Hogwarts staff

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(Redirected from
Horace Slughorn
)

The following is a list of Hogwarts staff in the Harry Potter books written by J. K. Rowling.

The staff and their positions

Character Subject/Position Background
Albus Dumbledore
Transfiguration

Deputy Headmaster
Headmaster
The Headmaster of Hogwarts since a few decades before the creation of The Order of the Phoenix. He was awarded many titles, most of which were removed by Minister for Magic Cornelius Fudge after he accused Dumbledore of conspiring to take over the Ministry.
Alastor "Mad-Eye" Moody
Defence Against the Dark Arts
Moody is appointed as Defence Against the Dark Arts teacher in
Bartemius Crouch Junior, who had captured the real Moody one day before the start of term as part of a plan to deliver Harry to Voldemort to help his resurrection. Moody reappears in the series as an active Order of the Phoenix member but never actually teaches. He is killed in Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows
.
Alecto and Amycus Carrow
Dark Arts
Sibling
Cruciatus Curse
on Amycus Carrow after he spat in McGonagall's face.
Argus Filch Caretaker The
Squib
caretaker of Hogwarts for the entire series. He owns a cat named Mrs Norris, who seems to possess certain magical abilities. He hates all students and he is bitter about not possessing magical abilities.
Aurora Sinistra
Astronomy
The Astronomy teacher during the entire series. Sinistra assists Professor Flitwick in moving a petrified
Justin Finch-Fletchley
to the hospital wing in Chamber of Secrets and is mentioned sporadically throughout the series.
Bathsheda Babbling Ancient Runes The Study of Ancient Runes teacher for at least the time Hermione Granger takes the class. Professor Babbling does not appear in any of the films.
Charity Burbage
Muggle Studies
The Muggle Studies teacher before Harry's seventh year; she does not appear until
Nagini. The character (played by Carolyn Pickles) appears briefly in the film Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows – Part 1
.
Cuthbert Binns
History of Magic
The History of Magic teacher for the entire series, Cuthbert Binns has the distinction of being the only teacher at Hogwarts who is a
Chamber of Secrets when asked by the students, but in the film version, it is Minerva McGonagall
, as Binns does not appear in any of the films.
Dolores Umbridge Defence Against the Dark Arts
Headmistress
The Defence Against the Dark Arts teacher in Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix (Harry's fifth year at Hogwarts). She was appointed by the Ministry of Magic to address the rumours concerning Voldemort's return that extended from there the previous summer. Umbridge extracted control, becoming Hogwarts' first and only High Inquisitor, and briefly Headmistress after Dumbledore took responsibility for Dumbledore's Army.
Filius Flitwick
Charms
The Charms teacher and Head of Ravenclaw House for the entire series. He is also shown to be the director of the school's choir in the film adaptation of Prisoner of Azkaban and Order of the Phoenix.
Firenze
Divination
A
Battle of Hogwarts
.
Gilderoy Lockhart Defence Against the Dark Arts The Defence Against the Dark Arts teacher in Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets (Harry's second year at Hogwarts). He is adored by the female students for his charm and popularity in the wizarding world but is actually a coward and a fraud who took stories from other wizards and then erased their memories. He loses his own memory when a spell backfires on him and is subsequently hospitalised for long-term care.
Horace Slughorn
Potions
A former Potions master and Head of Slytherin for several decades before Harry's birth, Slughorn agrees to come out of retirement and return to these functions at the beginning of Half-Blood Prince. He stays in the job after Voldemort's takeover but sides firmly with the Hogwarts staff against him in Deathly Hallows.
Irma Pince Librarian The librarian of Hogwarts during the entire series. She is compared to an "underfed vulture", and is very possessive and protective with the library books, many times screaming at Ron and Harry. Dumbledore relates that while she agreed to allow the Hogwarts copy of Quidditch through the Ages to be used for a special facsimile copy, handing over the book ran so counter to her nature that she was struck by an unusual form of paralysis and he had to prise her fingers from the book manually.
Minerva McGonagall Transfiguration
Deputy Headmistress
Headmistress
The Transfiguration teacher and Head of Gryffindor House during the entire series. Deputy Headmistress during the first six novels. Temporary Headmistress when Dumbledore was sacked in Chamber of Secrets. Temporary Headmistress after Dumbledore's death in Half-Blood Prince. Revealed to be the Headmistress in Cursed Child.
Pomona Sprout
Herbology
The Herbology teacher and Head of Hufflepuff House during the entire series. She held the job for years, and she carried the position after the Battle of Hogwarts until she retired and was replaced by Neville Longbottom who, by the time of the epilogue, is said to be the Herbology teacher.
Poppy Pomfrey Matron The Matron and nurse in charge of the hospital wing during the entire series, being on the position for decades. It was mentioned once that she worked at St. Mungo's before transferring to Hogwarts. She has a reputation for strictness, but when faced with Dolores Umbridge's and later the Death Eaters' abuse of the students, she admits that she never even considered resigning, refusing to leave the students when they needed her most.
Quirinus Quirrell
Muggle Studies

