How wealthy is Harry Potter? (was Re: Ron's Jealousyof Harry...)

[Penny & Bryce Linsenmayer]

No: HPFGUIDX 16645

Hi --

Neil Ward wrote:

> Penny commented:
>
> <<<[side note: Rita -- this is JKR referring to the Potter wealth as a
>
> "small fortune" -- it seems you challenged last weekend that it might
> be a large fortune.  All a matter of perspective, but JKR does
> describe it here as a "small" fortune]>>>
>
> Interesting.  Perhaps this is a problem with UK to US translation:  In
>
> British English, "a small fortune" can, and usually does, mean a very
> large fortune, not, as might be assumed, a modest fortune.
> Admittedly, it's a rather confusing use of the word "small," but it is
> an emphatic use, and I think JKR intended that phrase to mean that
> Harry was left a massive amount of money.

I stand corrected!!  :--)  I too have usually taken "small fortune" to
mean a rather large sum of money.  My point really was with Rita's
nitpicky post that engendered so much debate of late.  I was merely
pointing out that Echo (I think?) was usually the literal language that
JKR used.

Penny



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