Ages? and Dumbledore's Mirror

[milz]

No: HPFGUIDX 7895

Stephanie Becvar wrote:
> I have a question, i read somewhere, maybe on this list maybe not, 
that 
> someone assumed sirius, lupin, snape, etc. were about 43.  This 
makes no 
> sense to me, bc that would make Lily around 30 when she had Harry.  
I always 
> assumed, that they got married in their early twenties, or even 
right after 
> they graduated Hogwarts.  It would make sense that the wedding 
would happen, 
> Harry would be born, and that would be about the time things 
started going 
> really awry, bc i kind of though that they were in their last years 
of 
> school when Voldemort really gained power.  I know this all sounds 
> incredibly muddled, but it is 4:28 in the morning, and i was awoken 
by a 
> dream in which a man with a human head and a snake body was telling 
me he 
> would kill me like my silly muggle mother(I have been reading HP on 
a loop 
> for a few weeks now, i guess this means i need a break<g>)  
Anyways, I 
> always assumed Sirius and co to be younger than that, more like 
about 35, 
> which is actually a pretty big difference, and Mrs. Weasley more in 
her late 
> 40's, which makes sense seeing as how Bill is about 23.  One of the 
main 
> reasons I am so interested in the new books is bc i need this kind 
of stuff 
> resolved, like Lily and James' pasts.  I think that would make for 
an 
> interesting series, to have JKR pull a George Lucas on us, and go 
back and 
> write James Potter and the....books.  I would read them.  And BTW, 
i really 
> want her to write "Hogwarts, a History" <g>
> 
> Now that i have thouroughly strayed off of that topic in a long 
email, since 
> it has been a while, i just wanted to say that i think that 
Dumbledore 
> doesn't look into the Mirror of the Erised bc he would see himself 
leading a 
> common, almost Muggle life where he could sit around all day and 
not read 
> the paper and not worry about anything about having to get out of 
his 
> lazy-boy to pee.
> 
> Stephanie

I tend to think that Lily and James married young (19-20) and had 
Harry a year or two after they were married. They would have been in 
their mid 20s when they died. This means Snape, Lupin and Sirius were 
in their mid 30s during PoA.  

To me it makes sense that Voldemort would recruit people in their 
late teens to late 20s, since this age group seems to be the most 
idealistic and easier to persuade (ex. Crouch Jr.). 

It seems that Lily and James were very powerful judging from Hagrid's 
disgust at the Dursley's story of the car accident. Furthermore, 
James seems to have been a very smart student (PoA, McGonagall). So 
it isn't hard for me to believe that Lily and James would work 
for "Our Side" immediately after graduation. 

Molly is at least 7 years older than Snape, Lupin and Sirius. In GoF, 
Molly stated that the whomping Willow was planted after she had left 
Hogwarts and Lupin (PoA) stated   the Whomping Willow was planted the 
year he began Hogwarts. IF we assume that Molly and Arthur are 7 
years older than Lupin, married immediately after graduating, and had 
Bill a year after their marriage, then Bill would be 12 years younger 
than Lupin and in his mid 20's during PoA.

Interestingly, Molly (GoF) stated the Fat Lady lectured her for 
sneaking into Gryffindor Tower late one night after spending the 
evening with Arthur. Perhaps Bill was the result of this evening or 
another evening? If so, then Molly might have been pregnant with Bill 
during her Hogwarts time. Also, I think Arthur is older than Molly. 
In PS/SS, Ron tells Harry that his parents were both in Gryffindor. 
If Arthur and Molly are the same age (or if both were enrolled at 
Hogwarts concurrently), then wouldn't the Fat Lady have caught both 
of them sneaking into the Tower?

The trouble spots for figuring out the Weasley ages is the date of 
the last time Gryffindor won the House Quidditch Cup (CoS) and in GoF 
where Bill states the last time he was at Hogwarts was 5 years ago.

:-) Milz