Why Voldemort Left Slughorn Alive

[@ashleyofnaath]

I always get the impression that Tom already knew the answers to what he was asking Slughorn; that he was merely seeking confirmation of what he'd learned; and Slughorn needn't have felt as guilty as he did. That said, because Slughorn did feel responsible, I wish the movies would've included his redeeming moment during the Battle at Hogwarts of bringing in reinforcements- more fighters- from Hogsmeade. Would've been cool.

[@animeguygaming4803]

Yea I thought that aswell

[@animeguygaming4803]

Tom riddles attitude says it all

[@DANNYTHEFROG123]

He was just trying to know how many you could make

[@samcotten2485]

@@DANNYTHEFROG123 exactly, we have to go by the canon here. Dumbledore says that he was convinced that Riddle only sought out Slughorn to confirm that he could make more than one horcrux. Dumbledore frequently says that he is merely guessing, but it’s the only real information that we have available.

[@ashleyofnaath]

@@animeguygaming4803 Exactly. I'm sure that if Slughorn refused to answer, Tom would've broke into his supply cabinet, stole verita serum, and put it in a glass of pineapple juice so he could coax it out of Slughorn during one of their fireside chats and Slughorn would be clueless. Actually that might've been more of a mercy for Slughorn had it happened that way haha.

[@missynnifer]

Slughorn is the closest we have to a good Slytherin. He is self interested and recognises and admires power and is obviously very intelligent and powerful himself but essentially is a good person. I think he’s a realist. He aligned himself with powerful people but didn’t use it for much other than free tickets and treats. And he would’ve been a mentor to some of the most powerful people in the wizarding world and given them their first opportunities/ connections in their fields. He sees talent in people (regardless of race clearly as both Lily and Hermione were in Slug club) and invests in them for not much in return . He’s an excellent character and one of my favs

[@missynnifer]

@@joaquimcosta3051 I agree! By not much in return I meant return to himself, he still just remained a teacher who enjoyed having access to things but never used the connections to gain any power for himself even though he probably could have done.

[@onetwothree9]

Regulus Black and Andromeda Tonks would like to have a word about that

[@dtfootball14]

I like him, he’s like a hogwarts grandad to the gifted and talented (whose only ulterior motive is seeking free stuff, unlike most slytherins) who gets them started, gives them extra guidance and acts as a mentor. I think this one dodgy moment makes him overlooked as a good character

[@navonshorts1608]

What about merlin then?

[@jamiegodfather]

What about the bravest man Harry Potter ever knew Snape?

[@eranshachar9954]

I think Voldemort kept Horace alive was because he respected his mentor. Why do you think he sent his DE to recruit him? Not only because he was the only one who knew what Tom has done. Tom just admired him and his vast knowledge. One of the very few people he ever respected, it was the closest to love he could have felt. He maybe thought of Slughorn like a father figure. And Snape like a brother figure, another one he had much respect for. Again he couldn't feel love but he probably viewed these two as the closest. I think that had Voldemort won, he would have given Slughorn a chance to join him. He would have probably considered this a waste, if a man like Slughorn had to die.

[@profitingz2478]

woah good point i didn't think of that

[@eranshachar9954]

@@profitingz2478 Thank you. And like Dean I didn't think of it at all until he mentioned the subject. Shows to all of us how complexed and good the HP story is.

[@adeshsingh9130]

Well said man u hit the nail on the head

[@eranshachar9954]

@@adeshsingh9130 Thank you man. I seriously think he would do anything, to keep Horace Slughorn alive. He would have killed him only if he had no choice.

[@rhisavbora2975]

Absolutely he respected Slughorn.. He wouldn't kill Slughorn unless Voldemort had a good reason to kill him just like snape..

[@VincentWeasleyPotter]

Also, like in the beginning of HBP when Horrace Slughorn was hiding from Lord Voldermorts death eaters it was because the Dark Lord wanted (still) to recruit him unto his ranks. His favourite teacher! Like you say i think he wanted to reward him?

[@AnnaBellaChannel]

100% Tom Riddle was planning on making Slughorn Headmaster of Hogwarts.

[@EowynG191]

It would take a great amount of humility and courage to admit, to tell ANYONE that you were the one who gave Voldemort the idea to kill and create not only one, but seven horcruxes. I believe Voldemort... simply never assumed Slughorn would be capable of bringing that up again.

[@ashleyofnaath]

I don't think Slughorn gave Tom that idea though...

[@DrTimes99]

I agree. One of Voldemort's prominent flaws is is over-confidence in his understanding of others. He truly believes that he knows how everyone else will act. Therefore there was no need to kill Slughorn because Slughorn would never say anything

[@Cailus3542]

To be fair to Voldemort, at the time, he couldn't have foreseen Dumbledore hunting Horcruxes via enlisting the aid of a sixteen year old wizard who possessed some Felix Felicis.

