Septima Vector

"Prof. Septima Vector"

- Professor Vector's name on a list of teachers.

Professor Septima Vector was a witch and Professor of Arithmancy at Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry from at least the 1993–1994 school year. She was known among students as a "really strict" teacher, so much so that some pupils were unsure whether to take her classes, and giving her pupils plenty of complicated homework. Her subject was Hermione Granger's favourite subject while she was in school.

Early life
Nothing is known about Vector's early life, though she likely attended a Wizarding School such as Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry and excelled in Arithmancy. However, it is just as possible that she was home-schooled by her parents, though it is unknown if you could achieve an Ordinary Wizarding Level unless at a magical institution.

Career at Hogwarts
"We are pleased to welcome a new member of staff this year."

- The Head announcing a new teacher's arrival.

At an unknown point in her life, Vector went to Hogwarts School and applied for a teaching position there, unless the Headmaster approached her directly for her skills. Either way, she became the Professor of Arithmancy, being given Classroom 7A on the seventh floor of Hogwarts Castle to teach her lessons in, and presumably an office elsewhere on the school grounds. Her relationship with the rest of the staff is unknown, though she was considered very strict and old-fashioned by some of her students, so she may have been like Minerva McGonagall in personality.

1991
"Hogwarts, Hogwarts, Hoggy Warty Hogwarts, teach us something please!"

- Professor Vector and the rest of the school singing the Hogwarts school song.

Professor Vector worked at Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry in the early 1990s and was present at the Sorting of Harry Potter and his classmates. In the 1991 Welcoming Feast, she sat next to Keeper of the Keys Rubeus Hagrid. She listened attentively to fellow Professor Minerva McGonagall, who was telling the first-years how the Sorting ceremony would proceed. She also witnessed as Harry Potter was sorted into Gryffindor House. Professor Vector attended the first Quidditch match of the school term.

Around christmas, she was seen spending time with an unknown Hogwarts employee.

1993
"I heard [Hermione] talking to Professor Vector, that Arithmancy witch, this morning. They were going on about yesterday's lesson, but Hermione can't've been there, because she was with us in Care of Magical Creatures!"

- Ronald Weasley concerning Hermione Granger's impossible timetable.

In 1993, Hermione Granger began studying Arithmancy with Professor Vector and excelled in the class. After one lesson, they had a talk about their lesson the previous day, which Ronald Weasley overheard, and was confused, as Hermione had Care of Magical Creatures the day before, and so could not have been in Arithmancy. In reality, she had been using a Time-Turner to get to all her lessons.

1994
On September 1st, 1994, Professor Vector did not give her fourth year students any homework.

1995
"[Hagrid] waved a hand and narrowly missed concussing a frightened-looking Professor Vector, who was passing."

- Professor Vector leaving the Great Hall one morning.

When Rubeus Hagrid returned from a mission given to him by Headmaster Dumbledore, he had a conversation with Harry Potter, Ron Weasley, and Hermione Granger, Professor Vector walked past them and was almost knocked of her feet by Hagrid.

1996
"Hermione [...] dashed off to see Professor Vector about a mistake she thought she might have made in her last Arithmancy essay."

- Professor Vector being visited by Hermione Granger in May.

In 1996, Hermione Granger thought she may had made a mistake in her homework and visited Professor Vector to discuss it.

1998
In this year the Battle of Hogwarts happened at Hogwarts. It is unknown if Professor Vector participated in fighting with the rest of the staff.

Personality and traits
Professor Vector was described as very strict by a student who was not sure if he should take her lessons. She was also said to have given out masses of complicated homework to her students, who were all third years or over, though appeared to be rather sociable with the other teachers. It is possible that she either supported the Gryffindor Quidditch team or was simply unbiased, as she was visibly shocked when Harry Potter lost control of his broom, and when Angelina Johnson was "attacked".

Magical abiilities and skills

 * Aritmancy: Septima was a skilled Aritmancer, teaching the subject for at least six years.

Physical appearance
Septima was a witch with dark hair. She usually wore red robes and a pointed hat.

Name etymology
Septima most likely comes directly from Latin Septima which translates to "the seventh" (female form). As seven is the most powerful magical number, and Arithmancy deals with the numbers appearing in magic, this name suits the character well. A "vector" is a quantity, velocity for instance, specified by a magnitude and a direction.

Behind the scenes

 * In Lego Harry Potter: Years 1-4, Septima's character token can be found in the Tom Riddle's diary level. This may indicate she already worked at Hogwarts in the 1940s. Other characters' tokens can be found in matching places, e. g. Minerva Mcgonagall in the Transfiguration classroom. However, there is another possibility that Septima's token location has no meaning
 * Vector is portrayed by an unidentified actress in the film adaptation of Harry Potter and the Philosopher's Stone.
 * Professor Vector's first name only appeared on a list of of the Hogwarts professors which was released on J. K. Rowling's website.
 * Originally, she was a male named Septimus and her last name used to be Vecta.

Appearances

 * Harry Potter and the Philosopher's Stone (film)
 * Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban
 * Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire
 * Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix
 * Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix (video game)
 * Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince
 * Lego Harry Potter: Years 1-4

Notes and references
Septima Vector Септима Вектор Septima Vektor