Hermione's age

[slgazit]

No: HPFGUIDX 119771


--- In HPforGrownups at yahoogroups.com, "mcmaxslb" <McGregorMax at e...> wrote:
> 
> I think it is interesting that JKR makes Hermione the oldest of the 
> Trio(previously JKR said that she was the youngest)now that in the HP 
> world their ages have meaning. In HBP Hermione will turn seventeen 
> and the underage restrictions will no longer apply to her, but the 
> boys still are.  I can see all sorts of interesting scenarios coming 
> from that.

I think the apparation issue is why she had to make her the oldest
member of the trio with a Sept. birthday. Based on GoF (Percy) and OoP
(F&G) apparation tests only take place in the summer for those 17 and
older - this makes sense as the test and practice time can only be
done when away from school. Had Hermione been younger she'd not be
legally able to apparate in her last year at Hogwarts, while her two
friends could. Even though they can't apparate inside Hogwarts, I am
fairly certain that apparation outside it will play an important role
in book 7 and JKR could not exclude such an important member of the
trio from it.

An older Hermione also makes her character more believable in my
opinion - she is so much more mature than the two boys, that it
stretches credibility to believe she could be even younger than they
(yes I know that girls are more mature than boys the same age but not
that much...).

Salit