Hogwarts Staff

8/6/2019 Hogwarts Staff

1/17

Alecto and Amycus Carrow

Main article:Alecto and Amycus Carrow

Amycus and Alecto Carrow are sibling Death Eaters, posted as deputy headmasters to Hogwarts to

keep control over the school, keep a reign of fear and to take charge of punishment under Snape's

regime as headmaster in Harry Potter and the DeathlyHallows. Alecto Carrow taught Muggle Studies,

however it should be noted that instead of encouraging increased relations with muggles, they were

taught ideologies that muggles were no better than animals. Amycus Carrow taught Defence Against the

Darks, however it is noted that there was no defence involved and that Amycus frequently taught them

the Unforgiveable Curses and openly encouraged them to practise these on their classmates.

Albus Dumbeldore

Main article:Albus Dumbledore

Albus Dumbledore was the Headmaster of Hogwarts since a few decades before Harry's birth until

Harry's sixth year at Hogwarts in which Dumbledore is killed by Snape. He is played by Richard

Harris in Harry Potter and the Philosopher's Stoneand in Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets. He is

played in subsequent Harry Potter films by Michael Gambon

Argus Filch

Argus Filch is the caretaker of Hogwarts. While he is not an evil character, he is ill-tempered, which

makes him very unpopular with the student body, and occasionally with other staff. His knowledge of the

secrets and short-cuts of the castle is almost unparalleled, except perhaps by the Weasley twins, and

other users of the Marauder's Map. He tends to favour almost sadistically harsh punishments, leading to

his alliance with Dolores Umbridge. He has an obsessive dislike of mud, animate toys, and all other

things that might interfere with his creation of an immaculately clean and orderly Hogwarts.

Filch is revealed to be a Squib in Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secretswhen Harry Potteraccidentally

discovers that he is trying to teach himself basic magic from a Kwikspellcorrespondence course.

Nonetheless, Filch is at least able to use wizardry devices that have their own innate magic, such as

the Secrecy Sensorused in Harry Potter and theHalf-Blood Prince. In the Half Blood Prince, Harry

Potterand Hermione Grangersuspect that he is in a relationship with Irma Pince, the librarian

at Hogwarts. In Harry Potter and the DeathlyHallows, the final book, when the school starts preparing

itself for the Battle of Hogwarts, Filch is seen grumbling that students are out of bed. He is later seen

overseeing the evacuation of younger students.

Filch has a cat named Mrs. Norris to whom he has a particular and possessive attachment. She acts as

a hallway monitor or spy for Filch. If she observes students engaging in suspicious activity or out of bed

after curfew, she finds Filch and he arrives in seconds. She has been known to follow Hagrid everywhere

he goes in the school, apparently under Filch's orders. According to J.K. Rowling, there is nothing


2/17

particularly magical about Mrs. Norris, other than her being "just an intelligent (and unpleasant) cat."[1]

It's

the ambition of many Hogwarts students to "give her a good kick". In the Chamber of Secrets incident,

Mrs. Norris is temporarily petrified by the Basilisk, which causes Filch extreme distress.

David Bradley portrays Filch in the film series.

Filius Flitwick

Filius Flitwick is the Charms Master at Hogwarts and the head ofRavenclaw, and is described as being

very short. In Harry Potter and the Philosopher's Stonehe uses his magical skills to help decorate the

Great Hall for Christmas. He is also one of the teachers who casts spells to guard the Philosopher's

Stone by putting charms on a hundred keys so they can fly, making it difficult to find the key to the door

leading to the next chamber.

During Harry's second year, Flitwick helps Professor Sinistra carry a petrifiedJustin Finch-Fletchley to the

hospital wing. He teaches the front doors to recognise a picture ofSirius Blackafter his second break-inin Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban. He helps patrol the perimeter of the maze for the third task

of the Triwizard Tournament held in Harry's fourth year. He eventually removes most of the swamp that is

created within the school by Fred and George Weasley in Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix,

though he previously leaves the swamp untouched to annoy Professor Umbridge. He does however,

choose to leave a small patch of it behind, because he thinks it is "a good bit of magic" and a tribute to the

Weasley twins.

Near the end ofHalf-Blood Prince, Flitwick is sent by Professor McGonagall to ask Snape to come to the

aid of the Order of the Phoenix against the intruding Death Eaters. He either collapses or is stupefied by

Snape after requesting his help at the battle. In Harry Potter and the DeathlyHallows he helps to put

protective charms around the castle to hinderLord Voldemort and his oncoming Death Eaters, and later

fights the intruders in the Battle of Hogwarts, battling Yaxley and later defeatingAntonin Dolohov.

Also in Harry Potter and the DeathlyHallows, Flitwick insists that Rowena Ravenclaw's Diadem is lost,

and he is described by Harry (along with Dumbledore) as having been a "model student" who supposedly

never entered the Room of Hidden Things, and so it never occurred to him that the diadem could be

hidden there.

In the film adaptations, Flitwick is portrayed by Warwick Davis. Rowling said: "I must admit, I was takenaback when I saw the film Flitwick, who looks very much like a goblin/elf (Ive never actually asked the

film-makers precisely what he is), because the Flitwick in my imagination simply looks like a very small

old man."[2]

However, Rowling mentions on her official website that Flitwick is human, with "a dash of

goblin ancestry." His on-screen appearance changes noticeably in Prisoner of Azkaban, in which he takes

on a more human and less elf-like look, with slicked-down dark hair and moustache. According to Davis,


3/17

the moustachioed character was originally not supposed to be Flitwick; Flitwick was absent from the POA

script, but "the producer" (presumably David Heyman) added the new character (as the conductor of the

school choir and orchestra, credited as "Choir Master") so that Davis could still appear in the film. Goblet

of Fire directorMike Newell preferred the new look, "and from that moment, the character became known

as 'Flitwick'."[3]

Flitwick was born on October 17,[4]

but the year of his birth is never mentioned in the books or films.

