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"Seen and not heard; that's what children should be."
— Elizabeth Burke's portrait[src]

Professor[4] Elizabeth Burke[6] (d. before 1925)[1] was a witch and headmistress of Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry prior to 1925.[1] She had several portraits hung in the castle. She held and encouraged pure-blood supremacy, telling Slytherin students to be "nasty to Mudbloods".[7]

Biography[]

Early life[]

Elizabeth Burke PS film

Elizabeth's portrait hung at the Grand Staircase

Elizabeth attended Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry in her youth and was sorted into Slytherin. She was appointed Headmistress of Hogwarts School at an unknown point.[4] Burke had a portrait painted of herself when she was thirty-five years old.[8]

1991–1992 and 1992–1993 school years[]

By 1991, Elizabeth's portrait was hung at the Grand Staircase, above the stairs between the archway to the Entrance Hall and the doorway to the first-floor.[9]

During the next school year, Elizabeth's portrait was maintained at the same place at the Grand Staircase.[10]

1995–1996 school year[]

Elizabeth Burke: "Password?"
Slytherin student: "Slytherins are supreme."
Elizabeth Burke: "Pass Slytherins. And remember - be nasty to Mudbloods!"
— Burke's portrait giving special access to Slytherin students[src]

By 1995, her portrait was no longer hung by the first-floor landing of the Grand Staircase, but two floors below, at the Entrance Dungeon. During this school year, she hid a secret passage to the Main Dungeons. In order to gain passage, one had to give her the password "Slytherins are Supreme", which only she and the Slytherin students knew about.[7] There was another portrait of her, hung near the entrance to the Potions Classroom, hiding a passage to the seventh-floor corridor. Its password was "Facta, non verba".[6]

1996–1997 school year[]

By the next school year, her portraits no longer hid any secret passageway, nor did they stay on the same walls.[11]

1997[]

One of her portraits was hung in Malfoy Manor.[12]

Etymology[]

  • "Elizabeth" is from Ελισαβετ (Elisabet), the Greek form of the Hebrew name אֱלִישֶׁבַע (Elisheva) meaning "my God is an oath" or perhaps "my God is abundance". It has been very popular in England since the reign of Queen Elizabeth I in the 16th century. Famous modern bearers include the British queen Elizabeth II (1926-2022).

Behind the scenes[]

Appearances[]

Notes and references[]