Defence Against the Dark Arts
The Defence Against the Dark Arts teacher in Harry Potter and the Philosopher's Stone (Harry's first year at Hogwarts). He later turns out to be possessed by Voldemort and is dead by the end of the book.
Remus Lupin Defence Against the Dark Arts The Defence Against the Dark Arts teacher in Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban (Harry's third year at Hogwarts). He is loved by most students (except for those in Slytherin house) for being the best Defence Against the Dark Arts teacher. He resigns at the end of that year after Snape reveals that he is a werewolf. His nickname from the Marauders Map is Moony.
Rolanda Hooch Flying The Quidditch referee during the entire series, and flying instructor for first-year students. She is described as having short, spiky, grey hair, with piercing yellow hawk-like eyes, usually hidden behind goggles. Her expertise is called on along with Professor Flitwick's to test Harry's Firebolt broom for dark magic.
Rubeus Hagrid
Care of Magical Creatures

Grounds Keeper
The Half-giant
gamekeeper
, Keeper of Keys and Grounds, and, from Harry's third year at Hogwarts, the Care of Magical Creatures professor. He has a habit of introducing dangerous creatures, which he considers harmless, to the students.
Septima Vector Arithmancy The Arithmancy teacher during the entire series, known to give her students large amounts of homework. She is only mentioned, as Arithmancy is Hermione's favourite class, but Harry never signed up for it.
Severus Snape
Potions

Defence Against the Dark Arts
Headmaster
The Potions master from Harry's first to fifth years, head of Slytherin House from Harry's first to sixth years and Defence Against the Dark Arts teacher in Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince (Harry's sixth year at Hogwarts). Snape serves as Headmaster in Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows, having been appointed by the Minister for Magic, Pius Thicknesse (who was controlled by Voldemort), until he is killed by Voldemort in the final chapters of the novel.
Silvanus Kettleburn
Care of Magical Creatures
The Care of Magical Creatures teacher since
Armando Dippet
(Dumbledore's predecessor) was headmaster. He eventually retires to "spend time with his remaining limbs", and his place is eventually taken by Hagrid in Prisoner of Azkaban.
Sybill Trelawney
Divination
The Divination teacher from 1980 (Harry's birth year) until Order of the Phoenix, when she is fired by Umbridge. Trelawney returns to the work in Half-Blood Prince and Deathly Hallows, sharing the position with Firenze.
Wilhelmina Grubbly-Plank Care of Magical Creatures A substitute Care of Magical Creatures teacher. She first appears in
Order of the Phoenix
. A number of students in Harry's year prefer Grubbly-Plank, as unlike Hagrid, she is quite happy to teach them about creatures that do not have poisonous fangs or deadly talons. Despite Harry's initial distrust of her abilities compared to Hagrid, she is a competent teacher – recognising the cause of Hedwig's injuries and healing her with little difficulty.

Teachers and staff members

Four Hogwarts staff members in Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows – Part 2. From left to right: Miriam Margolyes as Pomona Sprout, Gemma Jones as Poppy Pomfrey, Jim Broadbent as Horace Slughorn, and David Bradley as Argus Filch.

The following teachers and staff members do not have their own articles or are not listed in other articles.

