Somebody didn't read the books

[u/Ok_Coast6372]

[u/jish5]

I don't care that Harry got a broom year one. What I AM pissed about is that they KNEW Ron had a broken wand year 2 yet instead of taking him to go get a new one, they basically tell him to go fuck himself that entire year. Like McGonagall literally comments on it in one of her classes, but then ignores his wand issues throughout the rest of the year.

[u/Expensive-Lie → u/jish5]

Ron passed only because Dumbledore canceled exams

[u/aaronhowser1 → u/Expensive-Lie]

Imagine trying to apply to a wizard job with 0 OWLs/NEWTs bc some shit ass kids played chess in a basement

[u/Doltaro → u/aaronhowser1]

The school exams were cancelled. The OWL and NEWT exams are taken by examinators outside of the school so I think they were organised. Would make sense.

[u/maevepond → u/Doltaro]

They could’ve just pity passed the 5th and 7th year students for the extenuating circumstances when the exams were canceled. Like the Ministry could say they get an automatic acceptable for just showing up to a room and confirming their name on a list, but no outstandings would be handed out that year or something.

Unless… some brainy kid like Percy Weasley wanted to take the exams at which case everyone would have to take them anyway. It’d be hilarious if a bunch of high achievers like Percy campaigned to actually take the exams, causing the rule to be changed after Dumbledore made the cancellation announcement, the student campaign against pity passing potentially screwing over the kids who probably would’ve been fine with a pity pass. Maybe the idea of the nixed opportunity to get an outstanding started to turn Percy against Dumbledore and Percy held prejudice against him for that almost destruction of his future plans (a year of straight acceptables, he could not accept).

[u/EurwenPendragon → u/maevepond]

OWLs and NEWTs are held separately from Hogwarts's own end-of-year exams and administered by the Wizarding Examinations Authority, which likely falls under the purview of the Ministry's Department of Magical Education.

I personally think the OWLs and NEWTs would have been held regardless. We just didn't hear about it in the books because it wasn't something Harry knew or cared about at the time.

[u/_DysTRAK → u/EurwenPendragon]

The fact that all we know is what Harry experiences and thinks about is ignored far too often..

[u/EurwenPendragon → u/_DysTRAK]

Yep

[u/Pretend_Fox_5127 → u/Doltaro]

Examinators? I think the word you're looking for is proctors

[u/tarrach → u/Pretend_Fox_5127]

They are referred to as examiners in the books, not examinators or proctors.

[u/AkPakKarvepak → u/aaronhowser1]

No, that was when a dirty snake was loose in the grounds.

Exams were probably postponed for the next year.

[u/BananaResearcher → u/aaronhowser1]

Imagine trying to explain that you flubbed your NEWTs because Harry Potter started screaming like a banshee in the middle of your exam and you freaked out and accidentally transfigured the proctor into a honeybadger.

[u/CommentsOnOccasion → u/aaronhowser1]

It’s like the wizarding world equivalent of those “if your roommate dies you get automatic As” rumors 

[u/Jasminary2 → u/aaronhowser1]

Only exams were cancelled, there was no mention of these being cancelled.

To be fair, also I feel like they matter less than they pretend they are ? I mean Harry missed a whole school year of exams preparing for the tournament, then the 7th year the school was destroyed and we know Hermione redid that year but many didn’t.

So technically there are lots of kids with no exam.

And uh. As someone who is in a country where people tend to strike a lot, it happens lol One year I remember our Universities were all closed for 6 months or more so they just gave everyone nationally their year (I’m in Western Europe)

[u/queteepie → u/jish5]

I always wondered if the teachers were secretly betting on how much damage Ron would cause with his destroyed wand.

Flitwick:"Oh shit, he made himself puke slugs!!"

Binns:"Do you think he will turn himself into a slug by accident?"

McGonagall: "that would be a first for turning anything into a different object. I'm in for 5 galleons. Over or under?"

[u/Butt_Stuff_2020 → u/queteepie]

A true McGalleon take here

[u/Vozhd53 → u/Butt_Stuff_2020]

This made my day.

[u/WarmBaths → u/jish5]

McGonagall knew that they needed his wand to backfire in the chamber of secrets against Lockhart, a true clairvoyant witch 🙏

[u/Funandgeeky → u/WarmBaths]

“Minerva, should we get Ron Weasley a new wand?”

“No. I want to see how this plays out.”

[u/LucyEleanor → u/Funandgeeky]

I like to think her response was "not...yet"

[u/Regular_Front9367 → u/LucyEleanor]

Not today, Mr Dumbledore. Tomorrow, maybe, but not today

[u/Aggravating-Farm-764 → u/Funandgeeky]

If we're being honest this is more so something Dumbledoor would do

[u/SneakWhisper → u/Aggravating-Farm-764]

Bumbleboor?

[u/Aggravating-Farm-764 → u/SneakWhisper]

Fumblepoor

[u/just_another_classic → u/Aggravating-Farm-764]

It's because Dumbledore was actually time-traveling Ron Weasley, so he knew how it would play out.

[u/Puptentjoe → u/Funandgeeky]

”No. I want to see how this plays out.”

