Hermione's age revisited.

[Alon van Dam]

No: HPFGUIDX 59149

Dear all,

Disclaimer: I realise this is based on a small and insignificant 
scrap of information, but one has to row with the oars at hand (old 
Dutch saying).

I've been reading the discussion on Hermione's age with interest. 
Personally, I must say that I am firmly entrenched in the 1980-camp, 
mainly because her behaviour fits more with the youngest person in a 
class than the oldest person in a class... For most of my life, I've 
been the youngest person in my class, so I really do recognise the 
behaviour attributed to me as opposed to that of my classmates. (For 
some reason, i really like the character of Hermione, but that's 
beside the point.)

The scrap of information I wanted to point you all towards is the 
wording JKR uses in the 1st Scholastic Chat. She says: 

"In Hogwarts there's a magical quill which detects the birth of a 
magical child, and writes his or her name down in a large parchment 
book. Every year Professor McGonagall checks the book, and sends owls 
to the people who are turning 11. "

Note the wording: 'the people who ARE TURNING 11'. Seeing as term 
starts at the 1st of September, Hermione's birthday is the 19th of 
that very same month, and McGonagall seems likely to send the 
Hogwarts-letters in the summer (yes, the letters are sent 
suspiciously close to Harry's birthday, but it also makes /sense/ to 
send acceptance-letters in the summer before enrolment) Hermione 
would have been 11 already when she recieved the letter, and would in 
fact turn 12 a mere two weeks after start of term according to the 
1979-proponents. It just doesn't make sense to me...

Hope this adds something,

Cheers,
Alon