Prefect Ron (was DD on the Dursleys).

[pippin_999]

No: HPFGUIDX 151199

Shaun:
> It's also important to realise that in real schools, a prefect isn't 
> always appointed to the job because they are necessarily ready for 
> it. Remember that we are talking about a school - a place where 
> people are learning to do things, a place where they are improving 
> themselves - and in such an environment it is perfectly legitimate, 
> and actually not all that uncommon for someone to be appointed as a 
> prefect in the belief that they will rise to the occasion. I know - 
> it happened to me.

Pippin:
JKR as novelist also needs to leave the characters room for personal
growth. The Ron who wouldn't confront Fred and George in OOP is planning
to have a word or two with them about who they let buy their products
at the end of HBP.

Also, at the time when prefects were being chosen, Harry was a mess --
being made a prefect might have been therapeutic for him, but would
the poor first years really have been better off at the mercy of Harry's 
slovenly attitude, unprovoked anger and fitful moods? 

It isn't as if Hogwarts lacked other opportunities for Harry to develop
his leadership skills. The DA was arguably a much better fit for his
talents and more important overall. It's also not true that Ron had
shown no leadership ability. Harry noted back in Book One that
Ron was the better chess player because he was better at getting
the cooperation of his pieces. Ron hasn't twigged that those same
skills could be of use with real people. But I think he will.

As for the senior prefects, Fred and George had had seven years
to get the measure of them -- as they say, they know exactly how
much they'll be allowed to get away with. They seem to have picked
a time for experimenting on the first years when they knew that
the other prefects would be elsewhere -- perhaps by arrangement?
Their mistake was in thinking that they could intimidate Hermione.
But after that, they simply took care to conceal what they were doing
from her, too.

Pippin