually good. I'm excited.

[Andrew]

Rachel kept it simple. She said, I'm really good at untying knots. That's a cool talent.

[Laura]

Hey, comes in handy.

[Eric]

That's very useful. If you rescue someone who's tied up on a boat or a train track who's also in the Slug Club. They could be like, hey, come join. You're really good at that, Jesse says. Are you kidding me? Of course old Sluggy would want me in the Slug Club. I'm famous. No big deal. But I'm kinda a big name. I play Villager Number eight in my high school's production of the musical Beauty and the Beast.

[Micah]

Wow.

[Eric]

I love that. Are you sure you don't play Gaston, Jesse? Has he got the right temperament for it?

[Micah]

Robert said he would offer Slughorn a free physical gift each year and the opportunity to co host Mugglecast and of course, a monthly flu hangout.

[Andrew]

He created our Slug Club. Get it. Well done, Robert. I love that the links line is a great way to have your voice heard on the show, whether or not you're listening live. We ask a new question every week, so become a member of our community today by going to patreon.com mochocast and receiving this and many more benefits like bonus mugglecast. If you have feedback about today's episode, you can contact us by emailing or sending a voice memo that you record on your phone to mugglecastmail.com and next week, chapter by chapter continues with Half Blood Prince, Chapter 5 and excess of Phlegm. And this was just coming up in our Discord Live chat right now, so I'll also add next week we will be able to offer a review of the first full cast Harry Potter audiobook. We got a review copy from Audible and we've been able to dive into it and we're excited to share our thoughts on that. So stay tuned for next week. Yeah, visit mugglecast.com for links to our social media Patreon transcripts, our favorite episodes, and a lot more. And if you're looking for more podcasting from the four of us, listen to our other shows Millennial and what the Hype for more pop culture and real world talk. Now it's time for Quizzica.

[Eric]

This week's question. Upon his death, the famous playwright William Shakespeare left most of his property and fortune to his daughter Susanna. However, he did leave something to his wife, whose name was Anne Hathaway. What did Shakespeare will to Anne Hathaway? The correct answer. And this is a very interesting case of last will and testament. The correct answer? His second best bed. I don't know what that says about his relationship with his wife. Nevertheless, 46% of people did not look this up, which is very impressive and correct answers were submitted by Ashley B. Elvis Dumbledore Eye of newt, toe of frog, Hathaway hath thy way janie 67 Julianne Faye Smiley Fries Smiley Fries Somebody showing up at Micah's 3 at 3pm Tangled yarn tofu Tom Very best Bort Wally Soros and we are such stuff as dreams are made on okay, thanks to everyone who submitted. Here is next week's Quizzet question. This one's about knitting. There are two basic kinds of stitches in knitting. The first is called a knit. What's the second called? Hopefully more people know this without looking it up. Submit your answer to us on the Quizzitch form located on the Mugglecast website. Mugglecast.com Quizzitch is a way to go directly to that page. Or if you happen to be on our website, maybe you're checking out transcripts or our must listens page or any other cool thing that happens to be on there. Click on Quizzet from the navbar end at the the top.

[Andrew]

Thanks everybody for listening. I'm Andrew.

[Eric]

I'm Eric.

[Micah]

I'm Micah.

[Laura]

And I'm Laura.

[Andrew]

Bye everyone.

[Laura]

Bye.

[Eric]

It's okay not to be perfect with finances.

[Laura]

Experian is your big financial friend and here to help.

[Eric]

Did you know you can get matched.

[Laura]

With credit cards on the app?

[Micah]

Some cards are labeled no Ding Decline.

[Andrew]

Which means if you're not approved, they won't hurt your credit score.

[Laura]

Download the Experian app for free today.

[Eric]

Applying for no Ding Decline cards won't.

[Micah]

Hurt your credit scores if you aren't initially approved. Initial approval will result in a hard.

[Laura]

Inquiry which may impact your credit scores. Experian.