Meaning of honour (was:Re: House Elves and justice, etc)

[finwitch]

No: HPFGUIDX 129826

> a_svirn:
> 
> Try another dictionary. If yours skip such obvious meanings of 
> honour as `elevated position of rank', `quality of rightness and 
> moral superiority' it can't be a very good one.

Finwitch:

Something I read somewhere - you can put me behind locks and tie me 
up and you could not hold me. But if you drew a line around me and I 
gave my word not to cross it, that line would hold me for that is 
honour.

- Interesting to have an escaped prisoner like Sirius, in the 
series... particularly in OOP. Guess he promised Dumbledore to stay 
put in GP12 (after that trip to London, perhaps?) unless *Harry needs 
him* and that's what kept him until Harry needed him in the Ministry.

I'd go by the quality of rightness - or *moral* superiority. Even 
someone sentenced to death (and thus supposedly of the lowest) can 
act with honour - you know, like a martyr would.

What say you - 'elevated position of rank'? I guess it is considered 
an hounour to be knighted or something and that the one in higher 
rank is expected to act honourably particularly towards those below 
him in rank.

As for house-elves, I believe some, if not most of them (like Winky) 
consider it an honour AND pleasure to serve. (why does the phrase 
sound so familiar?)

Finwitch