Margaret Natalie Smith was born on December 28, 1934, in Ilford, England, and grew up in Oxford, where her father worked as a University of Oxford lab technician. It was such a ghastly time and we didnt go to the theater. When she couldn't find her, Minerva removed the spell from the girl but promptly restored it with an irritated "Whisht!" The Calamity Investigator was eventually successful in returning the Hogwarts Express in time for the start of the term, much to the relief of Minerva; who pointed out that the time-honoured tradition of riding the train to school was as much part of the "Hogwarts experience" as the Sorting Ceremony. Although Minerva played no significant part in the continued struggle against The Unforgivable by the Calamity Management Team, the repercussions of this was still felt by its denizens by the fact of how some of the subsequent surges of the magical disturbance in question was carved from Harry Potter and Hermione Granger's memories of their time as students, as they had found that the manner in which they directed it was crucial to restoring Ron's recollection. [23] After the Second Wizarding War, Minerva may have been the one to employ Neville as the school's new Herbology professor. [11], Dolores Umbridge arguing with Minerva McGonagall. I didnt really feel I was acting in those things. she told the Evening Standard. The encounter did serve to cheer students like Ron Weasley who heartily disliked Umbridge; Ron even expressed delight at the prospect of seeing Minerva's classes inspected, remarking that "Umbridge won't know what's hit her". A Room With a View (1985)The Lonely Passion of Judith Hearne (1987)Gosford Park (2001) [5] In her youth, Minerva was described to not be as beautiful as her mother, but she was still rather pretty according to her picture in that age. Black[5] In addition, Minerva wouldn't accept Harry's accusations of Malfoy mailing a cursed necklace without sufficient evidence, nor condone any attacks Harry made on Malfoy such as when the former beat up Malfoy in 1995 and later when he used the Sectumsempra curse (not knowing exactly what it did) on Malfoy, in 1997. However, when Draco was proven to have led a group of Death Eaters into the castle, Minerva came to see him as much an enemy as any Death Eater, until after the war, where Draco was pardoned. To Smith herself, however, those roles are practically just low-hanging fruit. She only stood down on Dumbledore's direct orders, as Hogwarts would need her. She played Professor Minerva McGonagall in all eight Harry Potter movies, making her absence from the reunion special one of the most notable. Vinyl, Minerva as a LEGO minifigure (old edition), Minerva as a LEGO minifigure (2010 edition), Minerva as a LEGO minifigure (2018 edition), Minerva as a LEGO minifigure (2020 edition), Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows part 2 - McGonagall sends the Slytherin students away (HD), Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows part 2 - ''Boom'' and Piertotum Locomotor scene (HD), The Harry Potter Wiki has 613 images related to, *Disclosure: Some of the links above are affiliate links, meaning, at no additional cost to you, Fandom will earn a commission if you click through and make a purchase. While Dame Maggie Smiths tenures as Harry Potters Professor Minerva McGonagall and Downton Abbeys Dowager Countess Violet Crawley might have made her one of the most internationally recognizable faces in entertainment, shes really been delivering exceptional performancesin everything from uproarious comedies to somber dramasfor more than half a century. [63] By 3 March, all of the items had been successfully retrieved, and though grateful for their help, Minerva still lightly admonished Miss Pickering for prying into her personal life, reminding her that she did not have the right to the answer of every inquiry she could think of just because she asked.[63]. Her height is 1.65 m tall, and her weight is 65 kg. There is also the possibility that there was another, older Scottish witch of the same name who also taught at Hogwarts before the birth of Minerva who appears in the Harry Potter books and films, although it would be unlikely that the two are related as the latter inherited her surname from her Muggle father. 