Potterverse timelines just don't fit the RW (was: JKR has updated her site today -- WEBSITE SPOILER!)

[Dave Hardenbrook]

No: HPFGUIDX 158306


Hickengruendler:

h> In reality, yes. However, as the first chapter in PS informs us, the 
h> story begins on a Tuesday. It is Tuesday evening, when Hagrid and 
h> Baby Harry finally arrive at Privet Drive (after having done who 
h> knows what ;-) ), therefore it was on a Monday, when James and Lily 
h> died. But I don't think it matters much. JKR quite obviously doesn't 
h> care for dates.

Dave:

That's Why I have always asserted that it is pointless to try to
assign definite RW dates to the events of the books, e.g. Harry was
born in 1980.  Things just don't work out -- full moons on the wrong
dates, anachronistic Playstations, etc., etc.  And now I think we can
add this as a further example.  I think the best we can do is talk in
terms of a "BCWE" ("Before Current Wizarding Epoch") and "CWE"
("Common Wizarding Epoch").  One might debate what event to use for
"Year 1", but for our purposes it would probably be Harry's birth.
So then for example Book 6 would take place in the years 17 - 18 CWE,
and Riddle first opened the CoS in, um -- 38 BCWE (Am I right?? --
Maybe to ease the arithmetic we could assume Wizards have a "Year 0"
even though Muggles don't...)

-- 
Dave

P.S. I think the only reason Nick's cake said he died in 1492 is
that's such a familiar date to people -- I think it's just as
likely that Nick has lost track of the exact year he died, and perhaps
has celebrated his "500th Deathday" for some years now...