OotP Harry not a prefect & his Inner Voice

[delwynmarch]

No: HPFGUIDX 115101


Cory wrote :
"I guess for me, what it comes down to is this.
 
If we *have* to assume anything about Dean and Seamus, I would assume
 that they are basically average."

Del replies :
My take is different. I say "let's not assume *anything*". Let's not
assume that they are better than Harry (in whatever) OR that Harry is
better than them, UNLESS we are expressly told otherwise (Harry *is*
best at DADA, for example).

Cory wrote :
" When it comes down to it, Hermione and Ron became prefects because 
they are main characters, and having them as prefects added an element
to the story."

Del replies :
Not necessarily. JKR could have decided that her story was full enough
without adding in the Prefect subplot, in which case she would have
given the Prefect badges to some other students, with a nice little
explanation of why they were better suited for it, and that would have
been all.
Or she could have purposefully given the badges to other students who
could have then used their authority to reduce the Trio's freedom of
action. But she created the Inquisitorial Squad instead.
In short, Ron and Hermione became Prefects because JKR wanted it
and/or the future of the story requires it, not just because they are
the main characters.

Cory wrote :
" Aside from the argument about Harry being better suited than Ron, we
are never going to have enough information to know whether anyone
would have been better than Ron or Hermione for the job."

Del replies :
EXACTLY ! Thats *precisely* what I was arguing.

Del