4 October[1]Caithness, Scotland, Great Britain[1] (First Class),[13] (b. Following this, the Headmistress gave a number of Curse-Breakers permission to enter school grounds, who were eventually able to free them both, the latter of which were transported the latter to St Mungo's Hospital for Magical Maladies and Injuries. She first asked if Jacob's sibling had seen him in the Hogwarts Express and if he had been acting strange and after learning that they didn't but Penny Haywood did and Ben seemed fine even though he was always a bit odd. The claim wasn't true, but Minerva was none the wiser. These months were to prove some of the most difficult of Minerva's life. Smith might have been a bit intimidating to her costars on the "Harry Potter" film sets, but in her role as Professor McGonagall, she channeled an inspiring teacher with a warm disposition who was loyal and cared about her students. Minerva was positively hateful towards Lockhart when he walked in late and oblivious when everyone else was greatly saddened at Ginny Weasley's impending doom. See these familiar faces and more in #HogwartsMystery coming April 25. When Umbridge revealed that anti-Muggle prankster Willy Widdershins had provided her with testimony that Harry was forming this rebel group, Minerva loudly voiced that she had wondered why he had managed to avoid prosecution for all his regurgitating toilet charges, joined in her vocal outrage by the portrait of Headmaster Dexter Fortescue. [3] When Hermione was attacked by the Basilisk in 1992, Minerva was greatly moved and would often take time to visit her Petrified student in the hospital wing.[20]. [20], McGonagall at the End-of-Term Feast celebrating the end of the Chamber of Secrets, Thankfully, this terrible reality never came to pass. Albus discovered Minerva in tears in her classroom late one evening after she found out about Dougal McGregor's marriage with another woman. When Headmistress McGonagall inquired as to why the girl had not been taken into custody, Hermione admitted that Delphini, who had last been seen with the two missing boys near the Owlery by Professor Longbottom and were the prime suspect in Craig Bowker's murder, had "hidden herself in time" through the use of the very time-turner that Scorpous Malfoy had sworn he had lost. Despite this, Minerva was among the most efficient, gifted employees in the Department of Magical Law Enforcement and became fond of her much older boss, Elphinstone Urquart. Spoilers will be present within the article. [66], Headmistress McGonagall, along with the rest of the Statute of Secrecy Task Force, subsequently received a letter about this from Constance Pickering, informing them about their suspicions about the cabal of said and instructed them all to report any anomalities they saw in the Calamity's behaviour. [12], On 1 May 1998, Minerva was present when Harry Potter, Hermione Granger, and Ron Weasley returned to Hogwarts in the middle of the night in search of Rowena Ravenclaw's Diadem. Minerva then intervened on his behalf after he told her that Alecto wasn't responding. In 2007, she was diagnosed with breast cancer, but struggled through the filming of the film adaptation of Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince while undergoing the chemo treatments. [71], Upon learning this, Minerva readily agreed to have the Dark wizard catchers help protect the school and put the staff on high alert. She confessed the whole story to him, and he offered both comfort and wisdom; telling her some of his own family history, previously unknown to her. Filius Flitwick, her friend and colleague. Inclined to grant his request, Minerva used the map to discover that they were in the girls' bathroom on the first floor. [57], Despite the best efforts of everyone involved, however, it eventually became glaringly obvious that the security measures that had been put in place to ensure the safety of the school's residents were wholly insufficient to stop the Calamity from claiming victims from within the castle itself. [36] She also became part of the long line of headmasters and headmistresses that made use of the Hogwarts Pensieve, and who sought to contribute to the success of her eventual successors in office by adding to the invaluable library of reference at her disposal by leaving behind some of her own life experience in the form of memories. Then she sternly ordered him to call Peeves. [20], The summer of 1993 also saw the escape of Sirius Black from Azkaban. Flitwick fought alongside McGonagall in the upstart of the Battle of Hogwarts. This 2009 fantasy drama film starring Maggie Smith and Timothy Spall among others also used Athelhampton House as a key location. But after James's death, she, the rest of the wizarding community, assumed it was Sirius who betrayed the Potters since he was expected to be their Secret-Keeper. After they left Hogwarts, both McGonagall became allies with her former students, who became members of the first Order of the Phoenix. [38], Ready to welcome a new batch of first-year students on 1 September 2017 for the new term; once the new students had been picked up at the Hogsmeade station, ferried across the Black Lake and escorted up to the castle, they were shown into the Great Hall to partake in the customary Sorting Ceremony; which was overseen by Minerva herself. Hermione, who had never heard of