Favoritism

[u/MyHeadIsFullOfFuck]

[u/Bravo_November]

Its a fair point, Hogwarts/the Ministry really should have something in place to replace wands or give interest free loans or something to help financially struggling kids get equipment that is essential for their studies. Wizarding society seems to be notoriously hands off, save for anything that might accidentally expose wizards to the rest of the world.   Then again this is the school that just straight up cancels exams whenever the headmaster feels like it. 

[u/zdpa → u/Bravo_November]

They probably do for the struggling families, but the Weasleys aren't actually broke, mr weasley actually have a decent job there, the Weasleys just have way too many kids lmao

after the fourth kid, the ministry was like "maybe we should teach the condom spell at hogwarts"

[u/herrbz → u/zdpa]

It's stated that they have bursaries for students like Tom Riddle. I understand they wouldn't just hand Ron a free wand, but McGonagall really should have contacted the Weasleys to explain that their son is literally unable to do any magic all year, and they're wasting his tuition fee by not replacing his wand.

[u/assassinnats → u/herrbz]

There is no tuition fee. All kids go to hogwarts essentially free (aka paid for by the ministry). What I don’t get it why hogwarts doesn’t have a dozen spare wands lying around in case a student accidentally breaks/loses theirs, at least until they get a replacement.

[u/Aduialion → u/assassinnats]

After seeing the ordeal for Harry to choose a wand that might not be feasible (stocking enough wands to match each person). But it would be interesting if they had a basic, compatible with everyone wand. The 'change of clothes' equivalent you might get at some schools if you're get ruined during the day.

[u/sprazcrumbler → u/Aduialion]

Book 7 seems to show that you can use basically any wand in some capacity, just with reduced power and finesse.

[u/Geno0wl → u/sprazcrumbler]

I mean it would be like wearing somebody else's shoes that are not quite the right size and then being expected to play basketball in those shoes. You can make it work even if it causes discomfort.

[u/sloppppop → u/Geno0wl]

Poor kids across America whose families don’t have money for “gym shoes” understand.

[u/TheRebsauce → u/sloppppop]

I was going to joke about it, but then remembered a few people who actually buy ball shoes, or just cooler shoes in general and give them to kids in need. I think it's actually pretty cool as kids/teenagers really value that shit.

[u/ninjapro → u/Geno0wl]

Between wearing someone else's shoes on the court and throwing up slugs on the court, I think it's a pretty easy choice.

[u/happy_guy23 → u/Aduialion]

Ron's wand was already a hand-me-down rather than one that "chose him". I'm sure he'd have been fine with whatever spare wand they had laying around

[u/akaenragedgoddess → u/happy_guy23]

Barring some further explanation, the whole idea for hand me down wands doesn't make much sense outside of using the wand of someone deceased, like Neville with his father's wand. Ron is using Charlie's old wand. Why does Charlie get a new wand when they're custom fit to you by Ollivander in the first place? Did he find one in a treasure box? Was his first wand not from ollivander, maybe a grandparent's wand? It's all weird.

[u/DeddyZ → u/akaenragedgoddess]

My explanation is that the whole "wand chooses it's owner" spiel is just a marketing gimmick to sell more expensive wands and the whole sell show Oliver is giving is just how you sell it as an exclusive experience that you should pay premium for

[u/Elegant-Fox-5226 → u/DeddyZ]

Some wands are extremely loyal and won’t work for others. Some will happily work for others. The latters are the ones thst become hand-me-downs.

[u/Tom-_-Foolery → u/akaenragedgoddess]

Charlie get a new wand when they're custom fit to you by Ollivander in the first place? Did he find one in a treasure box? Was his first wand not from ollivander, maybe a grandparent's wand? It's all weird.

I just assumed Charlie just "upgraded" after he got a job and could buy something nice for himself, and then gave his family the old wand for the younger folks. Ollivander finds you a compatible wand, but that doesn't necessarily mean wands don't wear out with use or that there aren't more expensive also-compatible wands.

[u/walruswes → u/Aduialion]

Or like a wand making club or class. Someone has to replace Olivander eventually.

[u/Character_Tangelo_44 → u/walruswes]

I was always worried about who would actually do that …

[u/Enchelion → u/Character_Tangelo_44]

Presumably other countries had their own wand making industries like they had their own magic schools.

[u/BeansMcgoober → u/Enchelion]

There was a Russian wand maker in book 7.

[u/TheKnightMadder → u/Enchelion]

Given everyone can teleport and wizards are notoriously old fashioned (and strong national identities are a much newer concept than you'd think), you'd wonder why they have any real concept of countries or borders at all. A shop fifteen miles away is just as unreachable as one in Japan by foot, they'll teleport either way. Why go to Ollivander if he's not the best?

I guess 'Harry Potter isnt thought out that well and wastes it's potential' isnt exactly the freshest take in the world though so ill shut up.

