Professor McGonagall

Professor McGonagall

Background

Minerva G. McGonagall is the professor of transfiguration at Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry. She is an Animagus and can turn into a cat. McGonagall won a Quidditch award in 1971.

During the events of Harry Potter and the Sorcerer's Stone (2001) played by Maggie Smith

Albus Dumbledore uses his delluminator to capture the light from the streetlamps on Privet Drive. Professor McGonagall transforms from a cat and shortly after, Hagrid arrives on his flying motorcycle and hands Harry Potter to Dumbledore and he leaves a note to Aunt Petunia Dursley and Uncle Vernon Dursley. Ten years later, after they arrive at the station and take boats to Hogwarts, Professor McGonagall tells the first year students that they must go through the process of being sorted into their respective houses and she explains the points system and the house that wins the most points will win the house cup. The first year students are brought into the Great Hall and brought to The Sorting Hat. The next morning, Harry and Ron Weasley are late to Professor McGonagall's class. Later, Professor McGonagall sees Harry flying and takes him with her and introduces Harry to Oliver Wood and Harry is made the new Gryffindor Quidditch Seeker. After a Troll gets into Hogwarts, Professor McGonagall, Professor Snape and Professor Quirrell run into the bathroom and Hermione Granger takes the blame for being out while the Troll was wandering around and Gryffindor loses five points, but gains ten for Harry and Ron's bravery. As they are walking back to the Gryffindor common room after curfew, Harry, Hermione and Ron are stopped by Professor McGonagall who deducts points from both Gryffindor and Slytherin for Harry, Ron, Hermione and Draco Malfoy, who tattled on them to Professor McGonagall, for being out past curfew and they are each given detention. Later, Harry, Hermione and Ron run to Professor McGonagall and tell her they have to speak to Dumbledore about the Sorcerer's Stone, but she tells them Dumbledore is gone.

During the events of Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets (2002) played by Maggie Smith

Professor Snape threatens to kick Harry and Ron out of Hogwarts and [Dumbledore and Professor McGonagall walk in and Professor McGonagall gives Harry and Ron detention. She teaches the class how to transform animals to water goblets, which Ron fails due to his broken wand. Hermione asks Professor McGonagall about the Chamber of Secrets and she tells them about the founding of Hogwarts and how Salazar Slytherin wanted magic to be taught only to pure blood magical families. He eventually built the Chamber of Secrets and sealed it until his future heir would come to reopen it to unleash the horror within that would then kill those born from muggles. Later, Madam Pomfrey, Professor McGonagall and Dumbledore escort two other professors who bring Colin Creevey into the nurse's station on a stretcher in a petrified state. They take Colin's camera from his hands to look if he took a photo of his attacker, but the camera exhibits a poof of magic. Dumbledore tells Professor McGonagall the Chamber of Secrets has been opened again. When Justin Finch-Fletchley is found petrified, Professor McGonagall arrives and takes Harry to see Dumbledore. Before their game, Professor McGonagall tells the Gryffindor Quidditch team, their match has been cancelled. She and Harry go to get Ron and then she takes them to the clinic where Hermione is laying in bed, petrified. New rules are put in place at Hogworts and Professor McGonagall tells the students if the culprit of the attacks is not caught, Hogwarts will be closed. Professor McGonagall tells Professor Snape, Madam Pomfrey and Professor Flitwick, and Mr Filch, Ginny Weasley was taken to the Chamber of Secrets and all the students must be sent home. Gilderoy Lockhart walks up and Professor McGonagall tasks him with finding Ginny. Before the end of the year feast, Dumbledore asks for a round of applause for Professor Sprout and Madam Pomfrey and all of the students and professors clap, including Madam Pince. Hagrid returns and everyone gives Hagrid a round of applause.

