Astronomy DEPARTMENT? (was: Snape's special title)

[Dan Delaney]

No: HPFGUIDX 56079

On Thursday, April 24, 2003, at 04:57 PM, Gomes Moor wrote:
> does anyone have any idea about why Snape is the only member of 
> Hogwarts' staff who is called "master"?

Good question. I wish I knew the answer ;o)

But since you brought up that particular passage, there is something 
else in it that I always wondered about:

> She was talking to Professor Sinistra of the Astronomy department.

There's an entire DEPARTMENT for Astronomy? Just how many astronomy 
teachers are there? As far as I can tell, none of the other subjects 
have entire departments. Throughout all of the books (and that whole 
passage is a good example) it always refers to only ONE teacher for 
each subject. I've never read, for instance, of any other 
Transfiguration teachers besides McGonagal, or Charms teachers besides 
Flitwick (sp?). It seams like she should have written: "She was talking 
to Professor Sinistra, the Astronomy teacher."

Peculiar.

--Dan