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Meanwhile, the Hogwarts library had failed Hermione for the first lime in living memory. She was so shocked, she even forgot that she was annoyed at Harry for his trick with the bezoar, 'I haven't found one single explanation of what Horcruxes do!" she told him. 'Not a single one! I've been right through the restricted section and even in the most horrible books, where they tell you how to brew the most gruesome potions -nothing! All I could find was this, in the introduciion to Magick Mostc Evilc — listen — "of the Horcrux, wickedest of magical inventions, we shall not speak nor give direction" ... 1 mean, why mention it, then.' she said impatiently, slamming the old book shut; it let out a ghostly wail. 'Oh, shut up,' she snapped, stuffing it back into her bag. 'I asked whether you know anything about Horcruxes, sir. You see - '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, '1 just thought there might be a '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, 1 had to try and soften him up so 1 could ask him about Voldemort, didn't I. Oh, will you get a grip!' he added in exasperation, as Ron winced at the sound of 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
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