Hermione's ages

[pengolodh_sc at yahoo.no]

No: HPFGUIDX 28009

--- In HPforGrownups, "Barb" wrote:
> --- In HPforGrownups at y..., jonathandupont at h... wrote:
> > Anyway, back to the topic - what are these seemingly obvious to 
> > everyone else reasons why Hermione has to be younger than Harry? 

[snip]

> At any rate, there a couple of other possible reasons for why 
> Hermione might be born in September of 1980 rather than 1979:

[snip]

I still cannot say that I have seen reasons for Hermione being born 
in 1980.  I have seen reasons why it is not impossible that she is 
born in 1980, rather than in 1979, but that is not quite the same.  I 
cannot recall ever on HPFGU or other lists having seen reasons that 
might convince me it is more likely that Hermione is born in 1980 
rather than in 1979.  It is my impression that Britain has an 
attitude similar to that of Norway with regards to moving students 
ahead - it is very rarely done, and one has to be several years ahead 
academically for it even to be considered.

> 3) JKR might not have had any contact with school friends with 
> birthdays after September 1 and may not have been aware that
> this was the cut-off.  

[snip]

> This could just be a JKR oversight, and those have happened 
> before.  

[snip]

They have, but I do not find it likely in this case.  I find it 
likely, in fact, that JKR operates with the typical British boarding-
school in mind, and probably has stuck to the Sept 1 break-off date 
for reason of keeping it close to the existing British way.  As far 
as I can see, she started out with a British audience in mind - she 
was after all published in Great Britain first.  It is then prudent 
that key elements of the school system are kept in a form that a UK 
audience easily can recognise - it will make the differences all the 
more noticeable.  As long as JKR does not say that the academic year 
and intake year of Hogwarts are set up differently from the present 
British system, I see no reason to assume that they are.

As for the British and Scottish systems of education being different, 
almost 90% of the students would statistically be expected to come 
from England

Best regards
Christian Stubø