Prefects

[Steve]

No: HPFGUIDX 157005

--- In HPforGrownups at yahoogroups.com, "rlace2003" <rlace2003 at ...> wrote:
>
> Carodave:
> > > Are there three years worth of prefects (5th years,
> > > 6th years and 7th years)? That seems like alot of 
> > > chiefs for not alot of Indians.
> 
> Lady Lawyer:
> > I don't know how the prefect system works but it's only 
> > two peoplefrom each year, a girl and a boy, so 14 in all,
> > plus head boy and head girl.  That's not too many I don't
> > think.
> 
> Ryan:
> 
> Based on canon, prefects are all 5th year or above.  And 
> I suspect there's only 2 (1 boy, 1 girl) for each house.  
> That's 8 prefects, not including the head boy and head girl.
> 
> Ryan
>


bboyminn:

I think there is evidence in the books that support 
Carodave's position. Ron and Hermione as well as Percy 
were all Prefects beyond 5th year. I suspect the are 
two 5th year, two 6th year, two 7th year Prefects, but 
the senior Prefects for all the routine work onto the 
junior Prefects.

So, that is 6 Prefects per House times four Houses for 
a total of 24 plus a Head Boy and Head Girl which would 
make 26 total.

I suspect the reason we don't see other Prefects is two 
fold. First, they are not relevant to the story. Second, 
they are lazy and as long as students are not getting 
too rowdy, they stay out of it. As other have suggested 
they may stay out of it to avoid being labeled or 
ridiculed by the likes of Fred and George. 

Remember there is a lot going on at Hogwarts that we 
don't see simply because it doesn't have anything to do 
with the immediate story, but the fact that we aren't 
shown the inconsequential details doesn't mean they 
don't exist. Take for example things like going to the 
bathroom, brushing your teeth, taking showers or baths. 
Were rarely see these things, but reasonably they do 
exist. Either that or we have a lot of smelly clogged up 
people with bad teeth.

As far as the number of students governed by these 
Prefects, I think a population estimate of 280 is 
misguided. It is unreasonable to think that Harry's 
class mirrors every other class and grade at the school. 
At the small school I attended class size range from 15 
to 30 with 20 to 25 being the typical size. 

I also speculate that House sizes are not even. It makes
 sense that there are more Ravenclaws and Hufflepuffs 
than Slytherins and Gryffindors.

Given all this, I think 400 is a more reasonable estimate
 of Hogwarts size. (I've done the calculation but won't 
bore you with them again.)

Now we have 6 students trying to control 100 other students. 
I personally think that would be a hand full. Student of 
that age are not the most reasonable or cooperative. This 
would be especially true when most of the Prefects seem to 
do a half-hearted job of it. Considering all this, I think 
the Commons Room and general student mischief is suprisingly
well controlled.

Just a few thoughts.

Steve/bboyminn