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[David Burgess]

No: HPFGUIDX 98326

>> > Potioncat:
>> > I know he's always corrected if he refers to "Snape." but does
>> > he ever refer to other adults with just last name in front of an
>> > adult?
>
>> Geoff:
>> I haven't had time to go through with a fine toothcomb but,
>> certainly in Dumbledore's presence, Harry refers to "Quirrell" in
>> PS and "Umbridge" in OOTP. There could be others. He also refers
>> to "Snape" in Hagrid's company and I think there are again other
>> references with him.
>
>
>Siriusly Snapey Susan:
>I think if that's true with Quirrell, I wonder if it was after he
>was found out as The Bad Guy?  For Umbridge, I imagine it's because
>NO ONE--staff included--respects her, and they know she's no
>professor.  With Snape, though, I think DD points it out over & over
>because he believes that Snape is the person Harry most needs to
>remember *is* deserving of respect.  Around staff members, have we
>ever heard the trio say just "McGonagall" or "Lupin" or "Flitwick"
>or "Sprout"?  Yet his consistently saying just "Snape" to DD
>probably is something DD can't help noticing & remarking upon.
>
>As much as I despise Snape's methods with Harry and, esp., Neville,
>I think DD is right to call Harry on this disrespectfulness.  It
>can't do anything to help improve his situation with Snape--er, with
>Professor Snape.

I retired from the US Air Force about five years ago, and one of the
things that we stressed was the proper use of titles.  Bear in mind that
the military is a much more formal organization than a school or even the
WW, and I don't know if JKR is using the same rules, but here are how we
used to work things:

- In general, it is disrespectful to refer to someone simply by their last
name.  Using a person's last name to refer to them was nearly always
considered a sign on lack of regard for that person; this is especially
true of people of higher rank, although it's pretty universal.

- Your own family members are always referred to by first name, or
'position' as in 'my husband, my wife, my kids, my son Kevin'.

- Other people's family members in a 'workcenter' setting can be referred
to by first name if they are familiar to you.  It's the 'tu' vs. 'vous'
rules in French.  If you've been invited to someone's home, you can refer
to the people you met there by first name, unless there's ambiguity. 
Outside the workcenter setting, title and last name were the only
acceptable references.  So, in almost any group setting, my wife would
always be Mrs. Burgess.

- People in your workcenter that are 'about the same rank' as you can be
referred to by first name, unless that causes confusion.  In that case,
you should refer to them by title and last name.

- When dealing with someone outside your workcenter, or when dealing with
people that are not 'about' the same rank as you, title and last name is
the only correct reference.

Special definitions:  For purposes of the list, a 'workcenter' would be
considered a Hogwarts House.  So, within the common room, Harry might
refer to Hermione, Fred, George, Luna, etc.  The term 'about the same
rank' indicates status - students are about the same rank, teachers are
about the same rank, etc.  In the military, it's a little more stratified.

So, in a Hogwarts setting, here is how I would expect people to discuss
one another:

When a student is talking to
- a teacher about a teacher: title and last name
- a teacher (other than their head of house) about another student: first
and last name
- a student about a teacher: title and last name
- a student about another student: first name

Teachers will always use title and last name, unless they are discussing a
peer with a peer.  Even then, the context of the discussion would drive
the use of first names.  If I'm expressing a personal statement of, say,
concern, I would use the person's first name in a public context only if
we were peers.  Otherwise, even though we are peers, I would use title and
last name.

Of course, there are always exceptions; for example, some people prefer to
use their last name as a nickname.  Hagrid could fall into this category;
it pays homage to his giant heritage, where everyone only has one name. 
Once Dumbledore, whom we know hold Rubeus in high regard, refers to him
simply as Hagrid, the appelation sticks.  I don't get a sense that it's
being disrespectful.  I get the sense that this is the name that he
prefers.

References to Umbridge, Malfoy and Snape would fit the classic usage of
the last name by itself, since our young trio carries a certain amount of
animosity towards these individuals.

On the other hand, referring to Quirrell (before the end of PS/SS) or
Lupin any way other than Professor would indicate a certain level of
disdain for them.  The same could be said of Dumbledore.

I should also come clean and say that, as the comfort level goes up and in
a small group, people will refer to a person by their last name only as a
shorthand reference.  It's not supposed to happen (as it has a negative
impact on good order and discipline) but it does sometimes.  Usually, it
starts with one or two references, and pretty soon no one has a title. 
This is considered a bad thing.

-- 
Dave Burgess