Minerva McGonagall
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
| 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 |
| Actor | Dame Maggie Smith |
| First appearance | Harry Potter and the Philosopher's Stone |
Professor Minerva McGonagall (born October 4, c. 1920s) 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 teacher at Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry, where she began teaching in December 1956. McGonagall considers Transfiguration to be among the most complex and dangerous magic taught at Hogwarts.
McGonagall is described as a tall, rather severe-looking woman, with 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 years old. She wears square spectacles which match the markings around the eyes of her Animagus form of a silver tabby cat; McGonagall is an Animagus—a witch or wizard who is able to transform into an animal at will, and 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.
Contents |
[edit] Role in the series
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, 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 Rubeus Hagrid); and ultimately, her intelligence (to become an Animagus is very difficult, and can sometimes take years to master the magic). As Deputy Headmistress, McGonagall is the member of staff who runs the Sorting Ceremony at Hogwarts. Harry's immediate impression of her is of someone who is not to be crossed.
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 a broom. Furthermore, although a strict disciplinarian, she often assists Harry indirectly with activities that are not strictly within the rules of Hogwarts: for example, allowing Harry and his friends to use the Transfiguration classroom to practice for tasks in the Triwizard Tournament. Despite her stern front, McGonagall has been known to display a range of emotions when either unaware of observation or overcome by feeling.
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 mutual dislike for each other, as Umbridge continuously usurped more and more power from the staff and from Dumbledore and McGonagall in particular. McGonagall attempted to stop 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. When Umbridge attempted to leave the school unnoticed, Peeves borrowed the walking stick to chase Umbridge gleefully from the premises (along with a sock of chalk).
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, especially since she and others 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
The post of Slytherin Head was taken over temporarily by Horace Slughorn during Professor Dumbledore's funeral. If he leaves Hogwarts (having been contracted to teach only for a year), McGonagall will also require a new Potions Teacher.
The position of Head of Gryffindor is unclear: the fourth senior teacher present in the Headteacher's office at the end of Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince was Hagrid, a former Gryffindor, leading to speculation that McGonagall will appoint him as her replacement in Gryffindor.
[edit] References
[edit] External Links
- Minerva McGonagall on the Harry Potter Wiki
[edit] See also
| Preceded by Albus Dumbledore |
Hogwarts Deputy Headmistress December, 1956 - June, 1997 |
Succeeded by T.B.D. |
| Preceded by Unknown |
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) Spring 1993 – June 1993 |
Succeeded by Albus Dumbledore |
| Preceded by Albus Dumbledore |
Hogwarts Headmistress (Acting) June 1997 – present |
Succeeded by Incumbent |
| J. K. Rowling’s Harry Potter series | ||||
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| Philosopher's Stone | book | film | game | soundtrack |
| Chamber of Secrets | book | film | game | soundtrack |
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| Goblet of Fire | book | film | game | soundtrack |
| Order of the Phoenix | book | film | game | |
| Half-Blood Prince | book | film | ||
| Deathly Hallows | book | |||
| Other books | Other games | |||
| Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them | Harry Potter: Quidditch World Cup | |||
| Quidditch Through the Ages | ||||
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