09.23.05
McGonagall Evil?
by RavenclawWit
I was over on the Mugglenet forums tonight and came across a thread where someone was asking why exactly was McGonagall at the Dursley’s the day the Potter’s were killed. Then someone else on the thread left this comment: What was the reason for McGonagall’s trip to Privet Drive, and why isn’t she more pleased by LV’s disappearance? I left a response and I decided to post it here as well, in hopes that it will generate some interesting discussion. My response:
I’m glad you said this. Lately I’ve been having weird thoughts about McGonagall. It started when in HBP, she asked Harry what Dumbledore had told him and where they had gone, and Harry wouldn’t tell her. She seemed most displeased. And then there’s the fact that Harry wouldn’t tell her. From his past dealings with her (her being leniant on him when he gets in trouble, rescuing him from Snape, etc.) it seems that he should trust her implicitly. Why doesn’t he? Does he have a hunch about her that we don’t know about yet?
Some of her past actions, in retrospect, are a little suspicious. I agree it was weird for her to be at Privet Drive. Some say it’s because she wanted to check out the Dursley’s. Others point out she wanted to convince Dumbledore not to leave Harry there because she didn’t like the Dursley’s. But the reason why Dumbledore wanted him there was because a blood-relative of Harry’s mother lived there, he would be protected from Voldemort. Maybe McGonagall knew this, and that’s the real reason she didn’t want Harry there. She knew Harry would be safe from an attack by the Dark Lord or one of his followers. Could it be that she posted herself at the Dursley’s not knowing who was to bring Harry there? Perhaps she planned to attack them and kill Harry. But when she saw Dumbledore, the game was up. She knew she would never be able to defeat him. So instead she acted like she was just nervous.
And then there’s the sorcerer’s stone. When the trio tell her they need to see Dumbledore because someone’s trying to steal the stone, she refuses to listen to them. The fact that they knew about the stone at all should have suggested to her that its security was seriously compromised. At the very least, she should have sent an owl to Dumbledore telling him about it. But she didn’t. Very odd, I think. Did she perhaps know that one of her fellow Death-Eaters was going to make a play for it?
Of course, I know in many ways, she has always been on Harry’s side, but then, what better way to gain someone’s trust than to constantly be their champion?
Something to consider…
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Michael said,
September 23, 2005 at 10:50 am
Well, I will say this… THAT would be the most surprising heel turn of the series (to steal a pro wrestling term). I doubt it seriously… I always took McGonagall’s reaction in Book 1 as ego and underestimating Harry. Plus if McGonagall was a death eater, why doesn’t she have the dark mark, why wasn’t she accounted for in the gaps in the circle (Granted many were not named, but we could easily figure the Person to cowardly to return and the one who left forever.)
I think McGonagall is strict and at the start of the series underestimated Harry Greatly. I can understand the frustration that Harry would not share info in HBP…. Kind of like a mother whose son won’t let her help him. I think maybe this is reading a little too far into things.
Of course I could be wrong. As I said, it would be quite the surprising heel turn. Kind of like Nina in Season 1 of 24. Never saw it coming.
RavenclawWit said,
September 23, 2005 at 6:02 pm
Well, of course, I could be totally wrong, but I’ve just been having this weird feeling about her lately. Woman’s intuition?
Also, how do we know she doesn’t have the dark mark? Just because the books haven’t mentioned it (yet) doesn’t mean she doesn’t have it. And you have to admit, it would be a pretty amazing plot twist. Which I kind of feel has to be the case. I think Rowling will end the series with something that will shock everyone, and yet ultimately make sense.
Blogging Harry Potter said,
September 23, 2005 at 9:16 pm
Is McGonagall Evil Poll
Building off RavenclawWit’s excellent post, an accompanying poll: “Is McGonagall Evil?”
<?php jal_democracy(4); ?>
…
Maud said,
December 26, 2005 at 9:50 am
I totally agree with RavenclawWit since I read “Harry Potter and the Half Blood Prince”. Actually, her attitude when she learned Dumbledore’s death is very ambiguous and weird. Page 615 (american edition): ” “Snape”, repeated MG faintly, falling into the chair. “We all wondered… but he trusted… always… Snape… I can’t believe it…”"
The most obvious interpretation is that she’s astonished by the treachery of Snape and that Dumbledore always trusted him in spite of his past. BUT this sentence is actually ambiguous.
1) It isn’t a statement adressed to Harry Potter and the others. It’s rather a sentence adressed to herself, like a private thought.
