Timelines (was No canon!! Re: Dumbledore in Gryffindor?

[potioncat]

No: HPFGUIDX 144613



> Ceridwen:
> I guess I'm a victim of 'it seems like', too.  I thought that, 
since 
> Minerva McGonagall took both the Transfigurations position, which 
was 
> Dumbledore's, and became Head of Gryffindor, that Dumbledore 
vacated 
> both posts the year he became headmaster and Minerva therefore 
> inherited both.

Potioncat:
cough*Lexicon*cough says that Minerva joined the staff in 1956. (I'm 
not sure we "know" she taught Transfigurations but I think it's a 
good guess. I think DD became Headmaster in 55 or 56 but I'm right up 
there with JKR on maths. So it is very likely that DD became 
Headmaster and hired McGonagall to replace him as Transfiguration 
teacher. We do know she was in Gryffindor because she will become the 
Head of Gryffindor. Canon (JKR) says that Heads were in the House 
they are Head of. If we knew she replaced him as Head of House, then 
we would know he was Gryffindor too.

I don't think you have to be a senior member of the staff to be a 
Head of House (anyone?) so she could have become Head that same year, 
or someone else might have been Head for a few years. Certainly, when 
Harry was a baby, it doesn't seem that she's Deputy Headmistress yet. 
(No canon for that either.)

While Snape was hired for the Potions Master position, I'm not sure 
we "know" he became Head of Slytherin right away. Of course he may 
have. It makes as much sense to me that a more senior teacher became 
Head of Slytherin when Slughorn left, and that young Snape took the 
Potions Master job. We do know that he keeps the Head of Slytherin 
when he oves to DADA. So the Head of House isn't tied to subject 
taught. (I'm sure you weren't saying that, but I thought I'd toss it 
in.) In terms of a very busy story line, it makes sense that both 
McGonagall and Snape became Heads of House as soon as they were hired.

I assume from the way Slughorn speaks of DD in the memory, that DD 
was Deputy Headmaster. But I don't think we know that. Riddle called 
him the Transfiguration teacher, not the Deputy. I used to maintain 
that DD may not have been at Hogwarts for the entire period between 
Riddle's time and becomming Headmaster, because we have canon for a 
Headmistress leaving St. Mungo's to take on the job. HBP sunk that 
idea. It also sunk the idea that DD became Headmaster shortly before 
the Marauders' time.

I suppose I'm twisting this thread too much, but I don't think it's a 
given that McGonagall will be Headmistress. Again based on a Healer 
coming in for the position in the past, or even Umbridge 
being "placed" there in OoP. It will be interesting to see who the 
staff will be "next" year.

Potioncat, who thinks she just argued for every side of this question.