HBP17: A Sluggish Memory – Harry Potter Lexicon

"It was the Fat Lady who drank a vat of five-hundred-year-old wine, Harry, not me."
-- Hermione Granger

After arriving back at Hogwarts, Harry chats with Hermione about Ron and Draco Malfoy. He learns that apparition lessons are coming, and finds that both Ron and Ginny Weasley seem disenchanted with their relationships. He then has a lesson with Albus Dumbledore, where they discuss Rufus Scrimgeour and see two memories; In the first one, Morfin Gaunt tells Lord Voldemort about his family just before Voldemort kills the Riddles; in the second (which Horace Slughorn has modified), Voldemort asks Slughorn about horcruxes. Finally, Dumbledore sets Harry homework – to obtain the rest of Slughorn’s supressed memory.

Calendar and Dates

The chapter begins "late in the afternoon, a few days after New Year," and the evening before classes begin. By our calendar, New Year's was on a Wednesday, and thus this must be the evening of Sunday, 5 January. The chapter then continues through the evening following the first day of classes, Monday, 6 January.

Interesting facts and notes

"Won-Won!"

My unofficial reaction: Good God Almighty.

"I thought they could detect underage magic?"
"You are quite right - they can detect magic, but not the perpetrator"

Useful remarks on the subject of underage magic.

"So if you're underage and you do magic inside an adult witch or wizard's house, the Ministry won't know?"
"They will certainly be unable to tell who performed the magic...They rely on witch and wizard parents to enforce their offspring's obedience while within their walls."

Useful remarks on the subject of underage magic.

Memorable lines

"I like a quiet life, you know me."

But at that moment there was a loud squeal of "Won-Won!" and Lavender Brown came hurtling out of nowhere and flung herself into Ron's arms.

As he closed the study door behind him, he distinctly heard Phineas Nigellus say, "I can't see why the boy should be able to do it better than you, Dumbledore."
"I wouldn't expect you to, Phineas," replied Dumbledore, and Fawkes gave another low, musical cry.