Rubeus Hagrid

Main article: RubeusHagrid

Rubeus Hagrid is the Half Giant Keeper of Keys and Grounds at Hogwarts, Gamekeeper and, from

Harry's third year at Hogwarts, the Care of Magical Creatures professor. Hagrid became a groundkeeper

after he was expelled from Hogwarts in his third year at Hogwarts because ofTom Riddle Tom Riddles

diary showed a memory of Hagrid having the supposed monster and that he opened the Chamber of

Secrets to gain his Harrys trust and make him think that Hagrid opened the Chamber of Secrets and then

he later got sent to Azkaban because the Minstry and Minster of Magic thought that he was the one to

open The Chamber . He is played by Robbie Coltrane in the films.

Rolanda Hooch

Rolanda Hooch is the flying instructor and Quidditch referee at Hogwarts. Rolanda is near one hundred

years of age during Harry Potter's education at Hogwarts. Despite this, Hooch always seems to be quite a

lively and energetic witch.

Very little is mentioned about her early life, but she was born prior to 1918, and learns how to fly on herown Silver Arrow. During World War I, an anti-aircraft shell singes her broom.

[5]Hooch starts her career at

Hogwarts long before Harry Potter arrives in 1991 and is a well-respected teacher, known for her fairness

and preference for clean play. In 1991 it is Hooch's job to instruct the class of first years in their very first

flying lesson, during which Professor McGonagall observes Harry's flying and admits him to

the GryffindorQuidditch team. She referees Hogwarts Quidditch matches throughout the series, and her

expertise is called on along with Professor Flitwick's to test Harry's Firebolt broom for dark magic.

She is described as having short, spiky, grey hair, with piercing yellow hawk-like eyes, usually hidden

behind goggles. In the series, she uses the title Madam and not Professor. Hooch is known amongst

students for her belief in fairness and having clean Quidditch games. She is strict but also caring, as she

demonstrates when Neville Longbottom injures himself in one of her flying classes.

Zo Wanamakerportrays Madam Hooch in the Harry Potter and the Philosopher's Stone film. Hooch

does not appear in any of the other films in the series.

Gilderoy Lockhart


4/17

Gilderoy Lockhart is a narcissistic wizarding celebrity who has written many books on his fabulous

adventures encountering dark creatures. In Chamber of Secrets, Lockhart is appointed as Hogwarts'

new Defence Against the Dark Arts instructor. He is unpopular amongst most of the staff, particularly

Professor Snape; however, he is greatly admired by many others, particularly witches, such as Hermione

Grangerand Mrs Weasley, who fancy him. Harry dislikes him for a number of reasons: his smarminess,

his belief that Harry flew to Hogwarts in a carto seek further attention, his penchant for handing out

signed photos of himself, and the trouble he has with simple magic such as healing Harry's broken arm

he accidentally removes all of Harry's arm bones instead. Lockhart is exposed as a fraud and a coward

when he attempts to avoid entering the Chamber of Secrets by revealing to Harry andRon Weasley that

he never performed the amazing feats documented in his books, instead stealing other wizards'

experiences and erasing their memories. His attempt to use a Memory Charm on Harry and Ron

backfires due to his use of Ron's broken wand, and he suffers the permanent near-total loss of his own

memory as a result.

In Order of the Phoenix, Harry comes across Lockhart in St Mungo's while visiting Mr. Weasley at

Christmas. Lockhart is slowly regaining his memory and is childishly proud of being able to write in

"joined-up letters". He still enjoys signing autographs and still receives fan mail, although he has no idea

why. Lockhart never fully recovers, despite all efforts to cure him.[6]

Rowling has said that Lockhart is the only character she has ever based on a real-life person. Lockhart

was inspired by an unrevealed acquaintance who was "even more objectionable than his fictional

counterpart" and "used to tell whopping great fibs about his past life, all of them designed to demonstrate

what a wonderful, brave and brilliant person he was."[7]

Irish actorKenneth Branagh portrayed Lockhart in the film version ofthe Chamber of Secrets.

Remus Lupin

Main article: Remus Lupin

Remus Lupin was the Defence Against the Dark Arts teacher during Harry's third year. He was noted by

both students and staff as being an excellent teacher. He believed in hands on teaching. He helped teach

Harry the Patronus Charm and became a friend. He resigned after the revelation to the rest of the school

that he is a werewolf.

He is played by David Thewlis in the film versions.

Minerva McGonagall

MinervaMcGonagall is Deputy Headmistress, head ofGryffindorHouse, Transfiguration professor, and

later Headmistress at Hogwarts, where she began teaching in December 1956. She is first introduced in

the opening chapter ofHarry Potter and the Philosopher's Stone, when she meets Dumbledore


5/17

at Number 4 Privet Drive, Little Whinging, Surrey (the home of Harry Potter's aunt and uncle).

McGonagall is described as a tall, rather severe-looking woman, with black hair typically drawn into a tight

bun. She wears emerald green robes, a pointed hat, and always has a very prim expression. She is,

according to Rowling, a sprightly 70-year-old.[8]

McGonagall wears square spectacles that match the

markings around the eyes of herAnimagus form of a silvertabby cat; she has the distinction of being the

first Animagus introduced in the series and being one of the few registered Animagi of the century.