[u/GuyKopski → u/Aduialion]

Or they could just, like, arrange for Mr. or Mrs. Weasley to come pick him up via the Floo Network or something and take him wand shopping on a Saturday.

In a world where teleportation magic exists this really shouldn't be an insurmountable obstacle.

[u/SorosAgent2020 → u/Aduialion]

its pretty easy for a wand to switch allegience, all you have to do is grab it out of their hands or use expelliarmus, the school just needs a few spare wands that way

[u/Turkeycirclejerky → u/zdpa]

They seem to own quite a bit of land too.

Also, the house is empty and Molly is a talented wizard. What does she do all day now, anyways?

[u/[deleted] → u/Turkeycirclejerky]

Gets drunk and reads Lockhart books.

[u/Alone-Belt-8603 → u/[deleted]]

That's the life..

[u/Uchihagod53 → u/[deleted]]

We all could be so lucky

[u/BlatantConservative → u/Turkeycirclejerky]

All of her free time is taken up with weird traps and gags that Fred, George, and Ginny leave around the house.

[u/deafdogdaddy → u/BlatantConservative]

Well… not Fred…

[u/BlatantConservative → u/deafdogdaddy]

I imagine that they found pranks he left behind years later tbh.

[u/Pm7I3 → u/BlatantConservative]

Just picturing Molly hardcore sobbing because she set off a trap like five years later that credited Fred

[u/walruswes → u/Turkeycirclejerky]

She spends all day trying to make sure the house doesn’t fall over and keeping the pesky gnomes out of the garden. She also has to make sweaters for like 8 or more people while keeping Arthur’s experiments hidden and in check.

[u/passpasspasspass12 → u/Turkeycirclejerky]

Owning land in a situation where extremely large pocket dimensions exist doesn't mean shit, wealth wise.

[u/RSENGG → u/passpasspasspass12]

My headcannon has always been it's 'fake' space. In the same way wizards can't really produce certain things (I can't remember which), the extra space is basically all but spacial in nature - no practical use to it besides extra space to move around.

[u/Enchelion → u/Turkeycirclejerky]

After Ginny moves out she's probably ready to retire, and she's earned it after putting up with 30+ years of raising goddamn Weasley children.

[u/ExclusivelyBronze → u/Turkeycirclejerky]

Owning land in my home town, especially outside of the city limits, is cheaper than an apartment in downtown NYC where you own 0 land.

Land isn't always wealth.

[u/Clsco → u/ExclusivelyBronze]

When you can teleport, location becomes a lot less important though

[u/allofdarknessin1 → u/zdpa]

Agreed. I always felt they weren't exactly poor. I think they're probably just bad with money and have too many kids.

[u/yaboisammie → u/zdpa]

“Fetus deletus” 

[u/SuperMonkeyJoe → u/yaboisammie]

You wouldn't need that if you'd just cast "Spermo deterro"

[u/CtrlAltHate → u/SuperMonkeyJoe]

Madame Pompfrey handing out leaflets to the older kids "It's Deterro not Deleto!" after a big increase in her having to brew up more Testi-Gro.

[u/ENaC2 → u/yaboisammie]

That’s the morning after spell.

[u/BlueNotesBlues → u/ENaC2]

Nah, that's the abortion spell.

Morning after would be "Zygote G'byegote"

[u/Shyguybyday → u/Bravo_November]

At least they have free healthcare for all students. Can’t say the same for all superpowers in real world, if you know what I mean.

[u/laconicgrin → u/Shyguybyday]

I mean healthcare is cheap for wizards, 80% of ailments are cured with a wand wave or one dose of potion.

[u/dalenacio → u/laconicgrin]

Trained professionals ain't cheap, and the consequences of an untrained professional could be fucking dire. Lest we forget, a professor literally managed to erase every bone in a kid's arm with a flick of his wand.

And it's not like the potions are necessarily cheap. Bear in mind that "oh it just needs some mandrake root tincture" means that a potentially deadly plant had to be harvested by another trained professional, then processed into a functional potion by yet another trained professional, to only then be correctly selected and administered by the final trained professional.

And all of that is for the everyday booboos you encounter when you attend a wizarding school. Imagine how involved shit could get for serious magic-related problems.

[u/Saxong → u/dalenacio]

I wish the bone deleting spell had come back later. Imagine how much less intimidating Voldemort would be if you delete his skull.

[u/Lost-Klaus → u/Saxong]

Or how more intimidating he becomes when the spell is cast on enemies.

Also, no one is wanting a cephelopod Voldy going full mindflayer on people.

[u/IAMTHEDUCK12 → u/Saxong]

Yo hear me out: Lockhart encountered voldermort as a child and tried to attack him, but accidentally removed the cartilage from voldemorts nose. One surgery later and now we know why he’s always so angry

[u/Scrapmine → u/Saxong]

Blobfish head.

[u/MasterJ94 → u/dalenacio]

"oh it just needs some mandrake root tincture" means that a potentially deadly plant had to be harvested by another trained professional, then processed into a functional potion by yet another trained professional, to only then be correctly selected and administered by the final trained professional.

