How long has Professor Binns been around? Was Re: Fawkes:

[saraquel_omphale]

No: HPFGUIDX 171462


> --- In HPforGrownups at yahoogroups.com, "nerdie55" <nerdie55@>
> wrote:
> >
> > The phoenix is reborn from its ashes over and over again.
> > Fawkes must be tremendously old, perhaps Godric Gryffindor
> > was the original owner and the phoenix may be older still.
> > If so, Fawkes has memories that go back ages and that may
> > help Harry.

Saraquel writes:
Hi, back again after a very long gap, good to see some familiar 
names - no doubt much more faithful than me!!

After reading this post, I remembered wondering how old Professor 
Binns was.  Florean Fortesque has been kidnapped by death eaters we 
presume, and his speciality was history.  Perhaps it points to a 
possible plot necessity, which may or may not be focussed around the 
goblin rebellions of the 17th century :-) It occured to me that 
Binns could potentially be centuries old and therefore be a source 
of historical information.  Fawkes has gone AWOL at present, but 
presumably Binns will still be droning on to an empty classroom if 
Hogwarts doesn't resume and is therefore easily accesible.

Saraquel
who is currently working on my predictions....