Why did Dumbledore make Draco a Prefect?

Why did Dumbledore make Draco a Prefect? Am I missing something? He knows Lucius is a Death Eater.

Unless Draco will have a change of heart. After the OWL exams, James was still a jerk. So there is still time for Draco to change.

I'm guessing the Prefects are chosen first by recomendations from Heads of House', then Dumbledore make it final. And as Snape loves little Draco to pieces...PING prefect. Also Draco's grades are quite good, if they weren't I don't think Mr Malfoy would like that.

Yeah, I think that prefects are chosen by the Heads of Houses, and we know that 1 boy and 1 girl are chosen from each house. And I think there are several reasons that Snape might choose Malfoy, and that DD might approve that choice. 1. Draco does seem to be the leader of the Slytherins of his year 2. It would keep Lucius thinking that Snape is on his side 3. Just as Dumbledore thought that Harry had more than enough responsibility to be getting on with, perhaps he felt that a bit more responsibility might be beneficial for Malfoy.

Judging by the rest of the Slytherins, they're no better than Malfoy.

Snape favours Draco, and I'd suppose they choose prefects who best fit the qualities of their houses...

Lucius may be a Death Eater, but he's also got Fudge well and truly under his thumb and he's a Hogwarts governor. I'd bet that carries some weight.

Judging by the rest of the Slytherins, they're no better than Malfoy.

Snape favours Draco, and I'd suppose they choose prefects who best fit the qualities of their houses...

Lucius may be a Death Eater, but he's also got Fudge well and truly under his thumb and he's a Hogwarts governor. I'd bet that carries some weight.

Lucius hasn't been a school Govenor since he was sacked at the end of CoS. He would have no say in who the prefects were. However, there had to be 5th year Slytherin boys Prefect as well as a girls. We have heard nothing about Theodore Nott until this book and that was very little. You don't think Crabbe or Goyle would have made Prefect? :lol:
Natural choice left Draco. He is the leader of the Slytherin boys for his year, as Pansy is the leader for the girls.

All of the other Slytherins will listen to Draco and Pansy because they are the leaders. He's also not as thick as Crabb and Goyle and the other Slytherin boys must be non-entities because you don't hear much about them. You only hear about them laughing at Draco's bad jokes.

Don't forget he knows that Crabbe, Goyle and Nott are Death Eaters too. ;)

Quite simply, he's the best of a bad bunch. Draco, certainly, is more dangerous than the other Slytherin boys because he has a fair amount of intellect on his side. As Dumbledore probably didn't want to promote the troll-ish Crabbe and Goyle, he went with Draco -- the most coherent of the Slytherin goons.

;)

Maybe Dumbledore sees some good in Draco. Perhaps Draco will be like Snape, at first he will support Voldemort, but then see the error of his ways and join the good side.

i hope so too, vickygirl, but JKR has already said we like draco too much, which says to me he's going to do something evil...

back on topic, i think it's DD who chooses prefects. i agree with all the posts about draco being a natural leader, etc, and dumbledore did say to harry right at the end, 'you may be wondering why i did not select you as a prefect' or something...just my two knuts ;)

LOL Slythy xx

I think the Heads of house have their say and then Dumbledore confirms the selection or changes it at his discretion. Our knowledge of Slytherin boys tell us that there really isn't a very good choice and you have to ask yourself: Would Draco be worse than any of the others? At this stage the answer would probably be no.

I particularly think that Draco is the only one good in Slytherin which is a 5th yr. Imagine Crabbe or Goyle made prefect it wouldn't be very believable. So DD made Draco a prefect as he is Snape's favorite student and that i do think that Draco is good even though i don't like him much.

Or this could simply be a case of keep your friends close and your enemies closer for Dumbledore.

Or this could simply be a case of keep your friends close and your enemies closer for Dumbledore.

Draco's not Dumbledore's enemy. Dumbledore might have a lot of faith in the little snot-rag (thanks for that word, Ron). At the very least, he has faith in Draco being a strict prefect. Sometimes prefects need to be harsh.

I agree that he would have got the highest and most persistant recommendations from Professor Snape, as well.

Cat: He might not be Dumbledore's enemy directly but Dumbledore of course knows about his fathers habits. We don't know how much Dumbledore deals with the Prefects, if the groups spent a lot of time together then it would give Dumbledore time to assess Draco and from there he could gain information quite easily.

Cat your part about prefects needing to be harsh is correct except that they need to be fair too so really Draco isn't a good choice in that regard.

Hummm.... I have been thinking about this and a few things make sense. First Snape loves Draco and would probably suggest or nominate him for the position. (Although I still haven't figured out why Snape loves a DE's son but hey hopefully we will find out!)
Second Draco seems to do well and probably gets some of the highest grades in his house.
Third Dumbledore has always said it is not where you come from that matters but the choices you make. Maybe he is giving Draco the benefit of the doubt. Why he did that I couldn't say! ;)

Being unfair puts terror in wayward little children. Let the prefects be unfair.