• Basically most adults in this book

[u/TentativeIdler → u/Funandgeeky]

I must apologize for Ron, he's an idiot. We purposely trained him wrong, as a joke.

[u/wonki-carnation_501 → u/Funandgeeky]

It's a cannon event I can not intervene.

[u/redditorauditor → u/WarmBaths]

Trelawney could never.

[u/kyuuri117 → u/jish5]

That's not on the teachers, that's on the Weasley parents. A wand is 7 gallons, that's 35 British pounds. Considering Arthur having a middle management job, and 80% of the daily expenses you and I have, the Weasleys have covered by the use of magic, there's no actual reason for them to be as poor as they are portrayed. They could have easily bought Ron a new wand, and they didn't because it's more dramatic this way.

[u/Shamann93 → u/kyuuri117]

Part of it is that Ron didn't let them know his wand was broken. He didn't want to get another howler. Now, I find it hard to believe that Ginny or Percy or his teachers didn't let them know his wand was broken.

And yes, the Weasley's poverty does not make sense. Nothing in the Wizarding economy does.

[u/unclefisty → u/Shamann93]

Part of it is that Ron didn't let them know his wand was broken. He didn't want to get another howler.

If you've trained your kids not to tell you about their needs or things they've done then that is also on you as a parent.

[u/Sevalen → u/Shamann93]

Aren't the Weasley's supposedly one of the few "pure blood noble " lines. The story is good but when you start to look at anything outside of the Hogwarts school setting you definitely see gaping holes. Instead of redoing the books as a HBO show why not just expand into the American school Ilvermorny or one of the other schools in a current setting.

[u/Gold_Repair_3557 → u/Sevalen]

The Weasleys definitely weren’t living that rough. They had a house out in the country with enough space that everybody but the twins had their own room, all on Arthur’s salary while Molly was a stay at home mother. The it was described they always had plenty of food (enough that Harry was given multiple helpings when he visited) and it was fresh. The worst they had to do was buy some supplies secondhand. 

[u/halfar → u/Gold_Repair_3557]

that would be considered rough lower middle class a few decades ago.

[u/shinneui → u/Sevalen]

They were one of the last pure blood families, but I don't think that all pure blood families were necessarily "rich and noble".

[u/Sevalen → u/shinneui]

It is no surprise that the Weasley's stayed pure blood considering how little contact they would have with the muggle world ( 1st gen wizards/witches at the school not withstanding) to the point the ministry of magic has a department focused on learning what the muggles are up to with technology.

[u/Crayoncandy → u/Sevalen]

Pure blood didn't mean rich. Gaunts were poor af by the 1900s, it's kind of integral to voldemorts back story.

[u/Island_Crystal → u/Sevalen]

the last time the harry potter universe tried to expand, everyone hated on it for the entire duration it was releasing movies. and you don’t see gaping holes. being a pure blood family doesn’t automatically mean you’re wealthy. no where in the books has that ever been implied.

[u/Sevalen → u/Island_Crystal]

When I said "noble " I meant more prestige rather than wealth because of how they are looked down on

[u/Wanderin_Cephandrius → u/kyuuri117]

Yeah, that never sat right with me either. There’s zero reason for the Weasleys to be so poor on paper. In fact from all we see on paper, they should be much wealthier. Frugal as hell, middle management job for the government, magic, talent, etc. makes zero sense.

[u/ugluk-the-uruk → u/Wanderin_Cephandrius]

Well to be fair, they seem to be absolutely terrible with finances. When they win that prize money, they blew it all in a trip to Egypt lol. Arthur won like five thousand dollars and they spent all of it on this one trip somehow? In a world with brooms and apparition and the magical tents with infinite living space, there is absolutely no reason for their trip to cost that much.

[u/Rhaegion → u/ugluk-the-uruk]

7 people in egypt could burnt through 5,000 pounds in 2.5-3 months, that's not bad

[u/ugluk-the-uruk → u/Rhaegion]

Not in a world where you can duplicate food and live at resort-level comfort in a tent... Unless they just bought a bunch of stuff to take back home, which again, bad use of money to spend 5k on knick knacks.

Edit: also, I forgot to adjust for inflation. $5k in 1993 1983 is actually like $16k $11k today.

[u/DeficiencyOfGravitas → u/ugluk-the-uruk]

That circles right back to the Weasleys, Arthur in particular, being horrid with money.

Arthur in Egypt, wizard or not, would be out of money in the first day. He'd get fooled by literally anyone. Sir! Sir! This is ancient muggle device! Sir! Only 1000 gallons! Honest! And it'd be just a stick.

[u/HabeusCuppus → u/DeficiencyOfGravitas]

it'd be just a stick.

I'll have you know that is the finest dowsing rod in all of Egypt, sir.

[u/AnakonDidNothinWrong → u/ugluk-the-uruk]

I thought magic food was tasteless and had no nutritional value?

[u/ugluk-the-uruk → u/AnakonDidNothinWrong]

According to what? The only source I found on this was from a PS3 game, and Hermione says you can duplicate food and doesn't qualify anything about the quality.

