Why Were the Weasleys so POOR? - Harry Potter Theory

Welcome to Harry Potter Theory. Today we’re going to be discussing the economic status of the beloved wizarding family, The Weasleys. In a world full of magic where seemingly ANYTHING is possible, it might surprise you to hear that even witches and wizards can face financial hardship. The advent of magical abilities makes life easier (and certainly a lot more interesting) in a LOT of ways, but one limitation of note is that gold CANNOT be multiplied. The result is that even magical families who can do amazing things like fly through the air, summon objects with the flick of their wand, and teleport can find themselves in financial dire straits.

Within the novels, there are numerous examples of fan-favourite witches and wizards exemplifying this.

But perhaps the greatest example of wizarding poverty (that is alluded to TIME AND TIME AGAIN) is the Weasley Family- the 9 person-strong wizarding family that embraces Harry with open arms right near the beginning of the first book. These 9 family members are Arthur, Molly, Bill, Charlie, Percy, Fred, George, Ron and Ginny. 

And what makes their poverty even more evident is the fact that it’s constantly contrasted with Harry’s massive fortune. We’re approaching the wizarding world very much from the perspective of Harry, who has no financial woes whatsoever. Right near the beginning of the first book we’re shown Harry’s massive stacks of gold in vault 687. 

But what I want to explore now is..Why? Why are the Weasleys SO POOR? How is it that they’re living in such derelict conditions? They’re a pure-blood family with deep ties in the wizarding world, Arthur has a good job at a long-standing wizarding institution, and (seemingly) there’s an abundance of family members with the ability to contribute to the family’s income.

Let’s dive in.

Are they actually THAT poor?

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