"Oh, it's already late at night. It's almost time for curfew. You'd better go back." After saying that, Slughorn finished the last mouthful of wine in his glass. After that, he glanced at the hourglass beside him and said, "I had a great time tonight."
Everyone stood up and prepared to leave the banquet.
Slughorn extended his hand to Allen and Hermione. "Professor Harris, Miss Granger, thank you again for coming." He then turned to the others. "McClagan, Harry, Braith, you're all welcome. You too, Miss. " He winked at Jenny. "Alright, you should go. Otherwise, I can't do anything about your points being deducted."
Draco left the room with Shabini first, and the others gradually left. Allen asked Hermione to go back to Gryffindor's dormitory first. Instead of going out directly, he walked towards Slughorn.
"Professor Harris, is there anything else?" Slughorn was buttoning his suit, which made his big belly look a little protruding. He was a little worried about what to do if the other party was interested in joining his club.
"Professor Slughorn, it's like this. You know, when I was in my third year, I set up a training class. In fact, it's not just a cram school. It's an organization similar to your Slug Club. After graduation, we can help each other to gain a foothold in the wizarding world. After a few years of development, our members have made some small achievements. With their connections, we've also invited some well-known wizards to join us. They don't really join the Harris Family, they just build good relationships with each other … Although I have to admit that some of them have chosen to join my family." Allen's mischievous eyes flashed, and he smiled gently at the confused professor. "I don't know if Professor Slughorn is interested in joining my Omniscient Club. It's an honor to have a master potion maker like you. I'll definitely put your picture in the most prominent position on my photo shelf."
"Huh?" Professor Slughorn's throat moved. He was a little stunned by this unexpected invitation. He loosened his bow tie and tried to understand Allen's words again. He was sure that he had been inviting others to join his own club for decades, and he was indeed invited to join by Allen …
However, Horace Slughorn felt even more uneasy when he found out that Allen's training class had such a goal behind it. He was sure that Allen didn't just want him to become the core member, introduce famous people to each other, and plan for the members to connect with each other. He also wanted to build good relationships and get something like free Quidditch tickets or a box of his favorite candied pineapples in return. The young professor in front of him obviously had bigger ambitions.
It was just that how to politely refuse such a face-to-face invitation without hurting the other party's dignity was an art of speech. Slughorn thought that he had already rejected an official invitation from the Umbrella Corporation, which made it difficult for him, who was usually very talented in language, to refuse.
Slughorn thought for a while and smiled tentatively at Allen. "Professor Harris, please give me some time to think about it. You know that I'm old. If it wasn't for Dumbledore's invitation, I would have continued my retirement life. I don't know if I have the energy to participate in these activities after this teaching career is over, so please give me some time to think about it …"
"Of course, no problem. My invitation is indeed a bit abrupt, but Professor Slughorn, I think that before you think about it, our two clubs can hold some banquets like today to introduce the members to each other and build a good cooperative relationship. We can also take the opportunity to expand each other's network, right?" Allen smiled back at Slughorn. "As for what the members need from each other, let them contact each other. We're just kind enough to provide a good platform for them. Everything else is none of our business …"
Slughorn realized that Allen's goal wasn't him, but the celebrities in his Slug Club. This made him heave a sigh of relief. Just like what Allen had hinted at, even if something did happen later, he wouldn't be blamed for it. He didn't participate in it himself, and this could indeed expand his network of contacts.
Slughorn knew that the first invitation was just a stepping stone, and he found that he couldn't refuse again. He cleared his throat and said, "That's indeed a good thing … I'll write a letter to arrange it, Professor Harris. How about we arrange it during the Christmas holidays? We'll have plenty of time then … "
The only thing that troubled the professor was that he was afraid that this decision would be the same as the one he told Tom Liddell about the Soul Vessel. Even if he wasn't responsible for it, he knew that he was the one who created the second The Dark Lord. His soul had split too many times, turning the handsome and rational young man into a disorderly monster.
