In addition to Dumbledore, the dispute over who was the most powerful Hogwarts professor in the Harry Potter series is between Minerva McGonagall and Severus Snape. The series featured many experts in the magical arts, the vast majority of whom were Hogwarts professors. Dumbledore’s position as Hogwarts’ most influential professor is undeniable, but how impressive McGonagall’s dueling skills can compare to Snape’s experience in legilimency is questionable.
In Harry Potter and the Philosopher’s Stone, it was clear that the rivalry between McGonagall and Snape over Harry Potter was rooted in their mutual respect for Dumbledore. When McGonagall brought Harry to Snape’s chambers in Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix after a flurry of nightmares about Voldemort, it showed that she trusted Snape’s skills to help Harry overcome such nightmares. Although the extent to which she knew about Dumbledore and Snape’s plot against Voldemort is debatable, their mutual respect for each other indicates the considerable power they possessed as masters of the magical art. For example, in Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows. Part 2 Snape didn’t want to fight McGonagall when she challenged him to a duel in front of Hogwarts students.
Both characters had their strengths, but the last Harry Potter movie proved that Snape was the strongest Hogwarts professor. McGonagall’s reputation spoke for itself. She was able to turn into a cat, which became a comical moment in The Philosopher’s Stone, when Ron thought that he had safely made it to class and could turn any animal into a stationary object. However, “Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince” proved Snape’s ability to create his own curses and change potion recipes using his innate talent and magical knowledge. Although Harry could fight his Legilimency spell in The Half-Blood Prince, it was because Harry, the son of his lost love Lily, was undoubtedly Snape’s weakness.
The duel between McGonagall and Snape confirmed the latter’s status as the most influential professor at Hogwarts. Harry came out of the crowd of students and spoke out against Snape for killing Dumbledore. As soon as Snape took out his wand to fight Harry, McGonagall intervened, arranging one of the most interesting duels in the entire franchise. At full power, Minerva cast fire spells on Snape, but the latter defended himself against her every attempt. In fact, Snape was fighting off McGonagall and directing her attacks at the Death Eaters behind him. Her desire to protect her students and her love for Hogwarts were fully manifested here. If in full force, protecting everything that was dear to her, the new headmistress McGonagall could not defeat Snape. This suggested that the latter was a more influential professor.
Although Snape actually moved the battle against Voldemort to Hogwarts, becoming the headmaster of the school and putting many lives at risk, his sacrifice was deemed necessary by them and Dumbledore to finally defeat the archenemy of the wizarding world. Only dark wizards in the world of Harry Potter can create powerful attacking spells and create their own curses. The only way to defeat Voldemort is to play his own greed against him and put him in a direct battle with the “chosen one”. In the end, Snape lost everything, but his status as Hogwarts’ most influential professor crystallized in his fight with McGonagall.
