someone's life / ragged robes / for a century / Mesdames Rosmerta & Malkin

[Catlady (Rita Prince Winston)]

No: HPFGUIDX 128620

Neri wrote in http://groups.yahoo.com/group/HPforG
rownups/message/128436 :

<< > Potioncat:
> Oh, was it Pippin who said Snape is most likely hoping Hermione's
> judgment catches up with her potionmaking skills before she kills
> someone?
Neri:
This assumes that Snape cares about someone's life, but who would be
that someone? I can't think of anybody. >>

Someone who drinks an experimental potion she brewed, such as Harry
Potter. Snape has shown signs of wanting to keep Harry alive until he
eliminated Voldemort.

Potioncat wrote in
http://groups.yahoo.com/group/HPforGrownups/message/128521 :

<< So, is that only Draco's gang or all Slytherins? And at that, the
complaint is his frayed robes. I wonder if it's Snape's dislike of
Lupin that Draco has picked up on, or if Lucius has said something.
Draco showed comtempt for Lupin before the Feast the first day. >>

Draco wouldn't need anyone to prompt him to mock the poverty of a
wizard with ragged robes.

Andrewpepperuk wrote in
http://groups.yahoo.com/group/HPforGrownups/message/127973 :

<< If Voldemort is the worst wizard for a century, who was that worse
wizard? Harry was the youngest quidditch player for a century. Who was
the younger player? >>

To which, Moonmyyst wrote in
http://groups.yahoo.com/group/HPforGrownups/message/128543 :

<< Okay, lets throw in this twist.... What happened to that other
wizard and quidditch player? The ones in this century are facing each
other. What happened with the other two ?>>

To which, Mecki replied in
http://groups.yahoo.com/group/HPforGrownups/message/128549 :

<< What about Dumbledore and Grindelwald? >>

Dumbledore may have been the youngest player on a House Quidditch team
in the history of Hogwarts approximately 139 years ago (age 150 'now'
minus age 11 then = 139 years ago) but the Chocolate Frog card said
Grindelwald was defeated in 1945, which was only 50 years before OoP
took place, and only 36 years before Voldemort was defeated.

Lea wrote in http://groups.yahoo.com/group/HPforGr
ownups/message/128608 :

<< Madam Pomfrey (Poppy Pomfrey), Madam Pince (Irma Pince), Madam
Hooch (Rolanda Hooch - HP Lexicon, from trading card game), Madam
Edgecombe, Madam Malkin, and Madam Marsh, all obviously last names. 
So why would Madam Rosmerta be different and be a first name? >>

I agree with Sherrie and Janet (posts 128614 and 128615) that
'Rosmerta' is her given name. As Sherrie pointed out, << In Gaulish
Celtic mythology, Rosmerta was the goddess of fire, warmth, and
abundance. >> and, in addition, the name is said to mean 'Great
Provider'. Both the role model and the name are well-suited for her
line of work.

Also, I am certain Madam Malkin is also using her given name. 'Malkin'
is an old name, diminutive of Molly (like "Molly-kins"), and "Molly"
is a diminutive of Mary. Altho' listies once pointed out that it was a
JKR joke name because 'malkin' is a word meaning a badly dressed
woman. The best I could find was
http://machaut.uchicago.edu/cgi-bin/WEBSTER.sh?WORD=malkin saying
"Mal"kin (?), n. [Dim. of Maud, the proper name. Cf. Grimalkin.]
[Written also maukin.]
1. Originally, a kitchenmaid; a slattern. Chaucer.
2. A mop made of clouts, used by the kitchen servant.
3. A scarecrow.[Prov. Eng.]
4. (Mil.) A mop or sponge attached to a jointed staff for swabbing out
a cannon." 

When I complained of the inconsistency of Mesdams Rosmerta and Malkin
using their personal names and Mesdams Pince, Pomfrey, and Hooch using
their family names, Pippin pointed out that the shopkeepers (if an inn
can be considered a shop?) have good reason to try present a friendly
appearance to customers.