J.K. Rowling said last summer that tuition at Hogwarts is completely covered for all students, as the Ministry of Magic makes a magical education a free education for every wizard and witch. Of course, just because it’s free to attend the school that doesn’t mean attending won’t cost you. Especially if you seem to have the uncanny ability to cause massive damages at Hogwarts year after year like Harry Potter.
This video from Movieclips Trailers aims to figure out what it would cost you to be a wizard just like the Boy Who Lived. Spoiler: if you break nearly as many expensive things as Harry does, you’re going to need to make sure your parents left you millions and millions of Galleons in your Gringotts Wizarding Bank account.
Before the cost of repairs and restitution, a wizard like Harry would have expenses that include:
- School supplies (books, pots, potions, wand, etc): $1,031
- Pet owl like Hedwig (adoption and vet fees): $400
- Quidditch equipment: $550
- Occasional round of Butter beer: $10
Oh, and also..
- Cost of damages: $6,945,035
Whoa. I don’t know if that seems high or not. Hell, by the end of Harry’s seven years there the school was basically destroyed and, magic or no, that will require some funding to fix.
After accounting for inflation, transfer rates, yadda yadda yadda, they put the seven-year total at over $15 million, or over 2 million Galleons.
(Their number incorporates the cost of a train ride an equal distance in England, $150, but I don’t think Hogwarts would charge the students the cost of the ride to get to school, so I would not have included it.)
So what are the lessons here? One: Ron’s frustration at being poor was probably far more legit than we realized, especially with the Weasleys having so many kids in school at the same time. Two:Â Just stay in your damn room and stop thinking every mystery is yours to solve. There are plenty of adults at the school, Harry, Ron, and Hermione. Let them take care of it sometimes. Unless you want to pay for all of it.
What other costs of being a wizard should they have included? Cast your thoughts in the comments below.
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Images: Warner Bros.
