[HPforGrownups] Prefect system - brief notes

[T.M. Sommers]

No: HPFGUIDX 70547

Shaun Hately wrote:
> Comments would be appreciated.
> 
> Notes on possible Hogwarts prefect system
> 
> We have four houses. Each house has a total of six prefects.
> 
> Two prefects (one boy and one girl about to begin their Fifth Year) are 
> appointed from each House. Under normal circumstances, they will remain 
> Prefects for their three remaining years at Hogwarts. Therefore for each 
> house there are two fifth year prefects, two sixth year prefects, and 
> two seventh prefects.

Presumably, if a prefect becomes head{girl,boy}, a replacement 
prefect is appointed from the ranks of the seventh-years.

> Prefects are appointed by the Heads of House, 

Dumbledore seemed to imply that he made the final decision. 
Perhaps the heads of house nominate people, and Dumbldore appoints.

 > and the decision is based
> on which students best exemplify the core value of that House 

Probably also (perhaps primarily) on factors such as academic 
performance and leadership ability.

 > (this
> would help to explain Draco Malfoy being a Prefect - his character 
> aside, it seems reasonable that he may be the most ambitious student in 
> the Slytherin Fifth Year). 

Who would you make prefect other than Malfoy?  Crabbe?  Goyle?

 > While the appointment is in the hands of the
> Head of House, the Headmaster or Headmistress of Hogwarts have some 
> influence - perhaps they are merely consulted, perhaps they have an 
> active veto power (which would explain why Dumbledore had an influence 
> on the decision not to make Harry a Prefect). The fact that Ron and 
> Hermione become Prefects may be a direct reflection of the fact that 
> (excluding Harry) they have more opportunity than any other Gryffindor 
> student to show their courage over the years - while I think most people 
> expected Hermione to be a prefect, Ron is somewhat debated.

Again, if not Ron, who (assuming Harry is out of the running)? 
Seamus, Dean, and Neville are the only other possibilities. 
Neville would be hopeless as prefect, and the other two are 
pretty much non-entities.

> Each year, the Headmaster appoints a Head Boy and Head Girl for the 
> entire school from among the ranks of all Seventh Year pupils. The 
> selection criteria for these positions may be different from that of 
> Prefects. It may involve a combination of factors - basic character, 
> academic performance, leadership potential. The difference in criteria 
> means that there is no certainty that the persons appointed will be 
> Prefects - although it may well be unusual for a non-Prefect to be 
> appointed (there may well be some overlap in the criteria).

I don't think there's any reason to suppose that the criteria for 
prefect and head{girl,boy} are all that different.  Allowing for 
a non-prefect to become head simply allows a chance to take into 
consideration changes since the fourth year.