[HPforGrownups] Re: Hermione's birthday

[Becky]

No: HPFGUIDX 29870


--- patchespup100 at aol.com wrote:

> > 
> > Since Rowling has said that Hermione's birthday is
> September 19 
> (not the 
> > 11th), it would definitely be impossible for her
> to have gotten a 
> letter around 
> > her birthday, and done all that background
> reading, unless it was 
> nearly a year 
> > before she entered.
> 
> I'm sorry,  I'm kind of new to this so forgive me if
> this is a stupid 
> question, but why are we assuming that ALL the
> letters arrive JUST 
> BEFORE the student's 11th birthday.  I would
> ass/u/me that the 
> letters would go out throughout the summer just
> prior to them 
> starting school, muggle born students first. 
> Wouldn't they need a 
> little extra time to do things like find Diagon
> Alley? (something 
> magic parents would already know) 
> 
> Also, if Hermione got her letter at the beginning of
> summer she would 
> have 3 month to do all that studying she did.
> 
> Lastly, as to how old she was when she started.  I
> would say she was 
> ALMOST 11 (born in 1980)  I happen to share her
> birthday (Sept 19) or 
> rather she shares mine, (I'm a little older) and I
> started elementary 
> school before my 5th birthday.  In California the
> cut off is December 
> 1st. Everyone who turns 5 after that date must start
> school the 
> following year.  I would imagine the rule is similar
> in England.

I don't see why. I live in Utah and the cut off date
is the beginning of the school year (last week of
August or first of September). I'm in the camp that
says Hermione is one of the oldest. I think the
cut-off date would be sooner since in the Triwizard
Tournament everyone over 17 or "those in sixth and
seventh years" were allowed to enter. If the cut-off
was in December it would be pretty strange to see
Angelina's birthday in October as a sixth year. (I'm
assuming she was one because Harry expressed surprise
that she was 17.)

I always assumed the cut-off was the beginning of the
school year (Sept. 1st) like here. I realize now that
there are plenty of different cut-off dates, but I
don't see why they would have it in October as opposed
to September. 

I hope we see Hermione's birthday in the next book to
resolve this dilemma. 

Becky

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