Perfect Advisers: The Former Heads

      I have long marveled at the wisdom contained within the circular headmaster’s office. These are the brightest witches and wizards to have ever existed, perhaps. They are scholars, masters of their craft. Now, their only function is to aid the current headmaster. Though I have always been astonished by the portraits, it was not until my last read through that they reminded me of another collection of powerful people, whose only job is to aid a current leader: the President’s cabinet.

       For those of you who are not familiar with the American system of government (and for those Americans who should be, but aren’t), the President’s cabinet is a board of advisers. They are hand picked by the President and represent every government office. These people are tasked with helping the President make hard decisions. They are usually experts and thus make it possible for the President to lead effectively without being an expert in every area himself. If a President is wise, he will pick knowledgeable people with varying viewpoints. This allows him to make objective decisions that help the most people. But this is an ideal world, in reality the cabinet of the President is often filled with yes men. People who agree completely with the President and don’t offer any other viewpoints. They are still very knowledgeable in their field, but often their political leanings align closely with the President. They are still an important part of the government and are effective advisers; but they don’t offer the opposing viewpoints that give the President the number of options that would be best.

      Now, I’m sure you have already spotted some of the parallels that I saw as I read the series. The portraits in the Headmaster’s office are very much a cabinet of sorts to the headmaster. But I believe that they are even more: they are what a cabinet of advisers should be. These are all the people who have been in the position before. They understand what is expected of the headmaster, as well as the kinds of influence he or she will have. They can offer advice from their own experiences. They also have many varying viewpoints. The headmaster doesn’t get to choose only the people who will agree with him, as the American President does; he also has the advice of those who have opposing viewpoints to his own. This is best portrayed by Phineas Nigellus Black.This mixture of opinions allows him to make better decisions. These advisers also come from many backgrounds. They have expertise in different areas, as shown by the appearance of their portraits in places like St. Mungo’s and the Ministry. This expertise allows the headmaster to make good decisions, but at the same time not need to become an expert in every field. This is the area where the real world board of advisers comes closest to J.K. Rowling’s.

      Now that I see the parallels between a board of advisers and the portraits in the headmaster’s office, I also see that J.K. Rowling may have invented the perfect set of advisers. These witches and wizards offer experience, opinions, and expertise. They are more balanced in their opinions than their real world counterparts. These people provide the headmaster with the ability to become both wise and powerful, something that not all cabinets can do.