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

[Catlady (Rita Prince Winston)]

No: HPFGUIDX 58627

--- In HPforGrownups at yahoogroups.com, "M.Clifford" 
<valkyrievixen at y...> wrote:

> So in approx 25 years we have a seemingly unassuming Tom/Voldemort 
> existing in the wizard world and not bearing a dark reign of 
> terror. I suspect that during this time he may have laid a 
> legitimate claim to a Lordship, and that is why DD uses the term
> in his address. 
> 
> We know he fashioned the name Lord Voldemort in his youth. That
> much is canon and cannot be denied. I am not denying it merely 
> suggesting he may have set about making it a legitimate title in
> his young adulthood. He had 26 years to do it.

I have trouble believing that TMR would seek to be ennobled by the 
Queen of England, as to him she is just another worthless Muggle. For 
him, a peerage conferred upon him by a Muggle would seem about as 
'legitimate' as a Ph.D. conferred by a chimpanzee in a zoo would 
seem to us. For him, his title "Lord" is made legitimate by the power 
he wields over wizarding society.

I think TMR spent those years studying Dark Arts and other magic, 
seeking out ancient libraries of spell books of forgotten spells, and 
old wizards rumored to have discovered/invented spells to defeat 
death, experimenting with spells he had himself invented, allegedly 
all in pursuit of Immortality, but I think also in pursuit of Power.

But I suppose it is possible that he spent part of that time in 
search of Wealth (to use as a means to power). Perhaps he reckoned 
that the best route to wealth for a wizard of his intelligence, 
charm, and magic is in the Muggle world (remember that Muggle money 
can be converted to wizarding money at Gringotts). I feel that he 
would be inclined to get his Muggle money by fraud, because of 
disrespecting Muggles too much to be willing to play by their rules. 
It would have worked; he would be a very successful con man even 
without ever using a bit of magic. 

>From over here, it looks as if Britain has a habit of first knighting 
and then ennobling its self-made billionaires as well as its famous 
actors and painters, but I don't know whether the businessmen have to 
buy their peerages. (Over here, the payments would be campaign 
contributions, but I've been given to understand that political 
campaigns are a lot less expensive over there.) I don't believe that 
TMR would trouble himself to buy a Muggle peerage, unless it was 
necessary to his 'cover' or some such.