Why buy 5 sets of Lockhart's book?

[Cathy Drolet]

No: HPFGUIDX 113671

Amy C.
"They [the Weasley family] have 
enough money, just choose how to spend it more wisely. (or not so 
wisely, however you look at it?)"

DuffyPoo:
I think they're rather hard up, myself, from reading in CoS, "Harry enjoyed the break-neck journey down to the Weasleys' vault, but felt dreadful, far worse than he had in Knockturn Alley, when it was opened.  There was a very small pile of Silver Sickles inside, and just one gold Galleon.  Mrs. Weasley felt right into the corners before sweeping the whole lot into her bag."   Taking into consideration that one butterbeer is two Sickles (at the Hog's Head) and Hermione paid fifteen Sickles and two Knuts (seventeen Sickles = 1 Galleon) for a black and gold quill at Skrivenshaft's Quill Shop in Hogsmeade, the Weasley family doesn't sound too well off to me.  Also, in PoA we have  "Harry couldn't think of anyone who deserved to win a large pile of gold more than the Weasleys, who were very nice and *extremely poor.*  Seven hundred Galleons paid for a holiday in Egypt for eight of the nine Weasleys (Bill was already there), and Ron got a new wand.  Ron said "Seven hundred Galleons! Most of it's gone on this holiday."  

romuluslupin1:
>>*snip* Why did the Weasleys, who are reputedly so poor, spend so much 
money on 5 sets of Lockhart's books<<

DuffyPoo:
Does CoS say anywhere that the Weasleys actually did buy five sets? George said, "Dunno how Mum and Dad are going to afford all our school stuff this year.  Five sets of Lockhart books!  And Ginny needs robes and a wand and everything ..."  Mrs. Weasley had already said that they could pick up a lot of Ginny's things second-hand.  Ginny got the books that were given free to Harry and he bought his own, so they actually bought four sets.  They could, quite easily have bought one set for F&G to share since they would be in the same class, and presumably doing homework at the same time (yeah, right!)Fred and George were far enough along by then that they wouldn't need 'A Beginner's Guide to Transfiguration' yet Molly bought Ginny a second hand copy when she could easily have used the twins' (they would have been using 'Intermediate Transfiguration' by then).  The Weasleys must think it important for each child to have their own set of books, to start their own personal wizarding library, so to speak.


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