It has been said that the Slytherin Head of House is the most elusive man in Hogwarts. Well, you would not be entirely wrong. Professor Bernard Knagthon is a difficult man to catch with free time, but that doesn’t mean he isn’t there for his students. Sacrificing a few moments of his time, Professor Knagthon sat down with me to answer a few questions. Without further ado I give you, Getting to Know… The Slytherin Head of House.
I started with the basics, asking the professor what his time at Hogwarts was like as a student. The charming Slytherin Head of House, pun entirely intended, stated that his life was the same as any other Hogwart’s student’s, adding that he stayed very clear of trouble. With a gleam in his eye and a smirk on his lips, he also added that “if there was trouble, it was very well hidden… But you did not hear that from me!” A true Slytherin if there ever was one! Perhaps this was why the Sorting Hat saw fit to place him in the house of snakes? “Why is anyone placed in any house?” Knagthon replied when asked. “I do believe the hat always makes the right choice, and Slytherin is the house I accepted without doubt.
As many of you may know, Professor Knagthon is not just the Slytherin Head of House. In previous years, the man has taught advanced Charms. Knowing this, I had to ask him if this was his favourite subject in school. “It might have been.” He said, with an air of mystery about him. “I have perused Charms since I left Hogwarts the first time.” So why teach it here at Hogwarts? “I enjoyed Charms, so. I wished for others to enjoy it as much as I.” Of course, I had to ask his favourite spell as well. But, ever an enigma, the Professor smirked and said, “Ah, well that shall be a mystery that only I know.”
So, what brought the beloved serpentine leader back to Hogwarts? He says the position was offered and he could not deny returning. “To be a Head of House is an achievement in itself.” He says. As for what he will do to help Slytherin get ahead? The professor would prefer to keep these plans to himself. He would not wish for someone to foil them after all! Still, if you wish to get on his good side? Stay out of trouble! The Professor says he prefers his students with an initiative to do the right thing and avoid unnecessary trouble. Does he think his house can win the Quidditch Cup this year? “I do believe there might be a chance, but we shall wait and see!”
Feeling that we had warmed up with the more simple interview questions, I thought it was time for something a little more personal. “What do you do in your free time?” I started with, but the professor insists that his is a full time job, especially in regards to Slytherin. He does say that in the summer months he intends to return home with his family. That instilled in me a burning curiosity. “Are you married, Professor?” I asked, quill head at the ready. Of course, I had completely misread the Professor’s seemingly open nature at this point and Professor Knagthon answered with a swift, “My private life is undisclosed….” Fear not though readers, the Professor followed up with a quick “However, if you wish to know, I am not married.”
Your Slytherin reporter may have been asked to leave his office at this point, but I remain confident that I have answered all of your burning questions for the elusive and enigmatic Professor Bernard Knagthon, Head of Slytherin House.
