[HPFGU-OTChatter] Re: Prefects, Headboys and Headgirls in Real Life

[Shaun Hately]

On 5 Sep 2003 at 17:48, melclaros wrote:

> --- In HPFGU-OTChatter at yahoogroups.com, "Shaun Hately" 
> <drednort at a...> wrote:
> > OK - now I know this got through (thanks to those who let me know), 
> I'll 
> > add a little bit to it. 
> 
> 
> Thank you for this! (And the previous post) I found them both 
> fascinating. You have a book in you. I have to ask, did the mother 
> live and did the bully hit you?

Yes, the mother lived - she'd been involved in a serious car accident 
while in Europe, and her condition was serious enough that it was 
decided her son shouldn't be sent to her at the time - basically the 
situation seemed to be that if she died, she was going to die before he 
could get to her, so there didn't seem much point hurrying.

I should just point out that I was not the only one sitting with him 
during that time - I was there basically my accident - I'd been seeing 
the Headmaster when the news came in and I'd been sent to get him from 
his classroom. The head was there throughout the time, the wife of his 
form master came in - I just didn't feel able to leave myself, I could 
just feel what he was going through - it was quietly suggested to me a 
couple of times - by the headmaster, and by our school Captain (our 
equivalent of 'Head Boy' in the Potterverse) that if I didn't feel I 
could handle it, nobody would think it wrong for me to leave - but, 
basically, I didn't feel I could.  

And, no, the bully didn't hit me - he still had a trace of sanity 
operating, obviously.  

> And just to keep in on topic--reading that part, about sitting with a 
> younger student at such a harrowing time and intervening in the 
> *middle* of a violent bullying incident--I'd be interested in your 
> opinion of Remus' actions/nonactions in OoP during the 
> infamous "pensieve scene".

Oh, that's a tough one...

OK - basically, I'm thinking back to Lupin's statement early in OotP:

"I think Dumbledore may have hoped I would be able to exercise some 
control over my best friends," said Lupin. "I need scarcely say that I 
failed miserably."

My response is that I kind of hope that Lupin is wrong - I don't think 
it would have been particularly reasonable for Dumbledore to have 
appointed him a prefect if that was the reason behind it. Hogwarts does 
do things a little differently than my old school - prefects there were 
17, not 15 at appointment, and that does seem to me to make a general 
difference - I think it's likely to be a lot easier for a 17 year old to 
control other 17 year olds than for a 15 year old to do.

Even more problematic is the situation that Ron and Hermione find 
themselves in with the two twins. I've seen the discussions on list 
about whether Ron is a good prefect or not, because he doesn't seem to 
want to deal with his brothers - frankly, I would think very badly of 
the sixth and seventh year prefects of Gryffindor if they, as much as 
possible, didn't seek to stop Ron (and to a lesser extent, Hermione) 
having to do so.

But I digress. Basically, Remus is in a pretty unenviable situation in 
the Pensieve scene - not one I'd have liked to have experienced. 
Assuming he and the others are 15/16 (given the age the OWLs) are 
taking, it'd be a pretty big ask to expect him to have the maturity to 
control his friends - and for them to have the maturity to accept his 
control, IMHO. Especially when you have a situation where I suspect he's 
had a hard time making friends because of his big secret. So I would 
hope he hadn't had that type of pressure put on him by anyone else at 
age 15 - though I can certainly understand him taking it on himself as a 
special responsibility.

But having said all that - frankly, Remus behaviour in the Pensieve 
scene was pretty reprehensible as a Prefect. You can't stand by while 
something like that is happening - it's not just the issue that it's 
wrong, though that is important. There was also other people watching, 
and frankly, the system is built on respect. If people stand by and see 
you doing nothing while your friends attack someone, they are not going 
to accept direction from you either.

At least he wasn't directly involved in it.

But, then again, you also have to realise that the responsibility isn't 
always easy to take, and frankly, you probably get it wrong a fair bit - 
I wouldn't condemn Remus for his failures based on one incident - 
provided he came to realise them at some point, and didn't keep 
repeating them - and from what we know, James matured, so I assume Remus 
did too - and got better at dealing with these things as time went on.

Yours Without Wax, Dreadnought
Shaun Hately | www.alphalink.com.au/~drednort/thelab.html
(ISTJ)       | drednort at alphalink.com.au | ICQ: 6898200 
"You know the very powerful and the very stupid have one
thing in common. They don't alter their views to fit the 
facts. They alter the facts to fit the views. Which can be 
uncomfortable if you happen to be one of the facts that 
need altering." The Doctor - Doctor Who: The Face of Evil
Where am I: Frankston, Victoria, Australia