Its always been my opinion that Hogwarts education is free. People don't seem to mention its cost, but constantly go on about the price of books and wands. Hogwarts being free would also explain the ministry's absolute authority over it, if the explanation is they fund it, and fund every british wizard to go to it.

 

It would have to be one hell of a welfare state for that. But then again, with magic, they can probably afford it.

 

Wasn't it said in the books, that Harry's parents did pay his tuition in advance? Probably there is something like a special fund for students from poor families (e.g. the Weasleys)?

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Malfoy's Voldemort sense (Dark Mark tattoo) is tingling and instead of heeding the call of Voldemerde, he packs his stuff, shrinks his manor, takes his family and goes off the French estates of the Malfoy family from way, way back.

Igor feels the Dark Mark, too, and immediately goes off to the Durmstrang Castle in Norway, Sweden, Russia or wherever the hell this damn castle is and STAYS THERE (in the books he way found in Britain... WHY THE HELL would he hide in Britain, when he has a castle, which no-one knows, where it is?!?!).

 

As far as I can remember in PS Hagrid says that Harry's parents signed him up for Hogwarts at birth, not that they paid for him. I think tuition fees are fanon only.

 

Begs the question why there are several academies for magic when the best one is free.

Or how Hogwarts is the best school if no others exist.

 

If no other schools exist then Hogwarts is the best one.
Also the worst one.
But it would be the best.

Although I could see a scale - Hogwarts (best) is free. But entrance is invite only. Effectively the influential go there, and it's free because society (or a previous Minister, or Head of Education, or whatever) decided that they didn't want those who would be running the country to be in massive debt to get there, because that way lies a society ran by only the very rich/because they couldn't afford to send their kids there. Maybe you CAN buy tuition, but no more than 60% of the students can, and the rest are chosen by the staff. Or something.
Maybe it also runs a lottery style entrance as well, that anyone can enter.

Then you get the privatised schools. Run for a profit, these schools are good, and churn out well educated students. They're not as good as Hogwarts, but they're better than...

Ministry Funded Hedge Schools
They teach basic magic, how to avoid muggles, how to run a household, etc. No high level spells, because you could pick that up yourself if you really wanted. All these schools are interested in is making sure that the students have learnt enough to be able to avoid muggle detection, and to function in society.

 

I personally am greatly irked by the 'Saints Schools' concept.

 

I think calling Hogwarts the best school in Britian was a joke, because its also the only school in Britian, and there are only 11 or so schools in the world.

 

A thought for a story just hit me while reading Mira Mirth's "On the Way to Greatness".

Dumbledore, who we know to have been in possession of the Cloak and the Elder wand, borrows the stone from his colleague and friend Flamel. He then proceeds to go on a number of world saving adventures as the Master of the Hollows during the 12 or so years between the two wars.

That is something that I'd like to read.

 

Err, what? You realize Flamel's stone is not a Deathly Hallow, right?

 

I'd read a story where the Philosopher's Stone is the Fourth Deathly Hallow, created by Nicolas Flamel who studied the Hallows and learned to recreate their magic through alchemy.

 

Even if there was, the Weasleys would not qualify, methinks. It's normally not enough to be poor. You need to be from a disadvantaged background (sorry for being a bit impolitic) as well to be considered for such a fund, in my experience.

Scholarships would seem to be a much better explanation to me. Scholarships coupled with education loans. It makes it possible for the Weasleys to go to school, and also tells us why Percy was obsessed with being a straight O student. Or for that matter, why Bill, who was supposedly very cool and chilled out, became head boy and got into gringotts. Working in banks is quite lucrative in the real world.

Fred and George have a very different approach to it. They also study on an education loan, but their plan is to earn enough through their joke shop. Which they manage quite well.

And Ron and Ginny understand the concept, maybe, but Ron isn't really very academically inclined, and hence can't really qualify for any scholarships. He's just a doof in general, so... *shrug* I have little idea about the littlest Weasley. Her screen time was too short.

I'm not presenting this as canon, just a theory. It does make sense to me.

 

Was it good?

 

Yeah, didn't think that one out too well.

Blah, Dumbledore still had 2/3 hallows for over a decade. I wish he had gotten a chance to run around as the Master of Death.