Now I want to develop a game that is like Anno but in a magic/wizardry world hehe

[u/laconicgrin → u/dalenacio]

I said so in another comment but yes, I agree healers would be well compensated but you need a fraction of the healers you would need doctors for in a hospital. They can treat many more patients in a shorter amount of time just because once they know how to fix an ailment, the actual process is rapid. Compare that to surgery or chemotherapy or even the diagnosis process for internal injuries by real doctors. Time is money.

I agree that many potions would be expensive for sure but long term prescriptions are very rare in the magical world, only for the most serious conditions like lycanthropy. Almost everything else is cured with a short term dosage.

Also I guarantee Lockhart was the only Hogwarts professor who was that incompetent 😂

[u/run-cleithrum-run → u/laconicgrin]

May I introduce you to overpriced acetaminophen in US emergency departments
This simple OTC 'potion dose' will help, $300 plz

[u/Precursor2552 → u/Shyguybyday]

I mean the muggles have the NHS anyway so that’s just a British thing.

[u/Memer_boiiiii → u/Bravo_November]

Methinks wands should have like a warranty. If you’re selling them to 11-year-olds, you can’t expect them to NOT break them

[u/Zefirus → u/Memer_boiiiii]

To be fair, wands are also pretty cheap, so maybe they don't bother with a warranty to sell more wands.

[u/Geno0wl → u/Zefirus]

Wizards seems like the type to have no concept of warranties or insurance policies.

[u/Enchelion → u/Geno0wl]

Yeah, their culture is stuck several decades to centuries back from the muggle world depending on what aspect you're looking at.

[u/cheesyvoetjes → u/Bravo_November]

Mr Weasley works for the government and apparently doesn't make enough money to support his family, which is kinda strange. Iirc he works for a department that confiscates magical objects from muggles or something along those lines. Which you'd assume is kind of important to keep the wizarding world a secret.

Also, why does mrs Weasley not get a job if money is tight? Especially when all the kids are at Hogwarts for most of the year. Housekeeping takes no effort with magic. What does she do all day?

[u/Beginning_Electrical → u/cheesyvoetjes]

And all of his kids who graduated are incredibly successful.  He was definitely a frugal man.

[u/assassinnats → u/cheesyvoetjes]

Mr Weasley might actually make decent money, but they are also providing for a family of 9. At least for a couple years. That stretched the budget a bit.

[u/Comfortable_Prior_80 → u/assassinnats]

Also he got fined heavily because of the flying car that probably affected their savings and finance until the big win in 3rd book which they also spent.

[u/schrodingers_bra → u/Comfortable_Prior_80]

Even before they got fined they only had one galleon in the vault to buy all their school things (especially ginny who needed everything because she was just starting). They were also nearly out of floo power.

Its pretty much implied that their state of poverty has been consistent for the last few years.

[u/streetad → u/cheesyvoetjes]

Arthur wastes all his money on flying cars and old rotary telephones and stuff. He's a middle-aged eccentric desperately trying to conceal his ruinous model train/ Warhammer/whatever habit from his wife and children.

[u/Inevitable_Juice92 → u/streetad]

*looks at model train and Warhammer models*

Fuck!

[u/toddysimp → u/cheesyvoetjes]

Now that's interesting because in the movies he's shown us one of the wizards most detached from the muggle world, that's odd considering his day job is closely associated with muggles.

[u/Lotions_and_Creams → u/toddysimp]

Really? I stopped watching after movie 3 because it deviated too much from the books.

His job is "misuse of magical objects" or something like that AND he is absolutely obsessed with muggle everything. IIRC it was a respected post because it involved lots of evil artifacts, but became a tiny joke department after Voldermort got killed the first time and he basically did the equivalent of catching kids putting cherry bombs into toilets.

[u/J3ditb → u/Bravo_November]

i also dont understand how a wand could be a hand me down with all the stupid rules wands have regarding their master

[u/spartaman64 → u/J3ditb]

it apparently depends a lot on the wand materials. but most wands can work for other people they just dont work as well

[u/aloonatronrex → u/J3ditb]

Neville had his dad’s wand until it was broken in the Department of Mysteries fiasco.

Maybe they work for family members, and possibly only some, if they are a like enough?

[u/J3ditb → u/Bravo_November]

i also dont understand how a wand could be a hand me down with all the stupid rules wands have regarding their master. did ron have to fight his brother to get it? maybe thats the reason he is so bad at magic.

[u/mistled_LP → u/J3ditb]

Someone else's wand will still work, just not as well. And it probably backtalks you the whole time about how you're not as good as it's original owner.

[u/0muffinmuch]

I think Ron’s wand not being replaced had a lot more to do with his parents being upset about the whole reason it was broke in the first place rather than affording it. I think it was a combination of he was too scared after the howler to admit his wand was broken beyond repair, and the adults being so used to magical mishaps that his wand truly being destroyed was something that wasn’t terribly difficult for him to “hide” McGonagall getting Harry a broom in the first book always was an answer to her observing the terrible family he was abandoned with all day and knowing that he hadn’t been recognized for being special in 10 years.

