Minerva McGonagall

Minerva McGonagall (born October 14, 1935) was a Scottish half-blood witch who had taught three generations as Transfiguration professor at Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry. She was born in a small parish to the Muggle Presbyterian minister, Robert and his wife Isobel Ross. The eldest of three children, she attended Hogwarts from 1947 to 1954 as a Gryffindor. At Hogwarts, she was a Hatstall between Ravenclaw and Gryffindor, but eventually was sorted into Gryffindor. She played briefly but successfully on the Gryffindor Quidditch team as a Chaser and in her seventh year was appointed Head Girl.

After attending Hogwarts, she was employed in the post-war Department of Magical Law Enforcement at the Ministry of Magic as a secretary, where she met her future husband Elphinstone Urquart. She then resigned to go back to Hogwarts to serve in her current post as Transfiguration professor. During the First Wizarding War, she served as a reconnaissance agent for both the Aurors and the Order of the Phoenix.

After the First Wizarding War, Minerva continued to serve as Transfiguration Professor. In 1991, she met and served as Harry Potter's mentor throughout his time at Hogwarts.

Early Life
Minerva McGonagall was born to Robert McGonagall and Isobel Ross in the parish of Dunhart in Caithness, Scotland on October 14, 1935. Their marriage was happy, though built on a lie, as Isobel never told Robert about her magic. Eventually as Minerva grew and thus displayed magic, Isobel confessed to Robert. Though they remained together, their marriage was never the same, which deeply affected Minerva.

Minerva was fairly reserved as a child, though she did have a few very close friends, including Dougal McGregor, the son of a local cattle farmer, perhaps her best friend. Robert and Isobel often thought them a natural match, though Isobel was deeply concerned about her own fate being Minerva's potential.

The McGonagalls would have two more children: Malcolm in 1939 and Young Robert in 1941. When she was nearly twelve, Minerva received her acceptance letter and purchased her wand from Ollivander's, a nine and a half inch wand made of fir with dragon heartstring.

Hogwarts (1947-1954)
Her Sorting ended in a five and a half minute Hatstall, where the Hat struggled to place her between Ravenclaw and Gryffindor. Eventually, she was sorted into Gryffindor.

During her time at Hogwarts, she met and became fast friends with Augusta Longbottom, who remained her roommate through to seventh year. She also shared many interests with an younger Hufflepuff, Pomona Sprout, who would later become her colleague at Hogwarts.

When she went home every summer, she reconnected with her Muggle friends, including Dougal McGregor. Her fondest memory up to that point had been a Christmas dance, where she and McGregor danced for hours together in the local churchyard.

Minerva played for Gryffindor's quidditch team as a Chaser, where she was naturally gifted and agile. She played until a nasty fall in her seventh year cost her team the game against Slytherin.

In her 5th year, she was nominated to be a prefect and received an Outstanding with Commendations in Charms and Transfiguration and an Outstanding in Astronomy, Defense Against the Dark Arts, Herbology, History of Magic, and Potions.

She also scored highly in her N.E.W.T.S, again receiving an Outstanding with Commendations in Transfiguration, and Outstandings in her other subjects. She graduated in 1954, a Head Girl, awarded the Transfiguration Today Most Promising Newcomer Award, and a prized student of her generation. She also registered as an Animagus, taking the form of a tabby cat with square spectacle markings.

Adult Life (1954-1970)
Despite her high grades and achievements, Minerva struggled to find work. Due to the post-war slump in both Muggle and Magical Britain, few posts were open to her, especially as she was a woman.

She spent the summer after graduating in Dunhart, where she reconnected once more with Dougal McGregor. By this time, Minerva was deeply in love and was reciprocated. Their happy summer resulted with her accepting his proposal to marry him. However because of her experience with her parent's unhappy marriage, she couldn't go through with it. She left Dunhart that summer, heartbroken.

Minerva was employed as an entry-level secretary in the Department of Magical Law Enforcement, where she formed a close relationship with her boss, Elphinstone Urquart. She was offered a prestigious promotion as Lead Hit Wizard Trainer due to Urquart's influence and her natural skill, however she turned him and the job down as she missed Scotland dearly.

Minerva applied for a posting in the Transfiguration department at Hogwarts and received a letter back within hours, scheduling a meeting. She joined the faculty in 1957 and worked alongside Professor Dumbledore, her former professor.

A few years into her employment, she received a letter from her mother that Dougal had married a local farmer's daughter, one of her and Dougal's childhood friends. Minerva was heartbroken and distraught. She was seen by Dumbledore, who comforted  and told her about his own experiences, which served as the foundation for a strong and lifelong friendship. She was appointed Head of Gryffindor House in 1966 after the retirement of Professor Swoopstikes and Deputy Headmistress after Albus Dumbledore was promoted to Headmaster.

