Wizards' Ages

[potioncat]

No: HPFGUIDX 111749

In the Scholastic interview  (2000?)
How old is old in the wizarding world, and how old are Professors 
Dumbledore and McGonagall?

Dumbledore is a hundred and fifty, and Professor McGonagall is a 
sprightly seventy. Wizards have a much longer life expectancy than 
Muggles. (Harry hasn't found out about that yet.)

Sorry, I can't attribute that quote exactly, by the time I managed 
to find it, copy it, get back here and paste it, I forgot.

Two threads are discussing DD and time travel and his age.  Here's 
my thoughts and questions. Not just about DD, but others as well.

The casual fan has no idea that DD is 150 or McGonagall 70. At the 
time of the interview, Harry doesn't know these folk are so old, or 
that wizards tend to live so long.  He still doesn't know, as far as 
I can tell.

Why do you think this is so important?  If they live so long, and 
appear to work so long, how do young people like Snape and Percy 
advance so quickly?  You'd think candidates for DADA and Potions and 
Ministry Officialdom would be coming out of the woodwork!

And why hasn't it come up yet? 

Potioncat