Who's the best Headmaster or Headmistress of Hogwarts? That's always a question among Harry Potter fans. Albus Dumbledore gets a ton of praise, but a lot happened at Hogwarts long before Dumbledore got there, and in recent history! You may remember Minerva McGonagall for helping keep Hogwarts safe! Or what about the super creepy Dolores Umbridge?
id="headmasters-of-hogwarts">Headmasters of Hogwarts:This story's roots go pretty far back in time and the first ever Headmaster had their own statue! No one even remembers their name! In fact, Dumbledore said the history was pretty murky for him! This time, the early years of Hogwarts (set in the 11th century), there's so much to learn and those first leaders at Hogwarts really laid the groundwork for everything else.
Important Hogwarts Headmasters From History
You might have missed these characters from the books or games but the legacy of Hogwarts keeps on going!
- Phyllida Spore, this super notable headmistress wrote a truly awesome textbook about Herbology! "One Thousand Magical Herbs and Fungi" helped a lot of wizards and witches to learn. She became one of Hogwarts' most notable leaders back in the 15th century., a pretty tough time period for wizards as the world was changing.
- Dilys Derwent- an incredible leader, who helped make this a more powerful institution! You can get a glimpse into the life of this leader and a place where magic was at the center of things. St Mungo's Hospital for Magical Maladies and Injuries honored Dilys by having her portrait hung near the entrance! Dilys started at St. Mungo's as a healer, becoming the Headmistress at Hogwarts during a time of war and trouble for witches and wizards! But during that era Dilys became the key to this magical world, being able to get through all that the world had thrown at them!
- Everard was an exceptional Headmaster and was honored to have his portrait hanging at The Ministry of Magic!
We have plenty of details to go through!
Later Hogwarts Headmasters
- Quentin Trimble is a really notable person because of the magic text he wrote! His incredible writing gave us a sense of protection from the darkest forces out there, and was used for all future students as their "Defense Against the Dark Arts" book!
- Elizabeth Burke, it appears this Slytherin made her mark on Hogwarts. But here's a spoiler: she preferred Slytherins to those who had Muggle connections!
Next up, those that really captured attention.
The Hogwarts Headmaster Trio During Harry Potter's Era
It's time to go back to Harry Potter's years! It turns out, even in these iconic years at Hogwarts, we were given many characters who changed things, sometimes for better or for worse! Dumbledore was the most notable of them, but it's easy to see that these were the characters who had some of the biggest moments and created a unique, dynamic world to follow!
- Phineas Nigellus Black was the headmaster before Dumbledore. He even had a super special portrait that Hermione brought to the Deathly Hallows story and the story!
- It wasn't so shocking but his portrait ended up playing a major part in their plan and got the attention of Snape, allowing Snape to send a Patronus to those on a dangerous quest!
- It seemed Armando Dippet had a really long life. That's the truth as he lived to see Dumbledore as his successor, the headmaster of Hogwarts. His role was crucial, too, because he told Tom Riddle about the chamber, adding a really big event to Hogwarts history!
Dumbledore's Time As Headmaster
It looks like Dumbledore was in power during some major, exciting moments in Harry Potter!
And "Dumbledore's Army," was so unique and helped keep the school safe during an incredible and terrible time of war! If that weren't enough, he did even more by taking down one of "Voldemort's" powerful horcruxes! The only issue? It's a long tradition to have the best wizard to also be one of the best "Hogwarts" headmasters! And no one can really dispute that.
id="headmasters-who-made-hogwarts-history">Headmasters Who Made Hogwarts History
- Dolores Umbridge took on this powerful role but came about from an unusual source- the interference of the Ministry of Magic! You know that if you have ever seen or read about Dolores Umbridge she was disliked and one of the most horrible headmasters! The fact that everyone, even the students, were against her, she was seen as an annoying and powerful adversary.
- The magic never stopped as this powerful woman tried to become more involved in the magical world. Umbridge did the incredible by holding a new position within the Ministry.
- Snape was a controversial choice to become Headmaster but one that was a shocking addition. That is what made him such a dynamic character!
- With "Voldemort's" rise and reign, Snape was given a task to lead a very divided school. The result was "Hogwarts" under this power became unsafe! Even though, this headmaster held a really heavy responsibility! Snape's role had the ultimate betrayal and he found himself a "double agent."! The sad part about this headmaster is that when he passed, his efforts during all these hard years had made an important impact for the future!
- Minerva McGonagall
She kept the magic flowing through this legendary school for many generations. She had to face a dark future! You might remember she was the one who guided Harry and kept the magic flowing.
Fans will know this iconic leader as someone who made such a huge impact on Hogwarts!
And even when the books came to a close, "Harry Potter and the Cursed Child," showed how powerful she truly was.
The most recognizable characters have added depth, drama and compelling storytelling for "Harry Potter!"
