James, Lupin, and the Head Boy Badge (was: More Questions.)

[justcarol67]

No: HPFGUIDX 85273

Abigail wrote:
<snip>
Whether or not Headship is an academic distinction, I find it hard to
believe that it would be bestowed on a trouble-maker. If that were the
case, why didn't Fred or George become Head Boy?  They're both
prodigiously talented wizards, as we can see from their ingenious
methods of resistance at the end of OOP. 

Carol wrote:
They're prodigiously talented but not academically inclined. Note 
that they drop out before they take their N.E.W.T.S. and receive only 
three O.W.L.S. apiece as compared with Percy's three, so they're not
candidates for Head Boy even if it's an appointed position and not
automatic, as I suspect it to be. <snip>

Ffi responded: 
I'm sorry if I've missed this question being answered at some point, 
but there's one thing that confuses me.  Back in PS, hagrid said 
harry's parents were head boy and girl in their time, but in OofP, 
sirius says James wasn't a prefect - so can non-prefects become head 
boy?  It is usually a continuation -  head b/g chosen from the 6 
prefects in the last year of school.
 
Ffi

Carol again: 
This seeming inconsistency is the reason I think that the Head Boy and
Head Girl are automatically assigned based on marks (grades)
regardless of whether these people have previously been appointed as
Prefects. My solution would also explain how the Head Boy and Head
Girl could be from the same house (Gryffindor) in Lily and James's
last year and how James could be Head Boy without having been a
Prefect.

Most Head Boys and Head Girls have previously been Prefects simply
because high marks are one of the criteria for choosing a Prefect, but
there are other reasons as well. (Consider the factors that must have
gone into the decision to appoint Ron rather than Harry as Gryffundor
Prefect in their fifth year.) Also, since more than one boy or girl in
a house may be excellent students (e.g., James, Sirius, and Remus),
the one chosen as Prefect may not necessarily have the highest marks.
In my view, Remus was chosen as Prefect even though his friends' marks
were probably higher, but James became Head Boy because his marks were
higher than those of any male student in his year. The fact that he
was never a Prefect is irrelevant.

At any rate, it seems that the criteria for choosing a Prefect are
flexible, and I imagine that the Heads of Houses have a say in the
matter even though the final decision is Dumbledore's. But Head Boy
and Head Girl have nothing to do with Houses or previous status as
Prefect. As far as I can see, they are honors based solely on academic
performance. This is just my theory, of course. There may be some
other explanation.

I predict that in Book 7, the Head Boy and Head Girl will be Hermione
and Ernie MacMillan (I can't imagine Ron as Head Boy unless his marks
improve dramatically). But if Harry's grades are higher than Ernie's,
he'll be Head Boy even though he was never a Prefect--unless some
Ravenclaw outperforms him academically. (I'm voting for Ernie. Harry
has enough to deal with already.)

Carol