Severus glanced over at Regulus and recognised the truth of that statement. Of course Regulus couldn't relate, he'd never had a chance to grow up and take his place as an adult in the world. "That is a very apt description of Gryffindors." He shrugged. "Of course, i had done my best to make them think I was the evil Death Eater so I cannot entirely fault them." He smirked. "Only mostly but not entirely."
"Albus didn't give me the details, only that Riddle had been searching for answers regarding horcruxes and he found them in Slughorn." He snorted and looked up at the teachers' table. "He was back here, you know. Slughorn. The last two years by my timeline. He took over Potions from me when I moved to teach Defence Against the Dark Arts and then stayed when I became Headmaster."
Severus pondered that idea. He felt it was a touch simplistic, though there was some truth in it. Skeeter was an appalling excuse for a journalist but he'd always suspected she'd gotten closer to the mark in her book about Albus than she had anywhere else, based on things he'd heard and found out for himself. Albus had been ruthless. He had been the ultimate chessmaster and would have made a superb Slytherin, if he'd been willing to embrace it. He'd always felt that was why Albus had always looked upon Slyhterins with such suspicion. He saw what he felt were his worst qualities in those in that House and rejected them. More fool him. He could have done more if he'd been willing to accept those facets of his personality and train them properly. Phineas had said that a number of times - that Albus had always wasted his potential.
He set those thoughts aside and then nodded at Regulus' explanation. "Not unsurprising. Many countries pulled away during the last year. Not many fully breoke off diplomatic relations but most pulled their ambassadors back to their own countries." He grimaced and shook his head. "Did no one at the Ministry ever speak to a single Healer at St Mungos? Or a Potions Master? We could have told them that Muggle science and medicine has unpredictable and usually deleterious effects when mixed with magic."