Slughorn/Slytherin

[Weasley Mom]

I was just trying to remember... was Slughorn the head of Slytherin house during the trio's seventh year, when Snape was headmaster? And was he head of Slytherin in Riddle's time? Is that the house he had been sorted into? Just curious. Thanks!

[OliveOil_Med]

Chances are likely. I think Dumbledore might have been the Head of Gryffindor before become headmaster, or that might just be fanon.

Either way, I don't think the actual headmaster can be Head of House for anyone. It would be unbelieveble favoritism. And the headmaster would have a lot to do without having to chase after a quarter of the students.

[Equinox Chick]

Slughorn was certainly Head of House when Snape fled at the end of HBP. I doubt Snape would have put someone else in charge of Slytherin. Of course he could have made Amycus HoH, but i think it's likely that Slughorn remained HoH because Snape would know that he's controllable (The Carrows were more of a law unto themselves). Slughorn is certainly in charge just before the battle, but then Snape and the Carrows are otherwise engaged.

I can't see a Head of House not being a member of that House either. Their loyalties would be totally split.

As to whether he was HoH during Riddle's time, we don't know. It's a reasonable assumption, but it is just an assumption. He had the Slug Club set up and his own study, that seems to suggest he lived at Hogwartsso perhaps he was HoH. Not all the teachers have to live in the Castle (Neville, we're told, lived above the Leaky Cauldron). I think some would love to live away from the place.

~Carole~

[Maple_and_PheonixFeather]

I definately think he was HoH during the Trio's seventh year, as during the final battle he was in charge of the Slytherins and was told it was time the Slytherins showed their loyalty. But anyway, he was in charge of getting them to safety.

[Weasley Mom]

Thanks everybody... you've helped!

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[AidaLuthien]

I can't see a Head of House not being a member of that House either. Their loyalties would be totally split.

That would be a very amusing situation actually. Not having a HoH for say... Slytherin, and having to nominate someone who was not actually part of Slytherin in their school years to take the job. ... particularly if that person were a Gryffindor.

Slughorn probably was a Slytherin though. It doesn't make sense to nominate someone from a different house to be HoH unless they really had no one else. The person wouldn't be able to understand the mindset of the house if they had been Sorted elsewhere... or if they were foreign, I suppose.

Slughorn was probably the HoH for Slytherin during the Trio's seventh year. I don't think Snape would have had enough time to do it himself, and he wouldn't have trusted the either of the Carrows to do it. They might have demanded the job though. If you needed that to happen as a plot point, I'd find it believable.

It's highly possible that Slughorn was HoH for Slytherin during Tom Riddle's school years, it would certainly have given Riddle a strong connection to him besides the Slug Club... but Slughorn would have been a lot younger, and maybe a more experienced teacher would have been HoH, at least when Riddle first started.