He remembers how it feels to be reviled at school for connections to Dark Magic. He sees his Slytherin students’ fathers at Death Eater gatherings. He knows things are only going to get worse. He’s their Head of House, possibly the only adult at Hogwarts that these boys trust, and unlike his work with Harry, protective feelings toward his Slytherins have always come naturally to him. Vengeful, ugly, angry boys with family crises and a tendency to Dark Magic: this hits home for him.
