random yet cool,

JKR is doing a thing with the Title 1 middle schools in my school district. Some small number of kids per selected school were chosen to go hear her speak and get a book signed, which I think is very cool. One school did an excellent job getting a good cross section of kids, even those who struggle with reading and the book to go (in other words, included the special education students, as well as the english language learners).

the line's the same in my Bloomsbury edition. I think perhaps it's just JKR's dodgy prose, rather than an edit.

Huh. I'd just assumed that the "soccer" was an edit, and wondered why they'd changed football to soccer in one sentence, but not the previous one.

I seem to recall that there's a bit somewhere later on where the same article of clothing is refered to as a jumper and a sweater within the same paragraph, but I haven't gotten to there yet. (Goblet of Fire seems to be the halfway point for the edits. The ones before that, they Americanize everything, even things that totally shouldn't be Americanized (like having the Weasley kids call their mother "Mom" rather than "Mum,") and the ones after seem to have a much lighter hand, sticking mostly to spelling and grammar differences and a few cultural reference type things that American kids would be totally lost at. This one is weirdly all over the place.)

What year is Deathly Hallows supposed to be set in? 1998?

Relatedly, at JK Rowling's site, Harry is Wizard of the Month for October, and his write up includes this bit of information:

The Boy Who Lived, only known survivor of the Avada Kedavra curse and conqueror of Lord Voldemort, also known as Tom Riddle. Harry Potter joined the reshuffled Auror Department under Kingsley Shacklebolt at age 17, rising to become Head of said department in 2007.

henh! that'll get lots of fic writers in a knot.

So much for that seventh year at Hogwarts.

Do I need to whitefont? I feel like I should whitefont.

You don't have to whitefont, because Gud is trying not to read when he posts. But if you feel better, I'll post my response in whitefont for you.

I don't think they are mutually exclusive. Harry Can still spend his seventh year at Hogwarts. After he graduates he's still 17 for about three months.

After he was supposed to graduate. He turns the age at the beginning of each book. Unless you mean he could have joined for those three months, gone back and finished school, then headed back to the Ministry.

Does Harry not turn 17 at the beginning of Deathly Hallows?

I'm such a potterhead. I just got an email notification from my high school reunion committee that someone with the last name Jordan just registered and my first thought was, "Lee Jordan?"

I guess I'm assuming too much that they would sort of CLEP-test Harry, Ron, and Hermione for their time away from Hogwarts that year.