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When I consider femininity in Harry Potter, the primarily
obvious choice that comes to mind is Molly Weasley. She is a caregiver,
homemaker, support system, and mother to not only her own seven children but to
Harry and Hermione, as well. She shields her children from harm, oversteps
boundaries, and attempts to fill Lily’s role in protecting Harry and ensuring
he is happy. In the end, she kills Voldemort’s most faithful servant,
Bellatrix, to defend Ginny. That scene in the Great Hall, for me, is one of the
most powerful in the series because of that moment when Molly Weasley places
herself in front of Ginny and the other students around her and yells, “Not my
daughter, you bitch!” Throughout the series, her maternal instincts guide her
actions. I would also like to briefly discuss Professor McGonagall’s
femininity, as she is a consistent character throughout the series.
When I
consider Professor McGonagall and her role, femininity does not come to mind
right away. However, reflecting back, I do remember several moments where we
see a maternal side. A prime example of one of these instances is when she
catches Harry and Ron roaming the castle on their way to the staffroom to find
Snape. When they tell her they are going to visit Hermione, her eyes water and
tears glisten in her eyes. She understands their pain and empathizes with their
emotions. In this moment, she is not the stern, rule-abiding professor we have
all come to know, she is human. Both Molly Weasley and Professor McGonagall
represent varying levels of femininity through maternal instincts, their need
to protect the students, and their ability to empathize with Harry, Ron, and
Hermione’s fears, desires, joys, etc.
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