Quote:
Originally Posted by
giant_squid_fan 
"I transferred from Beauxbatons," Niamh replied. Then, just so Isobel didn't get the idea that Niamh had actually wanted to attend Hogwarts, she hastily added, "My parents made me,".
Niamh nodded in agreement. "People tell such wonderful tales of life at Hogwarts. And the food seems to be the thing they like most about it. I... really didn't expect all this, when I boarded the train." The blonde sighed. "I know what you mean. It is... disappointing. I wonder how they got so short of money that they had to start charging students to get into their rooms!" Niamh picked at the couch. "I'd hate to be someone from a poor family. All those knuts for meals and to sleep... That adds up to a fair bit after a whole term!" Truth be told, Niamh was angry at having to pay a knut to get into her Common Room every night. She didn't know how the school could do that. Parents must be in uproar at having to send knuts to their kids all the time. And what if you were like that old family, the Weasleys! Getting seven kids through Hogwarts was expensive enough anyway. Niamh wouldn't be surprised if the castle was completely empty come the holidays. It would be too expensive for anyone to stay! And what about those who simply had no where to go? Niamh thought, sadly. Hogwarts was known as a haven for those who had no where to go. New as she was to the school, Niamh didn't want to see Hogwarts lose all the bits people liked about it the most in its desperate bid for money.
"Oh, that makes much more sense now!" Isobel had never met a transfer before.
"What was it like there? Why'd your parents make you switch?" Perhaps she was asking too many questions, but she'd always wanted to know what magical education was like in other countries. She had her parents to tell her about Hogwarts, but she didn't know anyone foreign.
"You can speak French, then?" "My mum always said these were the best seven years of her life, and I agree about some things. So far, classes are amazing, and I've met a few people who are great friends, but... you know." The girl felt bad about wanting to criticise Hogwarts, but she was kind of mad about things.
Isobel nodded in agreement.
"Yeah! I mean, just to eat three times a day is more than a Sickle!" Well, it was one knut more than a sickle, which wasn't really a noticeable difference, but it was still a difference.
"Not to mention every time you enter the common room. What if you forget stuff? And what if you run out of knuts, are you just supposed to starve?"
Come to think of it, she'd never really wondered where Hogwarts got its money from. It's not like they had to pay tuition or anything, she just assumed they... always had it? Maybe the government cut off their payments or something.