such a thing happening before, questioned as to whether it was even possible for that to be the case, to which Minerva dryly remarked that if a lifetime of service to the ancient school had taught her anything at all, it was that anything was possible at Hogwarts. In fact, director Chris Columbus, who helmed the first two movies in the franchise "Harry Potter and the. Dumbledore then declared the crisis over and sent Minerva down to the kitchens to organise a celebratory feast, which she subsequently attended with great joy as the monster was dead and Lockhart banished. The second one, however, was incredibly enough none other than Kit Gerrard, a former reporter for the Daily Prophet and one of the missing London Five. With both Carrow siblings now incapacitated, Minerva used the Imperius Curse to gain their wands, before she magically restrained and confined them to the Ravenclaw common room. [3], Though Minerva often maintained her strict persona in regards to the boy, she wasn't above bending the rules for him on occasion, such as when she caught him flying on a broomstick without proper supervision. [23], Having merely assumed that her colleague was simply in a hurry to pursue their adversaries, no one tried to stop him as he did so, and once when one of them caused a section of the roof to collapse and took the barrier with him, Minerva and those who were still standing rushed forward to pursue them as well; only for the dust to clear and Snape to emerge with Draco Malfoy in tow, Assuming they were running from the Death Eaters, Minerva let them pass before reengaging the Death Eaters that came down after them, whereupon she duelled and personally chased off Alecto Carrow, whom Minerva sent running for cover. Female Always a brave and private person, Minerva poured all her energies into her work and few people excepting perhaps Albus ever realised how much she suffered. Gender During her seventh year, she was appointed Head Girl. Snape was able to stop the curse from spreading any further, but Katie was taken to St Mungo's Hospital for Magical Maladies and Injuries, where she spent much of that year recovering from the effects of the curse. [1], By this time, Minerva was shocked to learn from her oblivious mother (in the middle of a chatty letter of local news) that Dougal had married the daughter of another farmer. As a result, Neville received a Howler from her during breakfast. The confidences exchanged that night between were to form the basis of a lasting friendship. Nonetheless, Minerva continued to fight when the battle resumed after the attack by the Centaurs on Voldemort and the Death Eaters. In 2003, Smith finally clinched the Triple Crown with an Emmy win for the lead role in HBOs television movie My House in Umbria. Minerva had no use for Sybill's subject, Divination, believing that Trelawney was a fraud. [12], In the aftermath of the battle, Professor McGonagall brought the winged bore statue's part in the battle to the attention of Professor Flitwick. [11], Umbridge is chosen as Headmistress over McGonagall, After Dumbledore escaped arrest, Umbridge was appointed Headmistress over Minerva, but had virtually no support. Voldemort's curse was rebounded, signalling his final defeat at Harry's hands. Ron is appointed prefect by McGonagall in his fifth year after most likely being persuaded by Dumbledore, as he felt that Harry had enough responsibilities to deal with. [23] A year later, when Harry was on a mission given to him by Dumbledore, she didn't question the decision of the late headmaster, but immediately sought to provide whatever assistance she could.[12]. She would serve as Headmistress over Harry's three children, and in turn she learned to expect them to get into the same kinds of trouble as their father. Not only did a 17-year-old Maggie Smith begin her career as Viola in an Oxford Playhouse School production of Shakespeares Twelfth Night, she went on to Although her relationship with him remained mostly normal, she kept a watchful eye on him and his friends Ronald Weasley and Hermione Granger to ensure his safety. McGonagall had long been the Transfiguration professor at Hogwarts by the time Lily Evans and the Marauders attended as students, all being sorted into the Gryffindor house. Dame Maggie Smith is one of the world's most distinguished actresses with an extensive career in theater and films, the 87-year-old veteran is highly respected Peter faked his own death standing up to Sirius, who was a suspect in the Potters' betrayal, leading McGonagall to regret that she had been harsh towards him and to acknowledge him as a brave Gryffindor. They would grow to understand one another through their shared hatred of Dolores Umbridge during the woman's tenure as Defence Against the Dark Arts Professor. Minerva never hesitated in displaying her