Timeline of the Wizarding World
The 1990s - Harry Potter at Hogwarts
The Nineties
The events
of the 1990s comprise the stories of the Harry Potter novels themselves.
The years in which these stories take place are not stated specifically
in the books but can be deduced from clues. The official timeline of the
stories, as found on the Chamber of Secrets DVD second disk, uses the dates
of the 1990s for these events, and it is from the "real" calendars of those
years that I have derived many of the dates and days of the week indicated
here. Some days and dates are specified in the books, others are approximated
or deduced. However, the days and dates given in the books do not match
any existing "real" calendar -- in fact, some dates are simply impossible,
such as books where two Mondays happen in a row.
Y10 (1990) M=30 BW=20 CW=17 PW=14 FGW=12 HG=11 HR=10 GW=9 LM=36June
Slytherin wins both the Quidditch and the House Cups.
c. June 23
Aunt Marge comes to Dudley's 10th birthday party
She brings Ripper, her favorite bulldog. Harry accidentally steps on Ripper's tail and the dog "trees" him. Marge finally calls the dog off around midnight.
When Marge comes to visit during the summer of Y13, Harry remembers past incidents:"On her last visit, the year before Harry started at Hogwarts, Harry had accidentally trodden on the tail of her favorite dog. Ripper had chased Harry out into the garden and up a tree, and Aunt Marge had refused to call him off until past midnight. The memory of this incident still brought tears of laughter to Dudley's eyes."Harry recalls this event in his Occlumency lessons."He was nine, and Ripper the bulldog was chasing him up a tree and the Dursleys were laughing below on the lawn..."He was nine because his own tenth birthday was still a month away.The date is approximate because although we do know the date of Dudley's birthday, we don't know for certain that the party happened on that exact day.
July 31
1990September
The Gryffindor Quidditch team is particularly poor this year. Wood is in his fourth year, while Charlie Weasley is in his seventh and is Quidditch Captain. On the other hand, the rest of the team are second years, so perhaps it's just a matter of their being inexperienced. The team consisted of:We don't know for sure which years Charlie was Captain of Quidditch, but it seems likely that we was Captain in his seventh year and possibly one or two years before that as well. We aren't told why this team was so poor, since they have a superb Keeper and a Seeker who could have played for England, but McGonagall says of them a year later:
- Charlie Weasley - seventh year, Seeker, Captain
- Oliver Wood - fourth year, Keeper
- Angelina Johnson - second year, Chaser
- Alicia Spinnet - second year, Chaser
- unknown third Chaser - possibly seventh year since she isn't back in the 1991-1992 season
- Fred Weasley - second year, Beater
- George Weasley - second year, Beater
"Heaven knows, we need a better team than last year. Flattened in that last match by Slytherin, I couldn't look Severus Snape in the face for weeks..." (PS9)We are also not told why Fred and George would have been familiar with Wood's pre-game speeches at the beginning of the 1991-1992 season when he wasn't the Captain this year. While this isn't an error exactly, it does suggest that Rowling wrote these passages without realizing that the facts wouldn't fit together very well.
Y11 (1991) M=31 BW=21 CW=18 PW=15 FGW=13 HG=12 HR=11 GW=10 LM=37June
Charlie Weasley sits his NEWTs and leaves school.
Slytherin wins both the Quidditch and the House Cups. They "flattened" Gryffindor in the final match.early summerSaturday, June 23
This is a Saturday according to the book. It comes approximately one month before Harry's birthday. That morning, Dudley receives a video camera for his birthday:"At that moment the telephone rang and Aunt Petunia went to answer it while Harry and Uncle Vernon watched Dudley unwrap the racing bike, a video camera..." (PS2)After the zoo incident on Dudley's birthday, Harry is confined to his cupboard for a few weeks. By the end of that period, the video camera is broken:"By the time he was allowed out of his cupboard again, the summer holidays had started and Dudley had already broken his new video camera..." (PS3)Just before Harry's birthday, on the 24th of July, Harry receives a letter addressed to him in his cupboard under the stairs. Uncle Vernon moves Harry to Dudley's second bedroom upstairs, where Harry sees the video camera and we learn that Dudley's birthday was a month ago:"Nearly everything in here was broken. The month-old video camera was lying on top of a small, working tank..." (PS3)We know from the book that July the 24th was a Tuesday. The Saturday approximately one month before Tuesday, July 24, would be Saturday, June 23. So we know that Dudley's birthday is June 23. Like most dates in the books, this doesn't correspond to the dates in any particular "real life" calendar.DAY-BY-DAY CALENDAR FROM JULY 1991 THROUGH JULY 1992
July
c. July 24 Presumably, Percy gets his letter informing him that he's been made a Prefect.
