Professor Basil Fronsac was a wizard. A scholar and a supporter of Ravenclaw, he was appointed as Headmaster of Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry sometime before Armando Dippet. There is a portrait of him hung in the Headmaster's office, in order to give advice to the current Head,^[2] and several others of a younger him on the Castle's main halls.

Contents 1 Biography 1.1 Early life 1.2 1993–1994 school year 1.3 1995–1996 school year 1.4 1996–1997 school year 2 Behind the scenes 3 Etymology 4 Appearances 5 Notes and references

BiographyEdit

Early lifeEdit

Basil Fronsac attended Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry in his youth and was Sorted into Ravenclaw.^[3] In his elderly years, Professor Fronsac was appointed Headmaster of Hogwarts.^[2]

1993–1994 school yearEdit

In 1993, Professor Fronsac had several portraits hung at Hogwarts Castle; quite a few of them at the Grand Staircase.^[4]

1995–1996 school yearEdit

By 1995, his portrait was hung at the Grand Staircase. The portrait guarded a shortcut leading to the second-floor corridor, near the Library. He held a pocket watch and his password was "Studious Success". He would be happy to help any "inquisitive minds" that could find out where Rowena Ravenclaw came from.^[3]

1996–1997 school yearEdit

In the next school year, the portrait was moved to the Dungeons. He still guarded a secret passage, this time leading to the Grand Staircase. His password became "Libraries Liberate".^[5]

Behind the scenesEdit

• The portrait of the middle-aged Basil Fronsac appears to be a direct homage to a portrait of Henry James.

EtymologyEdit

The name "Basil" is from the Greek name "Βασιλειος" ("Basileios"), which was derived from "βασιλευς" ("basileus"), meaning "king". Saint Basil the Great was a 4th-century bishop of Caesarea and one of the fathers of the early Christian church. It was also borne by two Byzantine emperors.

AppearancesEdit

• Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets (film) (Disc 2)
• Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban (video game) (Appears in portrait(s))
• Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix (video game) (Appears in portrait(s))
• Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince (video game) (Appears in portrait(s))
• The Wizarding World of Harry Potter (Appears in portrait(s))

Notes and referencesEdit

Hogwarts Castle
Locations below ground floor
Boathouse · Chamber of Secrets · Dark Hall · Deathday Party Hall · Detention escape route · Dungeons · Dungeon cave · Dungeon Corridor · Dungeon Five · Dungeon hall · Dungeon Pit · Dungeon Staircase · Entrance Dungeon · Forgotten Cavern · Hieroglyphic Hall · Hogwarts Basement · Hufflepuff Basement · Kitchens · Lever Rooms · Lost Tunnel · Lower Chambers Corridor North-East · Lower Chambers Corridor West · Lower Chambers Portrait Corridor · Poltergeist Passage · Porticus Circumscriptus · Porticus Periculum · Porticus Imago · Porticus Medius · Porticus Olidus · Potion-Mixing Room · Potions basement · Potions Classroom · Potions staircase · Prowling Passage · Quidditch cave · Room of Doom · Room of Runes · Severus Snape's office · Shop · Slug Pit · Slytherin Boys' Dormitory · Slytherin Duelling Dungeon · Slytherin Dungeon · Slytherin Girls' Dormitory · Undercover route to the Kitchens · Underground Chambers · Vestibule of Mischief · Way to Courtyard
Portraits, statues and other artwork located below ground floor
Basil Fronsac · Bloody Baron · Cecilia Gallerani · Elizabeth Burke · Hooky · Mad old man · Mopsus · Old man · Percival Pratt · Salazar Slytherin · Sleeping hermit · Bearded man with book

Hogwarts Castle
Locations on the second floor
Class 31 · Defence Against the Dark Arts Professor's office · Hall · No entry due to flooding · Second Floor Corridor · Potions storeroom · Foyer · Arcade area · Secret storeroom
Portraits, statues and other artwork located on the second floor
Anne Boleyn · Basil Fronsac · Termeritus Shanks · Apples · Map of Argyllshire · Medieval wizard · Wizarding family

Hogwarts Castle
Locations on the third floor
Armoury · Charms Corridor · Class 34 · Classroom 2E · Classroom 3C · Clock Tower Entrance · Flipendo Challenge · Gunhilda of Gorsemoor Corridor · Hesperius Hall · Jinx Rooms · Library · One-Eyed Witch Passage · Storeroom · Third Floor Corridor · Trophy Room · Trophy Secret Passage · Turret Stairwell · Vastus Vestibule
Portraits, statues and other artwork located on the third floor
Basil Fronsac · Brutus Scrimgeour · Damara Dodderidge · Drunk Monks · Gunhilda of Gorsemoor · Helena Ravenclaw · Merwyn the Malicious · Nicholas de Mimsy-Porpington · Shepherdess · Tenem Musacitz · Termeritus Shanks · Valeria Myriadd · Witch in green · Witch in Pompadour hairstyle Wizard in black · Wizard in red ·