Professor Kirke is the creator and owner of the enchanted wardrobe in The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe.
The children discover the wardrobe while staying in the country house of Professor Kirke during the Second World War. At the end of the novel, Kirke explains that he believes Lucy’s account of Narnia and suggests that the children may return there by other routes. His confidence contrasts with the skepticism of the housekeeper and the children’s older siblings.
The wardrobe itself was made from wood taken from an apple tree that grew from a magical seed in The Magician’s Nephew, the later-published prequel to the series. That connection makes the object part of Narnia’s internal history rather than merely a mysterious piece of furniture.
Professor Kirke is often remembered as “the professor,” but his surname is Kirke. He is also a fictionalized version of William T. Kirkpatrick, one of Lewis’s childhood tutors, though the character is not identical to the historical man.