  1. 1.0 1.1 1.2 1.3 Portraits of Headermasters and Headmistresses are hung in the Headmaster's office after they die. Professor Burke's could not have held the position after 1925 given that Phineas Nigellus Black was the last Slytherin headmaster and died in that year.
  2. Writing by J. K. Rowling: "The Malfoy Family" at Wizarding World - The pure-blood Malfoy family are "not against marrying half-bloods"; as a member of the Sacred-Twenty-Eight pure-blood Burke family, she similarly may have been pure-blood or half-blood.
  3. "World Exclusive Interview with J K Rowling," South West News Service, 8 July 2000 - "Hogwarts just serves Britain and Ireland."
  4. 4.0 4.1 4.2 Harry Potter for Kinect is the only time Burke's portrait is seen in the Headmaster's Office
  5. The portrait was hung in Malfoy Manor, so it is possible that she was related to the Malfoys.
  6. 6.0 6.1 Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix (video game) - GBA version
  7. 7.0 7.1 Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix (video game)
  8. Harry Potter Limited Edition
  9. Harry Potter and the Philosopher's Stone (film)
  10. Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets (film)
  11. Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince (video game)
  12. Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows: Part 1 (video game)
  13. DVD 2 - Special Features (The Quest of Sir Cadogan)
Hogwarts faculty
Hogwartscrest
Founders Godric Gryffindor · Helga Hufflepuff · Rowena Ravenclaw · Salazar Slytherin
Headteachers Giffard Abbott · Walter Aragon · Phineas Nigellus Black · Elizabeth Burke · Antonia Creaseworthy · Dilys Derwent · Armando Dippet · Albus Dumbledore · Mordicus Egg · Everard · First Headmaster · Niamh Fitzgerald · Dexter Fortescue · Basil Fronsac · Brian Gagwilde · Limebert · Minerva McGonagall · Eupraxia Mole · Edessa Sakndenberg · Brutus Scrimgeour · Phyllida Spore · Severus Snape · Amrose Swott · Quentin Trimble · Dolores Umbridge · Fytherley Undercliffe · Vindictus Viridian · Vulpus · Heliotrope Wilkins · Gimlet-eyed Headmistress · Headmaster (1568) · Headteacher (1792) · Unidentified Headteachers
Deputy Heads Alecto Carrow · Amycus Carrow · Minerva McGonagall · Matilda Weasley
Heads of House Muldoon Cragg · Filius Flitwick · Godric Gryffindor · Gryffindor lady · Gryffindor man (II) · Gryffindor man (III) · Gryffindor man (IV) · Gryffindor Seeker · Helga Hufflepuff · Neville Longbottom · Minerva McGonagall · Valeria Myriadd · Uric Oapley · Podric Piles · Pink-faced Headmaster · Prendergast · Rowena Ravenclaw · Abraham Ronen · Horace Slughorn · Salazar Slytherin · Severus Snape · Pomona Sprout · Tobias Stump
Teaching staff Bartholomew · Bathsheda Babbling · San Bakar · Herbert Beery · Cuthbert Binns · Brindlemore · Charity Burbage · Herodiana Byrne · Camelia · Alecto Carrow · Amycus Carrow · Bartemius Crouch Junior (disguised as Alastor Moody) · Clodagh Dromgoole · Albus Dumbledore · Archibald Eagleton · Eleazar Fig · Firenze · Filius Flitwick · Fortinbras · Mirabel Garlick · Mirabel Garlick's predecessor · Jakub Gorski · Olivia Green · Rubeus Hagrid · Dinah Hecat · Rolanda Hooch · Bai Howin · Arsenius Jigger · Igor Karkaroff's Yule Ball partner · Silvanus Kettleburn · Chiyo Kogawa · Gilderoy Lockhart · Neville Longbottom · Remus Lupin · Elspeth MacGillony · Mazoni · Minerva McGonagall · Galatea Merrythought · Isidora Morganach · Mudiwa Onai · Prendergast · Quirinus Quirrell · Percival Rackham · Patricia Rakepick · Abraham Ronen · Charles Rookwood · Concordia Rowle · Luna Scamander · Satyavati Shah · Aesop Sharp · Arif Sikander · Aurora Sinistra · Horace Slughorn · Severus Snape · Pomona Sprout · Swoopstikes · Sybill Trelawney · Trocar · Dolores Umbridge · Septima Vector · Matilda Weasley · Matilda Weasley's predecessor · Unidentified professor · Charms professor (medieval) · Potions professor (16th century) · Holidaying professor (before 1890s) · DADA professor (1984–1985) · DADA professor (1985–1986) · DADA professor (1986–1987) · DADA professor (1987–1988) · DADA professor (1989–1990) · DADA professor (1990–1991) · Muggle Studies professor (1990s) · Music professor · DADA professor (1998–?) · Potions professor (21st century) · Charms professor (?th century)
Hogwarts house-elves Bilm · Boil-ridden house-elf · Cooky · Cosa · Deek · Dobby · Feenky · Filk · Gimkey ·Krafty · Kreacher · Nonsuch · Pitts · Retch · Ringkull · Rooky · Vekey · Wigby · Winky · Wooby · Unidentified house-elf (I) · Unidentified house-elf (II)
Support staff Phineas Nigellus Black's secretaries · Noreen Blainey · Rancorous Carpe · Argus Filch · Wilhelmina Grubbly-Plank · Rubeus Hagrid · Rolanda Hooch · Hankerton Humble · Gladwin Moon · Ogg · Irma Pince · Poppy Pomfrey · Apollyon Pringle · Lucinda Thomsonicle-Pocus · Agnes Scribner · Wainscott · Carriage driver (1890s) · Gamekeeper (1890s) · Unidentified Healers · Librarian (?th century) · Librarian (21st century)
Below the ground floor of Hogwarts Castle
Classrooms
Alchemy Class · Defence Against the Dark Arts dungeon · Potion-Mixing Room · Potions Classroom
Common Rooms