loyalty to Dumbledore. Some of them included Nymphadora Tonks and Kingsley Shacklebolt, whom she appeared to be friendly with Kingsley. [27] As it had been the case with Rowan Khanna and Cedric Diggory, it can be assumed that memorial ceremony was subsequently held in memory of Craig Bowker in the Great Hall. As a staple in the magical community, Minerva was present at the Extraordinary General Meeting called at the Ministry of Magic by Minister Hermione Granger in the afternoon[65] of 1 September 2020, where Harry Potter, now the Head of the Department of Magical Law Enforcement, talked about the movements and increased activity of Voldemort's former allies and cautioned vigilance regarding Dark Magic. This was shown when McGonagall was hit by four Stunners on the chest, as Madam Pomfrey said that it would have killed most witches of her age. It was later noted that the Gryffindor Quidditch team had, despite some injuries on the part of the players, a fine showing that season, as had the Slytherin team, which the Headmistress herself judged to have been deserving recognition for their successes. When the tea leaves revealed the Grim, a horrified Professor Trelawney informed Harry, that the Grim is the possible omen of death. The Grim Harry witnessed on multiple occasions was revealed to be Sirius Black in his Animagus form, who had recently escaped from Azkaban Prison. Smith took home a Best Actress Oscar playing the titular character in 1969s The Prime of Miss Jean Brodie, and won the Tony for Best Actress in a Play for her role as Lettice Douffet in the 1990 comedy Lettice and Lovage. She may be the elderly matriarch of the Crawley family, but how old is Maggie Smith in real life, and will she be retiring soon? Biographical information For her personal life, Maggie Smith has experienced marriage, divorce, and children that we know of. Minerva, however, was still Headmistress of Hogwarts in spite of their interference, and tried to advise Harry on interfering in Albus and Scorpius's friendship, but he insisted on keeping them separated and even went so far as to threaten to come down on the school with the full force of the Ministry unless she complied, and insisted that the Headmistress used the Marauder's Map to track their movements to keeping them apart, and Minerva reluctantly agreed. [22] Minerva had great faith in Dumbledore, placing great stock in the differences between him and Voldemort. [3], McGonagall teaching a second-year Transfiguration class. Minerva was worried over the messages left on the walls and was at a loss about what should be done. [27], Minerva and Harry arguing over Albus and Scorpius's friendship. The two clashed when he and Harry flew Arthur Weasley's flying car to Hogwarts. At least some content in this article is derived from information featured in Harry Potter: Hogwarts Mystery. While we have plenty of "Harry Potter" bloopers and behind-the-scenes content to attest to how the cast and crew had the time of their lives making the films, some cast members have been revealed to have been somewhat stern. [21], Despite her dislike for Trelawney and her teachings, Minerva was still disgusted when Umbridge unceremoniously and cruelly sacked Sybill. Eventually joined by Pomona Sprout, Filius Flitwick and Horace Slughorn, the five individuals proceeded to talk about the possible closure of Hogwarts and the necessary arrangements for Dumbledore's funeral. [27], After two young Slytherins confessed what they had done, Minerva admonished not only the two young students for their serious lack of judgement, but their parents as well; reminding them that as noble as they had been in wanting to help Amos Diggory prevent the loss of his son, their meddling had returned them to the darkest times of the wizarding war, and to never forget that the current, peaceful world they lived in had been created in part exactly because of the sacrifices made by those that had laid down their lives to fight for it. [1], The two parents remained together despite the shocking revelation, but their trust never was the same, much to the sadness of their perceptive daughter. [26], Upon learning this, and presumably also about Ivy's rumoured involvement and guilt in the matter of the disappearance of her twin sister, which had both been publicised, gossiped about and become common knowledge outside of the school, the Headmistress contacted the Ministry of Magic to make some inquiries on the matter. To further put him at ease, she demonstrated one of her rare glimmerings of humour by stating that she still expected him to do his homework, but if he did die then she would excuse his not handing it in. They got married in 1967, and they got divorced either in 1974 or 1975. Speaking in a 2021 interview (via Express), Margolyes said she'd recommend being "watchful" around