[@matiasagustin06]

i know there is 7 horcruxes at the end (harry being one) but the original plan was to make 6, not 7. When tom asked slughorn that day was to split the SOUL in 7 parts: 6 horcrux and the last one being himself

[@Nicole_blue0406]

@@ashleyofnaath the thing that Slughorn didn’t know that

[@leventebardossy5962]

As Voldemort actually did have plans with Hogwarts after his conquest is successful, I think he still saw potential use in Slughorn. He respected him as a teacher, and the Hogwarts he planned to create needed plenty of them. I also think that he may have thought of using him as an information source through kidnapping, like Ollivander. He just ended up not needing him that way.

[@maquez650]

Same. Honestly, him respecting slughorn doesnt really make sense to me. While he respected people, he wouldnt hesitate to kill them if it meant keeping him safe. Just look at snape, one of his closest confidants. Dumbledore himself said he never had any friends because he cant feel any compassion.

[@An0niem4]

@@maquez650 Still, Voldemort needs confidants, allies etc. And he knows it. Remember Slughorn and the death eaters were essentially on the same side: Slytherins with a heavy prejudice against muggle-borns. Of course, like Snape demonstrated, there is no allegiance or loyalty that will save you if you really stand in the way of Voldemorts rise to (more) power. Snape was clearly such a roadblock, and was only eliminated after Voldemort (in his mind) made absolutely sure he needed to go. Slughorn was never such a threat or roadblock. By the time Voldemort was such a powerful wizard he could have taken Slughorn out without much risk, he could reasonably assume Slughorn had not and would not disclose this long ago conversation. In short: Cost-benefits analysis of eliminating Slughorn was never bad for the old Slug

[@realmdarkness]

If he had won, he probably would have kept Slughorn spreading his knowledge by teaching potions to pure blood wizards, and largely left him alone. He acknowledged his talents and knowledge and probably respected him as much as someone like him could

[@someoneno-one7672]

@@An0niem4In that case Slughorn enjoyed a lot of luck. Through the First war Voldemort was sure, Slughorn would not disclose the secret, and, possibly, hoped to have the professor on his side at some point. This continued well after Voldemort’s return until he learnt that Harry Potter knows about hocruxes. And by that time there was already no point in getting rid of Slughorn. Snake wasn’t that lucky.

[@rnp497]

I think Dumbledore removed the Horcux book because of Riddle. It's hinted that he suspected how Riddle gained immortality. We then have to consider did Voldermort think Slughorn knew Riddle and Voldy are the same person

[@DANNYTHEFROG123]

He removed it too late

[@messidinho8895]

Obviously Slughorn knew that Voldermort was the aftermath of young Tom Riddle. That was a well known fact in the wizarding community.

[@fedeeeeee]

@@messidinho8895 in Chamber of Secrets Dumbledore said that very few people knew that Tom Riddle and Lord Voldemort were the same person

[@An0niem4]

@@fedeeeeee But of that very few, I'd assume Slughorn to be one.

[@edselgreaves6503]

Based on the memory when Riddle came to Hogwarts to ask Dumbledore for a job, it was common knowledge that Riddle had started a cult while he was at school and after graduating they all started calling him Lord Voldemort even before his face began transforming from the dark magic. By "very few" I assume the people who came to Hogwarts after Tom Riddle left were unaware, but those who were at school as the same time as him knew what he had started. That includes Dumbledore, Slughorn and McGonagall.

[@vkalberg]

I think Voldemort knew, that in essence, Slughorn was a coward and would never dare tell a soul. He values his reputation too much, what others thought of him. And had it not been for his excessive celebrating with Hagrid, and the use of Felix Felicis, he would have taken the secret to the grave.

[@Mr.PepeSilvia]

This deep into the lore and still coming up with great concepts. Well done Dean!

[@tommarvoloriddle5056]

I valued magical talent, and wanted Slughorn to teach the next generation of pure-blood wizards.

[@joshuabowen6589]

You value only yourself! You bald, no nose having, not being able to kill Harry, not being able to see Snape true self, sorry excuse for a wizard.

[@sorenvc]

That's the only correct answer.

[@pinkdragon4830]

What are you’d Ling in the muggle world,my lord???

[@Savvage.875]

What are you yapping about dead man?

[@OceanAir815]

It’s probably because he never joined the Order.. Voldemort was trying to track him down to figure out his loyalty during HBP and Slughorn announced his loyalty by becoming a Hogwarts teacher but he was out of the reach of Voldemort. Why he didn’t kill him during DH when he know Harry is hunting Horcruxes is because JKR didn’t think about it…

[@Rj-pw7zs]

Tbf, Voldemort didn't know they were hunting them until it was too late.

