How Old is Katie Bell?

[T.J.]

No: HPFGUIDX 80895

--- In HPforGrownups at yahoogroups.com, "Arya" <dequardo at w...> wrote:
>[snip] In US paperback version p180, we see Jordon 
announcing:  "...pass to Alicia 
> Spinnet, a good find of Oliver Wood's, last year only a reserve--
....."  and this 
> tells us exactly all about Alicia.  She was a reserve in her 2nd 
year and now a 
> full player in her 3rd year.    

I haven't given any thought to your primary question about how old 
Katie Bell is, but this reference raises a question in my mind: 
Doesn't the Gryffindor team have any reserves now (i.e. in OOP, 
Harry's 5th year)?  When they have to replace Harry, Fred and George 
it seems they are totally scrounging around for players and not very 
happy with what's available...also Ron goes from no connection with 
the team, to trying out and coming straight in as Keeper.  If they 
once had reserves, why don't they anymore? You'd think each house 
would have more than a tiny handful of good Quidditch players and 
there'd be no shortage of talented reserve players to draw on if, 
say, three of your team members got booted in one day.

tj (apologies if this is one of those questions that has been done to 
death before I got here)