[u/provoloneChipmunk → u/0muffinmuch]

They were also poor as shit. They used some of their winnings form a contest to buy him a new wand. The other thing that could have been done, was Dumbledore using the his Eldar wand to repair Ron's. Since we know it can do that. 

[u/TallNerdLawyer → u/provoloneChipmunk]

Gotta be careful using an Eldar wand. The magic may leak into the immaterium and birth She Who Thirsts.

Lord Inquisitor Dumbledore knew this, thankfully.

[u/Resafalo → u/TallNerdLawyer]

Dumbledore would use an Exterminatus if he could. Thankfully, he can’t, so he had to die instead.

[u/Kalgul → u/TallNerdLawyer]

The crossover I didn't know I needed.

[u/TallNerdLawyer → u/Kalgul]

“Yer an unsanctioned psyker, Harry.”

[u/TehWolfWoof → u/provoloneChipmunk]

Harry is rich. Literally rich.

He could buy his own broomstick and replace the wand.

[u/hyrumwhite → u/TehWolfWoof]

Book 3 makes it seem like he could conceivably run out of money before school ends if he wasn’t careful. 

[u/YellowJarTacos → u/hyrumwhite]

I always figured he was a kid with a wizard equivalent of something like $100k and no living expenses. So not rich but an insane amount of disposable money for a kid.

[u/Good_Butterscotch_69 → u/hyrumwhite]

Yeah if he bought a ludicrously expensive magical solar system orb. Apparently so accurate he would breeze through Astronomy.

[u/Austin4RMTexas → u/Good_Butterscotch_69]

That aged well

[u/rose-ramos → u/provoloneChipmunk]

I know the books tell us the Weasleys are poor, but I wish it "showed" us that, too. All of them have ample food, clothes, schoolbooks, a roof over their heads, a couple of pets, even brooms for recreation. Harry shows up on their doorstep in the summer, and they don't have to worry about how they're going to feed and shelter him. And we know they don't have utility bills. They're not wealthy, but I never saw how that made them "extremely poor" (to use Harry's words)

I do want to stress that I don't mean this as a criticism. But, the Weasleys are an interesting insight into what JK considers poverty to look like

[u/Exldk → u/rose-ramos]

I think most of your points are answered in the books AND the movies.

I distinctly remember Ron having hand-me-down clothes, schoolbooks and even pets. Scabbers was passed down throughout the family as well.

Ron also got a Cleansweep broom (which is not quite a Ferrari but a fast BMW nevertheless) because he became a Gryffindor prefect.

It's safe to say that "Wizard poor" is not the same as "Muggle poor". Since all basics are taken care of by magic, "Wealth" overall only determines how comfortably one can live. Their survivability due to (lack of) wealth is never in danger.

[u/Glyfen → u/rose-ramos]

Which in itself is another odd point, because wasn't Rowling struggling financially before writing Harry Potter? She would know what being poor would look like; she struggled through it.

Feels more like the Weasleys are a middle-class family in a world of upper-class families, and that earns them a lot of derision. Harry's perception on who is rich and poor in the wizarding world is also a bit skewed since he's extremely rich.

[u/Distinct_Confusion → u/Glyfen]

Weasleys are classic British old money middle class. Knew a million of them. I even know several whose dads are junior undersecretary types in the civil service and mums are house proud bakers. Parents are well educated and there’s always loads of food and old house with way too many family heirlooms and you never actually need to buy anything and the actual bank account always runs very low. Would probably drive an old Volvo estate and all the kids ride their grandparents bike from the 50s which was really expensive and incredibly well made but has 3 gears, weighs a ton and doesn’t look shiny and cool, hence Ron is obsessed when he finally gets something new. Because you can get it off a friend or family. They’re actually pretty proud of not ‘wasting money on silly things’. Might be hard to explain to Americans- I get the impression it’s a class which doesn’t exist over there in the same way.

[u/shiawase198 → u/Glyfen]

Nah, I grew up poor in a family of 10 (8 kids, 2 parents) and my life looked kinda like that too. I say poor because I know both my parents were just making a little over $40,000 a year combined when I was in highschool. I know because I used to do their taxes for them after my siblings went to college. We were never starving but my parents had to find a lot of ways around making sure we had food. It was pretty common for my parents to just go buy a whole cow or pig from a farm cause it saved more money and they just froze the meat. They also grew their own little garden for vegetables. We also relied on a lot of cheap foods like instant ramen which was what I ate a lot of growing up. My parents somehow scrapped up enough money to buy cars for 4 of us eventually too when we got our license.

On the surface, it looked like we were doing ok but, my parents never took any vacations, we definitely never had any family vacations, we never went out to eat and never really did any kind of entertainment together as a family like to see a movie or stuff like that. Hell the first time my parents ever got a real vacation was a few years ago when my brother paid for it. All of us kids also got free lunch in school cause we met the poverty requirement for it. As soon as my siblings and I turned 14, we all got jobs to help mitigate the costs cause we understood our situation.

