Minerva McGonagall
79 - Female - Halfblood - 10/04/1935

Headmistress of Hogwarts

Appearance and Personality
General Appearance: Minerva walks with her head up and shoulders back with an ever present commanding air about her. She is tall and slender with a rather severe look on her face most of the time. Her once jet black hair is now grayed quite a bit giving it a 'salt and pepper' appearance.
Sexual Orientation: Heterosexual
Skills: Transfiguration, dueling, nonverbal spellwork, quidditch (as she had played during her school days and never lost the passion for it.) and her leadership skills.
Weaknesses: Her inability to deal with silliness, and any loss of control or order.
Positive Personality Traits: Brave, loyal, passionate, clear-headed, confident, efficient, forthright, protective
Negative Personality Traits: Overly critical, unbending at times, not very personable at first or possibly not at all.
Hobbies and Interests: Reading and researching as of late with everything politically going on, though she still gets on a broom from time to time when no one is around.
Character History:

Minerva was born on Ocober 4th 1935 in Scottland to a muggle Presbuterian minister and a witch by the name of Isobel Ross. Her mother had given up magic in order to be with her father. Being bound by the International Statute of Secrecy meant that Isabel could not tell her husband of her magical ability. At a young age Minerva began showing signs of magic often making things disappear or moving random objects about the room. Isobel told finally confessed everything to her husband. Soon after Minerva gained two brothers which she helped her mother hide their magical abilities from the muggle world since the manifestation of magic comes at random times and can sometimes be rather destructive.

She received her Hogwarts letter on her eleventh birthday in 1946 and began school the following year. Minerva was sorted into Gryffindor carrying some of the noblest traits from the house. She was exceptionally intelligent earning some of the highest marks on her NEWTs and OWLs. Not surprisingly her forte was transfiguration as well as Defense Against the Dark Arts. She was also a very talented quidditch player for her house. With such high marks she was offered a position at the Ministry in the Magical Law Enforcement department upon graduation. She was excited for the opportunity and decided to spend a little time with her family in the country before heading off to live in London.

It was that summer that she met a handsome muggle man named Dougal McGregor. Within a few months she was head over heels for the man. Dougal proposed and Minerva enthusiastically agreed. That evening she couldn’t bring herself to tell her parents the news as she had already begun to rethink her decision. Being with Dougal would mean she would have to give up everything she had worked so hard for in the Magical World. She couldn’t bear the thought of leaving that all behind as her mother had and the following day told Dougal that she had changed her mind. She gave him no significant reason why and a few days later moved to London.

Minerva only stayed at the Ministry for two years as she felt unhappy in her position and took up post as a transfiguration professor in 1956 at Hogwarts under Professor Dumbledore. Not long after she was appointed as head of Gryffindor earning herself quite the title as she could be quite severe to where most students were sure to toe the line in her presence. Years after Dumbledore was appointed Headmaster she had earned his full trust and he put her in position as the Deputy Headmistress. Minerva continued teaching at Hogwarts during the first war though she was a member of the Order of the Phoenix and was active in the battle itself.

She was devastated by the news of Lily and James’ death though kept a strong façade as now there was an infant, Harry Potter, to tend to. He was a hero before he could even speak his first word. Minerva vehemently disagreed with Dumbledore on his decision to send Harry to live with his mother’s sister and husband. There was nothing she could do about the decision as Dumbledore had figured it would be in Harry’s best interest to live in the muggle world where no one knew who he was. Life moved forward at the school though her personal life became a touch more complicated once again.

Minerva had kept a close friendship with her old boss at the ministry, Elphinstone Urquart who had been taken with her though she was still so caught up in her lost love Dougal that she refused his advances. But Elphinstone was a persistent man and didn’t give up, going as far as to propose several times. It wasn’t until the death of Dougal in 1982 that she accepted Elphinstone’s proposal and were married shortly after. They had purchased a cottage in Hogsmeade and, by all accounts, had a healthy marriage though it was cut short. In 1985, only three years after they married Elphinstone died due to a venomous tentacula bite. Unable to stay in their little cottage after his death she packed up and took up residence in Hogwarts.

In 1991, Harry Potter’s first year at Hogwarts things began to go awry at the school. Dumbledore had been trusted with the task of keeping the philosopher’s stone safe in which she aided in doing so. They never expected Lord Voldemort himself with the aid of the Defense Against the Dark Arts professor would actually make it within the school. The following year the Chamber of Secrets had been opened and students one by one began to be attacked by an unknown creature at the time despite the best efforts of the staff. It was that year that Lucius Malfoy had succeed in getting Dumbledore suspended from his post leaving Minerva to step in as Headmistress in his absence. Things were looking bleak for the school though miraculously the Chamber was closed again and Dumbledore returned.

The escape of Sirius Black leant even more chaos as that following school year Dementors were set up about the school by the Ministry thinking that Sirius would try to get within the walls, though it did turn out to be true but not for the reasons they had suspected. Most of the focus remained on the Triwizard tournament. The year had been pure chaos seeing as not only was Minerva trying to protect her students from the vile dementors around the grounds, but the Dark Lord had returned, and a student had been killed. The ministry refused to acknowledge Voldemort’s return though Harry had been the only person to see it firsthand. She didn’t doubt him for a moment and immediately jumped into action.

