Wizard Academy

[dspringer1]

People are people, even if wizards.  There are high income people who are bad savers or who focus their cash on other priorities.  There are people who could earn a lot of money that do not for many reasons (different focus/use of their time or liabilities of being unable to work well in modern world).  Compound interest over centuries is powerful, but realistically it is only going to build up substantial investments if you save a lot each year.   And even long term investors occasionally invest badly and lose their shirt.

What this means is what while a number of wizards are wealthy, others are just comfortable and others are probably not very wealthy at all.   So while I expect the white council organization to be very wealthy, when it comes to individual wizards, wealth is going to be uneven although with few old wizards being poor. 

[forumghost]

The amount of profit involved doesnt really make a difference to harry, but Harry had already bargained away any chance of wealth to Lea back when he was a kid, so he never expected more than humble living.

No he didn't. He bargained away his life and freedom, nothing else. Harry lives on next-to-nothing because he's a self-flagelating twit that thinks if he has anything more he'll magically turn into Sauron one day.

[Quantus]

No he didn't. He bargained away his life and freedom, nothing else. Harry lives on next-to-nothing because he's a self-flagelating twit that thinks if he has anything more he'll magically turn into Sauron one day.

Mab indicated otherwise in their first meeting:

"The bargain has already been made. You gave your life, your fortune, your future, in exchange for power."

[jonas]

Mab indicated otherwise in their first meeting:

Don't think she meant monetary value, but fortune like the cookie lol. He gave up his ability to pursue happiness more or less. the letter of the deals mentions no financials.

[Quantus]

Don't think she meant monetary value, but fortune like the cookie lol. He gave up his ability to pursue happiness more or less. the letter of the deals mentions no financials.

Well, I disagree. I think what you describe was already covered under the "Future" clause

[jonas]

Well, I disagree. I think what you describe was already covered under the "Future" clause

And in true fae fashion I'd call you back to the attention to the actual wording. Which is less disputable than interpretations on word usage.

for·tune.


[ˈfôrCHən]







NOUN



1.chance or luck as an external, arbitrary force affecting human affairs:

"some malicious act of fortune keeps them separate"


synonyms: chance · accident · coincidence · serendipity · destiny ·
[more]


•luck, especially good luck:

"this astounding piece of good fortune that has befallen me"


synonyms: luck · fate · destiny · predestination · the stars ·
[more]


•
(fortunes)

the success or failure of a person or enterprise over a period of time or in the course of a particular activity:

"he is credited with turning around the company's fortunes"

I notice hindsight 20/20 one definition is the stars... Mab implying he gave up his power as a starborn to her.... HOLY, just as Harry gets a piece of Mab, I wonder if Mab gets a piece of Harry to fullfil the circuit

[Quantus]

And in true fae fashion I'd call you back to the attention to the actual wording. Which is less disputable than interpretations on word usage. ;)I notice hindsight 20/20 one definition is the stars... Mab implying he gave up his power as a starborn to her.... HOLY, just as Harry gets a piece of Mab, I wonder if Mab gets a piece of Harry to fullfil the circuit

Yup, your running with Def#1/2, I see it as more likely Def#3.  WE can both be right or wrong or any combination, I think. 

Re. the Stars thing, wouldnt read too much into that.  I think that's just as an extension of astrology being a popular way to study and/or represent Luck; Ive seen "The Cards" and "The Leaves" used exactly the same when those were the preferred methods of fortune-telling. 


But until I see something definitive otherwise, I like to think that all his bad financial luck up to and including Larry Fowler is all a result of the universe (or the Fae) enforcing that aspect of his Bargain.  Mostly because it amuses me, but also because I honestly read her statement that way. 

[jonas]

His next outing after collecting all those diamonds will probably sway you... probably. unless he looses them, dammit ;(

[Quantus]

His next outing after collecting all those diamonds will probably sway you... probably. unless he looses them, dammit ;(

Not an issue, because the original terms of that deal have not been in place since SK

[Anubissama]

Aren't the terms of his bargain with the Leansidhe void anyway?

Lea sold her claim over Harry to Mab, which Dresden renegotiated into the 3 favours in Summer Knight.

Of which Harry still owes one, I'm sure that will come into play should he ever weasel his way out of being the Winter Knight, but the wording of his deal with the Leansidhe no longer applies.

[Quantus]

Aren't the terms of his bargain with the Leansidhe void anyway?

Lea sold her claim over Harry to Mab, which Dresden renegotiated into the 3 favours in Summer Knight.

Of which Harry still owes one, I'm sure that will come into play should he ever weasel his way out of being the Winter Knight, but the wording of his deal with the Leansidhe no longer applies.

I think so, yes. 

[Rasins]

Aren't the terms of his bargain with the Leansidhe void anyway?

Lea sold her claim over Harry to Mab, which Dresden renegotiated into the 3 favours in Summer Knight.

Of which Harry still owes one, I'm sure that will come into play should he ever weasel his way out of being the Winter Knight, but the wording of his deal with the Leansidhe no longer applies.

This is true, but it doesn't free Harry from whatever the terms of the deal that was between Leah and Margaret.

[Quantus]

This is true, but it doesn't free Harry from whatever the terms of the deal that was between Leah and Margaret.

True, the Godmother thing is still in play, whatever that means (the relationship is annoyingly non-specific ). 

[jonas]

Not an issue, because the original terms of that deal have not been in place since SK

Decided to go back to this with our recent convo. How is it important if he gave up such things or if his fortune is part of any bargain if original bargain not in place? it seems illogical to argue about something then turn around and say it's not applicable. I'm confuzzled by the logic here, explain?

[Quantus]

Decided to go back to this with our recent convo. How is it important if he gave up such things or if his fortune is part of any bargain if original bargain not in place? it seems illogical to argue about something then turn around and say it's not applicable. I'm confuzzled by the logic here, explain?

Ok, retracing our steps:
 The tangent started on the assertion that Mort and Harry were different because Mort /expected/ to make money from his magic and was Failing, whereas Harry was different (I wasnt every entirely clear on why you thought so).

I asserted that Harry's historic lifestyle of barely scrapping by on a PI's income and living in a constantly derided hole in the ground was in large parts a result of the Bargain he made as a child, supported by the observation it only began to turn around after that bargain was out of play (ie after SK). 

We debated the likelihood of that based on the different usages of "Fortune" with me in favor of the monetary wealth definition and you preferring the "Luck" side of it.   

The you said that the recent monetary windfall in SG might change my mind on the Money Vs Luck definition of Fortune, but I said that isnt a useful datapoint because it happened long after the bargain restricting his ability to amass a "Fortune" had long since been circumvented. 


Does that make sense?