Argus Filch

Argus Filch is the caretaker of Hogwarts. He is ill-tempered, which makes him unpopular with the student body, and occasionally causes tension or exasperation with teachers and other staff. His knowledge of the secrets and short-cuts of the castle is almost unparalleled, except perhaps by the users of the

Voldemort
himself. He tends to favour almost sadistically harsh punishments, and gleefully allies himself with Umbridge when she prescribes such punishments on students. He has an obsessive dislike of mud, animate toys, and all other things that might interfere with his desire for an immaculately clean and orderly Hogwarts. He is also portrayed as having a constant antagonism towards Peeves the poltergeist and often tells Dumbledore that Peeves should be thrown out of Hogwarts. He also likes to wander Hogwarts' corridors at night, presumably in the hope of catching a student breaking a curfew.

Filch is revealed to be a

Squib in Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets when Harry accidentally discovers that he is trying to teach himself basic magic from a Kwikspell correspondence course. Nonetheless, Filch is at least able to use wizarding devices that have their own innate magic, such as the Secrecy Sensor used in Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince. It is hinted that his dislike of students may stem from his disappointment and jealousy at not being able to do magic. In Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows
, the final book, when the school starts preparing itself for the Battle of Hogwarts, Filch is seen yelling 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 not in a common room after curfew, she finds Filch and he arrives in seconds. She has been known to follow

Basilisk
, which causes Filch extreme distress.

David Bradley portrays Filch in the film series.[2] Mrs Norris was played by three Maine Coon cats named Maximus, Alanis, and Cornilusa.[3]

Filius Flitwick

Filius Flitwick is the

Ravenclaw house. He is a very short, dwarf-like man. In Harry Potter and the Philosopher's Stone he uses his magical skills to help decorate the Great Hall for Christmas. He is also one of the teachers who cast 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

Order of the Phoenix
against the intruding Death Eaters. He collapses after requesting Snape's help at the battle.

In

Antonin Dolohov
.

In the film adaptations, Flitwick is portrayed by Warwick Davis.[4] Rowling said: "I must admit, I was taken aback when I saw the film. Flitwick, who looks very much like a goblin/elf (I've never actually asked the film-makers precisely what he is), because the Flitwick in my imagination simply looks like a very small old man."[5] Rowling mentions on her official website that Flitwick is human, with "a dash of goblin ancestry." His on-screen appearance changes noticeably in Harry Potter and the 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, the moustachioed character was originally not supposed to be Flitwick; Flitwick was absent from the script for Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban, 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 director Mike Newell preferred the new look, "and from that moment, the character became known as 'Flitwick'."[6] Flitwick was born on 17 October.[7]

Gilderoy Lockhart

Gilderoy Lockhart is a popular author and wizarding celebrity who has written many books about his adventures encountering dark creatures and serves as the

Chamber of Secrets by revealing to Harry and Ron that he never performed the amazing feats documented in his books; he simply passed off the feats of other wizards and witches as his own and erased their memories to hide the truth. He attempts to do the same to Harry and Ron, but Harry disarms him. Lockhart then steals Ron's damaged wand, but the Memory Charm he casts backfires and leaves him with permanent amnesia
; arrangements are made for him to be institutionalized until his memory can be fixed.

In Order of the Phoenix, Harry comes across Lockhart in

Arthur Weasley at Christmas. Lockhart has not recovered any of his memories but is childishly proud of being able to write in "joined-up letters". He still enjoys signing autographs and continues to receive fan mail, although he has no idea why. For his part, Harry feels a slight twinge of guilt for Lockhart's amnesia (especially since it becomes clear that St. Mungo's has given up on trying to undo the damage) but he consoles himself with the fact that it was Lockhart's own fault that he is now reduced to a child-like mentality.[8]

Rowling has said 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."[9]

Kenneth Branagh portrayed Lockhart in the film version of Chamber of Secrets.[10] In an end-credits scene, his latest book is on sale in Diagon Alley; titled Who Am I?, it displays a picture of him humming distractedly to himself and wearing a straitjacket.[11]

Poppy Pomfrey

Madam Poppy Pomfrey is the sole magical Healer of the Hogwarts hospital wing. She is loyal, highly skilled, non-inquisitive and tight-lipped about her patients, and very strict regarding the rules of her infirmary.

