Hogwarts Staff and Subjects

From my notes about Hogwarts, including a partial list of subjects and a full list of the staff and faculty.

All teachers are addressed by their first names (except the Headmistress, who is simply called exactly that, and the Head of Merlin, who as a man is addressed by his surname), but students often add a “Miss” or “Professor” to that – usually it’s “Miss” for the younger teachers (Miss Charity, Miss Evelyn) and “Professor” for the older teachers (Professor Minerva, Professor Andromeda)… but not always, since Miss Lucy is technically older than any of the others, and she goes by “Miss”… maybe because she looks 19. A teacher will tell you at the beginning of the school year whether she prefers to be addressed as “Miss” or “Professor”…  It’s kind of considered self-important if a teacher insists on “Professor” if she’s been at Hogwarts for less than ten years, though.

Only Argyra is never addressed by any titles, she is simply “Argyra.”

Not counting the Headmistress, who is more an administrator, Hogwarts has in all 25 teachers who live and work there full-time… though the actual staff is much larger; there are part-time teachers and regular substitutes who don’t live at the school but come in to teach a few classes a week, or are called in to substitute if one of the regular teachers should get sick. There are also non-teacher staff such as four librarians, three counsellors, and five nurses, as well as a secretary to the Headmistress and a bursar.

The Head Healer and Head Librarian are both addressed as “Madam.” Other staff members are generally “Miss,” unless they tell you something else.

There are four kinds of class at Hogwarts, the Basics, the Advanced, the Electives and the Specials.

  • Basics: Charms, Transfiguration, Defence, Magical Theory and History, Astronomy, Potions, and Herbology.  These seven subjects are mandatory for all students from years 1-4 and are considered the basic skills all witches and wizards should have.
  • Advanced: The same subjects as the Basics, just at an advanced level. These subjects are open for students from year 5-7, All students must take at least two and no more than five, though three is the recommended number.
  • Electives: Ancient Runes, Arithmancy, Muggle Studies, Care of Magical Creatures, Divination, Magical Art, Magical Music, Magical Dance, Alchemy, Technomancy, and a few others. These subjects are open for students from year 5-7. All female students have to choose three but are free to choose which three. Boys only have to choose two, as one of their “electives” slot is already taken by the mandatory Merlin Secrets, which girls are banned from taking. Boys in return are banned from taking Care of Magical Creatures. After year 4, you may opt out of any or all electives.
  • Specials: Broomstick Flying, Merlin Secrets and Apparition.  These subjects fall outside the other three categories. Broomstick Flying is mandatory to first-year girls and Merlin Secrets is mandatory to boys third year and above. Apparition is a class any sixth-year student may sign up for, but isn’t mandatory and only lasts for half a term.

The main teacher staff is as follows:

  • Headmistress’s office:
    • Headmistress: Headmistress Ariana Urquart of the Dumbledore line.
      Sister of the infamous Albus Dumbledore and coven-wife to Professor Minerva. Their (childless) coven also includes her sister Aberdeen and their husband Elphinstone.
    • Headmistress’s assistant/secretary: Nymphadora “Dora” Tonks of the Black line
      Metamorphmagus, birth daughter of Professor Andromeda, and “only there temporarily until she can join the Auror programme.”
    • School bursar: Minty Emberhelm.
      Female dwarf, takes care of the school economy. Said to have had a relationship with a human Muggle man, which ended badly.

