Hogwarts Herald

The seventh chapter of Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince is called “The Slug Club.” Harry is still obsessed with trying to figure out what Draco was up to in Knockturn Alley, although Ron and Hermione do not seem to care as much even when Harry comes to the conclusion that Draco must now be a Death Eater. The scenes quickly transition to it being the day to catch the Hogwarts Express.

Again they ride in Ministry of Magic cars. At the train station they are met by two Aurors including one trying to hold Harry’s arm as they go through the portal to Platform 9 3/4. Harry has to find his own place on the train, as Ron and Hermione go to the Prefects’ carriage. Before boarding the train Harry has a private conversation with Mr. Weasley to tell him about what the three saw when they followed Draco to Knockturn Alley.

After an awkward moment of Harry being rejected by Ginny to find a compartment to sit in, Harry ends up finding a compartment to share with Neville and Luna. They are interrupted by a group of girls that suggest Harry is hanging out with uncool people and that they could come to their compartment, but Harry defends his friends and stays with them. Hermione and Ron come to visit the compartment and tell them about Malfoy just sitting in the Prefect carriage and not taking the chance to mess with first years. Before they could really discuss it notes are delivered asking Neville and Harry to join Professor Slughorn for lunch.

The two join several other students that Slughorn asked to join him for lunch and thus forming the Slug Club or those he thinks show potential. The club includes a Slytherin, Ginny, and two others. Harry soon learns that the students chosen except for Ginny were chosen because of their famous and/or influential relatives. After Slughorn dismisses them to prepare for arrival, Ginny tells them that she was invited because Slughorn saw her perform a good hex on the train.

Harry decides to slip under his Invisibility Cloak and sneak behind the Slytherin in the Slug Club to get into the Slytherin carriage that Draco is in. Part of the conversation Harry overhears while hiding in the luggage rack is Draco saying he may not be back the next year because he will have moved on to bigger and better things. Malfoy outright says it is because he might go serve Voldemort.

The train arrives in Hogsmeade and Crabbe hits Harry on his head with his trunk when he is unloading it. Soon it is just Malfoy and Harry in the compartment. Malfoy uses the Petrificus Totalus spell to paralyze Harry. He breaks Harry’s nose before covering Harry with the Invisibility cloak again and leaving the train hoping Harry would not be found until the train was back in London.