A.N. — I prefer book canon, but this little moment from the Half-Blood Prince movie was too tempting to pass up. If I was following the timeline here, this would fall on December 20, but someone else gets the Slug Club Christmas party spot instead.
171. Marcus Belby
His uncle Damocles had parlayed Slug Club membership into renown in potion making. Why, then, was Marcus Belby stuck being a bathroom attendant for said Club's Christmas party? Did his family connections mean nothing to Professor Slughorn after all?
Really, Marcus should've known he wasn't held in favor when Slughorn called out his eating habits on the train. It was pretty remarkable that he was still included, now that he thought about it. As a Ravenclaw, he should've seen the writing on the wall far earlier. Instead, here he was, hanging onto a withered dream... along with a damp towel.