I have this image in my head of Dumbledore as the blackstaff from Dresden Files.

 

He could have tracked down the Gaunt Shack, find the Stone/Horcrux, manage to not touch it, and safely destroy it with something (fiendfyre, maybe?). That would do the trick of making him Master of Death.

Having said that, I honestly doubt it actually does anything if you unite the three things. They all may be super-powerful objects, but what is supposed to happen if you bring them together? You become immortal, have access to Super-Magic, and have Death as your personal bitch?

BTW, funny that you brought up Dumbledore as the Blackstaff. I've been entertaining inklings of an HP/Dresden Crossover (where Harry ends up raised by either Marcone or the Carpenters, depending on my thoughts at the time). One aspect of the Fic is that Dumbledore and McCoy are friends, and the two eventually epically fight back to back with the Elder Wand/Blackstaff respectively.

 

I think Master of Death might not refer to someone who can evade Death, more like someone who can deal it out whenever he/she wants. The cloak and the wand together make the person quite difficult to beat, and the stone might make it easier to pass judgment, or bypass obstacles through foreknowledge. And you remain master of Death till Death comes for you, and then you greet it like an old friend, for that is what you both are.

 

This is more of a question to everyone here, rather than Plot Bunny, but it does have a starting scenario, so I'm posting it here.

What if the wizards and muggles were separated?

Say, that for example some cosmic deity, be it a god, ancient aliens, magic itself or something else entirely splits the universe into two dimensions.

And by universe, I mean Earth, of course.

In one dimension, all magic, wizards, witches, magical creatures and beings, magical plants and wizard-built structures such as Hogwarts, Hogsmeade, Diagon Alley etc simply vanish. Muggleborns will no longer be born and it is as if magic never existed.

In the second dimension, it is all muggles and squibs and all muggle-built structures that vanish. No more squibs will be born.

Let's focus on the dimension where magic remains, but muggles vanish.

How would the wizarding world deal with the complete disappearance of muggles? They will notice immediately, as all muggle cities and machines will simply vanish right before their eyes.

Imagine that places like Diagon Alley, the Ministry of Magic or St. Mungo's are the only things left of London. King's Cross vanishes, but Platform 9&3/4 remains untouched. In mixed muggle-wizard villages like Godric's Hollow, muggle homes vanish, but wizarding homes remain.

Obviously, muggleborns remain in this world, but their homes and their muggle relatives have vanished.

So, what do the magical people do? Is their population enough to let their civilization survive?

What about races such as Goblins, Centaurs and Giants? How do they deal with the new world deprived of muggles?

Obviously the Statute of Secrecy is no longer in effect, as there is no reason to hide anymore.

Discuss.

 

First thing that comes to mind is - so the muggle universe loses magic. I presume the magic universe retains the physical phenomena, which means someone could very well re-develop 'muggle' technology. So muggles get the shit end of the stick.

Wizards will probably rejoice in having the whole planet to themselves. Squibs and muggles who knew about magic could end up committing suicide after loss of their loved ones, or locked up in mental facilities after weaving tales of magic for which there would be absolutely no evidence.

I imagine there would be some turmoil for a time. Say, a wizard has a flat in a multi-story, otherwise muggle building. Does his flat vanish and he's left without a home? Does his flat remain with him, but crashes without the rest of the building to support it? Does it just float there? And in the muggle universe, if the flat stays with the wizard and there is no magic involved, then the building's structural integrity is compromised. Anything above the missing flat crashes into ruin. If that happens, I expect paranormal investigators will be hired to try to explain where the fuck the missing flat went.

Wizards have magic and, if they so wish, abiliy to re-invent muggle tech. Muggles don't have magic, but they have their technology and good adaptability stemming from their techno-innovative inclinations.

Both dimensions will carry on. Seeing as wizardkind doesn't seem to be thinking of space travel just yet, I imagine muggles would be the first to Mars.

 

Regarding the wizard flats in big, muggle buildings:

I'd say a copy of the building is made in the Wizard Dimension. Except that all the muggle flats are empty, while in the muggle world the flat belonging to the wizard is empty.

 

That sounds like a cop out to avoid too much inconvenience.

I think that when you're splitting the universe in two, some chaos is in order.

Did you get it? HEHEMESOCLEVER!