Professor Minerva McGonagall is a
Teacher at
Hogwarts School Of Witchcraft And Wizardry in the ongoing
Harry Potter series of
books. The posts she occupies at Hogwarts are Head of
Gryffindor house, Deputy Headmistress of Hogwarts and
Transfiguration Teacher.
Prof. McGonagall is introduced in the first chapter of Harry Potter And The Philosophers Stone, by J.K. Rowling where she is in the form of a cat. She morphs back into her human form and accompanies Professor Dumbledore to 4 Privet Drive. She queries the wisdom of leaving baby Harry in the care of Muggles but abides by Dumbledores' decision in the matter.
When Harry attends Hogwarts he is privy to strict Transfiguration lessons taken by Prof. McGonagall and a lot of (difficult) homework for her class. Treating Harry, Ron and Hermione as strictly as any other students while sending Harry a Nimbus Two Thousand says something about her character. Other Memorable features of Professor McGonagall include buying Harry his Broomstick for Quidditch, being an Animagus, or a magician who is able to morph into an animal- in her case a Cat , busting Draco Malfoy for imitating a Dementor in Harry Potter And The Prisoner of Azkaban, and openly fighting with Cornelius Fudge in Harry Potter and The Goblet Of Fire.
Professor McGonagall was memorably played by Maggie Smith in the film adaptions of the first two Harry Potter books. It is ironic that Smith should play this role when she became famous for playing the eponymous teacher in The Prime Of Miss Jean Brodie, a character that influenced Prof McGonagall.