Ron as Prefect (Why I hate the prefect selection etc.)

[marephraim]

No: HPFGUIDX 72041

--- In HPforGrownups at yahoogroups.com, "amanitamuscaria1" 
<saraandra at w...> wrote:
> --- In HPforGrownups at yahoogroups.com, "Steve" <bboy_mn at y...> wrote:
> > Just some general comments on Ron becoming Prefect. 
> > 
> > Why is Ron Prefect? 
> > Because Ron stood out from the rest. 
> *snip*
> > He has shown that he can be relied on, he has displayed courage 
and
> > initiative, readily face and even chased danger that most would 
run
> > from, he has demonstrated fierce loyalty and a willingness to
> > sacrifice himself for the greater good
> *snip*
> > And a headmaster also has to weigh, who would benefit most from 
> being
> > a Prefect
> *snip*
> > Based on all this, what's done is done; Ron's the Prefect, and 
Harry
> > will just have to live with that. 
> *snip*
> > Things should and will stay just the way they are.
> > 
> > bboy_mn
> 
> ME - Quite right. 
> I believe Ron stands out quite specifically because he's the 
> strategist - his chess abilities being prime for showing this.
> He's also a staunch friend, going against his phobia of spiders to 
> accompany Harry into the Forest. 
> Dumbledore wants someone who will follow instructions without 
> extraneous agendas ( can't be Harry - he has to be ready to fight 
his 
> own fight), someone popular and a leader. 
> It has to be Ron.
> Also, I guess we have to assume that he may know of Ron's vision 
of 
> himself in the Mirror of Erised...I know AD does say that the 
Mirror 
> doesn't show what will happen, it's just that, to me, it's very 
like 
> Ron's joking 'predictions' which come true..
> Cheers. AmanitaMuscaria

I agree with this assessment overall. There's been much comment on 
Ron actually having "Seer - potential." 

On the other hand, I've read over the recent posts on Prefect choice 
as well as Ron as the new Pettigrew (Puh-leez!) and think people 
might have missed an important dimension of OoP. Everyone has 
noticed Neville's growth as a character and the rising importance of 
his character to the Arch of the Series. But this, along with the 
introduction of a few additional characters, seems to have 
overshadowed Ron's development as a character in OoP. Consider, Dd 
made Ron a prefect, not just to save Harry an additional source of 
stress in his life, but also because he had /faith/ in Ron. We've 
much discussed Ron's sense of insecurity, disgruntlement at 
being 'shunted aside' by the spectacle of being the side-kick of 
the 'boy who lived in the limelight' and his desire to make 
something of himself, etc., etc.. Well, ISTM that in OoP Dd's choice 
to make Ron a Prefect has precluded any possibility of Ron slipping 
down the Dark Side to evil. He has a) achieved a position of 
prominance and authority as Prefect and as a Quidditch player -- 
winning the House Cup! -- that will build his self-confidence and in 
the remaining books bring out his other formidable strengths. 

The Red Herring in OoP was precisely the battle against the DE's and 
Ron's being hit with a spell that left him dazed and semi-drunken. 
Too many people have misunderstood this as JKR relgating Ron to a 
secondary position in the emmergent "group" of young guns, er ... 
um "wands." In reality, JKR had to have Ron out of the loop in this 
situation to show us the growth and importance of Neville and Luna 
(Weasley is her King) to the remainder of the Arch. But this does 
not detract from Ron's growing maturity as a person and as Harry's 
best friend, and crucial player in the books to come. 

It would have been interesting to get readers' opinions about how 
Ron's character was fairing chapter by chapter during their first 
read of the book. I suspect the Red Herring is a major contributer 
to the kind of Ron-detracting we've been seeing; before that chapter 
I am confident the opinion would have been different on first read.

MarEphraim