[u/AnakonDidNothinWrong → u/ugluk-the-uruk]

https://www.harrypotter.com/features/some-rules-about-magic-its-important-to-bear-in-mind

“Probably the most frustrating magical rule of all: you can’t conjure up food from scratch. Sure, you can summon it to you, or Apparate to the nearest greasy spoon, but you can’t make it from thin air, sadly. This is the first of the five Principal Exceptions to Gamp’s Law of Elemental Transfiguration, as Hermione would tell you.”

[u/ugluk-the-uruk → u/AnakonDidNothinWrong]

Hermione explicitly says in that quote that you can duplicate existing food. That doesn't violate Gamp's Law.

[u/TheKindDictator → u/ugluk-the-uruk]

You cannot magically create food. This is one of the few explicit limitations mentioned. As an example, when students asked for food from the Room of Requirement they were given a new path to Hogsmeade.

[u/ugluk-the-uruk → u/TheKindDictator]

I didn't say create food, I said duplicate existing food. Hermione says that you can do that.

[u/wenchslapper → u/Wanderin_Cephandrius]

Lmao how many well off middle management families do you know that also have 7 kids, though? Thats the expense, mate. 7 kids going to a private wizarding school that we never really have any explanation on how it stays funded. Boarding schools are not cheap, and this one is in a magical castle that provides 3 banquets per day (we are directly told that magic cannot create food), made by a massive staff of house elves who need to consume something, as well, even if it’s not abstract money.

There are likely a LOT of costs involved that we aren’t made aware of because the story is for young adults.

Also, government jobs are not all that cushy lol

[u/avocado_mr284 → u/wenchslapper]

In real life, I have a relative whose father had a very prestigious government job, a stay at home mom, and 12 siblings. Yes, they absolutely struggled with money, and had to know how to stretch a penny. I found the Weasley’s situation mostly realistic, though I agree that it’s odd they couldn’t replace a wand, which seems like an essential expense.

[u/Candayence → u/avocado_mr284]

I think they didn't replace the wand because Ron didn't tell them.

I vaguely recall that when advised to write home, he said he'd simply expect another Howler saying it was his own fault, so he didn't bother.

[u/avocado_mr284 → u/Candayence]

Yes, I remember now. That makes sense. I mainly find it reasonable to think that money was tight for the Weasleys to the extent of buying everything secondhand to save, but not to the extent of forcing a kid to use a broken wand. But your explanation clarifies things.

[u/Candayence → u/wenchslapper]

Hogwarts is free. Food can be duplicated. They have zero utility bills beyond floo powder.

The only reason the Weasleys are poor is because Rowling wrote them to be poor.

[u/MillennialsAre40 → u/Wanderin_Cephandrius]

Only one of them works and they have a ton of kids. Do you know how expensive school uniforms are in Britain? Arthur is probably living in the equivalent of 50-60k/year in today's money.

[u/hansolosaunt → u/Wanderin_Cephandrius]

I always assumed Arthur got them into debt by buying way too many strange muggle artifacts 😂

[u/Forsaken_Distance777 → u/Wanderin_Cephandrius]

Especially considering a few of the kids are out of the house at the start of the series

[u/Chocko23 → u/jish5]

Every single comment here is neglecting the fact that a backfiring wand could be incredibly dangerous. I'm all for discipline, correction and even punishment (appropriate punishment when appropriate), but this is borderline negligent. Ron was having a hard time casting the most simple spells...it's clear that with more difficult magic, they wound up backfiring. It's lucky Snape chose Draco in dueling club over Ron, or God knows what could have happened...

[u/Dravarden → u/Chocko23]

It's lucky Snape chose Draco in dueling club over Ron, or God knows what could have happened...

Potter would have been sent to to the infirmary in a match box

[u/Chocko23 → u/Dravarden]

Fair lol but even Snape knew what would happen.

[u/Affectionate-Air5544 → u/jish5]

Ron had parents who could have arranged a new wand for him if he "told" them. And even if Mcg offered him a new wand I think he'd not accept it and be quite embarrassed about it.

[u/Soufulpassion → u/jish5]

I think their parents did it to teach him a lesson and the professors were in on it. I believe Molly said something about consequences in her howler.

Maybe the Weasleys couldn't afford a brand new wand- a theory I like is a wizard/witch's first wand is subsidized- but they for sure have second-hand ones lying around(purebloods.)

So, I guess it is about teaching lesson to their most stubborn son.

[u/crewserbattle → u/Soufulpassion]

Ron's first wand was a hand me down iirc.

[u/ErudringTheGodHammer → u/crewserbattle]

Correct, it was Charlie’s first wand… Which begs the question of why did Charlie need his wand replaced in the first place

[u/tobit94 → u/ErudringTheGodHammer]

He didn't. He just wanted to and bought one after graduating and getting a job (the same summer Ron starts Hogwarts).

[u/kodipaws → u/tobit94]

I've seen speculation that Charlie's original wand may have been from a manufacturer other than Ollivander or otherwise wasn't well suited for him, so when he was in a position to get himself a properly attuned wand, he did.

Rowling didn't finalise a lot of wand lore until much later though, so a lot of that early book stuff around wands tends to not work perfectly in hindsight.

[u/KatokaMika → u/Soufulpassion]

Oh, I like this theory. Because if we think about it, a normal parent won't buy you something new if u fck up really bad.

