Professor Minerva McGonagall

Professor Minerva McGonagall was the Head of Gryffindor House, the Professor of Transfiguration, and the Deputy Headmistress of Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry for the majority of Harry Potter's time at the school. A stern, intelligent, and exceptionally powerful witch, she was a staunch member of the Order of the Phoenix in both Wizarding Wars and a loyal supporter of Albus Dumbledore. McGonagall was a figure of authority who, despite her strict demeanor, was deeply fair and fiercely protective of her students and the school. Following the Second Wizarding War, she became the Headmistress of Hogwarts.

McGonagall began teaching Transfiguration at Hogwarts in December 1956 (Pottermore). Over her long and distinguished career, she became Head of Gryffindor House and was later appointed Deputy Headmistress under Albus Dumbledore. She was a member of the original Order of the Phoenix and fought against Lord Voldemort and his Death Eaters during the First Wizarding War. After the fall of Voldemort in 1981, it was McGonagall who met Dumbledore on Privet Drive, having spent the day observing the Dursleys in her cat Animagus form. She expressed grave concerns about leaving the infant Harry Potter with such people but ultimately trusted Dumbledore's judgement. Throughout Harry Potter's school years, McGonagall served as a key mentor and protector. She was the one who recommended him for the position of Gryffindor Seeker in his first year, bending school rules to get him a Nimbus 2000. During the Second Wizarding War, she was a pillar of the resistance against both the Ministry of Magic's interference via Dolores Umbridge and the eventual takeover by the Death Eaters. She bravely stood up to Umbridge, an act that resulted in her being hit by four stunning spells and sent to St. Mungo's Hospital for Magical Maladies and Injuries. After Dumbledore's death, she became acting Headmistress and fought valiantly in the Battle of the Astronomy Tower. During the final year of the war, she remained at Hogwarts to protect the students from the brutal regime of Headmaster Severus Snape and the Carrows. In the Battle of Hogwarts, she took command of the school's defences, animating the statues and suits of armour to fight. She dueled Snape and drove him from the castle, and later courageously duelled Lord Voldemort himself alongside Kingsley Shacklebolt and Horace Slughorn. She survived the battle and was instated as the permanent Headmistress of Hogwarts (J.K. Rowling interview).

Professor McGonagall is described as a tall, severe-looking witch who often wears emerald-green robes and has her black hair swept up into a tight bun. She wears square-rimmed spectacles which, in her Animagus form, become markings around her eyes. Her personality is a blend of stern discipline and underlying warmth. She is a no-nonsense teacher who commands respect and does not tolerate foolishness. She is known for her dry wit and her unwavering sense of fairness, as shown when she deducts points from her own House without hesitation. Beneath her formidable exterior lies a deep well of emotion and fierce loyalty. She was visibly devastated by Dumbledore's death and showed profound grief upon seeing what she believed to be Harry Potter's dead body. Her courage is immense, never hesitating to confront dark wizards or corrupt officials in the defence of what is right.

• Animagus: McGonagall is one of the few registered Animagi of the twentieth century. She can transform at will into a silver tabby cat, a form she uses for observation and stealth.
• Transfiguration: She is a master of Transfiguration, demonstrating incredible skill and power. She served as Hogwarts' Transfiguration professor for decades. During the Battle of Hogwarts, she used her expertise to transfigure the school's desks and suits of armour into a fighting force.
• Duelling: McGonagall is a highly formidable duellist. She single-handedly drove Severus Snape, a tremendously powerful wizard, out of Hogwarts and was one of the three who duelled Lord Voldemort to a standstill before Harry Potter's intervention.
• Patronus Charm: Her Patronus takes the form of a cat, identical to her Animagus form. She is skilled enough to cast three simultaneously, using them to deliver messages to the other Heads of House before the Battle of Hogwarts.
• Wand: Her wand is nine and a half inches, made of fir with a dragon heartstring core (Pottermore).

• Wand: Her personal fir and dragon heartstring wand.
• Sorting Hat: As Deputy Headmistress, she was the custodian of the Sorting Hat and was responsible for bringing it to the Sorting Ceremony each year.
• Time-Turner: She was entrusted with a Time-Turner by the Ministry of Magic, which she loaned to Hermione Granger in her third year to manage her advanced class schedule.
• Tartan Robes: She possessed a set of dress robes made of Royal Stewart tartan, which she wore to the Yule Ball.

• Albus Dumbledore: McGonagall was Dumbledore's most trusted colleague, friend, and loyal supporter. While she held him in the highest esteem, she was never afraid to question his methods or voice her concerns.
• Harry Potter: She acted as a strict but fair mentor to Harry. She was fiercely protective of him, saw his potential early on, and consistently supported him, even when it meant defying the Ministry of Magic.
• Severus Snape: Theirs was a long and tense professional relationship. She respected his magical abilities but deeply distrusted him due to his past as a Death Eater and his allegiance to Dumbledore, which she did not fully understand until after his death.
• Dolores Umbridge: McGonagall held Umbridge in utter contempt. She actively resisted Umbridge's tyrannical control over Hogwarts, becoming a symbol of quiet rebellion for the students and staff.
• Students: As Head of Gryffindor, she was responsible for generations of students. She held them to high standards but was also a source of guidance and protection, particularly for students like Neville Longbottom, whose courage she came to greatly admire.

• Minerva: The name of the Roman goddess of wisdom, strategic warfare, justice, and the arts. This name perfectly reflects Professor McGonagall's intelligence, her role as a leader in battle, and her sharp, logical mind.
• McGonagall: J.K. Rowling has stated she named the character after William Topaz McGonagall, who is widely regarded as the worst poet in Scottish history. Rowling enjoyed the humorous contrast between the brilliant Professor and the notoriously terrible poet (J.K. Rowling interview).

• According to backstory released on Pottermore, Minerva McGonagall was a Hatstall, with the Sorting Hat taking five and a half minutes to decide between Gryffindor and Ravenclaw.
• The same source reveals that before becoming a teacher, McGonagall worked for two years at the Department of Magical Law Enforcement at the Ministry of Magic. She also fell in love with a Muggle named Dougal McGregor but ultimately broke off the engagement to protect the International Statute of Secrecy, a heartbreak that led her to dedicate her life to Hogwarts (Pottermore).
• In the film adaptation of Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows - Part 2, McGonagall duels Severus Snape and later Lord Voldemort alone, whereas in the novel she duels Voldemort as part of a trio with Kingsley Shacklebolt and Horace Slughorn (film).
• She was portrayed in all eight Harry Potter films by Dame Maggie Smith.