Slug Club: Do They Belong? (Term XVIII & Activity 3)

[los-york.livejournal.com]

Activity: Do They Belong?
Points: Long debate: Participation 10pts, Additional comment: 2pts. The max is 30 points.
Deadline: 10-30-10 at 3PM CDT/8PM UTC (Conversions are here)
Details: Discuss which canon characters do or do not belong in the Slug Club using your criteria of eliteness. A good thing to talk about is their achievements or accomplishments. Points will be given out by 10 points for the first comment and 2 points for additional comments. Your first comment must be at least 5 sentences and your additional comments must be 2 sentences. AND DON'T FORGET TO SIGN YOUR COMMENTS OR I WON'T GIVE YOU POINTS! If you see things getting out of hand, please pm about and I can deal with it.

mmailliw suggested this activity and will get 5 points if he participates.

If you are stuck on a starting topic, think of a character's achievements or accomplishments. And if things get too out of hand, pm about it!

Want to join the elite? Join Slug Club!

Comments

[stellar-kar.livejournal.com]

I think one person who would have definitely been invited had he not perished was Cedric Diggory. Cedric's father was well known within the ministry and could prove to be a valuable contact for Slughorn. That contact might be enough for an interview but maybe not enough to get into the Club. However, Cedric was also a prefect and the captain of the Hufflepuff quidditch team. That already sets him apart from most of the student body. He probably would have caught Slughorn's eye primarily because of his being chosen for the Tri Wizard tournament.Harry Potter was a Tri Wizard champion and we all know he was invited to join the club. Cedric was the other champion, but Cedric was the one that was truly chosen by the Goblet of Fire. The fact that Cedric was a "champion" I think would've have sparked enough interest in Slughorn to invite him.

Keisha//Hufflepuff

[caitieness.livejournal.com]

Obviously, had he been a student went Slughorn was teaching and not an amazing professor himself, Dumbledore would have been invited to be part of the Slug Club! Though he had a bit of an unsavory past, at least the rumors claimed, Dumbledore was extremely bright and very advanced for his age. Even when he was a student, I'm sure the professors could tell he had a natural magicking talent and he would amount to greatness and Slughorn would have been unable to resist adding him to his collection. Now if Dumbledore would have joined willingly? That one's a little questionable.

Caitie//Hufflepuff

[klef.livejournal.com]

Good choice! I think the fact that Oliver was driven to win all the time would be awesome as well. It's not often we pick someone because they lose often. I think his popularity would significantly aid him in Sluggy's eyes.

Kerri//Gryffindor

[klef.livejournal.com]

Oh totally agreed. Tom was said to be one of the "most brilliant students Hogwarts has ever seen", so I'm sure that would have been a draw. Also his charisma (or would that be his being a Legilimens - I just don't know) would allow him to do whatever Slughorn wanted, thus finding out a lot of information.

Kerri//Gryffindor

[vitallani.livejournal.com]

I agree. I think Neville deserved to be in the club, but that Slughorn just couldn't see that because he wasn't the best academically. I would, however, have thought that Slughorn might have wanted him for being related to his parents, who were somewhat honoured for their contribution to the Order.

Bryony/Slytherin.

[vitallani.livejournal.com]

I was a bit confused why he didn't pick Hermione. She might not have had a wizarding family, but neither did Lily Potter. Maybe he saw the potential for Lily's fame, but not for Hermione to have fame?

Bryony/Slytherin

[icewindfirex.livejournal.com]

I agree. However, I don't see how he couldn't have known Hermione would have grown up and done SOMETHING to make a change. It is Hermione we're talking about here. Maybe House-Elf rights :)


Ashlee/Hufflepuff

[dana1130.livejournal.com]

I didn't even think of Wood! Yeah, I agree, he definitely would have been part of the Slug Club. Sluggy wants the talent and the fame, and Wood has it all.

Dana//Gryffindor

[dana1130.livejournal.com]

Good choice! I think that you're completely right, Dumbledore definitely would have been at least asked to be part of the Slug Club. He's an amazing wizard and it was more than obvious that he would go on to do great things.

Dana//Gryffindor

[rvillarrubia.livejournal.com]

I think Narcissa Black Malfoy deserves to be in the Slug Club. We all know that Slughorn loves fame and well related people and Narcissa is definitively one of these girls. The Blacks are one of the most well known families of the Wizarding World and I think Narcissa would have been a great addition to the Club.
Narcissa is also a very beautiful woman and that would have help Slughorn to attract other male members he wanted to the Club. And I have always thought that she was also pretty good at school, so Slughorn would have wanted her.