This assumes that Hogwarts letters to new students go out at the same time as those to returning students.July 24 - 30 - letters begin arriving via owl post to invite Harry to Hogwarts.
The dates are determined by counting back from the established date of July 31 for Harry's birthday.We are told the days on which these dates fall:
Monday. This reminded Harry of something. If it was Monday -- and you could usually count on Dudley to know the days the week, because of television -- then tomorrow, Tuesday, was Harry's eleventh birthday.In the "real" 1991, however, July 31 fell on a Wednesday.July 31
Harry's 11th Birthday
How do we know that Harry was born on July 31? This has been established in many places in the books, perhaps most importantly in Dumbledore's discussion of the Prophecy in OP. However, we can first determine this from PS8:
In the Daily Prophet, Harry reads:"GRINGOTTS BREAK-IN LATEST -- Investigations continue into the break-in at Gringotts on 31 July..."He reacts in surprise:"Hagrid!" said Harry, "that Gringotts break-in happened on my birthday! It might've been happening while we were there!"
July 31, just after midnight - Hagrid arrives at the Hut on the RockJuly 31
August
Hagrid retrieves the Philosopher's Stone from the Gringotts' high security vaults.
Harry meets Draco Malfoy for the first time in Madam Malkin's Robes for All Occasions.
Hagrid buys Hedwig as a birthday present for Harry
Sunday, September 1Like nearly everything Ron owned, Scabbers the rat was secondhand (he had once belonged to Ron's brother Percy) and a bit battered. (PA4)From this comment by Ron on the Hogwarts Express that September, it would seem that Ron received Scabbers from Percy when Percy was given his owl upon being made Prefect. Assuming that Ron and his brothers received their Hogwarts letters at the same time that Harry would have received his, had Uncle Vernon not intervened, then we know that Percy was made Prefect on July 24. Sometime after that, Molly and Arthur bought Percy his new owl, Hermes. This may very well have been when the Weasleys came to Diagon Alley to buy their school things."His name's Scabbers and he's useless, he hardly ever wakes up. Percy got an owl from my dad for being made a prefect, but they couldn't aff -- I mean, I got Scabbers instead."
Voldemort, disappointed by Quirrell's inability to steal the Stone, decides to inhabit him. Quirrell begins wearing a turban to hide Voldemort's face, which is sticking out of the back of Quirrell's head.
Uncle Vernon and Aunt Petunia treat Harry as if he doesn't exist.
"Harry's last month with the Dursleys wasn't fun. True, Dudley was now so scared of Harry he wouldn't stay in the same room, while Aunt Petunia and Uncle Vernon didn't shut Harry in his cupboard, force him to do anything, or shout at him -- in fact, they didn't speak to him at all. Half terrified, half furious, they acted as though any chair with Harry in it were empty." (PS6)Thursday, September 12
They catch the Hogwarts Express at 11 am at King's Cross Station, then travel until evening to Hogwarts.
Harry meets Ron and Hermione on the train. Ron becomes his friend. (PS6)Dudley Dursley undergoes surgery for the removal of a pig's tail from his rather large behind
"Why are you going to London?" Harry asked, trying to keep things friendly.The day of the week is assumed from the fact that the next day, September 2, when classes start at Hogwarts, it is a Monday.
"Taking Dudley to the hospital," growled Uncle Vernon. "Got to have that ruddy tail removed before he goes to Smeltings."Gryffindors and Slytherins have their first flying lessonOctober 31
This happens on the second Thursday of the school term."...they spotted a notice pinned up in the Gryffindor common room that made them all groan. Flying lessons would be starting on Thursday..."Date can be determined from the fact that this is the Thursday of the second week of school, which must logically be the 12th, since classes started on the 2nd.