Cat: He might not be Dumbledore's enemy directly but Dumbledore of course knows about his fathers habits. We don't know how much Dumbledore deals with the Prefects, if the groups spent a lot of time together then it would give Dumbledore time to assess Draco and from there he could gain information quite easily.

I don't think Dumbledore suspects anything of Draco just because Draco's father happens to be a Death Eater. He knows what Draco could become, but that doesn't mean he needs close scrutiny.

Dumbledore is one of those people who don't think blood is important, as we already know. If he thought that Draco was suitable for becoming a Prefect in his house, there would be nothing to stop him do that. Not even that fact that his father's a Deatheater. (It's like not giving Hagrid a professor job because his mother was a giantess...)

Why did Dumbledore make Draco a Prefect? Am I missing something? He knows Lucius is a Death Eater.

Unless Draco will have a change of heart. After the OWL exams, James was still a jerk. So there is still time for Draco to change.

I think Dumbledore would not consider parentage in choosing prefects. He has said that it is choices that make the person, not lineage. Draco is obviously a leader in his house and therefore in a perfect position to be a prefect. I imagin Dumbledore is giving Draco the opportunity to make his own choices and hopefully will make the right ones.

Hummm.... I have been thinking about this and a few things make sense. First Snape loves Draco and would probably suggest or nominate him for the position. (Although I still haven't figured out why Snape loves a DE's son but hey hopefully we will find out!)
Second Draco seems to do well and probably gets some of the highest grades in his house.
Third Dumbledore has always said it is not where you come from that matters but the choices you make. Maybe he is giving Draco the benefit of the doubt. Why he did that I couldn't say! ;)

Well, I think Draco has made his choice clear: he's with Voldemort.
But I agree that the Heads of Houses probably decide the prefects, and Dumbledore just accepts or denies. That would explain Tonks' remark about her Head thinking she lacked 'certain qualities.' Snape definitely likes Draco and Pansy, so I suppose that's how they came to be prefects. Hermione is a 'duh' and I guess Dumbledore didn't want Harry to be a prefect either, so he chose Ron. Besides, Dumbledore had to pick two Slytherins, and I don't think that any of them are much er--less evil than the others.

What other Slytherin would be left besides Draco. there is no way Crabbe and Goyle could be justified. We barely hears about any other Slytherins let alone ones in Draco's year. It would be quite suspicious if Dumbledore did not pick him in all likelyhood. And that would create attention Dumbledore would not want. I could see Lucius Malfoy spreading a rumor or two around MOM to create hassle for Dumbledore just because his kid was not picked. Not that Dumbledore picked Draco to keep his Dad's mouth shut.

well, Dumbledore always reasons and explanations for all his actions...

Well.... we all know that the boy have charms... remember he was chosen to lead what I come to call the Umbridge's army ;) and from the first book we know Snap like him...

So there must be something in him that make this two like me so much...

Based on prefect decisions in the past (Percy, Cedric) we know that prefects must have good grades. Draco's potions grade is probably enough to bring his average way up. Dumbledore is not going to discriminate his decisions based on who someone's parents are. I mean, isn't that the whole point?

It seems that the prefects are nominated by the relative Head of House and approved by Dumbledore... so certainly Snape would nominate Draco. Snape, accused of being Malfoy's "lapdog" doesn't necessarily want to dispell that myth (... or is it truth? there's a thread already talking about that). Neither does Dumbledore necessarily want to do anything out of the ordinary for Hogwarts: he knows about Lucius, but doesn't see any reason to cause unnecessary attention from Malfoy or the Death Eaters.

Not that Dumbledore's in any way afraid of retribution, but I think he feels that there's no reason to cause a stink over who is a prefect and who isn't when he's got bigger snakes to fry.

Of the 5th year Slytherin boys, Draco seems the best choice. His Potions grades are probably excellent and he's on the Quidditch team(although not with pure talent) and he seems to have okay magic skills(the numerous times he and Harry had their wands on each other....)
Snape seems to favor Draco the most of all the Slytherins. Snape probably put in a good word for him to Dumbledore and Dumbledore must have thought that he was the best choice.

OK, lets see...

The list so far of Slytherin boys is: Malfoy, Nott, Crabbe, Goyle, Nabini...

Crabbe and Goyle are closer to being squibs than Neville, so that rules them out...

We don't know much about Zabini or Nott apart from the fact that Nott's dad is a Death Eater. I would say though, as it appears Lucius Malfoy is quite high up the rankings of Death Eaters, Draco inherited his power and leadership...

Just my thoughts.......

All of the suggestions in this thread have been great, but just to add another one - maybe dumbledore knew draco was going to be unjust and so thats actually why he put him as a prefect? i know that sounds silly but when you think about it, its going to make a certain Gryffindor boy (Harry) and his friends from getting into too much trouble, as he knows Dracos going to take points for practically anything anyway and generally be unfair. It might hold the trio up from doing something they might regret.

Or then it could just be part of the storyline JK dreamt up ... lol who knows?

