Galleons - genetics vs environment

[joanne0012]

No: HPFGUIDX 33003

--- In HPforGrownups at y..., "Amy Z" <aiz24 at h...> wrote:
> >Joanne wrote:
> 
> >according to the Lexicon (1 galleon is worth a bit over $7 US), the
> >current price of gold ($278 per ounce),  and my rough calculations, 1000
> >galleons would weigh over  25 pounds.
> 
> I just love it when someone on the list brings up a question that's been on 
> my mind!  I was trying to calculate the weight of 1000 galleons just the 
> other day.
> 
> Maybe a galleon isn't solid gold, but just a gold-plated coin.  People would 
> still refer to it as gold in that case, as they do.
> 
> If a galleon is the size and weight of a U.S. quarter, 1000 of them wouldn't 
> be that heavy (think of a bag with 25 filled quarter rolls in it--heavy but 
> easily carried).  However, I think a galleon must be quite large, though, 
> larger in diameter than any British Muggle coin, since Mr. Roberts refers to 
> them as "the size of hubcaps" (GF 7).

I think the coins Roberts was referring to were non-British wizard coins, or 
perhaps even non-British muggle coins, since we have seen Harry and other 
wizards put galleons in their pockets.

Thank goodness JKR didn't take me up on my offer to do her sums -- my error 
above is that the 1000 galleons of pure gold would weigh 25 OUNCES, not 
pounds!!  Ten US quarters weigh 52 grams (I've got my eBay scale right here by 
the computer), so 1000 would weigh 5200 grams, which is about 11 pounds.  And 
if they were about the size of US pennies, cut that in half.  Perfectly plausible.  
So sorry about the earlier error.

--- In HPforGrownups at y..., Whirdy at a... wrote:
> However, we know the Grangers have traded their muggle money for wizarding 
> money.  Does Hermione do the reverse at the end of the year and how do they 
> provide her allowance (as good muggle parents do) throughout the year.

Since Harry brings his whole year's money with him, perhaps Hermione does, too.  
Or her parents got all the funds at once during the summer and dole them out, 
via owls, over the year.  I don't recall any mention of a school store so perhaps 
the kids have no place to spend money except Hogsmeade visits.  I expect 
Hermone would not bother re-exchanging any leftover funds in June, only to have 
to re-convert again before school starts.
> 
> This leads to another money questions -- Has the question of tuition cost be 
> broached?  We see that students must provide their own potion ingredients.  
> What is the source of funding for teachers' salaries or wages.  Does Filch 
> run the school store if only to keep down the break-ins of Snape's office.  
> Does Hogwarts provide scholarships? academic or quidditch?

The only mention of tuitions has been Uncle Vernon's assumption that there 
would be a fee, and reassurance from Hagrid that it's been "taken care of".  We 
can't extrapolate from that whether this is especially for Harry, or whether 
Hogwarts is completely subsidized by the wizarding community, like  a free 
commmunity college.  Even the Lexicon doesn't have much to say on this:  
http://www.i2k.com/~svderark/lexicon/faq/hogwarts.html

--- In HPforGrownups at y..., "southernscotland" <southernscotland at y...> wrote:

> As we all know, Harry was raised abysmally, without love, attention, 
> or the care someone would give a pet dog. How on EARTH has he turned 
> out as well as he has? No one has mentored him; no one has taught him 
> right from wrong; no one has given him any positive attention about 
> anything. By all rights, he should be royally messed-up. I mean 
> REALLY messed up. But he isn't. 
> 
> WHY is he such a nice boy, when everything was stacked against him 
> all during his formative years (besides, of course, that's the way 
> the author wants him)? Any opinions? I've never understood this.

With all of JKR's emphasis on the importance of choices, I doubt that she'd place 
responsibility here on some superior genes of Harry's.  More likely, those first 
15 months with his mom helped give him a sense of security and confidence in 
his own judgment.