Short Stories from Hogwarts of Heroism, Hardship and Dangerous Hobbies
Джоан Кэтлин Роулинг
�Minerva was the Roman goddess of warriors and wisdom. William McGonagall is celebrated as the worst poet in British history. There was something irresistible to me about his name, and the idea that such a brilliant woman might be a distant relative of the buffoonish McGonagall.’ – J.K. Rowling
Pottermore Presents is a collection of J.K. Rowling’s writing from the Pottermore archives: short reads originally featured on pottermore.com with some exclusive new additions. These eBooks, with writing curated by Pottermore, will take you beyond the Harry Potter stories as J.K. Rowling reveals her inspiration, intricate details of characters’ lives and surprises from the wizarding world.
These stories of heroism, hardship and dangerous hobbies profile two of the Harry Potter stories’ most courageous and iconic characters: Minerva McGonagall and Remus Lupin. J.K. Rowling also gives us a peek behind the closed curtains of Sybill Trelawney’s life, and you’ll encounter the reckless, magical-beast-loving Silvanus Kettleburn along the way.
J.K. Rowling
Short Stories from Hogwarts of Heroism, Hardship and Dangerous Hobbies
FROM THE POTTERMORE EDITOR:
The wizarding world can be a dark and dangerous place. There are spells that can kill in six syllables, potions that can rob someone of free will and magical beasts that can tear even the bravest wizard limb from limb. That’s what makes valiant acts of heroism more powerful and more necessary.
Having a wand in hand can instil courage, but magic isn’t the only thing you need in the wizarding world to make brave choices. In this collection of writing by J.K. Rowling, you will read about the love, grief and enduring dignity of Minerva McGonagall, the tragic fate of Remus Lupin, the reckless behaviour of one Silvanus Kettleburn, and so much more.
Chapter One
Minerva McGonagall
Minerva McGonagall is many things: gifted witch, stern Hogwarts professor, lifelong Quidditch enthusiast and occasional tabby cat. If there’s one thing she’s not, it’s an open book. There’s really no better way to get to know someone than hearing about their parents, their childhood, their first love, and their stubbornly held grudges. So it’s with great joy we follow J.K. Rowling’s writing back to the Scottish Highlands, where we can glimpse McGonagall’s life as she found joy, friendship, magic and a job at Hogwarts.
Minerva McGonagall
By J.K. Rowling
BIRTHDAY:
4th October
WAND:
Fir and dragon heartstring, nine and a half inches, stiff
HOGWARTS HOUSE:
Gryffindor
SPECIAL ABILITIES:
Animagus (distinctively marked silver tabby cat)
PARENTAGE:
Muggle father, witch mother
FAMILY:
Husband Elphinstone Urquart, deceased, no children
HOBBIES:
Needlework, correcting articles in Transfiguration Today, watching Quidditch, supporting the Montrose Magpies
Childhood
Minerva McGonagall was the first child, and only daughter, of a Scottish Presbyterian minister and a Hogwarts-educated witch. She grew up in the Highlands of Scotland in the early twentieth century, and only gradually became aware that there was something strange, both about her own abilities, and her parents’ marriage.
Minerva’s father, the Reverend Robert McGonagall, had become captivated by the high-spirited Isobel Ross, who lived in the same village. Like his neighbours, Robert believed that Isobel attended a select ladies’ boarding school in England. In fact, when Isobel vanished from her home for months at a time, it was to Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry that she went.
Aware that her parents (a witch and wizard) would frown on a connection with the serious young Muggle, Isobel kept their burgeoning relationship a secret. By the time she was eighteen, she had fallen in love with Robert. Unfortunately, she had not found the courage to tell him what she was.
The couple eloped, to the fury of both sets of parents. Now estranged from her family, Isobel could not bring herself to m