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'Dumbledore put you up to this,' whispered Slughorn.
His voice had changed completely. It was not genial any more, but shocked, terrified.
He fumbled in his breast pocket and pulled out a handkerchief, mopping his sweating brow.
'Dumbledore's shown you that - that memory,' said Slughorn. 'Well. Hasn't he.' 'Yes,' said Harry, deciding on the spot that it was best not to lie.
'Yes, of course,' said Slughorn quietly, still dabbing at his white face. 'Of course ... well, if you've seen that memory, Harry, you'll know that I don't know anything - anything -he repeated the word forcefully '- about Horcruxes.' He seized his dragonskin briefcase, stuffed his handkerchief back into his pocket and marched to the dungeon door.
'Sir,' said Harry desperately, 'I just thought there might be a bit more to the memory -' 'Did you.' said Slughorn. Then you were wrong, weren't you. WRONG!' He bellowed the last word and, before Harry could say another word, slammed the dungeon door behind him.
Neither Ron nor Hermione was at all sympathetic when Harry told them of this disastrous interview Hermione was still seething at the way Harry had triumphed without doing the work properly. Ron was resentful that Harry hadn't slipped him a bezoar, too.
'It would've just looked stupid if we'd both done it!' said Harry irritably. 'Look, I had to try and soften him up so I could ask him about Voldemort, didn't I. Oh, will you gel a grip!' he added in exasperation, as Ron winced at the sound of the name.
Infuriated by his failure and by Ron and Hermione's atti- tudes, Harry brooded for the next few days over what to do next about Slughorn. He decided that, for the time being, he would let Slughorn think that he had forgotten all about Horcruxes; it was surely best to lull him into a false sense of security before returning to the attack.
When Harry did noi question Slughorn again, the Potions master reverted to his usual affectionate treatment of him, and appeared to have put the matter from his mind. Harry awaited an invitation to one of his little evening parties, determined to accept this time, even if he had to reschedule Quidditch prac tice. Unfortunately, however, no such invitation arrived. Harry checked with Hermione and Ginny: neither of them had received an invitation and nor, as far as they knew, had anybody else. Harry could not help wondering whether this meant that Slughorn was not quite as forgetful as he appeared, simply determined to give Harry no additional opportunities to question him.
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