This marked the beginning of the Second Wizarding War. Minerva rejoined the Order of the Phoenix in the summer of 1995 staying mainly at 12 Grimmauld Place and doing work for the Order. Of course once fall rolled back around she went back to Hogwarts ready for whatever may happen next. Shortly after school had started Dolores Umbridge was sent to the school by the Minister as the High Inquisitor. Minerva briefly wondered if she would have preferred the dementors stay. It seemed like in the blink of an eye Dumbledore was ousted and Umbridge was appointed the Headmistress of Hogwarts. This angered Minerva as the woman continued her abuse of powers. Minerva still fought hard to keep students safe though had to be careful in case Umbridge found a way to get her booted as well. With Dumbledore gone the students couldn’t afford for the Deputy Headmistress to be ousted as well. The last straw was when Umbridge attempted to banish Hagrid from the school grounds. In a rage Minerva began to shout at the woman only to be hit square in the chest with four stunning spells landing her in St Mungo’s until after the Battle of the Department of Mysteries.

The next couple of years seemed like one big blur of tragedy. Umbridge had finally been run off allowing Minerva to take back over the school as the Headmistress. She continued on with the Order of the Phoenix as well as her duties as a Professor until that fateful day in June of 1997 at the Battle of the Astronomy Tower. After Draco Malfoy had succeeded in sneaking in several Death Eaters the Battle began and ended with Severus Snape ending Dumbledore’s life atop the tower. Minerva stepped in as Headmistress for a short period of time before Voldemort took over the Ministry and stripped her of her title in favor of Severus Snape.

Minerva still remained in the school hell bent on trying to keep the students safe, though with Death Eaters like the Carrows given free reign it was exceptionally difficult. Her hatred of Severus grew with each day still in disbelief that he could so coldly kill a man who had trusted and cared for him when no one else would. In May of 1998 it all came to a head as the Golden Trio had returned to the school hunting for the last horcrux. Upon their return a fierce duel between Minerva and Severus causing him to flee and the final battle began.

Minerva along with Filius, Pamona, The Order, and even several older students began to prepare the castle for battle. Minerva brought to life the guardians of the castle sending them out to protect the school as she and several others readied themselves. She knew there was no way to keep Voldemort out, only keep him at bay allowing the Trio more time to go on with their mission. It was a fierce, brutal, terrifying battle. Many people lost their lives during that battle, but they had won. It was difficult to celebrate this victory for awhile seeing as Minerva was still devastated over the loss of Dumbledore and several other people she cared about during the battle.

After the battle Minerva returned to Hogwarts as the Headmistress. She has thrown herself full force into her work as always though still has her moments of sorrow over those she has lost. To her it feels like it will never end. She runs the school with the same stern manner as she had run Gryffindor seventeen years prior, though she already feels another violent shift on the rise. After Shacklebolt was ousted and Minister Durant put in his place things went downhill quickly. Minerva was absolutely appalled by the work camp and the treatment of purebloods. She has not made a public statement though she has been doing her own work and research on the situation. Minerva feels that another war is in the making and she is struggling to find a way to return balance before another tragedy strikes.

Plots and Politics
Where does your character stand in the treatment of death eaters and their families? She is not pleased at all with how purebloods and Death Eaters are being treated. While she is relatively unforgiving of some crimes she doesn't feel it is right to do the things the Minister is doing to another living being.

How was your character and their family affected by the reign and death of Voldemort? Minerva was affected greatly surving in both wars, both of which she lost countless loved ones, probably adding to her unfriendly appearance. After Voldemort's defeat she was still shaken up over the tragedies but was relieved it was over.

Family

Parents: Isobel McGonagall (deceased), Robert McGonagall (deceased)
Siblings: Malcolm McGonagall (68), Robert McGonagall (70)
Children: None
Partner: Widowed from Elphinstone Urquart
Other Relevant Family: None
Family History:

Isobel was born to two magical parents in 1917. She was an exceptionally bright witch who excelled at just about everything she attempted. Her parents were proud of her and we're sure that she would go on to do great things with her life. Isobel was fresh out of Hogwarts when she remet a local muggle boy named Robert whilst out and about in town. She often went into town to enjoy the sights and sounds of muggle life. She had gone to a muggle primary school with him before she had received her letter leading him yo believe she just attended a fancy all girls boarding school. Sparks flew the moment they saw each other again and began dating shortly after.

Her parents were less than enthused about the news of her dating a muggle boy though it was not because they had any prejudice against muggles. Their concern was for the secrecy they were all bonded by that would cause severe punishment to fall upon them if the boy were to discover they were magical. Isobel was so taken with Robert that, against better judgement, she decided to cut herself off from the wizarding world leaving her life as a witch behind her completely to live as a muggle.

They married quickly and within no time they welcomed a little girl into the world naming her Minerva after Isobel's grandmother who had been a very powerful witch. Robert hadn't suspected a thing about Isobel that would strike him as odd until their daughter was a little older. He felt his wife begin to withdrawal often taking their daughter on little holidays without him. Minerva had started showing signs of magic and feared what her husband might think as well as if this would get her into any trouble with the Ministry of Magic. Eventually she couldn't withhold the information any longer and confessed her true background to Robert. He was stunned and hurt that she had kept such a secret from him though they stayed together and had two more children together though their relationship was never the same again.

Other: Minerva is registered animagus (black and gray tabby cat)

Steph

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Have you read the site plot, rules, and timeline?

Yes

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Roleplay Sample

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