Defence against the Dark Arts

[watervole]

I've a question about the DDA professors at Hogwarts

In an interview, JK Rowling says:

 The fate of Hogwarts
Nineteen years after the Battle of Hogwarts, the school for witchcraft and wizardry is led by an entirely new headmaster (“McGonagall was really getting on a bit”) as well as a new Defense Against the Dark Arts teacher. That position is now as safe as the other teaching posts at Hogwarts, since Voldemort’s death broke the jinx that kept a Defense Against the Dark Arts professor from remaining for more than a year.

Anyone know if there's a reference to this in the books?  It would be a reason for Dumbledore never giving the job to Snape.

Comments

[flickgc.livejournal.com]

Dumbledore *did* give the job to Snape, and look what happened....

Yes, it is mentioned in the books. iirc, it started when Dumbledore refused to give Riddle the job.

[watervole.livejournal.com]

He gave it to him in a year when he expected to die and knew that their partnership would be broken in any case. He refused before then, so I guess it was becasue of the jinx.

I can see that I need to go back and re-read some of the earlier books.

[inamac.livejournal.com]

I'm 99% certain that it is in the books - possibly in Order of the Phoenix - as it means that Umbridge has taken on the poisoned chalice of the DDA post apparently not knowing about the jinx. Unfortunately all the HP reference sites are currently updating so no chance of a fast internet check.

[despotliz.livejournal.com]

I think it's mentioned in HBP when we see Dumbledore's memory of Riddle's visit and he refuses to give him the job of DADA professor. It's not explicitly stated that Voldemort jinxed it, but Dumbledore says he hasn't been able to keep a DADA professor for more than a year since he refused Lord Voldemort.

[selenak.livejournal.com]

Ah, I see despotliz said it. In HBP, we find out that after refusing the job to Tom Riddle, it got jinxed.