[HPforGrownups] Re: OOP: prefects & head boy

[Shaun Hately]

No: HPFGUIDX 95094

On 3 Apr 2004 at 16:52, BrwNeil at aol.com wrote:

> In a message dated 4/3/2004 4:41:22 PM Eastern Standard Time, 
> shrtbusryder2002 at yahoo.com writes:
> 
>     Newly Elected rather than newly appointed seems to imply popular 
> vote in my mind. Could easily explain the ever popular James getting 
> Head Boy over Prefect Remus.
> 
> Jason, who apologizes if this has been covered.
> 
> A popular vote, I don't believe would work in canon. Harry could possibly 
> easily win a popular vote in the school and become Head Boy.  I doubt, however, 
> that Hermione is popular enough among her peers to win a popularity contest and 
> she should be Head Girl.

Just because it's a popular vote doesn't mean it's based on 
popularity - at least not in the sense you seem to mean.

A lot of schools elects people like this - and while at some 
schools, I am sure the voting is based on pure popularity, at 
others it really is not.

My own school elected certain positions - and we took the election 
process *very* seriously - far more seriously that it really 
warranted, to be honest. Very few people cast their votes based on 
who they liked - except as a secondary consideration. Most cast 
their votes based on who they thought would do the best job - we 
weren't voting for symbols - we were voting for people who had 
*real* responsibilities if they were elected. So most people's 
votes were based primarily on competence. Unpopular people were 
rarely elected - although it did happen occasionally - but she 
certainly need to be Mr or Miss Popularity.

Now - let's look at Hogwarts, if Head Boy and Head Girl are 
elected.

We know the Head Boy and Head Girl are not just symbolic positions 
- but positions that can carry seriously responsibility - in 
Prisoner of Azkaban, when the teachers leave to search the school 
for Sirius Black, the Head Boy and Head Girl are left in charge of 
their fellow students - they have support, certainly, but they are 
primarily responsible for their schoolmates safety on that 
occasion. We have, I think, real indications that over the next two 
years, things are going to be even more dangerous in the school - 
so if and when it comes time to vote for Head Boy and Girl, of 
HRH's year, electing those best qualified to discharge the duty of 
helping to keep the school safe may be very important to the 
students.

Second issue - now I personally subscribe to the idea that Hogwarts 
has around 280 students, that's the number that makes sense to me 
reading the books - but even if the number is 1000, considering the 
school is a boarding school where the students are together a long 
time, people need to consider the implications of that in an 
election. Most people on the list have been to schools where you 
only spend a few hours a day with people - and that gives you a lot 
less opportunity to get to know most of them, in general terms at 
least. In such a climate, being 'popular' is a huge advantage in an 
election because at least then everybody is likely to know who you 
are. In a school where everybody has much more contact with each 
other, and so there is more chance to get to know each other, 
that's less of a factor.

Third issue - even if there is an election, it could take many 
forms. First of all, it could be an election by the staff alone - 
in which case, you might expect them to be looking for something 
different from the students. I think that one is unlikely - but 
it's not impossible.

Secondly it could be a general election by all the students. 
Unlikely, in my opinion - because we've seen absolutely no sign of 
that, and I would assume it would be a big deal.

Thirdly it could be an election by the Prefects - they may have the 
vote among themselves, and they may have the right to vote for any 
seventh year pupil. I actually think this is fairly likely - it 
would create a situation where it's quite likely they'd elect one 
of their own - but they could go outside that in exceptional 
circumstances.

Fourthly, it could be an election by the senior students only - 
perhaps only the sixth years who are about to become seventh years, 
perhaps by the seventh years as well, which would aid continuity. 
Maybe even the fifth years as well, as they have prefects among 
their number, so I presume they are considered senior - although 
again, we've seen no sign of that... unless they are asked to vote 
over the holidays. That could be a good idea - as it would cut down 
campaigning and make it more likely they cast their vote on their 
long term impressions perhaps.

Options 3 and 4 seem most likely to me - and there's other 
possibilities as well, of course - and would tend to mitigate 
against simple popularity contests by restricting the voting to 
those most likely to have a decent level of maturity to cast a 
sensible vote, and because people have had time to get to know each 
other.

My personal view - and I think is reasonable, but I can't prove it 
- is that Prefects are appointed based on how well they match the 
desired characteristics of their house (and, of course, other 
factors like not being too busy in the opinion of the Headmaster).

But the Head Boy and Head Girl are expected to be the best 
exemplars of the qualities of the entire school - not just their 
house.

It's certainly possible that on occasion, the best all-rounder 
might not be the best in a particular House.

We know that Harry 'would have done well in Slytherin' - and he is 
a Gryffindor - that suggests he is a decent exemplar of some of the 
qualities (hopefully the positive qualities) of two houses.

We know that Hermione could have been a Ravenclaw - so the same 
applies.

Consider the only Head Boy we have any clear knowledge of - Percy.

Was a Gryffindor, certainly seems ambitious enough to be a 
Slytherin, and smart enough to be a Ravenclaw - and I'd suggest his 
obsession with things like cauldron bottoms later on suggests he is 
hardworking enough to have made a decent Hufflepuff as well.

I think there's a good chance that the Head Boy and Head Girl are 
expected to be the best exemplars of the school's values *in 
general* - while the Prefects are chosen with reference to 
particular houses values.


Yours Without Wax, Dreadnought
Shaun Hately | www.alphalink.com.au/~drednort/thelab.html
(ISTJ)       | drednort at alphalink.com.au | ICQ: 6898200 
"You know the very powerful and the very stupid have one
thing in common. They don't alter their views to fit the 
facts. They alter the facts to fit the views. Which can be 
uncomfortable if you happen to be one of the facts that 
need altering." The Doctor - Doctor Who: The Face of Evil
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