Generosity

[Steve]

No: HPFGUIDX 56329

--- In HPforGrownups at yahoogroups.com, "Catlady (Rita Prince Winston)"
<catlady at w...> wrote:
> --- In HPforGrownups at yahoogroups.com, Dan "Danger Mouse" 
> <dangermousehq at h...> wrote:
> 
> > this post made me wonder why McGonagall would drop a huge amount
of money on a new racing broom for Harry ....

> Catlady:
> 
> We don't KNOW that McGonagall paid for the Nimbus 2000. She may have 
> gotten Dumbledore's permission to pay for it with money from Harry's 
> vault (I
> 
> Someone ... once suggested that Hogwarts pays for the first 
> Quidditch broomstick for each student who gets on their House team, 
> and buys them the best broomstick currently  available to the 
> general public. ...edited...
> 


bboy_mn:
The Broom-
First, we don't know that anybody actually GAVE the broom to Harry. It
might have been paid for with school money and was therefore the
school's broom. Harry may not have realized it, but it's possible when
he graduated, they were going to ask for the broom back.

Although, I can't deny the possibility that it was paid for out of
Harry's own bank account. He does take the broom home with him over
the summer. That wouldn't seem likely with a school owned broom. We
really don't know what the price of a broom is other than in PoA the
Firebolt is said to cost hundreds of Galleons (G100=£500=$800), so
$2,000 or $3,000 seems a conservative estimate.

As far as the suggestion, the student who make the team are bought the
best currently available broom, I doubt it. The Weasley twins broom
seem to be very out of date; Cleansweep Fives. The current version of
the Cleansweep series of brooms as of PS/SS is the model Seven, and
Cleansweeps don't seem to be racing brooms. They seem more like
general purpose brooms, although probably good general purpose brooms
since Wood suggests them as a possible broom for Harry.



> Catlady continues:
> 
> ... It has been suggested on list that they are trying to 
> teach Ron the lesson that he has to ASK for help. He could ask his 
> parents or his older brother Bill or his friend Harry, or if he 
> asked McGonagall, there might be a fund available for buying 
> replacement wands for students who broke theirs.
> 

bboy_mn:
That would be me, although I hope there are others who agree. I can't
believe that with all magic can do, there isn't some repair spell that
is better that spell-o-tape. Even if, way too proud for his own good
Ron had asked Hermione, she probably would have look up a repair spell
for him. But Ron just sucked it up, and tried to get by with what he
had. The Trio seem a little too independant for their own good, and
after the adventures of the year before, it could be that the teachers
thought 'asking for help' might be a very good lesson for them to
learn. Doesn't seem to have worked though.


> > Dan? said:
> >
> > And what about Harry, with his vaultful of Galleons? 
> 
> Harry knows how touchy Ron is about money and accepting gifts
...edited...

bboy_mn:

As everyone has pointed out, buying a wand isn't that easy. You have
to go their in person and be 'fitted' for the wand, so no neat little
package under the Christmas tree. Harry suggested to Ron that he write
home and ask his parents to buy him a new wand ($60 to $80), but Ron
was afraid of getting another Howler from his mother. 

When ever a situation occurs with any of the Weasley that emphasizes
their poverty, Harry, in narative, says to himself that he would
gladly share the money he has with the Weasleys, but he know none of
them would take it. Look at Fred and George at the end of GoF. Harry
had to struggle and threaten to get them to take the Tri-Wizards
money, and of all the Weasleys, I think the Twins would be easiest to
give money to. 

So I think, any thoughts of Harry buying Ron a wand are out of the
question. The only thing worse than being poor, is having you best
friend remind you that he is rich.

Just a thought.

bboy_mn