Overview

Minerva was a powerful witch, and the Transfiguration professor at Hogwarts during the time of Jacob’s Sibling and Harry Potter. She herself was a Hogwarts attendee many years before that, and during her time was a Prefect as well as Head Girl. Some sources say, it took the Sorting Hat about 5 and a half minutes to figure out which house to sort her into - as it could not decide between Gryffindor or Ravenclaw. She worked for two years in the Ministry after completing her education, before ultimately returning to teach Transfiguration, and taking on the role as Head of Gryffindor House. Though not a member of the Order of the Phoenix during the First Wizarding War, McGonagall found a place among them during the Second Wizarding War. It was during this time that she opposed Dolores Umbridge, the High Inquisitor of Hogwarts, and became Deputy Headmistress before becoming Headmistress of Hogwarts. She also did her best to protect the students from Alecto and Amycus Carrow, and during the Second Wizarding War, led the resistance against Lord Voldemorth during the Battle of Hogwarts after having previously fought in the Battle of the Astronomy Tower the year prior. It is said that she held her role as Headmistress of Hogwarts until the early 2020s.

Appearance and Personalit

Tall, severe-looking, and older are all used to describe Minerva McGonagall. She kept her black hair combed back into a tight bun, rarely ever letting it down. Her mouth became very thin whenever she was angered - going along with the fact that she has always had a very prim expression. When relaxed, content, or happy, she seemed to become a different person. Harry noted that while she could blend in with Muggle Crowds, the appearance did not suit her. Her most worn items seemed to be robes of emerald green, or with her favourite tartan pattern. Her square spectacles matched the markings around the eyes of her Animagus as well as her patronus. Another item commonly seen on Minerva was a pointed hat that was cocked to one side.

Her personality was a mix of her mother’s magical ability and her father’s temper (her words). All students and staff viewed her with great respect, and some with fear, as she always had an air of magnanimity and sternness surrounding her. She didn’t tolerate much from her students, though she did sometimes show a dry sense of humor or smile every once in a while. She valued braver, and mostly maintained her emotional composure, showing care but not indifference.

Magical Abilities

Incredibly powerful, talented, and should not be underestimated are all ways to describe Minerva McGonagall and her powers. She inherited her magical talent from her mother and great-grandmother, achieving tops grades on her OWLs when she was a student and being recognized by several awards. She displayed her magical mastery later in life after becoming Head of Transfiguration, Deputy Headmistress, and eventually, Headmistress of Hogwarts. She was also starting to prove herself, especially when it came to spellwork.
One of her most admirable abilities is that of Wandless and nonverbal magic. Once she started learning, she quickly became advanced, able to cast a spell without you ever knowing what was about to hit you. There is evidence of her ability all throughout history. Her Wandless and Nonverbal spellwork abilities also came in very handy as they helped her to become an amazing duellist, though she could hold her own no matter what form of spellwork she was using. Not just hold her own either, no, Minerva Mcgonagall is not someone whose wand you’d want to see yourself at the other end of. Immensely powerful, is a better way to say it.
From a young age, you could tell she was talented. However, her strongest suit seemed to lie within Transfiguration. Being taught by Albus Dumbledore, Minerva grew very well into the subject, catching on to its complexities quicker than most. She could use Wandless and Nonverbal magic with Transfiguration, and was very well respected within the subject that even Voldemort admired her skill. It was also during her time being taught by Albus Dumbledore that Mierva learned how to become an animagus. Once this amazing ability was added to the long list of others, she began to use it mainly when she did not wish to be recognized.
Along with being skilled wandless & nonverbal magic, duelling, transfiguration, and being an animagus, Minerva was extremely skilled in Charms. She used her skills in her lesson plans as well, incorporating Charms that were part of Transfiguration into her lessons. An example of her Charms ability comes from her patronus, which she could use to communicate with. The subject of Defense Against the Dark Arts is another strong suit of hers, shown by her history of defeating Dark Magic Witches and Wizards during duels. It is speculated that her talent in DADA is part of the reason Minerva was appointed to Headmistress of Hogwarts, as the person in the chair was in charge of maintaining the protective wards around the school. As expected, Minerva was just at good with performing the Dark Arts, as she was protecting against them. While she did not practice them, it is expected to see her do well in the field. She was very good at manipulating the elements, especially fire. She was a skillful quidditch player during her years as a student, and was exceptional at healing magic. A good skill to have if you’re playing quidditch. She was exceptional in Potions, as well as Study of Ancient Runes, and even showed control of her magic from the time she was an infant. Along with her magical abilities, she was incredibly gifted intellectually, very wise and always seeming to know which spell to cast and when. This helped her to be an excellent leader, able to take charge in any situation if needed, and under any condition. Despite her old age, Minerva was in excellent physical condition, able to move around well without having others worry about her. She had great endurance, and was actually quite agile. McGonagall was also an amazing teacher, able to show her students what she was teaching them in a way that most understood almost immediately. All of these abilities also allowed for her to be skilled in Wizard’s Chess, which she played for fun sometimes.

