[HPforGrownups] James as head boy (Re: Voldemort's Intentions & Snape's Expectations (Hagrid))

[Shelley]

No: HPFGUIDX 189888


> Potioncat:
>
> I cannot argue with that!
>
> However, JKR did not go to a boarding school and may not have known that James had to be a prefect in order to become Head Boy, or as someone already offered, JKR forgot she ever wrote that he was Head Boy.
>
> Most of us thought it was odd that Head Boy James hadn't been a prefect, but we thought there was a reason. Many of us have discussed James' unorthodox advancement especially given his reputation as a trouble maker and the events we saw through Snape's memory and Lily's comments. Some of us thought James had matured so much that DD thought he was up to the responsibility of Head Boy and the best candidate. Others thought it was a reward for his past actions. Some thought it was an example of DD's favoritism toward Gryffindor. Almost everyone thought it fueled the fire of the Snape/Potter feud.
>
> Here's my question. Given Geoff's information, do you now consider Head Boy itself to be a flint and no longer relevant to the storythat is, James was not a Head Boy? Or do you consider it canon anyway, and James was a Head Boy. Does this change your perception of events?

Shelley:
I just assumed it was a mistake. James was too much of a fun lover, like 
the twins- didn't mean he wasn't responsible in his own way, because he 
was. I never saw him as the type to even want to be head boy- that's a 
"Percy" type who cares what people think of them, loves order and rules 
and all that jazz. I never saw James as a head boy type, and actually 
the story makes much more sense for me if he isn't. Heads of teams have 
too much on their minds anyway, and it seems to be too much to have them 
studying for their own exams and running a school as head boy and being 
the Captain of a Team....as much fun as James wants to have, he needs 
time for himself and not being head boy means someone isn't asking him 
to fix other's messes for them all the time, as would be required for 
the position. Not being head boy means he has time to be in animagus 
form or visiting town when he shouldn't be, and so forth. I don't know 
about the schools you all went to, but the Team Captains weren't 
necessarily the "cleanest nose" kids, if you know what I mean. A little 
healthy mischief when it comes to inspiring your school (in this case, 
House) against rivals often adds to the fun, even if it means bordering 
on, or outright breaking rules. (I can think of schools stealing other's 
mascots, sneaking on the other school's grounds to add some "creative 
decorations", etc!) James's House Pride would be at it's finest if he 
didn't have to worry about all those expectations that a House Boy would 
have demanded of him. It makes the most sense if he's NOT head boy after 
all.