Unless Draco will have a change of heart. After the OWL exams, James was still a jerk. So there is still time for Draco to change.
impossible! remember what sirius told harry when he asked him about his dad! jame had never been interested in the dark arts! he was just, well. fifteen!! lets say...

Out of all the other Slytherin boys I think that Draco is the best choice. I mean the Prefects are picked on their grades and Fraco I think is pretty bright. Also just because his father is a Death Eater doen't mean that Draco can't be a prefect. If Dumbledore didn't make Draco a Prefect because of that then it's going agents all that Dumbledore believes in. Remember it's your choices that makes you who you are and not your parents. Just because his father is a Death Eater does not mean that Draco is one.
Also wouldn't it be better if the Prefect is someone who the other members of the house will look up to? Most of the Slytherins in Draco year look up to him and he is also a good leader. These make him a good pick for Prefect.

well u kno how dumbledor is......but i hope draco learns the error of his father's ways

[QUOTE=emikkime]OK, lets see...

The list so far of Slytherin boys is: Malfoy, Nott, Crabbe, Goyle, Nabini...

Crabbe and Goyle are closer to being squibs than Neville, so that rules them out...

We don't know much about Zabini or Nott apart from the fact that Nott's dad is a Death Eater.

Actually, we do know that Zabini's first name is Blaise. I was always under the impression that this person was female. Other than that, they have never been re-mentioned so far.

Draco just seems to be the stand out Slytherin 5th year boy. As Pansy is for the girls. The only 5th year Slytherin girls we know are Pansy Parkinson, Milicent Bulstrode, and I think Blaise Zabini. Pansy gets the most mention as being the leader of her "gang" of Slytherin girls, as Malfoy seems to be the leader for the boys.

I really liked Vickygirl's theory, that maybe Dumbledore saw good in Draco, and he would learn the error of his ways. But Draco and Pansy were the leaders of their little Slytherin gang, and Snape did favor them, so naturally, I wasn't surprised they were made prefects.

I wasn't surprised either. Draco is a leader, albeit a semi-evil one, and prefect is a position of leadership. Crabbe and Goyle really didn't have it in them to be prefects. There had to be some Slytherine 5th year.

The way I see it, Draco is not full out death eater yet. Snape is a large influence on him and might just bring him to the right. From there Draco could try to change his father's mindset. In the future we might see some tension between father and son. Snape might become more of a father figure than Lucius really is.

He probably suspects Crabbe and Goyle to fail out. That would look really bad for a prefect. Also, one of the responsibilities of a prefect is to show the first years around. Do you really think Crabbe and Goyle are capable of that?

I'm guessing the Prefects are chosen first by recomendations from Heads of House', then Dumbledore make it final. And as Snape loves little Draco to pieces...PING prefect. Also Draco's grades are quite good, if they weren't I don't think Mr Malfoy would like that.

I quite agree. Also, who else was JK Rowling going to choose? The only Slytherins we really knew of in book 5 were Draco, Crabbe, Goyle, Pansy Parkinson, and Milicent Bulstrode.. Draco, as I recall, has rather good grades. Crabbe and Goyle are plain stupid, and wasn't Pansy made a prefect too? So who else could she use? Some no-name Slytherin we know nothing about? She needed to use Draco so there'd be more of a plot.

I think that Draco was made Prefect in order to help with Snape's cover with the Deatheaters. Why else would a arrogant, spoiled-rotten, superficial, immoral, bigot be made a Prefect. We have already seen that they position of Prefect doesn't really mean that much otherwise Harry would have been made one.

I don't really believe that should expect Draco to turn out like Snape. I think that Draco will remain evil. All through the books JKR has foreshadowed the fact that Snape is not as bad as he seems. She has done no such thing with Draco.

Oh so, Snape chose Draco to be Prefect? And Mcgonagall chose Ron and Hermione?

Black wolf--On your signature. The odd thing is that this is what Harry was punished for saying, and even Fudge has to admit that it's true. That woman was just wired wrong.

No, it appears Dumbledore makes all Prefect selections (I seriously doubt that Flitwick would have picked Padma Patil). So, it was definitely Dumbledore who picked Malfoy and Ron as Prefects. Considering who's actually IN Slytherin, Malfoy is the best choice. How can "pure evil" be the best choice? Well, if the choice is between pure evil and pure evil combined with stupidity, remove the stupidity. And we heard why Dumbledore picked Ron as a stand-in. I just wish Ron had done a good enough job to show the wisdom of the decision.

jimmifer I liked your idea about DD giving it to Malfoy to sort of hinder Harry and crew. I think most of the theories on the page make sense. BlackWolf - I am not sure if the heads of the houses actually pick them. I was actually trying to figure that one out. Do they pick or nominate? I think nominating would make sense. I would have expected McGonagall to pick Harry and DD said he didn't chose or make Harry it b/c he thought he had enough on his plate so this would insinuate that DD makes the final decision.