History

Childhood and Hogwarts Years

Minerva McGonagall was born on October 4th, 1935. A half-blood, her mother was Isobel Ross, a witch whom had attended Hogwarts. It was during her mother’s Hogwarts years that Isobel met Minerva’s father, Robert, who lived in the same village as her, but was a muggleborn. She was the oldest of three, having two younger brothers named Malcolm and Robert Jr.
When Minerva arrived at Hogwarts in her 1st year, she became a hatstall. This reason being because it took 5 and a half minutes to decide between Ravenclaw and Gryffindor. Two of her years at Hogwarts overlapped with Pomona Sprout’s time, and it was during that time that Minerva gifted Pomona a Fanged Geranium, which helped the future Herbology teacher to get over her homesickness. The plant thrived, as the friendship between Pomona and Minerva became stronger.
In her years at Hogwarts, Minerva was noticed for her outstanding abilities in magic and in quidditch. By the time she graduated, she had achieved top marks in OWLs and NEWTs, and was recognized in Transfiguration Today by receiving their Most Promising Newcomer Award. Furthermore, McGonagall was able to become an animagus, with her form as tabby cat that had square spectacle markings around the eyes. She did this under the guidance of Albus Dumbledore, whom was her Transfiguration Professor during her time at Hogwarts. Her form was logged in the Ministry’s Animagus Registry.
It was mentioned that Minerva was also noticed for her outstanding abilities in quidditch. As a student, she played on the Gryffindor Quidditch Team, until her final year when a nasty fall after a Slytherin foul landed her in the hospital wing with a concussion and several broken ribs. Along with the physical injuries came a desire for her to see Slytherin fail on the pitch.