Minerva attended her younger brother Malcolm's wedding to Lucinda Sinclair and was named her nephew Duncan's godmother in 1961. Her youngest nephew Robert was born a year later.

She remained close to Elphinstone, who was deeply in love with her. However, she struggled to get past her early heartbreak with Dougal so was unable to reciprocate fully. He proposed several times, with her rejecting him gently. Despite this, Elphinstone remained hopeful but promised to respect her boundaries.

First Wizarding War (1970-1981)
After the rise of Lord Voldemort, Dumbledore approached Minerva about joining the Order of the Phoenix. She chose not to, instead providing the Aurors and Dumbledore crucial information about the activity of the Death Eaters through using her Animagus form.

She protected her students throughout the war, and grew especially close to James Potter and Lily Evans, though James had been a constant thorn in her side up until his 6th year with his pranking and jokestering. James was somewhat her protege, given his natural talent for Transfiguration. After their graduation, she was a guest and speaker at their wedding in 1980.

Despite her high-risk duties, she remained unscathed throughout the First Wizarding War. Dougal McGregor and his family lost their lives early in the war. Unfortunately, she also her two nephews in 1979 after a long fight with Augustus Rookwood and another unknown Death Eater, and later still her two young friends and former students, the Potters on Halloween 1981.

November 1, 1981
On the night after Voldemort's disappearance, Minerva once again used her reconnaissance skills to scout out Number Four, Privet Drive. The Dursleys, the closest living relatives of Harry Potter, to house him until he was of age. Despite her objections, as the Dursleys- particularly Vernon- was a very unsuitable replacement, Albus Dumbledore delivered Harry to them.

Interbellum (1981 - current)
After finally coping with the loss of her nephews and Dougal, Minerva returned to Hogwarts to continue teaching Transfiguration. She finally proposed to Elphinstone during a summertime stroll around the Black Lake. They married in a small ceremony and Minerva moved in with him at her Hogsmeade cottage. His nephews and nieces visited them often, especially if they needed help with Magical Law or Transfiguration coursework.

On June 8, 1985, Elphinstone died shortly after being bitten by Venomous Tentacula growing in his small greenhouse. Not able to cope with the loss, she moved out of the cottage and poured her heart into her work.

Physical Appearance
Minerva McGonagall can be described as a severe looking woman, with graying brown hair and fair skin. She had thin lips, and wore no makeup. She kept her hair in a tight bun and rarely let it down.

McGonagall favored loose layered robes of black, grey, and crimson fabric or in tartan, with severe, pointed shoulders and tight collars. She often wore a brooch given to her by her mother-in-law, a silver shield with three small rubies. In colder weather and at night, she wore large tartan shawls. Minerva also wore square spectacles that matched the markings around her Animagus and Patronus' form as well as a pointed hat.

Personality
McGonagall was a paragon of discipline and fairness. She was respected if not feared by nearly all students and staff, all three generations that she's taught. She was hardly personable and suffered no foolishness or indecency of any sort. She wasn't afraid to speak her mind, and often did only when she thought it necessary.

A true Gryffindor through and through, she valued honesty, bravery, and courage above all else. Despite her deep house loyalty, she never let it or anything else get in the way of fairmindedness. Even with people she loved, she was not very physically affectionate and could often also appear emotionally distant if she was unsure how best to proceed.

McGonagall maintained extreme emotional discipline, neither appearing too friendly or too aloof. If she were relaxed or happy, it seemed as if she was a different person entirely. Nevertheless, she cared deeply for all her students, past and present and often sought them out if she felt that her help was useful.

Her discipline and no-nonsense attitude also extended to her teaching methods, where she patiently guided her students through the difficult art of Transfiguration. She would equally show praise as she would give fair criticisms.

Minerva was also a deeply moral, but not religious, person. She believed in the sanctity of law and justice and tolerated no corruption or evil. She was prepared to step outside of the law only when no other option was available to her, even if it was a detriment to herself or others.

Abilities and Skills
See Power Scale for more information.

Other Skills
Listed here are Other Skills, those that may contribute to any one of the qualities or separate from them.