I seriously doubt that Draco's stupid. I mean, I'm pretty sure it goes through from house heads first and then so on. And Snape so favors Draco for somethig he;s hiding...I can just feel it! * evil laugh* ...lol. I dunno, but I do say he played the inquisitorial squad quite well....Good old Draco.

I never sed Draco was stupid. In fact, I was backhandedly hinting at his intelligence. He's the smartest of the Slyths, so he should be the logical choice for Prefect.

Yes, it makes sense that Draco and Pansy became the Slytherin prefects. Obviously, not only does this make sense from a storytelling point of view (to intensify the antagonism between Draco and Ron, Hermione, and Harry), but it makes sense fron within the story as well, since Draco is clearly quite intelligent.

Actually, now that I think about it, the appointment of Malfoy as a prefect doesn't come as a shock. Tom Riddle made it all the way to Head Boy.

Well, I agree with mostly everybody. I do think that the Heads of the Houses recommend or give a lost of names and then the Headmaster (Dumbledore) gives the final decision.

To date, is Draco any worse than Percy? To me, it was an obvious choice. He's an informal leader, so the obvious step is for it to become formal, and yes, that does give those in the Order on staff at Hogwarts a little more control over young Master Malfoy.

I'm guessing that Draco was picked because otherwise he'd be stuck with Crabbe or Goyle. Also probably because Snape favors him quite a bit and I'm sure that a recommendation from a Head of House counts for something.

If it's true that Snape nominates Prefects, then I'm pretty sure that Lucius Malfoy must have tried to influence Snape a little in his decision on who made Slytherin Prefect. Not that Snape needed any influence, of course.

It seems as though at the time Dumbledore/Snape wanted to make it seem as though nobody knew the Malfoys were Death Eaters, and make them think that they were still in power influencial-wise. Draco certainly seemed to have thought so, look what he was saying about his his O.W.L.S: Of course, it's not what you know, it who you know... It would've just continued his delusion that his father can influnece anyone into doing what he wanted, it probably would've looked suspicious if he hadn't become a Prefect.

Of course, this doesn't matter anymore now, since Lucius Malfoy lost all his influence the minute he was thrown in Azkaban.

Draco may be a horrible brat but out of the Slytherins in his year perhaps he was the best choice.

Mander you said Snape so favors Draco for somethig he;s hiding...I can just feel it! * evil laugh* ...lol.

I was actually discussing this with a friend. We couldn't figure out why Snape would favor Draco when he is supposed to be in the order. We both questioned Snape's loyalty but then we also thought of three reasons that could explain his actions without making him unloyal to the order.

1) Snape wants to hide who he is loyal to the way he disguised his knowledge of padfoot (sirius) so he pretends to love Malfoy. However I think he really does hate Harry.

2) He dislikes the Potters and so does Malfoy. Watching Malfoy toture Harry reminds him of James toturing Snape himself. It may be satisfying to watch his old bully's son get bullied himself! :rasp:

3) Last but not least he wants his house to WIN HOUSE CUP! And Malfoy has enough talent and background to help them get it. His house used to win all the time and we know McGonagall and Snape have a bit of a competetion going which is why she wanted Harry to be her seeker. Keeping Malfoy happy also means making the house happy since Lucius gives and gives. Malfoy would be an obvious choice for prefect b/c of this. (Personally I like this theory the best)

you have to also think that prefects are choosen by the heads of house and just verified by dumbldore and dumbledore doesnt show anything bad against slytherins or death eaters for that matter unless they are threatening ppls lifes that that time so i dont think that he would go against draco just because dumbledore doesnt really interfere with those things if he did i doubt draco would be at hogwarts n not sent to durmstrumg

Again, I doubt that heads of house pick the prefects. I can't see McGonagall picking Ron in a million years. I can't see Flitwick picking Padma Patil. However, if heads of house do make the choices, the discussion that Dumbledore had with Harry about his not getting the Prefect slot sounds like McGonagall picked Harry first and Dumbledore said "Who's your second choice, Minerva?" without any explanation.

I've only read ootp through once so far, but if I remember correctly, Draco only got really out of hand once Dumbledore had left. Also, we don't know much else of any of the other Slytherin boys, except Crabbe and Goyle. If one of them were chosen instead of Draco, it's not like it would have mattered, since they do everything he says, anyway. Plus, they seem to have the intelligence of thumbtacks.

Yeah, the consensus is that he was the best of a bad bunch. But he began abusing his power immediately. He and Pansy teamed up to pitch some first yeras out of a coach because they were too lazy to walk 10 feet to the next one.

Seriously, Draco was the best choice. Could you imagine Crabbe and/or Goyle as a prefect? Can they actually pronounce Gryffindor?
"Yay, I like pudding! 5 million point from Gryf...Gurf...Greee...forget it. Accio hot chicks."

Draco at least has enough sense to hold off one something he doesn't think he can get away with.

Well is you think about ti Draco does follow the rules a lot and so why not? And yeah I sgree with the ealier post...The head of houses probably have some sort of influence. And who else would he choose? Goyle? I also think it makes the plot interesting with Draco having a station above Harry. You know?

