I don't know about you guys, but I think one of the most charming and lovely things about Harry Potter books, as far as atmosphere creation, is the names of some of the characters. We got to know Lupin was a werewolf in advance, because of his name. (Remus! Brilliant! Does he have a brother named Romulus? And Sirius? DOGSTAR??!? Okay, it's not subtle, but it's too great.)
But what about some of the others? Severus Snape? Is that "sever" as in "to cut" or "severe" as in "harsh?"
And what about "Dumbledore?" Is there any etiological hint there?
And do we pronounce Slytherin with a "sly" as in "sneaky" or "slih" as in "slither?"
What are some of the other clever names that caught your fancy?
Help me out here. I'm a foreigner from Siberia!!