Wizards from Infancy to Old Age

Infants

• magic quill at Hogwarts notes the birth of a magical child and his or her name goes on list for Hogwarts
• magic not always apparent in a child
• can be born a Squib but this might not be known for several for years
• can be born to Muggles

Children

• Even small children can use wands to create magic, but it’s uncontrolled.
• Fred and George once turned Ron’s teddy bear into a spider (CS9)
• Kevin enlarged a slug while playing with his dad’s wand, but got in trouble for it (GF7)
• play with toys which have limited magic, such as toy brooms that float a little above the ground (GF7)
• no “elementary school” specifically for wizarding children; some attend Muggle schools, others are home schooled (WBD)
• During Harry’s first year, Ginny was not yet old enough to go to Hogwarts, but desperately wanted to (PS6)
• a Muggle family will start to realize that there is something unusual about their child if he or she is magical

School age

• receive letter before their first year, typically the summer that they’re eleven, since they must be 11 years old as of September 1
• trained Muggle liaison witches and wizards deliver the letter to Muggle families
• begin schooling with little actual magical understanding or ability (Harry found that he was not really far behind when he got there)
• sorted, take classes at Hogwarts
• are not allowed to use magic outside of school or even in the corridors between classes at Hogwarts
• seven years of training
• OWLs and career advice in May-June of their fifth year
• more specialized classes chosen to help toward their career in sixth and seventh years
• NEWTs in June of their seventh year
• become “of age” when they turn seventeen, even if they are still in school
• All children who are not Squibs are sent invitations to attend Hogwarts, but they don’t all accept
• It is possible to be expelled from Hogwarts and never finish the training to become “fully qualified wizard”
• it is also possible to quit before the full seven years are done
• Fred and George left school part way through their seventh year (OP29)
• Seamus Finnigan’s mother didn’t want him to return to Hogwarts for his fifth year (OP11)
• Draco Malfoy’s father considered sending him to Durmstrang — he didn’t say whether this was a decision made before Draco first started or after some years passed (GF11)
• Hagrid was expelled from Hogwarts at the end of his third year

NOTE: they do not “graduate” from school, they “leave” school; “high school graduation” is an American phrase

Adulthood

• Upon leaving Hogwarts, witches and wizards are considered “fully qualified”. This is not the same as being “of age,” which is simply a matter of turning 17; seventh year students are often “of age” even though they haven’t become fully qualified (OP5).
• can apply for a license to Apparate when they turn seventeen and come of age (even if they haven’t left school)
• take up a vocation
• There is no wizard university (Sch1).

Old Age

• Wizards can live longer than Muggles.
• Dumbledore is about 150 and McGonagall is a “sprightly 70” (Sch2)
• Madam Marchbanks is even older, since she tested Dumbledore in his N.E.W.T.s