CHAPTER DISCUSSION: Chapter 9, The Woes of Mrs. Weasley - Discussion Questions

[Andrew]

No: HPFGUIDX 88402


> > 10. We already know why Harry wasn't selected for Prefect, but 
> > do you feel that Ron was a good choice?  Does he truly have 
> > latent leadership qualities or did Rowling select him simply to 
> > make Harry jealous (and because, apart from Harry, he's the 
> > Gryffindor boy with whom we have the most contact)?  What do 
> > you feel might have been Dumbledore's reasons for selecting Ron 
> > as prefect?  Is he perhaps trying to guide Ron in the path of 
> > his older brothers?  Would another Gryffindor boy have made a 
> > better choice?

Marina:
> <snip> Actually, I think the whole prefect storyline was kind 
> of wasted in the book.  Most of Ron's character development came 
> from his role as a Quidditch player, not from his role of prefect.  
> Of course, if he hadn't made prefect, he wouldn't have had a broom 
> to get on the Quidditch team with, so perhaps that was its only 
> purpose.


Andrew says
     There is something else floating around the message boards that 
makes a connection to this. It is mixed up in Die, Ron, Die theories 
and theories of Harry and Ron predicting their futures when Harry 
says something along the lines of (I do not have my book with me): 
you will have great suffering, but be very happy: to Ron while 
looking at his tea leaves. Post 88373 by Cora can give an 
introduction. Perhaps JKR chose Ron not to make Harry jealous but to 
promote Ron's 'power'. Ron will be valuable to Harry in the series, 
and I can definitely see Ron as Head Boy. 
     JKR has been showing subtle hints throughout the book, 
especially in the chess match in SS/PS, that Ron will enter into a 
leading roll as Knight/King (post 88276). I will find another post 
pertaining to this. They all seem to correspond.

Just a thought
Andrew