Career and Crisis

In the years after her graduation from Hogwarts, Minerva started working at the Ministry. The summer before she started her job in the Department of Magical Law Enforcement, Minerva returned home to her family's mance to spend time with them before her official move to London. During her summer home, Minerva met and fell in love with a man named Dougal McGregor. He was the son of a local farmer, and Minerva was quick to say yes when he proposed. There was one problem though - Dougal was a muggle. Marrying him meant that Minerva would live a life like her mother’s - unhappy with her wand locked away. The morning after accepting his proposal, Minerva went and told him she had changed her mind. She left for London 3 days after breaking off the engagement.
Now in London, Minerva was working for the Ministry. However, she found herself not enjoying it very much. She soon found herself sending a letter to Hogwarts, asking to be considered for an open teaching position, and within hours she received a letter offering her a post in the Transfiguration department. She began working under Albus Dumbledore, and in her time there became known as a strict but respected teacher. It was also during this time that Minerva found out through her mother that Dougal had married another young woman. Albus found the Gryffindor Teacher crying in her classroom late one night, and after they both shared their histories with each other, McGonagall and Dumbledore formed the basis for a long-lasting friendship.
This proved true during Gellert Grindelwald's rise to power in 1927, and again in 1932 when Dumbledore’s Army returned from their first missions. A couple decades later, Minerva was proposed to by her former boss, Elphinstone. She turned him down several times, as she was still in love with Dougal, but soon accepted his proposal. The two would go on to own a cottage in Hogsmeade, where Minerva would stay when not teaching at Hogwarts. Unfortunately, in an unhappy accident, Elphinstone was bitten by a Venomous Tentacula. He passed away, and Minerva began taking walks beside the Great Lake, where she could reminisce on their time together. During the 1980s, Madam Rosemerta would send Minerva cups of tea to remind her of all the proposals from her dead husband that she had turned down.
Though she suffered many heartbreaks, all that did was make Minerva stronger. In her career, it did not take long for Minerva to rise to the top and become Head of the Transfiguration Department. She was also then appointed to the position as Head of Gryffindor House, and Dumbledore trusted her enough that she was able to fill in as Deputy Headmistress, in case he ever had to leave. She continued to teach at Hogwarts for many years, including during the First Wizarding War. She would spend her days teaching them, and then transforming into her animagus form, she would spy on her students and bring any information she found out about the Dark Lord’s antics to the Aurors. Luckily, McGonagall made it through the war physically unscathed, but inside, she was heartbroken. She had lost several people she held close to her heart, including former students Lily and James Potter, brother Robert, and former love Dougal McGregor.
I mentioned before that Minerva lost several she held close, including James and Lily Potter, parents of Harry Potter. The baby child was the reason Voldemort fell, and afterwards the war ended. Voldemort’s followers were arrested, but some escaped and went into hiding. Keeping this threat in mind, those of the Order of the Phoenix wanted to place Harry in the care of his only living relatives, muggles in Surrey. I’m sure you’ve watched the opening scene of the movie, in which McGonagall refers to the Dursleys as the “Worst sort of Muggles imaginable.” Still uneasy about having to leave Harry with the Dursleys, Mcgonagall, as well as several other members of the Order, kept an eye on Harry throughout his early childhood.

