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"Defence Against the Dark Arts […] was being taught at the time by an old Professor by the name of Galatea Merrythought, who had been at Hogwarts for nearly fifty years."
Albus Dumbledore[src]

Professor Galatea Merrythought was a witch and Professor at Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry from around 1895 until her retirement in 1945. From some point between the 1920s and the 1940s, she taught Defence Against the Dark Arts.

Before her retirement, she worked alongside Albus Dumbledore and Horace Slughorn, her former students; after her retirement, Tom Riddle, another one of her pupils, was refused the chance to take her place, and so he vengefully jinxed the post so no professor could hold the occupation for longer than a year.

Biography[]

Early life[]

Nothing is known of Galatea Merrythought's past, although it is likely that she attended Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry and would have purchased her wand from Ollivanders Wand Shop at Diagon Alley at the age of eleven.

She would have graduated at the age of seventeen and it is likely that she had high Defence Against the Dark Arts marks — almost definitely a N.E.W.T. in the field.

Career at Hogwarts[]

Early years[]

"Dumbledore, in his time had access to superb teachers at Hogwarts…"
— A description of Albus Dumbledore's teachers, which included Merrythought[src]
Slughorn's Second office

Professor Merrythought's office

Merrythought returned to Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry to teach sometime around 1895,[3] though what subject is unclear. Among her pupils was a young Gryffindor named Albus Dumbledore; other students she taught included Elphias Doge, Aberforth Dumbledore, Horace Slughorn, Theseus Scamander, Newton Scamander, Leta Lestrange, Tom Riddle, and Rubeus Hagrid.

The Headmaster during her early years was presumably Professor Phineas Nigellus Black, although she also went on to work under Professor Armando Dippet.

Having authored at least two books on the subject (Defence Against the Dark Arts, and Advanced Defence Against the Dark Arts, required reading when Albus Dumbledore was teaching the subject in the 1910s),[4] at an unknown point in her teaching career, certainly between 1927 and 1945, Professor Merrythought became the Professor of Defence Against the Dark Arts, taking ownership of Classroom 3C and an office on the sixth floor.

The Chamber of Secrets and retirement[]

Tom Riddle: "Sir, is it true that Professor Merrythought is retiring?"
Horace Slughorn: "Tom, Tom, if I knew I couldn't tell you. I must say, I'd like to know where you get your information, boy, more knowledgeable than half the staff, you are."
— Tom Riddle questioning Slughorn about Merrythought[src]

Many years later, when Professor Dippet was Headmaster, Galatea became the teacher of a brilliant student named Tom Riddle. Her fellow colleagues, and possibly Galatea herself, had been impressed by Riddle's skills and determination, and taught him all they knew.

During her fifth year of teaching Riddle, the Chamber of Secrets was opened and many of her students were petrified. Eventually, a third-year named Rubeus Hagrid was accused of releasing Slytherin's monster from the Chamber and he was expelled.

It was during this year that Galatea decided to retire, whether it was because of these events or not, and she left the school the following year.

Magical abilities and skills[]

Etymology[]

  • The surname Merrythought could imply that she was adept at conjuring the Patronus, which would fit with her having taught Defence Against the Dark Arts at Hogwarts.
  • Her given name Galatea may well be derived from Greek mythology. In Ancient Greek, the root forms would be gala(-ktos), meaning "milk", and -tea, "white". There are three notable women in Greek mythology named Galatea:
    1. Galatea of Sicily, one of the fifty Nereids (daughters of Nereus and Doris), was courted by both Polyphemus and Acis.
    2. Galatea of Cyprus was the wife of King Pygmalion. Pygmalion was famous for having created a statue of Aphrodite, the Goddess of Love, that the goddess brought to life at his request. After receiving the gift of life, Galatea married the king.
    3. Galatea was the name of the wife of King Lamprus. Galatea prayed to the Greek goddess Leto to transform her daughter into a son so she would not have to sacrifice her according to the command of her husband. Leto granted Galatea's request.

Behind the scenes[]

"And I'll want Professor Merrythought's old office! Not the water closet I had before!"
Horace Slughorn[src]
  • In the sixth film, after finally agreeing to come back and teach at Hogwarts, Horace Slughorn demands that when he comes back to Hogwarts, he is given Merrythought's old office; however, this does not coincide with the book, in which he merely asks for a pay raise.
  • A woman is seen in Tom Riddle's memory in the film adaptation of Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets, this could possibly be Galatea.
  • Fantastic Beasts: The Crimes of Grindelwald revealed that Albus Dumbledore taught Defence Against the Dark Arts in the 1910s and 1920s, when Professor Merrythought already taught at Hogwarts. It's unknown if Professor Merrythought and Professor Dumbledore taught together or if she taught another subject before.

Appearances[]

Notes and references[]

  1. As Galatea was employed at Hogwarts around 1895, she must have been of age (17) by then.
  2. "World Exclusive Interview with J K Rowling," South West News Service, 8 July 2000 - "Hogwarts just serves Britain and Ireland."
  3. Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince, Chapter 20 (Lord Voldemort's Request)
  4. "Advanced Defence Against the Dark Arts - 1910 Edition" from MinaLima Design (prop featured in Fantastic Beasts: The Crimes of Grindelwald)
Hogwarts faculty
Hogwartscrest
Founders Godric Gryffindor · Helga Hufflepuff · Rowena Ravenclaw · Salazar Slytherin
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Teaching staff Bartholomew · Bathsheda Babbling · San Bakar · Herbert Beery · Cuthbert Binns · Brindlemore · Charity Burbage · Herodiana Byrne · Camelia · Alecto Carrow · Amycus Carrow · Bartemius Crouch Junior (disguised as Alastor Moody) · Clodagh Dromgoole · Albus Dumbledore · Archibald Eagleton · Eleazar Fig · Firenze · Filius Flitwick · Fortinbras · Mirabel Garlick · Mirabel Garlick's predecessor · Jakub Gorski · Olivia Green · Rubeus Hagrid · Dinah Hecat · Rolanda Hooch · Bai Howin · Arsenius Jigger · Igor Karkaroff's Yule Ball partner · Silvanus Kettleburn · Chiyo Kogawa · Gilderoy Lockhart · Neville Longbottom · Remus Lupin · Elspeth MacGillony · Mazoni · Minerva McGonagall · Galatea Merrythought · Isidora Morganach · Mudiwa Onai · Prendergast · Quirinus Quirrell · Percival Rackham · Patricia Rakepick · Abraham Ronen · Charles Rookwood · Concordia Rowle · Luna Scamander · Satyavati Shah · Aesop Sharp · Arif Sikander · Aurora Sinistra · Horace Slughorn · Severus Snape · Pomona Sprout · Swoopstikes · Sybill Trelawney · Trocar · Dolores Umbridge · Septima Vector · Matilda Weasley · Matilda Weasley's predecessor · Unidentified professor · Charms professor (medieval) · Potions professor (16th century) · Holidaying professor (before 1890s) · DADA professor (1984–1985) · DADA professor (1985–1986) · DADA professor (1986–1987) · DADA professor (1987–1988) · DADA professor (1989–1990) · DADA professor (1990–1991) · Muggle Studies professor (1990s) · Music professor · DADA professor (1998–?) · Potions professor (21st century) · Charms professor (?th century)
Hogwarts house-elves Bilm · Boil-ridden house-elf · Cooky · Cosa · Deek · Dobby · Feenky · Filk · Gimkey ·Krafty · Kreacher · Nonsuch · Pitts · Retch · Ringkull · Rooky · Vekey · Wigby · Winky · Wooby · Unidentified house-elf (I) · Unidentified house-elf (II)
Support staff Phineas Nigellus Black's secretaries · Noreen Blainey · Rancorous Carpe · Argus Filch · Wilhelmina Grubbly-Plank · Rubeus Hagrid · Rolanda Hooch · Hankerton Humble · Gladwin Moon · Ogg · Irma Pince · Poppy Pomfrey · Apollyon Pringle · Lucinda Thomsonicle-Pocus · Agnes Scribner · Wainscott · Carriage driver (1890s) · Gamekeeper (1890s) · Unidentified Healers · Librarian (?th century) · Librarian (21st century)


