Minor Hogwarts teachers
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
The following are minor teachers at Hogwarts in the Harry Potter book series by J. K. Rowling.
- See also: Hogwarts teachers and Hogwarts subjects
The more important teachers, Albus Dumbledore, Minerva McGonagall, Severus Snape, Filius Flitwick, Horace Slughorn, Professor Quirrell, Gilderoy Lockhart, Remus Lupin, Alastor Moody (Barty Crouch Jr), Dolores Umbridge, Rubeus Hagrid, Pomona Sprout, Sybill Trelawney, and Firenze have their own pages, as do caretaker Argus Filch, librarian Irma Pince, and nurse Poppy Pomfrey.
Contents |
[edit] Note on names
In canon, the forenames of Professors Binns, Sinistra and Vector have not been revealed, the characters simply referred to, according to the school custom, as Professor [Surname]. However the characters are named on a sheet of scribbles revealed by Rowling on her website.
The canonical worth of the sheet is debatable. It contains other names which are wrong, or are of characters who have never appeared in canon, and references to clearly discarded concepts; this means that the information is sometimes discarded as 'non-canon'. Others accept the non-contradictory information due to it being unquestionably from Rowling (as opposed to other names, such as 'Rolanda Hooch' or 'Quirinus Quirrell'), and without contradictory information. In this article, the names derived from the sheet are included, but should not be accepted as unquestionable.
[edit] Professor Binns
| Harry Potter character | |
|---|---|
| Cuthbert Binns | |
| Gender | Male |
| Allegiance | Hogwarts |
| First appearance | Harry Potter and the Philosopher's Stone |
Professor Cuthbert Binns teaches History of Magic and has the distinction of being the only teacher at Hogwarts who is a ghost. It is said that he died while taking a nap in the staff room but continued teaching as though nothing had happened; one could speculate that he doesn't know he's dead yet, were it not for the fact that in Harry's first class with him, Binns "floated through the blackboard." His classes are infamous for being dreadfully boring. Binns does not engage with his students at all; rather, he drones interminable rote lectures about "The International Warlock Convention of 1289," or "a subcommittee of Sardinian sorcerers" in a monotonous voice described as sounding "like an old vacuum cleaner," while the class takes occasional notes in a state of torpor. So tied is he to his dull routine that he barely seems to notice he has students. On the one occasion when his class did attempt to quiz him on a historical subject, he couldn't remember any of their names.
His forename is derived from the sheet of scribbles, and has never been used by the author in any up-to-date source. However, it unquestionably derives from Rowling.
Binns has not appeared in the films. His explanation in the second book of the legend of the Chamber of Secrets is instead given by Professor McGonagall in the film.
[edit] Dilys Derwent
| Harry Potter character | |
|---|---|
| Dilys Derwent | |
| Gender | Female |
| Hair colour | Silver |
| Allegiance | Hogwarts |
| First appearance | Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix |
Dilys Derwent was a healer at St Mungo's Hospital for Magical Maladies and Injuries from 1722 to 1741, and headmistress at Hogwarts from 1741 to 1768. Dumbledore describes Derwent and another former headmaster, referred to only as Everard, as "two of Hogwarts's most celebrated heads" in Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix. She has a portrait hanging in St Mungo's as well as Dumbledore's office and can travel freely between them. It is interesting that Dilys appears to have moved directly into the position of headmistress without having a teaching position first. This suggests that she was perhaps in a leadership or administrative role at St Mungo's before leaving her post there, as those would be definite requirements for the position as headteacher.
Dilys and Everard are engaged in the search for Arthur Weasley by Dumbledore because they are famous enough to have portraits in other buildings: St Mungo's and the Ministry of Magic, respectively[HP5].