The Years of Harry Potter

In Harry Potter’s first year at Hogwarts, the Philosopher’s Stone was being kept hidden and protected there. Harry was sorted into Gryffindor House, which placed him once again under the carefully watchful eye of Minerva McGonagall. She was strict with him, as with other students, but there was a certain leniency there. McGonagall caught him flying his broomstick and instead of expelling him, she took him to the captain of the quidditch team. Once Harry was named Gryffindor’s newest seeker, McGonagall arranged to get him the Nimbus 2000 - the fastest broom on the market - to have for practices and games. Minerva was also the one to discover that the “Golden Trio” had taken down the troll - and destroyed the first floor girl’s bathroom in the process. When the Gryffindor boys released the baby dragon, they were caught by Malfoy, and he was caught by McGonagall. She had no choice but to deduct 50 point from each Gryffindor boy and give them detention with Malfoy. Later towards the end of the year, the professors guarding the philosopher’s stone would be put to the test as Professor Quirrell tried to steal it, and the Golden Trio would try to stop it. For the actions of the Golden Trio, they were each rewarded points which put Gryffindor on top for the first time in years. While we never see McGonagall’s reaction, we have to assume she was pleased with the efforts of the year.
Before the 1992 school year even started, McGonagall had to give Harry and Ron detention for crashing Mr. Weasley’s Ford Angila, that he rigged to fly, into the Whomping Willow. She was not able to take house points, as the year had not started when they crashed the car. Minerva was later present for the reopening of the Chamber of Secrets, in which she was part of a team that searched high and low for the Chamber. On top of dealing with the obnoxious Professor Gilderoy Lockhart, the Gryffindor Head of House was worried over the messages left written on the walls, as well as the two students of hers that had been left petrified by the Basilisk. In the final weeks of Harry’s Second Year at Hogwarts, Minerva served as acting Headmistress. In her role, she caught Harry and Ron sneaking around the castle, to investigate what was going on. Under the belief that the two were just going to visit a petrified Hermione, she left them be. Minerva’s stress levels rose even more when one of her students, Ginny Weasley, was taken into the Chamber. For a short while, McGonagall believed they were facing the end of Hogwarts, but thankfully, that did not happen. Harry and Ron had slain the Basilisk with the Sword of Gryffindor, and with Dumbledore back as Headmaster, Minerva was able to go to kitchens and plan a celebratory feast, one of which she attended. She had more to celebrate as Lockhart was banned from the castle.
The next year, Sirius Black escaped from prison, and Minerva once again had to deal with something she couldn’t stand - dementors on the grounds of Hogwarts. She was also the one who gifted Hermione with a time turner, so she could attend all of the classes she wanted, without missing anything. Minerva liked to demonstrate her animagus form to her students, and usually received applause when she revealed herself. However, this time she was met with silence. Hermione explained that the silence was because everyone was worried about what they had learned in Professor Trelawney’s Divination class, and McGonagall assured them all that they would be safe, and that nothing would happen. Throughout the year, Minerva kept an eye on Harry, and helped to protect the school from the infiltration of Sirius Black. When he attacked the Fat Lady, Minerva tried to warn Harry about the dangerous man, and that he might be after him. However, Harry had already been informed about this by Mr. Weasley. A short while later, Minerva was summoned to Gryffindor Tower, when Ron Weasley claimed to have been attacked by Sirius. She originally did not believe him, but then Sir Cadogan confirmed he let him in, since he had the passwords written down, and Neville fessed up to have written them. Later, after the destruction of his Nimbus 2000, Harry received a Firebolt in the mail. McGonagall confiscated it, to have it examined, as she believed the gift had come from Sirius Black and that he had placed curses on the broom. Hermione had been the one to warn McGonagall about it, causing a rift between her and Harry. When the next Quidditch match came around, McGonagall had to give four Slytherin boys detention, as they had pretended to be dementors to knock Harry off his game. In the last match of the season, McGonagall went from outrage to crying tears of joy, as Gryffindor won the house cup for the first time in years.
The next year, Harry was causing McGonagall more worry, as he was somehow selected as a participant in the Triwizard Tournament. Throughout the year, Minerva urged her students to be on their best behavior, and to keep up appearances for their guests. At the Yule Ball, she attended with Albus Dumbledore. Harry believed this to be the first time he ever saw Minerva with her hair down. He also noticed that after her dance with Ludovic Bagman, he kissed her hand. McGonagall was also kind enough to loan her classroom to the Golden Trio, so that they could practice spells for the third task in the triwizard tournament. After it was revealed that the DADA professor was not actually Alastor Moody, but actually Barty Crouch Jr., Minerva was one of the professors charged with watching him. She was mad as all get out when the careless actions of MoM Cornelius Fudge allowed for a dementor to give Crouch Jr. the Dementor’s Kiss. Now that the Death Eater was dead, they could not prove that Voldemort had indeed returned. Nonetheless, Minerva stood by Dumbledore and Potter. The Second Wizarding War had begun.

