Discussion: Aging in the Wizarding World

[hpgoldenage_mod]

Time for our first discussion post. :)

What does canon tell us about aging in the wizarding world and what is your own head canon on the topic? Feel free to cite canon examples as well as reference fanworks, perhaps a favorite fic that matches your head canon or made you see aging in a whole new way.

Comments

[vaysh]

JK said in an interview from 2000: "Dumbledore is a hundred and fifty, and Professor McGonagall is a sprightly seventy. Wizards have a much longer life expectancy than Muggles." Later she changed Dumbledore's life dates to 1881-1996 (here: Wizard of the Month)

Canon seems to imply that the stronger a witch or wizard is magically, the longer her or his life-expectancy may be. I don't have actual proof or quotes for this, but it was always my impression.

The Black family is an interesting case, because despite being one of the oldest magical families in Britain, the Blacks generally don't have unusually long life-spans, see The Black Family tree. Certainly nobody of that family lived as long as Dumbledore who was 116 years old when he died (not a natural death, either). Sometimes, in fanfic, there is this notion that "purebloods" live longer than "half-bloods". The Black Family Tree clearly says that this is not true. (Obviously, really, because there is no difference, biologically and magically, between "purebloods" and "half-bloods".)

[sdkshelly.livejournal.com]

I always had the same impression somehow--about magical strength directly relating to age, but I have no idea where I got this impression. I always wondered too about Dumbledore's age--JKR clearly changed her mind about him and I know she's kind of weak on numbers regardless, but there was also that business with the Philosopher's Stone. Didn't he use it as well? Or am I completely misremembering? But that could sort of take him out of the running as far as using him as an example for how wizards and witches age.

[torino10154]

I don't think he used it himself.

Also, random aside, I think she also changed how old Minerva is maybe in the Pottermore update about her. I know initially her birthdate was closer to Tom Riddle's and now it's about ten years later. If she was 70 in the 90's, then she was born in the 20's. Now it's listed as 1935.

[birdsofshore]

That's really interesting, because my head canon for both Dumbledore and McGonagall is older than that. If wizards and witches live longer, I'd expect someone of 70 to be more like a 50 or 60 year old in Muggle society, and McGonagall definitely is characterised, to me, as an older woman of 70+. Does that make sense?

[torino10154]

See, hmm, regarding the pureblood thing, there are so many things to say. I personally have always felt it was more like inbreeding than strength. I probably compare it with dog breeding a bit more than is appropriate. LOL At the same time, we also know most families aren't really pure anyway.

Also, I was thinking how part of the deal with Voldemort choosing Harry was that they were both half-blood, unlike Neville but some of that is likely more just another way they are "twins". I just could have sworn there was more to it than that.