Twins' age and when they leave Hogwarts

[jodel at aol.com]

No: HPFGUIDX 43238

Grey Wolf writes (in response to Christian Stub's post);

>>This is were you're wrong: canon tells us that wizards in WW come of age 
and are legally adults at 17. At that point, even most of them are still at 
Hogwarts, they're already adults who can learn to apparate, become animagi or 
start a business officialy.<<

Where exactly does it say that the WW counts 17 as being "of age"? This is 
largely accepted in fandom, but I seem to keep missing the actual reference 
if there is one. (Fandome also seems to have some degree of confusion over 
the differences between "age of consent" and "legal adult".) My 
interpretation (which is an interpretation, I cannot find a definite 
statement on the matter in canon) is that one qualifies *as a wizard* upon 
completion of one's schooling, and/or having recieved a qualifying score on 
ones N.E.W.T.S.  And that this may be regardles of chronological age. For 
most students this will turn out to be age 18 (Fred and George Weasley have 
an April Birthday, and will be 18 when they leave Hogwarts.). For a few, like 
Harry, it will be at age 17. For even fewer (like Marcus Flint?) it will be 
at age 19. 

I somehow doubt that the wizarding world is as hung up on arbitrary 
ages-as-qualifications as the mundane world. There are exceptions. That 
apparating licence requires that one be 18 years old. Possibly this is to 
assure that you don't have students trying to apparate on Hogwarts grounds, 
but it may be due to some other bureaucratic quirk.

-JOdel