Hufflepuff Basement · Hufflepuff Boys' Dormitory · Hufflepuff common room · Hufflepuff Girls' Dormitory · Slytherin Boys' Dormitory · Slytherin common room · Slytherin Dungeon · Slytherin Girls' Dormitory
Corridors
Boathouse passageway · Corridor of Secrets · Dungeon cave · Dungeon Corridor · Forgotten Cavern · Hidden Herbology Corridor · Hieroglyphic Hall · Kitchen corridor · Lost Tunnel · Lower Chambers Corridor North-East · Lower Chambers Portrait Corridor · Lower Chambers Corridor West · Poltergeist Passage · Porticus Circumscriptus · Porticus Periculum · Porticus Imago · Porticus Medius · Prowling Passage · Quidditch cave · Secret way to Slytherin common room · Slytherin Corridors · Undercover route to the Kitchens · Unexplored passage to Hogsmeade · Way to Courtyard · Way to the Forbidden Forest
Halls and rooms
Athenaeum · Bottom of the Well · Campaign Room · Cauldron Room · Chamber of Secrets · Conical Crypt · Dark Hall · Deathday Ballroom · Deathday Party Hall · Duelling Room · Dungeons · Dungeon Chamber · Dungeon Five · Dungeon foyer · Dungeon hall · Dungeon Pit · Dungeon Portrait Room · Forgotten Dungeons · Grate Chamber · Kitchens · Map Chamber · Potions Classroom adjoining room · Potions Classroom dungeons · Room of Doom · Room of Runes · Shop · Slug Pit · Slytherin Duelling Dungeon · Undercroft · Vestibule of Mischief · Werewolf Saga Tapestries room
Offices
Secret study beneath Greenhouse One · Severus Snape's office · Slytherin's Scriptorium
Other locations
Boathouse · Dungeons cell · House-Elf Living Quarters · Lever Rooms · Lower Hogwarts Castle · Keepers' Caverns · Troll Bedroom · Underground Chambers
Portraits, statues and other artwork
Basil Fronsac · Bearded man with book · Bloody Baron · Cecilia Gallerani · Charles Rookwood · Emily · Elizabeth Burke · Hooky · Horace Slughorn · Howard · Mad old man · Mopsus · Niamh Fitzgerald · Old man · Percival Pratt · Percival Rackham · San Bakar · Salazar Slytherin · Sleeping Dragon Statue · Sleeping hermit · Slytherin Dungeon tapestries · Urn of Ashes
Staircases
Detention Escape Route · Dungeon foyer exit · Dungeon Staircase · Grand Staircase · Slughorn's Staircase · Slughorn's Stairs · Staircase to the Quad
Storerooms
Basement · Firefly Room · Neville Longbottom's storeroom · Potions basement · Store Room · Troll Storeroom
First-floor of Hogwarts Castle
Bathrooms
First-Floor Girls' Toilets
Classrooms
Advanced Arithmancy Studies classroom · Class 1 · Classroom 1A · Classroom 1C · Classroom 1D · Classroom 1E · Classroom 4F · Classroom used for storage · Classroom with maps of Great Britain and Ireland · Muggle Studies Classroom
Corridors
First-floor corridor · Library corridor · Passage of the Fouls · Tapestry Corridor
Halls and rooms
Detention Chamber · East Wing · Great Hall gallery · Hospital Wing · Library · Hogwarts Library secret room · North Hall · Portrait Hall · Rear Hall · Restricted Section · Torture room
Offices
Matilda Weasley's office · Minerva McGonagall's office · Poppy Pomfrey's office
Other locations
Minerva McGonagall's bedroom · Stone Bridge · Vault of Fear
Portraits, statues and other artwork
Affpuddle of the Cheerful Countenance · Bearded man · Elizabeth Burke · Count · Fat Friar · Female nurse · Male nurse · Beaumont Marjoribanks · Hengist Rawkes · Scholar · Sleeping dragon mural · Google Stump
Staircases
Faculty Tower staircase · Grand Staircase · Secret shortcut to the third floor · Staircase to the second-floor corridor · Staircase to the Serpentine Corridor · Staircase to the library corridor · Turris Magnus staircase
Storerooms
Hospital Wing stores · Potions Storeroom
Seventh-floor of Hogwarts Castle
Bathrooms
Disused bathroom
Classrooms
Classroom 7B · Classroom 7C · Divination Classroom
Common rooms
Gryffindor Boys' Dormitory · Gryffindor common room · Gryffindor Girls' Dormitory
Corridors
Divination corridor · Fat Lady's Corridor · Hall of Hexes · Porticus Olidus · Pungent Passage · Runic Corridor · Seventh-floor corridor
Halls and rooms
Bean Challenge rooms · Gryffindor Tower reading room · Knights' Room · North Wing
Offices
Filius Flitwick's office · Sybill Trelawney's office
Other locations
Dark Tower topmost cell · Room of Requirement · Vivarium
Portraits, statues and other artwork
A Young Professor McGonagall · Bridget Wenlock · Sir Cadogan · Caged monkey · Edward Rabnott · Elephant · Elizabeth Burke · Fat Lady · Flowering almond trees · George von Rheticus · Giraffe · Godric Gryffindor · Healers · Hippopotamus · Journeying wizards · Lachlan the Lanky · Mother and baby · Oraclitus Spheer · Staring Portrait · The Lady and the Unicorn · Three young ladies · Tiger · Troll Tapestry · Two lovers in a graveyard · Valeria Myriadd · Wailing Egyptians · Witch flying to the moon · Wizard in black flowing robes · Wizard in blue · Wizard with a broomstick · Wolfhound
Staircases
Detention Escape Route · Divination Stairwell · Grand Staircase · Grumpy Staircase · Ravenclaw Tower staircase · Secret stairway to the fourth floor · Slughorn's Staircase · Staircase to the sixth-floor corridor · Turris Magnus staircase
Storerooms
Attic
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