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Harry Potter expert here. Responding to your first question about poverty, there are some limiting factors on conjuring. First, although items appear to come fr
by jeromec 17y ago
Harry Potter expert here. Responding to your first question about poverty, there are some limiting factors on conjuring. First, although items appear to come from nowhere, they actually are likely to come from somewhere. For example, the feast appears magically on the Great Hall tables, but it comes from the kitchens below after being prepared by house elves. When things vanish, they also likely go somewhere else (remember the vanishing cabinet). Many things are transfigured (transformed) by starting first with a subject, like turning beetles into buttons, and some effects wear off (a lot of magic is non-permanent), so here it would make more sense to use actual buttons for clothing. The second limiting factor is skill level of the witch/wizard, as many possess expertise in one area, but not others (even Dumbledore being magically expert in many areas is not an alchemist, for example). This helps explain why places like Hogwarts and the Ministry are elaborate; witches and wizards of many skill levels and abilities worked together crossing spells for added conjuring complexity as well as durability from the magic wearing off.
As for Harry's parents having money, they were a highly skilled witch and wizard husband/wife team. Just as in the muggle world, as with a smart husband and wife tandem (think the Obamas), they would do well economically. Harry's money is riches for a single kid financing a few school years, not necessarily a king's sum meaning he is set for life.
- rortian 17y agoNot an alchemist? Did you forget about the Socerer's Stone? How could a non-alchemist discover that many uses for dragon's blood? Harry's parents are mysterious figures and I would guess that their wealth (or his rather) was more inherited than from being a highly skilled witch wizard team. He did inherit the invisibility cloak.
- jeromec 17y agoWhen I say not an alchemist, I mean to the degree of Nicholas Flamel who was the only known maker of the Sorcerer's Stone. Many people know math well, but don't call themselves mathematicians. I agree some of the wealth could have been inherited (on the Potter side), but being highly clever, Harry's parents certainly had earning potential as well.
- inglorian 17y agoI would guess that the money was probably inherited rather than earned -- likely from James, as Lily was muggleborn. Even though they may have been a power couple, or as you say, a highly skilled witch and wizard team, they were only 20 when they died -- not really enough time to amass obscene amounts of wealth.
- jeromec 17y agoRemember that people in the magical world come of age one year earlier than muggles. I do think some wealth was inherited, but I also suspect James was something of an adventurer (remember his outings with Moony, Padfoot, and Wormtail), maybe Lily as well (they were both Phoenix Order members), which would have given opportunities to come across gold and rare items like the invisibility cloak.
- jeromec 17y agoWhy would someone downvote my comment above? I did agree a source of the wealth was likely inheritance. But why couldn't James, with his clever, some would even say mean (to Snape), talents not also be likely to go out and get into adventures, take a few risks? (before Harry arrived, of course) He was still young after all. Remember, Sirius was the wealthy one in school. James went to stay over his house as a kid. Nothing was ever said about James Potter having a significantly wealthy family. Also, Hagrid says "D'yeh think yer parents didn't leave yeh anything?" That sounds like Lily and James made at least some of the money.