Ruth // Slytherin

[elusive-j.livejournal.com]

I think Sirius Black would have belonged in the Slug Club. I imagine that Slughorn wanted him, especially since he regrets not having had Sirius in Slytherin, but that Sirius wasn't interested. Sirius came from a very old wizarding family, which Slughorn seems to value. He was clearly a talented young wizard because he managed to become an animagus without a teacher's help, although I picture him as a smart student who didn't do a lot of work so Slughorn might not have known that. He was also very attractive (as described by JKR) and Slughorn would probably like the idea of being surrounded by attractive people.
Unfortunately for Slughorn, I don't think Sirius would have joined the Slug Club, even if Slughorn hadn't been associated with Slytherin. I just can't see Sirius wanting to be part of something so overtly elitist, even though I think Sirius had a strong, subconscious elitist streak!

Juliette//Ravenclaw

[mmailliw.livejournal.com]

Agreed, and one more thing: had she been rejected from the club, it would have been a major snub of her by Slughorn. We know from canon that Narcissa does NOT take kindly to such insults; she may appear to go along with everything, but if pushed too far she'll stab your back when you least expect it! (Would that mean secretly helping Gryffindor for the Quidditch Cup, for example?) Slughorn should know that Narcissa is NOT someone he wants on her bad side!

William//Slytherin//2

[mmailliw.livejournal.com]

I agree that Sirius is more than qualified to be a member of the Slug Club, but there is one big reason NOT to have him as a member. Considering his attitude towards Slytherins, I can imagine Sirius causing all sorts of pranky commotion at Slug Club meetings and turning valuable networking opportunities into drama-filled house wars. Would Horace Slughorn really want THAT in his club?

William//Slytherin//3

[goatcharmer.livejournal.com]

I think Minerva McGonagall would have been a member of the Slug Club, had not the Slug Club been only boys at that time, apparently. She is obviously a very intelligent woman, for one thing. She also has strong leadership abilities, which I think are something Slughorn would look for.

On top of that, she is a powerful witch, who was able to become an Animagus, which is supposedly not that easy. Another piece of evidence for this is the fact that she fought in the war against Grindelwald, and played a vital war. I think Minerva would make an excellent member of the Slug Club - if she deigned to join!

Fi//Hufflepuff

[clzair.livejournal.com]

I think Ginny Weasley definitely belongs in the Slug Club. I know that she was put into the club because Slughorn hear about her casting a really good spell, but I think she definitely deserves it. Ginny isn't really talked about much in the series other than in relation to her relationship with Harry, which kind of annoys me. However, you get the feeling that she is a pretty powerful witch for her age (maybe not in the way that Hermione is smart, but in a magical AMOUNT sort of way). Also, she did get pretty popular in her year (again this is kind of said in the series) and she was a great Quidditch player, which shows her emergence as a leader and someone who could command attention. I think she gets overshadowed by her older brothers but really has a lot of want to prove herself and does a good job at it. I like to think that if the book were centered around someone Ginny's age, she would get a lot more written about her. She was also one of the people who accompanied Harry to the Ministry and did relatively well, considering that she was the youngest there. I think as a skilled witch, Ginny deserves the upward boost that Slughorn may have been able to supply her with by his connections.

Claire//Hufflepuff

[clzair.livejournal.com]

You're so right about McGonagall. She is a woman of business. Although she may be a bit stern, she's very responsible and knows where her priorities lie. She is also a very important part of the wizarding world in regards to the two wars against Voldemort, and she's clearly a skilled witch as she teaches at Hogwarts one of the tougher subjects (in my mind). She also knows how to command order and respect in others rather fast - although I wish I could know what she was like as a young girl - probably much the same, as she had to live through some hard times (supposedly).

Claire//Hufflepuff

[clzair.livejournal.com]

I agree with Blaise Zabini - he was clearly very wealthy from having a beautiful mother who killed off rich men she married. However, I don't think that he is really worthy of a Slug Club candidate on his own merit, as he seems like a relatively ordinary wizard who has nothing special going for him.

Although I wish I could disagree with you, I see what you mean about Umbridge and have to say that you're probably right. She has one of those "nothing will stand in my way" mentalities and seems to be willing to do ANYTHING to be the best. This definitely makes her a Slug Club candidate in my mind.

