This week, guest Nicole hops aboard the Hogwarts Express with Andrew, Eric, and Micah for Chapter 7 of Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince, “The Slug Club.”
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Nobody Believes Harry About Draco
“The Slug Club” opens with Harry convinced that Draco Malfoy has become a Death Eater. He saw Draco in Borgin and Burkes, and he’s sure something sinister is going on. Ron and Hermione aren’t buying it, and neither is Mr. Weasley. The hosts expected more from Arthur in particular. To his credit, the Ministry did search Malfoy Manor, but he still doesn’t seem to take Harry seriously. Andrew pointed out that Harry just lost Sirius, his father figure, and badly needs adults who will listen to him.
Micah thinks the whole debate could have ended in about five seconds. “This all could have been solved right by pulling up Draco’s sleeve,” he said.
Would Voldemort Really Recruit a Teenager?
The biggest objection Harry hears is that Draco is only sixteen, and Voldemort wouldn’t make a kid a Death Eater. Andrew had no patience for that argument. “Voldemort’s a terrible person, but he would never ask a 16 year old to become a Death Eater? What, this guy murders people? He tried to murder a child. He does not care what age.”
Micah went a step further and called recruiting young Death Eaters a brilliant move. Who better to operate inside Hogwarts, right under Dumbledore’s nose, than a student nobody would suspect? The fact that an Order member like Arthur thinks the idea is ridiculous only proves how well it could work.
Harry Imagines Neville as the Chosen One
On the train, Harry takes a long look at Neville and thinks about how the prophecy could have been about him instead. Andrew loved seeing that moment through Harry’s eyes and wondered if Harry was looking at Neville with a little envy. In some other version of events, Voldemort picks Neville, and Harry grows up with his parents and none of this weight on his shoulders.
Eric pointed out that it’s not that simple. The book wonders whether Neville’s mom would have sacrificed herself and protected him the same way. But Lily was given the chance to step aside because Snape asked Voldemort to spare her. Unless Snape had feelings for Alice Longbottom too, things would have played out very differently.
Nicole also brought up a fun detail: Neville’s new wand. It’s cherry wood with a unicorn hair core, and cherry is apparently a rare wood, according to the official Harry Potter website. It was also one of the last wands Ollivander sold before he disappeared. As Nicole put it, Neville deserves something special.
What Is the Slug Club Really About?
Before the train even reaches Hogwarts, Professor Slughorn invites a handful of students to lunch in his compartment. It’s the first gathering of his Slug Club, his collection of students with famous names, impressive talents, or useful connections.
Andrew isn’t a fan of the whole idea. He thinks it’s “too clicky for an active professor” to have a group of “elites” that he meets with exclusively. A teacher mentoring talented students is one thing, but Slughorn picks favorites and gives them special access.
Micah had a theory about the name Slughorn, too. “Slughorn himself oozes charm to get close to fame,” Micah said. “He slides away from discomfort, like hiding the Horcrux memory.”
Why Did Slughorn Pick These Students?
The lunch guests include Harry, Neville, Ginny, Blaise Zabini, Cormac McLaggen, and Marcus Belby. The hosts had fun picking apart why each one made the cut. Blaise’s mother, for one, is famous for having a string of husbands who all died mysteriously.
Nicole made a sharp point about Harry and Neville. “They’re really only there because of their trauma,” she said. “So imagine someone is like, hey, I really want to hang out with you and just talk about the worst thing that’s ever happened to you, and that’s the reason why you’re here.” Eric agreed it’s a little insensitive, though Micah doesn’t think Slughorn is evil.
Andrew pitched a crackpot theory about Ginny. Slughorn says he invited her because he was impressed by a hex she cast, but what if he really wants to know more about her experience with Tom Riddle’s diary? Nicole loved the theory but pushed back with the text. Slughorn doesn’t even seem to know Ginny’s name, and only calls her “Miss” as they leave. To Nicole, that suggests Ginny earned her invitation on talent alone.
Harry’s Messy Spy Mission
After lunch, Harry slips under his Invisibility Cloak and sneaks into the Slytherin compartment to spy on Draco. It does not go well. Eric listed the mistakes: Harry jams his foot in the door and draws attention to himself, shows his shoe while climbing into the luggage rack, and gasps out loud when a trunk hits him in the head. “If you want to get to the bottom of this, you need to think more strategically,” Eric said.
Andrew had a different gripe. Once Harry and Draco are alone in the compartment, Harry should have gone on the offensive, tackled Draco, and pulled up his sleeve to reveal the Dark Mark. Instead, Draco hits him with Petrificus Totalus, stamps on his face, and leaves him lying there under the Cloak as the train pulls into Hogsmeade. Nicole agreed that Harry should have cut his losses the moment he realized he’d been spotted.
Draco’s Hints About His New Job
Harry’s spying does pay off a little before it all goes wrong. From the luggage rack, he hears Draco brag to Pansy, Crabbe, Goyle, and Blaise that he might not even be at Hogwarts next year, and that he has been given something bigger to do. Draco also dismisses Slughorn’s little club, since he wasn’t invited and his father is now in Azkaban.
For the hosts, that’s what makes the whole chapter so frustrating. Harry is right about Draco, and Draco practically says so out loud. But Harry walks away with a broken nose and no proof, and Ron, Hermione, and Mr. Weasley still won’t believe him. It sets up the entire year: Harry is going to have to figure out what Draco is up to on his own.