Re: Top of Class

[SHENmagic at aol.com]

No: HPFGUIDX 5424


"Simon J. Branford" <simon.branford at hertford.ox.ac.uk>writes:

>Subject: Top of Class (James, Sirius and Lupin), polotics
>
>Sam wrote: "In a recent discussion it was said that Lupin and Hermione
>aren't 'true' parallels because Hermione is top of all of her classes,
>whilst Lupin wasn't because James and Sirius, on the evidence of McGonagall
>(I think?)."
>
>McGonagall said (PoA Ch 10): "Black and Potter. Ringleaders of their little
>gang. Both very bright, of course - exceptionally bright, in fact - but
>I
>don't think we've ever had such a pair of troublemakers -"
>
>Lupin say (PoA Ch 18): "Your father and Sirius here were the cleverest
>students in the school"
>
>McGonagall does not say, based on the above quote (if anyone can find other
>evidence then let us know), that Sirius and James were top of the year.
>Only
>that they were exceptionally bright. This leaves space for at least one
>person to be above them. Lupin is too modest to include himself in the
>line
>about Sirius and James being the cleverest at the school. So it is not
>exactly clear where he fits into this cleverness league.

I agree that Lupin is too modest to include himself. However, we do know who 
was tops academically (at least among the boys)- James, as he was named Head 
Boy. Lupin or Sirius - or another- may have been #2. "Cleverest" as 
McGonagall was describing would not necessarily refer to class placement. She 
may have been considering  pranks played, erudite excuses, and to further mix 
metaphors, chutzpah (An Esoteric term, believed to refer to the essential 
latent or actualized distinguishing quality of a Griffindor). 

Aylihael, who is a bit punchy after late night election news, and trying to 
type with her fingers and eyes crossed while the miraculous re-count is 
happening