Harry ends up under her care rather often. In

dementor
's presence on students, commenting that Hogwarts has "finally got a Defence Against the Dark Arts teacher who knows his remedies". In Goblet of Fire, she treats Harry twice; once for a dragon strike and once after the confrontation with Voldemort. In Half-Blood Prince, she tends to Harry after his skull is cracked by a Bludger in a Quidditch match.

Others who end up under her care expose more of her personality. In Chamber of Secrets, Hermione ends up in the hospital wing for a month after a mishap with the Polyjuice Potion leaves her half-feline. Pomfrey is careful to keep this a secret. In Order of the Phoenix, after Umbridge's henchmen stun McGonagall, Madam Pomfrey says she would resign in protest were she not afraid of what would become of the students without her presence. In Half-Blood Prince, 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 Deathly Hallows, she and Filch oversee the evacuation of Hogwarts before the battle. She is later seen tending to the injured fighters.

Gemma Jones appeared as Madam Pomfrey in the film adaptations of Chamber of Secrets, Half Blood Prince, and Deathly Hallows – Part 2.[12]

Quirinus Quirrell

Quirinus Quirrell is the

vampires in the Black Forest and one in Romania, and he apparently had "a nasty bit of trouble with a hag". After that, he was 'never the same' – upon his return, he appears perpetually nervous and has developed a stutter and nervous tics and Hagrid was able to say even before the beginning of the autumn term that he was "scared of the students, scared of his own subject". Quirrell's attire includes a new purple turban which he claims to have received as a reward from an African prince for getting rid of a troublesome zombie. Fred and George constantly joke that the turban was full of garlic to ward away vampires and in one part they even enchant snowballs to hit it.[14]

Harry first meets Quirrell at the

Fluffy. When Harry and his friends see that Snape has been bitten, they begin to suspect Snape is after the Stone for himself. 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 trying to steal the Stone hidden in a secret chamber in Hogwarts; when Harry finally arrives in the chamber, he discovers that it is not Snape, but Quirrell who is the real villain.

During his European travels, Quirrell discovered the barely alive Voldemort, who had been in hiding since his failed bid to kill Harry as an infant. Quirrell became attracted to Voldemort's offers of power and returned to Britain with the Dark Lord. Quirrell addresses and refers to Voldemort by that name, rather than "The Dark Lord" as other Death Eaters do. Initially, Voldemort allowed Quirrell to act autonomously – Quirrell was able to shake hands with Harry in the Leaky Cauldron, and was not wearing the turban, meaning that Voldemort was not possessing him (though this changes in the film version, where Quirrell wears the turban at the Leaky Cauldron and refuses to shake Harry's hand). Voldemort first used Quirrell in a plan to steal the Philosopher's Stone from its vault in

Hagrid
on a mission to retrieve the Stone, which he did while he and Harry were shopping in Diagon Alley, after they met with Quirrell in the Leaky Cauldron.

Voldemort, as punishment for Quirrell's failure to secure the Stone from Gringotts, decided to keep a closer watch on his new servant. He took possession of Quirrell's body, which caused his face to appear on the back of Quirrell's bald head. To conceal this, Quirrell took to wearing the

Forbidden Forest
, drinking their blood to provide temporary life-sustaining powers for Voldemort. Quirrell then reveals that he was the one who let in the troll and attempted to throw Harry off his broom while Snape muttered a counter curse. He also admits that his stutter was faked so he would appear harmless and thus avoid suspicion.

During the climax of the story, as Harry and Quirrell try to recover the Stone from the

his followers
as to his enemies.

Before he dies, Quirrell tells Harry of the rivalry between his father, the late

James Potter
, and Snape: "Didn't you know? Snape went to school with your father. They loathed each other."

The film version's climax ends a little differently. Voldemort does not threaten Harry but instead tries to tempt him with a false promise of resurrecting his parents. Harry is not fooled, but when Quirrell attempts to strangle him to death, Harry's blood protection, which was provided by his mother's sacrifice of her own life to save him, enables Harry to kill Quirrell himself. Harry discovers that when he comes into direct contact with Quirrell, it immediately produces a burning effect. Harry puts both his hands on Quirrell, who burns into crumbling ash. The spirit form of Voldemort renders Harry unconscious before making his escape.