2) “We all wondered”: we know that neither the Order nor the Death Eaters trust Snape. If MG is a Death Eaters, she’s also wondering if Snape is on the DL’s side.
3)”But he trusted…” It’s exactly the same ambiguity: “he” can be Dumbledore OR the DL. We know that Bellatrix noticed the same fact about the DL.
4) “I can’t believe it!” this statement could be an expression of bad or GOOD surprise. Finally, Snape was trustful. He was on the DL’s side.
Moreover, she’s very eager to possess Dumbledore’s office. And her attitude toward Harry is also odd.
Page 626 of the american edition: “After glancing once at this portrait, Prof. MG made an odd movement as though steeling herself, then rounded the desk to look at Harry, her face taut and lined”. If she was so sad about Dumbledore’s death, she must have been sad, crying, wiping a tear, a sthg like that. Unless she’s suprised by Dumbledore slumbering in the golden frame… unless it’s the sign that Dumbledore isn’t really dead…
“Prof MG glared at him”: why is she so furious? She must have understood how Harry was upset, exactly as Dumbledore did after Sirius’s death… She’s as nasty as Umbridge or “Fol oeil” (it’s the french name, I can’t remember the english name, as I read the Gobblet of Fire in French). And actually, I am sure one could make the exact parallel between her and his attitude after the death of Dumbledore/Cedric.
Dumbledore believed that the symbol of Gryffondor wasn’t a Horcrux, because he protected it. BUT if MG is a traitor, as I’m convinced, she could have made a Horcrux from the gryffondor’s sword on the behalf of the Dark Lord. She’s powerful enough to do that.
What do you think about it?
RavenclawWit said,
December 26, 2005 at 12:43 pm
Maud, some excellent points here, especially your noticing the vagueness of McGonagall’s statements.
Tia said,
January 5, 2006 at 5:20 am
Interesting. That would certainly just knock me off my boots. That would really catch me by surprise, or not anymore having just read this. But NOOOOOOOOOO! She can’t be bad. It’s like everyone Harry’s close to somehow leaves him. There’s Sirius and Dumbledore, and I think Harry was really disappointed when Lupin hasn’t regarded him just as Sirius had. So McGonagall, I pray and hope, won’t turn out to be the next Snape, assuming that Snape really did Dumbledore in on the DL’s orders.
RavenclawWit said,
January 5, 2006 at 10:25 pm
That’s just the thing Tia. Wouldn’t it be a real shocker to find in the end that it’s McGonagall who was evil all along, while Snape turns out to be good? I become more and more convinced daily that Snape is in fact, good, that he killed Dumbledore because DD ordered him to, not Voldemort. I think Dumbledore was already dying and he knew it. For more on this, see this excellent post by livejournal user garlandgraves.
Tia said,
January 9, 2006 at 6:33 am
Yes, I really do think that there’s a huge possibility that Snape acted on DD’s own orders. But I’d hate to see McGonagall go bad. It’s like saying, Hermione was also in it the whole time, turning spy for Voldemort along with McGonagall. Scary thought, but I am not disagreeing with that possibility (McGonagall being bad, not Hermione) completely. Knowing JK’s style in writing, anything is possible.
jane said,
February 13, 2006 at 5:30 pm
I’d go along with Tia here… In an interview, JKR mentioned McGongall being a worthy second in command at Hogwarts, though not Dumbledore’s equal, and though worthy does not necessarily mean good, think she would not have used such a term had McGonagall been not “Dumbledore’s woman through and through”. Maud’s remark is very interesting but I think that McGonagall’s always been cool so is behaving in accordance with her character, not letting the others see her emotions.
Jason Bourne said,
March 7, 2006 at 1:50 am
guys ull should be writing the book n not Jk lol u guys can really think thanks for all the info if thers any more info plz mail me
thiser said,
March 22, 2006 at 12:44 pm
My wife was on to this theory of MG being a Deatheater or at least an aid to the DL about a week ago, which is what led me here. In reviewing the seen in the graveyard in GOF, LV names the the three: One too cowardly to return, he shall pay; one that i believe has left me forever, he will be killed; and one who has just returned to me, my most faithful servant. We believed this to be Karkaroff (cowardly), Snape (changed sides), Crouch jr (most faithful). Two things stand out here though. One, the most faithful servant’s gender is not reveal like the other two. And Karkaroff is found dead which call attention to the words “pay” and “kill” that the DL used. there is some abiguity here and therefore room to suspect MG as a traitor.
what do you think?
