When Does Age Matter? (WAS Canon argument and Hermione's age)

[cindysphynx]

No: HPFGUIDX 39464

David wrote (about why Hermione's age matters): 

>But really, the point about Penny personally is that she faced up 
>to the question when asked 'Why does it matter?' - most of the list 
>fell silent.

<snip comprehensive list of reasons raised as to why Hermione's age 
matters>

Yes . . . but . . . none of these reasons really relates very much 
to any outstanding Big Canon Mystery, the plot of any of the first 
four books or (dare I even say this?) the potential plots of future 
books.  If it did, then I'd launch myself into the debate with great 
vigor.

So I need a hook.  What possible difference could a few months one 
way or the other in Hermione's age make?  Put differently, in what 
ways in the books to date has age made any difference at all?

Mmmm.  How about this?  In Book 7, Hermione might wish to obtain a 
license to Apparate.  If she is younger than Harry and Ron, then she 
might be denied her license and she might be blasted to bits when 
the boys decide to abandon her as they apparate to save their own 
necks.  Not nice.  Not nice at all.

Or . . . .  there might be a future instance in which Dumbledore or 
someone else decides to put an Age Line around something to secure 
it, and Hermione can't penetrate the Age Line because she is too 
young or too old.

<nods with satisfaction>

Yeah, it's a real stretch, isn't it?  

Cindy (who thinks Hermione should just lie about her age like 
everyone else)