Maggie Smith because she could be "absolutely gorgeous" as long as one didn't aggravate her: "She is a little bit alarming You have to be watchful with Maggie because if she's cross, she doesn't mind sharing it. Having scoured the castle without finding any signs of him in the castle, nor any other intruder for that matter, Minerva, upon seeing that the Fat Friar remained adamant that the exchange had indeed taken place, nevertheless decided to increase patrols around the castle before she went to the Ministry of Magic to notify the rest of the Calamity Management Team. During the Quidditch match against Ravenclaw, Draco Malfoy, Gregory Goyle, Vincent Crabbe, and Marcus Flint posed as Dementors to sabotage Harry's performance, only to get struck down when Harry reflexively cast a Patronus Charm at them. In the return of the Dark Lord, Hufflepuff student Cedric Diggory was carelessly murdered and a memorial feast was held at the end of the school year. Despite this, she understood that Umbridge had a lot of power and that she was reporting directly to Cornelius Fudge, and so Minerva once warned Harry Potter to tread carefully around Umbridge. [21], McGonagall comforting Trelawney after the latter was sacked. McGonagall was very angry by Crouch's teaching methods and shouted at him. What she saw horrified her; the Dursleys couldn't have been any less like Lily and James if they had tried. Category: Richest Celebrities Actors. She spent hours on end spying on the Dursleys to get an insight to what life for Harry growing up would be like,[3] calling them "the worst sort of Muggles imaginable". The son of the fallen war heroes and one-time friends, allies and fellow members of Minerva's in the Order of the Phoenix, Remus and Nymphadora Lupin, he was sorted into Hufflepuff.[42]. It is unknown whether she still owns the cottage. Maggie Smith's career began at the Oxford Playhouse in the 1950s. [21] She voiced pride in Neville's courage in participating in the fight with the Death Eaters in the Department of Mysteries. [27], Ultimately, the faculty was ready to accept a new batch of first-year students for the 19981999 school year on 1 September. [1], After graduating from Hogwarts, Minerva was offered a position at the Department of Magical Law Enforcement of the British Ministry of Magic. [98] It is unlikely, however, that she kept watch over Harry, as she would never go against Dumbledore's actions, no matter how much she disagreed with them. Upon learning from Hagrid that Horace Slughorn had notified the Ministry of Magic, Minerva promptly and prudently assumed the role of acting Headmistress of Hogwarts by having the Heads of Houses meet with her in what had now become her new office in the Headteacher's Tower to discuss the future of the school. After two years at the Ministry, she was offered a prestigious promotion, yet found herself turning it down as she missed her home in Scotland. Despite their hatred for each other, both McGonagall and Umbridge share the same Patronus: a cat, although McGonagall's resembled her Animagus form. Minerva fought skillfully in the first part of the battle, during which she could have sworn she saw one of the statues that usually flanks the school's Main Gates dive-bombing a cluster of Death Eaters. [3] When Neville "lost" his scrap of parchment (which was actually stolen by Crookshanks) with Gryffindor's passwords on them, allowing Sirius Black to enter the common room, Minerva was furious with him. Gryffindor[3] When Pansy Parkinson suggested they take the deal offered to them by Voldemort that of their lives in exchange for Harry Potter Minerva ordered the cowardly girl and all those not willing to fight to leave.[12]. [38], During Christmas later that term, Minerva was approached by Daniel Page, who explained that Ivy, whose memories had since been mostly restored, was not feeling the holiday spirit, as she was missing her sister too much, and that he had come up with the idea that Ivy might feel more connected to Winifred if she had a present for her and vanished it, hopefully to wherever Winifred was. What a Lovely War, and performed more than one highly amusing musical number on The Carol Burnett Show in the 1970s. Among many nominations, shes also won three Emmys for Downton Abbey and a 1978 Best Supporting Actress Oscar for California Suite. [27], Minerva examining the Marauder's Map with Draco Malfoy, Harry Potter and Ginny Weasley. Even when Dolores took over Hogwarts, replacing Albus Dumbledore as Head of the school, Minerva continued to help undermine Umbridge's reign, preferring to watch her struggle with the chaos that was being caused by the students and Peeves (and sometimes even helping with it). Emmy Awards The wand she selected was an unusual specimen, 9 and a half inches, fir and dragon heartstring. 