[HPforGrownups] Re: Ron as prefect... and then some

[Janet Anderson]

No: HPFGUIDX 91717

jeanico2000 says:

>His biggest bone
>of contention with OOTP so far is not the fact that Ron is a prefect
>(though he says that, next to Hermione, Harry really deserved that
>honor), but that Draco Malfoy is a prefect! "What was Dumbledore
>thinking?" said my spouse... and he's right, IMO. Dumbledore, who is
>supposed to know his students well, appointed a Slytherin prefect
>who is a proven bully and who's father is a Death Eater! Were there
>no other deserving students in Slytherin House? Shame on Dumbledore!

I think Malfoy was a prefect for several reasons.

1)  Dumbledore would not penalize Malfoy because his father was a Death 
Eater, but only for the faults of Draco himself (which I admit are manifold, 
but keep reading).

2)  Descriptions of the choice of prefects by Lupin and others seem to 
indicate that the job will be given to someone who is a) academically at 
least competent, b) does not have a history of chronic troublemaking and c) 
has a chance of keeping order.  The only Slytherin student we have seen so 
far who fulfills all three of these requirements is Draco.  Crabbe and Goyle 
each have three brain cells out looking for a fourth for bridge.  Pansy 
Parkinson is probably not much brighter and doesn't appear to have much 
influence.  Yes, *we* know Malfoy is a bully, and I'm sure so do Dumbledore 
and Snape, but Dumbledore probably figures it's still better than any of the 
alternatives, and Snape probably doesn't care.


Janet Anderson

_________________________________________________________________
Watch high-quality video with fast playback at MSN Video. Free! 
http://click.atdmt.com/AVE/go/onm00200365ave/direct/01/