Harry's immediate impression of her is of someone who is not to be crossed. She has a fondness for

tartan, and her handkerchief, dressing gown, and dress robes are patterned with it. Rowling has said

McGonagall's birthday is 4 October.[9]

In the first book, after seeing Harry fly masterfully his very first time on a broom, she recommends him to

fill the position ofSeeker, even though first years are normally prohibited from playing Quidditch, and

sends Harry a broom. Furthermore, although a rigorous disciplinarian, she often assists Harry indirectly

with activities that are not strictly within the rules of Hogwarts; for example, she allows Harry and his

friends to use the Transfiguration classroom to practice for tasks in the Triwizard Tournament. She

promises Harry she would do everything in her power to help him to achieve his goal of becoming

an auror, and she keeps her promise.[10]

Despite her stern front, McGonagall is shown to have good

intentions at heart and has been known to display a range of emotions, which can often be a shock to her

colleagues and students.

It is revealed in Order of the Phoenixthat McGonagall is a member of the Order of the Phoenix. She

and Dolores Umbridge seem to have a mutual dislike for each other, as Umbridge continuously usurps

more and more power from the staff and from Dumbledore and McGonagall in particular. When

McGonagall attempts to stop Umbridge and her fellow Ministry cronies from unjustly taking Hagrid away

by force, she is hit by fourstunning spells without warning, before she can draw her wand. The

unconscious septuagenarian is rushed to St Mungo's, where she recovers for awhile. McGonagall returns

to the school towards the end of the book, though she temporarily uses a walking stick to support herself.

She is, however, an exceptional duellist capable of holding her own against much younger and more agile

foes. During their duel she appears to be equal in strength to Snape, himself noted as an especially

powerful wizard.

After the death of Dumbledore at the hands of Snape inH

alf-Blood Prince, she becomes the actingHeadmistress of Hogwarts. However, in the series finale, she does not become headmistress at the start

of term as expected; Snape is appointed by new Minister for Magic Pius Thicknesse, who is actually

under the Imperius Curse and acting for Voldemort. Despite the many changes, she is retained as head

of Gryffindor House. Before the Battle of Hogwarts, she goes to the Ravenclaw tower and finds Alecto

Carrow stunned and her brother Amycus searching for Harry. When Amycus suggests hurting the

students to compensate for his sister's state, McGonagall immediately intervenes. In response, Amycus


6/17

spits in her face. Harry, who is present and hidden under his invisibility cloak, reveals himself and uses

the Cruciatus Curse on Amycus. Harry then informs McGonagall that Voldemort is on his way and after

tying up both the Carrows and placing them in a net, she sends three Patronuses which manifest in

her Animagus form to warn the other three Heads of House.[11]

When on her way to meet the Heads of

House, she meets Snape, who questions her about Potter's whereabouts. Not knowing Snape is actually

still following Dumbledore's orders and has important information for Harry, she attacks him, engaging in

a fierce duel. With help from Professors Sprout and Flitwick, she succeeds in driving Snape away.

McGonagall then takes charge of the school again and proceeds to secure it against Voldemort to ensure

Harry can fulfil his mission from Dumbledore. She also organises the evacuation of the school's under-

age students to ensure their safety. She then leads the remaining students, the staff of Hogwarts, and

members of the Order of the Phoenix in the fight against Voldemort. She is seen during the battle with a

large gash on her cheek and commanding a herd of charmed desks to charge at Death Eaters. When

Harry has been apparently killed, she screams, causing Bellatrix Lestrange to laugh. Finally, McGonagall

ends up duelling Voldemort alongside Kingsley Shacklebolt and Horace Slughorn. As is confirmed in The

Tales of Beedle the Bard, McGonagall becomes Headmistress of Hogwarts after the Battle of Hogwarts

and Snape's death; however, in an interview J. K. Rowling said McGonagall would be retired by the time

of the DeathlyHallows epilogue (19 years after the main events ofDeathlyHallows), as she is "getting on

in years."

McGonagall is played by Dame Maggie Smith in the film adaptations. Smith has described her role as

"Miss Jean Brodie in a wizard's hat", Given that her role becomes progressively smaller as the series

goes on, she notes that Harry Potter and the Philosopher's Stoneis her favourite thus far.[12]

Smithappeared in all the films of the series except forDeathlyHallows Part 1, where the plot does not take

place in Hogwarts, but is expected to return in Part 2. Rowling has stated that she always pictured Smith

portraying McGonagall, and claimed the actress to be at the top of her list.[13]

Rowling named the character after the poet William Topaz McGonagall, whose name she liked. Her first

name, Minerva, comes from the Roman goddess of wisdom.[14]

AlastorMoody

Main article:Alastor Moody

For Barty Crouch Jr. who impersonated Alastor Moody without the characters' awareness inHarry's fourthyear, see Barty Crouch, Jr.

AlastorMoody was Defense Against the Dark Arts teacher in Harry's fourth year. He took an extremely

hands on approach. It transpired at the end ofHarry Potter and theGoblet of Firethat Moody had been

impersonated by Barty Crouch Jr. It had therefore been Crouch that had been teaching at Hogwarts for

that year, however it is told that the opinions and techniques are similar between individuals.


7/17

He is played by Brendan Gleeson in the film versions.

Poppy Pomfrey

Madam Poppy Pomfrey is a magical Healerwho is the matron-in-charge of the Hogwarts hospital wing.

