"Welcome, welcome -- " The portly man turned away from a cauldron with an absent flick at the great spoon handle that protruded from it, confusion written on his face. That vanished as soon as he spied the woman who had entered. "Ah! No wonder I hadn't heard you enter. And here I was, worried that my hearing was giving about."

Slughorn chortled as if he had made a great joke and was terribly proud of himself. "Scouting the area, I presume? Seeing what's changed?"