Married?...With children?

Married? ... With children?

By JoTwo

"Have any of the Hogwarts Professors had spouses?"

"Good question - yes, a few of them, but that information is sought of restricted - you'll find out why..."

(12 October 2001 BBC Red Nose Day)

As we still haven't found out yet, the identity of the marrried teacher(s) has to be revealed in book 7. I think that it will be Dumbledore.

My evidence for a Mrs Dumbledore comes from the Mugglenet/TLC interview. In this JKR confirmed that even though he is dead we will still learn more about him. She also stated that, for fans, "Dumbledore's family would be a profitable line of enquiry". Now she could just be referring to Aberforth or perhaps Dumbledore's background, but it could be a hint that Dumbledore had a wife, and maybe even children.

In the same interview, when asked what Dumbledore's Boggart would be she said that she couldn't answer, but for theories, we should read HBP again. I think that the part of HBP that she was referring to is the scene in the cave. While Dumbledore is drinking the potion it's obvious that he's in physical and emotional pain. He cries out at one point, "Don't hurt them, don't hurt them, please, please, it's my fault, hurt me instead..."

On my first or second reading I wondered if "them" were James and Lily, and that Dumbledore had some guilt over their deaths. However, considering this idea again, it's difficult to imagine why Dumbledore would be blaming himself about this. So perhaps these unnamed people Dumbledore does not want to suffer are relatives. As them is plural this could well suggest a wife and offspring.

If Dumbledore did have a family then I can envisage a few scenarios for this not being commonly known. The first is that the wife and child/children died a long time ago. We know that Dumbledore defeated the Dark Wizard Grindelwald. Maybe he lost his family in this conflict. In the Mugglent/TLC interview JKR was asked about Grindelwald. She confirmed that there was a conflict in the wizarding world at the same time as World War II and that Grindelwald (which she pronounced Grindelvald) was dead. One of the interviewers (Emerson) started to ask if there was a connection between Grindelwald and, presumably he was going to say, Voldemort, but JKR cut him off before he finished the question and gave a no comment type answer. This implies that something about the battle between Dumbledore and Grindelwald is going to be revealed in book 7.

More prosaically, Mrs Dumbledore could have passed away from natural causes. According to JKR, Dumbledore had reached the ripe old age of 150, so he could well have outlived a spouse. This would be even more likely if his wife was a Muggle rather than a witch. As Dumbledore was unprejudiced he could have married a non-magical woman.

Alternatively, a happier scenario could be that Mrs Dumbledore and the kids are still around, but that Dumbledore had them living out of the public eye for their own protection. (Perhaps they were under a Fidelius Charm.) It would make sense for them to be hidden as they would be a target for enemies of Dumbledore, perhaps Voldemort himself.

If a Mrs Dumbledore is going to be introduced into canon, I wonder who she is/was. The witch with the food trolley on the Hogwarts Express? She was at Dumbledore's funeral. The trolley witch is mentioned directly after Aberforth in the list of mourners at Dumbledore's funeral, which might be a hint that she was another relative of Albus. Against this, lots of characters we've met briefly are mentioned in this scene, probably just to emphasise that the whole of wizarding society from the top to the bottom was at Dumbledore's funeral to pay their respects.

Galatea Merrythought, the DADA teacher fifty years ago? Her surname suggests somebody humorous and makes me think of a witch who would be an expert in casting a Patronus; sounds Dumbledore's type. However Dumbledore said she was old when Riddle was first after the DADA job when he left school. So unless Albus was a toyboy, she's out.

Madam Pomfrey? She had told Dumbledore that she liked his new ear muffs in PS/SS. On hearing of his death she bursts into tears, which suggests she cares for him.

If anyone can come up with any better suggestions I would be more than happy to hear them.

However, on second thoughts, I'm tending to favour the scenario that Dumbledore's wife is dead. In the Mugglenet/TLC interview JKR said of Dumbledore, "...where is his equal, where is his confidante, where is his partner? He has none of these things." This suggests that if Dumbledore was once married, he was no longer, presumably because he was a widower (I can't see JKR revealing that Dumbledore was a divorcé, because no other divorced characters have been included, and Dumbledore was always going on about love).

The only other teachers who I could imagine being married are the remaining Heads of House, McGonagall, Flitwick and Sprout. This is because although they are not main characters, they have been in all the books and readers have an idea of their personalities. It would thus be interesting if any of them turned out to have a spouse. However, I'm not sure what purpose this would serve in advancing the plot, especially if Hogwarts is not going to be the main location for book 7.

