Professor Windlesnare takes up post of Defence Against the Dark Arts teacher at Hogwarts
25-08-2021
Cullen Waldor
Staff reporter
With the school year about to start on September 1, Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry has announced a new Defence Against the Dark Arts teacher.
Haben Windlesnare, head of the Knights of the Everglade, a society devoted to honourable duelling, and a longtime friend of the Headmaster, Professor Egont Montefiore, has been appointed to the post, which again fell vacant after the previous occupant in the job suffered 40 fractures from a misfired hurling hex by one of his students.
Professor Aubrey de Mogises, who is still in the Magical Accidents and Catastrophes ward at St Mungo's, two months after the incident when a fifth year misheard his instructions and said the spell for the hurling hex instead of the protego shield strengthening charm, is said to be too weak to take up his duties.
The incident led to calls from some parents to end duelling in regular lessons, but the appointment of Windlesnare, an experienced dueller, suggests the Headmaster has no intention of heeding those calls.
"Duelling can be practised in safe ways, if the emphasis is on defensive spells," said Professor Montefiore at a recent Wizengamot moot, "we should not deprive kids of the right to learn duelling and its attendant basic skills."
Professor Windlesnare is a past teacher at Feiriesta Academy of Witchcraft and Wizardry in Spain, the oldest wizarding school, but retired to head the duelling society, Knights of the Everglade, associated with the House of Renetröe, one of the six houses of Feiriesta.
Well wishers will no doubt hope that unlike his unlucky predecessors Professor Windlesnare lasts more than a year. The post is widely believed to be cursed as no one has survived in the job longer than a year since Lord Voldemort applied for the job and was turned down by the previous but two headmaster, Albus Dumbledore.
Despite experts from the Ministry of Magic investigating the issue, no one has been able to lift the curse, which one Auror, Raymond Sidforth, suggested was being maintained by the last fragment of horcrux from He Who Must Not Be Named.
Professor Windlesnare will be the 34th occupant of the post in the last 40 years. There was no Defence Against the Dark Arts professor at Hogwarts in 1996-7, 2001-2, 2007 and 2018 due to a lack of suitable applicants. The continual disruption has been much criticised with some parents and governors calling for the abolishment of the subject.
With the school year about to start on September 1, Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry has announced a new Defence Against the Dark Arts teacher.
Haben Windlesnare, head of the Knights of the Everglade, a society devoted to honourable duelling, and a longtime friend of the Headmaster, Professor Egont Montefiore, has been appointed to the post, which again fell vacant after the previous occupant in the job suffered 40 fractures from a misfired hurling hex by one of his students.
Professor Aubrey de Mogises, who is still in the Magical Accidents and Catastrophes ward at St Mungo's, two months after the incident when a fifth year misheard his instructions and said the spell for the hurling hex instead of the protego shield strengthening charm, is said to be too weak to take up his duties.
The incident led to calls from some parents to end duelling in regular lessons, but the appointment of Windlesnare, an experienced dueller, suggests the Headmaster has no intention of heeding those calls.
"Duelling can be practised in safe ways, if the emphasis is on defensive spells," said Professor Montefiore at a recent Wizengamot moot, "we should not deprive kids of the right to learn duelling and its attendant basic skills."
Professor Windlesnare is a past teacher at Feiriesta Academy of Witchcraft and Wizardry in Spain, the oldest wizarding school, but retired to head the duelling society, Knights of the Everglade, associated with the House of Renetröe, one of the six houses of Feiriesta.
Well wishers will no doubt hope that unlike his unlucky predecessors Professor Windlesnare lasts more than a year. The post is widely believed to be cursed as no one has survived in the job longer than a year since Lord Voldemort applied for the job and was turned down by the previous but two headmaster, Albus Dumbledore.
Despite experts from the Ministry of Magic investigating the issue, no one has been able to lift the curse, which one Auror, Raymond Sidforth, suggested was being maintained by the last fragment of horcrux from He Who Must Not Be Named.
Professor Windlesnare will be the 34th occupant of the post in the last 40 years. There was no Defence Against the Dark Arts professor at Hogwarts in 1996-7, 2001-2, 2007 and 2018 due to a lack of suitable applicants. The continual disruption has been much criticised with some parents and governors calling for the abolishment of the subject.