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

[laura]

No: HPFGUIDX 85311

--- In HPforGrownups at yahoogroups.com, "justcarol67" 
<justcarol67 at y...> wrote:


*snipped*> 

> 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

now lola

The reason I think Harry will be head boy has very little to do with 
grades.  It is pretty obvious that Voldie-war 2 will come to a head 
in Harry's seventh year, it has to.  In that seventh year the school 
is going to need a strong leader.  Dumbledore is not going to be 
around ( I predict that Lord Thingy is going to try to take Hogwarts 
in book 6, and that Dumbledore will die heroically, but thats another 
post).  I can't really see any of the other teachers truly taking his 
place

Harry has already proven his mettle as a leader, with the DA.  More 
importantly, people will follow him - despite intelligent objections, 
Hermionie did follow Harry to the MoM in OOP.  Furthermore, Harry is 
the leader of the student 'light side:'  the entire school already 
knows what side he is on.  They also know that he is a powerful 
wizard via the numerous speeches Dumbledore has mentioned him in.  

(If)When Hogwarts is attacked, I feel that Harry will become 
something of a 'rallying point' for the students.
I don't believe that Ernie McMillan (really the only other choice - 
can you imagine Draco as head boy!?)  has the same effect on people. 
While he would certainly be an excellent administrative head boy, 
that is not what is going to be required in book 7. 

lola 
xxx