Minerva McGonagall
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Minerva McGonagall (born October 4, c. 1925) 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 at Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry, head of Gryffindor House, and Transfiguration teacher, which she began teaching in December of 1956. McGonagall considers Transfiguration to be the most complex and difficult branch of magic.
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 years 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 amimal 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 was also been 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 (a name that suits Professor McGonagall very well). Her surname comes from that of a 19th century Dundee eccentric, William Topaz McGonagallTemplate:Ref. He is often regarded as the worst poet in the history of the English language.
McGonagall is played by Maggie Smith in the Harry Potter film adaptations.
Role in the Stories
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 is very keen on Quidditch, and, as Head of Gryffindor House, she takes an interest in the house Quidditch team's progress. 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 play. McGonagall, though a strict disciplinarian, often assists Harry indirectly with activities that are not strictly within the rules of Hogwarts. Aside from her stern front, McGonagall has been known to display a range of emotions when either unaware of observation or overcome by feeling.
Image:IM-57184-Minerva-McGonagall-n-2.jpg
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. 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 counseling 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 loosen 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 warned 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. Minerva attempted to keep Umbridge and her minions 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 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 became the 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 fact that Hogwarts will even stay open, but 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 Master/Mistress
and after the departure of Severus Snape:
- Head of Slytherin House
- Defence Against The Dark Arts Master/Mistress
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 after Slughorn's first retirement. If Slughorn again retires, McGonagall will have to appoint a new Potions Master/Mistress as well. Becoming the Headmistress, she may have to appoint a new head of Gryffindor. There is also the possibility that even if Hogwarts remains open in Book Seven, McGonagall may leave the school altogether to continue her work full time as a senior member of the Order of the Phoenix.
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Translations
| Language | Translation |
|---|---|
| Bulgarian | Минерва Макгонъгол |
| Chinese (Simplified) | 米勒娃‧麦格 |
| Chinese (Traditional) | 米奈娃‧麥 |
| Czech | Minerva McGonagallová |
| Dutch | Minerva Anderling |
| Finnish | Minerva McGarmiwa |
| French | Minerva McGonagall |
| Danish | Minerva McGonagall |
| German | Minerva McGonagall |
| Greek | Μινέρβα ΜακΓκόναγκαλ |
| Hebrew | מינרווה מקגונגל |
| Hungarian | Minerva McGalagony |
| Italian | Minerva McGranitt |
| Macedonian | Минерва Окалковска |
| Norwegian | Minerva McSnurp |
| Polish | Minerwa McGonagall |
| Swedish | Minerva McGonagall |
| Turkish | Minerva McGonagall |
Notes
- Template:Note "JKRowling.com Archives: Birthdays" from MuggleNet
- Template:NoteJ.K. Rowling interview transcript, The Connection (WBUR Radio), 12 October, 1999de:Figuren der Harry-Potter-Romane#Minerva McGonagall
es:Minerva McGonagall fr:Minerva McGonagall it:Minerva McGranitt ms:Minerva McGonagall nl:Minerva Anderling ja:ミネルバ・マクゴナガル no:Minerva McSnurp pl:Minerwa McGonagall pt:Minerva McGonagall sv:Minerva McGonagall th:มิเนอร์วา มักกอนนากัล tr:Minerva McGonagall zh:米奈娃·麥