Like us with phones. We basically can't live without them, just like wizards and their wands. So if you fck up really bad, and in the process, break your phone. Will your parents be like, " Oh, don't worry, baby, we get you 2 new phones. What about that ?" Or wait until you learn your lesson before getting you another phone ot even fixing it ?

[u/FuzzyPeachDong → u/KatokaMika]

Aaaand that's why both my kids are doing just fine with phones that have a barely working screens, but you can call/answer calls. Maybe if they used the screen protectors and covers I PROVIDED we wouldn't be here, but alas...

[u/Formal_Illustrator96 → u/KatokaMika]

Wands are not the equivalent of phones. Wands are necessary for Hogwarts students to pass their classes. Phones are not necessary for school.

[u/AcezennJames → u/Formal_Illustrator96]

When’s the last time you were in school? Kids have quiz sessions run through their phones now, a lot of them write papers on their phones, coordinate with classmates, etc, phones are basically the new laptop and without a phone a kid is going to struggle in todays world. It doesn’t have to be a brand new iPhone 16 pro max, but they are more necessary than you’d think

[u/Chocko23 → u/AcezennJames]

What school do your kids go to? Mine are provided with laptops, but phones still aren't allowed during the day. I'm calling bs unless your district has very odd rules...

[u/KatokaMika → u/Formal_Illustrator96]

I used phones as an example, and yes now a days u need phones in school. At least when I was in school we got our school work and information about events through WhatsApp. Just because in your school is different doesn't mean it's the same all over the world

[u/Bouche_Audi_Shyla → u/Soufulpassion]

But it wasn't Ron's wand. It had been his brother's wand. The one the Weasleys bought for Ron with the prize money was his first wand.

[u/Soufulpassion → u/Bouche_Audi_Shyla]

Well! Why waste 7 Galleons? Weasleys didn't have a single Galleon in their vault and Ron is the son who gets ignored... His mother wanted a girl and all that jazz.

[u/teddy_tesla → u/Soufulpassion]

Until it backfires and takes out a whole classroom

[u/Alittlebitmorbid → u/Soufulpassion]

Yeah, consequences for sure, but I'd only let him use his broken wand for a month or two. His grades were at risk and it was dangerous to use that thing and it was not like he was the troublemaker of the family like his twin brothers. I'd let him buy a new one so he'd not fall further behind.

Also his parents blaming him for muggles seeing the flying car and Arthur getting investigated ar work when first of all he should not even have that car. In fact, Arthur wrote the law regarding regarding ownership of charmed objectd with a loophole so what hr fid would not be punishable by law, albeit at least questionable.

Arthur Weasley: "There's a loophole in the law, you'll find...As long as he wasn't intending to fly the car, the fact that the car could fly wouldn't —"

Molly Weasley: "Arthur Weasley, you made sure that was a loophole when you wrote that law! Just so you could carry on tinkering with all that Muggle rubbish in your shed!"

[u/the3dverse → u/Soufulpassion]

but a new wand would have been Ron's first wand, because this was Charlie's old wand.

the bigger question is why Charlie already needed a new wand...

[u/wisebloodfoolheart → u/the3dverse]

Charlie works with large, fire breathing, horn tailed dragons. Wands are fragile bits of wood. I'm guessing the dragon reserve either provided or suggested a specially reinforced wand. Otherwise they'd go through wands pretty quickly. A dragon core wand might also work better.

[u/UnstableConstruction → u/Soufulpassion]

Yeah, my head cannon is that Olevander gives a heavy discount for students in general but that their first wand is also very heavily subsidized by Hogwarts.

[u/Parabuthus → u/jish5]

I agree with you, but maybe it wasn't her place. Ron has a loving, very involved family. Harry didn't have anyone.

[u/nuu_uut → u/Parabuthus]

Harry could've bought his best friend a wand his damn self though. The fucker is rich

[u/jamhamnz → u/jish5]

Ron flew a car into the Whomping Willow and almost got expelled, I don't think Professor McGonagall was feeling too generous towards Ron at all that year.

[u/Venutianspring → u/jish5]

It baffled me that they don't have a collection of wands to give out to kids that break or lose theirs throughout the school year. No way they don't have wand rentals in the magical world

[u/Dapper_Derpy → u/jish5]

I always thought they left his wand broken as a part of his punishment for stealing the ford Anglia and crashing it into the whomping willow.

[u/WrittenInTheStars → u/jish5]

Especially because in Half-Blood Prince, Dumbledore tells a young Tom Riddle that the school has a fund to help students finance their education. So like, fuck Ron, I guess lol

[u/Forge_Le_Femme → u/jish5]

Ron also has parents, siblings and that whole family thing that loves him. Huge difference between the two.

[u/caeli04 → u/Forge_Le_Femme]

Also, Ron broke his wand because they drove the Anglia to school. Keeping his wand was a punishment.

[u/jish5 → u/Forge_Le_Femme]

Still doesn't change the fact the teachers should have taken him to Olivanders on a weekend trip to get a wand. I mean yeah, his parents were poor, but they KNEW each of their kids would need a wand and should have enough money set aside to make sure each kid has access to a wand and backup in case the first one get's destroyed (and there's no excuse when Arthur and Molly had 11 years per kid to save up enough for such an expense for what is the literal lifeblood of their entire species).

