Magical creatures in Harry Potter harbor an attraction to imagery morbid and melancholy. Ghosts are very sensitive about their condition: when the Ministry initially classified them as sentient creatures with full legal rights, they claimed that the term was insensitive and received a separate "Spirit Division", apparently to control the activities and haunting locations of troublesome ghosts (as when Myrtle was forced to haunt the place of her death (Hogwarts) after she had disrupted the wedding of the brother of Olive Hornby, a girl who had teased her at school). Named Ghost characters: Peeves, the Hogwarts poltergeist, is not considered a ghost, but an "indestructible
Hogwarts staff in "Half-Blood Prince", she becomes the acting Headmistress of Hogwarts. However, in the series finale, she does not become headmistress at the start of term as expected; Snape is appointed by the new Minister for Magic Thicknesse, who is actually under the Imperius Curse and acting for Voldemort. Death eater Alecto Carrow replaces McGonagall as deputy headmistress. Despite the many changes, she is retained as head of Gryffindor House. Before the Battle of Hogwarts, she goes to the Ravenclaw tower and finds Alecto stunned by Luna and Amycus Carrow searching for Harry. She's surprised when Amycus tells her Voldemort warned