Lucius' activities should not have anything to do with Draco being prefect or not. Judging Draco by that criteria would not be in keeping with Dumbledore's philosophy. In Dumbledore's view, Draco should sink or swim on his own merits, and not be judged by Lucius' faults.

As far as Dumbledore knows, Draco may be an appropriate candidate for many reasons. Dumbledore does not interact with Draco on the same level as Harry does. From afar, Draco may appear to be a good student, rarely in trouble and a leader among his classmates. And while Dumbledore more than likely has an inkling that Draco is not a choir boy, Dumbledore probably hopes for the best.

Does Dumbledore believe that Draco ok? If he believes and trusts Snape, Draco would appear to be juvenile in vindictiveness in comparison.

At the end of the day all the prefects can't be Gryf's - so perhaps he's the best bad apple from the barrel.

I'm sure Dumbledore doesn't trust Draco, but again, he had to choose somebody! Also, perhaps he wanted to see how Harry would react to this.

Well, as a big Hermion/Draco Shipper I hope its for the sake of that but, I also love H/Hr so...and plus this could be the point where somehow draco can help them. But, as we know Jo probably has what we least expect up her sleeve!

Draco/Hermione shipper? The lion shall lie down with the lamb.

Man, that's a tough pill to swallow. But again, I get the impression that, if there is an attraction, it's completely one-sided.

Draco already got himself slapped by Hermione once. Who knows what she'd do if he merely hinted at the idea that he might be attracted to her? She'd probably turn him into another ferret.

i don't think draco will turn good, but he will probbaly surprise us in some way by being..well..less that a git

well Dumbledore has to choose a prefect from each house and so he must have thought that Draco Malfoy was more suitable for the job than, say, Crabbe and Goyle, who don't get as good grades or are as clever as him. Also, all the Slytherins are relatively the same when it comes to being cruel and evil, so it wouldn't make much of a difference if he took Vincent Crabbe, Gregory Goyle, Pansy Parkinson, or Theodore Nott, or any of the other Slythering for that matter.

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I agree that Malfoy is the logical choice for Slytherin prefect, it also seems to fit that the Head of Houses nominate names and Dumbledore approves them. That may have been what he meant by not choosing Harry, that he had a say in the choosing of prefects. Just my take on the matter.

What was the question? Why did Dumbledore make Draco Malfoy a prefect? He didn't. JKR did. Why did she make him a prefect? So Harry could say "Yeah, but you, unlike me, are a git, so get out and leave us alone."

now i cant believe im saying this but i acutually think hes the least bit intellegent

i guess the teachers' recommendation is one possible reason.
the other is that dumbledore opens the door to everyone, being the fair person he is. so it doesnt matter what draco's background is like, he's still given a chance at leadership :tu:

Dumbledore is renowned for giving people second chances. It's possible this was Draco's second chance to prove that he can be responsible.

Dumbledore chose Draco because he has to show *some* loyalty to the ministry or they'll impeach him. And showing loyalty to the Malfoys is showing loyalty to the old purebloods lines. It's political corruption!

Either that, or he's giving poor Draco his chance for redeeming, which was a mistake because Draco's still a git as a prefect. I guess we'll see next year if he's made one again.

Oh.. and as a closet D/Hr shipper, I still hope he's a git.. it's alot more fun that way. ;)

When you see what a screwed up Ministry of Magic they have for a government it's easy to see how warped the choices prefects can be.

It really isn't like Dumbledore to kowtow to pressure, particularly in something this trivial. Draco is the best of a bad lot. It had to be someone. He was the best choice.

I think JK potrayed Draco as a prefect to show how Harry is coping up with situations such as these. It shows how Harry is growing and is not perturbed by trivial things such as these.
And Draco is the best candidate for a prefect in Slytherin as it would not have been interesting if some unknown Slytherin were made a prefect. Plus can anyone imagine Crabbe or Goyle as prefects? I don't think so.

Probably leadership skills and natural authority have something to do with it? Draco certainly has those. The prefects would be the ones who were most prominent in the house (unless totally unsuitable - e.g. Fred and George!).

Other than that, the "head of house nominates" seems likely. McGonagall would have discussed Harry with Dumbledore, presumably.

I think that Draco would be chosen as a house prefect because a) he has great leadership skills and b) he has great loyalty to his house.

I suppose because none of the other Slytherins in their batch is good either. But i really have no idea.

There has to be at least one respectable Slytherin, afterall Tom Riddle was a pretty good kid except for that whole master of evil thing. No but really, there has to be one good person in Slytherin and it is almost defiinitly not Malfoy.

I think that Dumbledore was in a good state of mind to select Draco for the Fifth Year Slytherin Prefect.

Yes, Draco does pick on Harry all the time, and becoming a prefect would only worsen that, but if he abuses his power, even behind the teachers' backs, Dumbledore would know, and would probably make some one else a prefect.

You also have to think that Draco is very proud of the house he is in. Being a prefect, he would be a huge help to his fellow Slytherins, and that shows responsiblity, which is a critcal element for being a prefect and a leader.

