The timeline on the DVD *confirms* canon.

[serenadust]

No: HPFGUIDX 55838

--- In HPforGrownups at yahoogroups.com, "Ebony" <selah_1977 at y...> 
wrote:

<snip>
 
> The reason why the DVD timeline confirmation is important is 
because 
> the PoA quote has been largely written off by British fandomers 
who 
> were educated under a system with a cutoff of September 1 as a 
> Flint. 

I'm not British (although my children were in the British school 
system for a short time several years ago) but I've always defered 
to the views of the British members of the fandom on this point.  I 
didn't see the PoA quote as a Flint so much as an imprecise 
statement by Dumbledore, which is of the type I hear teachers use 
all the time (ie, speaking of "a class of hyperactive seven year 
olds" when in fact 3 of them are really eight).  It was never 
serious enough for me to consider an actual Flint.



<more snipage> 

>   
> > Jo Serenadust wrote of Ebony's acceptance of
> >  the timeline as canon:
> > >I can't agree here, since signing off on a timeline
> > >someone else wrote isn't really in the same category 
> > >as developing one yourself, or making public
> > statements
> > >in an interview, vague or otherwise. 

Eileen replied:
> > To which I can only say Amen. 


Ebony continued:
> Interesting.  So the PoA quote remains a Flint for both of you, 
> then?  Or is the issue not the Flintiness of said quote, but 
because 
> I feel the DVD timeline confirms canon?

I can't speak for Eileen on this, but what I meant was that the DVD 
timeline has introduced a potential Flint.  If the birthdate had 
been 1979, then Hermione "fits" into the story as a product of the 
normal British educational system with its Sept 1 cutoff.  Now that 
it lists the 1980 birth date, it just doesn't fit for me unless we 
get further information.  If JKR gives us some backstory for why 
Hermione is moved ahead in either a direct interview, or as part of 
a future book, then I'll be perfectly satisfied.  Until then, it's 
still questionable for me based on JKR's past inconsistencies with 
dates and numbers.

Ebony wrote: 
> Never mind; I think I've got my answer.
> 
Sorry, I don't follow you.  What answer?

> Let's just agree to disagree.

OK with me.  I still don't see Hermione's age having any real plot 
importance, unless it's just not been revealed yet.  I really didn't 
care until this DVD timeline issue came up, and I still don't get 
why it is so very important to you that she be younger by a matter 
of months rather than older.  Did I miss a post explaining that?  If 
so, please direct me to it because I have a feeling that I'm missing 
*something*.

Jo Serenadust, who doesn't trust the films as canon, let alone the 
statements of some WB flack 

> ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~