She is known to be very strict regarding the rules of her infirmary. Ron goes to Madam Pomfrey after

being bitten by a dragon named Norbert in Harry Potter and the Philosopher's Stone. After Harry

defeats Professor Quirrell in the dungeons, he spends three days unconscious in the hospital wing.

In Chamber of Secrets, Madam Pomfrey regrows the bones in Harry's broken arm afterGilderoy

Lockhart accidentally removes them following Gryffindor's Quidditch win overSlytherin. Hermione ends

up in the hospital wing for a month after a mishap with the Polyjuice Potion that leaves her half-feline,

then is again hospitalised after she is petrified along with several other students. In Prisoner of Azkaban,

Madam Pomfrey speaks approvingly of Remus Lupin's use ofchocolate to relieve the effects of

adementor's presence on students, commenting that Hogwarts has "finally got a Defence Against the

Dark Arts teacher who knows his remedies". After Umbridge's guards stun McGonagall in Order of the

Phoenix, Madam Pomfrey says she would resign in protest were she not afraid of what would become of

the students without her presence. She also tends to Hermione, Ginny, Ron, Harry, Neville, and Luna

after the battle in the Department of Mysteries. Umbridge is also a recipient of her healing skills after her

scuffle with the Centaurs. InHalf-Blood Prince, she takes care of Ron after he is poisoned and tends to

Harry after his skull is cracked by a Bludger in a Quidditch match. She attempts to heal Bill of his scars

from Greyback's attack, without much success, and bursts into tears when she hears of Dumbledore's

death. In DeathlyHallows, she andArgus Filch oversee student evacuations from Hogwarts before the

Battle of Hogwarts. She is later seen tending to the injured fighters.

Gemma Jones appeared as Madam Pomfrey in the film adaptations ofChamber of Secrets, Half Blood

Prince, and DeathlyHallows.

Quirinus Quirrell

QuirinusQuirrell is the Defence Against the Dark Arts teacher at Hogwarts during Harry Potter's first

year. Prior to his employment at Hogwarts, he is said by Rubeus Hagrid to have had a "brilliant mind",

and was a fine teacher while studying from books; some time before Harry's arrival at Hogwarts, "he took

a year off to get some first-hand experience". Rowling stated in a live web chat on 30 July 2007 that

Quirrell had worked at Hogwarts as Muggle Studies teacher for a certain length of time, before taking the

cursed Defence Against the Dark Arts position in the same year that Harry joined.[15]

Upon his return, he

appears perpetually nervous and has developed a stutter and nervous ticks. Quirrell's attire includes a

new purpleturban which he claims to have received as a reward from an African prince for getting rid of a

zombie.


8/17

Harry first meets Quirrell at the Leaky Cauldron, while being escorted by Hagrid to Diagon Alley to shop

for school supplies. Quirrell is next seen at Hogwarts conversing with Snape at the start-of-term banquet,

and then regularly while teaching Defence Against the Dark Arts lessons. During the school's Halloween

banquet, Quirrell appears in the Great Hall to warn staff and students of a troll in the dungeons and then

he faints. While playing Quidditch, Harry is almost thrown off his broom by some sort of curse and he,

Ron, and Hermione believe it is Snape who is responsible. They begin to suspect that Snape is on a

mission from Voldemort to steal the Philosopher's Stone hidden in a secret chamber in Hogwarts;

however, when Harry finally arrives in the chamber, he discovers that it is not Snape, but Quirrell, who is

the real villain. Quirrell then reveals that he was the one who let in the troll and muttered the curse to

attempt to throw Harry off his broom. During the climax of the story, as Harry and Quirrell try to recover

the stone from the Mirror of Erised, Voldemort reveals himself on the back of Quirrell's head, formerly

concealed by the turban, and speaks directly to Harry, threatening to kill him if he does not assist

Voldemort in recovering it. After Harry refuses, Voldemort orders Quirrell to attack Harry, who holds offQuirrell long enough for aid to arrive, at which point Voldemort flees, in his non-physical form. Voldemort's

departure, as well as the agony suffered by him because of his contact with Harry, who continues to be

protected by the love of his mother and the spell that was cast by her sacrificing her life to save Harry,

causes Quirrell to die.

It is later revealed in the chapterThe Prince's Tale from Harry Potter and the DeathlyHallows[HP7]

that

Snape was actually keeping an eye on Quirrell under Dumbledore's orders.

British actorIan Hart portrayed Quirrell in the first film.

Horace Slughorn

Horace E. F. Slughorn is the long-serving Potions teacher and Head of Slytherin House since at least

the 1940s, until his retirement after the 1980-81 school year. Following his retirement and the resurgence

of Voldemort, Slughorn goes into hiding, concealing all knowledge of his whereabouts from both sides in

the growing conflict in the wizarding world. However, after moving Snape to Defence Against the Dark

Arts, Dumbledore locates Slughorn and uses Harry as incentive to convince him to return to teaching

Potions. Slughorn is described as preferring to be a "back-seat driver", obtaining things he desires by

using his contacts, particularly students whom he has invited into the "Slug Club", a group of students

favoured by Slughorn, based either on their connections to important people or on his belief that theyhave traits that will make them important and famous when they leave school. He is one of the first

Slytherin characters to defy the house's stereotype: while he is self-serving and not above bending rules,

he lacks the near-amorality and underhandedness that had, until that point, been a hallmark of the house.

He does not resent blood status in general, and admits a pleasurable surprise when he comes upon a

talented Muggle-born, such as Hermione or, years before, Lily Evans. Also, Slughorn notably displays not


9/17

pride, but shame at having helped a young Tom Marvolo Riddle perform some of his most noted and

impressive feats of magic, as Riddle had questioned Slughorn about Horcruxes. However, students he

deems unimportant he ignores, as though they were not there.

