Harry Potter: 5 Things Only Book Readers Will Know About Minerva McGonagall

J.K. Rowling’s Harry Potter series is full of colourful, complex and wonderfully terrifying characters – but head of Gryffindor house and future Hogwarts headmistress Minerva McGonagall is easily one of the best characters that the series has to offer! Despite the fact that Minerva McGonagall is a major figure in Harry’s life and is brought to life wonderfully by Maggie Smith, the character doesn’t have a major role in the Harry Potter movies and there’s a great deal of information that fans who have only seen the books won’t know about the character.

When you look solely at the Harry Potter film series, McGonagall is a small but instrumental part of the story – and she’s one of the most inspiring and supportive witches that Harry has in his life. If you compare McGonagall’s role in the films to her role in the books, however, it’s clear that a lot was left out of the cinematic adaptations. For our latest post on The Blog That Must Not Be Named, we’re ranking five details that only fans of the books will know about Minerva McGonagall.

5 – She Let Out A Horrible Scream At The Sight Of Harry’s Body

In Harry Potter And The Deathly Hallows, Minerva McGonagall is one of the strongest heroes that the Wizarding World has. When she sees Hagrid carrying the lifeless body of Harry Potter, however, McGonagall falls into despair and lets out a spine-chilling scream that echoes throughout Hogwarts. “The scream was the more terrible because he had never expected or dreamed that Professor McGonagall could make such a sound.”

4 – She Was Almost Killed In The Dead Of Night

While Harry is taking his Astronomy test in The Order Of The Phoenix, he witnesses an altercation between Umbridge, six ministry officials and Hagrid. Hagrid puts up a brilliant fight against the seven witches/wizards, but Mconagall isn’t so lucky. McGonagall, who attempted to protect Hagrid from Umbridge, was disgustingly hit with four stunners without warning. The Hogwarts professor was so badly injured that she had to be moved from the Hospital Wing to St Mungo’s Hospital for Magical Maladies and Injuries.

3 – She Duelled Lord Voldemort

The Deathly Hallows is filled with many thrilling battles and epic duels, and McGonagall is a major part of one fight against Lord Voldemort. While Hermione, Luna and Ginny go head-to-head with Bellatrix Lestrange, the only Death Eater remaining, McGonagall, Slughorn and Kingsley Shacklebolt duel He-Who-Must-Not-Be-Named. Hundreds of people line the walls of Hogwarts, watching the two battles in awe. When Bellatrix is finally killed by Mrs Weasley, Voldemort explodes in a fit of rage and turns on her – but Harry Potter reveals himself and begins his epic final duel with the Dark Lord.

2 – She Put Umbridge In Her Place

During Harry’s career meeting with McGonagall in The Order Of The Phoenix, Umbridge continuously interrupts the discussion and tells McGonagall that Harry’s recent Defence Against the Dark Arts results mean he has no hope of ever becoming an Auror. McGonagall refuses to accept Umbridge’s interruptions, however, and retorts that Harry has received high marks in all Defence Against the Dark Arts tests that were set by a competent teacher.

1 – She Stood Up For Neville

Minerva McGonagall is one of Hogwarts’ toughest teachers, but she is also incredibly caring and protective – especially when it comes to her students. In The Half-Blood Prince, Neville tells McGonagall that his grandmother doesn’t want him to take charms at N.E.W.T level, as it is viewed as a soft subject. McGonagall rightfully scoffs at this, telling Neville that it’s high time his grandmother “learned to be proud of the grandson she’s got, rather than the one she thinks she ought to have.”

Did you know any/all of these facts about Minerva McGonagall? Let us know in the comments section below this post! You can also find The Blog That Must Not Be Named on Facebook, Instagram and Twitter (@potterblogger)! If you enjoy this post stay tuned for more, as we will be examining all of our favourite Wizarding World characters in the weeks to come!

The Blog That Must Not Be Named is a Harry Potter and Fantastic Beasts fan blog, covering all corners of the Wizarding World! Launched in 2019, The Blog That Must Not Be Named offers the latest Wizarding World news, magical features and more!