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"Professor Severus Snape, master of this school, commands you to yield the information you conceal!"
Severus Snape to the Marauder's Map[src]
Snape and Dumledore curse

Severus Snape, a Potions Master; and Albus Dumbledore, a Headmaster

Master or Mistress, originally Magister (Latin for 'master')[1][2] was a title held by some teaching academics at Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry.[2][3][4] It was also an honorific for young men,[5][6] a term used by a house-elf to refer to their owner,[7] and used by some followers of Lord Voldemort to refer to him.[8][9]

Usage[]

Academia[]

Hogwarts founders PM

The four founders of Hogwarts, referred to as Magisteras

In academic contexts, the title was first known to have been used, in Latin,[1] by the Hogwarts founders: Godric Gryffindor, Salazar Slytherin, Helga Hufflepuff, and Rowena Ravenclaw.[2] With the appointment of the First Headmaster of Hogwarts, the position of Headmaster incorporated the term Master into its title.[10] The terms Charms Master and Potions Master were frequently used at the school to describe the professors of those subjects,[3][4] though the exact significance behind these in comparison to other subjects is unknown. In 1993, Severus Snape referred to himself as the "master of [Hogwarts]" when attempting to open the Marauder's Map.[11]

Other uses[]

Other usages were primarily honorific. This included house-elves, who tended to refer to their owners as Master, if male, or Mistress, if female;[7][12][13] as well as younger men,[5] such as when Borgin referred to Draco Malfoy as "Master Malfoy".[6] Furthermore, Bartemius Crouch Junior and Peter Pettigrew often referred to Lord Voldemort as "Master", signifying their undying loyalty towards him.[14][8][9]

Appearances[]

Notes and references[]

  1. 1.0 1.1 Magister at Wiktionary
  2. 2.0 2.1 2.2 The Art and Making of Hogwarts Legacy (see this image)
  3. 3.0 3.1 Harry Potter: Magic Awakened
  4. 4.0 4.1 Harry Potter and the Philosopher's Stone, Chapter 8 (The Potions Master)
  5. 5.0 5.1 WP favicon Master (form of address) on Wikipedia
  6. 6.0 6.1 Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets, Chapter 4 (At Flourish and Blotts)
  7. 7.0 7.1 Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire, Chapter 8 (The Quidditch World Cup)
  8. 8.0 8.1 Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire, Chapter 33 (The Death Eaters)
  9. 9.0 9.1 Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire, Chapter 35 (Veritaserum)
  10. Harry Potter and the Philosopher's Stone, Chapter 4 (The Keeper of the Keys)
  11. Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban, Chapter 14 (Snape's Grudge)
  12. Hogwarts Legacy
  13. Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix, Chapter 6 (The Noble and Most Ancient House of Black)
  14. Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban, Chapter 10 (The Marauder's Map) – "His Master had fallen at the very moment when he, Black, had shown his true colours as a traitor"
Honorific titles
Lady · Lord · Professor · Madam · Master · Mr · Mrs · Sir
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