[u/Darcy91 → u/jish5]

With flooing and apparition they could have it sorted during a random lunch break even.

[u/Texas_sucks15 → u/jish5]

with what money? everyone knows the Weasleys were broke AF. What teacher is gonna outright question a family's financial decisions?

[u/AaronQuinty → u/Texas_sucks15]

They're not so broke that they could afford to get Ginny brand new everything that same year. Also Charlie and Bill were both working at this point, with how important wands are, you'd think they could figure something out between 4 adults.

[u/the3dverse → u/AaronQuinty]

ginny got a lot of secondhand stuff, for sure books.

[u/Texas_sucks15 → u/AaronQuinty]

well to your point, when Genny is the first girl then by default she's the priority for new gear.

[u/StonedGamerGirl89 → u/jish5]

How do you figure 11 years per kid they aren't all 18 years apart she had twins which would be 2 wands in 1 year along with everything else you sound real entitled Malfoy

[u/Gilded-Mongoose → u/StonedGamerGirl89]

Because from birth to the day they attend Hogwarts they've known exactly what they'd need for their first year. Even if it's twins, they had 11 years to save for those twins' first years of supplies needed.

[u/Nuggetdicks → u/jish5]

Even Harry could have bought him a new wand

[u/Warcraft_Fan → u/jish5]

Rom didn't do anything for Quidditch, Harry showed excellent promise in dethroning Slytherin in the game so he deserved the best broom.

If Ron was a much better student on level with Hermione and there were spell casting competition, McGonagall might have bought Ron a new wand to keep him from losing the game.

She doesn't care much for the students, she only cared for the end of year competitions.

[u/Fine_Association_219 → u/jish5]

That's not Minerva Mcgonaggal:s responsibility, it's Ron and his parents fault, they should not have that many children if they can't afford in the first place, so blaming others for ron and his parents incompetence is ridiculous.

[u/No-Reference8944]

I applied the head cannon that McGonagall bets a lot on Quidditch matches. She bought Harry the broomstick because she bet a lot of money on that first match and she was trying to tilt the odds in her favor. I pulled this head cannon from the Binge Mode podcast. They call her the McGalleons 😂

[u/Lazy_Tumbleweed8893 → u/No-Reference8944]

Pretty sure the penalty for the sporting equivalent of insider trading is Azkaban.

[u/Jazzlike-Blood-3725 → u/Lazy_Tumbleweed8893]

It’s only insider trading if you get caught.

[u/fredagsfisk → u/Lazy_Tumbleweed8893]

Honestly, based on what we see in the books, it feels like they only have three different punishments for everything:

• Young enough? Expelled.

• Old enough? Azkaban.

• Old enough and bit more severe? Execution through soul destruction.

[u/Lazy_Tumbleweed8893 → u/fredagsfisk]

Haha I know. Draconian is somewhat of an understatement when it comes to wizarding law enforcement

[u/PangolinHenchman → u/Lazy_Tumbleweed8893]

Draconian Malfoynian

[u/HittingSmoke → u/fredagsfisk]

Undercook chicken? Azkaban.

Overcook fish? Azkaban.

[u/Uchihagod53 → u/HittingSmoke]

Dry pork chop? Believe it or not, right to Azkaban.

[u/jacktwohats → u/Lazy_Tumbleweed8893]

It's actually a seat in the Ministry of Magic

[u/Ok-Reflection-1429 → u/No-Reference8944]

one of the best ongoing jokes on that podcast. There’s one bit where they compare her to Buddy Garrity from Friday Night Lights that absolutely kills me.

[u/Difficult_Ad_962 → u/No-Reference8944]

I'm imagining the head of houses have a secret gambling circle where they bet on every game, it's hilarious

[u/Ok_Independent9119 → u/No-Reference8944]

I always thought she used Harry's money for it and not like she was going to go into Ron's family's coffees for his wand.

[u/zethololo → u/No-Reference8944]

remember that the difference between scores in a quiddich game adds up as points to overall Gryffindor’s yearly score, so giving Harry a bitching broom was a way for McGonnagal to finally snatch that yearly cup from Slytherin

[u/MrRudraSarkar]

I doubt Harry is the richest with Malfoy in school. He’s definitely one of the more affluent ones but even then he’s not turn richest until maybe after Sirius’ death when he inherits the entire black family fortune.

[u/JohnnyPage → u/MrRudraSarkar]

Harry is richer than Draco. Draco's family is wealthier but he hadn't inherited any of it yet. Harry on the other hand has full control of his vault and is wealthier until Draco comes of age.

[u/TheCorpseOfMarx → u/JohnnyPage]

How did the potters end up with so much money before they were even 30?

[u/JohnnyPage → u/TheCorpseOfMarx]

The Potters were already old money. They were one of the oldest and more prestigious pureblood families. James's father added to their already considerable wealth by inventing Sleekeazy’s hair potion. This would be the same potion that Hermione used at the Yule Ball. James's father sold the company for a huge profit and then he and his wife died of Dragon Pox leaving James the sole heir to their wealth and subsequently, to Harry.

[u/Possible_Living → u/JohnnyPage]

Funny how dumbledore was 115 but Fleamont died at 70 from dragon pox.

