Chapter 24: The Value of a Galleon
Flourish and Blotts, Diagon Alley
Ronald Bilius Weasley
July 15, 1989, Saturday
Was Ron sure Edward Tonks was the solicitor he was looking for?
Frankly, he didn't know. After all, he didn't know if he was knowledgeable or qualified enough for what they needed.
So, he would make his decision after speaking with him face-to-face.
As for why he made Edward Tonks his first choice and put everyone else second, it was because he was a canon character.
Edward "Ted" Tonks was a Muggle-born wizard, the husband of Andromeda Tonks née Black, and the one who caused her to be disowned by House Black after marrying a Muggle-born.
What's more, he was the father of a very special person. Nymphadora - don't call me that - Tonks, the Metamorphmagus who would later become an auror, join the Order of Phoenix, fight against the dark forces, and ultimately die alongside her husband, Remus Lupin.
Ron also knew that Ted and Andromeda would open their home to the Order of the Phoenix as a safe house, and that Ted Tonks would die during the Muggle-borns hunt that followed Voldemort's return.
At least, that's how events would unfold in the original timeline, but now that Ron was here, he intended to change many things.
And this knowledge about Edward "Ted" Tonks made him at least a trustworthy person for Ron. At least Ron knew Edward Tonks was an honorable wizard and wouldn't stab him from behind.
That was enough to put him at the top of his list.
Also, although the original work didn't mention Ted Tonks' profession, many fanfictions Ron had read depicted him as a successful solicitor, and if that were true, Ron didn't want to miss out on such talent.
Every large business needs a reliable and skilled solicitor. This was a fact.
"We'll make our final decision after talking to him. But being particular about details isn't a bad trait for a solicitor, Bill. On the contrary, his job is to focus on details that normal people wouldn't notice. If his clients didn't understand this, it's better that he didn't work with them." Ron said.
"Well... I guess you're right. Besides, there's no harm in going and talking to him. But why do you want to meet with Edward Tonks first, putting the others aside? Frankly, I don't see anything special about him." Bill asked.
"You remember when mother and father took me to St. Mungo's, right?" Ron said.
"Yes," Bill said, waiting for Ron to continue rather than questioning him.
"The Senior Healer who examined me there was named Andromeda Tonks," Ron said.
"Oh…" Bill said, looking at the paper again, "Do you think they're related?"
"Possibly. We'll only find out when we get there. But if they are related, it could make things a little easier for us. In fact, Edward Tonks might already know about my situation. That would mean he'd take us more seriously," Ron said.
"Hmm. You're right. It's good to have a connection, even a distant one. Besides, someone connected to a Senior Healer wouldn't easily do something that would damage their prestige. That reduces the risks we might face," Bill said.
"Exactly. So, how about we go right away?" Ron asked.
"Don't rush," Bill said, then checked the time with a Tempus spell and said, "It's already past two-thirty in the afternoon. Let's have lunch first."
When Bill mentioned it, Ron realized he was hungry too. So, agreeing with Bill, he said, "Sure. But do you know of a place that serves food quickly? I don't want to waste too much time. We still have things to do today."
"Then we could go to Leaky Cauldron. Tom can make us fish and chips quickly. Plus, the prices are reasonable," Bill said.
"Oh. Then it's settled. By the way, lunch is on me," Ron said.
"On you? Do you have any coins?" Bill asked.
Bill knew his family's situation well, and although Ron occasionally got an allowance, his allowance was very small, and he spent it on snacks whenever they came to Diagon Alley. Bill was sure Ron had almost nothing left at the moment.
"Oh. Actually, I just made my first sale a little while ago, before you arrived. I have some coins now, don't worry," Ron said.
"Your first sale? What did you sell? Wait, more importantly, who did you sell it to?" Bill asked in surprise.
He had dropped Ron off at Flourish and Blotts, and Ron was still here when he arrived. Who could Ron have sold something to around here?
"Oh. Of course, I sold it to the shop manager, Mr. Flourish. Anyway, I'll tell you the details later. We need to go now. But first, I need to inform Mr. Flourish," Ron said.
Then Ron went between the bookshelves, found Mr. Flourish, and told him that his brother had arrived and they would be leaving.
After that, Ron and Bill left Flourish and Blotts and started walking towards Leaky Cauldron. During this time, Ron told Bill about what had happened at the bookstore and his business with Mr. Flourish. He also told Bill how much money he had made.
Bill was quite surprised that Ron had earned more than 20 galleons in just two or three hours at the bookstore.
But Ron understood why, because 20 galleons wasn't a small amount of money.
One discrepancy Ron noticed after arriving in this world, according to the canon story, was the value of coins in Magical Britain.
[Author's Note: Given that many fans agree that the galleon values in the original work are inconsistent, and that J.K. Rowling herself admitted to being very bad at money calculations, I have readjusted the values of the magical currencies in the story. I believe this is necessary for a story with a business theme.]
