Professor Minerva McGonagall Character Analysis

The Hogwarts Transfiguration professor and a member of the Order of the Phoenix. She's a proper, imposing, and rule-abiding witch, which puts her in a difficult position when Umbridge begins her crusade to bring Hogwarts under Ministry control. McGonagall clearly recognizes the importance of flying under the radar politically, as she encourages Harry to not anger Umbridge and get on the Ministry's bad side even more than he already is. However, she also praises Harry for standing up to Umbridge by offering him cookies as she reprimands him. Throughout the novel, McGonagall remains loyal to Dumbledore, so she's a prime target for Umbridge. This results in a battle of wills between the two women as Umbridge tries to sabotage Harry and other students by failing them in her class, while McGonagall insists that those students do well under "competent" professors. McGonagall's classes, however, are well planned and seem to adhere to Ministry guidelines, so Umbridge has no grounds to place McGonagall on probation for her teaching. As the Weasley twins create mayhem, McGonagall refuses to help deal with their fireworks or their swamp and even helps Peeves add to the trouble and confusion. She ends up in the hospital when she attempts to stop Umbridge from violently arresting Hagrid, as four Aurors Stun her in the chest.