The Second Wizarding War

During the summer of 1995, McGonagall spent much of her time doing work for the Order of the Phoenix. Once the next school year started, the witch couldn’t hold her disgust at the new Ministry - Appointed DADA teacher. Throughout the school year, she did her best to protect her students from the ways of Umbridge, without risking her position as deputy headmistress. McGonagall made many sacrifices throughout this year, including putting aside her dislike for Professor Trelawney and having to hold her tongue when Umbridge was appointed High Inquisitor. Time and time again, Minerva questioned Dolores’ actions, and stood up for her students and colleagues at Hogwarts when it mattered most. When Dumbledore was arrested, McGonagall was fully prepared to lose her position at Hogwarts and duel the Minister of Magic, and only standing down on the orders of Dumbledore himself. After all, Hogwarts would need her. Umbridge was instead appointed over Minerva, but with little support from Hogwarts. The atmosphere under her rule continued to deteriorate.
Around the time for the OWLs in Harry’s 5th year, Umbridge and Aurors from the ministry were attempting to evict Hagrid from the grounds. Wanting to protect her colleague, Minerva came running. However, before she was able to do anything, she was hit with four stunning spells, and had to be transferred to St. Mungo’s for Treatment. Several students and staff were outraged at this event, as Minerva should have never been hit with that many stunning spells at once. She did not return to Hogwarts until after Harry and Friends had snuck into the Department of Mysteries where they had fought with Death Eaters. For several days upon her release from St. Mungos, Minerva required the use of a walking stick. She promptly gave 50 house points to each student that fought in the Battle at the Department of Mysteries, as they had finally come together to let the wizarding world know about the return of Voldemort.
Upon the start of next school term, Minerva was charged with creating the schedules for the 6th year NEWT students. Minerva was present once Katie Bell had been cursed, and she was the one who took the Opal Necklace from Harry, as he had had it wrapped in his scarf. Minerva handed off the necklace to Professor Snape through way of Argus Filch, and grilled the trio + Leanne on what they had seen. In June, 1997, Minerva and other professors were tasked with patrolling the corridors as an extra safety measure. She was certain that nothing could get through, and to her nothing seemed amiss. Until Neville, Ron, and Ginny ran to inform her that several people had entered the school through the Room of Requirement. Within minutes, Members of the Order of the Phoenix noticed a group of 6 Death Eaters heading towards the Astronomy Tower. In the fight, Bill Weasley and Neville Longbottom were stunned, forcing Minerva to send Professor Flitwick to get Snape to help them fend off the Death Eaters. Minerva continued to fight and fight, even after Dumbledore’s death. What she didn’t know was that Snape had been the one to cast the spell that killed Dumbledore.
Once the fight was over, and she learned of Slughor’s actions to inform the Ministry, Minerva immediately took on the role as Headmistress of Hogwarts. She held a meeting to discuss the future of the school, and then tried to comfort Harry Potter over the death of Dumbledore. They, along with Professors Sprout, Slughorn, and Flitwick, talked about the possible closure of Hogwarts. The five also worked to arrange the funeral for the late Headmaster. Harry was then subsequently excused as McGonagall welcome delegates from the Ministry, including Ministry of Magic Rufus Scriemgeour. As the war raged on the following year, Minerva chose to stay at Hogwarts and try to protect it, even after Voldemort’s henchmen infiltrated it. She also fought to keep the students protected while acting as a spy for the Order of the Phoenix.
The day of the Battle At Hogwarts, Minerva was with Amycus when they found Alecto unconscious in the Ravenclaw Common Room. Working with Harry, she managed to keep the children in Ravenclaw Tower safe, as well as incapacitate Amycus. They also revealed which side Snape was truly on, and then Minerva and everyone else worked to hold off the Death Eaters until Harry completed the quest. Minerva ordered the evacuation of the younger students and then began preparing the castle for battle. After Pansy Parkinson suggested that they take the deal offered to them by Voldemort, Minerva ordered her, and all others not willing to stay and fight, to leave. Minerva fault valiantly during the first stage of the battle.
There came a lull in the battle when Voldemort himself walked in, followed by Death Eaters carrying Harry's (presumably dead) body. When she saw the young boy held in the Death Eater’s arms, Minerva let out a scream matching that of Ron and Hermione’s. Once the battle resumed, Minerva continued to fight. She herself dueled Voldemort, along with Order Members Kingsley Shacklebolt and Horace Slughorn. They were eventually cast aside by Voldemort when Molly Weasley killed Bellatrix Lestrange during their duel. When Harry’s Disarming charm connected with Voldemort’s Avada Kedavra, Minerva was there to see the boy defeat the man.

Credits/References

Written by Vaughn Layton
Base code by Andrew Sutherland, edited by Iselin Merilä and Desmond Gray.