OoP: UK School, HB => Prefect? (was Re: ADMIN OOP: READ THIS FIRST most Frequent

[Tim Regan]

Hi All,

Transfering from main list post 
<http://groups.yahoo.com/group/HPforGrownups/message/64556>.

--- In HPforGrownups Grey Wolf wrote:
> For those most Frequently Asked OOP Questions - the most Frequent 
> Answers. Feel free to disagree with them!

Wow that's fantastic and really useful. It must have taken ages to 
sort out. (I do still like Dave's summary in 
<http://groups.yahoo.com/group/HPFGU-OTChatter/message/16461> too).

> James
> -----
>  
> How did he become Head Boy if he wasn't prefect? 
> 
> Not all prefects become Head Boys (since there are many more 
> prefects than Head Boys) and, while prefects seem to be a 
> responsibility-oriented position, Head Boy may be awarded to 
> academical achievements (which fits with Percy, James and Tom)

In your dreams. I went to a UK school at roughly the same time as 
JKR, it was a comprehensive school (= public high in USA) rather 
than the posher model Hogwarts seems based on, but the head boy and 
girl were drawn from the ranks of the prefects. If you are good 
enough to be head boy then you are good enough to be a prefect. I 
may be generalizing from too little evidence though. For those on 
the list who went to, or taught at a UK school, did anyone find that 
a head boy could be chosen who was not also a prefect?

<begin logical nitpicking>
Is "Not all prefects become Head Boys" relevant? Even if all 
prefects did become head boy, it would not prevent a non-prefect 
becoming head boy, e.g. all cows die, but not everything that dies 
is a cow.
<end logical nitpicking>

Cheers,

Dumbledad.