Coming of age was Re: Twins' age and when they leave Hogwarts

[alhewison]

No: HPFGUIDX 43248


 Jodel asked: Where exactly does it say that the WW counts 17 as 
being "of  age"? 
  
Amy replied: 

GoF, chapter 12.
 
 "Only students who are of age--that is to say, seventeen years or 
 older--will be allowed to put forward their names for 
 consideration."
 
 What is not clear is how this corresponds to being "of age" in the  
Muggle world (what kind of "of age" anyway?  drinking, marriage, 
military service, voting . . . ?  and *which* Muggle world?).  
 
Barb said:-

 I strongly suspect that JKR chose  seventeen because it is the age 
at which teenagers may legally drive  cars in the UK.  I originally 
saw this connection in the section of  GoF in which Percy's 
excitement about Apparition is discussed  (Apparating downstairs 
every morning, just to prove he can do it).  
 I think JKR may be thinking of Apparition in the wizarding world as  
the Muggle equivalent of driving a car.  Since the drinking age in 
 the UK is 18 and students often leave school at 16, after taking  
their GCSEs (formerly O-Levels, which JKR lampoons with the  
O.W.L.s), the logical parallel is with the driving age. 
 

I agree Barb, but I also think that the slightly lower "Coming of 
Age" enables JKR to show Harry as an adult in the Potterverse. If the 
age of maturity was 18 to mirror British muggles, then the books 
would finish before Harry is officially a "man". Instead, he will 
be "of age" for potentially all of Book 7. This could open the plot 
up. For all we know, the ancient protection afforded to Harry for 
being with the Dursleys might cease as soon as he reaches 17. This  
would give him several weeks of "trouble" before he could go back to 
Hogwarts. It could also be that information relating to his past will 
be made available to him at this age.

IMHO, Harry's 17th Birthday will be important - what I wonder is 
though, how old I will be by the time I get to read about it!


Ali

Who finds alot of the twins' antics funny but not the cursing Draco 
from behind ("ungentlemanly") or walking on him when he's unconscious.