  • Heads of houses:
    • Deputy Head, Head of Gryffindor and Advanced Transfiguration teacher: Professor Minerva Urquart of the McGonagall line.
      Coven-wife and second in command to the Headmistress.
    • Head of Merlin and Secrets of Merlin teacher: Gilderoy Lockhart.
      The only male member of staff, husband to Professors Evelyn, Mara, Melissa and Robyn.
    • Head of Ravenclaw and Advanced Potions teacher: Miss Lucy Westenra
      Oldest teacher, but she looks like she’s 19; she’s been teaching Potions since the mid-1800s, after she was turned into a vampire. Whether she is the Lucy Westenra from Bram Stoker’s famous book, has yet to be determined.
    • Head of Hufflepuff and Advanced Herbology teacher: Professor Pomona Sprout of the Finching line.
      Only surviving wife of the Sprout coven, her husband and coven-wives were killed by Riddle’s terrorists; Pomona killed all the attacking terrorists to defend their seven children. Four of those children work at Hogwarts today; her birth daughter Cerissa and her coven-daughters, the triplets Davanna, Davenia and Drucilla.  
    • Head of Slytherin and Advanced Defence teacher: Professor Andromeda Tonks of the Black line.
      One of the older Black sisters, and one of the few who were never involved with Tom Riddle. Birth mother of Dora, and probably the reason why Dora has not joined the Aurors.
  • Other teachers:
    • Basic Charms teacher: Professor Murina Crow
       Often wears a pair of bat ears for no real reason.
    • Basic Transfiguation teacher: Miss Dorinda Lane of the Travers line.
      Older sister of Hubert Lane.
    • Basic Potions teacher: Miss Evelyn Lockhart of the Nightshade line
       One of Lockhart’s coven-wives.
    • Basic Herbology teacher: Miss Cerissa Sprout of the Finching line.
      Birth daughter of Professor Pomona, younger sister to Misses Davanna, Davenia and Drucilla.
    • Basic Magical Theory and History teacher: Argyra
      The Nymph of the Hogwarts Lake, the oldest being at school; she was there when it was built and has watched over it ever since. All her lessons take place in or by the lake.  
    • Basic Astronomy teacher: Miss Perona
      Another non-human teacher: she is a centaur who lives in the forest and spends much of her time stargazing.
    • Basic Defence teacher: Miss Mara Lockhart of the Moonsong line.
      Another of Lockhart’s coven wives.
    • Advanced Charms teacher: Miss Morwenna Hawthorne of the South line.
      Part of a nine-member coven, but the only one of them who works at Hogwarts.
    • Advanced Magical Theory and History teacher: Professor Cyria Binns.
      Ghost. Older than the Statute of Secrecy, the most boring teacher in school, and the main reason why hardly anyone takes Advanced Magical Theory and History.
    • Advanced Astronomy teacher: Professor Aurora Merrythought of the Sinistra line
      Birth mother of Miss Aurelia
    • Magical Art teacher: Miss Davanna Sprout of the Davies line
      Professor Pomona’s coven-daughter, older sister of Miss Cerissa, triplet sister to Davenia and Drucilla.
    • Magical Music teacher: Miss Davenia Sprout of the Davies line
      Professor Pomona’s coven-daughter, older sister of Miss Cerissa, triplet sister to Drucilla and Davanna.
    • Magical Dance teacher: Miss Drucilla Sprout of the Davies line
      Professor Pomona’s coven-daughter, older sister of Miss Cerissa, triplet sister to Davanna and Davenia.
    • Care of Magical Creatures teacher: Miss Melissa Lockhart of the Hobwell line.
      The third of Lockhart’s coven-wives.
    • Arithmancy teacher: Professor Septima Burbage of the Vector line.
      Coven-mother of Miss Charity.
    • Muggle Studies teacher:  Miss Charity Burbage of the Lovelace line.
       Coven-daughter of Professor Septima.
    • Ancient Runes teacher: Professor Bathsheda Babbling.
      Muggle-Born and unmarried.
    • Alchemy teacher: Miss Aurelia Merrythought of the Sinista line.
      Birth daughter of Professor Aurora.
    • Divination teacher: Miss Henrietta “Henny” Hobwell of the Connor line.
      Younger sister of Miss Melissa.
    • Technomancy teacher: Miss Robyn Lockhart of the Greenwood line,
      The fourth and so far final of Lockhart’s coven-wives.
    • Flying instructor/Quidditch referee: Miss Rolanda Hooch.
      Muggle-born and unmarried.
  • Non-faculty staff
    • Head Nurse/Matron: Madam Poppy Pomfrey of the Wolpert line
      Long-time Matron of Hogwarts. Paternal aunt of Nigel Wolpert.
      • Assistant Nurses:  Rosa Evergreen of the Craft line, Heather and Rosemary Barrows of the Selwyn line.
        Three young trainee Healers.
    • Head Librarian: Madam Irma Pince of the Westenra line.
      Distant relative of Miss Lucy.
      • Assistant Librarians: Clara and Catherine McTavish of the Bloom line.
        Two sisters just out of Hogwarts, stayed on as assistant librarians.
    • School Counsellors: Luetta Salamander and Ophelia Rosewood.
      Both Muggle-born and unmarried, rumoured to be in a relationship with each other.
    • Head Keeper of Grounds and Lake: Argyra
      The oldest and most powerful nymph at Hogwarts, she sees to it that the lake and the grounds are safe and protected.
      • Groundskeepers, lake-keepers: Nymphs.
        Argyra’s many daughters and other relatives, take care of detail work and small jobs.
    • Head Caretaker: Neeley.
      General leader and spokes-elf of the Hogwarts house-elves.
      • Caretakers: House-elves
        Cooking, cleaning and general general repairs are done by the Hogwarts house-elves.
    • Head of Sorting: Clara the Saubergeist.
      Only noticeable as a disembodied voice.