Albus Dumbledore had to keep a more closer eye on Harry, since his battle with the Dark Lord in the Ministry of Magic's foundation in Great Britain. Such rumors started out as lies, but became true about the evil entity everyone had came to fear; the birth of the term "You-Know-Who", leaving everyone in a panic [i]and[/i] disarray. Dark forces were flying and recruiting; and, if it suited them, murdering. Speaking of recruiting, Horace Slughorn was not able to hide forever; as he discovered one evening that Albus Dumbledore and Harry Potter would call into the Muggle village of Budleigh Babberton. In his attempt to escape Dumbledore, Slughorn had to come up with the idea that he would fake a struggle, wreck the house, and splash his last bottle of expensive dragon blood on the walls and ceiling, before disguising himself as an armchair. He hoped Albus would be fooled into thinking the Death Eaters had kidnapped or killed him; in his haste, however, he forgot to cast the Dark Mark over the building. Dumbledore saw through this guise and forced Horace to reveal himself. Dumbledore feigned going to the bathroom, leaving Harry alone with Slughorn. After talking to Harry, the former professor realized about everything he would be able to gain when returning to Hogwarts, like a more comfortable life, and not having to be on the run anymore, plus the opportunity to recruit the "Chosen One" into his Slug Club. He agreed to return to the school on the condition that he received a pay raise, and was given Professor Merrythought's old office, instead of the "water closet" he had last time. ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ [i]Meanwhile,[/i] The news wasn't completely grand to the ears of the Malfoy family. Not mention, not exactly "thrilling". In Minerva's point-of-view anyway. She heard that her father was already imprisoned in Azkaban, and that Aunt Bellatrix managed to escape, and reunite with her "one and happy family", as she would call it. The news came in, with one of those animated pictures; one of them with her father looking miserable and broken. It's not like she disliked her father but she truly pitied him in his acts to serve the Dark Lord, of whom she and her twin brother were blessed to serve, once they came of age. The very thought left her conflicted for the next few days, not long after having to learn about the news of Lucius Malfoy. In a way, she felt betrayed by the way her Aunt just left him like that. This was the thought that made her become skeptical of Bellatrix's way of showing care and "love"; the one word that the woman clearly has the lack of expressing. Her thoughts were cut off, once she felt the tug on her hand, made by Draco.