Harry Potter question

[BiggusGeekus]

SPOILS for the last book....



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This is going to bug me and I don't have time to re-read OotP.

We find out in the end that Dumbledor passed on Harry being a prefect because Harry already had a lot going on. But why would he make Malfoy a prefect of Sytherin? IIRC, Draco isn't the best student and unless the rest of his house was significantly worse there would be a ton of reasons to give the prefectship to someone who hated Potter less.

Or am I missing something from hitting myself over the head with a hammer during coffee breaks?

 

[Tiberius]

IIRC, we don't learn why the other house prefects were chosen for their positions. I suspect it's because Malfoy appears to enjoy some sort of preexisting leadership position in the house (or just has a gang of sycophants) which would cause the other Slytherins to pay greater heed to him. Also, the book could easily have been titled "Harry Potter and the Year of Suckitude", and having Harry's hated enemy be appointed prefect and Harry not is just one more event to reinforce that this will be an awful year for him.

 

[JimAde]

IIRC, we don't learn why the other house prefects were chosen for their positions. I suspect it's because Malfoy appears to enjoy some sort of preexisting leadership position in the house (or just has a gang of sycophants) which would cause the other Slytherins to pay greater heed to him. Also, the book could easily have been titled "Harry Potter and the Year of Suckitude", and having Harry's hated enemy be appointed prefect and Harry not is just one more event to reinforce that this will be an awful year for him.

That's a good character development reason, but what is the "in-game" reason?

I would assume prefects were chosen by the heads of house (Snape in this case). Making Draco Malfoy a prefect might ingratiate Snape to Lucius Malfoy. This would be important for Snape's infiltration work among the Death Eaters. Plus Snape would love to stick it to Harry like that anyway

 

[Greatwyrm]

Maybe it's because Malfoy best represents what Slytherin wants in it's members? Not to say Harry doesn't do the same for Gryffyndor, but as Dumbledore said, Harry's got plenty of other crap to deal with.

 

[BiggusGeekus]

Asked my wife this one. She came down on the "politically impossible for Dumbledore to oppose Malfoy's Dad" side of the discussion.

 

[KnowTheToe]

Yep, I would think pressure from Mal's old man would be enough to get him the position. Using similar tactics that got the little Sh.t on the Quiddich team

 

[KnowTheToe]

Another idea just struck me. Dumbledore may be in the camp believing that by putting Malfoy as headboy will make him easier to watch and may allow him insight on what his enemies are up to.

 

[Datt]

I have another question. I know O.W.L.s are taken in 5th year, but what about N.E.W.T.s? I can't remeber if they are 6 or 7. It seems like Percy took his O.W.L.s and then his N.E.W.T.s and then left. But I know they are there for 7 years. Also what years can you be prefect and headboy?

 

[JimAde]

I have another question. I know O.W.L.s are taken in 5th year, but what about N.E.W.T.s? I can't remeber if they are 6 or 7. It seems like Percy took his O.W.L.s and then his N.E.W.T.s and then left. But I know they are there for 7 years. Also what years can you be prefect and headboy?

It seems like Prefects are 5th years, while head boy/girl are 7th. IIRC, Fred and George were taking their N.E.W.T.s in OotP, which was, I believe, their 6th year.

It makes sense that they wouldn't expect someone to be a prefect/head AND take their biggest tests in the same year.

Anybody here know anything about the REAL British Public School system? Do they still do houses and things like that? If so, I assume JKR would have used that for inspiration.

 

[Desdichado]

Nope, Fred and George were in their 7th. The N.E.W.T.S. are the last big hurrah before "graduation", assuming Hogwarts has any such ceremony, and then they're off into the world.