Sir Cadogan's portrait

Sir Cadogan's portrait was installed as the temporary guardian of the entrance to Gryffindor Tower after Sirius Black viciously slashed the Fat Lady's canvas on Halloween. The Fat Lady had fled in terror, and no other portrait was willing to risk a similar attack. Sir Cadogan, a short, squat knight in a suit of armor, was the only one brave enough to volunteer for the job. His appointment was met with immediate dismay by the Gryffindors, who found him to be a complete lunatic.

Appointment and Character

Sir Cadogan was a knight from a painting who spent half his time challenging people to duels and the rest thinking up ridiculously complicated passwords, which he changed at least twice a day. He was known for his erratic behavior, such as running into the left side of his frame and out of sight, and for his grandiose, chivalric speech. When Harry, Ron, and Hermione first encountered him on their way to Divination, he mistook them for villains trespassing on his private lands and drew his sword, only to overbalance and land facedown in the grass. Despite his incompetence, he eagerly offered to guide them on a quest to find the North Tower, shouting, "Come follow me, dear friends, and we shall find our goal, or else shall perish bravely in the charge!"

Role as Guardian and Failure

As the guardian of Gryffindor Tower, Sir Cadogan proved to be a disastrous security choice. He demanded the password from anyone seeking entry, but his methods were absurdly lax. When Sirius Black approached the portrait hole, Sir Cadogan proudly let him in, explaining, "He had 'em! Had the whole week's, my lady! Read 'em off a little piece of paper!" The passwords had been written down by Neville Longbottom, who had lost the list. This breach allowed Black to enter the Gryffindor boys' dormitory with a knife, an event that terrified the entire house. Upon discovering this, Professor McGonagall was furious. Sir Cadogan was immediately fired from his post, and his portrait was taken back to its lonely landing on the seventh floor.

Aftermath and Replacement

The Fat Lady, who had been expertly restored, was brought back to guard the tower, but only on the condition that she was given extra protection. A group of surly security trolls was hired to patrol the corridor. Sir Cadogan's brief tenure as guardian was a farcical failure, highlighting the extreme vulnerability of the castle's security in the wake of Black's break-in. His replacement marked a return to a more conventional, if still nervous, guardian.