Question about Hogwarts' tuition

[bohcoo]

No: HPFGUIDX 90613

--- In HPforGrownups at yahoogroups.com, "Patty Satjapot" 
<cowardly_heroic at y...> wrote in post #90582:
> Hi everyone, sorry if this was discussed before.   I was reading 
through the
> series, and I realized that I have never come across anywhere in 
the book
> where they mention tuition for Hogwarts and if some students were 
waived or
> how much the MoM funded Hogwarts and who were their sponsors, etc.  
I was
> wondering if anyone might have read somewhere in the books if they 
mentioned
> those things because I remember that Hagrid spoke to Harry in the 
first book
> about his gold in Gringotts for purchasing his equipment, but he 
didn't say
> anything about paying tuition.  If it's not mentioned in the books, 
did JKR
> mention it anywhere?
> 
> Patty


Bohcoo replies:
All of the replies to your thought-provoking post were excellent -- 
and I would imagine that the reality of it lies somewhere in a blend 
of all of the theories.

I'd like to propose an alternate possibility: What if Dumbledore has 
been keeping Hogwarts going with "all the money a person could want," 
from drinking the Elixir from the Sorcer's Stone?
 
Dumbledore, a man who twinkles over those students with enough 
initiative to break some of the rules and with enough creativity to 
get around others, would probably walk through any door even opened a 
crack in his direction. So, there he was with Flamel, a beaker full 
of Elixir -- do you really think he didn't take a sip? Didn't store 
some up for his own use, in essence giving him, Dumbledore, "all the 
life and money he could want?"

So, I think Dumbledore's long life is due, in part, to the Elixir. He 
would also have all the money he needed and I am sure he would have 
used it to fund Hogwarts in any way that was needed -- operating 
expenses, salaries, maintenance and all the other things tuition is 
meant to cover. 

Unfortunately, the Stone is now destroyed. Haven't we all noticed 
the increasing frequency with which Dumbledore is described as "old" 
or "old and tired?" He has always been described as "ancient" 
and "old" but in OOP JKR amped it up considerably. I see that as an 
elephant-in-the-room clue that Dumbledore's days are numbered. 
Without the Elixir, he will age quickly and die soon.

Now, here is the ant-in-the room clue: Have you also noticed that the 
castle is also aging, taking on a Dorian Gray aspect of Dumbledore? 
In previous books the common room, in particular, is described as 
warm and cozy; in OOP it is described as dilapidated, with threadbare 
rugs and holes in the arms of the chairs. As Dumbledore ages, the 
castle ages. Could it be that when Dumbledore dies, the castle will 
just evaporize into dust? 

Shuddering to think it,
Bohcoo