[HPforGrownups] Re: Madame Hooch

[Bart Lidofsky]

No: HPFGUIDX 168693

From: Gary Shannon <fiziwig at yahoo.com>
>> Bart:
>>snip>
>> POSSIBLY, she teaches one of the subjects that we don't hear 
>> much about, like Muggle Studies or Ancient Runes.
>
>Gary:
>
>My conclusion is that she does not teach any other subject, 
>otherwise she would be addressed "Professor" Hooch rather than 
>"Madam" Hooch. The non-teachers, Madam Pomfrey, Mr. Filtch, 
>Hagrid (before CoMC), etc., all lack the title "professor". That 
>seems to imply also that broomstick flying is more a "coaching" 
>job than a "teaching" job.

I do note a certain lack of physical fitness training in the school, or even facilities other than the Quidditch Pitch. I guess the concept of a "sound mind in a sound body" may not exist in the WW. This is interesting in and of itself, in terms of DADA (I wonder if JKR considered the acronym). It has been established that spells have to be aimed, and a spell aimed at a target that moves from place will miss. Therefore, it would seem to me that a useful part of DADA would be gymnastics, spellcasting while moving, etc. 

Going from there, one would next assume that only those who teach subjects where OWLS are awarded are professors. I therefore suspect that Madame Hooch was ORIGINALLY going to be the physical education teacher (she sure acts like one in the-medium-that-must-not-be-named). My guess is that Hogwarts was orginally supposed to have physical education, and, due to the DADA possibilities, JKR figured it would complicate things too much. 

Bart