Harry Potter and the Secret Treasures

Slughorn did not answer; he seemed to be deep in thought, or perhaps confused.

The effect of alcohol was taking hold of him. Harry’s mention of his mother earlier had stirred something deep within Slughorn’s heart, causing him to open up. Lily had once been his favorite student, and Slughorn attached great importance to such things.

Undoubtedly, he was sad, because of Harry’s words, he fell into infinite sorrow and cried very hard.

Evan had never thought that a wizard like Slughorn, who valued pleasure and personal gain so highly, would cry, and cry like this.

This sadness was genuine, no less heartfelt than Hagrid’s mourning for Aragog.

Slughorn, this typical Slytherin wizard, an otherwise rather unpleasant character, Evan suddenly had a much better impression of him. Slytherins were often more pragmatic, valuing power and influence, with a clear sense of their own ambitions.

For the sake of those interests, they were prone to go further and further on the dark road, but that did not mean they had no feelings.

They were an inseparable part of Hogwarts. Slytherin’s will was a part of Hogwarts’ will, just like the other founders. Although they had different backgrounds, different ideas, and different concepts, they gathered together for a common lofty purpose, gathered on this land, and let their will be passed down in the Wizarding world through Hogwarts.

In the end, their initial persistence and belief fundamentally changed the Wizarding World, teaching generation after generation of students.

As the Sorting Hat sang:

Slytherin, oh Slytherin,

Here you’ll meet the sly and keen,

Those who stop at naught to win,

Yet truest friends are found within.

Their hearts are locked, their words held tight,

But deep inside they guard with might

The bonds they forge, steadfast and sure —

Silent, strong, and ever pure.

Slughorn cried silently there, immersed in the memories of the past, like a helpless old man.

“Professor, give me that memory,” said Harry. “I have to kill him, I need that memory, only one of me and Voldemort can survive. There’s no other choice. For myself, for my mother, I have to defeat him.”

Slughorn’s face grew even paler, almost drained of blood.

“Only one of you… can survive?” he asked.

“Yes,” said Harry calmly.

“I can testify. I was there and saw the prophecy,” said Evan. “Voldemort chose Harry, and he personally marked him as his enemy when Harry was still a baby. Only one of them can survive.”

“Oh dear, is that really what the prophecy said?”

“Yes. That’s why we need the memory, Professor. Please, give it to us.”

“But then … my dear boy … you’re asking a great deal … you’re asking me, in fact, to aid you in your attempt to destroy —”

“— the Horcruxes, yes, that’s exactly what we want to destroy,” said Harry calmly.

Because of this word, Slughorn shuddered violently and looked even more terrified.

“Believe us, Professor, Voldemort is not only scary now because of his Horcruxes. He also wants to gain powerful strength from ancient forbidden creatures. He wants to become as evil as them; and the price might be the entire Wizarding World being dragged down with him,” said Evan quickly. “We must stop him. Destroying all the Horcruxes is the first step, a necessary step.”

Slughorn seemed to be frightened, with sweat all over his forehead. He opened his mouth for a long time but said nothing.

“Even if not for anyone else, at least think of my mother,” said Harry, guided by the Felix Felicis potion on what to say next. “Professor, you don’t want to get rid of the wizard who killed Lily Evans and avenge her?”

“Oh dear, Harry, Harry, I do, of course I do…” Slughorn broke down completely. “I should have stopped him. I had a duty to stop him. He was once my student, and the fact that he turned into what he is now — I bear a great part of that responsibility. I’ve repented countless times in the dead of night, wondering if things would be different had I done a little more, or if I hadn’t… that day… maybe all of this wouldn’t have happened.”

“If you truly believe you’re responsible, then help us stop him, Professor.”

“No, no, I… I can’t… I…” Slughorn muttered helplessly.

“You’re scared he’ll find out you helped us?”

Slughorn said nothing, but it was obvious that this was exactly what he was afraid of.

“Be brave like my mother, Professor. …” said Harry.

Slughorn raised a pudgy hand and pressed his shaking fingers to his mouth.

“All right,” he murmured through his fingers, looking for a moment like an enormously overgrown baby. “The memory you want, I am ashamed of what it shows. I feel dishonorable. … I think I may have done great damage that day. …”

“It’s just the beginning of the harm, Professor, don’t forget what I just said,” Evan reminded. “If we want to defeat Voldemort, destroying all the Horcruxes is the first step. Your memory is especially important. If you are ashamed of it, then handing it over to us would cancel out anything you did. On the contrary, it would be a very brave and noble thing to do. We’d be proud of you.”

Hagrid twitched in his sleep and snored on.

Slughorn, Evan and Harry stared at each other over the guttering candle. There was a long, long silence.

He seemed to calm down. Evan didn’t speak again, and Felix Felicis told Harry not to break the silence and wait a little longer.

Then, very slowly, Slughorn put his hand in his pocket and pulled out his wand. He put his other hand inside his cloak and took out a small, empty bottle. Still looking into Harry’s eyes, Slughorn touched the tip of his wand to his temple and withdrew it, so that a long, silver thread of memory came away too, clinging to the wand tip. Longer and longer the memory stretched until it broke and swung, silvery bright, from the wand.

Slughorn lowered it into the bottle where it coiled, then spread, swirling like gas. He corked the bottle with a trembling hand and then, as if using the last of his strength, passed it across the table to Harry.

“Thank you very much, Professor.”

“You’re a good boy, Harry,” said Professor Slughorn, tears trickling down his fat cheeks into his walrus mustache. “And you’ve got her eyes. … Just don’t think too badly of me once you’ve seen it. …”

“I understand, Professor,” said Harry softly.

“And you, Evan, I always knew that you were as brave as Harry, much braver than me. I never had the courage to fight him. I was afraid of death, power, and evil. I chose to run away, but I don’t want those terrible things you spoke of to happen. If that’s the future, then I will choose to join the battle, for … for…”

He didn’t finish his words in the end. The alcohol caught up with him, and he too put his head on his arms, gave a deep sigh, and fell asleep!

In the hut, only the dim candlelight remained, flickering gently amid the long silence.

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