Skipping a few replies here, so I'm sorry if I'm repeating.

The real question here is not why Dumbledore chose Draco. It is who else would he pick? Draco's being made prefect was the only sensible thing she could have done plot-wise. Anyone else would have made no sense at all. That's why all the House prefects are all people we've met and know. Picking anyone else would do nothing for the story. This does.

I do agree that plot wise the choice of Draco was a good one. Presumably the Heads of Houses may have given Dumbledore a list with the candadites they think would make good prefects (and we all know who he would have put on top of the list).

However, I don't buy the whole 'Draco was the only one who was suited to becoming a perfect' argument. Syltherins are always portrayed through Harry's eyes. Not for one second do I think that the whole House is as stupid or insensitive as Draco, Crabbe and Goyle. Harry very nearly got put into that house himself. To me, it just seems a bit too black and white, and the books have done a pretty good go at showing that there is no black and white. Besides Snape came from Slytherin and although his character could do with a little working on (okay, a LOT of working on :D ) he is hardly stupid or inept. Just because you get put into Slytherin does not mean that you are evil or going to turn out to become a DE. I like to think that there is a secret struggle going on between the Slytherins, between those like Draco and those who oppose Voldemort and what he represents. And because they are in the minority they don't show their true feelings to outsiders. When it comes down to it, how much would Harry know about internal Slytherin politics? That said, even if there was somebody much better suited to being perfect (which I think there is) Snape and Dumbledore have their own agenda for making Draco a perfect.

Draco's being made prefect was the only sensible thing she could have done plot-wise. Anyone else would have made no sense at all

But he didn't actually do anything as part of a prefect, unless you count that "but unlike me, you're a git, so get out" line on the train.
He was a lot more involved in the Inquistial (sp?) Squad.

It was added tension between them. There was more going on with the situation than one line on the train. Sure, Draco could have whined about *not* being made prefect, but he certainly wouldn't do that around The Trio (because that would be putting himself inferior to them) so the scenario would simply never come up. As it is, we are allowed to see the dynamic between Draco's truly biased and prejudiced and awful prefectness and Hermione's excellent and fair and good prefectness. It's more than just one incident.

Dumbledore when choosing prefects probably asks the Head's of Houses to make suggestions, and then after looking over them decides. Draco isn't a dunderhead, if I am correct, his grades rival Hermione's. Dumbledore is giving Draco a chance to prove himself from his father, and he's also using him to keep Harry in check because he knows that Draco would just love getting Harry in trouble for leaving the castle after curfew.

What was the question? Why did Dumbledore make Draco Malfoy a prefect? He didn't. JKR did. Why did she make him a prefect? So Harry could say "Yeah, but you, unlike me, are a git, so get out and leave us alone."


i love some of the kool stuff he says.. lol, and when he was talking back to umbridge.. its so funny

I was wondering this because Draco is so obviously going to abuse his position to bully people.

Basically, Draco is a prefect because it works in terms of the story. JKR made Draco a prefect not Dumbledore.

All right, so aside from the fact that this story is fictitous after all... ;)

Draco is a true Slytherin student. He's intelligent (his grades are excellent) he's fairly athletic (on the Quidditch team) he's sociable (he has a lot of friends) he's respectful to the teachers (he really is, when you think about it) and most importantly, he maintains true to his personality as a Slytherin: he's scheming, manipulative, and the embodiment of everything a Slytherin stands for. He's the best student Slytherin House has. If you don't remind yourself of his parents and familial loyalties, and instead remind yourself that everyone can change, then Draco is indeed the best Slytherin prefect one could hope for.

And also, although this is a shade off-topic, I am a believer in the theory that there *are* good, decent, kind Slytherins, whose personalities are just best suited to that specific house, you just don't hear about them because we see over Harry's shoulder.

JKR made Draco a prefect not Dumbledore.

Technically speaking, yes, but you can't just go around making your characters do things that are totally out of their character, how would you feel if it was Snape that gave Harry the Firebolt?

BTW, I do think Draco is probably the most 'right' for the position of prefect, I'm just pointing out JKR can't just randomly give characters positions just because it'll make a good story.

[i agree with jordmund. i think its definately dumbledore who picks prefects; he explains to Harry his reasons for not picking him in the end of OOF. I also don't think Dumbledore picks Draco because 'he sees good in him'. He's portrayed as being the worst of the Slytherins, surely there's a nicer slytherin than him in the whole year? I also don't think Dumbledore would care about being in Lucius/Fudge's good books and would not make decisions based on their opinions. It is completely baffling to me why Malfoy is a prefect. The most convincing thing I've heard is that they may be trying to maintain that Snape has 'death-eater' sympathies and has recommended Malfoy as a prefect, but still, what is Dumbledore playing at?

Why did Dumbledore make Draco a Prefect? Am I missing something? He knows Lucius is a Death Eater.

