Teacher Appreciation Week: Ravenclaw House

It’s Teacher Appreciation Week (and Teacher Appreciation Day!), so we’re marking the occasion by celebrating the careers of Hogwarts professors, focusing on each Head of House! Today’s spotlight shines on Head of Ravenclaw,  Filius Flitwick, who also served as Charms professor at Hogwarts during Harry and his parents’ time at the school, and is a truly remarkable and caring teacher.

Other notable professors in Ravenclaw include famed wandmaker, and wand lore expert Garrick Ollivander, the exceedingly cunning Quirinus Quirrell, Seer and foreteller of Harry’s destiny, Sybil Trelawney, and Gilderoy Lockhart, who sadly ignored his true talents and intelligence in favour of vanity and fraud. Hogwarts founder Rowena Ravenclaw, of course, is not to be forgotten, and her motto Wit Beyond Measure is Man’s Greatest Treasure sums up Ravenclaws, not as heartless know-it-alls, but as those who believe learning, education and knowledge is a right, not a privilege. It’s no wonder, then, that Flitwick was such a wonderful and committed professor!

In Pottermore’s original welcome letter for Ravenclaws (written by J.K. Rowling), we learn more about Flitwick’s compassionate nature, and enthusiasm for teaching:

“People often underestimate him, because he’s really tiny (we think he’s part elf, but we’ve never been rude enough to ask) and he’s got a squeaky voice, but he’s the best and most knowledgeable Charms master alive in the world today. His office door is always open to any Ravenclaw with a problem, and if you’re in a real state he’ll get out these delicious little cupcakes he keeps in a tin in his desk drawer and make them do a little dance for you. In fact, it’s worth pretending you’re in a real state just to see them jive.”

The long-standing Charms master and Duelling Champion actively opposed Voldemort (and Umbridge), fought valiantly during the Battle of Hogwarts, protected students from the Carrows and did all this whilst maintaining an air of grace and composure – it’s no wonder the Sorting Hat debated putting him in Gryffindor!

Flitwick was a beloved professor, even admired by Fred and George, who admitted that they couldn’t see him being marked down during Umbridge’s evaluations. Arguably the least stern of all the heads of houses, he prioritised wit and knowledge like a  true Ravenclaw, assigning extra homework, and awarding credit where it was due (often giving Hermione extra points in her already 100% scoring exams). His appreciation for Hermione’s intelligence encouraged her to be herself, and when anxious about exams, he did what he could to show her that she was anything but a failure! He didn’t bat an eyelid when Neville accidentally launched him across the room when practising his Banishing Charm, and taught with good cheer and respect for his pupils.

He taught charms to multiple generations of witches and wizards, and encouraged students to excel by gently advising them. Flitwick utterly supported Harry from the beginning of his time at Hogwarts, from his very first charms lesson (when he fell of his stall in surprise at Harry’s name being on his register), cheering for him at Quidditch matches and standing alongside him in battle. Never once did his loyalty to Hogwarts, or to Dumbledore, ever falter. His care for his students was also unwavering. When Ginny was discovered to be in the Chamber of Secrets, Flitwick was devastated, and took issue with Lockhart’s careless and ignorant attempts to assert his handle of the situation. He also encouraged Harry’s rebellion against Umbridge, secretly handing him a box of Sugar Mice during class, and running for Umbridge’s help when Fred and George released fireworks across Hogwarts, snidely admitting that he could’ve gotten rid of them himself, but he wasn’t sure if he had the ‘authority’. He even kept a patch of the “Portable Swamp” the Weasley twins unleashed in the corridor, in tribute to their magical capabilities, which Flitwick freely admitted that he greatly admired.

During the Battle of Hogwarts, Flitwick rushed to aid McGonagall in her duel with Snape, yelling “No! You’ll do no more murder at Hogwarts!”. He would have defended his school, his students and his friends with his life. Helping to place protection charms on the castle, Flitwick helped Harry realise how to find Rowena Ravenclaw’s lost diadem, fought Death Eaters valiantly, and rushed to congratulate Harry at the end of the Battle.

His Christmas decorations, leading of the Hogwarts choir and relentless patience and wisdom make Flitwick an excellent Head of House, a wonderful example of a Hogwarts Professor, and a truly admirable Ravenclaw. Join us in celebrating his virtues this Teacher Appreciation Week, and toast to him with this recipe for his drink of choice – a cherry soda (if you fancy something similar but a bit more exciting, try this recipe for a Shirley Temple!) :

Flitwick’s Cherry Soda: 

-Up to 1 oz Cherry syrup or cherry puree (get some here)

– 7 oz soda (carbonated) water

– 1/2 glass of ice

Instructions (they’re pretty simple…): Add ingredients to glass, give it a stir, add ice and garnish with an umbrella (and a cherry, if you fancy!)

Which Ravenclaw Professor is your favourite? Look out for our other professor appreciation posts coming soon, and read our Slytherin house post here.