Use of Madam (was Re: Hogwarts Teachers).

[quigonginger]

No: HPFGUIDX 86973

> Carol wrote:
> Doesn't the fact that some of the teachers and staff members are
> addressed as "Madame" indicate that they are or have been married? 
Or
> does it only indicate that they're not professors? Madame Pince is 
the
> librarian and Madame Pomfrey is the school "healer" (to use Ron's
> term), but Madame Hooch is a teacher, albeit, like Hagrid, not a
> full-fledged professor. But these women are addressed in the same 
way
> as Madame Rosmerta, the owner of the Three Broomsticks. Why "Madame"
> if they're not married? And yet Mrs. Weasley and even the late Mrs.
> Black go by the ordinary (Muggle-sounding) "Mrs." Maybe "Madame" is
> used by married women who work outside the home?
(big snip)

Ginger speculates:

I may be totally wrong and failing in the memory department, in which 
case I beg the forgiveness of those assembled, but does the WW use 
Mrs?

It seems to me, and I have racked my memory, that the only time we 
hear Mrs is when it is used by Harry or the narrator.  Harry was 
raised as a Muggle, and I think the narrator is a Muggle (or is at 
least writing for them), so the use of Mrs would be cultural.  

We hear of Mrs Weasley, Black, and Figg from Harry's and the 
narrator's POV, but the WW uses their given names or "mad old bat" or 
another appropriate appelation.  To the best of my memory, wizards 
and witches always use Madam unless the term Professor supercedes.

Can anyone think of an example where a witch is referred to as Mrs by 
anyone who was raised in the WW?  This has had me wondering for some 
time.  I try to remember it on rereads, but get distracted by the 
story :)

Amusing(?) OT sidenote:  I once had a roommate from a part of the 
country where Madam was a form of address.  Around here it is Ma'am.  
Madam is the propriator of a house of ill repute.  I was shocked to 
be addressed that way until we sorted it out.

Ginger, who prefers to be referred to as a "spinster"