Lilly and James - Harry as Head Boy

[mercurybluesmng]

No: HPFGUIDX 142592

> Erica:
>Do you not have to be a prefect in order to become Head Boy?

MercuryBlue:
Didn't JKR say it doesn't matter?

> Juli: 
> > > I do believe Harry will become a Head Boy, that is if he 
returns
> > > to Hogwarts. He may not be an O student all the way, but I 
think
> > > he's above average, he doesn't get into trouble so often 
(unless 
> > > you're counting the number of times he's trying to save the 
world
> > > or his friends), he's well-liked...


MercuryBlue:
One, he's not going back. Two, as Head Boy he'd be enforcing the 
school rules. The same school rules he's got such a lovely long 
record of ignoring. Three, no matter what Dumbledore said about not 
making Harry a prefect because he had enough responsibility to deal 
with already, McGonagall's in charge now, and McGonagall isn't 
likely to give that sort of responsibility to someone who doesn't 
recognize her authority. Or who appears not to recognize her 
authority. You'll notice her attitude toward Harry changed abruptly 
when he said he wasn't telling her what he and Dumbledore had been 
up to. Harry was obeying a higher authority than McGonagall just 
then, but to McGonagall, it probably looked like Harry couldn't care 
less about her authority.

Oh, and...

> Lucianam:
> I think a good explanation is one I read in fanfic (the Shoebox 
> Project), the authors - ladyjaida and dorkorific -  had the idea 
> James was made Head Boy because he saved Snape's life.
> 
> I liked that idea, it explains why Lupin wasn't made Head Boy. 
It'd 
> be the logic thing, wouldn't it? (again if you look at Percy's 
> example)
> 
> Saving Snape, James proved to be selfless and brave, and probably 
> Dumbledore decided those qualities were more important than 
> the 'regular' Prefect-towards-Head Boy procedures.

MercuryBlue:
That doesn't make sense, though. Sure, James demonstrated his 
sterling qualities by rescuing Snape, but it was James's best friend 
that got Snape into the situation, and James had a detention record 
just as long as Sirius's. Oh, and the incident clearly didn't become 
common knowledge. Whatever made James Head Boy material MUST have 
been common knowledge. Otherwise it looks like Dumbledore was 
rewarding James for defusing a situation that James was partly 
responsible for setting up.

I like the idea that Head Boy == Valedictorian. That explains how 
James, who we know was among the best in the year if not actually 
THE best, could achieve the post, when other more rule-abiding of 
his classmates were shut out. It would also mean Harry hasn't got a 
chance. He did fail out of a couple subjects, after all. This 
doesn't quite equal what we've seen of Head Boy Percy, but it could 
be that Percy's authority as Head Boy is the same as Percy's 
authority as prefect, just with different lettering on the badge.

MercuryBlue