Wizard Cards and wizard ages

[jodel at aol.com]

No: HPFGUIDX 57346

Patricia Bullington-McGuire brings up the subject (on the wizard cards);

<< I see a bunch of wizards and witches living into their nineties and one 
nudging past 100, but none of these ages are out of the question for muggles 
-- out of the norm, yes, but not unheard-of.  >>

A number of the essays that I just uploaded to the Red Hen site touch on both 
the subjects of wizarding longevity and the fertility range ages of witches. 
Thery are too long to repost here. 

But, for what it's worth, I postulate that the current (potential) very long 
lifespans of wizards are at least in part artificially extended through 
specific, optional medimagical procedures which prolong the individual's 
period of full health and vigor. That, left to nature alone, a wizard's 
lifespan would be in the range of 90 to 115-120 years. And that a witch's 
fertile years reflect the same general range of 45% of this total that 
applies to the "average" Muggle woman's fertile period. The additional 
extension of health and vigor which may be added to a witch or wizard's life, 
most typically increases the time of full function of the individual's later 
years, effectively doubling them. 

Or, in short, witches and wizards do not remain young longer, they remain 
*old* longer. 

Plus, magic is a dangerous process. Practicing witches and wizards, 
particularly those in R & D fields are very likely to come to a sudden and 
messy end. I would propose that the rates of death by misadventure among 
wizards probably rank up there with death by cancer among Muggles.

-JOdel