[@Dr.Cypher]

Out of his reach? One of his most trusted deatheaters became headmaster while 2 other death eaters where professors and in charge of discipline.

[@Doomzdeh]

Voldemort didn’t kill him when he finally gained control of Hogwarts because there was no point in killing Slughorn anymore. Harry had already figured out Voldemort’s horcrux strategy, so Slughorn no longer needed to be intimidated or silenced. And because Slughorn was such a leech and somewhat of a coward, Voldemort knew he would follow his directions inside of Hogwarts. And Voldemort likely knew that he was an invaluable Potions teacher for Voldemort’s next regeneration of sycophant followers, so he kept him around (like he did with teachers hostile to his cause like McGonagall, Sprout, and Flitwick). It can also be assumed that Snape had a good degree of creative control at Hogwarts, and that he helped to keep Slughorn alive and employed so that he wouldn’t be at risk. The Carrows had much influence at Hogwarts, but Snape was still the appointed Headmaster and probably tried his best to covertly protect others from the Carrows.

[@michaelcollins2030]

I feel like he didn’t kill Slughorn either to the fact that he held him in high regards or as a reward for telling him what he wanted to hear and saw that he could have potential usage later

[@therealopaartist]

It’s a double edged sword. With the way Slughorn (inadvertently) confirmed what Tom already knew(or thought he knew), I’d like to say he did hold him in high regard. When Riddle killed an innocent girl who was just in the wrong place at the wrong time for the first horcrux, her blood was on Riddles AND Slughorns hands just for affirming the knowledge. But if he had DENIED the knowledge of a horcrux creation, then chances are that he would of killed him for lying about it when he found out Slughorn had lied. I’d say even if it WAS a hypothetical question Slughorn should’ve warned about using a dark method on school grounds results in serious punishment (Riddle has a perfect if not near perfect record at school and I bet that would really set him off if it was tarnished).

[@Paul_Simon]

Very well reasoned- I couldn’t say how many readings of HBP it took me, I’m not sure, but my first thought was that he considered everyone beneath him so he figured no one would put it together as Slughorn wouldn’t dare tell anyone, or B- as it was 50 years or so later, his ego would’ve grown so much, he’d attribute the actual idea only to himself. Glad to hear and read other thoughts on it too, it did sort of nag at me on rereads. Excellent video as always!

[@mod850]

I think this makes the most sense as he was a narcissist and megalomaniac. Those two traits are almost the defining characteristics of a megalomaniac.

[@chloe-historyandgames]

u do very good impressions of the two characters

[@krystalkayne5242]

I think these theories about Voldemort leaving Slughorn alive makes sense. But I also think it comes down to Voldemort thinking Slughorn wasn't a threat

[@MrReganomics1]

All things considered..Horace Slughorn is one of the most powerful wizards of the modern era if not all time. He definitely could be a threat if he were seen as an enemy. I think Tom held him in high regard so he refused to see him as such. Probably his only soft spot, in theory.

[@krystalkayne5242]

@@MrReganomics1 I agree. I'm not saying Slughorn isn't a powerful wizard. I just get the vibe that Voldemort just doesn't see Slughorn as a threat

[@MrReganomics1]

@@krystalkayne5242 I got ya. So basically we are saying the same thing but for different reasons. In the end he isnt viewed as a threat, and I agree.

[@AnnaBellaChannel]

@@MrReganomics1 Slughorn is an armchair genius wizard.

[@michaelkean5969]

he probably just saw Slughorn as harmless not to mention he was a pure-blood and a Slytherin. so those minor traits probably saved him. Voldemort was more practical and didn't just torture or kill people willy nilly. slughorn was a cowardly character for most of his time before he met harry.

[@kiaxxv]

to bad that came to him as he was one of 3 people to almost beat Voldemort in a duel in the final book (the others were Kingsley and Minerva). that's not a wizard to be thinking "hEs nOt A tHrEat" when he damn near almost killed Voldemort before Harry did

[@zanderallan4373]

He was of harm without slighorn nobody would ahgw known how many horcruxes

[@sifilore9462]

Could also b that Tom knew Slughorn would b wrinkled with guilt so won’t speak 🗣 at all. Voldemort may not have had a conscience, but he knows how to pray on other’s.

[@CJ11425]

You know now you say this it’s interesting because the only reasons slughorn told the truth was due to love. Love for lily evans another of his students. The one thing voldermort can’t understand once again came back to haunt him. In his mind there would be no reason for slughorn to overcome his fear and tell people. It’s an interesting touch

[@Dr.Cypher]

The 2nd for sure. I personally believe slughorn was the closest thing to love voldemort ever had. Being head of slytherin and seeking out greatness i can only imagine what slughorn has dont for tom. I know we don't see to much favoritism with Mcgonigle however I feel like that was personal being the stern person she us but also the extra responsibility being deputy headmistress. We do see favoritism from ever other head of house. Slughorn was the closest thing to a father tom has ever had.

