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Rowling, J.K. (Character Minerva McGonagall featured in) Harry Potter and the Sorcerer's Stone. 1997: Bloomsbury.

Also featured in Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets (1998), Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban (1999), Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire (2000), Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix (2003), Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince (2005), and Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows (2007), as well as the film series of the same name.

According to Rowling via Pottermore.com, "Minerva McGonagall is the deputy headmistress, head of Gryffindor house, and Transfiguration Professor at Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry. A tall, stern-looking witch with black hair usually drawn into a tight bun, few students dare cross her; she is an imposing figure who can quickly spot trouble. Professor McGonagall can also transform at will into a tabby cat, distinguishable by spectacle markings around her eyes...Minerva was the Roman Goddess of warriors and wisdom. William McGonagall is celebrated as the worst poet in British history. There was something irresistable to me about his name, and the idea that such a brilliant woman might be a distant relative of the buffoonish McGonagall."

Images via Pottermore.com

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