[HPforGrownups] JKR's Poetic License

[Jinx]

No: HPFGUIDX 2953


> I think you've hit the nail on the head there Brooks.
> I ran into the same problem trying to ascertain the day
> of James and Lily's deaths.
>
> The day Voldemort found the Potters was described both
> as Halloween (Hagrid says this to Harry in SS/PS Chapter
> 3, if I recall correctly) and Monday (because the day
> Vernon went to work and all that celebrating happened
> was on a Tuesday) the week before Guy Fawkes Day (Thurs.
> Nov. 5th) in 1981.
>
> However, Halloween fell on a Saturday in 1981 and in
> order for Guy Fawkes Day to be next week, the Monday
> they died would have to have been the 26th of October
> not the Monday nearest Halloween (the 2nd).
>
> My conclusion is that she did this for Dramatic effect.
> She wanted to show Vernon Dursley at work (not on a
> Sunday) and she wanted the Potters to die on Halloween.
> She didn't check the calender, or if she did she just
> said, ah well, no one will actually be insane enough
> to go check that anyway.

Or could be that the celebrations were so riotous they were still going on
on Monday.  Or that the news took 24 hours to spread.

Jinx