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

[justcarol67]

No: HPFGUIDX 161240

bboyminn wrote:
> 
> 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. <snip>
> 
> 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. <snip> 
> 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, <snip> 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. <snip>

Carol responds:
I suppose that in an ordinary year, Harry might be appointed Head Boy.
But even if the school is open, Harry probably won't be there, at
least as a full time student. I think he'll have "too much on his
plate" to attend classes regularly, much less have the added burden of
being Head Boy.

Ron has wished for the *distinction*, as opposed to the *duties*, of
being Head Boy, but he seems to be more a loyal follower than a
leader, a necessary component of a Head Boy's character. It was good
for him to be a Prefect, but now that he knows what it's all about, he
may have changed his mind about wanting to follow in Bill's and
Percy's footsteps--assuming that he has the opportunity, which I think
is unlikely since he'll be with Harry.

Hermione has the marks and the authoiritativeness to be Head Girl, if
not the charisma that an ideal Head Girl would have, but I don't think
she'll be there, either.

I think that if the school stays open, Ernie Macmillan will be, and
ought to be, Head Boy--a nice honor for the Hufflepuffs, and Ernie is
both a good student and a hard worker. He seems to be the leader of
the Hufflepuffs in his year. As for Head Girl, I can't think of any
candidates besides Hermione, unless possibly Susan Bones, another
Hufflepuff, receives the honor.

Being Head Boy or Girl is an honor and a privilege but it's also a
major responsibiliy, one that Harry will have neither the time nor the
inclination to shoulder, IMO.

Carol, who will miss having the story center around Hogwarts and the
Harry/Snape interactions in particular