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"Well, I think we should put it back in order for them, don't you?"
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Minerva McGonagall (born October 4, 1925) was the Professor of Transfiguration from 1956 until 1998 at Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry. She was also the Head of Gryffindor House, and Deputy Headmistress of the school under Albus Dumbledore. She is one of the few registered Animagi of her century, being able to transform into a tabby cat with markings near the eyes resembling her square spectacles. Her Patronus is identical to that cat. After the fall of Lord Voldemort, she became the Headmistress of Hogwarts, succeeding Severus Snape.
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Biography
Early Life
Minerva McGonagall attended Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry as a pupil from 1937 to 1944. She was sorted into Gryffindor House, of which she would later serve as Head. Not much is known about Minerva's early years, but it is suspected she was a Prefect in her school years. She also trained to become a legalised Animagus, taking the form of a tabby cat cat, identical to that of her Patronus.
Professor of Transfiguration
- "Transfiguration is some of the most complex and dangerous magic you will learn at Hogwarts. Anyone messing around in my class will leave and not come back. You have been warned."
- — Minerva McGonagall lectures the first-years.[src]
Sometime after her graduation, Minerva returned to Hogwarts to teach Transfiguration, possibly after Albus Dumbledore ascended to the position of Headmaster of the school. As a teacher, Minerva was a strict disciplinarian, maintaining control of her students with a stern hand that made her someone not to be crossed. Her lessons consisted off but were not limited to match-to-needle, beetle-to-button, and mouse-to-snuffbox transformations.
At some point, Minerva was also appointed Head of Gryffindor house and Deputy Headmistress of Hogwarts.
First Wizarding War
During the first rise of Voldemort, Minerva took part in combating the Dark wizard and his followers. She joined the Order of the Phoenix under Albus Dumbledore, and played a significant part in the resistance. After Voldemort's defeat at Godric's Hollow in 1981, she traveled to Surrey and there spent an entire day observing the Dursley family. Thus, she was present along with Rubeus Hagrid when Dumbledore placed the orphaned Harry Potter on the Dursleys' doorstep despite her objections.[1]
Between Conflicts
McGonagall begins the Sorting ceremony for the new students.
After the First Wizarding War, Minerva continued to teach at Hogwarts. In 1991 when the Philosopher's Stone was brought to Hogwarts for protection, she contributed to the defenses set up around the magical artifact by transfiguring an enormouschess set and animating it to behave as a normal Wizard's chess set would.
The year 1991 was also the year that Harry Potter came to Hogwarts. Though Minerva often maintained her strict persona in regards to the boy, she was not above bending the rules for him on occasion, such as when she caught him flying on a broomstick without proper supervision. Instead of expelling him, Minerva instead placed him on the Gryffindor Quidditch team as Seeker, and even purchased a Nimbus 2000 for Harry to play on.
In 1992, Minerva was present for the re-opening of the Chamber of Secrets. She along with the rest of the teaching staff scowered the castle for the Chamber, but to no avail. She also had to deal with the less than helpful Gilderoy Lockhart, who had been hired for the position of Defence Against the Dark Arts Professor. She had little liking or use for the man, and by the end of the year was only one of the staff who utterly despised him.[2]
In the final weeks of that school year, Minerva served as temporary Headmistress of Hogwarts after the Board of Governors suspended Dumbledore for failing to stop the attacks against students. When Ginny Weasley was later taken into the Chamber of Secrets, where "her body will lie... forever," Minerva despairingly believed that they were facing the end of Hogwarts. However, once the Basilisk|monster]] of the Chamber had been dealt with, Dumbledore returned to the school and Minerva returned to her normal duties.
The summer of 1992 also saw the escape of Sirius Black from Azkaban. When the school year began in September, Minerva had to deal with the effects that the Dementors had on her students, such as Harry Potter. She also authorized Hermione Granger to use a Time-Turner in order to take extra classes. Throughout the year, Minerva assisted in guarding the school, but nonetheless Black continued to infiltrate the castle, even making it into Gryffindor Tower when he found a discarded list of passwords. In the spring of 1993, she also witnessed the Gryffindor Quidditch team win the Quidditch Cup for the first time since Charlie Weasley attended and played for the team.
