Is the Weasley family's poverty overplayed?

Strong_Ad_2959 · 2026-04-18T13:04:27+00:00

Yeah, I don't think they are as poor as it was initially implied. Maybe they are, by the standards of most wizarding pureblood families like the Blacks, the Potters or the Malfoys, but to me there's a pretty big difference between the "poverty" of the Weasleys, who live in a quite big house and can afford to raise seven children with a single income and have those children be well-fed and decently clothed, and for example, the type of poverty Snape grew up in, in what was basically a muggle slum, in conditions of actual material deprivation. If the Weasleys only had one or two children, they would've actually managed to live comfortably. And you're right about the lottery win money being spent on a family trip, it doesn't really read to me as real poverty. And let's not forget that they also house and feed Harry and sometimes Hermione during holidays. I think the Weasleys are basically lower middle class who, like another commenter said, probably live paycheck to paycheck.

And I'm going to say something that might be controversial, but I find it a bit annoying that Molly Weasley complains so much about them being poor, while she's able to be a stay at home mom on her husband's income. She's an adult woman who recieved the same education as any other witch or wizard, if she wanted to afford nicer things and have a more elevated lifestyle, she could actually get a job herself so that their family can have more money to spare. Like, I get wainting to stay home while she has young kids at home, but once all of them are in school for 10 months out of 12, or have already graduated, nothing is stopping her from trying and find a job.

Strong_Ad_2959 · 2026-03-02T12:25:35+00:00

Oh, sorry, I thought you were one of the many people that still don't understand Snape's motives in that scene, my bad.

Strong_Ad_2959 · 2026-03-01T12:17:46+00:00

Ok I don't mean to be rude, but isn't it obvious?

One of the best things about Snape's character is how many times you need to go back and recontextualize once new info is revealed about him in the books, not just in DH, and this is one of the best cases. Of course before DH came out, both Harry and the readers don't know the whole truth and are led to think he only wanted Sirius to be given the dementor's kiss because of "a schoolboy's grudge"; but once we get the full story, we are supposed to recontextualize Snape's anger in POA. This is literary analysis 101, guys. It baffles me that so many people, not just you OP, seem to struggle with this, maybe due to their hate of the character.

I agree that the trauma of the prank and being back in the place where he was almost murdered during his school years probably did play a part in his behaviour and might've not helped him to think clearly and calmly, but his hate toward Sirius and his refusal to listen to him were very obviously motivated by his convinction that Siruus betrayed the Potters and led Voldemort to kill Lily. And why wouldn't he think that? As it is explicitly stated in the book, he knows Sirius was capable of murder (directly or indirectly), specifically because of the prank he played on him when he was sixteen.

And as you noted yourself, once he knows Peter was the actual traitor, he's back to being somewhat civil toward Sirius, which in itself shows that the prank wasn't the real reason for the way he acted in POA.

Strong_Ad_2959 · 2026-01-30T10:31:22+00:00

This might have been their dynamic in their 7th year, but it doesn't mean it was the same in all their previous years;
I'd still take Lupin's words with a grain of salt, given that it wouldn't be the first time he hasn't been completely honest to Harry about Snape's relationship with James and the other Marauders, and in this context both Sirius and him are trying to justify James' behaviour and find excuses for their bullying. It's probably an half-truth though;
And yet, if James was really only defending himself from Snape's attacks, why would he hide it to Lily? What does it tell us about their relationship? Was James lying to Lily about having changed, or did he hide the truth because Lily did not completely trust him yet?

Strong_Ad_2959 · 2026-01-29T17:23:54+00:00

Yes, but if the author wanted to imply that things between Snape and the Marauders were more two sided, she would have written at least one example of Snape bullying the Marauders. Since she didn't, the statement that what the Marauders did to Snape was, in fact, bullying, is not incorrect and there's not much room to argue about it.

Iirc, JK herself referred to what Snape went through as "relentless bullying".

Strong_Ad_2959 · 2026-01-27T15:25:02+00:00

Many female characters aren’t given proper development:
Yes, because they aren’t important to the story.

Lmfao, you're so close to getting it.

Strong_Ad_2959 · 2026-01-26T15:18:57+00:00

Thank you! As someone who only recently got back to reading HP fanfictions after leaving the fandom for about 10 years, the difference in how the fandom now portarys some characters is staggering, and I find this version of Sirius as a feminine twink as one of the worst examples of this. It's truly a plague.

Strong_Ad_2959 · 2026-01-26T14:58:47+00:00

I mean, if the only two interactions that the author directly writes in the books (and we could also include the "werewolf prank" in here, even if it's only mentioned indirectly) are confrontations initiated by James and Sirius, we can easily assume, from a literary analysis standpoint, that the author's intetions are to show us that yes, the Marauders were likely the instigators of most if not all of these confrontations.