Though Quirrell's first name was never mentioned in the novels, the character is given the first name "Quirinus" in the official Harry Potter Trading Card Game. He is also noted for being one of the few characters in the original stories to not use a wand, as he manages to restrain Harry with magical ropes by simply snapping his fingers.

British actor Ian Hart portrayed Quirrell in the film adaptation of the book.[15]

Horace Slughorn

Horace Slughorn is the long-serving Potions teacher and Head of Slytherin House since at least the 1940s, until his retirement after the 1981–82 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. After moving Snape to

Horcruxes
. 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

Felix 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, unbeknownst to him, had once belonged to Snape. When Ron falls victim to a high-strength love potion, Slughorn administers an antidote, but then nearly kills him with a drink of poisoned mead, not knowing that the bottle had been planted by Draco Malfoy
in an attempt to kill Dumbledore. Harry later uses the Felix Felicis to help 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

Kingsley Shacklebolt
.

Slughorn is played by Jim Broadbent in the film adaptations of Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince and Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows – Part 2.[16]

Pomona Sprout

Pomona Sprout is Professor of

basilisk
.

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

Amos 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 Deathly Hallows, 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, Snargaluff pods, and Venomous Tentaculas off the castle walls at the approaching Death Eaters. The epilogue of Deathly Hallows reveals that Neville 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 of Chamber of Secrets and Deathly Hallows – Part 2.[17]

Sybill Trelawney

Sybill Patricia Trelawney is the Divination teacher. She is the great-great-granddaughter of the celebrated Seer, Cassandra Trelawney, and 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 whispy 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";[18] it can only be reached by climbing to the top of the stairs and then up a ladder through a trapdoor set in the ceiling. 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. Parvati Patil and Lavender Brown are very fond of and impressed by her. According to Professor McGonagall, her credibility as a Seer is undermined by her habit of erroneously predicting, each year, the death of one of her students, she uses it as a greeting for her class. 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. Almost all her predictions were later shown to be true in the books even if she was not in a trance.

Before the events of the Harry Potter books, Trelawney falls into a prophetic trance during an interview with Dumbledore at the Hog's Head, making a prophecy about the birth of a wizard "with the power to vanquish" the dark lord, Voldemort. This prophecy is partly overheard by Snape, who relays what he heard to Voldemort. This leads Voldemort to attack the Potter family, believing that Harry was the child named.

In Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban, Trelawney erroneously predicts that Harry was born around Midwinter, even though he was born on 31 July, with it later being revealed that this slip-up was because Trelawney was unknowingly reading the piece of Voldemort's soul within Harry. She also accurately prophesies to Harry about the events of the book's climax, including Peter Pettigrew's return to Voldemort's side.

In Order of the Phoenix, Trelawney is first put on probation by Umbridge, and later fired. Dumbledore intervenes to allow Trelawney to stay in the castle, as he believes that she would be in danger outside Hogwarts due to the prophecy she made during her interview, and recruits

Fenrir Greyback. In the film adaptation, Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows – Part 2, she is seen covering someone's body, with the aid of Padma Patil
.

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 of Half-Blood Prince, it is re-spelled as "Sybill", matching the UK edition.[19] The name "Sybill" is a reference to Greek and Roman prophet priestesses, while Cassandra refers to the Trojan seer Cassandra, whose doom was that her prophecies would never be believed.

Professor Trelawney is portrayed by Emma Thompson in the Prisoner of Azkaban, Order of the Phoenix, and Deathly Hallows Part 2.[20]

Hogwarts ghosts

House Ghosts (from left to right): Bloody Baron, Fat Friar, Nearly Headless Nick, Grey Lady.

Hogwarts houses have at least twenty

Ravenclaw
house. These ghosts seem to act as something like advisers and aides to the students; Nick frequently helps Harry during moments of uncertainty or crisis.

Despite animosity between the houses, their respective ghosts get along well with each other. Nearly Headless Nick is respectful of the Bloody Baron and claims that he cannot imagine starting a fight with him, while the Fat Friar pleads on behalf of Peeves the Poltergeist to allow him to come to the welcome feasts despite his past wrongdoings. During The Deathly Hallows, Nick is protective of Helena and only reluctantly tells Harry how to find her.

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

Peeves
; 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". In Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows, Helena Ravenclaw (the Grey Lady) explains to 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, 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 penance.

