Single Adults in HP

[Amy Z]

No: HPFGUIDX 18232

Jenny wrote:
> > Why is everyone single?  I have my own opinions about it, but I'd
> > like to hear others' thoughts.
> > 
> 
Magda wrote:

> Because the books are written from Harry's POV and that kind of 
thing
> doesn't register with kids and just-about-to-be teens.  

My teenage students (equivalent of Hogwarts years 4-7) were obsessed 
with their teachers' marital status.  Being single at the time, I got 
paired up with at least four different people in 9 months, according 
to my students.  I was very young (only a few years older than the 
oldest of the students), but not pretty--why were they so interested 
that they all but opened my mail?  My actual love life was much less 
lively than they imagined, I'll tell you.  

And when it
> does you get the "EEEUUUWWWWW!!!! Not MY parents!!!" reaction which
> is so much fun to watch.  None of the teachers as described in the
> books is exactly date bait.

Okay, there are a lot of frumps (Sprout), over-70's (Dumble, 
McGonagall, Flitwick), and plain old scaries (Trelawney), but what 
about Lockhart, Lupin, and Quirrell?  There's no comment on Lupin's 
or Quirrell's attractiveness or lack thereof, just that they're 
young, and we know Lupin is a favorite teacher of many, which one 
would think would lead to some crushes.  Lockhart, we know, is 
supposed to be a bit of a hunk.  Don't the students wonder whether 
these guys are married, have girlfriends, etc.?  And they'd probably 
be curious about the older teachers' kids, if not their marriages.

Don't get me wrong--I would much rather read about adventures, 
Quidditch matches, etc., than hear the Trio's speculations about 
their professors' love lives.  It's just that I think it's an 
artistic decision on JKR's part, not a reflection of real-life 
teenage interests.  Unless British kids are very different from US 
kids in this regard.
 
Jo did recently say that the teachers' marital status is significant 
and will come up.  Does anyone want to venture a theory about what 
that might mean?

Amy Z