The timeline on the DVD *confirms* canon.

[Ebony]

No: HPFGUIDX 55529

--- In HPforGrownups at yahoogroups.com, Eileen <lucky_kari at y...> wrote:
>> Ebony wrote:
> >And I think that this *must* settle the birthday 
> >debate once and for all.
> 
> You think so? Let's not get hasty here! The birthday
> debate has been going on for years. Will a little
> detail like this stand in the way of it?
> 
> I am not at all comfortable with the idea of taking
> information from merchandise, even if approved. There
> is plenty of precedent for author-approved merchandise
> which is completely wrong. 
> 
> I don't care much about the controversy myself, but I
> am not about to take direction from a DVD. The books
> are my canon and I'll take interviews into
> consideration. 

Hermione's birthday *has been* confirmed in the books already, in 
PoA.  Dumbledore calls Hermione and Harry "two thirteen year old 
wizards".  But many fandomers (esp. those educated under the UK 
system) protested because in England, *no one* born on September 19 
is *ever* admitted to school early.  Ever.  No exceptions, etc.  (It 
should also be noted that Hogwarts is from every indication in 
Scotland, not England, and that JKR taught in Portugal, whose cut-off 
date and admissions process is not generally discussed.)

The fandom's most reputable news source, The Leaky Cauldron, reported 
that Warner Home Video confirmed that Rowling *did* approve the 
timeline.  For me, that's as good as if she had written it herself.

And if you're "not about to take direction from a DVD", then let's 
hope that paper books don't go the way of eight-tracks, eh?  I feel 
that this is just as much canon as some of JKR's more vague 
interviews.

This issue might be a minor one, but then again, so are several 
others that JKR clarified in GoF, the schoolbooks, and now.  The care 
that our author has taken to clarify even this minute detail shows 
the care she puts into everything in her universe.

The proceedings from the "What is canon?" panel that Barb and others 
will be sitting on at Nimbus - 2003 will be especially interesting.

So yes, I appreciate the clarification, and I thank JKR for hearing 
her fans.

--Ebony, who also enjoyed the Diagon Alley tour and thinks that the 
new stores that were there will figure in as early as OotP