Claire//Hufflepuff

[clzair.livejournal.com]

I think Slirius would be exceptionally interesting to Slughorn because he was also the first of his family - like, ever - to be sorted into a different house. I think that holds a lot of intrigue. Makes you want to get inside his head and figure out WHY he wasn't sorted in Slytherin. I think that in itself is a good enough reason to want him at the Slug Club, even if, as William says, he may be a prankster and trouble maker (and honestly may not even want to join). He clearly had something extra that his family before him lacked, however, by being a Gryffindor. (and he was a bloody good wizard, as an animagus before even leaving hogwarts!)

Claire//Hufflepuff

[seserakh.livejournal.com]

Molly Weasley absolutely belongs in the Slug Club. Her considerable power, which she showed during her duel with Bellatrix, reveals her as a force to be reckoned with in much the same way as her daughter. She would have had plenty of time at Hogwarts to make her talent known through her grades and her spellwork alike, which Slughorn, being a teacher, would surely have noticed. There may even have been a situation similar to the one in which Ginny Weasley joined the Slug Club, with Molly hexing someone and Slughorn praising her spellwork rather than chiding her for her temper. With good grades and her powerful magic, she would have been a prime candidate for the Slug Club.

That said, whether she would have joined is anyone's guess. One of the most fascinating things about Molly to me is that she is obviously a talented and accomplished witch who chose to use her skills of magic for maintaining her family. Perhaps she would have seen Slughorn's invitation as a compliment and accepted; perhaps she would have regarded it with disgust for excluding those who weren't neck-deep in good fortune. The clear thing, however, is that Molly would have belonged should she have chosen to.

Ses//Slytherin

[touchthesoul.livejournal.com]

I think Lily Potter definitely deserved her spot in the Slug Club. The way she was written, it seemed like she was Hermione's predecessor. She was a Muggle girl who defied expectations and gave so much of herself to the study of magic. She was clearly charismatic and smart, so much so that professors like McGonagall and Dumbledore still speak kindly of her. Her talent with Charms is something the books should definitely have spoken of more, if only to see if she'd created any new spells or developed an ignored aspect of magic.

Angel//Hufflepuff

[kilobites.livejournal.com]

I absolutely think that Minerva McGonagall would have been a great member of the Slug Club. She has incredible leadership abilities (she becomes the head of Gryffindor house, that's pretty impressive!) and she knows how to remain calm under pressure. Furthermore, she was a very powerful witch. Her capabilities in transfiguration and in the fact that she's an Animagus, which not just anyone can become, show that she has a lot of talents that Slughorn would respect. She knows how to make people listen to her, and tell people what to do--she just commands respect when she's in a room. I feel very sure she would have been similar even when she was younger.

Tasha//Gryffindor

[kilobites.livejournal.com]

This is a great choice! I think that Oliver would have been in the Slug Club too. He was so respected by almost everyone and he had a lot of desire to win and succeed. It seems like all of the Slug Club members have a lot of determination, so Slughorn would have appreciated Oliver's talent and potential for future success.

Tasha//Gryffindor

[somewhatgolden.livejournal.com]

I would argue that James Potter should have been in the Slugclub. It's mentioned that Lily is, but not James. Clearly Slughorn tried to collect people who could potentially be something in the future, and James was a talented quidditch player- something I assume Slughorn would note and see as a possible potential networking option. He also must have been clever to have helped put together and bewitch the Maurauder's Map. Even if he didn't do it himself, he contributed to it and it must not have been easy when you think of all it can do- besides the map itself, it can recognize and speak to the person holding it. James definitely should have had a spot in the club.

Jenn/hufflpuff

[nicolle-016.livejournal.com]

I totally agree with this! A lot of people just think of the twins as pranksters but they were really successful businessmen and very good at networking. I think that they would fit in perfectly with the others in the Slug Club.

Nicole // Hufflepuff

[nicolle-016.livejournal.com]

First of all, I think that Draco Malfoy should definitely have been included in the Slug Club. He came from a prominent family with many connections so he would have been very good at networking and meeting the sort of people who could benefit him in his pursuits. He was also very intelligent in many aspects- schoolwork, duelling, and he was also a talented Quidditch player. It would have been fair to assume that Draco would probably be very skilled and successful in many things.

Another person that I think would have been in the Slug Club had it not been for his premature death would be Cedric Diggory. He was talented, intelligent, brave, and very personable, which would have definitely worked in his favor for networking and the like. Plus, you just know Slughorn would have killed to have a Triwizard champion in his little club.

Nicole // Hufflepuff