Wizard economics (was Re: Neville and his parents / Lucius theories)

[annemehr]

No: HPFGUIDX 44506

--- In HPforGrownups at y..., "bugaloo37" <crussell at a...> wrote:
> --- In HPforGrownups at y..., rvotaw at i... wrote:
> ><snip>  Arthur frequently demonstrates that his family is worth
far 
> more to him 
> > than money.  As in a nice family trip rather than a vault filled 
> with gold.
> > 
> > Richelle
> 
> This may be off the thread that is being discussed here-but it does 
> contain some ideas concerning the Malfoys.  I know it has been 
> discussed many times before-that is the issue of where wizards get 
> their money- but I find it fascinating.  
<snip> 
> let's take the Weasleys-they are a pure-blood family -which means a 
> long line of wizards in their past-but they are most definitely 
> poverty-stricken.  They befriend muggle-borns like Hermione and
have 
> an admiration and/or fascination with muggles in general.  The 
> Potters are also a pure-blood family( James' side).  They
apparently 
> are quite wealthy.  

Now me:
Actually, I think the Potters were more middle-class, or just 
'comfortably well-off.'  In chapter four of PoA:

           Once Harry had refilled his money bag with gold Galleons,
         silver Sickles, and bronze Knuts from his vault at
Gringotts, 
         he had to exercise a lot of self-control not to spend the 
         whole lot at once.  He had to keep reminding himself that he
         had five years to go at Hogwarts[.]

He also restrained himself from buying the brand-new Firebolt because 
he had a perfectly good Nimbus 2000.  Contrast this with Lucius 
Malfoy's buying a whole team's worth of racing brooms to get his son 
on as seeker.

After all, if you piled up a middle-class family's assets in gold, it 
would still look like a pretty good-sized heap, wouldn't it?



bugaloo37:
> Then there are the 
> Malfoys-another pure-blood family with inherited wealth.  Are we to 
> assume that their means of inheriting this wealth was any 
> less "noble" than the Potters?  They despise muggles and muggle-
> borns.  They sided with Voldemort-til the kitchen got too hot. 
They 
> seem to go with whatever side is going to profit them the most.  
What 
> lesson are we supposed to be learning through these three families? 
 
> Are the Weasleys poor because they defend muggles?  If so, why are 
> the Potters wealthy?  Are the Malfoys wealthy through devious
means? 
 
> And the Potters wealth gained through more noble pursuits?  I know 
in 
> the case of the Malfoys and the Potters, that their wealth was 
> inherited-but that money had to be earned some way-so how was it 
> done?  If anyone has any theories concerning any of the above 
> questions-please fill me in.
> 
> bugaloo37-who knows that this line has probably been pursued before-
> she just wasn't paying attention.

Me again:
I see the Malfoys as *old money* -- which does not imply that Lucius 
is simply living off his inheritance; he certainly may well be adding 
to it, but not by simple theivery. In CoS, when Harry sees him in 
Nockturn Alley, he chides Mr. Borgin for suggensting the hand of
glory 
would be a good choice for Draco.  I think this is a bit ironic,
since 
I am sure he is amassing more wealth by illegal and immoral means,
yet 
common theivery is so beneath him!

As for the Weasleys, in ch. 36 of GoF, Molly tells Dumbledore that 
'it's Arthur's fondness for Muggles that has held him back at the 
Ministry all these years.'  So apparantly, they are raising their 
family on a smaller than normal Ministry salary because Arthur is not 
being promoted at all.  So yes, the Weasleys are poor because they 
defend muggles *and* Arthur holds a job in a place where this is 
looked down upon.

The Potters' source of income?  I'm thinking it is important to the 
future plot, so could be anything...

Finally, as to Wizard economics in general,  I see the wizards having 
a need for money because no one can do all magic.  They would 
specialize according to their talents.  Someone like Neville may open 
a wizard Apothecary, for instance, and then use the money to buy 
services which he could not do himself.  Then of course, everyone 
would need to pay for their supplies!  Which reminds me, I liked the 
theory expressed by someone earlier that things conjured up out of 
nothing eventually disappear.  Then the sauce Mrs. Weasley conjured 
into the pot would make the food taste good, and then disappear
before 
it could add any excess calories to your body!

annemehr