Master of This School

[quigonginger]

No: HPFGUIDX 111788

> > Zendemort:
>  snip
> I have not heard another teacher wish to be 
> > called "master", or refer to him/herself as "master", except 
> Snape. 
>  "Master" might be an old fashion way of 
> > addressing a "school teacher", but why would he wish to be 
> addressed 
> > in this way? All of the other teachers call 
> themselves "Professors." 
> > Why did he call himself "Master of this school" as opposed 
> > to "Professor of this school"? It's the emphasis on the 
> > word "master" which shows dominance and power. snip
> --------------
> 
> Tonks:
> 
> Snape says "Professor Severus Snape, master of this school, demands 
> that you reveal the secrets you hide"  He does this to use the full 
> weight and power of his postion to get the map to show its 
secrets.  
> He may well have designs on DD's job, but that is not the reason he 
> uses that word at this time. It is sort of like saying "with the 
> full power invested in me I hereby demand that you show yourself" 
It 
> is in sense a spell directed to the map to show itself, and it is a 
> spell that requires a show of dominance and power.


Ginger chimes in:

Tonks_op, I think you are on to something.  As others have stated, 
Master is an archaic term for teacher.  Snape as Potionmaster, 
because he teaches potions, MM as Transfigurationmistress (try 
fitting that on your business card) and DD as Headmaster, or Master 
of Heads (which is slang for loo-that's why the Room of Requirement 
produced so darn many CPs for the man).  

What strikes me is the context of his statement.  
Going to p. 286 of the US paperback, he first asks Harry what it is, 
gets nowhere with that, then taps the paper with his wand and 
says "reveal your secret".  Nothing happens.  He says "show yourself" 
and taps it again.  Nothing happens.  

Then he gives it the "Professor Severus Snape, master of this school, 
commands you to yield the information you conceal." and *hits* it 
with his wand.  Immediately, the paper responds.

My little theory is that at some time in the past, Masters and 
Mistresses of the school (as they would have been known then) were 
given a spell to force magical things found in the possession of 
students to reveal themselves.  
"I (your name and title here) commands you to yield the information 
you conceal."

Handy spell for ferreting out crib sheets, embarassing love notes 
that told *way too much* or stopping conspiracies.  Too bad no one 
showed a teacher a certain diary.

We have seen that the map is semi-sentient, so it would have known 
that this would be a really good time to stay incognito as a scrap of 
paper, and it tries to do so.  But under that command (or spell?) it 
is forced to say something, so it does so in its own charming way.  
It insults Snape.

A possibility?

Ginger who bets a doughnut that no one told Umbridge.