Terence Bayler portrayed the Baron in the first film.[21] In contrast to his book counterpart, the Baron is 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 Friar is the Hufflepuff House ghost. He is a jolly man and very forgiving, frequently suggesting that Peeves be given another chance, or forgiven for any mishaps.

Simon Fisher-Becker appeared as the Fat Friar in the film adaptation of Philosopher's Stone.

The Grey Lady

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".[22]

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

In Harry Potter and the Philosopher's Stone, Nina Young played the Grey Lady, and in Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows – Part 2, she was played by Kelly Macdonald.[23]

Nearly Headless Nick

Sir Nicholas de Mimsy-Porpington

Headless Hunt
, as mentioned in the second book. However, he is excluded due to the fact that he is not actually headless ("he is nearly headless") and would never be completely able to participate in the activities (such as "Head Polo").

In Chamber of Secrets, Nick is a victim of the

Tom Riddle
. The stare of the Basilisk is lethal to anyone who looks it directly in the eye. All of its living victims meet its gaze indirectly, either from a reflection or by seeing it through something else, and are only petrified rather than killed. Nick is the only one to look directly at the Basilisk, but he too is petrified since he is a ghost and cannot die again. Nick also protected Hufflepuff student Justin Finch-Fletchley from death after Justin saw the basilisk's eyes through Nick's transparent body, thus only petrifying him as well.

The character appears again in Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix when Harry has been looking for comfort upon Sirius' death, 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 Harry's hope of communicating with Sirius. He appears briefly in Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows, when Harry asks Nick to bring him to the Grey Lady.

The character also appears in the 2023 video game

non-playable character
.

The character was portrayed in the film series by John Cleese, though he only appears in the first two films.

Hogwarts founders

Hogwarts was founded a millennium ago (the exact date unknown) 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' first teachers, and each of the Hogwarts houses is named after one of the founders.

Godric Gryffindor

Godric Gryffindor was one of the four founders of Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry. He was good friends with Salazar Slytherin but they had conflicting ideas as Salazar believed no Muggle-borns should be accepted into Hogwarts. "Godric Gryffindor was the most accomplished dueller of his time and an enlightened fighter against Muggle-discrimination".[25]

His known relics are

Sorting Hat
. The two items share a particular bond: whenever a Gryffindor student is in a time of need, the sword will present itself within the Sorting Hat. In his second year, Harry Potter pulled the sword out of the hat when he was in need of a weapon in the Chamber of Secrets. Gryffindor is said to have praised courage, determination and strength of heart above all other qualities. He also was the most accepting of allowing Muggle-borns into the school.

Helga Hufflepuff

Helga Hufflepuff came 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 almost always 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."

house-elves to Hogwarts, where she offered them refuge.[27]
Both the wizard card and the illustration on Rowling's website depict her as a plump woman with red hair.

One relic of Hufflepuff,

Hepzibah Smith. This cup is stolen by Tom Riddle and made into a Horcrux. The Hufflepuff Cup was destroyed by Hermione who stabbed it with a basilisk
fang in Deathly Hallows.

Rowena Ravenclaw

Rowena Ravenclaw

Helena Ravenclaw, who is, in fact, the Ravenclaw House Ghost (nicknamed The Grey Lady), and the lost diadem
, the very relic to which Ravenclaw's astounding wisdom was attributed.

The lost diadem granted enhanced wisdom to its wearer. In

Vincent Crabbe
, who is killed in the process while trying to control the fire. In the film, Harry stabs it with a basilisk fang and kicks it into the burning Room of Requirement.

Salazar Slytherin

Salazar Slytherin is described as power-hungry by the

blood purity. Slytherin's first name is a reference to the mid-20th-century Portuguese dictator's surname; Rowling's 1990–1993 stay in Portugal inspired this name choice.[31]

Slytherin's background is first discussed by

basilisk
, a giant serpent that can kill by looking people directly in the eyes, susceptible to control by the Heir of Slytherin, and left there to purge the school of all Muggle-born students. Another hypothesis suggests the basilisk was meant to fend off an invading Muggle force. This occurred shortly before infighting among the four founders occurred which resulted in Slytherin's departure.

