HRH and their Prefect badges

[oh have faith]

No: HPFGUIDX 71943

Faith's Girl said re her hopes that Harry wouldn't be made prefect 
next year:  
 
> > Dumbledore still shouldn't make exceptions for him, just because 
of 
> > who he is.
> 

Random said:

> the _exception_ was not being made prefect.. you seem to be 
laboring 
> under the misapprehension that he was not made prefect because he 
> wasn't good enough.
> 

Faith's Girl replies

Not at all - Dumbledore made his decision for a reason, and who's to 
say he was wrong?  You're assuming it was an error in judgment not 
to make Harry prefect - maybe it wasn't.  Imagine OOP if Harry *had* 
been prefect - he already had detention with Umbridge, extra 
Quidditch practise, DA meetings, nightmares, achey scars, worries, 
Occlumency lessons, OWLs to study for - prefectly duties (which 
would mean coming up against the formidable forces of Fred and 
George) may just have been more than he could manage with on top of 
all that.  Dumbledore's a wise man, he made his decision for a 
reason.  If Harry won't accept it, he ought to learn some humility.  
And his circumstances haven't really changed -  Harry is still going 
to have a lot to cope with next year, so maybe it's still best for 
him if he isn't a prefect.  

Besides, I can't see any way of Harry getting given the badge next 
year after all that wouldn't smack of major favouritism.  He's been 
considered for a prefect's badge once, and rejected.  I really doubt 
that Dumbledore would ever reconsider for anyone except Harry.  I 
bet there were a few people in Harry's year who were secretly 
hoping/expecting to be prefect, but none of them got the benefit of 
a personal explanation of why not, or of a last minute reprieve.  No 
special treatment for Harry means no cute!surprise!prefect!badge 
just because he's Dumbledore's pal.  If he earns it by spectaclar 
merit, maybe.  But he's not done anything extra in OOP to earn it, 
so circumstances really have not changed since DD's original 
decision.    

Besides, how much does Harry really care about being prefect?  He's 
never dreamed of it before, that we know of.  He doesn't respect 
other prefects. He doesn't place much value in respecting the rules 
or being a good student.  If Ron and Hermione hadn't been made 
prefects, I doubt he'd care a bean.  He just feels a bit left out.  
I repeat:  it's a better lesson for him to accept it and move on, 
even if he does feel hard done by, than it is to have it handed to 
him on a plate because Dumbledore's conscience bugs him.    

This is not to say JKR won't hand it to him on a plate, but even if 
she does, I will stand by my conviction that it's blatant 
favouritism and is a bad idea for Harry's future maturity.  

Faith's Girl

And yes, I am channeling Snape for some of this message.