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The Nimbus 2000 was the fastest broom at the time of the Harry's first year at Hogwarts. Professor McGonagall wanted to win the Quidditch Cup so she spoke with Dumbledore and got an exception from the rule that no first-years could have a broom for Harry.

My question is who paid for the broom? It couldn't have been a cheap broom. They wouldn't have taken gold out of Harry's Gringotts account without permission. It wouldn't be right for the school to pay for it and I doubt McGonagall paid for it out of her own pocket.

So who paid for the broom?

Valorum
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Dason
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    My guess is that each head of house has a discretionary fund they can use for such an occasion. – Kevin Feb 03 '12 at 14:31
  • related: Why was McGonagall allowed to give Harry the Nimbus 2000? – jfs Feb 03 '12 at 15:05
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    @Kevin A discretionary fund actually makes sense. The one thing that I don't think meshes well with that theory is that the broom would most likely have to be the school's broom if the bought it for Harry with money like that. – Dason Feb 03 '12 at 16:05
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    @Dason - Well, people tend to think of 'School Equipment' as stuff like Football pads, and the like that get kept, and re-used from year to year. And I'm sure they keep a stock of brooms for 'training' use, like the one Harry first used. But tools that get reused by the same student for years, customized and the like are not that uncommon for the school to provide, and the student to keep, especially at 'Private' schools. ESPECIALLY if the student is given an unusual item due to exceptional need or talent. – K-H-W Feb 03 '12 at 16:23
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    Fair enough. I never had that option available - if we got something from the school that we were going to keep we would have had to pay for it. But I guess it's feasible that this is possible. It guess I just wouldn't expect that the school would buy arguably the best broom on the market for some kid that might be good at quidditch. – Dason Feb 03 '12 at 19:10
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    @Dason - Makes sense; it's unusual for something really fancy and expensive.. but, as they often point out, they all have a weak spot for 'The Boy Who Lived.' Also, the trend of giving stuff like that out for exceptional skill / etc isn't that politically correct anymore, and has been / is being phased out from the few places that still do it. I got lucky and was at an old fashioned school, 20+ years ago. – K-H-W Feb 03 '12 at 20:38
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    As for "They wouldn't have taken gold out of Harry's Gringotts account without permission", Bill Weasley did it for Harry in Order of the Phoenix. – N Unnikrishnan May 12 '14 at 15:50
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    @NUnnikrishnan Which really does make you question why it's the only bank if it has such terrible policies... – Dason May 12 '14 at 16:25

3 Answers3

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Surprising as it may sound, it looks like the School provided it. In Harry Potter and the Philosopher's Stone, Wood suggests a Nimbus as a possible choice for Harry to McGonagall, and she agrees, saying that she needs to go talk to the headmaster to see if an exception can be made.

As far as I know, there is nothing else said about who paid for it specifically, but it sounds like she arranged it through the school. Look at what was in the note attached to it when Harry got it:

DO NOT OPEN THE PARCEL AT THE TABLE.
It contains your new Nimbus Two Thousand, but I don't want everyone knowing you've got a broomstick or they'll all want one.

That could refer to the simple overriding of the First Years can't have them rule... But, given how much McGonagall grumbled about losing the Quidditch Cup before, I think she arranged it, either on her own, or as part of the normal process of getting a 'Replacement' broom for a worn out one. Of the two, I think getting the school (i.e., Dumbledore) to arrange it is most likely, given her personality.

The Harry Potter wiki says that she arranged it (on her page):

Harry made the team, remarkable for a First year, and became the youngest Seeker in a century. McGonagall made arrangements for Harry to have a Nimbus 2000, the fastest broomstick of the time, for use during games and practice

I don't see any source for their statement, tho. It does look like a possible bit of sloppy plotting, honestly -- but it was the first book, with no guarantee more would be desired, so it's not that surprising.

On the other hand, they surely have a budget for outfitting the teams; it's possible she just blew the budget for the next year or so on what she considered a good investment, when she got it for him.

Anyone out there have any quotes from JKR on it? I haven't found any yet..

K-H-W
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    Do not open at the table?? http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-3ZpKjjompMo/UiGjZavOMbI/AAAAAAAABWk/_b237tU1Buo/s640/Broom-shaped+parcel.gif – Valorum Jun 18 '14 at 13:01
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I think we can assume that the producers of the "Nimbus 2000" would be glad to present a free broom to the most famous boy in the world. After all, the famous Harry Potter using their product could be great advertisement. ;-)

As McGonagall says in Philosopher's Stone:

There will be books about him, he will be a legend

Valorum
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kuleznosa
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    Can you provide any evidence to support your suggestion? – alexwlchan Jun 18 '14 at 12:18
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    @alexwlchan: the NCAA has entire guidebooks devoted to the rules associated with giving things like sponsored gear to promising athletes, because it is so common and so widely abused. This is somehow news to you? – KJ Seefried Apr 10 '18 at 00:18
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I re read the books for like 20th time and found many plot holes. There is something in the 3rd book that shows that the school didn't pay for the Nimbus.

Ron and Harry talk about the Firebolt when Harry got it for Christmas:

“I bet it was Dumbledore,” said Ron, now walking around and around the Firebolt, taking in every glorious inch. “He sent you the Invisibility Cloak anonymously. …”
“That was my dad’s, though,” said Harry. “Dumbledore was just passing it on to me. He wouldn’t spend hundreds of Galleons on me. He can’t go giving students stuff like this —”

They talk about it as though the school or McGonagall never bought him the Nimbus.

Rand al'Thor
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Apostolis Kennedy
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    I got the impression that a Firebolt is much more expensive than a Nimbus. Like, way, WAY more expensive. – Rand al'Thor Feb 08 '17 at 02:02
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    the nimbus was still expensive though.. that's where the problem lies. – Apostolis Kennedy Apr 26 '17 at 14:36
  • I thought it was established that Sirius bought the Firebolt? – JohnP Apr 10 '18 at 00:57
  • Yes, it's established that the Firebolt was a gift from Sirius after learning about the Nimbus getting destroyed by the Whomping Willow in Harry's 3rd year match against Hufflepuff (The infamous Dementor Quidditch scene). Also this answer doesn't "show" that the school didn't pay for the Nimbus, it just shows two teenagers guessing about where an anonymous gift came from. – TylerH Apr 10 '18 at 16:26
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    @JohnP yes but they didn't know that yet, theyre speculating who is the anonymous donor. Harry states that high a quality racing broom is too expensive a gift for a hogwarts employee to give a student. But he already received one in the past from another teacher. –  Apr 10 '18 at 20:23