the term "professor" and titles in general (was: Snape's

[pengolodh_sc]

No: HPFGUIDX 58602

--- In HPforGrownups, eloiseherisson wrote:
Odile wrote:
> >Back to res Harrius Pottericus, why is it that some
> >female teachers are addressed as "Madame" (Madame
> >Pomfrey, Madame Hooch) and some are addressed as
> >"Professor" (Professor McGonagall)? I know that this
> >is (probably) movie contamination, but I always
> >wondered about it because in film version of CoS,
> >Dumbledore addresses Sprout as both Madame and
> >Professor. They're not interchangeable, are they? Is
> >"Madame" an honorific?
> 
> Eloise:
> I hadn't noticed that in the movie.
> IIRC, the only two females *at Hogwarts* regularly addressed as
> Madam are Madam Hooch and Madam Pomfrey. I assume this is
> because neither of them is a teacher of an *academic* subject
> (Madam Pomfrey isn't a teacher at all). Although sports science
> is treated as an academic subject in the Muggle world, I think 
> the WW is too old-fashioned for that.

I think perhaps the distinction is whether they by virtue of their 
positions conduct a final examination of students or not.  I do not 
recall there ever being mentioned anything about passing flying, only 
that you needed to take (survive) the class - and apparently only in 
first year.  Otherwise her role seems to be supervising Quidditch.  
With Madams Pomfrey and Pince there would be no examinations anyway, 
of course.

[snip]

> But in the Potterverse, it seems that "Madam" is a respectful
> form of address for an adult witch.
> 
> So why not Madam Weasley I hear you all clamour?
> Good question. Which leads me to think that perhaps it's the
> title used by "professional" women (other than teaching
> academics)

I do like this thought.

> Odile:
> >And while I'm at it, why is Voldemort a "Lord," yet
> >the seemingly aristocratic Malfoy is "Mister"? Or is
> >that movie contamination as well?

[snip]

> OTOH, Dumbledore uses it and Snape, amongst others, talks of
> the Dark Lord. We *assume* that Malfoy is aritstocratic from
> his name, his wealth and the fact that he lives in a manor
> named after his family.
> 
> I wonder, though if in the WW, there aren't *titles* as such.
> Not the kind of inherited titles that we have. 
> What about Nearly Headless Nick? The Bloody Baron? Sir Properly 
> Decapitated-Podmore, then?
> No probs! These are *Muggle* titles inherited by those who just
> happened also to be wizards. 

Well, the title "Sir" is, with exception of baronets, not 
inheritable, and I do believe beheadings had ceased being common by 
the time baronetcies were commonly handed out (well, sold - £1095, 
the same sum required to keep a force of 30 infantrymen in Ulster for 
three years; useful way for the Crown to raise money for the army!).  
Wizards might well have given such services to Crown and Country that 
knighthoods or peerages may have been thought a suitable reward.

Also, I do not believe we know that the Malfoys live in a manor, much 
less that it is called Malfoy Manor - it is common enough in fanfics, 
but as I recall, it comes from Harry in one of the books thinking 
somewhat derisively about Draco probably living in some large manor, 
with servants to both hands, and so on - and Harry did not assume a 
name, as such.  Incidentally, if the home of the Malfoys is actually 
a proper manor (a property which holds certain feudal rights), and 
has been in the possession of the Malfoy-family for the duration of 
the existance of Malfoys, they may well hold that to be much more 
honourable than any "new" title.

Best regards
Christian Stubø