McGonagall reassuring Gryffindors of their safety from Sirius Black.
In the fall of 1993, Hogwarts hosted the magical schools Beauxbatons and Durmstrang for the Triwizard Tournament. Minerva more than once exhorted her students to provide a good appearance to their guests. At the end of the Tournament, however, Minerva accompanied Dumbledore and Severus Snape in the rescue of Harry Potter from the Death Eater that had spent the entire school year impersonating the Defense Against the Dark Arts Professor, Alastor Moody. She was instructed to guard Crouch after he revealed his part in the rebirth of Voldemort, but was unable to prevent the Dementor brought by Minister Cornelius Fudge for protection from giving the Death Eater the Kiss. Thus, when the Minister refused to believe Dumbledore and Harry Potter about the return of Voldemort, Minerva nonetheless stood in support of her superior and student. The Second Wizarding War had begun.
Second Wizarding War
- "May I offer you a cough drop, Dolores?"
- — Minerva McGonagall to Dolores Umbridge[src]
Minerva rejoined the Order of the Phoenix and spent much of the summer of 1995 doing work for the Order. Though these duties took up much of her time, Minerva would face even greater challenges at Hogwarts. Because Dumbledore was unable to find a new professor for Defense Against the Dark Arts, the Ministry of Magic appointed Dolores Umbridge, a senior Ministry official and stout supporter of Fudge, to the Hogwarts staff. Minerva saw this appointment as an affront to the school itself and did little to hide her disgust. When Harry Potter crossed Dolores in his first class with her, Minerva was sympathetic, but warned him that Dolores was not to be trifled with and that he should keep his head down.
McGonagall did all she could to circumvent Umbridge's authority without risking her own security as Deputy Headmistress. Indeed, she treated Umbridge with as little credence and respect as possible while Hogwarts was under investigation by the Ministry of Magic, and even gave Peeves tips on how to unscrew a chandelier when he was trying to cause havoc for Umbridge. McGonagall also managed to put aside her dislike of Professor Trelawney for a time.
After Dolores' appointment as High Inquisitor, Minerva was forced to endure the other woman's presence during her evaluation of Minera's teaching. Minerva kept her temper under control, maintaining an icy exterior and yet still unleashed a dry and pointed wit on Dolores. This led to Minerva being put on probation, but the encounter did serve to cheer students like Ron Weasley who heartily disliked Dolores.[3] Still, darker times lay ahead.
Minerva McGonagall arguing with Dolores Umbridge.
Despite Minerva's best efforts to thwart the Ministry's influence at Hogwarts, things continued to grow worse. After Dumbledore was ousted from the school, Dolores was appointed Headmistess over Minerva. When Dolores invaded the career advising of the fifth-year students, Minerva finally lost her temper. During Harry Potter's session, when Dolores kept interrupting the conversation and declaring that Harry would never be an Auror at the Ministry, Minerva declared to Harry that she would help him in any way necessary to achieve his goal.
The atmosphere at Hogwarts continued to devolve under Dolores' leadership, to the point that even Minerva and the staff did what they could to thwart her. Minerva herself even gave Peeves tips on how to unscrew a chandelier when he went on a rampage against Umbridge.
During the O.W.L. examinations, events came to a head. When Dolores and several Aurors attempted to evict Hagrid from the grounds of Hogwarts, Minerva sought to intervene on behalf of her colleague. However, before she could even draw her wand, Minerva was promptly hit with four Stunners in the chest, which required that she be moved from Hogwarts to St. Mungo's for treatment.
McGonagall confined to a wheelchair reading about Voldemorts return, after she was attacked by aurors called upon by Dolores Umbridge outside Hagrids Hut.
Minerva did not return to Hogwarts until after the Battle of the Department of Mysteries, when she promptly gave the six students involved fifty House points each for "alerting the world to the return of You-Know-Who."[4] She also watched with some happiness when Peeves chased Dolores from the school, commenting that she could have joined the students in watching Dolores being chased away, but Peeves had appropriated her walking stick and she could not make it to the door.
After her recovery, Minerva resumed her duties within the Order of the Phoenix as well as her teaching duties once the new school year began. She participated in the Battle of the Astronomy Tower in 1997, fighting off the Death Eaters that had invaded Hogwarts. After the battle, she was devastated at the death of Dumbledore at the hands of Severus Snape, the man whom she had known nearly her entire life as a teacher, mentor, and friend. In the final days of the school year, Minerva again assumed the duties of Headmistress for a brief time.
Battle of Hogwarts
As the war continued, Minerva remained at Hogwarts, even when it was taken over by Voldemort. Even when Severus Snape was appointed Headmaster and Amycus and Alecto Carrow were given free reign in the school, Minerva did as much as she could to protect the students. In May 1998, Harry Potter, Hermione Granger, and Ron Weasley returned to Hogwarts in search of Rowena Ravenclaw's Diadem. With help from Harry and Luna Lovegood, she incapacitated the Death Eaters Amycus and Alecto Carrow. Realizing that a battle was upon them, Minerva gathered Filius Flitwick and Pomona Sprout and together the three House Heads banished Severus from Hogwarts, Minerva even calling him a traitor as he fled Hogwarts.
After ordering the evacuation of younger students through the Hog's Head, Minerva begn to help fortify the castle against the coming attack, with the assistance of her fellow teachers, Order members, and even the older students who had stayed behind to fight. When Pansy Parkinson suggested they take the deal offered to them by Voldemort, that of their lives in exchange for Harry Potter, Minerva ordered the girl and all those not willing to fight to leave.
Minerva fought skillfully in the first part of the battle, and stood defiant in the lull. It was only when Minerva saw Harry Potter's body being carried by Rubeus Hagrid that she began to dispair, letting out a cry terrible to anyone who heard it. Nonetheless, Minerva continued to fight when the battle resumed after the attack by the Centaurs on Voldemort and the Death Eaters. In the final moments of the battle, she even dueled with Voldemort alongside Horace Slughorn and Kingsley Shacklebolt, only retreating when Harry revealed himself to duel Voldemort one final time.
After the War
With the conclusion of the war, Minerva returned to the position of Headmistress of Hogwarts. She had retired by the time Harry's second son, Albus Severus Potter, was going to Hogwarts for the first time.[5]
Appearance
Prof. McGonagall.
- "The door swung open at once, A tall, black-haired witch in emerald-green robes stood there. She had a very stern face and Harry's first thought was that she was not someone to cross."
- — Harry Potters first impression of McGonagall.[src]
McGonagall is described as a tall, rather severe-looking woman, with black hair typically drawn into a tight bun and she only let her hair down at the Yule Ball. She wears emerald green robes, a pointed hat that is cocked to one side, and always has a very prim expression.
McGongall was a fan of tartan print and would often wear it to Quidditch games along with a wooly hat covering her ears. McGonagall wears square spectacles that match the markings around the eyes of her Animagus form of a silver tabby cat and her patronus which is identical of her patronus.
According to Rowling, a "sprightly" 70-year-old, seeing as at the age of sixty-six where she was first introduced in the firstHarry Potter book, where she still had black hair without greying, even through the Deathly Hallows.
Magical Abilities and Skills
The dangerous examination of the cursed necklace.
Transfiguration Master: Throughout her time at Hogwarts, Professor McGonagall has taught Transfiguration as a class. She herself considers it to be amongst the most complex and dangerous magic taught at Hogwarts.
Expert Duelist: McGonagall is an exceptional duellist, capable of holding her own against much younger and more agile Death Eaters as seen in The Battle of the Lightning-Struck Tower and in the Battle of Hogwarts in which she fiercely duels Severus Snape. Later in the battle she also duels Voldemort alongside Kingsley Shacklebolt and Horace Slughorn, and living after being hit by four stunners to the chest, where most witches would have died from.
Animagus: Ability to transform into the form of a silver tabby cat at her desire. She often uses this when she hopes not to be recognised, an example is when she was spying on the Dursley family before Albus Dumbledore would have dropped off Harry.
Patronus Charm: Skilled in the creation of a corporeal patronus which takes the form of a cat, that identical to her animagus. As told in the books in Prisoner of Azkaban, when Hermione searches animagus refrences, she sees that McGonagall is one of the few registered animagi in the century. She is also the only person in the Harry Potter series who has cast three patronuses at once, but not in the presence of a Dementor.
Personality and Views
Minerva McGonagall is usually very serious and stern, and held in great respect (and some fear) by nearly all students. She tolerates no talking or silliness from her pupils. She once told students that the Yule Ball would be a time for them to "let their hair down," although even she seemed to note it was unlikely she would ever let her own hair down.
She is an avid Quidditch fan and has a love for cats. She wears emerald-green robes, and she is very fond of tartan patterns—even her nightdress and biscuit tins are tartan.
However, from time to time Professor McGonagall can show a bit of a softer side as seen during the return of Rubeus Hagrid in 1993 and when Dolores Umbridge sacked Sybill Trelawney she comforted her, even though McGonagalls views on Sybill were that she was a fraud.
Relationships
Harry Potter
Harry Potter.
Minerva showed her care for Harry ever since she, Dumbledore and Hagrid gave him to the Dursleys follwoing his parents deaths. She showed concern of Dumbledores choice of both trusting Hagrid with bringing Harry and the choice of family for Harry to stay with and spent hours on end spying on the Dursleys to get an inside of what life for Harry growing up would be like.
When Harry arrived at Hogwarts McGonagall was happy that he was sorted into Gryffindor, her house. When she saw Harry on a broomstick and what skill he had she left her office and went straight down to collect him. Instead of punishing him, however, she brought him to see Oliver Wood, captain of the Gryffindor Quidditch team, and offered him a place as Seeker on the team. Showing her gratitude that Harry accepted her offer, McGongall bought him a Nimbus 2000 for his first quidditch game, much to the dislike of other members of the team.
Throughout Harry's studies at Hogwarts, McGonagall kept a watchful eye on him and his friends, Ron Weasley and Hermione Granger. Concerned for their safety, McGonagall would often interfere as much as she could to keep them safe. In Harry's fifth year, she also promised Harry that she would do whatever she possibly could to see that he achieved his dream of becoming an Auror. Later when McGonagall found out about the punishments Harry had been recieving from Dolores Umbridge she stood up to her and had an argument infront of many students with her over her methods of punishment.
McGonagall's fondness for Harry would reach its height during the Second Wizarding War. At the Battle of Hogwarts, McGonagall let out a shrill cry that was equal to Ron and Ginny Weasley's and Hermione Granger's when she saw Rubeus Hagrid carrying Harry's seemingly dead body. She would even duel Voldemort himself in the final part of the battle, protecting Harry and other students.
Hermione Granger
Hermione Granger.
McGonagall took a shine to Hermione Granger, a student in her house right from her first lesson she had with her, during which McGonagall gave Hermione one of her "rare smiles" when Hermione successfully transfigured a match into a needle early on in the lesson and way before any other students. McGonagall was also disappointed in Hermione when Hermione claimed to have gone looking for the Troll that invaded Hogwarts under the impression that she could stop it. This wasn't true, however McGonagall was none the wiser.
Also, when Hermione was attacked by the Basilisk in 1992 McGonagall was greatly moved and felt deeply sorry for her and would often take time to visit her in the Hospital wing whilst she was petrified.
Later on McGonagall would also go to the effort to arrange for Hermione to be given permission to use a Time-Turner in her third year to take additional classes. This isn't an act often performed by teachers but McGonagall saw something special in Hermione and went out of her way to make sure she wasn't under-achieving.
During the Second Wizarding War when McGonagall was attacked by several death eaters outside of Hagrid's Hut, Hermione showed deep emotion towards the event, like McGonagall did a few years before when Hermione was attacked. McGonagall was almost a role model for Hermione and both had alot in common, for example both thought that Divination was a waste of time and that the teacher was a fraud, both had a liking for cats and both were sorted into Gryffindor house.
Neville Longbottom
Neville Longbottom.
- "Which abysmal, foolish person, wrote down the passwords and then proceeded to lose them? ...Is it always going to be you Longbottom?"
- — McGonagall on who gave Sirius Black the password to Gryffindor Common Room.[src]
McGonagall never seemed to have faith in Neville Longbottom or the patience for him. Ever since the first time Neville met McGonagall when he ran out of a crowd on his first day at Hogwarts screaming after his toad, she seemed to think he was useless. When Neville lost his scrap of parchment with Gryffindors passwords on them, allowing Sirius Black to enter the common room, McGonagall was furious with him.
However McGonagall couldn't help but feel pity for Neville after the loss of both his parents, who she knew from the First Wizarding War and fought alongside earlier on in her career. McGonagall may in later life been the one to employ Neville as the schools new Herbology teacher during her time as Headmistress, Herbology was always a good subject of Nevilles and McGonagall would stay at Hogwarts for sometime so it is possible.
Sybill Trelawney
Sybill Trelawney.
McGonagall and Trelawney were not the best of friends, they were merely teachers at Hogwarts that had to be civil to one another. As a divination teacher McGonagall was never going to like Trelawney as McGonagall believe the subject to be useless and a waste of time, she also thought that Trelawney as a teacher was a fraud. Having strong opinions on the subject alone, McGonagall was outraged at the poor standard of teaching that Trelawney did.
Despite her dislike for Trelawney and her teachings though, McGonagall would be bought closer to her through their hatred of Dolores Umbridge during the time when Umbridge served as Defence Against the Dark Arts teacher. When Umbridge used her powers to sack Trelawney, McGonagall was their as a shoulder to cry on for Trelawney, literally, and she spoke out against Umbridge and told her what she thought after the events, and when Dumbledore told Trelawney that she did not have to leave Hogwarts school grounds McGonagall took her back inside.
In later years, at the end of the war McGonagall became headmistress of Hogwarts. Wether or not she kept Divination and Trelawney as a part of Hogwarts is unknown, though it is likely as McGonagall would grow a sense of respect towards Sybill from her efforts in the Battle of Hogwarts.
Dolores Umbridge
Dolores Umbridge.
McGonagall disliked Umbridge right from the first time she met her, when she invaded Hogwarts with her High Inquisitor position. She stood up to Umbrdige when noone else seemed to to anything, not even Dumbldedore. McGonagall didn't approve of her methods of punishment and made sure that Umbridge knew about it.
When she took over Hogwarts, replacing Dumbledore, she even put aside her dislike of Trelawney. Umbridge was pleased once McGonagall was attacked and had to spend time at St Mungo's as she would have full control over Hogwarts, once McGonagall returned trouble started once more McGonagall went out of her way to make sure that Umbridges time at Hogwarts was horrible, she gave Peeves pointers on how to cause trouble for Umbridge and was in the crowd of students and teachers cheering at Umbridges departure. Later on when Umbridge returned for Dumbledore's funeral McGonagall was most furious at her nerve, however did not act on it as she felt that Dumbledore deserved to peace at his funeral.
Etymology
Minerva is the Roman goddess of wisdom, a name suitable for Minerva's personality and McGonagall comes from the Scotsman William Topaz McGonagall, who is to be considered one of the worst poets in the English language. The surname was chosen by J.K. Rowling because she loved the surname, not because he resembled Minerva McGonagall in any way shape or form.[citation needed]
Behind the scenes
- In an interview after the publication of Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows, J. K. Rowling said that Hogwarts had a different Head by the time Harry Potter's children arrived in 2017, saying that McGonagall was "getting on a bit". This is a bit odd, as Professor McGonagall would have been around ninety years old when Harry's children attended Hogwarts, and Dumbledore was 116 at the time of his death. Professor McGonagall does not seem the sort to take early retirement any more than Dumbledore was.
- A movie from 1974 entitled "The Great McGonagall" was about the aforementioned poet William McGonagall.
- At the time Tom Marvolo Riddle came to Hogwarts Minerva McGonagall was on her second year, even though it is not mentioned that she knew him.
References
Appearances
- Harry Potter and the Philosopher's Stone (First appearance)
- Harry Potter and the Philosopher's Stone (film)
- Harry Potter and the Philosopher's Stone (video game)
- Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets
- Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets (film)
- Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets (video game)
- Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban
- Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban (film)
- Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban (video game)
- Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire
- Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire (film)
- Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix
- Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix (film)
- Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix (video game)
- Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince
- Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince (film)
- Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows
