clueless Madame Hooch question

[thursday morning]

No: HPFGUIDX 127608


Geoff:
> First, in response to your last comment, I would say "Why not?" 
> It is quite common for UK schools to use part-time teachers. 
> <snip> Since learning to fly a broomstick is something purely 
> for the First Years and wouldn't require many lessons, Madam 
> Hooch may have an arrangement to come in each year in September
> and also be on call to handle the inter-house Quidditch matches,
> 
> The second observation arises out of speculation I've had in the 
> past but have never got round to posting on the group. We have 
> two other ladies at the school who are referred to as "Madam" – 
> namely Madam Pomfrey and Madam Pince and, as an aside, in formal 
> situations Argus Filch is always called "Mr.Filch" by Dumbledore. 
> These folk are all ancillary workers.
> 
> This leads me to suspect that Madam Hooch may be not be a staff
> member at Hogwarts but another ancillary worker. In the same way 
> that UK schools have a lab technician to provide specialised 
> support, perhaps Madam Hooch is providing "technical" support in 
> the area of flying and is involved in different behind-the-scenes 
> work at other times.


Thanks Geoff.  I hadn't realized this was the reason for the three 'Madams' and 'Mr' Filch.  It does raise another question and still leaves (in part) the original.  I am assuming that, due to the nature of their jobs, Madam Pomfrey and Mr Filch are full-time employees and live-in at Hogwarts - at least during the school year.  As the *only* school librarian Madam Hooch must also work full-time and, while she might come and go every day from a lovely little cottage in Hogmead, I imagine she also lives-in.  Hagrid, also an ancillary worker before becoming CoMC prof, was certainly full-time and has his cottage.  

This leaves Madam Hooch as an anomaly if she is the only part-time worker.  Certainly it's possible but it just doesn't seem to fit Hogwarts.  Flying lessons may not be a full year but Quidditch practice starts pretty much immediately, doesn't it?  So whether she is part-time or full-time, lives-in or commutes, she's around all year.  What else does she do?  Is she old enought to have retired from something and is just working part-time to keep herself active?  I can't see Dumbledore not offering her tea and a lemon drop and then going "So, Rolanda (Xiomara?), how do you feel about helping with..."  Order business doesn't seem the answer because the order wasn't always this active and do we even know for sure if she's in the order?  Are there any clues about Madam Hooch in the books?  Does anyone have any speculation?

Thursday