 * Apparition. Minerva can Apparate from Hogwarts to Edinburgh with some effort, and Hogwarts to London with extreme effort.
 * Animagus: Minerva is an Animagus, allowing her to transform into a tabby cat at will.
 * Ballroom Dancing: Minerva is a very skilled ballroom dancer.
 * Editing: Minerva often provides edits to student's papers and to professional publications both in terms of grammatical suggestions and factual discrepancies.
 * Knowledge of Muggles: Unlike many of her Muggle-raised colleagues and contemporaries, McGonagall remained 'in the know' about the Muggle world once she joined the Magical World, and continued to do so even into the present day. She can easily blend into the Muggle world.
 * Needlework: In her spare time, McGonagall sews and embroiders. She often gifts her work to close friends and relatives.
 * Patronus Charm: Minerva has mastered the Patronus Charm and can even use it as a messenger, a technique perfected by Albus Dumbledore.
 * Prodigal Chess Player: Minerva has played chess (both Wizard's and Muggle) since she was a young girl. She remembers her father through the game, as that is how she bonded with him.
 * Quidditch Knowledge: Minerva has a storied Quidditch career and has remained intimate with the sport throughout her years at Hogwarts. She is an avid supporter of the Montrose Magpies.
 * Seasoned Teacher: Minerva's near half century spent as a teacher have given her a near unmatched knowledge of how to present information in a concise, comprehensive, easily-understood format for all ages.

Possessions and Properties

 * Hogwarts Quarters: Minerva's quarters are located on the First Floor, near a portrait corridor that leads to the Transfiguration courtyard.
 * McGonagall Cottage: Minerva owns a cottage in Hogsmeade, last occupied in 1985 when she was married to Elphinstone Urquart.
 * Porcelain Figurine: Elphinstone gave her a porcelain figurine as a parting gift when she left the Ministry in 1957. It is in the shape of pair of 18th century French aristocrats dancing.
 * Minerva McGonagall's Wand: Her wand was 9 and a half inches, made of fir and dragon heartstring.
 * Urquart Brooch: Her mother-in-law gifted her a silver brooch in the shape of a shield, with three rubies on the top. Minerva frequently wears this.
 * Wedding Rings: Minerva kept her and her husband's simple gold bands inside her desk at Hogwarts.

Malcolm McGonagall
Minerva was a toddler when Malcolm was born, so she often helped out her mother taking care of him. When Minerva left for Hogwarts, Malcolm was only six. As such, they didn't have a particularly close relationship during their childhood, as Minerva was away most of the time. Nevertheless, Malcolm adored his sister. As Malcolm was sorted into a different house (Ravenclaw), Minerva also didn't have much time to spend with her brother when he eventually came to Hogwarts. However after they both graduated from Hogwarts, they did maintain a relationship that improved steadily with time, often at their mothers' urging.

In 1961, Minerva was part of Malcolm and Lucinda Sinclair's wedding party and later one of the godparents to their first child Duncan. Minerva spent most of her free time helping out with Duncan, though she never grew close to Lucinda whom she thought was too naive and ill-prepared to raise children (Minerva kept this to herself, however).

When Lucinda died a year later, Malcolm withdrew into himself and neglected his two boys. Minerva stepped up and helped him cope with the grief even as she continued to suffer through the heartbreak of having to reject Dougal McGregor. This common pain cemented their relationship.

Minerva taught her two nephews in Transfiguration, but their visits became less frequent as Malcolm took up more political work in setting up his new House. Minerva disapproved of her nephews joining the Order of the Phoenix so soon after graduating and feared for their safety should they be arrested by the Ministry or captured by Death Eaters. Her fears were proven true, as both were murdered shortly after joining the Order. Once again, Malcolm's grief was all-consuming and Minerva was there to bring him out of it. However, this last bout of grief changed Malcolm, as perhaps he conflated being around Minerva with his suffering and death.

Slowly, the two fell out of regular contact. They still send each other letters and cards at birthdays and Christmastime.

Robert McGonagall
Minerva was a young girl when Robert was born and similarly to her brother Malcolm she helped her mother take care of him. Robert was always much closer to his older brother Malcolm than to his elder sister, and closer to his mother than to his father in temperament. Robert was sorted into Gryffindor and overlapped his sister's time at school by only one year. However Minerva was able to teach her younger brother Transfiguration from his fourth year onwards. Minerva disapproved of her youngest brother's rebellious streak, and sometimes couldn't believe he was her brother. In any case, they were never less than civil.

After he graduated from Hogwarts, Robert joined the Order of the Phoenix and failed to convince his siblings to join also. However, his nephews Duncan and Robbie did join, much to the McGonagall's eventual sorrow. Unlike her brother Malcolm, Minerva didn't blame Robert for her nephews' deaths, but still considered him reckless for encouraging them to join and at the very least responsible for not "going with the party line" in not joining the outlaw society.

