Hey everyone,
Welcome to another installment of Harry Potter Theory. In today’s video, we’re going
to be discussing Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry. More specifically- we’re going
to be addressing one simple question: does Hogwarts cost MONEY?
Hogwarts was founded in the 10th century when 4 witches and wizards got together, and decided
that they had, in the sorting hat’s own words: ‘the selfsame yearning, to make the
world’s best magic school’. And create the world’s best magical school they did-
teaching magic to generations and generations of magical families.
For centuries the children of the magical world have been receiving their Hogwarts acceptance
letters. The moment they come of age- they can expect a letter at their door, and the
letter is symbolic in that it represents a new chapter in their lives. In one moment
they’re struck with the realization that they’re going to be leaving their homes
and families behind in pursuit of a proper magical education. I should mention that attending
a magical school isn’t mandatory in the wizarding world- but opting out certainly
isn’t recommended. It’s at Hogwarts that students are weened in to and educated on
nearly every aspect of magic that they should expect to come across in their lives. Failure
to attend a wizarding school just wouldn’t be good.
However, with that being said- is Hogwarts entirely accessible to EVERYONE? Does everyone
get a fair chance to attend? Does it cost money?
In the magical world a lot of things can be done and created with magic- which makes life
easier. You also might think that, with the advent of magic, things like money and an
economy are unnecessary. Who needs money when you have magic, right?
But in reality the wizarding world actually has an economy very much like our own, and
is driven by wizarding currency in the form of Galleons, Sickles and Knuts. Not unlike
our own world, there exists a medium of exchange- which means that currency is commonly exchanged
for goods/services. School books cost money, wands cost money, owls cost money- but does
Hogwarts?
Rest assured families of the wizarding world- as it turns out that Hogwarts is in fact free.
This was confirmed by JK Rowling in a tweet:
“There's no tuition fee! The Ministry of Magic covers the cost of all magical education!”
However, just because the tuition is free it certainly doesn’t mean that the school
is cheap to attend. A first year at Hogwarts can expect to pay for the following:
-A uniform, consisting of three sets of plain black work robes, one plain black pointed
hat, one pair of protective gloves (made of dragon hide or something similar), and one
winter cloak
-Schoolbooks, including: ‘The Standard Book of Spells, Grade 1’ by Miranda Goshawk,
‘A History of Magic’ by Bathilda Bagshot, ‘Magical Theory’ by Adalbert Waffling,
‘A beginner’s guide to transfiguration’ by Emeric Switch, ‘One Thousand Magical
Herbs and Fungi’ by Phillida Spore, ‘Magical Drafts and Potions’ by Arsenius Jigger,
‘Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them’ by Newt Scamander, and ‘The Dark Forces:
A Guide to Self-Protection’ by Quentin Trimble.
They’ll also need:
-A wand
-A cauldron made of pewter
-A set of glass phials
-A telescope
-A set of brass scales
And lastly, an animal companion- commonly an owl, cat or toad.
And that’s just for first year! As you can see, though the Hogwarts tuition is covered
by the ministry, the school is far from ‘free’. However- Hogwarts does remain all-inclusive,
and noone will ever be turned away. For students lacking the financial means- you will be delighted
to hear that the school does offer financial aid.
And that’s it for this video. Did you ever wonder if Hogwarts cost money? Let me know
in the comment section below.
If you enjoy the content please LIKE the video and SUBSCRIBE to the channel.
Until next time
Yer a wizard arry