The Keeper of the Keys

[vheggie at yahoo.com]

No: HPFGUIDX 25826

--- In HPforGrownups at y..., Deeblite <deeblite at h...> wrote:
> At 09:00 PM 9/8/2001 +0100, you wrote:
> >Likewise, what does the games keeper mean??
> 
[snip post and bumpf]

Is it 'gameS keeper' or 'game keeper'?
Game keeper is the term used to refer to anyone who manages the 
(largely non-farming) livestock on an estate (grounds which are 
usually attached to a large family home, palace, or castle, although 
many public and private parks employ them as well).
I believe 'game' refers to 'hunting game' - e.g. pheasants, pigeons, 
deer, grouse, rabbits, etc.  A Game keeper's job is to care for and 
maintain an estate's stock of animals for hunting (this may include 
fish stocks) and to keep down the numbers of predators within the 
grounds (foxes etc).

I don't recognise the phrase 'gameS keeper', and can only assume it's 
a typo somewhere, or, quite simply, it refers to someone who looks 
after the 'games/sports equipment' (who guards the brooms at Hogwarts 
then?....)