Wizarding aristocracy (rather long)

[Ebony]

No: HPFGUIDX 9793

I wrote:
> > What do you read between the lines?  Most of the Hogwarts kids 
seem to have come from solidly middle class backgrounds.  Well, I 
work with kids in a city where an estimated 50% of families live 
below the poverty line... and I don't mean the Weasleys.  Would such 
kids in England get letters from Hogwarts, if they had magical 
ability?  What if they had no home for the letters to be sent to?  
What if their parents could not afford the books/robes/wand?  Are 
there funds available?  Or is this kid, magical though they might be, 
just out of luck?
> >

Ender responded:
> That would make an interesting story line.  A homeless child gets a 
letter from Hogwarts.  Does Hogwarts have scholarships? And what 
about tuition? Obviously students have to find some way to afford 
uniforms and school supplies, but has any mention of tuition ever 
been made?  Is Hogwarts a "public" school?  And being a starving grad 
student myself, I wonder if the Ministry of Magic offers financial 
aid loans.  Actually I wonder a lot of things about Harry's 
world...It keeps my mind busy, off the streets and out of trouble.
> 

Welcome to the list, Ender--are you an Orson Scott Card fan?  I've 
just begun to read his work after enjoying several creative writing 
resources of his, and everything I've read, I've enjoyed immensely.  
I've read Pastwatch and all of the Alvin Maker tales, but have yet to 
begin the Ender novels or the Homecoming series.

I agree that the homeless child scenario is interesting to 
contemplate (ahem, fanfic writers!).  I don't think Hogwarts is 
funded by tuition.  My guess would be that it is very closely tied to 
the Ministry of Magic.  In fact, one problem of contemplating post-
Hogwarts scenarios is that most of the adults we've met so far seem 
to work (as Marvin has stated) for either Hogwarts or the MOM.  I 
think this is because of the narrowness of Harry's lens as POV 
character--we don't see things he isn't interested in.

Which makes me wonder what the books would be like if they were told 
from Hermione's POV.  We'd get a lot less Quidditch action, but she'd 
probably note just about *everything* we have contemplated here on 
list.  The books would be a lot more detailed, but a lot less fun... 
after all, isn't the joy of discovering new aspects of this world 
through Harry's eyes the reason we're all gathered here?

--Ebony