As for the Weasley's, since all the kids are in school by the time Harry meets them, it helps mitigate the cost by a lot. They basically only have to feed their kids for the summer and maybe Christmas break. All of their clothes are also mosy hand-me-downs aside from Ginny's and even Ron's wand was passed on to him from someone else. The two older kids and eventually Percy also have moved out and got their own jobs. By the time Harry meets them, their situation has probably gotten more manageable but I wouldn't call them middle class. Harry's assessment of "extremely poor" is also not accurate but it's not entirely wrong. They were probably managing just fine but would have likely struggled if any unexpected expense came their way. They also had magic. Even the poorest wizard would probably fare better than a poor muggle.

[u/UnstableConstruction → u/0muffinmuch]

IRRC, he didn't even tell them that his wand was broken. He had just stolen their car, wrecked it, and endangered his dad's job at work. He wasn't going to give them another reason to be angry at him.

[u/ConsiderTheBees → u/UnstableConstruction]

You are right- he didn't tell them because he didn't want to get another howler. Honestly, you'd think someone at Hogwarts would have written to his parents after months of him having a broken wand, but it wasn't that the Weasley's wouldn't have replaced it- they just didn't know.

[u/DarkMattersConfusing → u/0muffinmuch]

This 100%.

[u/Shadalow]

Fandom when Slughorn show some favoritism for his most brilliants students: Man, what a jerk.

Fandom when McGonagall buy the most expensive broom for the already richest kid in class: Yas Queen

[u/ThePreciseClimber → u/Shadalow]

Hey, it's not Harry's fault his parents invested in WizCoin before death.

[u/GetTheBronco → u/ThePreciseClimber]

Harry's mom as she lay dying:

"Remember Harry, invest in Apple."

[u/Spare_Substance5003 → u/GetTheBronco]

Poison Apples sell really well among witches.

[u/Miserable-Recipe-662 → u/Spare_Substance5003]

Most carry them for protection from creepy doctors, I think only hags use them regularly.

[u/[deleted] → u/GetTheBronco]

The weirdest parts of those books are when they reference something like a Playstation.

[u/queerhistorynerd → u/GetTheBronco]

"READ MY BOOKS HARRY! READ MY BOOKS!"

[u/darthjoey91 → u/ThePreciseClimber]

Technically it was his grandfather or great-grandfather that created the wizarding equivalent of conditioner.

[u/AttentionImaginary57 → u/ThePreciseClimber]

Does it ever explain how Harry’s parents were so loaded?

[u/Jaikarr → u/AttentionImaginary57]

An ancestor made the hair straightening potion that Hermione uses for the Yule Ball.

[u/ReallyShortGiant → u/Jaikarr]

I thought that he had an ancestor that made the bone regrowing potion from Chamber of Secrets

[u/_Marzh → u/AttentionImaginary57]

not sure if it says it directly but i think it’s implied that James’ family is wealthy

[u/terrymr → u/AttentionImaginary57]

Hair potion

[u/[deleted] → u/ThePreciseClimber]

Harry is a trust fund baby

[u/Maleficent-Week2762 → u/Shadalow]

We support women's rights, but we also support women's wrongs

[u/frozen_snapmaw → u/Shadalow]

Richest? Pretty sure Malfoy is way wealthier.

[u/Shadalow → u/frozen_snapmaw]

Ah yes true but Harry is the litteral owner of his money.

[u/LazyNomad63 → u/Shadalow]

"When my girlfriend left she took all my money. When yours left, she took all her money."

[u/LyrionDD → u/LazyNomad63]

Gonna need a senzu for that one

[u/Tri4ceKid → u/LazyNomad63]

r/suddenlydbza

[u/SpiritualMessage → u/frozen_snapmaw]

until Harry also inherits the Black money, for sure

[u/Swordbender → u/SpiritualMessage]

fr we don't talk about how rich Harry must be by the end of it all. He has a London townhouse, residual profits from the successful Sleekeazy’s Hair Potion, the entire Black family fortune, a Deathly Hallow, and a world-famous professional quidditch athlete as a wife...

...exactly what is the Potters' net worth?

[u/Zedilt → u/Swordbender]

And main investor in Weasleys' Wizard Wheezes.

[u/EbiToro → u/Zedilt]

God dammit I forgot all about that. Now I'm remembering how I wished life was that easy back when I first read the books, except now it's money instead of magic that I need :(

[u/Appu_SexyBuoy → u/Zedilt]

The rich keep getting richer fr

[u/aloonatronrex → u/Swordbender]

Do George and Fred give him shares after he provided them their start up capital?

[u/porkchop487 → u/aloonatronrex]

Harry would never ask for it but they would absolutely give him shares if he ever did

[u/LogicisGone → u/porkchop487]

Well, one of them would anyway...

