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Professor McGonagall (Maggie Smith)

Character Analysis

Ah, Professor McGonagall. She's still dependably strict/upright and yet caring all at once. We see both qualities at play when she nabs Harry and Ron in the hall and gives them a hard time for not enrolling in Potions:

MCGONAGALL: Enjoying ourselves, are we?

HARRY: Well, I had a free period this morning, Professor.

MCGONAGALL: So I noticed. I would think you would want to fill it with Potions. Or is it no longer your ambition to become an Auror?

HARRY: Well, it was, but I was told to have to get an Outstanding in my O.W.L.

MCGONAGALL: So you did, when Professor Snape was teaching Potions. However, Professor Slughorn is perfectly happy to accept N.E.W.T. students with "Exceeds Expectations."

HARRY: Brilliant, um...Well, I'll head there straight away.

MCGONAGALL: Oh, good, good. Potter, take Weasley with you. He looks far too happy over there.

Sure, she's kind of ragging on them for being lazy and hanging around the halls (would we expect anything else?), but she also genuinely wants them (and particularly Harry) to be prepping for their futures. She can come off as pretty strict sometimes, but she's always looking out for the students, and we love her for that. Tough love, areweright?