Despite deepening the unpopular retcon, Fantastic Beasts: the Secrets of Dumbledore brought back another beloved Hogwarts professor: Minerva McGonagall. Minerva won over hearts in the Harry Potter books with her sarcasm and wit, perfectly balanced with her compassion and kind heart.
Maggie Smith's brilliant performance only furthered the admiration fans had for Minerva. Widely regarded as one of the more underrated role models in Harry's life, Minerva still holds a special spot in the hearts of Potterheads, who have taken to summarizing her in their favorite format: memes.
Essence of Authority
When it comes to defying expectations and unapologetically doing what one wants, Minerva McGonagall is the queen. Whether it be through her silencing, stern looks, or sassy quips, McGonagall has a way of commanding the room.
She also has little regard for what others think or assume, as highlighted in this meme. From dismissing Oliver’s “but you can’t cancel quidditch!” to being a fully literate and agile cat, McGonagall proves that she can and will do whatever she sets out to, no matter what anyone says.
Confidence Personified
Minerva has a plethora of talents and is a very skilled and competent witch, confident in her abilities. Always one to jump at any opportunity to help, she is quick to display her get-down-to-business attitude and is never one to be messed with. She also has one of the most magical first impressions in the Harry Potter series.
As showcased in this meme, her impressive grasp of and faith in her abilities make her a worthy role model to look up to. Not only does she help find a solution for any new trouble, but she also approaches every situation with the same signature can-do, no-nonsense attitude.
McGonagall^4
When it comes to witches and wizards who are powerhouses of magic, Minerva McGonagall is right up near the top of the list, with many quotes that prove she is the best wizard in the Harry Potter movies. Her fierceness, combined with her adept abilities and independent, determined nature make her a force to be reckoned with.
This meme highlights this part of McGonagall’s character. The fact that the renowned witch’s Patronus is just another projection of herself proves her competency and the fact that no one can protect her as well as herself.
A Preference For Potter
While she is undoubtedly less partial towards certain students than others – such as Dumbledore, Snape, or Slughorn – Minerva too shows favoritism, especially when it comes to a certain Chosen One, and this meme sums up her character’s favoritism aptly.
Whether it was giving him light punishments or making him the Quidditch seeker rather than giving him detention, Minerva allowed Harry’s potential and good intentions to form the basis of her decisions, even if it was to the disservice or unequal treatment of other students.
Reward The Right, Hate The Umbridge
Although she may seem like a stickler for rules and procedures, Minerva does acknowledge when certain situations require special terms. One such instance is when Harry talks back to Dolores Umbridge, referenced here by Redditor simonnsterr.
Umbridge’s cruel, pretentious, and overtly egoistic personality clashed heavily with Minerva’s more compassionate, genuine, and humble one. (Plus, Umbridge is just easily detestable.) While normal circumstances would have called for Harry to be disciplined, McGonagall rewards him for being in the right, which is perfectly in character for her.
Prone To Prejudice (Like Everyone Else)
The best thing about so many Harry Potter characters is their complexity. Being one of the best characters in the series does not mean Minerva is not without her flaws, and this meme reminds fans of this.
Despite usually being of sound judgment, McGonagall locks the Slytherins in the dungeons during the Battle of Hogwarts. While some fans think this has to do with her wanting them to not face any moral dilemma on the battlefield, others believe it has to do with her biases against Slytherin. Regardless, this meme portrays how – despite her brilliance – McGonagall is just as imperfect and human as the others.
Professor Humble
This mashup meme shared on Reddit not only interweaves the Spider-Man universe with Harry Potter, but it also points out a huge part of McGonagall’s character: she is incredibly humble.
Despite her impressive abilities, Minerva has a tendency to refocus the conversation away from her own accomplishments and on the potential of her younger students. A great example of this is her decision to relate Harry’s knack for Quidditch to his father instead of herself, even though her great Quidditch skills are canon.
A Worthy Mentor
Harry was very fortunate to have a large number of great – albeit dismissive and at times incompetent – adults in his life to look up to. One such person was Minerva McGonagall.
Minus the whole no-signature-no-Hogsmeade fiasco, Minerva was always on Harry’s side, rooting for him and helping him bear through the most intolerable of years at Hogwarts. Her loyalty and affection towards him are what make the scene of Harry’s outrage at her being spat on even more emotional. Yet, despite her years of support and love, she doesn’t get the recognition she deserves. Nor does she get one of Harry’s kids named after her, as pointed out by this meme.
Minerva For Headmistress
Minerva and Albus were a Harry Potter duo who needed more screentime, sharing a very strong friendship, built upon mutual respect, trust, and unwavering loyalty. That being said, Minerva was very vocal about her concerns throughout the series, particularly when it came to his choices about what would transpire at Hogwarts.
This meme accurately displays her worry, and how well she would've handled things had she been in charge instead of Albus. Even though she always came around to support Dumbledore and his wild plans for the school year, there's no doubt she values the safety of her students above all and would've made a better head of the school.
Mommy McGonagall
Although she may not have had biological children of her own, McGonagall was undoubtedly a mother in the series. Her genuine concern for her students, nurturing of their skills and passions, driving them to constantly reach their highest potential, and giving them the necessary stern discipline when need be – are just some of her best parenting practices throughout the series.
She served as a mother to not one, but all the kids she interacted with, as shown in this meme.