Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix

Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix

by

J. K. Rowling

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.

Professor Minerva McGonagall Quotes in Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix

The Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix quotes below are all either spoken by Professor Minerva McGonagall or refer to Professor Minerva McGonagall. For each quote, you can also see the other characters and themes related to it (each theme is indicated by its own dot and icon, like this one:
The Purpose of Education Theme Icon
).
Chapter Twelve Quotes

"Is it true that you shouted at Professor Umbridge?"

"Yes," said Harry.

"You called her a liar?"

"Yes."

"You told her He-Who-Must-Not-Be-Named is back?"

"Yes."

Professor McGonagall sat down behind her desk, frowning at Harry. Then she said, "Have a biscuit, Potter."

Related Characters: Professor Minerva McGonagall (speaker), Harry Potter, Dolores Umbridge, Lord Voldemort
Page Number: 248
Explanation and Analysis:
Get the entire Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix LitChart as a printable PDF.
Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix PDF

Professor Minerva McGonagall Quotes in Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix

The Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix quotes below are all either spoken by Professor Minerva McGonagall or refer to Professor Minerva McGonagall. For each quote, you can also see the other characters and themes related to it (each theme is indicated by its own dot and icon, like this one:
The Purpose of Education Theme Icon
).
Chapter Twelve Quotes

"Is it true that you shouted at Professor Umbridge?"

"Yes," said Harry.

"You called her a liar?"

"Yes."

"You told her He-Who-Must-Not-Be-Named is back?"

"Yes."

Professor McGonagall sat down behind her desk, frowning at Harry. Then she said, "Have a biscuit, Potter."

Related Characters: Professor Minerva McGonagall (speaker), Harry Potter, Dolores Umbridge, Lord Voldemort
Page Number: 248
Explanation and Analysis: