Matilda Weasley

Warning! At least some content in this article is derived from information featured in Hogwarts Legacy. Spoilers will be present within the article.

Professor Matilda Weasley (fl. 19th century) was a witch who lived during the 19th century.^[4] In her youth, she attended Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry, before going on to work for the British Ministry of Magic as a Curse-Breaker. Later, she returned to her old school, becoming the professor of Transfiguration and, eventually, Deputy Headmistress.^[8][3]

Biography[]

Early life[]

Matilda was born into the wizarding Weasley family^[9] and attended Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry, where she was sorted into Gryffindor House. Noted to have been an "exceptionally talented witch", she was presumably a gifted pupil.^[10]

In her second year, she met and befriended Deek, an old house-elf employed in the school's kitchens, and together, they discovered the Room of Requirement. She would visit the room many more times throughout her schooling, at one point forgetting her school bag there, which she recovered only while showing the room to a new student during the 1890–1891 school year, much to her delight.^[11]

Ministry career[]

After graduating, Matilda joined the British Ministry of Magic as a Curse-Breaker.^[10] Her calming presence and extraordinary wandwork allowed her to rise quickly through the ranks.^[6] Around this time, Matilda also befriended Chiyo Kogawa, a Mahoutokoro-educated witch of the Japanese Ministry of Magic, whom she stayed in touch with over the years that followed.^[12]

Freelancing career[]

At some point during her Ministry career, Matilda met and fell in love with a Curse-Breaker named Paul, who reciprocated her feelings, and before long, Matilda had resigned her position at the Ministry in favour of travelling the world with him as freelance Curse-Breakers. With time, however, Matilda began to miss her family, the stability of a settled life, and the camaraderie of working with a talented group of witches and wizards. As Paul had no desire to "stop moving", their romance ended, and Matilda settled back down in Britain by herself.^[6]

At some point, she worked with Chiyo Kogawa in Yokohama, a time described as "eventful".^[13]

Hogwarts career[]

Pre-1890[]

At some point before 1890, Matilda took over from an unidentified predecessor. Matilda became the professor of Transfiguration at Hogwarts, and proved herself to be a stern yet fair-minded instructor regarded for her ability to combine a good sense of humour with an air of authority.^[6] She was also eventually promoted to the position of Deputy Headmistress, in which capacity her students found her to be "slightly intimidating".^[10]

In her role, she took great care to supervise and discipline her nephew, Garreth Weasley, who was a student at the school in her care, though Garreth felt his aunt was too overbearing and protective.^[4]

As Headmaster Phineas Nigellus Black had delegated her the job of handling staff appointments, she recruited Chiyo Kogawa as the school's new Flying Instructor and Quidditch referee after learning about a bad experience she had had during a try-out for the Toyohashi Tengu. Matilda had also befriended Mudiwa Onai, a gifted Seer and educator at Uagadou, with whom she was friendly enough that when she learned of the unexpected death of the latter's husband, she offered words of consolation and successfully persuaded Professor Black to let her invite Mudiwa to teach at Hogwarts instead.^[8]

1890–1891 school year[]

In 1890, a new student was to be enrolled at the school to start as a fifth-year, and Matilda wrote them a unique acceptance letter informing them of their unusual situation and the preparation required.^[14] Around the time the letter was dispatched to the student, a strange magical disturbance took place at the school that greatly concerned the student body. Professor Weasley joined Professor Hecat in Classroom 3C to address the fourth-year students, where she admitted that the staff had no knowledge of what had caused the disturbance to happen.^[15] To help the future student catch up with their classmates, Matilda discussed with Professor Black and officers from the Department of Magical Education, who lent the school a copy of the Wizard's Field Guide to give to the student.^[16] She additionally organised for them to receive extracurricular assignments from their professors.^[17]

Matilda met the student in person on 1 September, the first day of the school year. The student arrived late at the Sorting Ceremony held in the evening, and Matilda placed the Sorting Hat onto the student's head. After they were sorted, Matilda introduced herself to them and guided them to their common room. The next day, Matilda gave the Wizard's Field Guide to the student and showed them how to make use of it. They travelled to the Central Hall via Floo Flames, where Matilda informed the student of their schedule of the day that included two classes and a trip to Hogsmeade to replenish their supplies. Professor Eleazar Fig then ran into Matilda and the student, and they talked briefly about the dragon attack Fig and the student had experienced.^[16]

She asked the student to see her in her classroom after they completed the classes. When they arrived, she was talking to Deek about letting the student use the Room of Requirement. After Deek left, she turned to the student and let them know that Professor Ronen was ready to give them their first assignment. She also explained what the student should need from Hogsmeade, and asked them who they would like to go with to the village after completing the assignment. They chose between Sebastian Sallow and Natsai Onai, the two choices Matilda gave them,^[17] and she sent the desired student an owl to give them the task.^[18]

When it was time for the new fifth-year student to learn about the Room of Requirement, Matilda sent them an owl asking them to meet her in the seventh-floor corridor. However, she was dealing with Professor Black when the student went there, and when she arrived, she saw that the student had already discovered the entrance to the room by themself. They then went in, and Matilda found that the room presented itself to the student as the Room of Hidden Things, in which she finally spotted her old school bag. When a pile of chairs blocked their way forward, Matilda taught the Vanishing Spell to the student, and noted the moonstones the spell produced. After they found Deek, he asked the student to imagine the room as the way they liked it, which transformed it into a commodious space free to customise. Matilda then taught the student Conjuration spells, which required spellcrafts as recipes and used moonstones to conjure various kinds of workstations and decorations.^[11]

Matilda was kept mainly in the dark about the quest pursued by the student and their mentor Professor Fig as they worked to combat the rise of Ranrok's goblin rebellion and the Rookwood Gang. However, she was told the full story by the end of the school year, by which point Ranrok was making significant gains to capture the final repository beneath Hogwarts Castle. Matilda and the other professors rushed to defend Hogwarts in an ensuing battle within the Keepers' Caverns, in which the defenders were victorious, after the new student subdued and killed Ranrok.^[19]

The battle, however, saw the death of Fig, to whom Matilda led a heartwarming eulogy at his memorial ceremony soon after.^[19] Matilda also checked up on the new student and their progress.^[20] When the new student completed their Ordinary Wizarding Level examinations, Matilda led a speech at the End-of-Term Feast that comemmorated the student's triumphant achievements and their defence of Hogwarts.^[21]

Magical abilities and skills[]

• Transfiguration: As a Professor of Transfiguration at Hogwarts, Professor Weasley was accomplished in this branch of magic, for which she had the utmost respect, considering that it could take a lifetime to master it.^[4]
• Defence Against the Dark Arts: As a former Curse-Breaker, she was proficient with counter-curses.^[10]
• Charms: Matilda was a powerful witch able to cast a variety of spells and charms. During the battle against the goblins trying to attack the repository located under Hogwarts, she cast a powerful Levitation Charm to prevent a pillar of stone from falling on her student and made it move to create a makeshift bridge out of it.
• Apparition: Like most adult witches and wizards, Matilda could Apparate willingly, doing so in the battle against Ranrok's goblin army, where she along with other teachers Apparated to the location.

Etymology[]

Matilda is a feminine name deriving from the Old High German words "maht" (meaning might and strength) and "hild" (meaning battle). The name itself, thus, means "Mighty in battle".^{[citation needed]}

Behind the scenes[]

• Professor Weasley is voiced by English actress Lesley Nicol in Hogwarts Legacy.^[22]
• Several decades later, another member of the Weasley family would take up the same work of Curse-Breaker that Matilda had done.
• In early previews and promotional images for Hogwarts Legacy, Matilda was shown wearing a shabby, faded red clothes and a scarf, with a messier hairstyle (see this image). However, in the final product, she wears a more professional and clean black outfit with red-purple highlights, and has tidier hair.

Appearances[]

The Harry Potter Wiki has 19 images related to Matilda Weasley.

• Hogwarts Legacy (First appearance)
• The Art and Making of Hogwarts Legacy (Mentioned only)

Notes and references[]

External links[]

• Matilda Weasley at the Hogwarts Legacy Wiki

Hogwarts faculty
Founders	Godric Gryffindor · Helga Hufflepuff · Rowena Ravenclaw · Salazar Slytherin
Headteachers	Giffard Abbott · Walter Aragon · Phineas Nigellus Black · Elizabeth Burke · Antonia Creaseworthy · Dilys Derwent · Armando Dippet · Albus Dumbledore · Mordicus Egg · Everard · First Headmaster · Niamh Fitzgerald · Dexter Fortescue · Basil Fronsac · Brian Gagwilde · Limebert · Minerva McGonagall · Eupraxia Mole · Edessa Sakndenberg · Brutus Scrimgeour · Phyllida Spore · Severus Snape · Amrose Swott · Quentin Trimble · Dolores Umbridge · Fytherley Undercliffe · Vindictus Viridian · Vulpus · Heliotrope Wilkins · Gimlet-eyed Headmistress · Headmaster (1568) · Headteacher (1792) · Unidentified Headteachers
Deputy Heads	Alecto Carrow · Amycus Carrow · Minerva McGonagall · Matilda Weasley
Heads of House	Muldoon Cragg · Filius Flitwick · Godric Gryffindor · Gryffindor lady · Gryffindor man (II) · Gryffindor man (III) · Gryffindor man (IV) · Gryffindor Seeker · Helga Hufflepuff · Neville Longbottom · Minerva McGonagall · Valeria Myriadd · Uric Oapley · Podric Piles · Pink-faced Headmaster · Prendergast · Rowena Ravenclaw · Abraham Ronen · Horace Slughorn · Salazar Slytherin · Severus Snape · Pomona Sprout · Tobias Stump
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 · Gosby · 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)

Transfiguration (class)
Branches of Transfiguration	Transformation · Vanishment · Conjuration · Untransfiguration
Notable practitioners	Circe · Emeric Switch · Falco Aesalon · Mirabella Plunkett · Thaddeus Thurkell
Professors	Albus Dumbledore · Minerva McGonagall · Charles Rookwood · Matilda Weasley
Textbooks	A Beginner's Guide to Transfiguration · Intermediate Transfiguration · A Guide to Advanced Transfiguration
Transfiguration spells taught at Hogwarts
Colour Change Charm (Colovaria) · Change of hair colour and style (Crinus Muto) · Hardening Charm (Duro) · Mending Charm (Reparo) · Partial Vanishment · Reparifarge · Softening Charm (Spongify) · Switching Spell · Vanishing Spell (Evanesco)
Conjuring Spells	Bird-Conjuring Charm (Avis) · Inanimatus Conjurus Spell · Bouquet Spell (Orchideous) · Snake Summons Spell (Serpensortia)
Transforming Spells	Animal to water goblet (Vera Verto) · Armadillo to Pillow · Bowling Ball to Balloon · Beetle into Button · Cauldron to badger · Cat to cauldron (Felifors) · Cauldron Cakes to Cabbages · Chair to cat · Cross-Species Switches · Desk Into Pig · Fairy Cakes to Fairies · Feather Duster to Ferret · Ferret to Feather Duster · Gobstone to butterfly · Goldfinch to Golden Snitch · Flobberworm to Fritter · Gnomes to Lawn Gnomes · Guinea fowl to guinea pig · Gobstone to Skunk · Hedgehog to pincushion · King to Rook · Lovebird to Love Note · Match to needle · Meddling Man to Monkey · Mice to Snuffboxes · Owl to Opera Glasses (Strigiforma) · Pawn to Queen · Porcupine to Pin Cushion (Hystrifors) · Puffskein to Paperweight · Rubbish to Raccoon Dog · Small Child to Rat · Small object to dragon (Draconifors) · Snail to Teapot · Target to bird (Avifors) · Target to matchbox (Flintifors) · Target to rabbit (Lapifors) · Teacup into Gerbil · Teacup to Rat · Teapot to Tortoise · Thimble to Thestral · Toad to Toadstool · Tortoise to Trumpet · White rabbits to slippers