Fantastic Beasts: The Secrets of Dumbledore gave several long-awaited answers about Dumbledore's past and family. These answers were in response to questions that had begun circulating after the cliffhanger ending of Crimes of Grindelwald, such as how Credence Barebone could be part of the Dumbledore family. Dumbledore had been a private man during the events of Harry Potter, so it's no surprise that he never divulged the details of lost family members to his students. However, as the Fantastic Beasts series unfolds, fans can expect to learn far more than Harry ever did about Hogwarts' most famous headmaster.
Of course, Dumbledore wasn't the only teacher at Hogwarts that Harry never learned more about. Many of his professors have their own backstories and secrets, several of which were never revealed in the Harry Potter series. Between what the books and movies include, and the additional writings from J.K. Rowling, the most die-hard of fans can learn everything there is to know about the professors of Hogwarts.
Minerva McGonagall Is The Daughter Of A Reverend
Professor McGonagall was not always a stern school teacher. Once upon a time, she was a young girl watching her parents deal with the complications of mixing the Muggle and wizarding worlds. McGonagall's mother had been a witch, but her father, Reverend Robert McGonagall, was a down-to-earth Muggle.
Reverend McGonagall had fallen in love with a spirited girl from his village, Isobel Ross, who married him and gave him a daughter, all without revealing that she was a witch. However, Isobel was eventually forced to disclose the truth so that Minerva could attend school. While her parents' marriage continued, the lie resulted in a loss of trust in the couple, a dynamic that broke McGonagall's heart to see.
Snape Grew Up In A Town Called Cokeworth
Severus Snape, the unlikely hero of the Harry Potter series, grew up as part of a working-class family in the industrial town of Cokeworth. This was the same area that Lily and Petunia were from, but they came from the wealthier part of twon, which was why Petunia turned up her nose at Snape when she realized where he lived.
Despite Snape's unhappy childhood, he continued to reside in Cokeworth during the summer holidays, as seen in Half-Blood Prince. However, there was one other time in the Harry Potter series that audiences visited the town: in Sorcerer's Stone, when Harry and the Dursleys stay at the Railview Hotel while running from Harry's Hogwarts letters.
Hagrid Is Allergic To Cats
Every Harry Potter fan knows that Rubeus Hagrid loves animals. He coos at baby dragons, purchases three-headed dogs and is known to befriend giant spiders while completely underestimating the dangers they pose to people who don't have the tough skin of a giant.
Despite Hagrids affinity for living creatures, he reveals to Harry in Sorcerer's Stone that cats make his nose itch. The Wizarding World website confirmed that Hagrid is indeed allergic to cats. Despite his love for creatures and his great strength, a simple cat is all it takes to do Hagrid in.
Filius Flitwick Has A Goblin Ancestor
It is no secret that Filius Flitwick is short, but he never felt the need to explain to his students why. Just like with Hagrid and his giantess parentage, Professor Flitwick never advertised his ancestry, likely due to the prejudice he might have faced for it.
However, J.K. Rowling revealed that Flitwick had a goblin ancestor on her website. It is unclear whether his goblin relative was on his mother or father's side or how long ago they lived. However, Rowling stated that Flitwick's heritage is why he became the kind, empathetic, and non-judgmental teacher that Harry knew him to be.
Remus Lupin's Father Was An Expert On Boggarts
Remus Lupin provided some of the most inspirational quotes in Harry Potter, and his wisdom was likely a result of his hard past. His father, Lyall Lupin, had been an expert on Non-Human Spiritous Apparitions, which included creatures like Boggarts and poltergeists. These beings were not alive, but they were also not ghosts. When he was a young man, Lyall spent a lot of time traveling and studying Boggarts, which was how he met his future wife, who later gave birth to a clever boy, Remus.
When Remus was five, Lyall spoke publically at the Ministry about werewolves, stating that they were vile and deserved death. Fenrir Grayback happened to hear this, and as punishment, he and his pack attacked Lyall's family.
Cuthbert Binns Might Not Know He Is Dead
Professor Cuthbert Binns is the only ghost teacher at Hogwarts. He teaches History of Magic, and any interest he might have gained from his students with his deceased status was quickly lost as they realized how incredibly dull he is. The Harry Potter books reveal that Binns died in the teacher's lounge, but his ghost stood up and resumed teaching as usual.
J.K. Rowling explained on Wizarding World that no one knows if Binns is at all aware of his death or of how much time has passed him by. The dull professor pays almost no attention to his students and doesn't even know their names. Instead, he gives his lectures, whether anyone is listening or not.
Gilderoy Lockhart Has Two Squib Siblings
Gilderoy Lockhart was one of the worst professors at Hogwarts, and he began to develop his feelings of grandeur from a very young age. Wizarding World reveals that Lockhart is the son of a witch mother and Muggle father, but out of his siblings, he was the only one who inherited his mother's magical ability.
Because of this, the young Gilderoy was treated as if he was the most gifted little boy there had ever been. His mother praised his every move, and Lockhart expected this treatment to continue in school. However, teachers disagreed with Mrs. Lockhart's opinion of her son. While Gilderoy proved himself to be clever, he was observed to be lazy and entitled.
Quirinus Quirrell Was A Temporary Horcrux
Little is said about Quirinus Quirrell in Sorcerer's Stone. He briefly explained to Harry that he had sought out whatever was left of Lord Voldemort in Albania. Still, as far as audiences can see, he was just a crazed supporter of the Dark wizard, dedicated to returning him to power.
However, Rowling explained on Wizarding World that Quirrell had been a meek man who only sought out Lord Voldemort to prove his strength. Voldemort quickly possessed his body, turning him into a temporary Horcrux. While regular objects are more typical for Horcruxes, a human body can work in a pinch. What was left of Quirrell could no longer be described as an autonomous man but simply a vessel for Voldemort's severed soul.
Alastor Moody Was Nymphadora Tonks' Mentor
While Alastor Moody was technically a professor at Hogwarts, he never served his position as he was kept captive in a trunk. However, this isn't to say that Moody never helped teach young minds. Years before he accepted the job at Hogwarts, Moody took a seventh-year Auror hopeful under his wing: Nymphadora Tonks.
In the game Harry Potter: Hogwarts Mystery, Tonks meets Moody as part of a career program for Hogwarts students. Despite Tonks' clumsiness, Moody saw her potential clearly. He mentored her through her graduation, training, and induction into the Ministry of Magic as an official Auror.
Dolores Umbridge Was A Half-Blood
Perhaps the most despised of any Hogwarts professor, Dolores Umbridge saw herself as superior to anyone around her. She claimed to be a pure-blood descendant of the Selwyn family, but this was a downright lie. In reality, Umbridge was the half-blood daughter of a wizard father and Muggle mother.
Umbridge also had a younger brother who was a squib. Their father, Orford Umbridge, blamed his wife, Ellen, for their son's lack of magical ability. The family ultimately split down the middle; Orford took Dolores, and Ellen took her non-magical son. Dolores was eager to forget she ever shared blood with the two and never saw them again.