Hermione's age

[davewitley]

No: HPFGUIDX 92660

As an English resident (the Scottish system is different, BTW, 
though in most aspects Hogwarts appears to be following an English 
model), I sympathise with the 'old Hermione' position.

However, there is one argument advanced in support of this position, 
that I think does not hold water: that Hermione would already be at 
the top end of her age group in Junior School ('Grade School' for US 
members), and therefore would carry on this way at Hogwarts.  In the 
same way, I don't think the possibility that Hermione might have 
started Junior (or earlier) school in an age group above her own has 
any relevance.

It's clear that the wizarding world, and Hogwarts in particular, pay 
very little attention to Muggle sensibilities in the way they 
operate (I was glad to hear that Muggle-born children do get a visit 
instead of just a letter).  In the case of admission, it seems that 
McGonagall merely goes by the information provided by the Hogwarts 
Quill.  If a person is not in their final year of Muggle Junior 
School, that makes no difference: the letter goes out.

I think therefore that, absent a definitive statement of her age, 
this debate can only really be settled by reference to Hogwarts 
practice and internal evidence, not wider Muggle practice.

The fact that, in nearly all verifiable points, Hogwarts does follow 
an English school pattern (entry at *about* 11, examinations in the 
5th and 7th years, in one case with a similar name, a four-house 
system, the apparent possibility of leaving after the first set of 
examinations, the possibility of failed candidates re-sitting a year 
later, all students whose age is verifiable starting at 11, 
vacations for Summer, Christmas, and Easter), in the absence of more 
definitive evidence one should conclude that Hermione is indeed 
older than Harry.

Congratulations to Ali for brilliantly exploiting a weakness widely 
acknowledged in the fandom, to re-open a debate thought settled.

David