How do we know that this is the Thursday of the second week? Because when Harry is following McGonagall away from his flying lesson, he is afraid that he will be expelled. He thinks to himself:"Now he'd done it. He hadn't even lasted two weeks."However, when Fred and George hear about this, they say:"I tell you, we're going to win that Quidditch cup for sure this year...We haven't won since Charlie left, but this year's team is going to be brilliant."According to Rowling's statement that Charlie is three years older than Percy, Charlie just left two months before. There's been no time for them not to have won "since Charlie left." They haven't PLAYED since Charlie left. Again, this is an error in the text.December 25
The feast is interrupted by a Mountain Troll who almost kills Hermione Granger; she is saved by Harry and Ron, after which they become friends
We have already seen that we can't trust the "real" calendar to give us the days of the week when we know the date, but just for interest sake, Halloween in 1991 was on a Thursday. The Gryffindor first years had Charms that morning and learned the Wingardium Leviosa spell.
On the official timeline, this is in 1991. Christmas in 1991 was on a Wednesday.
Y12 (1992) M=32 BW=22 CW=19 PW=16 FGW=14 HG=13 HR=12 GW=11 LM=38
c. late Aprilc. Saturday, May 9
The calendar lists this date as April 24, but all we really know is that it is a few weeks before exams and that the weather gave the first hint of summer coming.early June
Derived from the estimated date of Norbert's hatching.a few days later
The dates of this event are contingent on the dates of exams in Harry's first year. We are given dates for exams in books two and three--the first week of June--but that doesn't seem to be a hard and fast rule The calendar for this book gives the date as June 4, based on the exam dates in the other books, but here on the timeline we'll play it a bit safer and just go with "early June."July 31early summer
The Dursleys hold a dinner party for the Masons which is disrupted by a falling violet pudding.
Harry is sent a warning letter from the Ministry, reminding him that he is not allowed to do magic outside of school. (CS1, CS2)early August
September 1
This is very likely the night of August 3, three days after Harry's birthday. He arrives at the Burrow on the morning of August 4.September
October 31
This time the Chamber is opened by Ginny Weasley under the influence of Tom Riddle by means of his diary.
Harry first hears the voice of the Basilisk during his detention with Lockhart. This is about a week into the school year, so it didn't take Riddle long to force Ginny to open the Chamber.November 8
If we go by the calendar of this year according to the official timeline, Halloween is on a Saturday.December 18December 25
They learn that Malfoy is NOT the heir of Slytherin. Hermione is victim of an incomplete transfiguration and goes to the Hospital Wing for the next month
She spends the next month in the hospital wing
after June, 1992Nicolas and Perenelle Flamel die after a long, long life
Y13 (1993) M=33 BW=23 CW=20 PW=17 FGW=15 HG=14 HR=13 GW=12 LM=39May 8Dolores Umbridge crafts anti-werewolf legislation which makes it almost impossible for Lupin to get a job (OP14)
May 24May 29May 30JuneDobby the house-elf is freed from service to the Malfoy family
Gryffindor wins the House Cup. No Quidditch Cup is awarded.summer
summer (July/August)c. July 30
The Weasley family spends a month in Egypt, visiting Bill.
They leave a week before Harry's birthday and stay until the week before the end of holidays. They are gone the last week of July and the first three weeks of August.
Very likely the escape happened within a day or two of Harry's birthday, since it shows up on the morning news on the 31st. Black saw the photo of the Weasleys during that previous week, on a copy of the Daily Prophet Fudge was finished reading. This particular photo had appeared a week before Harry's birthday, which would be on the 24th. Fudge wouldn't be carrying a paper more than a day old, so Black would have proabably seen the picture on that actual day. Given reasonable time for all this to occur, it works out logically that he worried frantically about what to do to protect Harry for several days, was heard moaning "He's at Hogwarts" in his sleep as he agonized over the situation, then finally escaped on the 29th or 30th.July 31
August 7August 7 - August 30
The Knight Bus picks him up in Magnolia Crescent and drops him off at the Leaky Cauldron.August 31
Harry meets Hermione and Ron in Diagon Alley.September 1
They are all staying at the Leaky Cauldron. Hermione buys Crookshanks.The Gryffindor Quidditch team is looking very promising this year.