[@VikashSingh]

Wonder why Voldemort never went after Sybill Trelawney in book 8 when he practically owned Hogwarts, when 2 years ago he spent an entire year trying to find out the complete content of the prophecy.

[@Coco-buns]

Sybill isn't consciously aware of the few true prophecies she makes. So there would be no information or memories to extract from her. She's useless to Voldemort in the regard of that particular past prophecy.

[@marckempe2143]

Here’s the thing, even if Slughorn didn’t confirm how to make a horcrux, Riddle, as mentioned in ‘The Half-Blood Prince’, had already created at least one horcrux from his diary through the murder of Myrtle. That said, if Voldemort hadn’t asked Slughorn in the first place, Dumbledore wouldn’t have had the confirmation he needed to permanently remove Voldemort from the world. Dumbledore knew he couldn’t put the creation of a horcrux passed Riddle, and he knew that he had unintentionally made Harry one when he killed Harry’s parents after he had confirmed that Harry was a Parselmouth during Harry’s second year of Hogwarts, he just didn’t have a set number at the time. It wasn’t until ‘The Half-Blood Prince’ that Dumbledore and Harry had a confirmed number of horcruxes that were deliberately created by Voldemort, and that they had destroyed three of them, the first one Harry did himself, not even knowing that he was starting the path to the complete destruction of Voldemort.

[@mod850]

" That said, if Voldemort hadn’t asked Slughorn in the first place, Dumbledore wouldn’t have had the confirmation he needed to permanently remove Voldemort from the world." This is a nice tie-in to something else Dumbledore told Harry: that tyrants are often responsible for creating the one or ones with the power to take them down (paraphrasing, of course).

[@keith7644]

he already knew

[@petemessersmith9510]

I've wondered about this for years. Loyalty isn't an attribute I associate with Voldemort. He talks about it a fair amount and even chides Pettigrew about his loyalty actually being fear. Voldemort is one who doesn't give loyalty but expects it in return for "favors". He views it as a currency to be paid to him. Not currency he pays to others. I'm convinced Tom Riddle knew one thing more than any one else alive. Fear. He thought fear was the most powerful thing and so he used fear to his advantage to control, to manipulate and to gain power. His understanding of fear, in my opinion, was superlative and he knew Slughorn's fear of being found to not only possess such knowledge but to have passed it on to a student, and eventually this particular student was strong enough to keep him silent. What he didn't expect was the thing he could never see, the thing he never expected, love. Lily Potter really was the hero of the story. She saved everyone by saving Snape, Slughorn, and Harry. Those three truly were the keys to bringing him down and all three were saved by her love alone.

[@dtfootball14]

He hated his father, Horace was probably the closest thing to his father. Horace was also really nice to him and Voldy will have probably still liked him and/or thought him harmless. Horace was a pure-blood Slytherin so didn’t fall foul of Voldy’s prejudices

[@paulblart7200]

This is something I have always wondered! You are still the top Potter channel…always!

[@HarryPotterFolklore]

woah, Paul Blart just commented on my video!

[@edselgreaves6503]

Didn't Slughorn himself say Voldemort was desperate to recruit him into the Death Eaters? That's why he was hiding in Muggle houses while the families went on vacation. He knew they didn't want to kill him but rather pressure him into joining Voldemort's ranks and he was afraid that he wasn't strong enough to keep refusing them. So that tells me that during Voldemort's first reign, he hoped to become powerful enough that Slughorn would have no choice but to abandon his morals and choose the winning side, but then he met Harry and lost everything so he never got as far as he hoped and Slughorn was spared.

[@lordnul1708]

That plothole honestly bothered me for a while, namely since I read through Half-Blood Prince for the first time. As often as he gets blindsided by some possibility he hadn't taken into account, Voldemort isn't typically portrayed as a moron who just lets his secrets risk exposure. He usually *covers his tracks* if he can help it.

[@josephgregorowicz5135]

One thing confirming your theory, and another opposing it.... Slughorn told Dumbledore when he came looking for him that he was hiding from the Death Eaters. When asked why, it was not because he feared they would kill him, per se, he stated they were trying to recruit him. After all, why wouldn't Voldemort want someone who showed him loyalty on his side? The other side of the coin though is just as damning. Snape was, at least in Voldemort's eyes, his most loyal follower. And in the end, when he felt the need, he ended Snape's life without hesitation. So why would something as trivial as loyalty stop Voldemort from killing Slughorn? This one thing again puts doubt into the question of why he left him alive, and forces me to lean more towards the idea that he simply forgot about him.

