Why Harry Potter "cannot" be set in 1991 (Question)

[severusbook4]

No: HPFGUIDX 79559

--- In HPforGrownups at yahoogroups.com, "samnanya" <yswahl at s...> wrote:
> --- In HPforGrownups at yahoogroups.com, alex fox <trinity61us at y...> 
> wrote:
> > Ok, this is a silly thing to ask, but my friend wants to know 
just 
> exactly how everyone KNOWS that HP started in 1991. I would look 
in 
> the archives, but i haven't the ability to do that right now, as I 
am 
> using someone else's computer, and barely getting my mail. Thank 
you, 
> for understanding. If I could get an answer quickly, it would 
avoid a 
> fight. I, personally, know that fact.
> >  
> > Thanks again,
> > Alex Fox 
> > 
> 
> 
> 
> Samnanya replies - 
> Here is the clearest argument I can present - 
> All references to the us trade paperback editions - 
>  
> 1. CoS Chapter 8 - Deathday Party for Nearly Headless Nick
> pg 129 "Well this Halloween will be my 500th deathday" said Nearly 
> Headles Nick
> pg 133  description on the cake  "Sir Nicholas ..... Died 31st 
> October, 1492"
>  
> from those two clues Harry's second year at Hogwarts is [1492+500] 
or 
> 1992
> Harry's first year of hogwarts is thus 1991, and the summer of 
1991 is 
> when Harry meets Hagrid for the first time
>  
> 2. SS Chapter 4 - The Keeper of the Keys
> pg 55 Hagrid says about Voldemort "he turned up in your village 
where 
> you was all living on Halloween ten years ago. You was just a year 
> old.
>  
> from this we know that Voldemort killed Harry's parents in [1991-
10] 
> or 1981 and therefore Harry was born in 1980.
>  
> In addition, 
> 
> 3. PoA Chapter 21 - Hermione's Secret
> pg 392 Dumbledore tells Harry and Hermione that "there is not a 
shred 
> of proof to support Black's story, except your word, and the word 
of 
> two thirteen year old wizards will not convince anybody ...."
>  
> since PoA was in year 3, and year 3 was 1993 from the above 
argument, 
> this is further proof that Dumbledore as well says that Harry was 
born 
> in 1980.
>  
> To refute this argument is to say that Dumbledore and Hagrid are 
lying 
> [or uninformed] and the cake decorator for Nick cleverly put on 
the 
> wrong date without anybody knowing ...... 
>  
> I think this carries a little more weight in "canon"  than a 
> playstation ...... 
> Hope this  clears it up for you.... 
> Sam

Also, the Playstation was introduced in North America in September 
1995, so if it was the same for the UK, then JKR's facts still hold 
correct.  If I remember correctly, Harry was writting to Sirius 
about Dudley throwing his PS1 out the window (didn't he just get it 
for his B-day?) in OotP. OotP takes place in 1996, so the PS1 had 
been for sale for about a year.  The other reference about the 
computer Harry wanted to play while left at home, was a computer, 
not a PS1.

Sevvie