Unless Draco will have a change of heart. After the OWL exams, James was still a jerk. So there is still time for Draco to change.
I think the same thing. Draco will probably become a bully if he became prefect. He will use it to push others around. He will use it make Harry's life unbearable. Prefects are supposed to help others he will not help others unless he gets something in return.

Maybe Snape and Umbrige was involved in the decision.

I know this thread is about why did DD make Malfoy a prefect, but consider it from JKR's point of view. Who else can she make Slytherin male prefect? Crabbe? Goyle? No. Maybe Nott, but is he even in the same year? Not some only mentioned once, in the sorting, either. It's most logical for JKR to pick Malfoy - it's a natural continuation and development of his character, and there is really no one else to pick.

It simply fits in with the sotryline, thats all. there isnt any reason behind it - not everything in the real world has to have a reason behind it. As hesdead-dealwithit said, looking at it from JKRs point of veiw, its the simplest thing to do. You cant put Crabbe or Goyle, and Nott has to slowly seep into the plot so that no one notices him... It also added to the storyline, as he was later made part of the Inquisitorial Squad. And also it was a topic of conversation for the trio!

I think Dumbledore knew exactly what he was doing when he made his decision. He sees Draco from a different perspective than we and Harry do.

Now if this perspective gives him reason to believe Draco should be watched, what better way to do so than to put him in the prominent position of prefect?

Yes, but is the increased visibility of someone who "needs to be watched" worth the collateral damage. Also, please remember that Draco is the best of a very bad lot. And on balance, I think Harry would have made an irritable unpredictable prefect at best. Better to have a well-meaning *cough*oaf*cough* out of his depth, than someone really powerful and intelligent who's out of control in a position of full school leadership.

Edit: Zach--Draco doesn't have the power to be more than a mild annoyance now. Even in ambush, he embarrasses himself. Harry's begun to realize his true power and Malfoy is outgunned, even with his goons to back him up. Draco's 15 minutes are up. He will only be truly threatening now as the tool of somebody like his father or Umbridge or someone of that mold.

would have to say that dumbledore chooses the prefects.
He said so to harry... something like, "you probably wonder why I didnt choose to make you a prefect.." some such words when explaining why he didnt make harry a prefect.

and to make Draco? simple. Dumbledore's goal is similar to the original intentions of Hogwart's school. All houses working together not fragmenting. So, you have to extend the hand of opportunity....if it turns out wrong, you at least tried.

I agree with FlarbyGarby. It is the only thing that makes sense. DD wouldn't make him prefect because he isn't nice and isn't a good peer including Goyle and Crabbe. The Heads of the Houses have had to pick them.

Yes, but is the increased visibility of someone who "needs to be watched" worth the collateral damage. Also, please remember that Draco is the best of a very bad lot. And on balance, I think Harry would have made an irritable unpredictable prefect at best. Better to have a well-meaning *cough*oaf*cough* out of his depth, than someone really powerful and intelligent who's out of control in a position of full school leadership.


I guess I didn't make it clear that I think there are some very valid points in this thread :) I realize that, out of the Slytherins we've had a chance to see, Draco may well have been the best choice. But we don't know that for sure because (a) we haven't seen all the Slytherins and (b) we've only seen Draco through Harry's eyes, which are a bit biased. We do know Draco's a fairly good student (at least in Potions), and he probably did a good job of keeping other kids in line, even if it was only for the joy of handing out detentions.

I guess what I was trying to say earlier was that Dumbledore wouldn't have made Draco prefect if he thought it would be damaging to the school. Even if heads of houses pick the candidates for prefects, Dumbledore apparently has the ultimate decision-making power here. Otherwise, at the end of OotP he would have told Harry why McGonagall didn't make him a prefect or something ;)

Oh, and I agree with your opinion on what Harry would have been like as a prefect. He was so moody he probably would have ended up giving out more unfair detentions than Malfoy.

I would imagine that, at the very least, Dumbledore sits down and has a meeting with the heads of house... houses... with the heads, and hears what they have to say about it. I doubt that he knows all the students personally, so the decision is probably more of a collaboration.

If that's the case, then Snape would probably puch for Draco. Not because he likes him as a person, but because he likes to spite Harry Potter.

It might actually have been a good oportunity to seperate Crabbe or Goyle out from the group and give him some responsibility and sense of personal identity or something if the grades were there. Although either of them might lose his patience with the first years and kill them.

We don't know much about Nott and Zabini. Doesn't sound much like Nott would want to be prefect anyway, to me. And, well, like we've all said, we don't know much about them.

Maybe there's also the added bonus that Draco would lose his prefectship if he got caught beating up on little kids or something? So, maybe they're hoping that if he wants to go on harassing people as a prefect he'll stop harassing them otherwise?

good notes??

I would imagine that, at the very least, Dumbledore sits down and has a meeting with the heads of house... houses... with the heads, and hears what they have to say about it. I doubt that he knows all the students personally, so the decision is probably more of a collaboration.

If that's the case, then Snape would probably puch for Draco. Not because he likes him as a person, but because he likes to spite Harry Potter.

