Molly & Arthur's ages

[mongo62aa]

No: HPFGUIDX 55659

--- In HPforGrownups at yahoogroups.com, "Steve" <bboy_mn at y...> wrote:

> What is missing is any reference to a familiarity that originates 
> while they were all at Hogwarts school together. Without 
this 'school 
> years' familiarity, I have to concluded that Molly and Arthur were 
> there before Hagrid.
> 
> Tom made his point very well, and I don't dispute the point he 
made. 
> But the critical familiarity ties them all together at school, and 
I 
> don't see it.
> 
> Just a thought.
> 
> bboyu_mn

Looking at the dates provided by the Lexicon, I conclude that Molly 
left Hogwarts before Hagrid was hired as groundskeeper.  Here is why:

According to the Lexicon, Charlie Weasley was born in 1967, and Bill 
Weasley sometime before that -- say, 1966 at the latest.  Allowing at 
least a year for marriage and pregnancy, Molly would have finished 
Hogwarts by 1965 at the latest.  This is corroborated by the fact 
that the Whomping Willow was not there when she attended Hogwarts 
(planted for Remus Lupin in 1971).

When Remus was bitten, 1965 or 1966, and for some unknown, but not 
short, time afterward, werewolves were not allowed to attend 
Hogwarts.  Remus states:

"But then Dumbledore became Headmaster, and he was sympathetic.  He 
said that, as long as we took certain precautions, there was no 
reason I shouldn't come to school..."

So Dumbledore became Headmaster sometime between 1966 and 1971.

Dumbledore was the ONLY one who believed in Hagrid's 
innocence, and he was the one who hired Hagrid as groundskeeper, 
replacing Ogg.  Since Remus and Sirius never mention Ogg, I believe 
that Hagrid was hired as groundskeeper sometime in the late 1960s.  
Given that nobody else on staff believed in his innocence, I very 
much doubt that he was working at Hogwarts as 'assistant 
groundskeeper' before that time.

So, Molly left Hogwarts by 1964 at the latest, while Hagrid was hired 
by Dumbledore sometime in the late 1960s, so Molly would have only 
known Ogg as groundskeeper.  This is corroborated in Molly's stories 
about Ogg, which never mention Hagrid.

Bill