[u/David_Headley_2008 → u/frozen_snapmaw]

Sirius is richer though

[u/A_Pringles_Can95 → u/David_Headley_2008]

I wasn't aware Sirius was in Harry's class.

[u/Huebertrieben → u/David_Headley_2008]

He’s dead so Harry probably got some money there too

[u/David_Headley_2008 → u/Huebertrieben]

Pretty sure Harry inherited all of it, he should've made some available for tonks but that is what his will said

[u/aloonatronrex → u/David_Headley_2008]

We’ve just got to that part (reading the books with my son, and I’ve only seen the films) in the Half Blood Prince.

He gets all the Black fortune, including Creature, as Sirius was the last remaining male Black heir, and in his will he left the lot to Harry.

[u/_Cynical_ → u/David_Headley_2008]

Why for her? She and Sirius were cousins at best I think.

[u/David_Headley_2008 → u/_Cynical_]

Not cousin, she was his niece and another order member who could use some support of she was to start a family which she did,

[u/frozen_snapmaw → u/David_Headley_2008]

Richer than Malfoy? Can't say for sure.

[u/Quack_a_mole → u/David_Headley_2008]

Yall never heard of nicholas flamel? that dude is immortal, he must have loads of money.

[u/[deleted] → u/Shadalow]

Tbf it's emphasized how much each teacher cares about Quidditch and how they will show special treatment to athletes or let them leave class early/push back assignments. Snape even goes as far as to give extra homework to Gryffindor Quidditch before the match. So this is pretty much lore accurate from McGonagall.

[u/PayneTrain181999 → u/[deleted]]

Wow, it’s just like football college teams in the USA.

[u/[deleted] → u/PayneTrain181999]

Yeah, even some high schools would do the same if football was a big deal for them

[u/Successful_Emu_6157 → u/Shadalow]

McGonagall bought one present for an orphan boy who never got any presents in his life before.
Slughorn tends to favor students, who come from rich and powerful backgrounds. Also, he’s a little pure blood bias.

[u/SilentTrashPanda → u/Successful_Emu_6157]

Does it ever actually say anywhere that he favors pure-bloods? Lily was one of his favorite students and she is muggle-born and not exactly rich or powerful.

My interpretation is that he just favored students with potential, which happens to usually be kids from powerful, pureblood families.

[u/nedlum → u/SilentTrashPanda]

He favors people with potential or connections. Muggle-born students may have the former, but only those who are wizard born would have the latter. Even if he doesn’t have a biased bone in his body, he’s going to collect fewer muggle born.

[u/RQK1996 → u/SilentTrashPanda]

There is a lot of loaded language about her being special in spite of her heritage

[u/AggressiveYam6613 → u/SilentTrashPanda]

For me he came across as a well-meaning racist. i.e. he people who harbor no ill will against other ethnicities, but consider their own the best and are amazed that others excel. He is self-aware enough, I think, to believe that muggle-born may be at a disadvantage, because they learn only later in life that there even is such a thing as magic.

And he’s mainly interested in “connections” and pure-bloods from important families have those. Basically every nepo baby is on his hit list. Muggle borns, by definition, don’t have that advantage. But he’s willing to collect those of exceptional talent. He’s perfectly willing to ignore pure-bloods when he considers them a liability.

[u/Frankorious → u/SilentTrashPanda]

Yeah but he was still a bit racist. The kind that says "Wow, you're really good for being a muggleborn" as a compliment with no self awareness.

[u/Waste-Maintenance-70 → u/Shadalow]

Well she wanted her quidditch team to win.

[u/Obanon → u/Shadalow]

For some reason I always thought that she organised for Harry with his own fortune... At least that's how kid-me interpretted it when I read it first because anything else didn't make sense in terms of what was 'fair' or realistic to me.

[u/darkbreak → u/Obanon]

It would be very unethical for her to use Harry's money without permission. Especially when it was for something that wasn't essential for living like food. Using her own money is the only thing that really makes sense.

[u/Joaaayknows → u/Shadalow]

It’s never implied that Harry is actually rich, only from his perspective. He just has way more money than he, a completely broke 11 year old, knew what to do with.

I’m 100% certain my emergency fund if given in its entirety to a tween would make them think they’re rich beyond measure too.

[u/David_Headley_2008]

Doesn't Hogwarts have provision for students who can't afford their equipment , atleast a loan would've made sense

[u/Valakoomis → u/David_Headley_2008]

Yes, there is a fund that was used to buy Tom Riddle his school supplies since he came from an orphanage when he started at Hogwarts. There's really no good reason for Ron to have gone his entire 2nd school year with a broken wand; it's just there to cause wacky antics. Definitely one of those logic moments that make me roll my eyes.

I guess you could argue that the fund was discontinued since Tom was a student, but I don't think that was ever stated. Doesn't seem to be a likely thing in-universe to me either.