Covering all bases, there's an outside chance that if Sprout or McGonagall were wives that Dumbledore was the other half, but, as I've just stated, Dumbledore's isolation may rule this out.

Apart from Dumbledore and the Heads of House, I've definitely ruled out the following characters as the married teacher(s).

Trelawney - Sybil's great great grandmother was Cassandra Trelawney. This means that Trelawney is Sybil's maiden name. In the books women follow the established Western European and American custom of changing their name to their husbands' surname on marriage. Lily and Petunia Evans become Mrs Potter and Mrs Dursley, Molly Prewett Mrs Weasley, the Black sisters become Bellatrix Lestrange and Narcissa Malfoy. It's safest and simplest to assume from this pattern that Professor Trelawney is unmarried.

Hagrid - we've seen inside his hut and he obviously lives alone. Plus his romance with Olympe Maxime suggests that he is single.

Remus Lupin - as the other Marauders were the only ones he told his secret to when he was young and who accepted him, and he says he's been shunned by wizarding society because he's a werewolf, I don't think he's ever been married. Again, his relationship with Tonks now confirms his bachelor status.

Firenze - actually, in Greek mythology, I think centaurs were only ever male. JKR has followed this pattern, which suggests we won't find out about a wife. Also, as a relatively minor character, Harry and the reader would be unlikely to be interested in his matrimonial status.

Slughorn - when he was on the run, he was alone. His photos were of ex-members of the Slug Club rather than any family. Therefore I don't think he is or was married. I think his plot function was fulfilled in HBP too, so there would be little point in giving him a wife.

Sinistra and Vector and the unknown teachers of Ancient Runes and Muggle Studies - these characters are walk-ons that the reader knows nothing about. There would be no point in giving them spouses as this would have no emotional impact or interest for Harry and the readers.

Lockhart - presumably still residing in the long stay closed ward at St Mungo's, where he never received any visitors. This suggests that he has no wife and family. In his celebrity heyday he would probably have never disappointed his fans by tying himself down. Besides, the only person Gilderoy loves looks back at him from the mirror.

Snape - JKR confirmed that he has been loved, but didn't say by whom (which leaves us free to speculate who loved him and if JKR was talking romantic or parental love). However, I don't personally think he has ever been married. I'm certain that he is not involved in any relationship in the present in canon. His house at Spinner's End looked neglected, as if it wasn't usually inhabited, which would reflect the situation of a single man living and working at a boarding school most of the year. Snape even stated that the only other person there was Wormtail.

The other Defence Against Dark Arts teachers

Quirrell - no evidence for or against a spouse. The fact that he went on a travelling sabbatical and then became possessed by Voldemort suggests that he did not have a partner, as nobody knew what was going on.

Barty Crouch Jr/Mad Eye Moody - again, no proof either way, but I think Barty was too young to be married before he was sent to Azkaban. Also now he has been exposed as a baddie and had his soul sucked out, what plot point would a wife serve?

Technically the real Alastor Moody was never a teacher. However, from Moody's personality I don't think he was married, and the fact that he was kidnapped and locked in a trunk for months suggests that he lived alone, as nobody noticed anything amiss.

Umbridge - I just had the impression she was single (partly because she was described as being like a maiden aunt, and partly because of her horrible personality and unattractive appearance). She was addressed as Madam by Kingsley Shacklebolt. This seems to be the title for unmarried witches of a more mature age e.g. Madam Bones, Madam Marchbanks, and would confirm she was a spinster.

Other teachers and non-teaching staff at Hogwarts

Binns - a ghost with a partner still alive would be sad, so I don't think JKR would do this. I think the idea behind Binns was that he carried on with his routine despite the fact he died, which suggests a spouse wasn't part of his life.

Grubbly-Plank - minor character, marital status unknown and probably unimportant.

Madam Pince and Madam Hooch - as I said, Madam seems the polite form of address for an elderly unmarried witch. Harry joking that Pince and Filch were dating, as well as being a sly in-joke by JKR on shipping, suggests Irma's unmarried.

Argus Filch - as the only relationship we've seen Filch have in canon is with Mrs Norris, I don't think he's married. As I've just said, Pince/Filch may have been a joke, but it only works if you assume both characters are single.

Overall, as these are all minor characters, there's no real need for them to be married for the sake of plot or characterisation.

So to sum up, I think it was Dumbledore who was married. There may be other married teachers as JKR answered in the plural. As for why this is restricted information, only JKR knows and she's not telling yet.