Rowling's purpose in life...

[Athena Appleton]

is to see just how many people she can drive to insanity.



okay, she said herself that Dumbledore is 150 years old. Then she said in GoF (through Hermione, who she's said she uses to spout out necessary information because it's believable that she'd know it) that all three of the heads of the three participating schools were injured in the last Triwizard Tournament, over 200 years ago.



DANG HER!!!!

[highsorcerer]

They are not contradictory. As recently as 50 years ago (HP Time), Dumbledore was not a headmaster; he was a transfiguration teacher (CoS makes it clear in the backstory sequence, revealed in Tom Riddle, Jr.'s diary).

Triwizard Tournaments are dangerous. The first task in GoF had dragons; and if one of them had gone rouge, it is very possible that bystanders (including headmasters) could have been injured.

[Alice I]

That's a good point highsorcerer.
I suppose that if all of the headmasters were hurt in the last one then it doesn't necessarily mean they themselves were competing but still would'nt that make the time frame even larger?

If DD was in the last turnoment or just watching that would still make him much older than 150 years since the last turmoment was over 200 years ago.

[Athena Appleton]

They are not contradictory. As recently as 50 years ago (HP Time), Dumbledore was not a headmaster; he was a transfiguration teacher (CoS makes it clear in the backstory sequence, revealed in Tom Riddle, Jr.'s diary).

honey, to suggest that he was anywhere 200 years ago, when he's only supposed to have been living on earth for the last 150 years, is contradictory.

[choki]

Dumbledore, Karkaroff, Maxime (sp?) were the last participants of Triwizard Tourament competition before it was cancelled?
I didn't know that...

[Ferrus]

I´m sorry Athen but here I´ve completely misswed the point: am I missing something when I point out that 200 years ago there might have been DIFFERENT heads of school than in the present day?

[Evil Wizard Petting Zoo]

OK, I am thuroughly confused. Anyone want to spell it out for me? And please don't hesitate to talk condesendingly!

[imc130d]

EWPZ:

If I'm reading the thread correctly, Athena believes (or believed at the time of posting, anyway) that when Hermione said that the heads of each of the three participating schools were injured in the last Triwizard Tournament -- over 200 years ago -- she was referring to the current heads of each of the three participating schools. Since this threesome includes Dumbledore, who is only 150 years old, there's a logical contradiction somewhere.

I don't have the books handy, but I don't remember there being a contradiction there... I'd guess Ferrus' post immediately before yours is correct, and that Hermione was referring to whoever the heads of the three schools were at the time. I'll double check the appropriate chapter later tonight unless someone else gets to it first.

[Athena Appleton]

well, it's when they're talking about who the judges will be, and Hermione says that the three heads were to be judges since they were all injured in the last one, over 200 years ago (she gives a year).

grrrr just a second, lemme go look...

okay, here we go...

"Who are the judges?" Harry asked.

"Well the Heads of the participating schools are always on the panel," said Hermione, and everyone looked around at her, rather surprised, "because all three of them were injured during the Tournament of 1792, when a cockatrice the champions were supposed to be catching went on a rampage."

So, no, it doesn't specifically say that Dumbledore, Maxime and Karkaroff were the three that got injured, but that's how I read it. I suppose it could be that the heads were automatically given the job of judging, and that tradition stuck around, because of the rampaging cockatrice in question...

[Alice I]

OK now with it spelled out I have to go with what Ferrus wrote.
The three that Hermione mentioned that were injured by the rampaging cockatrice were the heads at the time of that competition.

[Evil Wizard Petting Zoo]

Aite, I get it now, thanks! I agree with alice and ferrus, there would have to be different heads of schools that long ago. I wonder if it was Dippet that was injured by the cockatrice, JKR has always described him as skinny and frail.

[Dumbledores Master]

no dippet was head 50-60 years ago and could only have gotten the job about 40 years previous (he would have had to be quite good therefore old to get the job in the first place) this is just me using life span and common sense. Could I just clarify what we all think at the moment.

The heads who were injured were not Karkaroff,Maxime and Dumbledore but they are only on the panel because of tradition.

[Athena Appleton]

Well, what if Dippet was 150 years old 50 years ago (when he was headmaster) making him... ahhh... a baby, okay, nevermind.