Professor Minerva McGonagall teaches Transfiguration in J.K. Rowling’s Harry Potter series.
McGonagall is the Transfiguration professor at Hogwarts when Harry begins school. Transfiguration is the branch of magic concerned with changing the form or appearance of objects and beings. In the novels, lessons can involve transforming matches, animals, and other objects, making the subject one of the school’s core academic disciplines.
McGonagall is also head of Gryffindor house and later becomes Deputy Headmistress and Headmistress of Hogwarts. She is known for strict standards, discipline, and fairness. Her Animagus form is a tabby cat, and the distinctive spectacles around her eyes are visible in that form.
The subject is often mixed up with Charms. Charms generally changes what an object does without changing its essential nature, while Transfiguration alters the object or creature itself. Professor Filius Flitwick teaches Charms, and Professor Severus Snape initially teaches Potions.