Hogwarts letters, wizarding shopping, and Money issues (was: Money issues

[darrin_burnett]

No: HPFGUIDX 59072

---Catlady:

> I not only can't see Dumbledore going along with that, but I don't 
> see how it could be arranged. According to JKR, the Quill writes 
the name of each magical child born in Britain in a book when it is 
born and once a year McGonagall consults the books and addresses 
Hogwarts...<snip>

I think the first part of your statement is the clincher. Dumbledore, 
who believes in giving werewolves, DE's who say they've reformed, 
half-giants and insane ex-Aurors jobs, would certainly not let money 
get in the way of a worthy student attending.

Perhaps children who are in Harry's special situation, such as living 
amongst the Muggliest Muggles you'd ever seen, get the kind of 
special "home visit" that Hagrid gave Harry. Perhaps Riddle even got 
one, from some other staff member, back in the day.

Riddle would have had to pay for his books, would he not? And he 
doesn't appear to have been left the fortune Harry was. Someone 
helped him get through school. 

> What about a magic child who was born overseas while its British 
> Muggle parents were on holiday or working overseas for just a few 
> years? That child was not born in Britain, but is British, living 
in  Britain when Hogwarts-aged, and needs to go to Hogwarts. How did 
the Quill know to write down its name despite being overseas at the 
time?

All good questions, as were the other questions you raised. Something 
that is lost in all this letter business is parental choice.

We know that there is parental choice, because Lucius nearly sent 
Draco to Durmstrang and it was Narcissa (at least so far as Draco 
knows) who talked him out of it. That indicates that the mother and 
father have some say in the matter as well.

We don't know if it's uncommon for British students to be studying 
abroad or if it's limited to people with the means the Malfoys have, 
but we at least have an indication the parents choose the school.

This could also account for the Potters putting Harry's name down for 
Hogwarts right after he was born. If parents can do that, it could be 
with the understanding that if the child is a Squib -- which I think 
is fairly rare -- then the letter doesn't come.

Darrin