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

[hickengruendler]

No: HPFGUIDX 158311

 
> 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...

Hickengruendler:

We do however have another definite date by now, even though it 
appears outside of the books. On the Black family tree, Draco's 
birthyear is given as 1980, meaning that's Harry's birthyear as well. 
Obviously it doesn't fit will several details, but no year fits. And 
what especially doesn't fit, is that both in GoF and OotP September 
1st is on a Monday. Jo just doesn't pay attention to this. That's why 
I tend to see the year 1980 as Canon while overlooking the 
inconsistencies.
>