Fantasy Advent Day 8: Staffing Hogwarts in the future, Part 1

Welcome back to Fantasy Advent, Day 8. I don't like to think about losing any of the Harry Potter characters I'm very fond of, but it's a fact of life that people don't live forever. Not even Nicholas Flamel. And beloved teachers can and should have someone to follow in their footsteps. So here are my picks for the Hogwarts HR department. And this will include Harry Potter-era students as well as people who had already left school. Today, we'll cover the administration.

Headmaster: Bill Weasley

I'm not saying that being one of the many Weasleys is a job qualification, but Bill is the eldest child in the clan and used to not only setting an example for younger people, but helping things run more smoothly for the parents. He's used to taking chaos in stride and that seems like a necessary thing for a Hogwarts headmaster.

In addition, he has an empathetic soul. When Ron left the quest to search for the Horcruxes, Ron recounts that "he wasn't impressed when he'd heard what I'd done, but he didn't go on about it." Bill lets people learn and grow and that is reminiscent of how Dumbledore let the students learn enough to help, and then let them try.

Deputy Headmaster Ernie Macmillan

Hear me out. I'm not putting him here just because he's slightly pompous or overly concerned with study habits. Ernie is the epitome of a Hufflepuff who is "unafraid of toil." We know he's dedicated and sometimes extremely focused. I can see him growing up to be a disciplining force.

On the other hand, he's also able to admit when he's wrong. He didn't hide behind his embarrassment at accusing Harry of being Slytherin's heir. He knows when to pivot and move forward.

Head of Gryffindor: Neville Longbottom

I don't care if we "can't give a professor love." Neville is a true Gryffindor and proved it several times throughout the war. In fact, he was the one to attempt bravery before he recognized that he had any, whether by trying to stop Harry and his friends from breaking the rules or by assuming leadership of Dumbledore's Army when there was a power vacuum.

As someone who struggled to feel at home at Hogwarts, he would a guiding light to people who aren't necessarily an easy fit for their House. I wish he would have been around for people like Peter Pettigrew and 11-year-old Ginny Weasley.

Head of Hufflepuff: Teddy Lupin

Once he's taken a break from snogging Victoire Weasley, I'd like to see what he becomes. J.K. Rowling once mentioned in her September 1 tweets that Hogwarts' Head Boy for the year was Teddy Lupin. This speaks to his cleverness and his respect among his peers, a great combination of his parents' best traits.

Hufflepuff is characterized by loyalty and hard work and I can see Professor Lupin's son taking that seriously. He is also Harry Potter's godson, so he would have grown up with encouragement for his sense of humor.

Head of Ravenclaw: Padma Patil

The twin sister of Gryffindor Parvati Patil never got much screen time, but we know that she was a prefect for Ravenclaw. The year before that, she asserted herself at the Yule Ball, refusing to simply be mistreated by the date who ignored her.

In Harry Potter and the Cursed Child, she appears in the alternate version of events only by mention and as someone who gives Albus a sensible gift and is married to Ron Weasley. Ron says "she thinks about things a lot more - deeply - than I do." A good quality for a head of house.

Head of Slytherin: Merula Snyde

I'm dipping into the cast of Hogwarts Mystery with this one, but the protagonist's self-proclaimed rival on Day 1 beomes someone much more interesting by the time they graduate. She demands to be considered the most powerful witch at Hogwarts, but eventually proves herself to be more driven and cunning than this childish need for attention implies.

In the game, Merula struggles to find her place after Hogwarts, but I could see her being similar to teachers who know how to handle problem students because they themselves were troublemakers. And she'd probably still need to be considered powerful, but she'd work to earn the respect.