Snape and Slughorn Discussion
Source: Snape and Slughorn Discussion
One background element in the books that I really liked was the shared history between Snape and Slughorn. If anyone has anything about the pair they want to post about, feel free to discuss!
Slughorn goes from being Snape's Head of House and teacher in 1971-1978, to being his colleague in 1981 and again in 1996 (with Snape now the Head of Slytherin), to being his reluctant subordinate when Snape becomes Headmaster in 1997. So much of their relationship, especially as teacher and student, is left up to supposition because we don't have that information in the books, but I wanted to list some stuff we do know about them that I find interesting:
- "Snape," ejaculated Slughorn, who looked the most shaken, pale and sweating. "Snape! I taught him! I thought I knew him!"
The famous "ejaculated Slughorn" line is one that I really like in spite of the unfortunate wording. Slughorn is stated to be the most affected by the news that Snape killed Dumbledore. He's the only person to give personal reasons for his shock as opposed to being shocked because Dumbledore trusted Snape. Slughorn is the only one to say he taught Snape and thought he knew him in spite of his roughly 15 year absence from teaching (presumably they hadn't been meeting up, right?) and in spite of the fact that Snape had been with the rest of the Hogwarts faculty since 1981. Contrast Slughorn's reaction with McGonagall's line: "We all wondered...but he trusted...always...Snape...I can't believe it." She taught Snape too, should theoretically know him better because she has known him longer, yet her reaction speaks more about Dumbledore's trust in Snape than her own.
- Snape and Slughorn have extremely different styles as teachers and Heads of House. Slughorn, for all his more affable nature, doesn't bother remembering his students' names, while Snape, for all his strict and harsh methods, his high expectations from all his students. No one escapes his notice, even though they might want to. Slughorn, even as a Head of House, had a private club open to all students who were well-connected enough or promising enough to catch his attention. In HBP, we're shown he's not beyond snubbing those who don't seem good prospects. In contrast, Snape allegedly favors his whole house over the rest of the school. If there's anything Snape mimicked about Slughorn as a teacher or Head of Slytherin, we're never shown it.
- "...Slughorn threw out an arm and seemed to scoop Snape out of thin air toward them. "Stop sulking and come and join us, Severus!"...Trapped, with Slughorn's arm around him shoulders, Snape looked down..."
Snape never appears to have the same affection for Slughorn that Slughorn has for him, let alone any affection for Slughorn so it's hard to say what Snape thought of him. That doesn't stop Slughorn from liking Snape, although we don't know what their dynamics were like as student and teacher.
- Snape and Slughorn both have histories of guilt and shame. Slughorn avoids giving Harry his memory of Tom Riddle because he is afraid Harry and others will think badly of him. Harry eventually gets him drunk and persuades him to share the memory. Snape gives Harry memories of his own that he has hidden away, revealing "the best" of himself as Dumbledore might put it. He doesn't hesitate to show his Dark Mark to the Minister of Magic, and is perfectly fine with people thinking badly of him, even when they are mistaken (Dumbledore's murder).
- JKR's supplementary writings say Slughorn left teaching in 1981, which would mean he didn't finish the 1981-1982 school year. Most likely, Snape replaced Slughorn as Head of Slytherin and the sole Potions teacher at the age of 21/22. I wonder how he felt about Slughorn leaving him with that responsibility.
P.S :
I would also like to point out that Slughorn thought of Snape as his best student in potions, not Lily who was his favourite student.
‘Well, then, it’s natural ability!’ shouted Slughorn. ‘You should have seen what he gave me, first lesson, the Draught of Living Death – never had a student produce finer on a first attempt, I don’t think even you, Severus –’
I'm a stubborn bastard, so I still HC that Slughorn thought Severus was riding Lily's coattails - until what must've been their very obvious falling out during their OWL exams, after which people like Lucius may have also started to recommend Severus to Slughorn, or done it more than before.
I liked this discussion because the Snape and Slughorn relationship is often downplayed by lot of fics who make Slughorn behave harsh towards young Severus.
"Snape," ejaculated Slughorn, who looked the most shaken, pale and sweating. "Snape! I taught him! I thought I knew him!"
This means that Slughorn who knew Severus in his teen years and his early and later professorship certainly couldn't believe Severus capable of murder or being evil. Perhaps Severus was dearer to Slughorn than most of us thought. I mean, he looked more shaken and pale than the most unlike the others who didn't take much time throwing Severus under the bus.
Harry Potter: Magic Awakened added a nice tidbit to Slughorn.
Slughorn: I'll have you know this cauldron belonged to none other than former Headmaster Severus Snape. It might not look like much, but some truly exceptional potions were brewed in there.
MC: Severus Snape... I've heard he was one of the most talented Potions masters Hogwarts ever had.
Slughorn: That he was, and he never let his students forget it...
[Flashback of Snape giving his first year speech]
MC: It's hard to imagine someone like that using such a... 'humble' cauldron.
Slughorn: Perhaps he used it because it's so humble.
MC: What do you mean?
Slughorn: Severus came from a humble background. Despite that, he became a truly remarkable and powerful wizard. This is purely speculation on my part, but perhaps he wanted students to feel that their background and circumstances were irrelevant in his class... That only their effort and intelligence mattered.
