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"He used to handpick favourites at Hogwarts, sometimes for their ambition or their brains, sometimes for their charm or their talent, and he had an uncanny knack for choosing those who would go on to become outstanding in their various fields. Horace formed a kind of club of his favourites with himself at the centre, making introductions, forging useful contacts between members, and always reaping some kind of benefit in return..."
Albus Dumbledore on the Slug Club.[src]

The Slug Club is an informal name for Horace Slughorn's favourite and sometimes famous students at Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry. Slughorn taught Potions at Hogwarts during two different stints; both times, he singled out students he thought had potential, either because they had influential relatives, such as Neville Longbottom and Cormac McLaggen or they themselves possessed fame or talent of some kind, such as Harry Potter and Ginny Weasley, or even both. He invited these select students to parties, notably to a lavish one at Christmas, and kept in touch with them even after they had graduated, as they could provide him with insider information or various luxuries.[1]

Meetings

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Horace Slughorn holds a supper party with the Slug Club.

"A toast, to Hogwarts' brightest and best!"
Horace Slughorn.[src]

During the course of the school year, Professor Slughorn would hold various get-togethers of the club. These were usually dinners with fine foods, during which Slughorn would lead conversation in order to get to know the members better and to encourage them to associate with one another as well. Sometimes he would invite famous former members in as well, such as when he introduced professional Quidditch player Gwenog Jones at a dinner in 1996.[2]

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Tom Riddle talking to Professor Slughorn after a club meeting.

Slughorn's hope was to cultivate talent and to give his favourites "leg-ups" in their careers, hoping to reap the benefits of being connected to them once they became the "high fliers" Slughorn expected them to be.[3] These benefits came to him in various forms, such as being able to recommend people to Ministry of Magic positions to receiving various gifts and perks, such as excellent seats to any Quidditch match he cared to attend or his favourite treat, crystallised pineapple.[1] However, some members tend to let Slughorn down once they grow up and graduate, such as Lucius Malfoy and Tom Riddle, both of whom became Dark Wizards. On 20 December, 1996, there was a lavish Slug Club Christmas Party for past and present Slug Club members held in Slughorn's office at Hogwarts. It was the only get-together of the club that Harry Potter attended, and reluctantly at that.[4] After Harry's failed attempt to get a particular memory out of Slughorn, Slughorn apparently stopped these meetings in order to prevent giving Harry another attempt.

It is unknown what became of the Slug Club under Severus Snape's rule during 1997–1998 school year. But it should be noted that Snape was described as "Bringing back Umbridge's old laws", which included Educational Decree Number Twenty-Four, banning all organisations not approved by the High Inquisitor (or in this case, Headmaster).

Students accepted in the club

During Slughorn's first tenure as Potions Master

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Slughorn, two boys and a girl.

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Slughorn, Lily Evans and a group of other boys and girls.

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Slughorn, Lucius Malfoy, two girls and a boy.

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Slughorn, five girls and a boy.

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Slughorn and a group of boys and girls.

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Slughorn, four girls and three boys.

During Slughorn's second tenure as Potions Master

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Professor Slughorn with Harry Potter in 1996.

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Neville Longbottom (left), Hermione Granger (middle), and Harry Potter (right) at Slughorn's Dinner Party.

Students not accepted in the club

Both were invited to the initial meeting in Slughorn's cabin on the Hogwarts Express, but failed to pass muster.

Benefits

Slughorn’s benefits

When helping others become famous, which, if successful, gained him influence and/or benefits from them, such as being able to recommend the next junior member of the Goblin Liaison Office, free Quidditch tickets or a box of his favourite crystallised pineapple. Horace preferred to be a "back-seat driver", obtaining things he desired by using his contacts makes his life comfortable and cosy.[1] In Harry Potter's case, Slughorn was able to profit from him even before the young man graduated, by attaining Acromantula venom from Aragog's corpse.

Students' benefits

To students being in the Slug Club is an honour and opportunity because of its exclusiveness and with Slughorn’s connections they would have future first-rate careers after Hogwarts set.

Behind the scenes

Appearances

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The Harry Potter Wiki has 45 images related to Slug Club.

Notes and references

  1. 1.0 1.1 1.2 1.3 1.4 1.5 1.6 1.7 1.8 Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince - Chapter 4 (Hoarace Slughorn) Cite error: Invalid <ref> tag; name "HBP4" defined multiple times with different content
  2. 2.0 2.1 Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince - Chapter 14 (Felix Felicis)
  3. Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince - Chapter 5 (An Excess of Phlegm)
  4. Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince - Chapter 16 (A Very Frosty Christmas)
  5. 5.0 5.1 5.2 Mentioned on the Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince script released on the Warner Bros. Awards website
  6. 6.0 6.1 6.2 Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince - Chapter 17 (A Sluggish Memory)
  7. Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince - Chapter 23 (Horcruxes)
  8. 8.0 8.1 Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince (film)
  9. 9.0 9.1 Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince - Chapter 15 (The Unbreakable Vow)
  10. See this image
  11. 11.0 11.1 11.2 11.3 11.4 11.5 11.6 Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince - Chapter 7 (The Slug Club)
  12. 12.0 12.1 New original characters cast for Half-Blood Prince
  13. Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince - Chapter 11 (Hermiones' Helping Hand)
  14. Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince (film) - Chapter 16
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