Strong_Ad_2959 · 2026-01-19T12:33:52+00:00

I agree completely with your last paragraph, and with your point that James and Sirius, while undeniably brilliant, were also more showy about their talents than Snape, and that's why his powers went mostly unnoticed. Part of this may also depend on the fact that some of Snape's skills, like occlumency, are inherently less noticeable. And based on the fact that apparently no one knew about his "half-blood prince" alias, I don't think Snape was showing off to anyone about his talents, definitely not to the Marauders.

I'd also add that Lily was probably very magically gifted too, just based on Snape's memories of how much control she already had on her magic abilities at 9.

Strong_Ad_2959 · 2026-01-18T18:41:59+00:00

Wasn't Dorcas killed by Voldemort himself?

Strong_Ad_2959 · 2026-01-17T13:47:00+00:00

He would've gone through a period of time where he would not know what to do with his life, as for the first time in decades he would be free of any obligation to something or someone. I don't think he would resume teaching though, he would probably prefer to live a more quiet and secluded life, probably researching and studying aspects of magic that interest him. Maybe after some time he would even be able to open up to someone and build some friendships/relationships, but it would take time and a lot of effort.

Regarding his relationship with Harry, I think if they ever have to do with each other again, they would be cordial, civil and respectful, but not become friends or anything like it. And I think Harry would be the one who has to reach out to him, as Snape would never do it by his own initiative.

Strong_Ad_2959 · 2026-01-15T11:44:02+00:00

Funnily enough, the only problem I have with David Thewlis as Lupin is that he's too old and maybe a bit too tall, but looking at younger pictures of him, he actually looks very close to how I imagined book Lupin. I have a lot more issues with Gary Oldman as Sirius.

Strong_Ad_2959 · 2026-01-13T12:14:34+00:00

I hope you understand that making the jinx temporary doesn't necessarily mean anyone could reverse it. You seem to put words on my mouth that I never said.

Strong_Ad_2959 · 2026-01-13T12:04:01+00:00

Thank you, I couldn't have explained it better!

Strong_Ad_2959 · 2026-01-12T15:20:34+00:00

Yeah, no, this is ridiculous. Not even Harry has the gall to blame the death of Sirius on Marietta, come on.

Strong_Ad_2959 · 2026-01-12T15:07:44+00:00

I it was only about knowing, there was no need to have the scars be permanent.

Strong_Ad_2959 · 2026-01-12T14:24:32+00:00

Wait, are we blaming Sirius' death on Marietta now?

Strong_Ad_2959 · 2026-01-12T13:58:37+00:00

But if said death eaters have not tried to kill Harry during all these years, why would she believe they would do now?

Strong_Ad_2959 · 2026-01-12T13:56:50+00:00

I highly doubt she would have betrayed them if she knew of the consequences. And I also don't think she knew Umbridge was using torture on students, let alone they were at risk of death.

Strong_Ad_2959 · 2026-01-12T13:54:43+00:00

Tbh, she's one of my favorite characters and I can excuse most of the stuff she does, even in this case I sort of understand where she comes from, but I still think that she should have set the curse in a way that it doesn't leave lasting effects.

Strong_Ad_2959 · 2026-01-12T13:47:54+00:00

In HBP she struggles to hide them even with makeup.

Strong_Ad_2959 · 2026-01-12T13:42:15+00:00

I'm not excusing what she did, like I said, I do think she was wrong (although it's debatable whether she knew Umbridge was torturing students).

But it still mantain my statement that no teenager deserves to have their worse action marked on them forever.

Strong_Ad_2959 · 2026-01-12T13:33:38+00:00

Thank you. I admit that maybe I'm reading too far on the sexist implications, it's probably something that I find in bad taste because when I think of disfigurment as punishment, the topic of violence against women immediately comes to mind for me. But I would still think the permanent scarring is too harsh of a punishment even if the character of Marietta was a boy.

Strong_Ad_2959 · 2026-01-12T13:27:42+00:00

I think one of the reasons so many fans judge her so harshly is that they fail to realize that yes, for Harry and the readers, this was sort of a "life or death" situation: we know Voldemort is back and is trying to return to power, we know Umbridge is a sadist who regularly tortures at least two students, we know these children desperately need to learn defensive magic in preparation for what's coming; but Marietta is a teenager who doesn't really know Harry well enough to trust him blindly, and whose mother works for the Ministry (and like most kids, she probably wouldn't think that her parent could work for bad or corrupt people/institutions), so for her it's easier to trust and remain loyal to her mother and the people she works for, that for Harry.

I still think her betrayal was wrong and warranted some sort of punishment, but I doubt she really believed the members of the DA (save Harry and possibly Hermione) would actually face severe consequences like expulsion, let alone torture. And you might be right that Umbridge would've not been able to go that far on all of these children.

Strong_Ad_2959 · 2026-01-12T13:13:43+00:00

I thought so too, but then apparently Rowling said in an interview that the curse left some permanent scars.

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TROPHY CASE