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"I hope she stays, that woman! That's more of what I thought Care of Magical Creatures would be like... proper creatures like unicorns, not monsters..."
Parvati Patil, on Grubbly-Plank's first lesson[src]

Professor Wilhelmina Grubbly-Plank was a witch who worked as a substitute Care of Magical Creatures teacher at Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry. She was first met by Harry Potter's batch in 1994, taking over lessons when Professor Rubeus Hagrid was unable to teach.[2] She taught the class again in part of the next school year when Hagrid was away on a mission for Albus Dumbledore.[5]

Biography[]

Early life[]

Wilhelmina Grubbly-Plank was born in or before 1930. She presumably sat for O.W.L.s and N.E.W.T.s in her youth, in order to have her current job, and likely achieved a high grade in Care of Magical Creatures.

Hogwarts substitute teacher[]

1994–1995[]

Professor Grubbly-Plank: "Hurry up, now, the bell rang five minutes ago."
Ron Weasley: "Who're you? Where's Hagrid?"
Professor Grubbly-Plank: "My name is Professor Grubbly-Plank. I am your temporary Care of Magical Creatures teacher."
— Professor Grubbly-Plank introducing herself to fourth year students in 1995[src]
Unicorn Students pm

Professor Grubbly-Plank introduces students to the unicorns

Professor Grubbly-Plank took over Rubeus Hagrid's lessons during January 1995, because Hagrid was indisposed after the defamatory article about him written by Rita Skeeter, about his status as a Half-giant. In the first lesson of the year, she taught the students about Unicorns. When Hagrid resumed teaching in early February, Grubbly-Plank was no longer required and she left the school. All the students present in her Care of Magical Creature lessons found her to be a good teacher.[2]

1995–1996[]

"Everyone here? Let's crack on then — who can tell me what these things are called?"
— Professor Grubbly-Plank teaching fifth years about Bowtruckles[src]

As Hagrid was absent in the beginning of the next school year, Grubbly-Plank was temporarily put in charge of Care of Magical Creatures again. She led the first years across the Lake on the enchanted boats, which was usually Hagrid's responsibility.[3]

Staff

Professor Grubbly-Plank and other teachers listen to a new teacher for the Defence Against the Dark Arts, Dolores Umbridge

When Hedwig was hurt when returning from London on 7 October 1995, Harry asked Grubbly-Plank to heal her, which she did without much difficulty.[6] However she was brusque in her replies to inquiries regarding Hagrid's whereabouts when Harry asked her about him, not wanting to inform Harry of his true highly classified and dangerous mission.[5] Grubbly-Plank passed Dolores Umbridge's (then-High Inquisitor of Hogwarts) inspection without incident while she taught her students about Bowtruckles and gave out a homework assignments, to sketch and label a drawing of one.[7]

After Hagrid's return on 7 November, Grubbly-Plank was relieved of her duties again. When Hagrid planned to leave Hogwarts at the end of this school year, he implied that Grubbly-Plank would take on the class full-time.[8] When he ran away from Umbridge and the Aurors,[9] it is unknown whether she returned to teach Care of Magical Creatures for the remainder of that school year, though following the Battle of the Department of Mysteries, Dumbledore did order Cornelius Fudge to have his Aurors call off the search for Hagrid so that he could return to work, indicating that he resumed the position following that event.[10]

Physical appearance[]

Professor Grubbly-Plank was described as an elderly witch with short grey hair and a very prominent pointed chin.[3]

Personality and traits[]

Professor Grubbly-Plank: "I should be able to sort this out if you leave her with me, Potter. She shouldn’t be flying long distances for a few days, in any case."
Harry Potter: "Er — right — thanks."
Professor Grubbly-Plank: "No problem."
— Professor Grubbly-Plank kindly healing Hedwig for Harry Potter[src]

Wilhelmina Grubbly-Plank was a very competent teacher, passing even Dolores Umbridge's inspection without incident (though Umbridge was disappointed by her expressing approval of Dumbledore). She always seemed level-headed, cheerful and efficient, and claimed to be very happy with the way Dumbledore governed Hogwarts. She also appeared to be kind-hearted and caring towards her students, as she helped nurse Harry Potter's pet owl Hedwig back to health after she was injured, showing her respect for animal life forms.[6]

Many of her students (Gryffindors included) felt that Professor Grubbly-Plank was a somewhat better teacher than Hagrid. Harry, Ron, and Hermione never admitted this though however, simply because of their very close friendship with Hagrid. Professor Grubbly-Plank also seemed to be very respectful towards Hagrid as she never criticised his teaching skills and even complimented his training of the school Thestrals. She further showed her respect for Hagrid when she brusquely refused to inform Harry Potter of his whereabouts, thoughtfully regarding his highly important and classified mission with the Giants. She was also known to smoke a pipe in her free time.[5]

Magical abilities and skills[]

Dolores Umbridge: "And what are you planning to cover with this class this year — assuming, of course, that Professor Hagrid does not return?"
Professor Grubbly-Plank: "Oh, I'll take them through the creatures that most often come up in O.W.L.. Not much left to do — they've studied unicorns and nifflers, I thought we'd cover porlocks and kneazles, make sure they can recognise crups and knarls, you know...."
Dolores Umbridge: "Well, you seem to know what you're doing, at any rate."
— Professor Grubbly-Plank's competency as a teacher[src]
  • Care of Magical Creatures: Professor Grubbly-Plank was very knowledgeable and skilful in the field of Magizoology. Her knowledge and expertise in her field meant she was appointed replacement Professor at Hogwarts at least twice and passed Dolores Umbridge's Ministry of Magic inspection. She was also considered a highly competent teacher by both Umbridge and students, many of whom considered her a superior teacher to Hagrid.[2][5][7]
  • Healing magic: She was skilled in healing magic to at least a reasonable degree, as she was able to heal Harry Potter's pet owl Hedwig when she was injured, presumably using magical means.[6][11]
  • Charms: She was capable of conjuring a non-corporeal Patronus,[4] a highly advanced piece of magic and a mark of superior magical ability given the immense difficulty of casting the charm.

Behind the scenes[]

Appearances[]

Wiki
The Harry Potter Wiki has 18 images related to Wilhelmina Grubbly-Plank.
Grubbly-Plank

Wilhelmina Grubbly Plank as she appears in LEGO Harry Potter: Years 5-7

Notes and references[]

  1. "World Exclusive Interview with J K Rowling," South West News Service, 8 July 2000 - "Hogwarts just serves Britain and Ireland."
  2. 2.0 2.1 2.2 2.3 2.4 2.5 2.6 Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire, Chapter 24 (Rita Skeeter's Scoop)
  3. 3.0 3.1 3.2 Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix, Chapter 10 (Luna Lovegood)
  4. 4.0 4.1 LEGO Harry Potter: Years 5-7
  5. 5.0 5.1 5.2 5.3 5.4 Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix, Chapter 13 (Detention with Dolores)
  6. 6.0 6.1 6.2 Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix, Chapter 17 (Educational Decree Number Twenty-Four)
  7. 7.0 7.1 Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix, Chapter 15 (The Hogwarts High Inquisitor)
  8. Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix, Chapter 21 (The Eye of the Snake)
  9. Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix, Chapter 31 (O.W.L.s)
  10. Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix, Chapter 36 (The Only One He Ever Feared)
  11. Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix, Chapter 18 (Dumbledore's Army)
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
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)
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