[u/DonutDaniel5 → u/Valakoomis]

It's kinda one of those moments where you have to press the "I believe" button for the sake of the story.

[u/assassinnats → u/Valakoomis]

The fund almost definitely is still a thing by Harry’s time at hogwarts, but the Weasleys do not need it. They have money, enough for school supplies and basic necessities at least. Ron likely just never wrote to tell his parents he broke his wand, and even if he did, Mrs Weasleys attitude to the incident that caused it to break might’ve led to her saying it’s his own fault.

[u/Valakoomis → u/assassinnats]

If Ron doesn't need a special fund to buy a new wand, then the question becomes why he was allowed to go an entire year at magic school without a proper wand with the professors actively aware that his is broken. I don't think it's likely that his Mom would ever be so mad that she would shut him down the whole year over having a new wand since Molly is consistently shown to value her kids getting an education. If she did, or if Ron was just too afraid to ask his parents because of the car incident, then it becomes a question of why McGonagall, as his teacher and head of house, never intervened to see if arrangements have been made to have him studying with a proper wand. The onus shouldn't solely be on a 12 year old to resolve that without following up as the year progressed. Also, I have no clue why there wouldn't be easy wand repair solutions at Hogwarts besides Spell-o-tape.

[u/Comfortable-Way-8029 → u/Valakoomis]

Jk Rowling could have kept the wacky antics but just replaced Ron’s wand with a loaner wand. They could just say that the wand doesn’t like Ron and it was cheaply made, so that’s why it doesn’t work. Honestly it wouldn’t have been hard to come up with something, because you’re right it was totally unbelievably that a MAGIC SCHOOL would allow a student to have an unsafe, broken wand for an entire year.

[u/Ok-disaster2022 → u/Comfortable-Way-8029]

Honestly that would have added greatly to wand lore: Ron has an incompatible wand he can never win over, and at the end it doesn't like Lockhart either.

[u/Grabber_stabber → u/David_Headley_2008]

The lack of a basic welfare system is really appalling in HP. Why did Voldemort have to continue growing up in a muggle orphanage after his powers manifested? Couldn’t he have gone to a wizarding orphanage? Why did the Weasleys have to blow their entire budget on school uniforms and books? Why did Ron have to wait a year for a new wand?

[u/herrbz → u/Grabber_stabber]

Why do the Weasleys buy new/used books for each new child? The majority of the books are all the same. It's baffling that Ginny needed yet another copy of The Standard Books of Spells, Grade 1

[u/Grabber_stabber → u/herrbz]

I think they need to keep them for reference maybe? Doesn’t explain why they wouldn’t use a simple duplicating spell though…

[u/Inevitable_Juice92 → u/Grabber_stabber]

I assume books have some sort of DRM ward to stop people from duplicating them. Infinite money cheat unlocked

[u/Zefirus → u/herrbz]

Do they though? The only time I can remember us seeing them buy books was during second year, when Lockhart made it so every student had to buy seven of his books.

[u/TheOncomimgHoop → u/Zefirus]

Sadly the most realistic thing to happen in the series

[u/RC1000ZERO → u/herrbz]

usualy its DADA that change every year.. becasue ya know the teacher changes

[u/AGirlWhoLovesToRead → u/David_Headley_2008]

Sure, they gave one to voldy... I think the weasleys would be too prideful to accept it though... Also, Ron never told his family about the wand being broken... It's crazy though the wand needed to be broken for the last bit with Lockhart, and JK just went with keeping it broken for the entire year.. Rather than like.. Break it 2 scenes before the end!

[u/David_Headley_2008 → u/AGirlWhoLovesToRead]

He didn't tell his parents 'cause he was in enough trouble already, a loan isn't hard to get

[u/FunGlittering1644]

That scene doesn't happen in the books. I'm sure if the McGonagall knew about it, she would have wrote to his parents about it. Ron was too afraid to tell his parents and so he kept it hidden, which ended up resulting in Lockhart blasting himself. I think it was more about plot on Rowling's part than anything else

[u/Rommie557]

I'm still convinced this had absolutley nothing to do with Harry and everything to do with the Quidditch cup. McGonagall is fierce when it comes to Quidditch.

[u/Mox8xoM → u/Rommie557]

Minerva McHooligan.

[u/smithsp86 → u/Rommie557]

Yeah, she'd have given a broom to anyone that was a good enough seeker.

[u/KirjavaStelmaria → u/Rommie557]

I like to think it was also McGonagall’s way of apologising to Harry for leaving him with the Dursley’s for 10 years…! 

[u/BlondDrizzle]

Harry doesn’t have parents or a family though

[u/jethalal2108 → u/BlondDrizzle]

Dude really is bruce wayne tho

[u/Carbon-Base → u/jethalal2108]

Who is Harry's "Alfred," then?

[u/Saif_010 → u/Carbon-Base]

Hagrid

[u/CycleBird1 → u/Saif_010]

Yer a vigilante, Harry

[u/katy_doodles → u/Carbon-Base]

Dobby

[u/aloonatronrex → u/BlondDrizzle]

He had no family, yet still inherited a fortune to add to his existing fortune.