Salazar Slytherin's locket, passed down to his family, was turned into a Horcrux by his descendant Voldemort and destroyed by Ron Weasley using the Sword of Gryffindor in Deathly Hallows.

In June 2016, J. K. Rowling revealed on

Pottermore that Slytherin's wand contained a fragment of basilisk horn, and was taught by its creator to "sleep" when instructed, which meant that it could place others who possessed the wand in a sleep from which they could only be awakened by the cries of the person's children. This secret was handed down through the centuries to each member of Slytherin's family who possessed it. By the 1600s it belonged to the Irish witch Gormlaith Gaunt, though in about 1620 it was stolen by her then-17-year-old niece Isolt Sayre, who fled to where Massachusetts, United States is today. There, she founded the Ilvermorny School of Witchcraft and Wizardry. She buried the wand outside the school grounds, and within a year, an unknown species of snakewood tree grew from the burial spot. It resisted all attempts to prune or kill it, but after several years the leaves were found to contain powerful medicinal properties.[32]

See also

References

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  8. The-Leaky-Cauldron.org
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  9. Jkrowling.com. Archived from the original
    on 24 June 2007. Retrieved 4 January 2019.
  10. ^ Evan-Cook, Nick (31 July 2015). "Scene Stealers: Kenneth Branagh in Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets". One Room with a View. Retrieved 4 January 2019.
  11. ^ Harrison, Mark (20 November 2018). "150 facts and geeky spots from JK Rowling's Wizarding World movies". Den of Geek. Dennis Publishing Limited. Retrieved 4 January 2019.
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  13. ^ "J. K. Rowling Webchat Transcript". Bloomsbury Publishing. 30 July 2007. Archived from the original on 6 January 2008. Retrieved 4 January 2019.
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  16. ^ Adler, Shawn (17 September 2007). "Harry Potter's Newest Teacher: Jim Broadbent To Play Horace Slughorn in 'Half of Bood Prince'". MTV News. Retrieved 4 January 2019.
  17. ^ "Miriam Margolyes: I love actors". Evening Post. South Wales. 25 September 2008. Retrieved 24 January 2009.
  18. ^ Rowling, J.K. (1999). Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban, p. 102.
  19. ^ Her namesakes, the prophetesses of mythological Greece, were named the "Sibyls" (Σίβυλλα)
  20. ^ Wakeman, Gregory (2015). "Emma Thompson Pretty Much Threw The Harry Potter Franchise Under The Knight Bus". Cinema Blend. Retrieved 4 January 2019.
  21. Hearst UK
    . Retrieved 4 January 2019.
  22. ^ Gray, Mike (2001). Shanthakumar, Ashmita; Bartlett, Bridget (eds.). "Deathday party other ghosts essay: the Hogwarts Ghosts". The Harry Potter Lexicon. Warner Bros. Archived from the original on 16 January 2004. Retrieved 4 January 2019.
  23. ^ Lopez, John (10 December 2010). "Boardwalk Empire's Kelly MacDonald on Scorsese, the Coens, and Her Future in the Show". Vanity Fair. Archived from the original on 13 December 2010. Retrieved 16 December 2010.
  24. ^ "J.K. Rowling". Archived from the original on 14 May 2008. Retrieved 4 January 2019.
  25. ^ "Section: Wizard of the Month Godric Gryffindor". JKRowling.com. Archived from the original on 2 March 2009. Retrieved 30 June 2007.
  26. ^ AndyM (1 May 2007). "New Wizard of the Month". The Muggle's Guide. Retrieved 4 January 2019.
  27. ^ EdwardTLC (22 October 2007). "PotterCast 122: It's Saturday Night". The Leaky Cauldron. Retrieved 4 January 2019.
  28. ^ AndyM (1 May 2006). "New Wizard of the Month". The Muggle's Guide. Retrieved 4 January 2019.
  29. ^ AndyM (1 June 2007). "New Wizard of the Month". The Muggle's Guide. Retrieved 4 January 2018.
  30. .
  31. ^ Rowling, J.K. [@jk_rowling] (14 April 2017). "I did indeed take his name from António Salazar, the Portuguese dictator" (Tweet). Retrieved 4 January 2018 – via Twitter.
  32. Warner Bros. Entertainment Inc.
    Retrieved 4 January 2019.

External links