"That's a good choice. I'll wait for the good news then. Let's set a time before the holidays, Professor Slughorn. Goodbye." Allen nodded in satisfaction. Slughorn personally sent him out. Just as he was about to close the door, Allen turned his head and pointed at the door with his chin. "Professor Slughorn, Harry is still inside. He's been waiting for us for a long time. Maybe you should give him a certificate when you let him go. Otherwise, if Miss Nimble Hands catches him, she'll definitely think that he violated the curfew …"
Slughorn heard this and turned around in shock. He found that Harry was still in the room. He was so immersed in his conversation with Allen Harris that he didn't notice that there was someone else in the room.
"I'm sorry, professor. I was admiring that hourglass." Harry turned around and pointed at a green hourglass on the other side of the table. There were four crystal-clear snakes climbing on top of it. The four snakes were two at the top and two at the bottom, and their tails were connected to each other. Harry was a little absent-minded. Even though he knew Allen before he was a first-year student, he always found another side of him. Their conversation just now made Harry personally feel the other side of the pure-blooded wizards when they were running their families.
"Oh, yeah." Slughorn calmed himself down and walked over. "Interesting little thing. The speed of the falling sand is related to the quality of the conversation. If the conversation is interesting, the sand will fall slowly. If it's boring … "
"I think I should go." Harry looked at the speed of the falling sand and said.
"Nonsense. What's there to be afraid of?" Slughorn patted him on the shoulder. "As for some of your classmates, let's put it this way. They can't be compared to me."
"What do you mean, professor?"
Slughorn walked slowly with Harry to one of his shelves. "Those aspiring students want to be there."
There were all kinds of picture frames on the shelf by the wall. There were pictures of different sizes and sizes. Harry found that they were the famous wizards he and Dumbledore saw when they went to invite each other. Harry's mother, Lily Evans Potter, was also in one of them.
"But then again, you're already a big shot, aren't you? Harry. " Slughorn complimented. He was willing to come to Hogwarts to teach again not only for his own safety, but also to put Harry Potter's picture on the shelf.
Harry looked at the pictures of the outstanding wizards and thought about Dumbledore's instructions. He gritted his teeth and asked, "Has Lord Voldemort been on this shelf, professor?"
When Slughorn heard the name, his face was full of horror. His eyes widened and he froze for a moment.
"You know him, right? Tom Liddell. You taught him. "Harry did not give up.
"He had many teachers when he was in Hogwarts," Slughorn said casually.
"What was he like back then?" Harry continued to ask, but Slughorn seemed to be immersed in his memories and did not answer him. "I'm sorry, professor. Forgive me for asking, but he killed my parents." Harry tried to ease Slughorn's wariness.
"Oh, of course." Slughorn looked up as if he had just woken up from a dream. "It's understandable that you want to know more." He swallowed. "But I'm afraid I'll have to disappoint you, Harry. When I first met him, he was smart but quiet. He wanted to be a first-class wizard. When he was young, Tom Liddell was diligent, studious, and handsome. As the president of the boys' union, he was very influential in the school. The polite Liddell was very good at making people like him. Professors and students liked him. He was almost perfect. If you saw the Liddell at that time, you would never associate him with the evil, mysterious man who brought endless fear to people in the future. The excellent president of the boys' union gave people a completely different feeling than when he became the mysterious man later. It's a bit like now … "
Slughorn suddenly stopped talking. He realized that he had almost said what he was worried about. At that time, Tom Liddell, who had not made soul tools, was very much like Allen Harris now. They were both excellent, almost perfect, role models of wizards in Hogwarts. They were loved by professors and students, and their behavior was impeccable.
Slughorn suddenly turned around and looked at Harry. "He's not much different from the other students I know. In fact, he's not much different from you." He raised his eyebrows. "If there's anything special about him, he's very good at hiding it."
At this moment, the sand in the hourglass wrapped by the four snakes on the table fell rapidly.
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