During the events of Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban (2004) played by Maggie Smith

The students take a trip to Hogsmeade Village and Professor McGonagall tells Harry he will have to stay behind since he doesn't have a signed form. Later, Cornelius Fudge and Professor McGonagall arrive on sled to Madame Rosmerta's pub and have a meeting with Rosmerta and tell her Sirius Black told Lord Voldemort where Lily Potter and James Potter were hiding and killed a mutual friend named Peter Pettigrew and Sirius is Harry's godfather.

During the events of Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire (2005) played by Maggie Smith

During the champion selection for the Triwizard Tournament, Cedric Diggory, Viktor Krum, Fleur Delacour and Harry's names are chosen. Madame Olympe Maxime and Igor Karkaroff accuse Harry of cheating, but Barty Crouch says Harry must compete. McGonagall tells Dumbledore he can't allow Harry to compete, but Snape thinks they should allow Harry to compete until they figure out what is going on. Later, Draco is about to cast a spell on Harry when Harry's back is turned when Alastor "Mad-Eye" Moody sees him and transforms Draco into a ferret. McGonagall turns Draco back from a ferret and then chastises Moody. As McGonagall is explaining the Yule Ball to the Gryffindors, Ron makes a comment about Eloise Midgen's appearance, but is then brought in front of everyone to dance with McGonagall. After the last challenge, Moody starts to transform and as he is about to kill Harry, Dumbledore bursts into the room and stuns Moody with magic. Snape pours a potion into Moody's mouth. Dumbledore, Snape and McGonagall find the real Moody locked in a chest and the fake Moody fully transforms back to Barty Crouch Junior.

During the events of Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix (2007) played by Maggie Smith

Harry, Nymphadora Tonks, Alastor, Kingsley Shacklebolt, Elphias Doge, and Emmeline Vance go to Grimmauld Place where Sirius is having a meeting with Mr Weasley, Professor Lupin, McGonagall, and Mrs Weasley. The meeting ends and Harry says hello to everyone and Sirius gives him a hug. Kingsley hands Harry a newspaper where Fudge is accusing him and Dumbledore of lying about Voldemort. Sirius tells Harry that Voldemort has been trying to recruit followers and that Voldemort is trying to get something he didn't have last time. During the Hogwarts banquet, Dumbledore welcomes back Professor Grubbly-Plank as the Care of Magical Creatures while Hagrid is away. He then introduces Dolores Umbridge as the new Defense Against the Dark Arts teacher. Dolores interrupts Dumbledore and tells the students that the Ministry of Magic is very concerned about their education.

Later, Dolores and McGonagall have an argument about Harry's punishment and Dolores declares that things at Hogwarts are worse than the Ministry thought. Filch posts a decree stating that Dolores has been appointed as the Hogwarts High Inquisitor. Professor Sybil Trelawney is fired by Dolores and Dolores has Filch bring Trelawney's things out to the courtyard. Dumbledore walks out into the courtyard and has McGonagall bring Trelawney's things back inside and tells Dolores she can only fire professors, not expel them from Hogwarts. Harry has a nightmare that Mr Weasley was attacked by Nagini and tells McGonagall who takes him and the Weasley children to Dumbledore. Harry tells Dumbledore about his dream and Dumbledore tells Everard to contact those at the Ministry to save Mr Weasley and has Phineas notify the Order of the Phoenix.

During the events of Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince (2009) played by Maggie Smith

Dumbledore introduces the students to Professor Horace Slughorn and tells the students that dark forces are trying to penetrate Hogwarts. Professor McGonagall sees Harry and Ron just hanging around and suggests to Harry and Ron that they take Slughorn's potions class. After Katie Bell is cursed, Harry finds a necklace and brings it to McGonagall who questions Leanne about it and Leanne tells her that Katie told her she had to deliver it to Dumbledore. Harry accuses Draco of cursing Katie to McGonagall and Snape. After Dumbledore is murdered, McGonagall leads the other professors and students in showing him respect. McGonagall tells Harry he can talk to her if he needs to and tells him that he meant a lot to Dumbledore.