Stan Shunpike and class distinction

[imamommy at sbcglobal.net]

No: HPFGUIDX 56735

--- In HPforGrownups at yahoogroups.com, danielle dassero <drdara at y...> 
wrote:
> My opinion is that you don't pay tuition to Hogwarts.
> That the only thing you pay for are school supplies ie
> uniform, books, supplies like quills, parchment and
> potions stuff.

imamommy:
I have a hard time making sense of that.  After all, they do have a 
monetary system.  You've got to pay teachers' salaries, food, etc.  
Of course, we know nothing about any tax system, either, so I suppose 
the MoM might be fronting the costs, but there *are* costs.  I have a 
feeling the Weasleys might not seem so poor if they had two kids and 
an owl, but any family with seven children is going to find money 
tight.

Danielle again:
> Again this is just a thought, but it would make sense
> as to why the Weasleys can afford to go there and why
> the Creevey's can go there. Maybe Hogwarts depends on
> rich alums to make nice contributions to help keep the
> school running.

imamommy:
I have a feeling the Weasleys might not seem so poor if they had two 
kids and an owl, but any family with seven children is going to find 
money tight.  Obviously, the Malfoys are stinking filthy rich 
(probably an ill-gotten fortune for those ambitious Slytherins), but 
not everybody there is that wealthy. 

Thanks for your responses!
imamommy