Does anyone have any idea as to what happened on Slughorn's lucky days? Remember, Slughorn mentioned that he's taken the Felix potion twice, once when he was 24, and once when he was 57. According to wikipedia, most say he was born between 1900 and 1919. So check these dates out and see, perhaps, what happened in those years and how they may be related to Slughorn (it goes...year = +24, +57).

1900 = 1924, 1957
1901 = 1925, 1958
1902 = 1926, 1959
1903 = 1927, 1960
1904 = 1928, 1961
1905 = 1929, 1962
1906 = 1930, 1963
1907 = 1931, 1964
1908 = 1932, 1965
1909 = 1933, 1966
1910 = 1934, 1967
1911 = 1935, 1968
1912 = 1936, 1969
1913 = 1937, 1970
1914 = 1938, 1971
1915 = 1939, 1972
1916 = 1940, 1973
1917 = 1941, 1974
1918 = 1942, 1975
1919 = 1943, 1976

It could be something personal or something that could have happened to set a chain of events leading to something significant.

For some reason, I have a strange feeling it has to do with Eileen Prince or the potions book she had. However, according to the book, it was published 50 years ago from book 6 (1996), which would make it 1946 - 50 years from then. Key years involving young Tom Riddle are present, and perhaps something having to do with Regulus in 1976. Didn't Slughorn divulge the Horcrux information in 1943? What do you guys make of that information? Anyone have any theories?

Slughorn said that they were to use the Felix Felicis on an ordinary day only. I don't think he set out to use the potion as Harry did, with a specific goal in mind. I would bet that he simply used it to turn the daily grind into something spectacular. Maybe he found a bunch of money which allowed him to go to the store, which had a mega sale on velvet smoking jackets and crystallized pineapple.

It's a good theory and definitely warrants some attention. Unfortunantely, it's really hard to pinpoint or narrow down the possibilities without Slughorn's actual birth year.

However, by the dreamy look in his eyes when he mentions those two perfect days, it might just be something personal. I'm seriously going to give it some thought, though, and do a little digging into those particular years you listed.

I figured it may have been something personal too, and you guys are right about not knowing his specific birth date.

It just seems too specific to have mentioned those ages that he took Felix. If it was something special why doesn't he take it all the time? He didn't take it while evading the Death Eaters or even Dumbledore?

Well, I've tried doing some research without much "luck". I guess I need some Felix Felicis! I did see on wikipedia where it had a narrowed down timeline for his birth year: 1898-1902. I couldn't find anything significant during the years he would have been 24 or 57. I would think that if JKR had a hidden meaning or there was something of importance that Slughorn did with his Felix, she would have been more specific as to his birth year.

Now, I wonder, if he was born 1919 could he have used it during the CoS incident in 1943? He became a professor in the 1940's. I don't see how that really affect anything though. Besides, if it was significant to the CoS, I still think JKR would have mentioned his birth year.

Maybe we will find out more about it in DH.

When he used the luck potion might be important, and they might not, like you all have said it depends when Slughorn was born. I can't think of what he might have used the potion for so it could go either way right now.

Excellant topic! I've been thinking about this one. At first I thought they were the days that he was hired and fired, but I checked with his age and birth and all that, but it didn't work. Some nice ideas have been put forward though!

1900 = 1924, 1957.......I think I'll go with partially on what Gryffindor's Heir said about these dates. I think Slughorn was still there until after Voldemort's first defeat (before Snape was hired). I think he may have been hired in 1924. However, what happened in 1957 that was so significant? Could it have to do with someone Harry's parents know, or even Harry knows? If the first date is about getting a position and making yourself secure for the foreseeable future (getting a steady job I mean), what if its something similar? A wife? More money? Power (even though he prefers the back seat)? However, he could have just as easily been hired in 1925 or 1930 for that matter.

Maybe he meant that he almost successfully hid his memory of the meeting with Tom Riddle on Horcruxes in 1943(?) from Dumbledore. At that point in the book (when he mentions about the times he was lucky), Dumbledore and Harry hadn't asked for his memory. He was given a clue about what may happen when Dumbledore showed him Voldemort's ring at his house, though, but maybe he didn't put two and two together. Year's later, if it was 1943, then it would make it 1976...Voldemort or his Death Eaters go after Slughorn and he escapes...with a bit of luck. Maybe he had been hiding ever since? Maybe the potions position was vacant of real good professor for about 4 years before Snape showed up.

EDIT:
This was posted in another thread but its relevant to this one:

Maybe he was hired when he was 24 but wasn't really that good at potions in the first place. He has accepts more students into his NEWT level classes than Snape does, maybe he feels they should as much of a chance that he had...or perhaps he feels like he should give people a similar chance since he knows he got lucky one day to be able to teach potions at Hogwarts for a few decades.

Maybe he was a pretty bad teacher that one day he got a book from a really good student at potions (Eileen Prince) who had scribbled some notes into the book (at this point he's 57, had taken the luck potion, and received the book to help him keep his job). He bases all his knowledge on this and later, a student needs a book who's parents didn't have enough money and Slughorn gives it up after basically memorizing it for many years, and this person is ironically the son of the real owner of the potions book (Snape). Perhaps he adds more notes or perhaps there are enough to go on. Remember, didn't Hermione say that the writing looked feminine? Maybe on winter break he brings his book home to continue studying (since he apparently loves potions) and his mother says that was her book. Feeling entitled to it, he writes "Property of the Half-Blood Prince".

Maybe Snape was forced to give it back to Slughorn and he put it in a cupboard and forgot about it, only to remember in this past book that it was there and looked for it to give to Harry. But does that explain how he seemed surprised about how Harry was real good at potions? No. Maybe he received many books at the end of that year when he was 57 and over the years gave them away to needy students until the very last one was left...which wound up in Harry's hands. After all these years, Snape would have been surprised that Harry got the book too...but like Slughorn, he couldn't divulge the information to Dumbledore or anyone else for fear of losing a job that may have had some sort of foundation with the book.