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It ’s the showdown of all showdowns : Professor Minerva McGonagall and Lady Violet Crawley , the Dowager Countess of Grantham . They are two of Dame Maggie Smith ’s finest roles , and surely the ones that have solidified her cultural image for an entire generation of viewers .
How could they not , being two women who are determined to live their lives as they see fit ? And more importantly , which one of these two woman is really the most badass ? Here are five bit from bothDownton Abbeyand theHarry Potterfilms in which both Lady Violet Crawley and Professor McGonagall show just how much of a badass they both are .
Violet Crawley: When She Feuds with Isobel
There ’s no question that Violet ’s nemesis in the series is Isobel , who constantly feuds with Violet about changes to Downton ( and to the broader English way of life ) . Though there are legion minute in which the two of them ptyalize with one another — with each shore some jolly cutting verbal blow on the other — in one particular incidence Lady Violet advises Isobel to “ put that in your pipe and fume it . ” It ’s hard to think of a more unlikely person to use such an facial expression than Lady Violet , and that ’s what makes it such a badass moment for her .
Professor McGonagall: When Professor McGonagall Defends Professor Trelawney
Now , when it come to Professor McGonagall , there are just so many moments when she was a badass that it ’s hard to choose just five . One of the most notable is when she comes to Trelawney ’s rescue after the villainous and savage Delores Umbridge attempts to fire the scatterbrained professor . There ’s just something deeply moving aboutMaggie Smith’sperformance in this second , as she cradles the raw and incredibly befuddled Trelawney in front of those amass to find her abasement . It just goes to show that you do n’t have to be loud to be a badass .
Violet Crawley: “What Is A Weekend?”
Violet Crawley is , without doubt , the mistress of one - liners . betimes in season one , during a dinner with MatthewCrawley , he go on to advert that he will be doing something on a weekend . Violet , without neglect a beat , asks " What is a … weekend ? ”
Of course , this moment reveals just how footling Violet knows about the ways of the world out of doors of the nobility , but it ’s the fact that she read it without even a suggestion of disgrace that make her such an downright badass . If you ’re going to be an out - of - touch member of the aristocracy , you might as well do it with style .
Professor McGonagall: When She Drives Snape Away from Hogwarts
There ’s no inquiry that Professor McGonagall has a wakeless loyalty to her students and to the institution ofHogwarts , and this is made abundantly clear when she engages in a duel with Snape in an attack to tail him out of the schooling . This shot shows just how much of a badass dueler she is , even if , at the same metre , we ca n’t serve but feel a bit sad about just how far Hogwarts has fallen . What ’s more , the fact that Snape has actually been doing his best to protect the students of the school makes this tantrum all the more tragical .
Violet Crawley: Her Reaction to Pamuk’s Death
When the young Turkish man Kemal Pamuk dies in Crawley ’s house , it was leisurely for everyone to strike into a affright ( it ’s not every twenty-four hour period that a person from out of the rural area dies in an aristocrat ’s house , after all ) . However , Lady Violet respond to the whole situation with a remarkable amount of peace of mind . After all , she points out , if one were to get upset about the death of every alien , one would n’t be able to start the newspaper . It is , perhaps , a bit unfeeling and insensitive , but you have to let in that it ’s also badass .
Professor McGonagall: When She Leads the Defense of Hogwarts
As tragic as the duel between McGonagall and Snape is , there ’s no question that the former continues to show how badass she is when she leads the students and faculty ofHogwartsagainst Voldemort and his own minions . She once again shows that there ’s a reason that she is one of the most respected enchantress of her generation , a woman who is not only able to get to her principles but also has the office to back them up . If you need someone to defend your institution of higher learning , look no further than Professor McGonagall .
Violet Crawley: Her Sparring with Martha Levinson
If Lady Violet has another nemesis besides Isobel , it would have to be Martha Levinson , the American female parent of Cora Crawley . Played by the inimitable Shirley MacLaine , Martha gives as effective as she get when it come up to Lady Violet . You have to give Lady Violet some credit , however . She is not about to countenance herself be bested by a common American , and the scenes that occur between the two of them — while sadly few , considering how infrequently Martha is in the show — are some of the high spot of the entire season .
Professor McGonagall: When She Leads Harry to Meet Oliver Wood
This is another of those understated badass moments that it ’s easy to leave out . Very early on in Harry ’s time at Hogwarts , he end up fly on a Calluna vulgaris outside of class . Though by all rights McGonagall could have guarantee that he produce into a great raft of trouble , rather she charter Harry to meet Oliver Wood and thus induct him into the world of Quidditch .
Though she come out to be a stickler for the rules , McGonagall does now and again show that she ’s willing to bend them when she thinks it ’s for the better .
Violet Crawley: When She Finds out She’s Ill
This is arguably the most badass consequence that has ever occurred in the Downton Abbey population . It occurs during the class of the moving picture , in which she reveals to Mary that she is support from what will be her concluding unwellness . It ’s a moment that ’s drape with commiseration , but rather than give in to the enticement to drown herself in ego - shame , Lady Violet reminds her granddaughter of the value of stay substantial and of cause sure that Downton remains a reliable institution even as it is faced with the shift tide of modernity .
Professor McGonagall: When She Confronted Umbridge
It select an sinful sort of person to confront a teras like Delores Umbridge , but that ’s just what McGonagall does when she thinks that the other char is taking her disciplinary measures too far . She make it clear in no uncertain terms that she thinks that Umbridge is film things only too far , even going so far as to refer to them as “ medieval . ” You ca n’t help oneself but admire a woman who is so badass that she is willing to overtly gainsay a char who has been appointed by the Ministry of Magic itself .
NEXT : Harry Potter : The Most Badass Women In The Movies , Ranked