RavenclawWit said,
March 22, 2006 at 3:52 pm
thiser, At first I was definitely excited by your theory, but when I went to check the passage, I was disappointed. Here’s the quote you were referring to:
So far your observation that Voldemort does not indicate the gender of this most faithful servant holds. But if you continue reading to the next page, Voldemort has this to say:
So, in fact, the most faithful servant is male, and we also know that it is Barty Crouch Jr., since we know he’s the person who made the triwizard cup into a portkey.
thiser said,
March 22, 2006 at 9:53 pm
i was a little over zealous i guess. when proposing this theory it does cause a lot of MGs comments and actions appear to be ambiguous. i can’t believe that we have to wait a year for the 7th book. ahhhh!
my wife and i are going to continue to find evidence, however circumstantial, that adds to the believability of this theory.
oh thanks for responding so quickly.
RavenclawWit said,
March 23, 2006 at 1:14 am
thiser,
It was a good idea anyways. And even if it didn’t pan out, it still doesn’t disprove the McGonagall is evil theory. A lot of her actions are ambiguous, that’s just the thing, and even when she does kind things for Harry, it could be seen as her getting him to trust her. But we truly won’t know until book 7. My belief that Snape, despite killing Dumbledore, is still on the side of light, also bolsters my belief in this theory. Harry will probably find another traitor in his midst.
ruby said,
June 18, 2006 at 4:04 pm
Oh god! I love Minerva…….
….anyway let’s talk….
why she’s in Griffindor House….JKR said the sorting hat never makes mistake…..
Caylypso said,
July 20, 2006 at 1:20 am
Look, For one thing, not all Gryffindor’s are good. Being in that house in no more of an indicator of goodness and Slytherin is of evil. Now on, to the theory. It’s an interesting one, that’s for sure, but I honestly don’t buy it. Most of the evidence can be chalked up to a woman loosing a close friend and probable mentor. Not everyone deals with grief with tears. The reference to her steeling herself upon seeing Dumbledore’s portrait could just as well be her stealing herself againt more tears. And the same argument in Snape’s favor can be applied here. If MG’s evil, why hasn’t she killed Harry in the six years she’s been teaching. She’s in an ideal place, as his Head of House.
berg said,
July 28, 2006 at 6:55 pm
hte is forshadoweing that hermoine the perfect student will need to fight MG the perfect teacher … the borgart representing hermoanie’s greatest fear was MG . ( even if it was about failing homework) . also MG says it was herfault that snape was around to ki8ll dumblerbore she sent flitwick to get him .. JK doesn’t like cats and all cats in the book had more to them mrs norris crookshanks , mrsfiggs cats .. she knew harry neededa potions book and could have arranged thatr he get the halfblood princes book..
Cassie said,
September 16, 2006 at 7:53 am
Well, I’ll be suprised if McGonagall’s not a Death Eater. In the first book
Did she do anyhting to stop Harry from going down the trap door? I don’t think so … Do we ever see her at Head Quarters for the Order Of The Phoenix?
Not really …. She isn’t really that sad when Dumbledore dies, is she?.In the fourth book. She doesn’t do anything to stop Harry from entering the Tourament. She complains, but just once, and that’s onl in the movie, not the book. I know she is in Gryffindore, but what about Peter Pettigrew?
He was Gryffindor. So, yes, I think that she is evil. Well, it’d be good if that were to happen, cos if she’s not, then she’s just a stupid character.
Athena42 said,
October 11, 2006 at 5:40 pm
Nice theory, but I don’t believe it. I can’t see McGonagall “following” anybody, especially not the DL, because he’s younger than she is adn was most likely one of her students once. What would she gain from becoming a Death Eater? Probably nothing. It also doesn’t make sense that she would fight the Death Eaters at Hogwarts at the end of HBP, especially as she knocks a few of them unconscious.
During the trials at the end of the first war, people such as Karkaroff would have definitely tried to incriminate her, yet we have not seen any mention of her from Karkaroff or any of the others. Also, when Snape and Karkaroff feel their Dark Marks burning in GOF, why do neither of them try to talk to Minerva about it? Harry would have noticed if Karkaroff came into Transfiguration one day and showed McGonagall his arm.
We have never seen any of the Death Eaters talk to or about her, with the obvious exception of Snape. Is it probable that she would be so undercover that none of the Death Eaters would even know about her? No.
Anyways, thanks for the theory, it gave me a good half-hour of pondering.
Cassie said,
November 3, 2006 at 8:18 am
But as the Death Eaters said, Only Voldemort knows all of the Death Eaters.