[edit] Professor Everard
| Harry Potter character | |
|---|---|
| Professor Everard | |
| Gender | Male |
| Hair colour | Black |
| Allegiance | Hogwarts |
| First appearance | Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix |
Professor Everard (forename unknown) was a former headmaster of Hogwarts and a prominent member of wizarding society. He has a sallow face and short black hair. His picture hangs in the Ministry of Magic and he is able to speak to the minister as well as travel from that portrait to his other one that hangs in the office of the Hogwarts Headmaster[HP5].
[edit] Wilhelmina Grubbly-Plank
| Harry Potter character | |
|---|---|
| Wilhelmina Grubbly-Plank | |
| Gender | Female |
| Hair colour | Grey |
| Allegiance | Hogwarts |
| Actor | Apple Brook |
| First appearance | Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire |
Professor Wilhelmina Grubbly-Plank is a substitute Care of Magical Creatures teacher. She first appears in Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire, taking lessons when Hagrid is unable to teach, and again in Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix when Hagrid is away on a mission for Albus Dumbledore.
We know little about her except that she is a reasonably competent teacher, passing even Dolores Umbridge's inspection without incident. She seems always level-headed, cheerful and efficient, and fends off Umbridge's questions without losing her temper or incriminating anybody. She claims to be very happy with the way Dumbledore runs the school. In Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix, Harry trusts her enough to ask her to heal his owl, Hedwig, when she is injured. Nevertheless, he is always somewhat annoyed by the fact that she is a much better teacher than Hagrid, to whom Harry remains loyal no matter how close to fatal his classes may be.
[edit] Madam Hooch
| Harry Potter character | |
|---|---|
 Madam Hooch as portrayed by Zoe Wanamaker |
|
| Madam Hooch | |
| Gender | Female |
| Hair colour | Grey |
| Eye colour | Yellow |
| Allegiance | Hogwarts |
| Actor | Zoe Wanamaker |
| First appearance | Harry Potter and the Philosopher's Stone |
Madam Hooch teaches flying and is the referee at Quidditch games. Madam Hooch is described as having grey hair, cut short, and "yellow and hawk-like" eyes. Madam Hooch learned to fly on one of the old Silver Arrows, which are now no longer made. They were considered the true forerunner of the racing broom.
All Madam Hooch seems to do at Hogwarts is referee Quiddich games and teach flying lessons to first years.
Like Professor Quirrell, Madam Hooch does not have an official first name. The Trading Card Game lists it as Rolanda. The Internet Movie Database listed her first name as Xiomara; however, Xiomara no longer appears as her first name and she is listed simply as Madam Hooch.
Despite Madam Hooch's clear affinity and love for flying and Quidditch, neither of her supposed names reflect this, giving weight to the speculation that J.K. Rowling did not use either name for the character. The situation thus runs counter to that of Professor Binns, Sinistra and Vector, whose forenames have not been used by the author since the early days of the novel's conception, but which do undoubtedly derive from her.
Madam Hooch was played by Zoe Wanamaker in Harry Potter and the Philosopher's Stone. A reference to her role in the film was made in the British sitcom My Family in which she plays Susan Harper, the eccentric mother and noted bad cook. The reference was made when Nick, her eldest son, opens a cereal packet and brings out a card and says "Hey, look, Madam Hooch!". Another was in the Halloween episode "Friday The 31st" in which Susan dresses up as a witch and, at one point, her husband Ben threatens to "stick her Nimbus 2000 up a place where witches don't fly". Hooch was cut from all subsequent movies.
[edit] Professor Kettleburn
| Harry Potter character | |
|---|---|
| Professor Kettleburn | |
| Gender | Male |
| Allegiance | Hogwarts |
| First appearance | First mentioned in Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban, never actually makes an appearance |
Professor Kettleburn was Care of Magical Creatures instructor who retired to "spend more time with his remaining limbs." He was replaced by Rubeus Hagrid. He retired by the start of Prisoner of Azkaban and his retirement was announced in the start of term feast.
[edit] Galatea Merrythought
| Harry Potter character | |
|---|---|
| Galatea Merrythought | |
| Gender | Female |
| Allegiance | Hogwarts |
| First appearance | First mentioned in Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince, never actually makes an appearance |
Professor Galatea Merrythought was a former Hogwarts Defence Against the Dark Arts teacher, mentioned in Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince. She retired during Professor Slughorn's previous term as Potions Master, in Tom Riddle's last year as a student. Riddle's ambitions to succeed her in this position were thwarted first by Armando Dippet, and later by Dumbledore. After this, Riddle supposedly cursed the DADA job, meaning that no DADA teacher is able to teach in this position for more than one school year. Merrythought was employed by Hogwarts for more than fifty years. Her name may imply that she was adept at conjuring the Patronus Charm.
[edit] Professor Sinistra
| Harry Potter character | |
|---|---|
| Aurora Sinistra | |
| Gender | Female |
| Allegiance | Hogwarts |
| First appearance | Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets |
Professor Aurora Sinistra is the teacher of Astronomy. She does not appear often in the books. Her classes are held at midnight on the top of the Astronomy Tower, the tallest tower of Hogwarts which is otherwise out of bounds for students.
Professor Sinistra's first appearance is in Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets, helping to move a petrified Justin Finch-Fletchley to the hospital wing. She appears again during the Yule Ball in Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire, dancing a nervous two-step with (a presumed) Professor Moody, who is male. From that can be deduced that Professor Sinistra is a witch rather than a wizard. Sinistra is also mentioned talking to Professor Grubbly-Plank in Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix.
Professor Sinistra's name may originate from the Latin sinister, meaning left or with a direction to the left, this could possible be a reference to the fact that the planets of the solar system rotate counterclockwise (left). However it is more likely the the name derives from the star Sinistra which is part of the constellation of Ophiuchus "The Serpent Holder". While this suggests a Slytherin connection it doesn't suggest an evil one as Ophiuchus represents Asclepius, the demigod of medicine and healing in ancient Greek mythology who carried a staff with a snake wraped around it. An image which represents medicine the world over to this day. The contemporary meaning of the word sinister is "having bad intent", but considering Professor Sinistra's uninvolvement in the plot so far this is a less likely theory.
Her forename is derived from the sheet of scribbles, and has never been used by the author in any up-to-date source. It is, of course a reference to the Aurora or "northern lights" which themselves get their name from the Roman Goddess of the dawn. However, it unquestionably derives from Rowling. The notes also list her as a female.
[edit] Professor Vector
| Harry Potter character | |
|---|---|
| Septima Vector | |
| Gender | Female |
| Allegiance | Hogwarts |
| First appearance | Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban |
Professor Septima Vector is the arithmancy professor. Since Harry doesn't take her subject, she appears very rarely, and has no spoken lines. She likes to give her pupils plenty of complicated homework. Arithmancy is Hermione's favourite subject.
A "vector" is a mathematical term meaning a quantity, velocity for instance, specified by a magnitude and a direction.
Her forename is derived from the sheet of scribbles, and has never been used by the author in any up-to-date source. However, it unquestionably derives from Rowling.
[edit] Wilkie Twycross
| Harry Potter character | |
|---|---|
| Wilkie Twycross | |
| Gender | Male |
| Allegiance | The Ministry of Magic |
| First appearance | Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince |
Instructor Wilkie Twycross is a Ministry of Magic-approved teacher, who teaches Hogwarts students over the age of 17, or students that will turn 17 before the upcoming school year, a twelve week course in apparation. He is famous for teaching the method of the three D's (Destination, Determination and Deliberation).
[edit] Other teachers
Ancient Runes and Muggle Studies are also taught at Hogwarts by unknown teachers. A site of some old scribbles, which JK Rowling put on her website in March 2006, reveals the Ancient Runes teacher's name to be Bathsheda Babbling. This is not considered canon, however, since some other information from the scribbles have been contradicted in the books.