Wood says that "Gryffindor hasn't won for seven years now." His is taking into account the fact that no Cup was awarded last year when he says this (so that it agrees with other such comments in the book, quoted below). The last time Gryffindor won the Quidditch Cup, then was the 1983-1984 season.This year's team consists of:
During Harry's first year, the following comment is made:
- Oliver Wood, seventh year, Keeper, Captain
- Angelina Johnson, fifth year, Chaser
- Alicia Spinnet, fifth year, Chaser
- Fred Weasley, fifth year, Beater
- George Weasley, fifth year, Beater
- Harry Potter, third year, Seeker
- Katie Bell, fourth year, Chaser
If they won their next match, against Hufflepuff, they would overtake Slytherin in the house championship for the first time in seven years...As the match drew nearer, however, Harry became more and more nervous, whatever he told Ron and Hermione. The rest of the team wasn't too calm, either. The idea of overtaking Slytherin in the house championship was wonderful, no one had done it for seven years, but would they be allowed to, with such a biased referee?
Y14 (1994) M=34 BW=24 CW=21 PW=18 FGW=16 HG=15 HR=14 GW=13 LM=40April 20hearing - Committee for the Disposal of Dangerous Creatures considers the fate of the hippogriff BuckbeakJune 6June 6at sundown, Buckbeak is scheduled to be executed; Sirius Black is captured that evening and narrowly escapes suffering the Dementor's Kiss by riding to freedom on BuckbeakJune
Gryffindor wins both the Quidditch and the House Cups.summer
July 31
Harry Potter's 14th birthday
early Saturday, August 20Monday, August 22
Tuesday, August 23Monday, September 1Harry and his friends travel to Hogwarts aboard the Hogwarts Express.Monday, September 2
We know that they travel to Hogwarts on a Monday because the evening before is identified as a Sunday:"'It's been an absolute uproar,' Percy told them importantly the Sunday evening before they were due to return to Hogwarts." (GF11)It's clear from the story that the rest of the events described of that night are taking place the evening before they leave.Classes beginOctober 30
We know that this is also a Monday from this reference at breakfast that day:"'Today's not bad.. . outside all morning,' said Ron, who was running his finger down the Monday column of his schedule." (GF13)October 31Saturday, November 21Tuesday, November 24December 25
Y15 (1995) M=35 BW=25 CW=22 PW=19 FGW=17 HG=16 HRH=15 GW=14 LM=41
February 24, 9:30 AMJune 24, at duskJune
No Quidditch Cup awarded, no mention of who won the House Cup.SummerJuly 31
Harry Potter's 15th birthday; he receives Honeydukes chocolate from Ron and Hermione, but throws it away unopened out of frustration with his situation (OP1).August 2
At some point during the day, Dudley Dursley beats up 10-year-old neighbour Mark Evans for "cheek" (OP1).Dudley taunts Harry about his nightmares. Dementors attack Dudley and Harry; Harry drives them off with a Patronus Charm (OP1).August 6
Mrs. Figg reveals her identity to Harry; Mundungus Fletcher arrives and is sent to report to Dumbledore. The Improper Use of Magic Office atttempt to expel Harry from Hogwarts, but Dumbledore arrives at the Ministry and forces them to comply with the letter of the law (OP2).The Dursleys depart for what they believe to be the prize-giving of the All-England Best-Kept Suburban Lawn Competition.August 7
The Advance Guard - "Mad-Eye" Moody, Remus Lupin, Nymphadora Tonks, Kingsley Shacklebolt, Elphias Doge, Dedalus Diggle, Emmeline Vance, Sturgis Podmore, and Hestia Jones - arrive in Privet Drive to escort Harry to Grimmauld Place (OP3).
Later that night, Harry dreams about studying weapons in Care of Magical Creatures (OP6).Mundungus Fletcher attempts to stash some dodgy cauldrons at Grimmauld Place (OP6).Thursday, August 12Harry's disciplinary hearing in old Courtroom 10; he sees the Department of Mysteries corridor in the waking world for the first time.August 30
- 0530 Harry wakes up (OP7).
- 0600 Dumbledore 'by a lucky mistake' arrives at the Ministry, three hours before the scheduled time of 0900 (OP8).
- 0800 Harry's disciplinary hearing begins in old Courtroom 10, the time and venue having been changed without his receiving notification (OP8).
