Forum:Headmaster must die in office to have a portrait?

We've been having an interesting discussion over at Talk:Headmaster_portraits about whether or not Headmasters must stay in office until death in order to get a portrait in the headmaster's office. (lots of details already there to read) For a summary, this notion is from Snape and how his portrait did not automatically appear in the Headmaster's office after his death. When asked JKR has said ( | 2007 Accio Quote! Bloomsbury Chat):
 * Laura Trego: Was the absence of snapes portrait in the headmasters office in the last scene innocent or deliberate
 * J.K. Rowling: It was deliberate. Snape had effectively abandoned his post before dying, so he had not merited inclusion in these august circles.

When asked again later that year (Leaky Cauldron transcript):
 * Q: Is Severus Snape’s portrait in the headmaster’s office?
 * JKR: Some have been asking why hasn’t the portrait appeared immediately. It doesn’t. The reason is that the perception in the castle itself and everyone who was in the castle, because Snape kept his secret so well was that he abandoned his post. So all the portraits you see in the headmaster’s study are all headmasters and mistresses who died, it’s like British royals. You only get good press if you die in office. Abdication is not acceptable, particularly if you marry and [sic] American. I’m kidding! [laughter] I digress. I know, because I thought this one through, because it was very important to me, I know Harry would have insisted that Snape’s portrait was on that wall, right beside Dumbledore’s. [Applause.]

My read on this is that you cannot abandon your post (that is betray it in your manner of leaving), but not that you actually have to die in it (as JKR was joking about what it takes to get good press and making a comparison to Edward VIII who abdicated the throne to marry an American).

Other examples of leaving office may include McGonagall who is no longer Headmistress by 2017 Today Interview (“McGonagall was really getting on a bit”) which seems to imply that she left office without dying raising the question if she has a portrait in the office or not.

I'd be interested in other people's interpretation of the text to see how people think about the notion of abandoning the post, and if any other means of departure other than death (such as retirement or the governors appointing a new headmaster) would not be abandoning the post and allow for a headmaster's portrait in the office. Thanks! --Ironyak1 (talk) 02:19, June 6, 2016 (UTC)