Charlie Weasley's age (Was: JKR update re: Colin)

[elfundeb2]

No: HPFGUIDX 115302


Debbie:
> > The sentence I focused on was the lament in PS/SS that 
> Gryffindor  hadn't won the cup "since Charlie Weasley left."  So, 
> according to  JKR's calculation of their relative ages, that would 
> have been last  year (as of PS/SS), leaving no intervening time 
> period for Slytherin  to have won.  If that's the case, then why
> can't McGonagall look Snape in the face?  <
> 
Pippin:
> 'Left" could refer  to leaving the team (on account of injuries or 
> wanting to prepare for his OWLs and NEWTs ), not leaving 
> Hogwarts. In PoA Wood mentions injuries and bad luck -- he 
> needn't be referring to Harry's injuries alone.

Debbie again:

That's true, but it's also mentioned that Charlie could've played 
for England if he had not chosen to work with dragons instead, so 
it's unlikely that he left because of injury. And since Gryffindor 
could not have won more recently than Charlie's second year for 
seven years to have elapsed, I doubt he left to prepare for his OWLs 
that early.  While students (like Krum) are sometimes good enough to 
play for their country's team, it seems unlikely that a second year 
would be a candidate for a national team.
 
> I find it perfectly plausible canon that despite having Charlie on 
> their side, the only year that Gryffindor won the Quidditch cup 
was 
> Charlie's second. That leaves room for the seven year losing 
> streak mentioned in PoA.  A heartbreaker, but that's Quidditch 
> (and baseball.) Gryffindor also didn't win the House Cup for 
> seven years prior to PS/SS, but that is a different award, though 
> winning the Quidditch Cup contributes to it.

But if Charlie continued to play for a losing team, the statement 
would more likely have been "since Charlie was playing for us."  
Using the phrase "left" strongly implies that Charlie led the team 
to victory in his last year before leaving (though it's possible 
that he left before finishing his NEWTs).

Debbie