Ages of James, Lily and co

[ravenclawlady]

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No: HPFGUIDX C6188
From: ravenclawlady
Subject: Ages of James, Lily and co
Reply To: [Yahoo! #6069] Re: Chronology (was:Casting for
Date: 8/8/00 1:15 am  (ET)

<<I have been asked to explain what in the JKR gives me the belief that
James and Lily had Harry pretty
 young, probably only 19 or 20 years old (like my goddaughter's parents
 had her), and I can't explain
 it. Can you explain it for me?>>

For me, it's just a feeling that I get from several passages. Here are
the three that come to mind right now. Now, I don't claim them as hard,
unrefutable evidence; any of them can be explained away. But I they do
lead my thoughts in the direction, that James and Lily were young when
they married and had Harry.

1) As Danemead pointed out, Petunia made it all sound in quick succession:
"Then she went off to that school, met that Potter, married him, and
had you." (not quoted verbatim, but the gist of it).

2) Hagrid said he had to get the flying motorcycle back to "young
Sirius Black." True, Hagrid may have used "young" to describe anyone
significantly younger than he (he was about 50). But I pictured the
yet-unknown Sirius as a James Dean type, in his late teens or early
twenties.

3) When Harry met Lupin on the Hogwarts Express, Lupin is described as
"quite young". Since the 13-year-old Harry thought of him as "quite
young," I pictured him no older than thirty, maybe thirty-five. Even
those would be stretching it (based on my ideas of young at thirteen).

Well, after number three, I think I'll get out my cane and hobble over
to the cabinet for some Geritol <g>.

Melanie (who is just now reading the day's messages, but is trying to
defend her place in the top ten)