Harry Potter 06 - Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince

tampered with.’
    ‘Tampered with?’ repeated Harry, sitting back down too.
    ‘Certainly,’ said Dumbledore, ‘Professor Slughorn has meddled with his own recollections.’
    ‘But why would he do that?’
    ‘Because, I think, he is ashamed of what he remembers,’ said Dumbledore. ‘He has tried to rework the memory to show himself in a better light, obliterating those parts which he does not wish me to see. It is, as you will have noticed, very crudely done, and that is all to the good, for it shows that the true memory is still there beneath the alterations.
    ‘And so, for the first time, I am giving you homework, Harry. It will be your job to persuade Professor Slughorn to divulge the real memory, which will undoubtedly be our most crucial piece of information of all.’
    Harry stared at him.
    ‘But surely, sir,’ he said, keeping his voice as respectful as possible, ‘you don’t need me – you could use Legilimency … or Veritaserum …’
    ‘Professor Slughorn is an extremely able wizard who will be expecting both,’ said Dumbledore. ‘He is much more accomplished at Occlumency than poor Morfin Gaunt, and I would be astonished if he has not carried an antidote to Veritaserum with him ever since I coerced him into giving me this travesty of a recollection.
    ‘No, I think it would be foolish to attempt to wrest the truth from Professor Slughorn by force, and might do much more harm than good; I do not wish him to leave Hogwarts. However, he has his weaknesses like the rest of us and I believe that you are the one person who might be able to penetrate his defences. It is most important that we secure the true memory, Harry … how important, we will only know when we have seen the real thing. So, good luck … and goodnight.’
    A little taken aback by the abrupt dismissal, Harry got to his feet quickly.
    ‘Goodnight, sir.’
    As he closed the study door behind him, he distinctly heard Phineas Nigellus say, ‘I can’t see why the boy should be able to do it better than you, Dumbledore.’
    ‘I wouldn’t expect you to, Phineas,’ replied Dumbledore, and Fawkes gave another low, musical cry.

 
     
— CHAPTER EIGHTEEN —
     
Birthday Surprises
    The next day Harry confided in both Ron and Hermione the task that Dumbledore had set him, though separately, for Hermione still refused to remain in Ron’s presence longer than it took to give him a contemptuous look.
    Ron thought that Harry was unlikely to have any trouble with Slughorn at all.
    ‘He loves you,’ he said over breakfast, waving an airy forkful of fried egg. ‘Won’t refuse you anything, will he? Not his little Potions Prince. Just hang back after class this afternoon and ask him.’
    Hermione, however, took a gloomier view.
    ‘He must be determined to hide what really happened if Dumbledore couldn’t get it out of him,’ she said in a low voice, as they stood in the deserted, snowy courtyard at break. ‘Horcruxes … Horcruxes … I’ve never even heard of them …’
    ‘You haven’t?’
    Harry was disappointed; he had hoped that Hermione might have been able to give him a clue as to what Horcruxes were.
    ‘They must be really advanced Dark magic, or why would Voldemort have wanted to know about them? I think it’s going to be difficult to get the information, Harry, you’ll have to be very careful about how you approach Slughorn, think out a strategy …’
    ‘Ron reckons I should just hang back after Potions this afternoon …’
    ‘Oh, well, if Won-Won thinks that, you’d better do it,’ she said, flaring up at once. ‘After all, when has Won-Won’s judgement ever been faulty?’
    ‘Hermione, can’t you –’
    ‘No!’ she said angrily, and stormed away, leaving Harry alone and ankle-deep in snow.
    Potions lessons were uncomfortable enough these days, seeing as Harry, Ron and Hermione had to share a desk. Today, Hermione moved her cauldron around the table so that she was close to Ernie, and ignored both Harry and Ron.
    ‘What’ve you done?’ Ron muttered to Harry, looking at Hermione’s haughty profile.
    But before Harry could answer, Slughorn was calling for silence from the front of the room.
    ‘Settle down, settle down, please! Quickly, now, lots of work to get through this afternoon! Golpalott’s Third Law … who can tell me –? But Miss Granger can, of course!’
    Hermione recited at top speed: