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"Professor Kettleburn survived no fewer than sixty-two periods of probation during his employment as Care of Magical Creatures teacher."
Albus Dumbledore[src]

Professor Silvanus Kettleburn (b. 22 November, year unknown) was a wizard who, after graduating from Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry, served as professor of Care of Magical Creatures. His recklessness and the nature of his subject resulted in him losing all his limbs but one arm and half of one leg. He retired in 1993, but still made visits to dragon sanctuaries.

Biography

Early life

Silvanus Kettleburn was born to a a wizard and a witch on one 22 November. He received magical instruction at Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry, in which he was Sorted into Hufflepuff,[1] and presumably achieved high marks in Care of Magical Creatures.

Professor of Care of Magical Creatures

Under Headmaster Armando Dippet

Dippet Portrait

Professor Armando Dippet.

" [...] it was several months before the Great Hall lost its pungent aroma of wood smoke, and even longer before Professor Beery's head reassumed its normal proportions, and Professor Kettleburn was taken off probation [...]'"
Albus Dumbledore[src]

At some point in his life, Kettleburn became the Professor of Care of Magical Creatures at Hogwarts School under Headmaster Armando Dippet. During his time as a professor, Kettleburn amassed sixty-two periods of probations.[2] One of which was when a worm he provided for the play of The Fountain of Fair Fortune (which was in fact an Engorged Ashwinder) exploded and started a fire, also starting a duel between the girls playing Amata and Asha, in which Professor Herbert Beery, the Herbology Professor, was caught in the crossfire. Beery's head was reported to have been disfigured, and it took him a long time for it to return to normal, which led to his retirement as a professor.[2]

Under Headmaster Albus Dumbledore

Albus dumbledoreglasses

Professor Albus Dumbledore.

"By the time I became Headmaster, however, Professor Kettleburn had mellowed considerably, although there were always those who took the cynical view that with only one and a half of his original limbs remaining to him, he was forced to take life at a quieter pace."
Albus Dumbledore[src]

By the time Albus Dumbledore, the Deputy Head and Transfiguration Professor, had taken over from Professor Dippet as Headmaster, Professor Kettleburn had calmed down a considerable amount, though this was likely because he only had one and a half of his original limbs left:[2] one arm and half a leg.[1]

Retirement

"As to our second new appointment: well, I am sorry to tell you that Professor Kettleburn, our Care of Magical Creatures teacher, retired at the end of last year in order to enjoy more time with his remaining limbs. However, I am delighted to say that his place will be filled by none other than Rubeus Hagrid, who has agreed to take on this teaching job in addition to his gamekeeping duties."
Albus Dumbledore at the 1993 Welcoming feast.[src]

Kettleburn remained teaching Care of Magical Creatures until 1993.[3] He retired to spend more time with his remaining limbs. According to Rubeus Hagrid, who succeeded him, Professor Dumbledore came straight to his hut after Kettleburn said that he had had enough.[3] As a retirement present, Kettleburn was presented a set of enchanted wooden prosthetics by Albus Dumbledore, which needed constant replacement due to his habit of visiting dragon sanctuaries.[1]

Personality and traits

"His relations with my predecessor at Hogwarts, Professor Dippet, were always strained, Professor Dippet considering him to be somewhat reckless."
Albus Dumbledore[src]

Kettleburn was considered reckless by many people, including his former employer Armando Dippet.[2] One notable example of his recklessness was the The Fountain of Fair Fortune incident in the Great Hall, which resulted in a packed Hospital wing, a Great Hall smelling of burned wood and Herbert Beery's head growing out of proportion. Kettleburn had mellowed considerably by the time Dumbledore took over,[2] although he was regarded as a "loveable if eccentric man".[1]

He never married and had no children.[1]

Etymology

"Silvanus" is a Roman name derived from Latin silva "wood, forest". Silvanus was the Roman god of forests. '

Appearances

Notes and references

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)
Care of Magical Creatures
Fantastic-beasts-and-where-to-find-them-pottermore
Care of Magical Creatures at Hogwarts
Hagrid's Hut · Forbidden Forest · Care of Magical Creatures Classroom · Magical Creatures (club) · The Paddock
Professors Silvanus Kettleburn · Rubeus Hagrid · Wilhelmina Grubbly-Plank (substitute teacher)
Textbooks The Monster Book of Monsters · Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them
Creatures studied at Hogwarts
Blast-Ended Skrewt · Bowtruckle · Chimaera · Crup · Demiguise · Diricawl · Doxy · Dugbog · Fairy · Fire Crab · Fire Dwelling Salamander · Flobberworm · Fwooper · Glumbumble · Gnome · Golden Snidget · Griffin · Hippogriff · Imp · Jackalope · Knarl · Kneazle · Moke · Murtlap · Niffler · Occamy · Porlock · Quintaped · Streeler · Thestral · Unicorn · Yeti
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