Minerva sees Robert around once a year to pick up a year's supplies of baked goods, including shortbread biscuits and ginger newts from his store in Edinburgh. They also send each other letters and cards at important dates.

Pomona Sprout
Pomona Sprout, despite being several years younger and in a different house, met and befriended Minerva at a Slug Club event in Minerva's 5th year. Though they were remarkably distinct in character and ambitions, they nevertheless valued their friendship immensely. When Minerva graduated, she kept in regular contact with Pomona, and they both attended the other's graduation ceremonies.

Later on, as Minerva settled into her career at Hogwarts, she convinced Pomona to replace the retiring Professor Beery as Herbology professor in 1963. Pomona agreed, eager to work with Minerva. As they worked, Pomona and Minerva both settled into an easy routine of meeting each other in the staff meeting for a morning coffee to blow off steam about the previous day. The two of them exchange joke gifts on each other's birthdays.

Augusta Longbottom
Augusta Longbottom, then Augusta Evermonde, and Minerva were roommates during their time at Hogwarts and met shortly after the Sorting Ceremony as Minerva had watched and laughed as Augusta scolded an older Hufflepuff boy (later her husband) for spilling grape juice on her uniform. They became fast friends and study partners, and both were members of the Slug Club, though Augusta was far more interested in it than Minerva was. She encouraged Minerva to, if not join her in politics, then to be more interested in it. Augusta succeeded in the later.

At one particular Slug Club Christmas party, Augusta was making eyes at an older student, Harold Longbottom. Frustrated at her lack of initiative, Minerva marched up to Harold and introduced him to her friend. Augusta and Harold were married that same year while still at Hogwarts, causing a minor scandal at the time. Augusta returned the long-held favor by introducing Minerva's brother Malcolm to Augusta's friend Lucinda Sinclair at a society function.

Augusta named Minerva one of her son's godmothers shortly after his birth in 1958. The two enjoyed weekly tea together at Longbottom Manor after graduation, and were the maid of honor at each other's weddings. Augusta helped Minerva find an opening in the Ministry, though openly criticized the Department of Magical Law Enforcement for not taking Minerva into the Auror program; a "far more fitting role than a mere secretary" in her words.

Albus Dumbledore
Albus Dumbledore met Minerva in their first Transfiguration lesson, where he was delighted by her natural talent with the subject. In that particular lesson of turning a twig into chalk, she effortlessly did so on the first try.

Throughout her time at Hogwarts, Dumbledore found her to be one of his favorite students who came by often during his office hours to ask for help that in his mind she didn't need. In her final year, he suggested that she attempt the ultimate feat in personal Transfiguration: becoming an Animagus. She did so, and he helped her to register.

Later on, they became colleagues when a professor retired in the Transfiguration department. Minerva figured out that Dumbledore was leading the mysterious band of vigilantes (the Order of the Phoenix), and relayed her suspicions to him. He confessed to it before asking her if she wanted to join. She declined, urging him to not recruit any further. Despite her urging, Dumbledore continued, which drove a wedge between the two of them for nearly twenty years, especially after the death of her two nephews and then her close friends the Potters.

Despite this cooling of their friendship, Dumbledore requested that she aid him in giving Harry over to the Dursleys on November 1, 1981. She accepted, not out of loyalty to him but love for her late friends and their son.

They reconciled only after the death of Elphinstone Urquart, a friend of Dumbledore's and Minerva's husband. He bared his soul to her and lamented the casualties he felt responsible for. She accepted his apologies and acknowledged his shortcomings. Despite forgiving him for allowing her students and family to fight and die in an underground organization against her personal wishes, she didn't forgive him for leaving Harry at the Dursley home. While her trust of Dumbledore is deep, she still is aware of her shortcomings.

Dumbledore, privately, often refers to Minerva as his "moral rock" and "dearest friend".

Elphinstone Urquart
Minerva met Elphinstone at her first Ministry Christmas party. He was the Hit Wizard Chief, and she was in the secretary pool at the Department of Magical Law Enforcement. However, after that encounter and in light of her stellar work, he offered her a job as his personal secretary, which she accepted. A year into her work for him, he once again offered her a promotion more 'in spirit' of her character and her skills- to be his lead Hit Wizard trainer. She declined, stating her intentions to resign. Dispirited but understanding her choice, he gave her a parting gift of a porcelain statue, her favorite in his collection.

Urquart and McGonagall remained in regular contact, going for coffee at the Three Broomsticks or Madam Puddifoot's (when it wasn't so gaudy). Elphinstone proposed to her several times, and they eventually married on June 15, 1985. McGonagall had been in love with him for a while up to that point, but could not marry Elphinstone due to her guilt over abandoning Dougal McGregor.