Minerva McGonagall
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| Harry Potter character | |
 Dame Maggie Smith as Minerva McGonagall in Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets |
|
| Minerva McGonagall | |
|---|---|
| Gender | Female |
| Hair colour | Black |
| House | Gryffindor |
| Allegiance | Order of the Phoenix, Hogwarts |
| Film portrayer | Dame Maggie Smith |
| First appearance | Harry Potter and the Philosopher's Stone |
Minerva McGonagall (born October 4, c. 1920) is a fictional character in the Harry Potter series of novels by J. K. Rowling. At the beginning of the stories she is deputy Headmistress, head of Gryffindor House, and the Transfiguration Mistress at Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry, where she began teaching in December of 1956. McGonagall considers Transfiguration to be among the most complex and dangerous magic taught at Hogwarts.
McGonagall has black hair, typically drawn into a tight bun. She wears emerald green robes, and always a very prim expression. She is, according to Rowling, a "sprightly" 70 year old. She wears square glasses which match the markings around the eyes of her tabby cat form (McGonagall is an Animagus - a witch or wizard who is able to transform into an animal at will - the first one to be introduced in the series). She also has a fondness for tartan patterns, apparently derived from a Scottish heritage; even her dressing gown and biscuit tin have tartan patterns. Stern, snappy, and generally reserved, Professor McGonagall has nonetheless been shown to have in mind the best interests of the students at Hogwarts, her wards in Gryffindor, and Harry himself. McGonagall is also one of Albus Dumbledore's staunchest supporters and is still a member of the Order of the Phoenix.
Her given name comes from Minerva, the Roman goddess of wisdom. Her surname comes from that of a 19th century Dundee eccentric, William Topaz McGonagall, [1] considered one of the worst poets in the English language.
McGonagall is played by Maggie Smith in the Harry Potter film adaptations.
[edit] Role in the books
Readers first encounter Minerva McGonagall in the opening chapter of Harry Potter and the Philosopher's Stone, when she meets Albus Dumbledore at Number 4 Privet Drive, Little Whinging, Surrey (the home of Harry Potter's aunt and uncle). It is immediately demonstrated that she is an Animagus (a witch or wizard who has the ability to turn into an animal without the aid of a wand), as she has waited on a brick wall all day in the form of a tabby cat. In this chapter, Professor McGonagall's personality is summarised: her caring side (she is worried when Dumbledore reveals he plans to leave Harry Potter, fresh from Lord Voldemort's devastating attack, with the Dursley family, his only living relatives); her snappy, brusque side (she criticises a number of people, including Hagrid); and ultimately, her intelligence (to become an Animagus is very difficult, and can sometimes take years to master the magic). McGonagall is the member of staff who runs the Sorting Ceremony at Hogwarts. She demands complete respect from all of her students.
McGonagall, in her capacity as Head of Gryffindor House is very keen on the success of the house Quidditch team. In the first book, after seeing Harry fly masterfully his very first time on a broom, she recommends him to fill the position of Seeker, even though as a first year student he would not normally be allowed to own a broom. (In the first film, when Hermione shows Harry the plaque with his father James being a Gryffindor seeker, a badge with M. G. McGonagall is also displayed, leading some fans to believe she played alongside James; this is, however, very unlikely, given her age, and the fact that she was already teaching when the Marauders were in school). A more believable explanation is that McGonagall was the head of Gryffindor house at the time of James' victory and her name was consequently added to the plaque as she was their guiding teacher. McGonagall, though a strict disciplinarian, often assists Harry indirectly with activities that are not strictly within the rules of Hogwarts. Despite her stern front, McGonagall has been known to display a range of emotions when either unaware of observation or overcome by feeling.
She has often hinted at certain things for Harry's benefit, such as her warning in his fifth year that the Ministry of Magic was monitoring communication in and out of Hogwarts (although this may have been in her capacity as a member of the Order of the Phoenix). She was also at this time the member of the Hogwarts staff who most obviously disliked Dolores Umbridge, yet was not afraid of her. All of Umbridge's attempts to interfere with McGonagall's business, whether career counselling or regular classes, would be promptly dismissed with a stern and usually sarcastic remark. During Umbridge's tenure as Headmistress, Professor McGonagall observed Peeves the Poltergeist attempting to unscrew a chandelier, and was overheard to mutter "It unscrews the other way". She also lent him her walking stick, which he used (along with a sock full of chalk) to beat Umbridge as she left Hogwarts.
Professor McGonagall is a member of the Order of the Phoenix, a fact revealed to Harry in Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix, and she warns Harry not to provoke Dolores Umbridge, who works for the Ministry of Magic. Nevertheless, she and Umbridge seemed to have a particular hatred for each other, as Umbridge usurped more and more power from the staff in general and Dumbledore and McGonagall in particular. McGonagall attempted to keep Umbridge and her fellow Ministry officials from unjustly taking Hagrid away by force, and paid for it when she was hit by four Stunning Spells. Taken from the school to St Mungo's, she returned to the school some time after the battle at the Ministry for Magic, though she temporarily used a walking stick to support herself.
After the death of Albus Dumbledore at the hands of Severus Snape in Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince, she again became the acting Headmistress of Hogwarts. Whether she will continue to hold the post of Headmistress is not yet apparent at the conclusion of that book, nor is the answer to the question whether Hogwarts will even stay open. Still, several quotes from characters and events have hinted that she will indeed become the next Head of Hogwarts. For example, Hagrid refers to her almost immediately after Dumbledore's death as the Headmistress. If McGonagall does indeed continue in the position, she will need to appoint a new:
- Deputy Head
- Head Of Gryffindor House
- Transfiguration Professor
and after the departure of Severus Snape:
- Defence Against The Dark Arts Professor
- Head Of Slytherin House
Horace Slughorn took over the position of Head of Slytherin House for the funeral of Professor Dumbledore, and if he does not resign or leave Hogwarts, he is expected to keep the position - in his previous term of employment at Hogwarts, he was Potions Master and Head of Slytherin House, both positions filled by Snape at some point since Slughorn's first retirement. If Slughorn again retires, McGonagall will have to appoint a new Potions Master/Mistress as well. The Head of Gryffindor House is by many fans thought to be Hagrid, as we know he was a Gryffindor in his years at Hogwarts and he also was called into McGonagall's office at the end of Book 6.
| Preceded by: Albus Dumbledore |
Hogwarts Deputy Headmistress December, 1956 - June, 1997 |
Succeeded by: T.B.D. |
| Preceded by: Albus Dumbledore(?) |
Head Of Gryffindor House December, 1956 - June, 1997 |
Succeeded by: T.B.D. |
| Preceded by: Albus Dumbledore |
Transfiguration Professor December, 1956 - June, 1997 |
Succeeded by: T.B.D. |
| Preceded by: Albus Dumbledore |
Hogwarts Headmistress (Acting) June 1997 - present |
Succeeded by: Incumbent |