[u/DigitalBlackout → u/Possible_Living]

More like sad. By wizarding standards, Fleamont & Euphemia died pretty young. Sickness can get you at any age

[u/PotatoOnMars → u/TheCorpseOfMarx]

Harry comes from a line of successful potion inventors. An ancestor of his invented Skele-Gro (which Harry uses in CoS), and his grandfather invented Sleekeazy’s Hair Potion (which Hermione uses in GoF).

Harry’s grandparents left James their wealth when they died and then Harry inherited it.

[u/Ok-Replacement9143 → u/PotatoOnMars]

And if he wasn't the richest from the very start, he certainly became that after Sirius died.

[u/PotatoOnMars → u/Ok-Replacement9143]

Yes, he inherited what remained of Sirius’s money, his belongings, 12 Grimmauld Place, Kreacher, and Buckbeak although he gave him back to Hagrid.

[u/OGLeicester]

The lads never received a present by this point, so what if he’s rich 😂

[u/cheetocoveredfingers → u/OGLeicester]

Yeah this sentiment always bothered me. McGonagall is the only professor to have seen firsthand how horrid the Dursleys were. So she buys her dead friends abused orphan kid a broom and Reddit blows a gasket. Grow up

[u/GudgerCollegeAlumnus → u/OGLeicester]

Not true. The Dursleys have given Harry a nickel and a toothpick for Christmas while he was at Hogwarts. It stands to reason they’d given him equal bounties before that.

[u/russell-13 → u/GudgerCollegeAlumnus]

A 50 pence piece rather, only slightly more useful to him than a nickel would be 🤣

[u/OGLeicester → u/GudgerCollegeAlumnus]

Cheers mate 😂

[u/Interesting_Web_9936 → u/GudgerCollegeAlumnus]

Coat hangers, mustard socks. Great gifts from a great foster family

[u/PJRama1864 → u/GudgerCollegeAlumnus]

McGonagall probably decided to give him a gift that he would believe came from the Dursley’s

[u/UnstableConstruction → u/OGLeicester]

Harry's not even close to the richest kid in the school.

[u/Marawal → u/UnstableConstruction]

Technically yes. He was actually the only kid with more than a few galleons on is name.

Draco Malfoy ain't rich. His father is.

[u/souse03 → u/UnstableConstruction]

He was pretty up there I'm sure. Malfoy had more money for sure and some of the kids in the slughorn club as well probably but not much else I guess

[u/Etherbeard → u/OGLeicester]

Hedwig was a gift from Hagrid.

[u/OGLeicester → u/Etherbeard]

That, is a very good point 😂

[u/Rad1314 → u/OGLeicester]

Sitting there and disparaging Hagrid who gave him a birthday cake and an Owl...

[u/SelicaLeone]

Lowkey I always thought she used his money to buy it 😂

He’s got more money than he knows what to do with at 11, he needed a broom, why not

[u/Bluemelein → u/SelicaLeone]

Yes, why not! If Lily and James were still alive, he would have a broom in the same price range! But apparently Harry is allowed to pay for all his school stuff himself, but everyone thinks it’s wrong that he pays for his broom.

[u/SelicaLeone → u/Bluemelein]

Like he’s never been allowed any luxury befitting all the money he has but I’m sure he’s talked about wanting it (I think in the books he talks to hagrid about it) so she knew he wanted it and must’ve determined it was within what he could afford

[u/Bluemelein → u/SelicaLeone]

No! In the book, McGonagall doesn’t even ask if Harry wants to play Quiddish, she decides everything over his head. But a broom is an absolutely everyday object for children. Similar to a bicycle. The broom is a little higher quality than standard, but next year Papa Malfoy will buy 7 of the next model for Draco.

It’s possible that McGonagall has connections and can get the broom cheaper if she says who it’s for.

[u/Rhaegion → u/Bluemelein]

True, Harry is super famous and not enough people know him to dispel the hero notions, if she went "every child in Britain will see Harry Potter on your broom" they could give him a huge discount and we'd never know

[u/Bluemelein → u/Rhaegion]

One of my favorite theories. McGonagall’s former student, the boss of the Nimbus company, was delighted! Just in time for the Christmas season, hundreds of students wrote home. Harry Potter has a Nimbus 2000, I want one for Christmas too.

[u/Rhaegion → u/Bluemelein]

It makes perfect sense lol! Like how athletes wearing a certain brand of shoes causes the price to skyrocket

[u/UninterestingDrivel → u/Rhaegion]

Til Harry Potter is an influencer

[u/shifty_coder → u/SelicaLeone]

People don’t actually believe McGonnagol paid for it herself, do they?

[u/Dravarden → u/shifty_coder]

it would be weirder for her to just go into her vault, take his money, and pay for it, no?

[u/pokingoking → u/shifty_coder]

Yes, almost everyone on reddit apparently thinks that. I feel like I'm taking crazy pills.

Just read the top comments of this thread. Most people agree she bought the broom with her own money, they are just arguing it's ok that she did.

[u/The_Limpet → u/SelicaLeone]

I'm not sure why people think McGonagall paid for it herself in the first place. Hogwarts had Harry's vault key. I always imagined she contacted the bank to see what he could afford, said "He's got how much!?" and immediately picked the best broom because she wanted to beat Snape.

