Trelawney and ignorance

[Geoff Bannister]

No: HPFGUIDX 96362

--- In HPforGrownups at yahoogroups.com, "scoutmom21113" 
<navarro198 at h...> wrote:
> Inge
> I was wondering also - does Trelawney ever refer to Harry as being
> famous - or the one who caused Voldemorts downfall?
> Isn't it so - or doesn't it seem - that she sees Harry as just
> another student with more danger to his life than most other
> students?
> It seems to me that she really doesn't know who Harry is....
> 
> Bookworm:
> She does seem to predict Harry's death more than for other 
students. 
> But, not only is she somewhat isolated from the WW by remaining at 
> Hogwarts she isolates herself from everyone at Hogwarts by staying 
> in her tower. It was unusual for her to come down for Christmas 
> dinner. And other teachers seem to keep up with current events.
> 
> I have a troop of 11 girl scouts but couldn't tell you the 
birthdays 
> of most of them without looking them up. Of course, none of them is 
> The Child Who Lived.
> 
> And some people just have no head for dates.

Geoff:
I think these last two comments may have a bearing on the matter.

An additional bit of information to throw into the mix is from Hagrid:

"Maybe he thought he could persuade 'em... maybe he just wanted 'em 
outta the way. All anyone knows is, he turned up in the village where 
you was all living on Hallowe'en ten years ago. You was just a year 
old. He came ter yer house an' - an' - "

(PS "The Keeper of the Keys" p.45 UK edition)

I don't see any reason for Hagrid to be lying at this point - would 
he have been asked to anyway? - and his approximation of Harry's age 
would certainly move his birth out of Trelawney's mid-winter area. 
And we often round ages up or down - saying that someone is, say, 
twelve, when they are actaully twelve and four months.....