Maybe McGonagall didnt want any to know. My brother gave me a site, and it explained very clearly that she is one. I cant remeber the site name and I noyl read the first few paragraphs, so I cant rememeber too well. But I dont like McGonagall that much, so Im saying she is one
Angie said,
May 27, 2007 at 4:12 pm
Athena42:
McGonagall is 2 years older then Voldemort, so she couldn’t have taught him. She actually got her post at Hogswarts 1 year after Tom was denied.
Lucy said,
June 11, 2007 at 7:49 pm
berg:
JKR doesn’t like cats, and therefore MG is evil? Please. Ginny is described many times as having catlike qualities. Are suggesting that Ginny is also hiding something?
Besides, suppose for the sake of argument that your cat theory has merit. Crookshanks = good. Mrs. Figg = good. But I don’t remember anything about Mrs. Figg’s CAT being important…
Ric said,
June 11, 2007 at 8:58 pm
It found this very long laundry list of reasons why the writer thought that McGonagall was a DE. And It got me thinking and I think its rather telling that the first thing that Harry thinks about McGonagall in HP&PS is:
The door swung open at once. A tall, black haired witch in emerald green robes stood there. She had a very stern face and Harry’s first thought was that this was not someone to cross. (from the beginning of the chapter The Sorting Hat)
Also, and this is ENTIRELY circumstantial but .. generally interesting: The goddess Athena (who is Minerva in Rome) has a shield, and is always shown with snake, and medusa as the emblem. Pretty petty as far as imagery goes but it is .. semi-associative. She’s very often wearing green, which for a gung-ho Gryffindor is only vaugely strange?
Anyway this is the essay/list of reasons that led me here! (and also google!)
http://community.livejournal.com/unplottables/46684.html
Darius Taylor said,
July 9, 2007 at 9:47 am
Well McGonagall being evil is a very interesting theory. J.K Rowling’s writing style is so unique. She loves giving shocks to her readers & this could be the ultimate one. There are clues here & there but none are hard evidences.
But her behaviour has been on the grey side several times.
The way she is introduced is something that requires lot of attention. Rowling has also said that the first chapter of the first book has lots to it than meets the eye. Why doesn’T Mcgonagall reveal herself when she sees Dumbledore? Why does the cats tail twitch?
& Her flattery could be hints of her greyer side. But they are not proofs for her to be evil.
Dumbledore is ofcourse a very sharp person. He would have noted if anything was out of order. But it always seems McGonagall was never given any great secrets by Dumbledore.
Now the cats tail twicthing & she not revelaing herself could be becoz she is just being careful. She just wanted to make sure that it is Dumbledore after all.
Now towards the end of the first book, when Harry Ron & hermione tells her that somebody is trying to steal the stone, she just dismisses them saying that the stone is safe. Some first year students knowing about the stone in itself has compromised the safety of the stone. So why did she not take any action?
Either she is not as smart as she is thought to be or she could be really evil
But Rowling keeps saying she is a very very powerful Witch. She became headmistress for a reason. Dumbledore should really feel that she is upto the job.
So she is really powerful. Lets accept that. But yet she never has been given any major powerful role in the book than just being strict & teaching nuances of transfiguration or some shouting matches with Umbridge. Ofcourse she is very stern & will never let anybody boss over her.
But why is she not showing any distinguished skills in a battle. Even in half blood prince when she takes on the death eaters There is no effect. She is just teh same as others. When Dumbledore enters teh battle in Order of Phoenix it defnitely has lots of effect the way he faces the detah eaters & eventaully Voldemort. Ofcourse Mcgonagall is not as power ful as DD. but She is defnitely said to be a very powerful witch. In that case why is she not displaying any of her powers. So does she just seem to be powerful & is not really powerful. But then she still survived the four stunners that hit her on her chest.
She also failed to abide by DD’s orders to guard Crouch. She could have used a ptraonus charm to protect the Crouch & explained teh situation later to Cornelius.
These are all unexplained threads relating To McGonagall. Each one raises the question Why?
Why did she behave that way in each occasion.
why did she send a bunch of first years to the dark forest when the dark forest is considered to be very dangerous? Or is it that she like Dumbledore wanted harry to face things. I believe McGonagall cannot do anything without DD’s knowledge. Defintely sending a bunch of first years to dark forest for a detention would have have happened with the knowledge of DD. he being the headmaster will anyway be aware of it. So maybe DD wanted Harry to go. & there was some secret protection that was there for Harry.
Maybe DD himself was with harry.
The ” back again” dialogue from DD when harry comes to see teh mirror of erised a second time shows that DD used to follow him.
