The Slug Club

The slug club was the sort of place where relationship were made. Connections and references are intrinsic to progress anywhere in the world, and Horace Slughorn was in a position to manipulate those connections. Through his years of teaching, he has cultivated an eye and a network for picking talents and placing them in the most opportune position to further their career. From businesses to sports to ministry, Slughorn has friends everywhere and the man knew how to leverage those relationships to seem important. It was usually a harmless posturing of a man who wanted to be self important so the established people ignored it, while for youngsters it was an opportunity so they embraced it.

As I went there, I saw a plethora of students, some who would be famous while some who will be infamous, strolling around. Though the war has affected the usual routine of Slughorn inviting his previous famous students as no one knew who the death eaters will target, the party was a great place for students of different houses to mingle among themselves.

I saw a list of famous or to be famous people mingling around the room as I went there. Gwenog Jones, who will turn out to be a star quidditch player was chatting with James Potter. Damocles Belby, my housemate was another famous potion making student of Slughorn present alongside Lily Evans. They both were chatting with the man himself with James Potter looking over once in a while. I thought that Potter was brought here mostly against his will. It was most likely Lily who had invited him there to keep him away from unleashing mayhem now that he has become a head boy.

Pollina Shert was there wearing a velvety red robe looking all sparkly. Perhaps the sparkle has charmed her longtime boyfriend and heir to one of the richest pureblood family in Britain, Robin Greengrass. Greengrass has graduated a few years earlier, so she was sitting with our housemate, the younger Black sibling mostly keeping quiet. Regulus Black was sitting there brooding over all the noise but one look at hos face was enough to say that he wanted to be anywhere but here. Perhaps he was here because he didn't wanted to refuse his house head or perhaps he was disgusted by the sparkles, who knows?

Sirius Black was missing or perhaps uninvited now that he had been disinherited by the most ancient and noble house of Black. Rollo Scrimgeour, a cousin of up and coming ministry official in Magical law enforcement Rufus Scrimgeour, was there. Tiberius McLaggen, a seventh year Ravenclaw student and currently a ministry intern was also there with his friend Bob Ogden.

As O'Shea was invited by Slughorn himself, he went and met the host first. The man with he pudgy belly was helping himself to some butterbeer. He was excited to see me or just add one more member to his esteemed club, who knew, but he patted my shoulders quite a few times forcefully to show his appreciation.

He introduced me to both his potion students, "O'Shea m'boy, let e introduce you to the best potion making talent of this generation."

Lily Evans smiled indulgently at Slughorn's introduction while Belby gave a nod to show his acceptance. Slughorn continued, "Only Severus is somewhat capable to these two genius in my subject, I daresay. You have met Lily a few days back in my class and Belby is of course from your house, so I think you should know."

"Of course, Professor."

"Good good, lads this is O'Shea Wyllt. A rather hidden genius of our school, if I must say so myself. A few days ago when I asked about him with professors, quite shocking to see him receive glowing praise from Filius to Minerva. His family, Wyllts has quite a long history and has produced decades of witches and wizards. I daresay that he is going to follow his rich family history. You have a family member in Wizengamot too, right boy?"

Oh professor...if only you knew our history. But outwards I responded, "One of my father's cousin holds that position actually, Sir."

"I remember a lot of Wyllt family students over the year but your father, I don't remember. Was he not in Hogwarts?"

"My father actually went to NRSM. My grandfather usually managed the business part of our family. So, we have been to different countries frequently over the years. My grandfather himself was also educated there in NRSM but now we have finally returned to our roots here in Britain."

"NRSM is very prestigious, though slightly younger than our own school. But the magical research community there is very progressive." Slughorn was feeling quite delighted to listen to this idea as Nightwind Royal School of Magic was universally acclaimed as the best research school of magic. The more he listened to the boy chatter the more he felt that he has spread his influence wider by calling the Wyllt boy in his fold. He slowly started introducing him more to the members of his club.

After he got acquainted with the rest of the club, O'Shea selected his primary targets and chose to concentrate on his talk with them. He spent most of his time with Lily Evans followed by Belby and Black jr., who was quite approachable once removed from the sparkly shadow of future Mrs. Greengrass. As for the rest, he has no interest in quidditch or ministry as he will make his own connections there in time. His topics mostly included potions with Lily and Damocles while Regulus was astonished with the vast array of magic O'Shea knew.

The two things which served as unintended diversion from his original plan was a small comment by James Potter along the lines of a little snake trying to woo his girl again, which was promptly ignored and another was a meeting with an extraordinary witch.

For some reason, I seem to find that witch familiar but on the other hand, I was also quite certain that I was meeting her for the first time. She has penetrating ash gray eyes covered by dirty blond hair and went by the name of Pandora Verud. I found her character stuffed with a bit of dottiness when she was talking with Lily Evans, for the most part she stayed away from the rest of the club. I ignored the familiar feeling as I couldn't remember her identity but still, I made certain to greet her and left it at that for the moment. If I could sum her experience in the party in a single statement it would be apt to say that she seemed more likely to having strolled confusedly in the room rather than planned to enter the party.

Overall on O'Shea's part, he quite enjoyed the party as he got acquainted with the up and coming stars of British wizarding world. At the time when O'Shea left the party, he was feeling satisfied with his plans going smoothly on track.