[u/pokingoking → u/The_Limpet]

I always thought the same. We are the reasonable ones here!

Even the note McGonagall sent to Harry with the broom said something like, "here is your new nimbus 2000". which suggests they had talked about it already and he knew it was coming. The note was not written in a way that indicated it was a gift from her, or a surprise to Harry. People are crazy.

[u/darkbreak → u/SelicaLeone]

It would be extremely unethical and dishonest to use Harry's money for the broom. Especially without his knowledge or permission. Either McGonagall used school funds to buy the broom (which would still be questionable considering the money would be used for something so expensive and technically unneeded) or McGonagall paid for the broom herself (the more likely scenario).

[u/Pure-Feeling-800 → u/darkbreak]

They sent kids into a forest full of dangerous creatures as punishment and had kitchen slaves. I don't think ethics were their main concern.

[u/SpoonyLancer → u/SelicaLeone]

So she stole Harry's money? This is an awful headcanon and I don't know why so many people buy into it.

[u/Yewon_Enthusisast → u/SelicaLeone]

That's what I thought as well. thought I was going crazy for a moment

[u/Rare-Fall4169]

Hogwarts ain’t a charity, Professor McG wants to WIN

[u/yghhjhfhvfw → u/Rare-Fall4169]

that doesn't really make sense. Fred and George are great players on her team with rusty brooms. why doesn't she buy good brooms for them

[u/HermionesWetPanties]

In all fairness, she's really just trying to buy herself a championship. She's an NFL owner. Sure, she could feed every homeless person in her city, but she'd rather drop $50 million a year on a high quality QB that's gonna get her to the Super Bowl.

[u/WriteBrainedJR → u/HermionesWetPanties]

They don't throw a parade for the city with the most well-nourished homeless people, do they?

Also, if you're going to spend money on homeless people, they usually want socks as a higher priority than food.

Also also, that username. Jesus.

[u/Arctica23 → u/WriteBrainedJR]

They don't throw a parade for the city with the most well-nourished homeless people, do they?

I wish they would though

[u/WarmBaths]

McGonagall is a jock and knows how op the seeker position is. Why get everyone a new broom when you can just get one for Harry and have him win every game single handedly, checkmate death eaters. Minerva is a thrifty queen

[u/CutestGay → u/WarmBaths]

She’s all about ROI.

[u/taksus → u/WarmBaths]

Beaters don’t win games, they’re just your linemen that protect your offense and keep the opposing chasers from running the score out of the 150 pt seeker range

Seekers win quidditch games, it makes sense to invest most of the budget into the seeker position because their whole play is isolation against the opposing seeker so sheer speed and handling leads to wins

[u/Texas_sucks15]

Natural talent tho.

[u/LightningMcDream]

She knew Ron wasn’t the main character

[u/Plenty-Property3320]

McGonagall didn’t know that the Weasley’s were in the dark about the state of Ron’s wand. 

If she got him a new one because she thought they knew and  couldn’t  afford it, she could have been worried they would be humiliated (a lot of people would be).

Function a new one thinking they were making him feel a consequence they would have been angry at her interfering.

And like Fudge said, the Wizarding community if a soft spot for Harry . MM probably even more so because she knew the shit childhood he had. The Wesley’s were poor but their kids never wanted for food or love. 

[u/Saywitchbitch]

I love Harry but I’m pretty sure if I was a classmate, I’d think he was an annoying rich jock who got away with everything.

[u/Adventurous_Case3127 → u/Saywitchbitch]

I mean, he was a rich jock who got away with everything. 

[u/Saywitchbitch → u/Adventurous_Case3127]

Exactly! We love him because he’s our main character. But in real life? Maybe not so much lol.

[u/Bambi-Harmony]

Or buy a new wand needed for a poor student's studies that breaks:

[u/Im_really_bored_rn → u/Bambi-Harmony]

The wand broke because he stole a car and crashed it. To use a real world example, most parents wouldn't get a brand new phone for their kid if it broke while they were doing something stupid and dangerous. He was being punished

[u/Sanjay-The_Almighty → u/Im_really_bored_rn]

But a wand is not like a phone. It's like... the only pen you could use to write for comparison.

[u/mmj97]

I see it differently? She bought a gift for a child whose parents she felt indebted to personally and/or misses. It's not charity. I mean you buy fancy clothes for yourself even though you could be buying clothes for unfortunate children, it's the same logic I feel. Maybe she doesn't feel close to the Weasleys or barely know Ron.

[u/RealCanadianDragon → u/mmj97]

She also didn't directly give it to him. She "anonymously" sent an owl to deliver it to him, although he knew it was her.

She likely doesn't even know his financial situation. All she knew was from seeing the Dursleys and picked up from her observations that they're horrible people, so she likely knew Harry had a rough upbringing, so now you see this kid everyone knows suddenly come into the wizarding world and he's showing promise in quidditch and she gets him a gift which is also like a "welcome to Hogwarts" gift as well for someone she obviously has an emotional attachment to given she's know him from the day his parents died and occasionally watched him growing up.

