The Big Bangers and Neville

[alhewison]

No: HPFGUIDX 35928

--- In HPforGrownups at y..., "ssk7882" <skelkins at a...> wrote:

 We'll push Neville's birthday back to the very late winter of 
> 1980, the Event can occur in 1982, and it can be Neville's second 
> birthday.  Okay?  That way, I don't have to swallow down any more 
of 
> that Everything-Happens-In-1981 that annoys me so much, you can 
still 
> have things happening reasonably quickly, the Lestranges can have 
> been reasonably swift-to-take-action, Neville can be unquestionably 
a 
> toddler (I like to think that he was just entering that 
horrid "NO!" 
> stage at the time), and we can still have gaily-wrapped parcels 
> trodden underfoot.  
> 
> Also, that way we can declare Neville to be a Pisces.  This is 
> actually strongly suggested by canon as JKR, in spite of her 
apparent 
> distaste for divination, nonetheless seems to enjoy giving her 
> characters apt sun signs (Hermione the Virgo, Harry the Leo, Ron > 
> 
> -- Elkins

I love the theory, but I have a slight problem with your dating of 
Neville's birthday. 

The school year at Hogwarts runs from September to August - the same 
as the English school year. This means that all the kids in Harry's 
year should have their birthdays between September 1979 and August 
1980. I've read all the arguments about why Hermione's birthday 
should be September 1980 (meaning she should really be in Ginny's 
year). Even if this were true (which I still don't believe), I can't 
think that Neville would be allowed to jump a year. Hermione is very 
bright and has shown herself well able to achieve the academic 
standards - no matter how old she is. The same could not be said for 
Neville, who errr, struggles a bit.

Some children do jump a year in English schools, but it is 
comparatively rare, and I just can't think that Neville would have 
been allowed to. So, his birthday would have had to have been no 
later than August 31 1980.

Sorry if this puts you back into 1981.

Ali