4 October) was a Scottish half-blood witch, the only daughter of Muggle Robert McGonagall and witch Isobel Ross. Though these duties took up much of her time, Minerva would face even greater challenges at Hogwarts. McGonagall rose through the wizarding school's ranks during Harry Potter 's run. She become an Animagus a complicated, long process- to further her study in this subject and enjoyed correcting articles in Transfiguration Today. Mad and disappointed with them, she told them all off before punishing them severely; a loss of fifty points each, 150 in total, and detention with Malfoy. Minerva was on amicable terms with Horace Slughorn, her former Potions professor. [9], Minerva and Sybill Trelawney weren't the best of friends, barely maintaining civility between them. She was even nominated for an Oscar for playing Desdemona in the 1965 film adaptation of Othello (which featured Olivier in the title role). Pomona Sprout, her longtime friend and colleague. Previously, she was suspicious of Riddle in spite of the fact that she wasn't his teacher and thus shared her fears with Dumbledore in private. This was due to him being obnoxious, incompetent and insensitive, annoying her with nonsensical advices while being ignorant and unhelpful around the second opening of the Chamber of Secrets. [20], In the final weeks of that school year, Minerva served as temporary Headmistress of Hogwarts after the Board of Governors, under Lucius Malfoy's influence, suspended Dumbledore for failing to stop the attacks against the students. She has more than 200 award winnings and nominations in her credit. Ron thought she was very strict, however, he did see her good side on a number of occasions. When Dolores Umbridge was appointed as High Inquisitor for Hogwarts, she allied with the twins and attempted to oppose Umbridge. [25] She also led a herd of enchanted desks into the fray at one point, during which she yelled "CHARGE!". She was very close to her Muggle father, whom in temperament she resembled more than her mother. Maggie Smith starred at Professor McGonagall at the age of 66 in the first movie. Years active After that she has been acting with the most prominent actors and actresses in the world in over sixty films and TV-series, including The Prime of Miss Jean Brodie (1969), California Suite (1978) with Michael Caine and Jane Fonda, A Room with a View (1985), Hook (1991) with Dustin Hoffman, Robin Williams and Julia Roberts, Sister Act and Sister Act II: Back In The Habit (1992-1993) with Whoopi Goldberg, Franco Zeffirelli's Tea with Mussolini (1999) with Judi Dench, Joan Plowright and Cher, and Gosford Park (2001) with Kristin Scott Thomas and Clive Owen, directed by Robert Altman. Smiths last theater stint was in 2007, appearing in The Lady from Dubuque. [63], Other items on the list included a school crest, her Order of Merlin, First Class, which she had framed and kept in her office, and an old photo of Dougal McGregor, about whom she refused to comment when Pickering asked about the man's identity, saying only that he was "a man [she} once knew" and that that was all she was prepared to say on the matter. Both were demanding and effective teachers, unusually talented at magic, and loyal to Albus Dumbledore, so over time, Minerva grew to respect Severus despite his dark past. This was a period of great fulfilment for Minerva. She, along with the rest of the teaching staff, scoured the castle for the Chamber, but to no avail. [49], Upon the arrival of a Calamity Investigator to Hogwarts Castle to take up a teaching position, Professor McGonagall welcomed the individual by giving them a copy of the letters that were once exchanged between Albus Dumbledore and Adalbert Waffling to help improve their skills in addressing the Calamity, specifically in fighting Impaired Foes. During this exchange, Scrimgeour also agreed to let Minerva follow through with Dumbledore's previously stated wish of being put to rest at the school grounds. Maggie Smith and Imelda Staunton behind the scenes, The Harry Potter Wiki has 7 images related to, *Disclosure: Some of the links above are affiliate links, meaning, at no additional cost to you, Fandom will earn a commission if you click through and make a purchase. It was returned to him later after having been declared safe. Minerva's relationship with Harry experienced a brief strain when he blackmailed her into using the Marauder's Map to ensure Albus and Scorpius remains apart, which she felt great discontent at doing, but it was reconciled when Harry apologised and she wasn't shown to hold any ill-will afterwards. Movie . She confessed that she was harsher than necessary with him during their time together as student and teacher, even when "hero-worshipped" James Potter and Sirius Black for the mischief.
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