Harry Potter is full of characters whose backstories were never quite approached in the span of the novels and the films. Fans ultimately discovered curiosities about beloved characters years later in J.K. Rowling's additional writings. One such character is Professor Minerva McGonagall, who, despite being quite prominent in the main Harry Potter narrative, has a ton of curious backstory, including a broken engagement and a tragically short marriage, that would make an interesting period spinoff.
Born to muggle Scottish Presbyterian Robert McGonagall and Hogwarts-educated witch Isobel Ross, Minerva McGonagall showed early signs of magical talent. Her mother, having lived all her life hiding her magic abilities, only then revealed to her husband that she was a witch, not to mention the existence of an entire secret wizard community. Despite his shock, the couple remained together amidst an all-muggle village, and Minerva lived with the pain of her father's ongoing struggle with trust and secrecy and her mother's frustration at living in hiding. When she was invited and went to study at Hogwarts, she finally experienced freedom from those feelings, but even she was no stranger to love.
The Tragic Love Affairs of Minerva McGonagall
An outstanding student, fiercely competitive and with an innate talent for Transfiguration, McGonagall graduated and was offered a position in the Ministry of Magic, Department of Magical Law Enforcement. While spending the last summer at her parents' house before moving to London, she fell in love with muggle Dougal McGregor, who quickly proposed to her. While McGonagall initially accepted the marriage proposition, she later recalled her parents' life in secrecy and her mother locking her wand away, not to mention the possibility of losing her job if she ever broke the International Statute of Secrecy. The prospect prompted her to cut the engagement off and move to London.
The Ministry's corrupt environment proved two difficult years of work, with most of her colleagues being critical of muggles and favoring pure-blood wizards. Nevertheless, McGonagall became close to her boss, Elphinstone Urquart. When she was offered a teaching post in the Transfiguration department at Hogwarts, she moved to the school. Although her career moved on, she was incapable of forgetting Dougal McGregor, keeping him in her heart along with their written correspondence. McGonagall once reflected that, despite the grief, it was better to keep the letters locked away instead of her wand.
During much of McGonagall's time at Hogwarts, Elphinstone remained close to her and proposed several times. But she always refused. It was only after McGregor's death that she felt her heart was free to love again and accepted Elphinstone's marriage proposal. However, even this wasn't meant to last, as three years after their marriage, Elphinstone accidentally died from a Venomous Tentacula bite. McGonagall was never to remarry.
Why McGonagall's Backstory Would Make an Excellent Harry Potter Spinoff
The Harry Potter franchise will eventually span more projects, and just like the titular young wizard, McGonagall's life story echoes issues of contemporary society: the discrimination of an entire community for their difference, growing up in secrecy in her village, concealing her true self to her most beloved person, not to mention being a strong feminist woman in a traditional time. It could make an interesting period drama film or a series. Though the timeline complications of her Fantastic Beasts appearances make it unclear what period it would be set in, it also could redeem that franchise.
There have been plenty of ideas for Harry Potter spinoffs. There are many interesting backstories, from Hogwarts' founders to the Marauders group, but McGonagall's story could allow the franchise to explore a slightly different genre while still engaging its original fanbase, just like Andor is doing with Star Wars. Showing a well-known character in a completely new light, featuring new themes and expanding the franchise to broader audiences would enrich the franchise and even bring more fans to it.