As to #2, the age obstacle is there, but it's definitley an obstacle. I've lost most of my age hang-ups about who should be allowed to marry whom age-wise, as long as they're well-matched and have a stable relationship that they're both committed to. The age question is raised by how much or little they have in common. Should "young girls" in general marry "older men"? Depends on the young girl and the older man. And last I knew, someone who is, at the very youngest, 22 (has to be at least seven years older than Harry), is a woman.