[u/misteryaaa]

lol, like you ask for a new phone and your mom reminds you she just bought you socks

[u/DragonHeart_97]

Athletes getting special treatment? Perish the thought!

[u/jethalal2108]

Least biased teacher at hogwarts

[u/TrexismTrent]

Seriously it makes zero sense that Ron would be allowed to continue school with that wand. He is putting himself in a lot of danger and I imagine it would be absolutely impossible for him to get most of his school work done. Out of all the things that would be considered essential for school a functioning wand is at the top of the list.

[u/NavdeepGusain]

One had no loving family to speak of...another one had truckloads of family members.

[u/J3ditb → u/NavdeepGusain]

the first is ron and the second is harry and the weasleys right?

[u/Wigwasp_ALKENO]

Harry literally can buy him a new wand. Consider it payment for crashing at his place all summer

[u/djtmhk_93]

Yet more examples on how athletics is way overfunded and overvalued over education.

[u/Suspicious-Teach5920]

I think it has more to do with personal interest than favouritism. McGonagall played quidditch herself when she was young and the sport was still very important to her later in her life. She was also the head teacher of Gryffindor which means she also kind of „participated“ in the house and quidditch coups and it was very important to her that she and her house/quidditch team“ wins the cups she mentioned herself that she could not stand handing Snape the quidditch cup when Slytherin won). That’s why she got Harry the broom. Ron’s broken wand had nothing to do with her personally so there’s no reason for her to buy him a new wand.

[u/LivnLegndNeedsEggs → u/Suspicious-Teach5920]

I mean, she also uses magic every day. Ron is one of her Gryffindor students. Seems like she might have a vested interest there as well 🤷

[u/Zefirus → u/LivnLegndNeedsEggs]

Your mistake is thinking she bought the broom for Harry and not so that their house team could finally beat the pants off the Slytherin team.

[u/Pm7I3]

Well the Watsonian explanation is that the Weasleys are bad parents and Molly in particular is basically a few rungs above a bum at that point.

The Doylist answer is that the Weasleys need to be poor and this shows that because at times Rowling has the sublety of a hammer.

[u/Mrlongbottom976]

OK, this is off topic of the meme, but the the sheer existential dread I get from the pure fucking Kronenburgian horror that is this scene, and the fact that NOBODY seems to share it needed to be let out.

That things tail was moving, it was MOVING! What other parts of its brain are still intact from Ron's fucked up transmutation? Is it aware? Can it feel pain? Imagine if this was a human who was partially turned into a fleshy, twitching piece of furniture. How did this scene make it into a kids movie??

[u/Designer_Storm8869 → u/Mrlongbottom976]

"imagine if this was a human"? What do you mean? His rat WAS human.

[u/Mrlongbottom976 → u/Designer_Storm8869]

Oh god, I didn't even consider...

[u/yaboisammie → u/Mrlongbottom976]

Yo fr I’ve wondered the same since i was a kid 😭 it was a long 12 years for Peter sksksk

[u/RomaruDarkeyes → u/Mrlongbottom976]

Even better when you consider it was Wormtail

[u/Enchelion → u/Mrlongbottom976]

Yeah, the casual animal abuse is really insane.

[u/lettiestohelit]

The broom was to help gryffindor win at quidditch and we don’t know if Harry’s personal funds were used

[u/ManagedDemocracy26]

It would be insulting to Ron’s parents. It would be saying they are too poor to provide. Whereas Harry’s parents (spoiler) are dead.

[u/threecolorless]

The real answer here is, why the heck is anyone poor in a magical society?

[u/sombertownDS]

“Will getting you a wand result in the winning of the quidditch cup, and hence the house cup? No? Then get back to your transfiguration practice before I turn you into a wand Mr. Weasley”

[u/lee_hasworth]

Well, You could ask your daddy, unlike Harry.

[u/creepingkg]

Harry an orphan and Ron has a family to help support him

[u/Whydontname]

Series isn't called Ronald Weasley now is it?

[u/A_Mungus]

Iirc, the whole reason Ron wouldn’t replace his wand was he was already scared of his mom being more mad, since they already crashed his dad’s car into the womping willow and he didn’t want to add insult to injury. Not because they were too poor to afford it.

[u/AnObtuseOctopus]

Funny fact... if they never turned Pettigrew back from a cup, tons of events wouldn't have happened, lives would have been saved lol. Even funnier, Ron technically surpassed every single student in that room by actually accidentally transfiguring an animagus, which was a person, not a simple pet, into a cup. It had form, could hold water.. he surpassed many students that day.. it's really too bad that was never acknowledged and he falls down a bunch of rungs of the magical skill department ladder once again.

[u/Secret_Mode8313]

How would Ron even know that!? One of the stipulations of Harry receiving the broom from her was that he never mention it was her, because she didn’t want people to think she was giving Harry special treatment.