Alicia's & Katie's ages

[Kelley]

--- In HPFGU-OTChatter at y..., Rita Winston <catlady at w...> wrote:
> Kelley wrote:
> > is it stated definitively in canon 
> > that Alicia and Katie are sixth years by GoF?
> 
> In *Chamber of Secrets*, at the first Quidditch team meeting, it 
says:  "Fred and George Weasley were sitting, puffy-eyed and 
touslehaired, next to fourth year Alicia Spinnet, who seemed to be 
nodding off against the wall behind her. Her fellow Chasers, Katie 
Bell and Angelina Johnson, were yawning side by side opposite them." 
> 
> FOURTH YEAR Alicia Spinnet. That's the same year that Fred and 
George are in at that point. **I** think all five of them are in the 
same year.
> That's how I have it in my fic that just came back from one of the
> beta-readers. >>>>>

Ah!  That's right.  I had thought it said something somewhere, but 
was starting to think I was hallucinating.  I was thinking about 
Angelina--the third week in October still seems early in the school 
year, to me, to turn 17 (if she is only a sixth year in GoF).  Would 
it be very inaccurate to think the students could turn whatever age, 
say 11 for first years, at any time during the first semester and be 
admitted as a first year?  Angelina being 17 for so much of her sixth 
year almost makes me feel that she's a year behind...
 
> Amy Z wrote:
> > Alicia was a reserve the year before Harry got there,
> > so she was probably a 2nd-year then--if you can't be 
> > on the team your first year, you probably can't be a 
> > reserve either.
> 
> Since commentating Lee bothered to mention that Alicia was up from 
the reserves, that suggests that the rest of the team (except Harry, 
of course) had already been on the first string the previous year, and
> therefore had not been first-years. Alicia was second year in book 
minus 1 from my CoS quote. Angelina was second year in book minus 1 
because (as Amy said) she just turned 17 in GoF. Our lack of 
certainty about Katie Bell includes the possibility that she could be 
a seventh-year already in GoF. >>>>>

Well, if Alicia is a 4th yr when Harry's a 1st, then in GoF when he's 
a 4th, this makes Alicia a 7th.  So, she ~and~ Oliver are gone.  And, 
you're right, Katie could have been a 7th yr in GoF, as well as could 
have Angelina.  

Thanks for pointing that out, Rita.

Kelley