Ron as Head Boy ( was ...My guess about book 7)

[Steve]

No: HPFGUIDX 161212

---  "Susan MacLagan" <SMacLagan at ...> wrote:
>
>  Janette wrote:
> > According to wikipedia: <periodic snips>*"Head Boy*
> > and *Head Girl* are terms commonly used in the 
> > British education system and in private schools 
> > throughout the Commonwealth. In British schools the
> > student body appoints a member of the highest grade 
> > or form to perform a series of duties to help the 
> > organisation of the school. Normally one boy ...
> 
> LG responds:
> ...No, American schools don't have this student postion, 
> but I suppose the closest thing to it is Student Body
> President, a position held by only one person.  Students
> vote for this representative, who, for the most part, 
> actually does nothing. ...
> 
> London Granddaughter
>


bboyminn:

One BIG BIG difference between British Schools, especially
Hogwarts, and normal American schools, is that the British
schools in question are Boarding Schools. Students don't
go home at the end of the day and become both the parents
and societies problem. At a boarding school the school is
responsible for the students health, safety, wellbeing, 
and recreational diversions 24 hours a day. (Did you
know that Eaton runs it's own Pub for the students?)

So, either the school hires an army of paid staff to keep
the students in line, or the enlist the help of some of
the more responsible and free students to aid them. That
explain Prefects, while they may have many duties, some 
serious and some strictly tokens, they are an additional 
set of authoritive eyes on the student, and they have the
authority to hand out punishments if needed. Though, if
you believe some of the 'British school boy' stories, 
some of the Perfects were like little Nazi's - drunk 
with power.

The additional point is in British schools, the school 
administration has a hand in creating new Prefects and 
Head-persons, and those selected student have real 
responsibilities and real authority.

The Head-persons, to some extent are in charge of the
Prefects, and helps organize and control them, but also
I still say, they have incorporated and extended the
position to include the equivalent of valedictorian
and/or Summa Cum Laude. It acknowledges the best
all-round student in the school, and is measure by a
wide range of parameters; academics, character,
responsibility, achievement, etc....

Certainly, Prefects are good students who are responsible
and can be trusted, and because of this they are also
very likely to have good grades, and by further extension
that makes them candidates for Head-person. 

Harry and Ron lack the outstanding academics, but have
proven themselves outstanding in other ways, and I think
when you look a them across a broad cross section of
criteria, they come out looking pretty good.

Steve/bboyminn

PS: never went to a British school, was never Prefect or
Head-person, but was class president.