Hogwarts Headteacher

The **Head** of Hogwarts (**Headmaster** or **Headmistress** depending on gender) was a title and an occupation at Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry held by the witch or wizard who was in charge of the safety and the day-to-day functioning of the school, and acted as the school's primary authority on the grounds. The occupant of this post also had one or more Deputy Heads that would assist them in their duties and who, in the event of their absence, served as acting head of the school until their return or a new one was appointed. The incumbent headteacher acted as the school's main ambassador, and was therefore expected to diplomatice with the Ministry of Magic, as well as with foreign schools, in the event of the Triwizard Tournament and presumably other competitions.

## Resources

"*I use the Pensieve. One simply siphons the excess thoughts from one's mind, pours them into the basin, and examines them at one's leisure. It becomes easier to spot patterns and links, you understand, when they are in this form.*"
— Albus Dumbledore

Following their appointment by the Hogwarts Board of Governors or the British Ministry of Magic the incumbent headteacher of the school was provided a support mechanism for the decisions they had to make in the form of a large gallery of portraits mounted on the walls of the Headmaster's office, all of which depicted predecessors in office that had been trained by their once-living counterparts to assist them in an advisory capacity. In addition, the heads of the school had access to a Pensieve, through which they could view the memories of past headteachers, and even contribute to that library of knowledge themselves.

## Power and Rights

### Over the castle and grounds

"*As High Inquisitor you have every right to dismiss my teachers. You do not, however, have the authority to send them away from the castle. I am afraid that the power to do that still resides with the headmaster, and it is my wish that Professor Trelawney continue to live at Hogwarts.*"
— Albus Dumbledore to Dolors Umbridge

The Headmaster's Tower, which housed the office and personal residence of the current headteacher, like so many things in Hogwarts, seemed to have a will of its own, as the portrait of Phineas Nigellus Black, a previous Headmaster of Hogwarts, remarked that under certain circumstances, the tower would be "*barred to all but the rightful headmaster*", and at least partially subject to their will as well, as Dumbledore on at least one occasion was able to decide if his office door could be opened or not by force of will alone. Hence, when Dolores Umbridge was appointed as headmistress, the office saw her as illegitimate and refused to grant her access, forcing her to use her old office instead.

The headteacher was only one with the authority to banish people from the grounds, and also had the final say on what creatures resided within the Magical Creatures Reserve at the school. They were also able to Apparate and Disapparate at will from the Hogwarts grounds, which most individuals were otherwise incapable of doing. Albus Dumbledore, as headmaster of the school, was also able to open a window in the Anti-Disapparition Jinx for teaching purposes, yet other members of the faculty could not do the same when they needed to evacuate the school in an emergency situation. They could similarly life the Muggle-Repelling Charm on Hogwarts, as Armando Dippet did when he invited the parents of Myrtle Warren to collect her body from the school in the 1940s.

### Over the staff

"*Oh, he definitely wanted the Defence Against the Dark Arts job. The aftermath of our little meeting proved that. You see, we have never been able to keep a Defence Against the Dark Arts teacher for longer than a year since I refused the post to Lord Voldemort.*"
— Albus Dumbledore

The headteacher of Hogwarts was tasked with interviewing, evaluating, and had the final decision on the appointment of new teachers and other faculty members, all of whom were answerable to them upon assuming their position. Accordingly, the head of the school had the power to promote them to higher positions within their department, such as Head of Herbology and Head of Transfiguration. Presumably, they were also in charge of selecting the four Heads of House, which were similarly seen as a promotion, and had disciplinary powers over the staff, such as the right to determine the outcome of their probationary period, and to terminate their employment if necessary.

### Over the students

The Headteacher of Hogwarts could not only invoke the same disciplinary actions as their fellow professors, but they could also change or overturn any punishments, sanctions, and removal of privileges handed out by other staff members (with the likely exception of those handed out by the High Inquisitor during the period that Educational Decree Number 25 was in effect). Misbehaving students, such as Bertha Jorkins, would sometimes be sent to the Headteacher's office. Apparently, any expulsion needed to be confirmed by the head of the school, who had also the power to revoke the expulsion after the fact if he or she had reason to believe there were mitigating circumstances previously unknown to them, or otherwise found that they had made a mistake.

### School security

The Headteacher of Hogwarts was responsible for ensuring the safety of students, and this could be accomplished through various means. In the 1926–1927 school year amid the rise of Gellert Grindelwald, students were sent home early and an emergency meeting was called with parents to discuss Grindelwald's threat. The headteacher was expected to cooperate with the Ministry of Magic to conduct school security, such as stationing Dementors, Security trolls, and trained Aurors within the grounds and castle.

When the Chamber of Secrets was reopened during the 1992–1993 school year, the threat in question came from within the school itself. Then-Headmaster Albus Dumbledore organised and supervised patrols around the school by the staff, and implemented security measures such as having students escorted back and forth to the bathrooms and between lessons by the teachers, and to have cancelled all Quidditch practices and evening activities in order to keep the students confined to the safety of their common rooms for most of the day.