[@crow_g1639]

He probably lied about recruit him

[@lisakaz35]

Well, Slughorn did move around a lot, as if fearing for his life. He said it was "recruitment" he feared. Would that, could that been incomplete or misleading?

[@jasondyrkacz8270]

Slughorn may have been a lot of things but stupid isn't one.

[@lisakaz35]

@@jasondyrkacz8270 Indeed. "Recruitment" may have been a polite term. It stands to reason if he thinks he's on Voldy's good side, he'll lay low to keep from getting involved in any way that impacts that assessment. I think that explains his reluctance to teach, though "collecting" Harry was too much a temptation. Slughorn HAD to know that Voldy and RIddle were the same, though I have a very hard time believing other Death Eaters didn't know that. I suppose a curse on his name kept people who knew from spreading it a lot (e.g., Ollivander).

[@-AxisA-]

Excellent analysis👌🏼

[@drifting6464]

Actor of young tom have really good acting

[@velcro8223]

Something else to note, when Voldemort is talking to the death eaters in the graveyard about how he survived he mentions that "one of my experiments must have worked". Which means that Voldemort might not have known that it was his Horcruxes that kept him alive. At least if we take what he tells his followers at face value. This suggests he used other methods in addition to Horcruxes and only when he finds out Harry is destroying them does he realize that they were the only thing preserving him.

[@jnywd8450]

Good point. When Tom was a student, the forbidden library was restricted but not yet forbidden. And it would have been a lot of books. I'd like to read them.

[@AnnaBellaChannel]

Tom Riddle knew it was his Horcrux's. Tom didn't want everyone starting a new dark magic trend.

[@realgamerguyvlog32]

Loved the video. Another reason he might have been saved is most of the time he was at Hogwarts and with Dumbledore the only wizard Voldmort ever feared would not go near him or his School. Even the first Wizarding War Hogwarts was untouched

[@DSdemon767]

It was another means of torture. Torture through guilt. Voldemort wanted the man, who gave him all he needed, to live and witness first hand that monster he help to create.

[@nosamladna902]

I think he left him alive because he knew that the worst torture he could do to Slughorn was to leave him be. Not only did Slughorn regret telling Riddle, but the constant paranoia he must have been experiencing because the fear Voldemort would go after him to keep him silent must have been high. So always looking over his shoulder, regretting what he did, and finally the fact he’s a coward that never would have said what happened if it weren’t for liquid luck, probably kept him alive. He was torturing himself basically and I think Voldemort knew that and allowed it.

[@alecrutz956]

in the first potions lesson with Slughorn, he says that he took felix felicis twice in his life. you every wonder if he was lying and took it more than that to keep himself safe?

[@marcopisellonio3657]

This is one of the best hp videos I've seen in a while. Absolutely love it!

[@playeriancu8575]

Im almost sure he didn't forget him since the deatheaters did trie to recruit him.

[@Worstdatesever]

I believe Voldemort left him alive as a suffering technique. Slughorn had to have figured out how Voldemort became immortal. Voldemort wanted slughorn to be stuck with the knowledge knowing he had a hand in creating the monster

[@CidVeldoril]

I strongly believe that Horace Slughorn was one of the few people Voldemort ever actually really liked and saw as an equal. Slughorn was his teacher, encouraged him and was supportive when even Dumbledore was neglectful. Slughorn was pretty much the only adult in young Tom's life who ever actually cared about him, his future and actively supported Tom during his school years. If I recall correctly, Slughorn even got him job offers after school. I like to think that even someone as evil as Lord Voldemort would feel great pain at the idea of killing the only person who ever cared for him when he was not the dark lord.

[@charlieclark9552]

He posed no threat, he told dumbledore, Voldemort took out dumbledore via snape at least everybody but dumbledore and snape thought so, so voldemort didnt care who horace told after that because he only told dumbledore

[@Whocares158]

I feel really sorry for Slughorn. He help create a Monster without realizing it.

[@rmcarter2107]

Awesome video Dean I hadn't thought about that conversation but you make solid points

[@markswenson8439]

This was something that I always thought about. I think you are right on your assumption

[@miguelfonseca1104]

1/4th, respect/reward for confirming an important piece of information and 3/4th knowing slughorn well enough to know he would likely keep the secret to his grave.

[@mauraaa2988]

i loved how you read the conversation between tom and slugghorn!!

[@S_Tadz]

Watched the movie for christmas. Voldemort definitely didn't forget about Slughorn. The character's first line (when Harry and Dumbledore go to see him) is something like 'Deatheaters have been trying to recruit me for weeks, now'.