The magical car that arrives at the rite time to save Harry & Rin from the spiders also explains a lot. It has to be Dumbledor who sis behind it. It is his way of helping Harry.
Just before DD is suspended he does say that help will be provided to all those who need it. or seek it …..
Mcgonagall is defnitely shown to lack the insight. I hope she gets a very important role than just being a struict lady , in book 7.
Robert said,
July 14, 2007 at 3:31 pm
One thing I haven’t seen mentioned is a part in Book Six that seems to me like it was purposely written a certain way to leave a clue about McGonagall being evil. When Harry, Ron, and Hermione are returning from Hogsmeade, and Katie Bell and her friend LeAnn are in front of them, Katie Bell fights with her friend over a package, and then she floats up in the air and is cursed. Harry gets Hagrid who then takes Katie to the hospital wing. After Hagrid leaves, Harry and the rest then look at the package and realize that an opal neckalce is poking out. Harry remembers seeing it in Borgin and Burkes and that it was cursed. Not wanting anyone to touch it and get hurt, he wraps the entire package up in a scarf.
McGonagall then comes running out of the castle and asks to speak with the four of them (Harry, Ron, Hermione and LeAnn). She asks Harry what he’s holding (the wrapped up scarf), and he says “It’s the thing she touched.” McGonagall then says to Filch “Take this _necklace_ to Professor Snape.” There is no reason that Professor McGonagall should know that is was a necklace, as it was completely covered. The fact that Harry calles it “the thing she touched” seems like an odd thing to say, and I think it was written that way on purpose to make it clear that McGonagall could not have known that it was a necklace.
The whole thing could just be an error on J.K. Rowling’s part, but she reinforces it on the next page when she brings the four of them back to the office. She asks LeAnn to tell her everything that happened. LeAnn explains the whole series of events, but starts crying when she gets to the part about fighting with Katie over the package, and has to go to the hospital wing without finishing the story. Professor McGonagall then asks Harry “So what happened when she touched the necklace?” Again, the reader is specifically shown that Professor McGonagall was not told about the necklace, but then mentions it. The whole series of events, including the very specific words that people use and the fact that LeAnn strangely couldn’t continue her story right before she got to the part about discovering the necklace makes it all seem very suspicious to me.
Brittany said,
July 16, 2007 at 11:09 am
I LOVE Robert’s theory…. It makes perfect sense. McGonagall was born in October and that helps her because a myth that surrounds opals. The myth is generally seen as anyone who is not born in October will be cursed if they wear the stone. In some stories, the characters die. Since Katie Bell nearly died….I think that she’s drawing from this myth. Perhaps Voldie wanted to send her a birthday gift….
DanA said,
July 18, 2007 at 7:12 am
Totally unrelated- I’ve always heard a story about opals that they choose their owners. I’ve had a few friends who love opals and have occasionally bought opal jewelry, only to consistantly lose the pieces in a matter of weeks.
I, on the other hand, have actually FOUND opal jewelry before, and my grandmother’s opal ring never leaves my finger. And I was born in January.
Anyway, McGonagall = Evil is my favorite theory, along with Snape having taken an unbreakable vow in the past to protect Harry and eventually sacrificing himself in some way because of this.
I also sort of like the theory about Dumbledore actually “dying” between books 5 & 6, and all through 6 he’s just being kept temporarily alive by some thing- perhaps a potion made by Snape?
The blackened hand is suspicious, perhaps all the ‘death’ was being forced into the hand while Dumbledore attended to his last requirements? It’s true that it’s made very clear that people can’t come back from the dead, but if some sort of spell or potion or whatever was used on Dumbledore as he was dying, but not yet dead, it could qualify as a loophole. Force all that deathy stuff into the hand, do what needs to be done, and then when he’s weakened by the horcrux juice he lets Snape know that it’s over. He would have been too weak to fight off a hoard of Death Eaters, and his death at their hands would likely have been a lot less easy than a flash of pretty green light.
But that has nothing to do with McGonagall.
Point is, she’s crazy evil.
As the essay on Unplottables says, so far she’s a totally useless character- and we all know that Jo writes nothing useless.
Someone major, probably at Hogwarts, has had to have been evil this whole time. It can’t possibly be Snape, he’s too complicated a character and the “He’s been evil all along!” explanation just seems too cheap. Whoever the evil one is has to come completely out of left field, someone who no one would expect but has been hanging around all this time. Who hangs around but never does anything? McGonagall. Well, it’s enough to convince me. But I guess we’ll see in three days.
Cameron said,
August 5, 2007 at 8:44 pm
Dear Readers:
owned.
That is all.