In her previous life, according to J.K. Rowling, one gold galleon was approximately £5 (British Pounds), which fluctuated to about $6–$8 USD depending on the exchange rate.
But frankly, this didn't seem logically plausible. Even for the wizarding world, which doesn't operate on logic, this was an unlikely scenario.
It was simply not possible for Magical Britain's highest-valued currency, especially a coin made from a magical metal, to be worth only five pounds.
Ron learned that a galleon was approximately equal to 50-51 pounds sterling when he read the Muggle Studies books among the Hogwarts books.
Although much of the information in the Muggle Studies books was outdated and inaccurate, this applied only to information that belonged entirely to the Muggle world. Something concerning the wizarding world, and information provided by Gringotts, could not possibly be wrong.
Therefore, it was highly likely that the general exchange value of a galleon was 51 pounds, and that was the value of a galleon in 1989. If considered in the 2020s, a galleon would likely be worth around 150 pounds.
Given that a galleon was worth 51 pounds and was also equal to 17 silver sickles, this meant that a sickle was approximately equal to 3 pounds. Furthermore, one silver sickle was equal to 29 bronze knuts, meaning one knut was approximately equal to 0.10 pounds, or 10 pence.
This meant that galleons were worth far more in this world.
But one other reason Bill was so surprised that Ron had earned more than 20 galleons in such a short time was that their father, Arthur Weasley, earned 25 galleons a month.
Which meant Ron had earned almost as much in three hours as his father earned in a month.
25 galleons, at today's value, would be approximately £1275, and in the 2020s, this would correspond to approximately £3800-£3850.
An annual salary of around £45,000 wouldn't be considered bad under normal circumstances.
Such an income would be enough to keep a typical Muggle family at a middle-class level. Furthermore, since wizards and witches could meet many of their needs through magic and many owned their own homes, they could save more money than a typical Muggle family.
But the Weasleys weren't a typical family; they were an ultra-large family of nine—two parents and seven children—and in Magical Britain, the biggest family expenses were usually the children's school supplies and tuition fees.
This was one of the main reasons why the Weasleys were poorer than other wizarding families and constantly struggled financially.
Of course, another reason was Arthur Weasley's lack of ambition and his fondness for Muggle artifacts.
Although their father, Arthur Weasley, worked as an Office Head at the Misuse of Muggle Artifacts Office within the DMLE department, his salary was considerably lower than that of other office heads.
The main reason for this was that the Misuse of Muggle Artifacts Office was considered a low-level office within the Ministry, and many members of noble wizarding families viewed it as a place of punishment.
Moreover, even though their father, Arthur Weasley, was the head of this office, only two people worked there, including their father.
In fact, the main reason their father, Arthur Weasley, was sent to this office was most likely because there were members of noble wizarding families with high ranks in the Ministry who saw their father as a Blood Traitor.
But their father, due to his fondness for Muggle objects and tools, had accepted the job without hesitation, and while other office heads earned twice as much, he continued to do his job with pleasure.
Frankly, Ron was undecided about what to think about this. He approved of his father doing a job he loved, but as the head of the family and Lord of the Most Ancient House of Weasley, he also had other responsibilities.
And doing everything he could to ensure his family's well-being was paramount among these responsibilities. However, instead of making an effort in this regard, their father spent all his free time in his garage enchanting Muggle objects, a hobby he pursued.
'Well... even though he's not financially able to support his family very well, at least my father isn't like someone Vernon Dursley or, worse, Lucius Malfoy. He truly loves and cares for his family. If money is the problem, all I have to do is earn money instead of my father,' Ron thought.
And as he and Bill entered Leaky Cauldron, his determination to earn money and improve his family's well-being grew stronger.
One day, Ron would transform House Weasley into the wealthiest house in Magical Britain, the House that occupied the most magnificent mansion, and the most prestigious Magical House.
And one day, he would turn The Most Ancient House of Weasley into a noble house, making it The Noble and Most Ancient House, and securing a seat on Wizengamot.
Ron was confident that, thanks to his talents, those days wouldn't be long in coming.
End of Chapter 24.
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Magical Britain's Magical Currencies and British Pound Equivalents in 1989:
1 Galleon = 17 Sickles = 493 Knuts ≈ £51
1 Sickle = 29 Knut ≈ £3
1 Knut ≈ £0,10 / 10p
Magical Britain's Magical Currencies and British Pound Equivalents in the 2020s:
1 Galleon = 17 Sickles = 493 Knuts ≈ £150
1 Sickle = 29 Knut ≈ £9
1 Knut ≈ £0,30 / 30p
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Next Chapters' Name:
Ch.25: Are You Using NDAs Here?
Ch.26: Signing a Magic Contract
Ch.27: You're Good at This