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After the second Wizarding war, who is the Headmaster for Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry?

There were assumptions that it would be Professor McGonagall because she was most trusted by Dumbledore and also rightful Deputy Head, but there was also claims that JK Rowling specified in a TV documentary that it wouldn't have been McGonagall, because she was getting too old.

If it is true, then who is the current Headmaster/Headmistress?

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    By current do you mean in the Year 2014? Jun 26, 2014 at 9:14
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    @Simon since the end of second wizarding war Jun 26, 2014 at 9:16

4 Answers 4

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Edit: With the release of The Cursed Child comes new answers! The current headmistress is Minerva McGonagall

Professor McGongall: But I was advised when I took this job

The Cursed Child, page 132

Emphasis mine

In an interview JKR said that

J.K. said that "McGonagall was really getting on a bit," and nineteen years after the Battle of Hogwarts, there is an entirely new headmaster. Also, there is a new Defense Against the Dark Arts teacher, and that position is now as safe as the other teaching posts at Hogwarts, since Voldemort's death broke the jinx that kept a Defense Against the Dark Arts professor from remaining for more than a year

This is 19 years after the battle of hogwarts though, It is more than safe to assume that McGonagall was the immediate acting Headmistress of Hogwarts after the battle. Considering she was Deputy before Dumbledore died and Headmistress for a short while before Voldemort placed Snape in command.

There are two different parts of the Lexicon which say McGonagall was the headmistress until an unknown date.

McGonagall, Minerva Transfiguration Deputy Headmistress Headmistress 1998 ff. Head of Gryffindor House On staff since December of 1956 (OP)

And on a list of Headmasters she is at the bottom:

Minerva McGonagall (1998 -?)

I believe that McGonagall was definitely head for a number of years whilst she got Hogwarts back in order until like JKR said she got on a bit. The earliest we can state this as for definite would be 2014/15. She could have been in office for anywhere between 1 month - 19 years but she was definitely the acting headmistress after the battle.

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    The "getting on a bit" doesn't make sense to me personally, as Dumbledore was 150 (Per JKR herself). We'd established that McGonagall was only 70-80 during the series, so being 100 would seem to make no difference to the ability to run the school, especially considering wizards have an increased lifespan when compared to Muggles.
    – Anoplexian
    Feb 16, 2016 at 23:22
  • @anoplexian actually dumbledore was around 115 not 150 (see here: scifi.stackexchange.com/a/109418/22709) also it was jkr who said she was getting on a bit :) Feb 17, 2016 at 9:41
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    Dumbledore may have had a sip or two from the Philosopher's Stone...
    – Skooba
    Feb 18, 2016 at 15:27
  • @CandiedMango Even still. That leaves another 4 decades of her life at least (Dumbledore prematurely perishing). Seems a bit odd... Also, the accepted canon answer is that Dumbledore is 150, I can't very well go against that right?
    – Anoplexian
    Mar 31, 2016 at 22:50
  • @Anoplexian All the info for his age at death is on Pottermore, if you choose to accept the vague words of JKR earlier in her career then feel free :). She could just want to settle down after all this time. It's possible she wanted less responsibility now. Apr 7, 2016 at 18:41
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In the introduction to Tales of Beedle the Bard, J.K. Rowling writes

Whether this commentary was written for his own satisfaction, or for future publication, we shall never know; however, we have been graciously granted permission by Professor Minerva McGonagall, now Headmistress of Hogwarts, to print Professor Dumbledore’s notes here, alongside a brand new translation of the tales by Hermione Granger.

Introduction, J.K. Rowling (dated 2008)

As Deputy Headmistress after the Battle of Hogwarts, it seems reasonable that she took the post immediately after Snape’s defection. Note that the epilogue takes place in September 2017, so if we interpret this introduction as being in-universe in 2008, it’s consistent with the notion that McGonagall had retired by the epilogue.

There was then an interview which confirms that McGonagall retired by the time Harry’s children were attending Hogwarts:

19 years later, who’s the headmaster at Hogwarts?

Well, it would be someone new. Erm, McGonagall was really getting on a bit. So someone completely new. But if I ever do the encyclopedia, I'm promising I will give details.

J.K. Rowling One-on-One with the Today Show (NBC): part 1, July 2007

I assume this means we’ll find out when we get to Deathly Hallows in Pottermore, but so far no detail has been given.

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    Great answer as per, I could not remember where I saw the contents of the Tales of Beedle the Bard quote you posted. Nice find! Jun 27, 2014 at 8:30
  • We will probably find out in. 'The cursed child' Feb 15, 2016 at 21:54
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According to The Cursed Child, Professor McGonagall was the headmaster after the second wizard war, and during the education of Harrys kids.

Heres a little exert from the play.

HOGWARTS,

HEADMISTRESS’S OFFICE

HARRY and GINNY stand in PROFESSOR McGONAGALL’s office.

PROFESSOR McGONAGALL: And we don’t know where in the Forbidden Forest?

In Alternate timeline 1, McGonagall is stil headmistress.

In Alternate timeline 2, its none other then Umbridge.

DOLORES UMBRIDGE: Miss? I’m Professor Umbridge, the headmistress of your school, I’m no “Miss.”

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I theorize that since it has been so long after the battle of Hogwarts, that professor McGonagall has resigned and that either Ron or Hermione is headmaster/headmistress of Hogwarts, as Harry wanted (and most likely went on) to be an auror. I think that Hermione is the most likely person to have become headmistress, as she is very smart, quick-witted, and more responsible than Ron, but he is still a possibility.

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