Your Weight in Galleons or Tuition

[finwitch]

No: HPFGUIDX 33010

--- In HPforGrownups at y..., Whirdy at a... wrote:
> I think we should factor in the Gringott Bank which is undoubtedly 
chaired by 
> the one and only Alan Greengoblin, who assumes the power to set the 
prime 
> rate.  Since it is the only bank in the wizarding world, it can put 
in as 
> little or as much gold as they wish into a galleon, since all you 
can 
> exchange for is sickles or knuts.

In a world where volume and mass are are easily controlled by magic? 
Easy enough for money-bags, trunks, cauldrons etc. to contain any 
amount of things...

A Galleon has a value - 17 sickles or 1/7 of the price of an 
Ollivander wand (I think that there ARE other wand-makers, but 
Ollivander's are the best and the most expensive).

I also think that Galleon's value (as well as Sickles and Knuts) - 
stay the same.
 
> 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.

Change it back? What on earth for? She'll be using wizard-money again 
soon enough anyway, to buy her books at least. Not changing would 
even save a bit of her money (because the change-rate is favourable 
to the Goblins, of course). And she DOES use wizard-money during the 
summer: Harry's birthday-presents, using a post-owl (for a few 
knuts?) to communicate with her friends, paying for the Daily 
Prophet... No, she does not change it back.

Her parents give her allowance in Muggle Money, of course - she may 
use some in Muggle shops and change some in Gringotts to visit 
Wizardshops...
 
> This leads to another money questions -- Has the question of 
tuition cost be 
> broached?

I guess there is some, since the students live and eat on school-
grounds, possibly 1-10 Galleons per student per term.

>  We see that students must provide their own potion ingredients.

And other school-things, too.

> What is the source of funding for teachers' salaries or wages.

Small tuitions, base-money of the four founders, possibly some from 
the Ministry of Wizard Education...

Does Filch 
> run the school store if only to keep down the break-ins of Snape's 
office.

Think not - students 3rd class and up can visit Hogsmeade, the 
younger ones must have all their ingredients bought from Diagon Alley 
even as their books (but the older students can shop for them). I 
suppose a student could well buy them from Snape. (Not Filch!)

> Does Hogwarts provide scholarships? academic or quidditch?

No, I don't think they provide scholarships, but that prefects 
recieve some payment (along with the mark) for their assistance, and 
the Head Boy and Head Girl a bit higher sum, too. (So that Percy 
could get Hermes...)

I think that Fred&George made money by selling their Weazers - and by 
buying and selling things from Hogsmeade to the younger students who 
aren't allowed in...