Hermione Granger's birthday

[romulusmmcdougal]

No: HPFGUIDX 108897

--- In HPforGrownups at yahoogroups.com, "Josh Warren" < 
> If it was exactly 16 years, the hiring would have been done on the 
> same date, the calender year before Harry was born, Y-1, as OotP is 
> calendar years Y15-Y16. However, the comment is "nearly" and if 
> Trewalney was hired _after_ the date of her comment, but before 
> Hermione's birthday, I don't have the book, but you're looking at a 
> window of less than 18 days max (Express rolls on Sept 1). At that 
> point, you'd round off to 16 years even. Not to mention, that if 
7th 
> month was referring to the current month, the prophecy could be 
> coaxed that way... like the 2nd prophecy, referring to midnight of 
> the current day.
> 
> To me, nearly would imply either a little bit of self-promoting 
> rounding (it was really just over 15 years, thinking early summer) 
or 
> she was hired at some point in the middle of the school year... 
like 
> around Christmas.

Josh,
Later in Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix, the following 
occurs in Professor Trelawney's class:
<< The class stared perplexedly at her, then at each other. Harry, 
however, thought he knew what was the matter. As Professor Trelawney 
flounced back to the high-backed teacher's chair, her magnified eyes 
full of angry tears, he leaned his head closer to Ron's and 
muttered, 'I think she's got the results of her inspection 
back.' 'Professor?' said Parvati Patil in a hushed voice (she and 
Lavender had always rather admired Professor Trelawney). 'Professor, 
is there anything - er - wrong?'
'Wrong!' cried Professor Trelawney in a voice throbbing with 
emotion. 'Certainly not! I have been insulted, certainly... 
insinuations have been made against me... unfounded accusations 
levelled... but no, there is nothing wrong, certainly not!'  She took 
a great shuddering breath and looked away from Parvati, angry tears 
spilling from under her glasses.  'I say nothing,' she choked, 'of 
sixteen years of devoted service... it has passed, apparently, 
unnoticed... but I shall not be insulted, no, I shall not!' 'But, 
Professor, who's insulting you?' asked Parvati timidly. The 
Establishment!' said Professor Trelawney, in a deep, dramatic, 
wavering voice. 'Yes, those with eyes too clouded by the mundane to 
See as I See, to Know as I Know... of course, we Seers have always 
been feared, always persecuted... it is - alas -our fate.'>> 

And the time frame Professor Trelawney makes these statements? Early 
to mid-October.

Her words: "of sixteen years of devoted service... it has passed, 
apparently, unnoticed..." imply that her sixteenth anniversary as a 
teacher came and went without anyone apparently noticing.

Thus, the 16th anniversary occurred sometime between the 1st week of 
September 1979 and early October 1979.

RMM
www.hermionegranger.us