OotP Harry not a prefect & his Inner Voice

[ohneill_2001]

No: HPFGUIDX 115084


Del wrote:

> I disagree strongly that Harry was the only choice. For all we know,
> Dean, Seamus or maybe even Neville could have been just as good
> candidates, according to Steve's standards. Here are a few reasons 
why :
> 
*snip*
> 
> 2. We know that Neville isn't a very good student, but then Ron 
isn't
> either. As for Dean and Seamus, we just don't know how good they 
are.
> For all we know, one of them might be second-best Gryffindor of the
> year, right behind Hermione.
> 
> 3. Dean or Seamus could be president of a number of clubs in which
> they demonstrate high leadership qualities, just like Harry did with
> the DA. The fact that Harry doesn't know about it doesn't mean it
> isn't there.

Now Cory:

I always love arguments like this.  I'll respond the same way I 
always do.

Yes Del, of course you're right -- we don't know what happens in 
parts of the story that JKR hasn't told us about.  That's always 
going to be true in any story.  It's also possible that Harry is not 
the only student at Hogwarts that has saved the world from Voldemort; 
perhaps when Seamus was a child, he also defeated Voldie, and JKR 
just hasn't told us about it.  

The point is, if you want to start assuming things about the 
characters that aren't in the story, we can make any of the 
characters into anything we want them to be.  I'm not sure how 
helpful that is to interpreting the story, though.  Just my opinion, 
of course.

Del again:

> 
> 4. I don't remember reading about either Dean or Seamus losing their
> heads while in difficult situation. And anyway, this doesn't seem to
> be a necessary quality, considering that Hermione was chosen as
> Prefect, and we *know* she can freeze when in danger.

Cory again:

Reverting back to Del's logic from above -- you're right, we haven't 
read about Dean or Seamus losing their heads...but we haven't read 
about them *not* doing so either, right?  For all we know, Dean and 
Seamus could be the two people in the entire world who are most 
likely to fold under pressure.  After all, just because Harry hasn't 
seen it doesn't mean it isn't there...right?

To defend Hermione for a second -- she has shown herself not to be 
perfect in that regard, but we have seen her in situations where she 
has responded well under pressure too, haven't we?  In SS, she was 
able to remember how to escape Devil's Snare even though they were in 
a life-threatening situation.  I know there are other examples of her 
responding well to pressure, but I can't spend the time to think 
right now.  In short, I would argue that while she's not as good as 
Harry in that regard, she's not bad in that regard either.

--Cory