Harry's B-day Re: Riddle and Grindelwald in 1945

[Geoff Bannister]

No: HPFGUIDX 109133

--- In HPforGrownups at yahoogroups.com, "romulusmmcdougal" 
<romulus at h...> wrote:

RMM:
> Speaking of Harry's birthday, there is a matchup datewise and 
daywise 
> if you look at the "proof".
> There is only one place in SS that gives the illusion that Harry's 
> b-day is July 31st.
> However, due to adverb prepositions versus adjective prepositions,
> the sentence implying Harry's b-day is 31 July is now changed to 
mean 
> that the investigation into the break-in at Gringotts was 
continuing 
> on 31 July.  
> 
> Big difference.

Geoff:
I feel must respectfully disagree.

Canon to start with:

'It was a cutting from the Daily Prophet:

"GRINGOTTS BREAK-IN LATEST
Investigations continue into the break-in at Gringotts on 31 July...."

"Hagrid!" said Harry. "That Gringotts break-in happened on my 
birthday!..."'

(PS "The Potions Master" p. 105 UK edition)

The structure of the sentence only allows the interpretation that the 
crime was committed on 31st July. The phrase "on 31st July" refers 
to "Gringotts" and not "Investigations". If the report wanted to 
indicate that investigations were continuing, the standard wording 
would be....

"Investigations are still continue into the break-in...."

No way would the paper produce something like "On 31st July, 
investigations are continuing into the break-in..." which is what you 
seem to be implying.

Additionally, Harry quite clearly identifies this /date/ as his 
birthday.

31/07/91 was a Wednesday. Despite this, canon says:

'Monday. This reminded Harry of something. If it /was/ Monday - and 
you could usually count on Dudley to know the days of the week 
because of television -then, tomorrow, Tuesday, was Harry's eleventh 
birthday.'

(PS "The Letters from No One" p.36 UK edition)