In Half-Blood Prince, Harry is invited to the first meeting of the Slug Club held on the Hogwarts Express.

Slughorn sets less-stringent entry criteria for Advanced Potions than his predecessor, lowering the

required grade from a perfect O (Outstanding) to the above-average E (Exceeds Expectations). This last-

minute change enables Harry and Ron to take Potions at NEWT level. However, since Harry had not

expected to be allowed to join the course, he has none of the necessary materials, and Slughorn lends

him an old textbook until Harry can procure his own. Later, Harry does buy a new copy of Advanced

Potion-Making from Flourish and Blotts, but switches the covers and gives back the new book. During his

first class, Slughorn offers a small amount ofFelix Felicis to the student who brews the best cauldron of

the Draught of Living Death. Harry wins with the help of handwritten notes in the borrowed textbook,

which had once belonged to Snape. Harry later uses the Felix Felicis to retrieve a memory from Slughorn

that details the conversation between the professor and Riddle about Horcruxes as well as the possibility

of creating more than one Horcrux.

In Harry Potter and the DeathlyHallows, Slughorn briefly appears with other teachers assembling to fight

Death Eaters. As Snape is now Headmaster, Slughorn has assumed the post of Head of Slytherin.

Though he is initially hesitant to join in the Battle ofHogwarts and is assumed to have evacuated with his

house, he returns to the fray later on. It is revealed that he has not fled, but has recruited a large number

of reinforcements to fight for Hogwarts. He then summons up the courage to duel Voldemort, alongside

McGonagall and Kingsley Shacklebolt.

Slughorn is played by Jim Broadbent in the film adaptations ofHarry Potter and theHalf-Blood

Prince and DeathlyHallows.

Severus Snape

Main article: Severus Snape

Severus Snape was, from Harry's first to sixth years, the potions master and Head of Slytherin House.

He is extremely strict to anyone outside of his own house of Slytherin and this frequently makes Harry's

potions lessons hell. When at Dumbledores request, Snape kills him at the end ofHarry Potter and the

Half-Blood Prince, he flees his post at Hogwarts but returns in Harry Potter and the DeathlyHallows as

headmaster having been appointed by the Minister for Magic controlled by Voldemort. He is played

byAlan Rickman in the film series.

Pomona Sprout

Pomona Sprout is Professor ofHerbology and the Head ofHufflepuffHouse. Her birthday is on 15

May.[citation needed]

She is described as a dumpy little witch with flyaway grey hair who wears a patched,


10/17

frayed hat and shabby robes, often covered in dirt due to the time she spends tending plants in the

Hogwarts greenhouses. Sprout is introduced in Philosopher's Stone, but she plays no active role

until Chamber of Secrets, in which she teaches her second year students to work with Mandrake plants.

She is responsible for raising the Mandrakes to full maturity, at which point their juice is used to revive

the petrified victims of the basilisk.

Sprout subsequently appears in Goblet of Fire in which, as the Hufflepuff Head of House, she

comfortsAmos Diggory and his wife after the death of their son, Hufflepuff student Cedric Diggory, whom

she knew well. In Order of the Phoenix, Sprout is a non-vocal supporter of Harry's story about

Voldemort's resurrection. Like many teachers at Hogwarts, she detests Umbridge's presence and does

her best to disobey her. After the raid of Hogwarts in Half-Blood Prince, Sprout is a staunch advocate of

keeping Hogwarts open. She also supports the suggestion that Dumbledore should be laid to rest at

Hogwarts. Sprout attends Dumbledore's funeral, where she appears cleaner than she has ever been

seen before.

In DeathlyHallows, she chases Snape away from Hogwarts with Professors McGonagall and Flitwick.

Informed that Voldemort and his Death Eaters are coming to besiege Hogwarts, she uses her knowledge

of magical plants by improvising offensive botany, and, with the help of several students, throws

Mandrakes and Venomous Tentaculas off the castle walls at the approaching Death Eaters. The epilogue

ofDeathlyHallows reveals that Neville Longbottom has become the new Herbology teacher at Hogwarts.

The circumstances of Sprout's departure from the job are not revealed.

Sprout was portrayed by Miriam Margolyes in the film adaptation ofChamber of Secrets, and it has been

confirmed that she will appear in the two-part adaption of the final film, Harry Potter and the Deathly

Hallows.[16]

Sybill Trelawney

Sybill Patricia Trelawney is the professor ofDivination. She is the great-great-granddaughter of the

celebrated seerCassandra Trelawney, and, in fact, has inherited some of her ancestor's talent.

Trelawney is described as a slight woman resembling an insect, draped in a large spangled shawl and

many gaudy bangles and rings. She speaks in a misty voice and wears thick glasses, which cause her

eyes to appear greatly magnified. Her odd classroom in the North Tower of Hogwarts is a cross between

"someone's attic and an old-fashioned tea shop".[17] This dim, heavily scented, and "stiflingly" warm room

often affects students' wakefulness.

Trelawney first appears in the third book of the series, when Harry, Ron, and Hermione start divination

lessons. The friends generally believe Trelawney is a fraud. However, Gryffindor students Parvati

Patil and Lavender Brown are very fond of and impressed by her. According to McGonagall, her credibility

as a seer is undermined by her habit of erroneously predicting, each year, the death of one of her


11/17

students. However, from time to time she does make predictions within the books, which come true. Her

more profound predictions seem only to happen when she is in a trance and unaware of what she is

saying, with no memory of it afterward.

Prior to the events of the Harry Potterbooks, Trelawney falls into a prophetic trance while in an interview

with Dumbledore at the Hog's Head, making a prophecy about the birth of a wizard "with the power to

vanquish" Voldemort. This prophecy was partly overheard by Snape, who relayed what he heard to

Voldemort. This led Voldemort to attack the Potter family, believing that Harry was the child named.

In Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban, Trelawney prophesies to Harry about the events of the

book's climax. In Order of the Phoenix, Trelawney is first put on probation by Umbridge, and later fired.

However, Trelawney continues to reside in Hogwarts castle due to an order by Dumbledore, who believes

that she would be in danger outside of Hogwarts due to the prophecy she made during her interview.

Dumbledore later reveals that the prophecy is why he keeps her employed as a Divination teacher.

Trelawney returns to teaching in Half-Blood Prince, but has to share classes with Firenze, as he was cast

out by his fellow centaurs when he agreed to replace Trelawney after she was fired. In Harry Potter and

the DeathlyHallows, she is seen aiding in the Battle of Hogwarts by magically accelerating her crystal

balls at Death Eaters. She uses one of these crystal balls to defend an injured Lavender Brown against

the attack of werewolfFenrir Greyback.

In the British editions of the books, her name is consistently spelled as "Sybill". In the American editions,

from her first appearance in Prisoner of Azkaban through Order of the Phoenix, her name is spelled as

"Sibyll". However, in the American edition ofHalf-Blood Prince, it is re-spelled as "Sybill", matching the

UK edition.[18]

Trelawney is portrayed by Emma Thompson in the Prisoner of Azkaban, Order of the Phoenix,

and DeathlyHallows.

Dolores Umbridge

Main article: Dolores Umbridge

Dolores Umbridge was the Defence Against the Dark Arts teacher at Hogwarts during Harry's fifth year.

She was appointed by the Ministry for Magic to address the rumours concerning Voldemort's return that

extended from there the previous summer. She extracted control, even appointing herself Headmistress,

despite not being able to enter Dumbledore's office. She was much hated by students and staff alike.

Umbridge is portrayed by Imelda Staunton in the films.

Others

Character Background


12/17

Bathsheda BabblingThe Ancient Runes professor at Hogwarts. The character never appears in the films nor

is mentioned in the books, but Rowling has named her on her official site.[19]

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 one day he took a nap in a chair in the teacherslounge/staff room and died in his sleep; later, he simply got up to go to teach his next

class and "left his body behind". As a ghost, he walks through the blackboard to enter

each lesson, but otherwise seems unaware of his change. His classes are infamous for

being dreadfully boring. In the second book it is he who describes the legend of

the Chamber of Secrets when asked by the students, but in the film version it isMcGonagall, as Binns does not appear in the films.

Charity Burbage

Identified as the Muggle Studies teacher in the final book. Because her teachings about

Muggles gave an overall favourable impression of them, going so far as to write aneditorial praising Muggles in theDaily Prophet, she runs afoul of the Death Eaters,

whose philosophy asserts the supremacy of pure-bloods. She becomes a prisoner ofVoldemort, who tortures her, kills her, and feeds her toNagini. In the film adaptation

ofDeathly Hallows, Charity is portrayed by Carolyn Pickles.

Wilhelmina Grubbly-Plank

A substitute Care of Magical Creatures teacher. She first appears inHarry Potter andthe Goblet of Fire, taking lessons when Hagrid is unable to teach, and substitutes again

inHarry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix when Hagrid is away on a mission for

Dumbledore. The character was played by Apple Brookin the filmHarry Potter and

the Order of the Phoenix.

Silvanus KettleburnThe Care of Magical Creatures teacher at Hogwarts, whose place is eventually taken byHagrid. He has been at Hogwarts since Armando Dippet (Dumbledore's predecessor)

was headmaster. He eventually retires to "spend time with his remaining limbs".

Irma PinceThe librarian of Hogwarts, compared to an "underfed vulture". The character was

portrayed by Sally Mortemore in the film adaptation of the second book.

Aurora Sinistra

The Astronomy professor. Sinistra assists Professor Flitwick in moving a

petrified Justin Finch-Fletchley to the hospital wing in Chamber of Secrets. She attendsthe Yule Ball in Harry's fourth year with the fake Mad-Eye Moody.

Septima VectorThe Arithmancy professor, known to give her students large amounts of homework. Sheis almost knocked over by a distraught Rubeus Hagrid in the Order of the Phoenix.

Hogwarts ghosts


13/17

Hogwarts is home to at least twenty ghosts[HP1]

, but when people in the novels speak of the ghosts at

Hogwarts they are usually referring to one of the four resident ghosts of the Hogwarts houses: Sir

Nicholas de Mimsy-Porpington (or, as the students refer to him, Nearly Headless Nick), the almost-

decapitated wizard of the Court who resides in Gryffindortower; the Bloody Baron, who resides in

the Slytherin dungeon; the jovial Fat Friar, who resides with the Hufflepuffs; and the Grey Lady, who

"lives" with the Ravenclaws. These ghosts seem to act as something like advisers and aides to the

students; Nick is frequently seen helping Harry during moments of uncertainty or crisis. Another ghost

mentioned frequently is Moaning Myrtle.

The Bloody Baron

The Bloody Baron is the Slytherin House ghost. He is the only person besides Dumbledore and Fred

and George Weasley who can exert any control over the poltergeistPeeves; Peeves is terrified of him for

some unknown reason, referring to him as "Your Bloodiness" and "Mr. Baron."