[@andreihlen7597]

I think when he was young, killing slughorn at that point would be too risky for him, then later on, slughorn were basically in permanent hiding. He said death eaters were trying to recruit him, but who knows, if they can't find him, it doesn't matter what they were after, they could try to recruit him or kill him, it wouldn't make a difference if they don't know where he is

[@waynesmith3908]

You are welcome Dean, It made a wonderful video as I thought.

[@Matt-zq1gi]

Videos have been so much better lately I think ur back on to of all the HP theorist where you belong

[@whirlwindjourney]

I think Slughorn was a teacher that he actually liked on some level, but probably found himself being smarter than and not worthy of his time or efforts later on. Slughorn praised him and liked him as a favorite student, and this had to feel good to Tom. However, he knew Slughorn was prideful, so much so as to never reveal a mistake, certainly not one as consequential as confirming or teaching Tom Riddle, the infamous Voldemort, about how to preserve and extend his life through the horcruxes. Yet, to Tom, Slughorn must also, for a teacher, have been too dumb as to not know better or resist teaching an impressionable young student something so devilishly wicked. So, Voldemort left him alone, having some respect for him, knowing that at least one living Hogwarts teacher had doted on him, and yet viewing him as too prideful and stupid as to ever really be a threat to him.

[@Jay-ql4gp]

I think that, given Slughorn's reaction to his questions, Voldermort assumed that Slughorn would never consider him doing it.

[@AussieKeeper]

Video Suggestion if your interested- What would have happened to professor quirrel had someone befriended,assisted or protected him in hogwarts so that he wasn't so tormented as to seek out voldemort, would he have achieved great things in the ministry? or decided to teach at hogwarts? , or joined the order of the phoenix?

[@macrocosm4442]

This is the earliest I’ve ever been

[@haryjones6238]

Or it could be that slughorn is a great teacher who could be influenced fairly easily (crystalized pineapple) and his ability to spot talent is amazing as is his ability to help grow such talent while also being very little of a threat he was very useful to voldemort in his younger years and is more of a use as a servant its also not unheard of him to use rather then simply get rid off people look at stan shunpike he seem pretty much useless yet was frequently used as extra muscle and even helped expose the real harry in the battle of 7 potters why waste a talent like slughorn when he can keep him alive his knowledge would be kept in check by the fact he is so afraid

[@kiaxxv]

He isn't influenced easily as in the final book he dueled Voldemort and almost won

[@Jynxxy13ravedoll]

The closed captions on thisade me laugh so hard. Slowcorn!!

[@jorgnocke991]

Great video please please keep up your amazing work and thank you

[@martinpickering4601]

I believe you are right, your train of thought is on point.

[@madisonatteberry9720]

A Death Eater; "My Lord, with respect, why leave him, out all those that could expose you, him, Slughorn, alive?" Lord Voldemort; "So to make him watch as the world burns."

[@gusztavkosa4065]

you made some good points, but it is possible that Voldemort simply never got the chance to kill him while Dumbledore lived and after that there was not much point in killing him , Slughorn was at Hogwarts till Voldemort fell for the first time he was protected there, till Voldemort returned he was safe again, and after he was hiding from the death eaters and after that back to Hogwarts., were he was protected again, and after Dumbledore died Snape pretty much had him under control from Voldemort's point of view.

[@bradleycombs2626]

That’s crazy never even thought about this question but now it seems crazy he didn’t take him out super early on

[@ugolomb]

a related question: How did Dumbledore know that Slughorn and Riddle had that conversation? Obtaining the memory was one of his main reasons for re-hiring Slughorn; which means Dumbledore already knew that Slughorn discussed horcruxes with Riddle: what he wanted was the details of that conversation. (It's possible that it was just an educated guess: that Dumbledore had gone through the list of Riddle's teachers, and concluded that only Slughorn might have discussed this with him. But why assume that *any* teacher did? Riddle found out about horcruxes through a book, and Slughorn didn't actually tell him how to create a horcrux -- the only useful information Riddle got from him was that it's not necessarily impossible to create more than one horcrux.)

[@KingCobraJFS]

What if Voldemort learned how to love and then weponized love against his enemies would he have been a more powerful dark lord

[@barbaracatalano6299]

Great question!! Fantastic job with it.

[@cobramentality7171]

In the beginning of the movie when they find him concealed in that deserted house, Dumbledore asks him whether he'd been expecting anyone, he replies the death eaters have been trying to recruit him, and he can only say no to them so so many times and moves around a lot as a result, which would suggest they hadn't forgotten about him, it's suggest something more sinister...

[@2adbty444]

Another great topic, great work

[@TheLastCrow5150]

Tom had already created two horcruxes when he talked to Slughorn. The diary and the ring. Tom fiddles with the ring during the conversation. He was picking Slughorn's mind for info on how many times he could create a horcrux.

[@c.w.simpsonproductions1230]

You can tell the moment Voldemort asked about seven Horcruxes was when he slipped up.