Defence Against the Dark Arts (D.A.D.A.)
Subjectsdada
D.A.D.A. at Hogwarts
Classroom 3C · Classroom 3C backrooms · Temporary Classroom · Hogwarts Turris Magnus · Teacher's Office · Storeroom · Staircase · Storage room · Lesson Cup · Race Cup · Duelling Club · Dumbledore's Army
Professors
Isidora Morganach · Dinah Hecat · Arsenius Jigger · Albus Dumbledore · Galatea Merrythought · 1984–1985 professor · 1985–1986 professor · 1986–1987 professor · 1987–1988 professor · Patricia Rakepick · 1989–1990 professor · First 1990–1991 professor · Olivia Green · Quirinus Quirrell · Gilderoy Lockhart · Remus Lupin · Bartemius Crouch Junior (as Alastor Moody) · Dolores Umbridge · Severus Snape · Amycus Carrow (as Dark Arts teacher) · Unidentified professor · Brindlemore
Textbooks
The Dark Forces: A Guide to Self-Protection · Advanced Defence Against the Dark Arts · Break with a Banshee · Gadding with Ghouls · Holidays with Hags · Travels with Trolls · Voyages with Vampires · Wanderings with Werewolves · Year with the Yeti · The Essential Defence Against the Dark Arts · Defensive Magical Theory · Dark Arts Defence – Basics for Beginners · Confronting the Faceless · Defence Against the Dark Arts
Spells studied at Hogwarts under D.A.D.A.
Aqua Eructo · Boggart-Banishing Spell (Riddikulus) · Bombarda Maxima · Cave inimicum · Concealment Charms · Counter-curses · Counter-jinxes · Cruciatus Curse (Crucio) · Curse of the Bogies (Mucus ad Nauseam) · Cursed barrier spell · Densaugeo · Deprimo Spell (Deprimo) · Disarming Charm (Expelliarmus) · Ear-Shrivelling Curse · Everte Statum · Freezing Spell (Glacius) · Full Body-Bind Curse (Petrificus Totalus) · Fumos Duo · Green Sparks · Hex-Breaker· Hex-deflection · Hex Zapper · Homorphus Charm · Human-presence-revealing Spell (Homenum Revelio) · Impediment Jinx (Impedimenta) · Imperius Curse (Imperio) · Imperturbable Charm · Killing Curse (Avada Kedavra) · Knockback Jinx (Flipendo) · Lacarnum Inflamari · Langlock · Levitation Spell (Levioso) · Limbo Mist anticharm · Nonverbal spells · Patronus Charm (Expecto Patronum) · Pimple Jinx (Furnunculus) · Protective enchantments · Red Sparks (Vermillious) · Reductor Curse (Reducto) · Salvio hexia · Sea Urchin Jinx · Seize and pull charm (Carpe Retractum) · Shield Charm (Protego) · Smokescreen Spell (Fumos) · Snake-Vanishing Spell (Vipera Evanesca) · Softening Charm (Spongify) · Stretching Jinx · Tickling Charm (Rictusempra) · Tongue-Tying Curse (Mimblewimble) · Trip Jinx · Twitchy-Ears Hex · Verdimillious Charm (Verdimillious) · Verdimillious Duo Spell (Verdimillious) · Verdimillious Tria · Vermillious Duo · Vermillious Tria · Wand-Lighting Charm (Lumos)
Creatures studied at Hogwarts under D.A.D.A.
Banshee · Boggart · Chameleon Ghoul · Charmed skeleton · Cornish Pixie · Dementor · Dugbog · Erkling · Flesh-Eating Slug · Ghost · Ghoul · Gnome · Grindylow · Gytrash · Hag · Hinkypunk · Iguana · Imp · Inferius · Kappa · Manticore · Nocturnal beasts · Nogtail · Poltergeist · Red Cap · Snake · Troll · Vampire · Vampire bat · Werewolf · Yeti · Zombie
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