Questions: Dumbledore as student, other magic schools, Potter money, Muggle money exchange

[annemehr <annemehr@yahoo.com>]

No: HPFGUIDX 49538

--- In HPforGrownups at yahoogroups.com, "Taryn Kimel" <amani at c...> 
wrote:

<snip most of the questions as they seem to be well answered!>
 
> Melissa:
> 4) That's got me thinking, how do wizard children born to Muggle 
families get any money to spend in Diagon Alley and at Hogsmeade?  Is 
there some sort of Muggle/wizard currency-exchange service?  Would 
wizards have any use whatsoever for Muggle money?  Ron has never seen 
Muggle money, so that suggests it can't be used in the WW.
> 
> "But you're muggles!" said Mr. Weasely delightedly. "We must have a 
drink! What's that you've got there? Oh, you're changing Muggle money! 
Molly, look!" He pointed excitedly at the ten-pound notes in Mr. 
Granger's hand. [CoS US Paperback 57]
> 
> So we know that there is exchange of money going on. I have wondered 
what the WW does with the RW money. The best I could think of is it 
somehow gets exchanged back through the WW's contacts in the 
government.
> 
> --Taryn

This ties in with another possible question: where do wizards get all 
their "normal" or "non-magic" stuff?  I am thinking about things like 
food, fabric, furniture, etc.  Can you imagine being a fully qualified 
wizard and spending your life growing plain, ordinary vegetables for 
other wizards to eat?

I am proposing a Wizarding import business.  Any Witch or Wizard who 
had both business talent and exposure to the Muggle world growing up 
(and thus enough familiarity with it) could establish a prosperous 
"front" business in the Muggle world.  They would exchange wizard 
money for muggle money at Gringott's and place orders with Muggle 
farmers and suppliers with it for raw goods such as food, lumber, 
brass, etc., then sell it to wizarding artesans and grocers wholesale 
where it enters the wizarding economy.  Part of the profit then goes 
back to Gringott's for more Muggle money.

Can't you just see it?  A normal-looking warehouse in the muggle world 
somewhere with a sign saying, "Creevey Bros. Trading Co., Ltd."  
Muggle trucks (okay, lorries) arrive all day long and unload their 
goods, but no trucks ever take anything out again.  Do you suppose 
they could be making their deliveries by Floo Powder?  With a really 
large fireplace?

Annemehr