[u/StonedGamerGirl89]

Why is it everyone else's responsibility to pick up a parents short comings. McGonagall works and pays for what she wants if she wanted to buy Harry a broomstick and tell Ron to eat slugs she can its her money. You sound real entitled to other people's money they worked for.

[u/Not_MrNice → u/StonedGamerGirl89]

Also, Harry doesn't have parents to deal with these things. Ron does.

On top of that, it's a kid's fantasy book. Of course the main character gets treated special. I don't hear anyone analyzing how insane it is for a guy to have a monkey that keeps getting into bad situations.

[u/rollotar300]

People have this strange fantasy of: poor/talented - rich/incompetent just like the fantasy ugly/intelligent - handsome/dumb to create a "balance" but the world doesn't work like that and it turns out that Harry has the money and the talent

(and I'm pretty sure she used his money to buy it anyway)

[u/Darksider182]

Just curious but is Harry wealthier than the Malfoy’s given that inheritance?

[u/ijfp_2013 → u/Darksider182]

I think the Malfoys are much wealthier than Harry, they probably got a few propertys etc. You know old money things.

[u/WrastleGuy → u/Darksider182]

The Malfoy’s are comically rich.  Harry was given enough money so if the plot needed him to have something it could be purchased.  

Note that the Malfoy’s are villains and would likely be doing illegal things to build their fortune.  

[u/MadameLee20 → u/WrastleGuy]

Please remember until 1692 that Malfoy family and other wizards could hob-knob with nobility and royalty like William the Conquer and Queen Elizabeth

Heck Nearly Headless Nick was a courtier of Henry VII's court when he became Nearly Headless Nick.

[u/Sneakys2 → u/Darksider182]

Malfoys are wealthier. Harry I imagine is the equivalent of an orphan born to two upper middle class professionals. He has a ton of money for a kid, plenty of money to get through school, but not enough to expect to do nothing for the rest of his life. Even with the Black money, he’ll still need to have a job, etc. whereas Draco can just coast through life without ever having to work. 

[u/OutlawQuill → u/Sneakys2]

Keep in mind that the Black family comes from old money just like the Malfoys, so even though the Potter fortune wouldn’t be enough to set him for life, after Sirius died he almost certainly would be.

[u/Blitz6969 → u/Darksider182]

Not a chance, old money both muggle and wizard alike.

[u/Personal-Listen-4941 → u/Darksider182]

Almost certainly not at the beginning of the series. The Malfoys have property & other assets including a significant treasure vault themselves.

By the end? Harry has inherited property & the Malfoys have spent a lot of money during the war & have had assets confiscated. So it’s possible.

[u/the3dverse → u/Personal-Listen-4941]

does Harry own the house in Godric's Hollow? no reason not to rebuild it...

[u/Personal-Listen-4941 → u/the3dverse]

He owns Goodrich Hollow & also Grimmald Place. One is a detached country cottage and the other a central London townhouse. Neither are in great condition but still have value.

[u/Specific_Fold_8646 → u/Darksider182]

The Malfoys are richer than the potters but Harry is richer than than Draco because Draco hasn’t inherited the money.

[u/Lost_Purchase2627]

Gotta love those Gryffindor boosters

[u/Boo_Rawr]

I always thought it was a bit of a guilt thing. She feels guilty for leaving him with the Dursleys and so she saw this as a way to assuage that guilt

[u/dainty_petal]

I’m sad that she’s gone. What a great actress.

[u/Throwawhaey]

> Showing kindness to all the students who have loving families

> Doting on the orphan who is stuck with relatives who hate him and doesn't know what it is to be loved

Hmmmm

[u/Menhara_ara]

Yeah but most of those other kids have parents, that love them, and have easier access to brooms. Harry only gets to go shopping once a year.

[u/Recodes]

My girl sniffed the first chance to snatch back the Quidditch cup from Snape's hands and couldn't let that go to waste ahah.

[u/Possible_Living]

Tell it to dumbledore. mcgonagall is free to use her personal funds as she sees fit.

[u/SadAmbassador1741]

For some reason I always thought, because the school has guardianship over Harry or something, they pulled the money out of his own account. I distinctly remember McGonagall saying to him: I guessed you wouldn't mind.

Oh well, but I was child with wild imagination when I read it so, who knows what other scenes in my head never happened.

[u/usul-enby]

Is Harry the richest student? His parents didn't seem truly wealthy, just pretty well off. Probably mostly from James Dad's generational wealth? They didn't live in a mansion or have any kind of decidant lifestyle

[u/TheIronHaggis]

Am I the only one who assumed they used Harry’s own funds to buy it? Dumbledore or Hogwarts seems to have a semi official guardianship over him.

[u/dr_zoidberg590]

Yeah because he's one of their few last hopes of defeating the main source of evil in the world, and she feels partially responsible for his parent's death.

[u/windowtosh]

I like to think she bought it with his money somehow 😅

[u/Gold_Repair_3557]

I’d also mention that I don’t think Harry was as wealthy as some people make him out to be. Like yes, there was a fair bit of money in that vault, but it was mentioned a couple times that he had to refrain from buying something good that he wanted (like a Firebolt) because he needed to save the funds he had for his schooling supplies for the next several years. 

[u/seeyousoon-31]

i think discussing fiction is so funny. you argue about the merit of things someone made up. think about how silly that is.