school years = how old is hermione??

[Sofie]

No: HPFGUIDX 28140

I'd just like to say as someone still in the British Schooling system 
that the academic year begins September 1st and ends August 31st. So 
Going with the magic quill theory IMHO then anyone who was turning 
eleven between September 1st 1990 and August 31st 1991 (have I got 
the year right?) would have recieved an owl from Hogwarts and would 
have started in the same September as Harry. So some children in his 
year would already be 11 when they recieved the letter like Hermione 
and Ron and others would have been ten like Harry.

In year 7 or 1st year in the British system, everyone has there 12th 
birthday. Hermione will have turned 12 during her first month at 
Hogwarts while Harry didn't turn 12 until after the school year 
ended. About the people being a year younger then others in there 
year. In my experience it was common in Primary school (4-11) for 
people whose birthdays fell between September and December to be 
moved up a year if there on clas was particularly large. But I've 
never come across it in Secondary (11-18). However there are several 
people in my own academic year (year 13 or 7th year)who are actually 
a year older than all of us (turning 19 as opposed to 18 this 
academic year) and that is because at some point during secondary 
school they have been held back a year.

Just my two sickles,
Sofie