[@danielgodfrey4415]

Pineapple is a big deal btw. It's a stable of the rich. The wizard world is hundreds of years slower than the muggle world. In the early 1900s people would rent pineapples as a center piece on tables at parties.

[@DfiftyMusic]

It wasn’t until you brought it up, but it’s a great question

[@rhueoflandorin]

Oddly, in the books, tom asked "BUT HOW do you split your soul??? How does it WORK?" he didn't KNOW everything already. He needed the bit about murder ripping the soul , and it was after committing murder that a spell was cast to use the damage done by that supreme act of evil to attach the damaged / torn part of the soul to an external object. But again, Tom also wanted an experienced (older) wizard's IMPRESSION / INPUT on "what would happen to the witch or wizard so determined to evade death that they would be willing to split their soul into seven pieces," (according to dumbledore) Also, it is FAR more likely that tom simply admired slughorn's qualities...some of which, Tom also possessed. The influence Slughorn had, Tom admired it, and also, in his own way MIRRORED it. I think Tom only created the death eaters after seeing how influencial a CULT like slughorn "kinda" had...and what it could mean to have loads of wizards respect and follow you.....

[@AnnaBellaChannel]

Horace Slughorn was Tom Riddle's Colonal Parker to Tom Riddle's Elvis in the Wizarding World. In fact, Tom Riddle's middle name is French is Elvis. Tom Riddle the extraordinary magically gifted boy come and see him; joins Slytherin. I can 100% see Slughorn playing that card with his new collectable; for Tom's first 3 years a Hogwarts.

[@craftyHPLover367]

He HAD to know he was placing dangerous knowledge in Riddle's hands

[@you_do_not_know_me]

About Slughorn being the one giving Tom immortality.. I have my doubts. He did not tell him the spell to use so he had to found some other source of information. I bet even if Slughorn had not know anything about horcruxes, Tom would have still been able to figure it out from the same source as he did figure out the spell from. With horcruxes though there is a question in my mind... If Tom could create an "almost-horcruxes" AKA Harry, without any incantation, how come that theren't tons of horcruxeses? Most of the deathearers have killed a tons of people. I mean I've heard the theory that Tom's soul was already unstable from all the previous horcruxes that he had created.... but that just does not make it up... Wouldn't that mean that murderers, already unstable should have been created accidental horcruxes?

[@alecrutz956]

I guess it comes down to the fact that Voldemort actually ripped his soul rather than merely damaging it. Voldy made horcruxes which is why his soul was unstable enough to break and latch to harry. None of the Death Eaters (as far as we know anyway) made horcruxes, so as damaged as their souls may have been, they were still whole.

[@ommitedommited154]

slughorn isnt the the only one who knows. the circle of close deatheaters that get summoned in book four know, voldemort says something along the lines of "you all knew the steps i had taken to cheat death".

[@darthnihilus3447]

Voldemort knew that Slughorn would never make a move against him. Slughorn was a coward at heart and no better than a scavenger.

[@kencusick6311]

Voldemort held Hogwarts in high esteem. It was the only place he ever thought of as home. Slughorn was also a Slytherin. Also probably considered Slughorn a possible ally. But once he realized Harry was hunting horcruxes, once he had disposed of Harry he would have disposed of Slughorn.

[@steventaylor4798]

Slughorn was at Hogwarts until end of first wizarding war , he could not reach him there even visiting school for teacher job . After return from grave the order kept him at bay enough to get Slughorn to hide , Voldemort wanted him dead but forgot when his ministry took school and he chased elder wand.

[@ZekeThePlumber86]

I love Sluggy! He's probably in my top 3. Lupin Neville Slughorn

[@Teraclon]

Why didn't Voldemort just use the Fidelius charm on his horcruxes? Either their locations and/or their very existance. We know it's powerful, since it kept the Potters safe from him for a long time and only was found because they were betrayed. Basically, Voldemort would be the only one who COULD EVER know where or that his horcruxes existed. GG, Voldi wins.

[@leonorakristinerozalinamll9473]

There must have been some kind of respect towards eacher. Since Tom felt that Slughorn, was the only teacher he could trust and maybe respected the most of all the teachers.

[@danielgodfrey4415]

I'm surprised he didn't use a spell to completely forget what he told Tom. There are weaker oblivate spells

[@scottdavel9397]

Wow a back ground story on Slughorn would be awesome! How did Horace know so much about Dark Magic?

[@map5490]

When Tom Riddle approached Slughorn about horcruxes, it was only to see if it was possible to create more than one. Seven to be precise. He had already created the first one when he murdered his father. It's more likely he let Slughorn live simply because he was a pureblood and didn't want to thin the already waning number of purebloods left. Blood traitors were the exception.

