[HPforGrownups] Re: Hermione's age - why it matters

[Amy Z]

No: HPFGUIDX 39458

David wrote:

><<Another hoary debate is over Hermione's age: is she nearly 11 or
>nearly 12 at the begining of PS?  It has produced some pretty
>impassioned writing on both sides.  However, when interested listies
>outside the debate asked (more than once) why it mattered, hardly
>anyone was able to explain it

Penny wrote:

>The significance of the question, as I see it, is that it bears on the 
> >question of whether students receive their Hogwarts admission letter 
> >during the calendar year in which they turn 11 (which would make 
> >Hermione 2 mths younger than Harry) or only after they've turned 11
>(which would make Hermione 10 mths older than Harry).  That's not an 
> >earth-shattering issue, to be sure, but as Ali says, it ought to be >one 
>of those things that we just "know."  It's pretty factual, and >fanfic 
>authors would certainly be interested in getting it right.

Hm.  I'm still not getting it.

I believe I was one of the people who wanted to know why it mattered, and 
"it would be useful to fanfic authors" doesn't answer the kind of "mattered" 
I meant.  What I meant was, why did people care so deeply?  Emotions were 
really running strong about this seemingly trivial matter.

Maybe Ali hit it on the head--we each just like to be right.  <g>  But canon 
is so scant on this issue that being right on it seems to be about as 
meaningful as being right about the color of Lupin's eyes, or whether 
Dumbledore wears boxers or briefs.  We can each dig in on our particular 
position, but we might as well just be betting on red or black on the 
roulette wheel, 'cause it's totally random which answer is going to prove to 
be right, if indeed JKR ever sees fit to tell us.  (*Almost* totally random, 
she adds hastily, admitting that there are supports, albeit weak ones, for 
Old! and Young!Hermione.)

Amy Z

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