Molly and Arthur's age

[Marina]

No: HPFGUIDX 55613

aja_1991 wrote:
<<
You are making an argument similar to Steve (bboy_mn), namely that Molly (and presumably Arthur) are older than Hagrid because they remember the gamekeeper before Hagrid.
>>

Me:
Ooops. I didn't see Steve's message. I though I was posting an original argument :)  (my bad - will research better next time)

aja_1991 again:
<<
My reading of the argument you are making is that Hagrid immediately became gamekeeper upon his expulsion in his third year at Hogwarts, so if Molly can remember Ogg, she must be older than Hagrid. 
>> 

Me again:
I never said Molly had to be older than Hagrid to remember Ogg. What I said was that, since she remembered him, she'd either finished school by that time (for this she HAD to be older, yes), OR she was between her 1st and 7th year (in this case, she could be younger or older, since Hagrid was in his 3rd year when he was expelled).

aja_1991:
<<
Secondly, let's take in to account the possibility that a 13 year old boy (Hagrid) might not become gamekeeper right away, but need some kind of tutelage.
>>

Me, yet again:
This is a good point, and one I didn't consider because I'd always got the impression that Hagrid had become gamekeeper right after he was expelled, since in Chapter 24 of GoF, Rita Skeeter writes that "Rubeus Hagrid, who admits to being expelled from Hogwarts in his third year, has enjoyed the position of gamekeeper at the school ever since..." 

Of course we know that Rita is not precisely the best source of information, but I didn't think she'd lie about something like this. It's not as if it's a particularly juicy bit of gossip. However, when I looked back to see if this was mentioned anywhere else, I found that in Chapter 17 of CoS, Tom Riddle says that Dumbledore "persuaded Dippet to keep Hagrid and train him as a gamekeeper". So the Dark Lord backs your reading, and Rita Skeeter backs mine. Niiiice :) 

aja_1991:
<<
Third point (and this is purely on memory, so very subject...) I 
think Hagrid's title is "Keeper of Keys and *Grounds*" at Hogwarts.  
>>

Me:
You're right, that's how Hagrid introduces himself to Harry in PS, but since Hagrid's status as Hogwarts "gamekeeper" is mentioned quite a few times too (in the two sentences of GoF and CoS I quoted above, as well as in Chapter 5 of PoA, where Dumbledore himself says "...Rubeus Hagrid, who has agreed to take on this teaching job in addition to his gamekeeping duties"),  I think it's safe to asume they're either the same thing (English is not my native language, so correct me if I'm wrong about this), or that Hagrid has both jobs.


Marina - who really really likes to quote HP books.    


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