I just got back from teaching at Life Night, part of the Life Teen program. It was interesting because we were talking about the meaning of the word Lord and what it means to call someone this. Lord suggests a master/servant relationship. In Christianity, this works to the servants favor because the master is always looking out for the well being of his children. However, this got me thinking about Voldemort. He demands to be called Lord, right? Except to call him the Dark Lord means to suggest that the person calling him Lord is a servant. Therefore, simply by choosing the name, Voldemort is giving away his ultimate goal. He wants to have the entire world serve him. Not only this, but he is a Dark Lord which suggests that he wants nothing to do with what is good or right. Maybe, this is why Snape still refers to him as the Dark Lord. Snape knows what Voldemort is and doesn't consider this a term of endearment or servitude, but a recognition of what road Voldemort leads people down. By referring to him as the Dark Lord, Snape is not saying that he is the servant but that those who are in the dark see him as their Lord. This brings us back to what Greg and I have said about Death Eaters only being able to go so far under Voldemort. It was just a quick idea I thought I'd share.

(edited 9/11)