- Harry empties his moneybag into the Fountain of Magical Brethren after his acquittal.
The Ministry of Magic passes Educational Decree 22.August 31Ron and Hermione receive notification about their appointment as new prefects. Molly Weasley buys Ron's Cleansweep 11. Harry first sees Moody's old photograph of the 1970s Order of the Phoenix. Harry, Lupin, and Moody learn about Molly's boggart (OP9).September 1Monday, September 2Classes begin.Tuesday, September 3
Ron confronts Cho Chang about the Tutshill Tornados, after which Hermione tells him off (OP12). From this point on, Hermione tends to drag Ron out of the way when Cho wants to talk with Harry.
Harry is given a week's worth of detentions by Umbridge and a biscuit by McGonagall (OP12).
Hermione stops most of Fred and George's testing by putting them on notice that she'll report them to their mother otherwise. She also starts planting clothes in Gryffindor Tower for house-elves (OP13).Harry gets public support from Luna Lovegood and Ernie Macmillan, while Angelina appears to be channeling Oliver Wood's spirit. At 5 p.m., Harry's first detention with Umbridge begins (OP13).Wednesday, September 4At 5 p.m., Harry's second detention with Umbridge begins (OP13).Thursday, September 5At 5 p.m., Harry's third detention with Umbridge begins, ending about 2 hours later. Harry encounters Ron, who learns the full truth about the detentions as Harry learns about Ron's private Keeper practices (OP13).Friday, September 6At 5 p.m., both the Gryffindor Keeper tryouts and Harry's fourth detention with Umbridge begin, the latter lasting until after nightfall. Ron Weasley is selected as Gryffindor's Keeper (OP13).
Y16 (1996) M=36 BW=26 CW=23 PW=20 FGW=18 HG=17 HR=16 GW=15 LM=42
Saturday, February 14Harry's first date with Cho Chang (the complete fiasco), followed by Rita's interview of Harry for The Quibbler (OP25).JuneThe Battle of the Department of Mysteries. Sirius Black is killed, and Fudge is forced to admit that Voldemort has indeed returned. Dumbledore reveals to Harry the contents of Trelawney's first prediction.June
Gryffindor wins the Quidditch Cup. No mention of who wins the House Cup, but it probably wasn't GryffindorJuly - first couple of weeks
The Second War begins. It's a busy two weeks (HBP1, HBP2):July - week three
- Voldemort demands that Fudge step aside and let him take over or there will be a mass Muggle killing. When Fudge refuses, the Brockdale Bridge is destroyed, sending a dozen cars into the river below.
- Amelia Bones, Head of Magical Law Enforcement, is killed, apparently by Voldemort himself
- Emmeline Vance, a member of the Order of the Phoenix, is killed by Death Eaters just around the corner from Number 10 Downing Street
- much destruction in Somerset is reported, leading the Muggles to suspect a hurricane, although it was probably the work of giants working for Voldemort
- Dementors are running amok in Britain and are breeding, which has caused unusually cool weather and persistent mist across the country
- Cornelius Fudge is sacked and Rufus Scrimgeour, Head of the Aurors, takes his place.
- A Junior Minister in the Muggle government, Herbert Chorley, has a bad reaction to an Imperius Curse. The Muggles think he's just gone a bit funny, since he thinks he's a duck, but he is spirited away to St Mungo's.
- Kingsley Shacklebolt take a position as a secretary to the Muggle Prime Minister to guard him.
- Fudge visits the Muggle Prime Minister and introduces the him to Scrimgeour.
- Voldemort is furious with the failure of his Death Eaters to retrieve the Prophecy. He recruits Draco Malfoy as a Death Eater and assigns him the task of killing Dumbledore, at least in part to punish Lucius for failing, since Draco will almost certainly be killed
- Narcissa Malfoy, followed by her sister Bellatrix, visit Severus Snape in his house on Spinner's End and get him to take the Unbreakable Vow that he will protect Draco, that he will help him, and if necessary, kill Dumbledore for him.
- Harry spends two weeks at number four, Privet Drive
Dumbledore visits Privet Drive and takes Harry away. They visit Horace Slughorn on the way to the Burrow. Slughorn agrees to join the staff at Hogwarts (HBP3, HBP4)
