HOGWARTS HEADMASTERS
OWL Option Three
When you think of the Head of Hogwarts, it's hard to imagine someone other than our beloved C or perhaps Jess running the castle. However, Hogwarts has a long history of famous Headmasters (sometimes referred to as Headteachers), and it is vital to your knowledge of magical history to be familiar with the most notable. But, before we get into the specifics, what exactly do Headmasters do, other than have the coolest office in the castle?
Headmasters are in charge of overseeing the day-to-day running of the school, acting as both the school's authority figure and manager of its safety. Typically, there is a Deputy Head who assists the Headmaster in their duties and who serves in their place should the Headmaster need to leave the castle for a period of time.
Overseeing the school involves being in charge of the hiring and firing of all teachers, as well as promoting them. Headmasters have the ability to select teachers to be the head of houses or departments, as well as place teachers on probationary periods. Headmasters themselves are hired by the Hogwarts Board of Governors, which has the power to suspend any appointed Headmaster in special circumstances.
Albus Dumbledore is likely one of the first names someone will mention when speaking of historic Hogwarts Headmasters. Appointed to the position sometime between 1965 and 1971, Dumbledore's time as Headmaster notably oversaw the studies of Tom Riddle, later "Lord Voldemort," and Harry Potter. Dumbledore himself was considered to be the only person feared by Voldemort, and many people truly felt that Hogwarts was one of the safest places in the Wizarding World during Dumbledore's time in charge.
Image of Albus Dumbledore
Image of Phyllida Spore
Jumping back a few centuries, Phyllida Spore served as the first female Headmistress of Hogwarts, sometime during the fifteenth century. She was an accomplished Herbologist and author of the textbook One Thousand Magical Herbs and Fungi, which still serves as a go-to Herbology reference today. She also wrote the book, Healing at Home with Herbs, which demonstrated her prowess in healing magic. While not much is known specifically about her time as Headmistress of Hogwarts, Spore was clearly a leader both in and out of the castle, as she was given the title of "Dame" in Britain during her life. After her death, two different portraits of her were hung in the castle.
The last Headmaster I will mention in today's lesson is Dilys Derwent. Derwent was known as one of Hogwarts' "most celebrated Heads," and in the words of Albus Dumbledore himself, "[her] renown is such that [she has] portraits hanging in other Wizarding institutions." Derwent was known for her advancements in the field of magical healing, as she worked as a Healer at St. Mungo's. After leaving the hospital, Derwent served as Headmistress of Hogwarts from 1741 to 1768, and was popular among both students and faculty.
Image of Dilys Derwent
HOMEWORK:
Please select ONE of the following to complete as your assignment:
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Option 1 - Historical Analysis:
Do some research on your own and select one Headmaster of Hogwarts that was not mentioned above, then write an essay evaluating their time as head. Make sure to include the following in your essay:
- Why you chose them.
- Why they were notable.
- How you would describe their time serving as Head.
- What we, as historians, can learn from them.
- What, if anything, you would like to know about their exact circumstances that we don't know (such as what they thought about another occurrence in the wizarding world during that time period).
- What, if anything, you would have done differently than they did in their exact situation (living in that time period and facing the exact circumstances they faced).
Option 2: Personal Research and Reflection:
Do some reflecting on your time thus far as a student at myHogwarts, and your interactions with the Heads (if you have any) on mH. Then, do the following and write an essay on your discoveries and reflections:
- Take a look into the history of the mH heads over the years (can be found in Heading myHogwarts).
- Reflect on and outline what qualities you believe they possess that have allowed them to succeed, and what you believe they did especially well.
- Imagine that you have just been hired as the new Head, and reflect on and describe what you would do in the position, asking yourself things such as (these are ideas of things to include, not an all-encompassing list):
-- What would your time as Head look like?
-- What skills do you have that you think will come in handy?
-- What would you do first, and what changes would you implement, if any?