The Baron's nickname comes from the fact that he is covered with blood, which appears silvery on his

ghostly form. When Nearly Headless Nick is asked in the first book why the Baron is so bloody, Nick

delicately comments that "[he has] never asked". However, this is explained in Harry Potter and the

DeathlyHallows, when Helena Ravenclaw tells Harry that the Baron had been in love with her when the

two were alive, and when she ran off with her mother's diadem, Rowena Ravenclaw sent the Baron after

her, knowing he would not stop until Helena was found. When Helena refused to return with him,

however, the Baron killed her in a fit of rage, and then, in remorse, killed himself with the same weapon.

He has thus haunted Hogwarts ever since, wearing his ghostly chains as a form of penitence.

Terence Baylerportrayed the Baron in the first film. In contrast to his book counterpart, the Baron is quite

mirthful in the film, playfully swiping through the Sorting feast with his sword, much to the amusement of

those within his house.

The Fat Friar

The Fat Friaris the Hufflepuff House ghost. He is a jolly man and very forgiving. In Harry Potter and the

Philosopher's Stone when the first years are waiting for Professor McGonagall to return and the ghosts

pass overhead, the Fat Friar is pleading on behalf of Peeves the Poltergeist to allow him to come to the

welcome feast despite his past wrongdoings. Similarly, when Peeves wants to join the welcome feast

in Harry Potter and theGoblet of Fire, the Fat Friar was willing to give him a chance.

Simon Fisher-Beckerappeared as the Fat Friar in the film adaptation ofPhilosopher's Stone.

The Grey Lady


14/17

The Grey Lady is the Ravenclaw House ghost. According to a letter written by Rowling to Nina Young,

the actress who played the Grey Lady in the first film, she is "a highly intellectual young lady .... She

never found true love as she never found a man up to her standards".[20]

In Harry Potter and the DeathlyHallows it is revealed that the Grey Lady is HelenaRavenclaw, daughter

ofRowena Ravenclaw, making her the only house ghost related to one of the Hogwarts founders. She

informs Harry that she stole the Diadem of Ravenclaw from her mother, in an attempt to become smarter

than her, and then went into hiding in Albania. It was a dying Rowena Ravenclaw's wish to see her

daughter again and so she sent for the Bloody Baron to look for her, knowing that he would not rest until

he brought her back. However, she refused to come with him and, in a moment of blind rage, he killed her

with a single stab wound to her chest. Overcome with remorse, the Bloody Baron killed himself using the

same weapon in turn. The diadem remained in the hollow of the tree in theAlbanian forest until Tom

Riddle managed to charm the story out of her ghost, the Grey Lady. Riddle, who had been seeking out

historically significant objects to make into Horcruxes, later retrieved the diadem from Albania and hid it in

the Room of Requirement at Hogwarts while visiting the castle years later.

In Harry Potter and the DeathlyHallows Part 2, she will be played by Kelly Macdonald.[21]

Nearly Headless Nick

Sir Nicholas deMimsy-Porpington, often referred to as Nearly Headless Nick, Nick, orSir Nicholas,

is the Gryffindor House ghost who in life was sentenced to death by beheading after a teeth-straightening

spell went awry on Lady Grieve.[22]

Unfortunately, the executioner's axe was blunt and after 45 hacks

Nick's head was still only partially severed. Harry becomes friends with Nick when he attends his

"deathday" party (the 500th anniversary of the event) in a Hogwarts dungeon. Nick's death date (31

October 1492) has the distinction of having served as the basis for the entire chronology of the Harry

Potterstories, until the timeline was confirmed by the headstone ofJames and Lily Potterin Harry Potter

and the DeathlyHallows. His greatest wish is to become a member of the Headless Hunt, as mentioned

in the second book. However, he is excluded due to the fact that he is not actually headless and would

not be able to fully participate in the activities.

In the Chamber of Secrets, Nick is a victim of the Basilisk that Ginny Weasley unleashes under the

influence ofTom Riddle. The stare of the Basilisk is lethal to anyone who looks it directly in the eye. While

the living students all have some barrier between them and the Basilisk (and are therefore petrified rather

than killed), Nick does look at the Basilisk's eyes directly. However, since he is already dead, he too is

only petrified. The character appears again in Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenixwhen Harry has

been looking for comfort upon the death ofSirius Black, hoping he can see him later as a ghost. Nick

explains that only witches and wizards who fear death and refuse to go on can become ghosts, dashing


15/17

Harry's hope of communicating with Sirius. He appears briefly in Harry Potter and the DeathlyHallows,

when Harry asks him to bring him to the Grey Lady.

The character is portrayed in the film series by John Cleese.

Hogwarts founders

In Rowling's fictional universe, Hogwarts was founded a millennium ago by "four of the greatest witches

and wizards of the age"[HP2]

: Godric Gryffindor, Helga Hufflepuff, Rowena Ravenclaw, and Salazar

Slytherin. The founders served as Hogwarts's first teachers, and each of the Hogwarts houses is named

after one of the founders.

Godric Gryffindor

GodricGryffindorhailed from a moorthat is now known as Godric's Hollow, a small West

Country village.[HP7]

Gryffindor is said to have praised courage, determination, and strength of heart above

all other qualities. He also was the most in favour of allowing Muggle-borns into the school. He was

initially a close friend of Salazar Slytherin, but over time their friendship deteriorated. "One of the four

famous Founders of Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry, Godric Gryffindor was the most

accomplished dueller of his time, an enlightened fighter against Muggle-discrimination and the first owner

of the celebrated Sorting Hat."[23]

His known relics are a goblin-made sword adorned with rubies (the Goblins claim that Godric stole it from

them, but Goblin notions of ownership are different from human views of ownership) and the Sorting Hat.

The two items share a particular bond: whenever a "true Gryffindor" needs it, the Sword will allow itself to

be pulled out of the hat. Godric's sword is goblin wrought silver, so it never needs cleaning and only takes

in what strengthens itwhen Harry kills a basilisk with it in the Chamber of Secrets it absorbs basilisk

venom, making it suitable as a tool for destroying Voldemort's Horcruxes: Dumbledore uses it to destroy

Gaunt's ring, Ron Weasley uses it to smash Slytherin's locket, and Neville Longbottom uses it to

killNagini.

Helga Hufflepuff

Helga Hufflepuffcame from a broad valley. The Sorting Hat describes her as "good Hufflepuff" or "sweet

Hufflepuff". She favoured loyalty, honesty, and dedication. In Goblet of Fire, she is said to have

considered "hard workers most worthy of admission". Elsewhere, she is described as taking "all the rest"

of the students after selection by her colleagues. She was a good friend of Rowena Ravenclaw; their

friendship is used to emphasise the failed friendship between Godric Gryffindor and Salazar Slytherin.

"One of the four celebrated Founders of Hogwarts, Hufflepuff was particularly famous for her dexterity at

food-related Charms. Many recipes traditionally served at Hogwarts feasts originated with

Hufflepuff."[24]

Her wizard card, penned by Rowling, describes her as having "brought people from


16/17

different walks of life together to help build Hogwarts", and being "loved for her charming ways".

According to an interview between Rowling and staff from The Leaky Cauldron, Hufflepuff

introduced house-elves to Hogwarts, where she offered them refuge.[25]

Both the famous wizard card and

the illustration on Rowling's website depict her as a plump woman with red hair.

One relic of Hufflepuff, a small golden cup, emblazoned with her symbol of a badger, is passed down to

her distant descendant, Hepzibah Smith. This cup is stolen by Tom Riddle and made into a Horcrux.

Rowena Ravenclaw

Rowena Ravenclaw[26]

was a witch noted for her cleverness and creativity, and was described

by Xenophilius Lovegood as beautiful. The Sorting Hat introduces her as "Fair Ravenclaw, from glen",

suggesting she was from Scotland. Ravenclaw devised the ever-changing floor plans and moving

staircases in the Hogwarts castle, and coined the proverb "Wit beyond measure is man's greatest

treasure." Ravenclaw is described by the Sorting Hat as having selected students according to

intelligence and wisdom. "One of the four famous Founders of Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and

Wizardry, Rowena Ravenclaw was the most brilliant witch of her time, though legend has it that a broken

heartcause unknowncontributed to her early demise." It is revealed in the DeathlyHallows that the

broken heart contributing to her untimely death was most likely the loss of her daughter, Helena

Ravenclaw, who is, in fact, the Ravenclaw House Ghost (nicknamed The Grey Lady), and the loss of her

diadem, the very relic to which Ravenclaw's astounding wisdom was attributed.

In Harry Potter and the DeathlyHallows, Harry learns that an artefact of Ravenclaw's became a Horcrux:

her lost diadem, which granted enhanced wisdom to its wearer. Her daughter, Helena Ravenclaw, had

once run away with it to surpass her mother in terms of intelligence and wisdom and hid it inAlbania, its

whereabouts remaining unknown ever since. She, however, revealed its location to a young Tom Riddle,

who proceeded to retrieve it and turn it into a Horcrux. In the original uncursed form, it is said to be able to

imbue its wearer with great wisdom. Late in her life, Rowena, suffering from a terminal illness, sent for

the Bloody Baron to find her daughter so she could see her one last time before she died. However,

Helena refused to go with the Baron, and he killed her in a paroxysm of rage. Immediately overcome with

guilt, he then took his own life.

Salazar Slytherin

Salazar Slytherin is described as power hungry by the Sorting Hat, and was known as "shrewd Slytherin

from fen". "One of the four celebrated Founders of Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry, Salazar

Slytherin was one of the first recorded Parselmouths, an accomplished Legilimens, and a notorious

champion of pureblood supremacy."[27]

Slytherin is the only founder whose physical appearance is ever

described in any detail; his statue in the Chamber of Secrets depicts a man "ancient and monkey-like,


17/17

with a long thin beard that fell almost to the bottom of his sweeping robes." According to Dumbledore, the

qualities that Slytherin prized in his handpicked students included his own rare ability to speak

Parseltongue,[28]

resourcefulness, and determination. He also selected his students according to cunning,

ambition, and blood purity. Slytherin's first name is a reference to Portuguese dictator Dr.Antnio de

Oliveira Salazar.

Slytherin's background is first discussed by Professor Binns in Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets:

he describes the founding of the school and of the breach between Slytherin and the other founders, and

he mentions that the castle was founded far from Muggles because, at that time, common people feared

magic and persecuted suspected wizards and witches. Slytherin wanted magical learning restricted to all-

magical families, as he believed Muggle-born students to be untrustworthy and he disliked teaching such

students. According to ancient legend, Slytherin was responsible for the construction of the Chamber of

Secrets. This chamber contained a magically created Basilisk, susceptible to control by his Parselmouth

descendants and left there to purge the school of all Muggle-borns. This occurred shortly before infighting

among the four founders broke out and resulted in Slytherin's departure.

Slytherin owned a locket that became an heirloom for his last known line of descendants, the Gaunts;

later it is turned into a Horcrux.

Documents

Hogwarts Staff