Muggles' Guide to Harry Potter/Characters/Professor Vector

Muggles' Guide to Harry Potter - Character
Professor (Septima) Vector
Gender Female[1]
Hair color Unknown
Eye color Unknown
Related Family Unknown
Loyalty

Overview

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Professor Septima Vector is the Arithmancy professor at Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry.

Role in the Books

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Beginner warning: Details follow which you may not wish to read at your current level.

Strengths

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Weaknesses

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Relationships with Other Characters

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Analysis

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From the construction of the word arithmancy = arith- + -mancy, it's evidently magic to do with numbers. In the real world, arithmancy means divination using numbers, but in the Harry Potter world it seems to include also numerology, the study of magical properties of numbers. The professor's name, Vector, may hint that arithmancy in the Wizarding world could include more sophisticated mathematics.

In the Harry Potter world, numbers are often inscribed in places, such as tombs, pyramids, and monuments. These numbers supposedly have meaning, either hiding a secret message or protecting the site with a curse. Arithmancy, if applied correctly, allows the practitioner to interpret these findings.

Gringotts curse breakers are required to have sufficient knowledge of Arithmancy.

Questions

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Study questions are meant to be left for each student to answer; please don't answer them here.

  1. Hermione repeatedly states that Arithmancy is very useful. What kind of things might be taught in an Arithmancy class, that Hermione would see as being particularly useful?

Greater Picture

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Intermediate warning: Details follow which you may not wish to read at your current level.

Notes

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  1. In Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban (Chapter 12) Ron mentions her as a Witch.