Did Harry Exchange Galleons for Pounds?

[innermurk]

No: HPFGUIDX 58986

--- In HPforGrownups at yahoogroups.com, "Linda" <linlou43 at y...> wrote:
> 
>  While re-reading (again) the beginning of SS a thought occured to 
> me that I didn't recall anyone else bringing up. As I am still a 
> relative newbie, I searched the archives to discover whether it had 
> discussed before and found nothing. 
> 
>  My thought was this. At some point did Harry convert some of his 
> wizard money to muggle money? It seems to me that he needed a few 
> things from muggle stores and there is no way the Dursley's footed 
> the bill. For example, when did he get his trunk? There is no 
> mention of him buying one while at diagon alley with Hagred and I 
> doubt the Dursley's would have given him even a rotted out one 
since 
> they refused to help in any way with his preparations for attending 
> Hogwarts. 

I innermurk reply:
I always assumed he bought it in Diagon Alley. He got lots of things 
that we weren't told about. We only really saw him buying his wand 
and getting measured for his robes. The other things are only 
mentioned in passing....and I figured he got everything he needed 
there.

Linda continued:
There is no mention in Cos or PoA of what he wears for 
> muggle clothing but is he still wearing Dudley sized clothes under 
> his robes? I would think we would be shown his selfconciousness 
> about it, especially right after his initial arrival at Hogwarts in 
> SS, if he was still wearing clothes that didn't fit. Did he go 
> shopping in London before Hagrid put him on the train back to 
Surrey?
> In PoA he has outgrown his robes, does he somehow get some new 
> muggle clothes as well? What about pajamas? There is referance to 
> the fact that he is still wearing Dudley's rejects in GoF but if he 
> did buy some clothes that fit he would probably be smart enough not 
> to wear them at the Dursley's house or they would wonder how he 
paid 
> for them? He certainly doesn't want them to know about the money 
his 
> parents left him. I think also, if he was wearing clothes that 
> didn't fit, Draco would have used it to taunt him at some point.
> What does everyone else think.


I innermurk reply:

Actually the books say robes. No mention of muggle clothing except to 
get onto the platform. The movies show them wearing muggle type 
clothing underneath their robes, but that is NEVER what I imagined. I 
always figured the robes were their uniforms.
After all, if wearing muggle clothing under robes was something 
everyone did, why would they have trouble dressing like muggles 
during the Quidditch world cup?

So, I see Harry as having only the baggy Dudley-sized muggle clothing 
to wear to and from school and during the summer holidays. And his 
school robes to wear during the year.

Although I do wonder why the Dursley's never ask Harry how he affords 
to go to the school. They might be intimidated by what Hagrid said, 
but as much as they bully him around, I wouldn't think that they'd 
hesitate to try and get it out of him during the summer. Even 
subtracting the muggle clothes, he still has that trunk full of 
robes, potion ingrediants, spellbooks, parchment, ink, wand, and 
other things. Not to mention Hedwig.
I can only conclude that there is just not enough time to write down 
everything that happens to Harry, and we have to be content to get 
what we get.

Innermurk