Characters acting OOC/Was:Rupert Grint

[potioncat]

Nightbreed wrote: 
snip
 Ginny being one year younger
> hardly makes her underage (especially if you buy into the girls 
mature
> faster than boys theory.)

Potioncat:
"Underage" or "of age" is important in RL and in canon. Being "of 
age" has little to do with real maturation or maturity. It's a legal 
term (sort of) that sets an age when "adults" can enter into 
contracts and make their own decisions.

At this point Harry and Ron are 17 and can legally drop out of 
school. The Weasleys were able to assert their authority over the 
twins to keep them in school after 17 (OoP), but the boys could have 
stood their ground and refused to go.

Ginny isn't 17 and does not have the right to make that decision. Nor 
can she join the Order and fight. McGonagall brought up the "of age" 
standard when she invited those students who were of age to remain 
and fight.

A RL example is that my 18-year-old daughter had to give written 
permission for us to see her college grades.