Hermione's Age (Was Whither Quidditch?)

[Trina]

No: HPFGUIDX 4978

--- In HPforGrownups at egroups.com, "Steve Vander Ark" <vderark at b...> 
wrote:
"That brings up the whole question of how old Hermione is for almost 
the entire school year. Is the cut-off date really Sept 1, no 
variation? Then Hermione turned 12 two weeks after the start of PS/SS 
and she is almost a year older than Harry. > 

<snip>

You get your mail from Hogwarts on your 11th birthday, you come to 
school on the following September 1, no matter where they fall 
relative to each other. 
> 
But Hermione is referred to as being 13 at one point in PA. (To be 
fair, Harry and Hermione together are referred to as a pair of 13-
year-old wizards). So maybe common sense DID enter into it in her 
case, being as bright as she is, and she actually entered Hogwarts 
while she was still 10 and turned 11 two weeks later. To me, that 
makes perfect sense. And if we accept the idea that intention drives 
most magic, the system would nicely adjust itself to accept Hermione 
when it made sense to do so."

Since my birthday is on September 18th (day before Hermione's!!), I 
was always a little younger than my classmates. I started 
Kindergarten at the age of 4, but soon turned 5.  Accordingly, I was 
16 at the start of my senior year in High School and graduated at 17. 
My take on the Hermione age issue is that everyone in the *year* they 
turn 11 gets a "You've been accepted to Hogwarts letter" prior to the 
start of the school year, regardless of their birthdate.  Harry 
starts to receive the "letters from no one" *seven* whole days before 
his 11th birthday.  When Hagrid finally gets it to him, it states "We 
await you reply no later than July 31."  The fact that Harry receives 
his letter on his birthday is serendipitious.  With this in mind I 
agree that Hermione was 10 at the start of her first year, but soon 
turned 11.  And this is Hogwarts we're talking about, who's to say 
the same age regulations as the Muggle world are in place?

Trina