[@coltonius]

Just forgot about that conversation with Slughorn? Hard no. That’s a lazy theory..

[@jonwashburn7999]

I wonder how much it hurts to rip up your soul.

[@brittanyg4232]

I agree about some of Voldermonts forgetfulness being it was so long ago but a part of me likes to believe it was selective forgetfulness. I like Slughorn and I believe he represents a better and unique side to Slytherin. Tom was still young when he had someone believe and dote on him so strongly. I like to believe his ego chose to forget the old man and even though he wanted to recruit him he did not force the matter.

[@YellowBear-kx1ff]

What happened to Slughorn in the alternate reality in the Cursed Child where Cedric Diggory became a Death Eater? In said reality, Snape, not Slughorn, was Potions Master. Could Umbridge (the Headmistress in that reality) have fired him? That makes sense since Slughorn thought of her as an “idiotic woman” and “never really liked her”.

[@kevinwhaley6590]

I have a different take on why he didn't kill Slughorn. It's really simple. Slughorn might come off as a doddering old man but he is an extremely powerful wizard. He isn't only a potions teacher. He is an extremely intelligent, well studied and magically talented. He is head of Slytherin, look at Slytherin house values. The head of house isn't going to be a slouch. Add in that he has the talent of surrounding himself with other powerful people and building long term loyal relationships with them, this is a person Voldemort would want on his side.

[@AnnaBellaChannel]

But Slughorn loves a good armchair.

[@jamesbiering2589]

I never thought of this till this video and I agree with u and why he did it 100%. And u make it really clear how easily this coulda happened for real with just intelligence and manipulation.

[@that.canadian.vaper.guyTCVG]

Most likely for 2 reasons. Voldemort just didnt care. Other than Dumbledore, he didnt think that anyone would find out his secret, and almost no one would be able to connect the dots, that Slughorn of all people taught Voldemort about Horcruxes. Another is that Slughorn has MANY connections. It's the same reason he kept Lucius Malfoy alive after Lucius' many failures. Slughorn has many connections from the media, to sports teams, to the Ministry of Magic, to all types of important people in the Wizarding World. In a war for the control of the entire world, someone like Horace Slughorn would be a POWERFUL ally. Not to mention that the man is actually a powerful wizard in his own right as well, and is also a known potion master. So it all comes down to Voldemorts own hubris and politics.

[@jerrychen4348]

perhaps the horcrux plot was merely created before the half blood prince. Rowling made the cliffhanger for Tom Riddle's diary, but come to think about it, Voldemort would never made his old muggle stuff as horcrux, he dispise that part of him. the same go to Slughorn.

[@issacdunham6257]

The books conversation is so much better than the movie. Both seem to already mistrust each other in the movie before even speaking.

[@baldrian22]

dont forget, slughorn would also bee under the protection of dumbledor and voldermort was afraid of dumbledor, it might also be that voldermort tought he had managed to trick slughorn to belive he wouldent make them, afther all voldermort was what you could call insane. not insane like everyone is trying to kill me but, the insane like a serial killer or a dictator like h1tler etc. and he might have tought it was no way slughorn would remember a conversation like that 50 years afther with all the conversations he would have with students etc and slughorns character with keeping favorits conections etc.

[@paulcowlishaw]

Because slughorn told him about how to create a Horcrux

[@59rlmccormack]

Can hardly imagine Voldemort considering having Slughorn as a Death Eater if he wanted to.

[@sorenvc]

Imagine Slughorn met Voldemort near the end. Would have been an interesting talk.

[@dhrgkbqxtjr2743]

There's also the fact that Voldemort chose to become Dark Lord because he wanted wizard supremacy due to his own shame about being half-blood and his mother wasting her magic even though she had a child to protect. Voldemort considers it a real tragedy when magical blood is lost because he knows how rare it is in the world. But of course, that was before he "died" and got resurrected. Ironically, he became far more bloodthirsty after coming back to life in Goblet Of Fire, even though he killed way more people during his first reign. After he came back, he seemingly no longer cared about preserving the life of purebloods since he was practically gleeful over the thought that Slytherins would get hurt while their parents were attacking the castle under his orders.

[@tylersmith9465]

Great job👏👍👌🙌😀💪

[@TheSonofruss]

I think at that point he had already created the diary and was contemplating the ring as number two.

[@MrReganomics1]

To be fair, Slughorn was right about Tom. He did go on to do great things. "Great" is an expression of magnitude, not benevolence.

[@matthewmcmillan1337]

I don’t think Tom forgot about him I think he left him with the idea he’s the cause of the dark lords rise and all the deaths were his fault Don’t forget he already had the ring so he already killed his muggle family before going back to hogwarts

[@boiyonetta]

I wonder if Tom would have reconsidered had he known that his magic ability would be weakened each time he split his soul.