School ages, Wands, and King Arthur

[M. Barnett]

No: HPFGUIDX 23352

Oh, stop groaning ... I know it's another post from me, but hey, no 
incredulous theories this time ... I'm actually awake :)

I was orginally a part of the New Zealand school system, which is 
quite like the British school system, except we had (IIRC, it has 
been a while) December and January off ... that whole southern 
hemisphere thing.  My birthday is in October.  I moved to the States 
in February of the year I was 7 (would be 8 later that year).  
According to the age cut-off dates for the school district I was in, 
I should have gone into the 1st grade, but that would make me older 
than everyone in the 2nd grade the next year.  So they put me in 2nd 
grade right away (the fact that I read better than all the 4th 
graders in the school helped) so I was always the youngest person in 
my grade and graduated at the younger part of 17, rather 18 or 19 
like the rest of the country.  I would like to think that the Magic 
Quill at Hogwarts also sees this situation arising, and therefore 
rather than having students get to Hogwarts at 11 and almost 
immediately turning 12, they are sent their letters when they are 
still 10 and get to Hogwarts and turn 11.

As far as Priori Incatatem goes, I thin kwhen Harry saw that Voldie 
was nervous about what was going on, it gave him courage.  Why would 
something that made the Dark Lord nervous be all that bad for the 
Good Guy?  That and the whole Phoenix song thing ... he knows 
phoenixes are good, so that would also give him strength. 

As far as the size of people and their wands goes ... perhaps this is 
like guns.  In the proper (improper?) hands smaller guns can be more 
dangerous than bigger guns.  I think Charlie was the short, stocky 
one ... I like to think of Bill as the tall, rogue type <sigh> ... oh 
sorry, so if length measurements actually have anything to do with 
what length your wand is, it would be shorter than one that would be 
appropriate for Ron.  We know that Ron doesn't do nearly as well with 
his wand as say Hermione does, but hers was measured for *her*, not 
anyone else.

But, I don't think the measuring tape at Mr. Ollivander's was 
actually measuring length.  I think perhaps it was measuring 
intangibles, like hope and dedication and courage and things like 
that.  Based on these things, a wand could get a good idea of the 
kind of wizard you will be and what you will excel at, i.e. charm 
work, transfiguration, dark overlordness, etc.

I really do like the King Arthur theories as they relate to Harry.  
And we all know that JKR uses many legends/myths in the HP books, so 
hey, why not?

Michelle  <--- who needs a wand that has at least an inch and 3/4 
diameter end ... fighting fires would be unsafe with anything 
smaller :)

p.s.  On a completely unrelated and off topic note ... anyone living 
in the Central Florida area this morning that was awake between 530 
and 7 this morning ... can you believe how incredibly COOL that 
lightening was?