It might actually have been a good oportunity to seperate Crabbe or Goyle out from the group and give him some responsibility and sense of personal identity or something if the grades were there. Although either of them might lose his patience with the first years and kill them.

We don't know much about Nott and Zabini. Doesn't sound much like Nott would want to be prefect anyway, to me. And, well, like we've all said, we don't know much about them.

Maybe there's also the added bonus that Draco would lose his prefectship if he got caught beating up on little kids or something? So, maybe they're hoping that if he wants to go on harassing people as a prefect he'll stop harassing them otherwise?


That basically covers it, I'd say.

And we have to admit that, regardless of what an evil child he is, he obviously has some skill at magic. And if there's one male and one female prefect from each house (don't know if that's true...) then it seems that Draco would be the natural choice for Slytherin, as he's obviously reasonably bright and a leader in his house.

The fact that we know Draco, otherwise if it was so-and-so from Slytherin we might be asking ourselves who is that? Draco and Pansy Parkinson we know after five books.

Like many of you have said, the heads of houses probably recommend people to be prefects- and we all know Snape likes Draco, for whatever reason. My guess is that he's scared of Lucius. I think being a prefect is a character-building experience, and Dumbledore probably thought Draco could benefit from it. I have this feeling that if only Draco could get away from Lucius, he wouldn't be evil. He has no backbone, he is terrified of his father and therefore tries to emulate his father in every way. Maybe Dumbledore is hoping that giving Draco some responsibility will force him to make his own decisions and establish his own identity. Draco has potential; he's not stupid. . the best thing for him would be for Lucius to be killed. Without his father, Draco would have to make his own decisions in life and solve his own problems instead of running to daddy. I doubt being a prefect will make Draco more responsible. . at least, it hasn't so far!

I always thought of prefects as "model students". Now we always see Draco from other students perspectives, not the teachers. Draco has always been good about keeping his nose clean when teachers are around. He backs off bullying when anyone of authority is nearby.

Nothing is indicated that Draco is a bad student, only a bad person which he carefully disguises.

Is there anyone else he could have chosen from Draco's house and year? I don't think so...the same thing goes for Pansy...maybe they should just eliminate Slytherin prefects and whatnot. That would make me happy. DD has his reasons for everything and maybe there is more to it than who else could take over that position besides Draco so yeah.

I think that the Heads of the Houses nominate students from their respective houses, and then Dumbledore can only choose from those names. So Snape being Head of Slytherin and favouring Malfoy like he does would make it very likely that he would nominate the rat, and perhaps some other less-than-qualified candidates if he wanted to be sure that Dumbledore would pick Malfoy. Snape really hates Harry, so he would certainly have no qualms about pushing ahead someone who likes making Harry as miserable as Snape does.

I guess since for some weird reason that snape likes Draco, and also to keep up an appearance for Lucius. I guess that Dumbledore also believes that he can change.

Dumbledore is the one who picks the prefects to start. Alright let's think about this. Yes Dumbledore knows he was a DE, but the Malfoys do not know that the Order is back or anything like that. So Dumbledore is probably thinking along the lines of he has to try to make it seem like nothing has changed. He has to play into the hands of the DE. Plus, they are all Slytherin so who is going to be good?

Dumbledore knows that Lucius is a deatheater, and Snape is suposed to be close to the Malfoys. So Lucius probably thinks Snape helped make Draco a prefect. Make Snape look even better to the Malfoys, and no suspicions of him being a 'spy' for the Order.

WHo knows maybe they pick people who are leaders. Draco is bossy i bet

Dumbledore knows that Lucius is a deatheater, and Snape is suposed to be close to the Malfoys. So Lucius probably thinks Snape helped make Draco a prefect. Make Snape look even better to the Malfoys, and no suspicions of him being a 'spy' for the Order.

Exactly. It would look kind of suspicious if Snape loved Harry, and hated Draco. Snape has to act like he likes Malfoy, just so it looks like he is still a DE (which he still might be :scared: )

Well, he had to pick someone and what would have been the alternatives to Draco? Grabbe? Goyle???

I'd say Dumbledore chose Draco as a prefect because he is a bright wizard (just like Harry, Hermione, and Ron) even if he's a jerk. Also, Dumbledore might have wanted to give Draco a chance and hopefully encourage him later to do some good with his life rather than becoming a death eater like his father.

Dumbledore sees things in people most people overlook. I think he sees something in Draco buried under all the evilness. For all we know, the sorting hat tried to put him in gryffindor or something.

I think prefect are people who personify the characteristic that a house values. Draco personifies a perfect Slytherin. He's a pureblood, his ambitious and so on. Why would be be prefect for the Slytherin House?

Dumbledore sees things in people most people overlook. I think he sees something in Draco buried under all the evilness. For all we know, the sorting hat tried to put him in gryffindor or something.

Well in the book the hat didn't even touch his head before it screamed Slytherin. Also, how would Dumbledore actually know if Malfoy didn't outright tell him? That's not something Draco would want to divulge.

Lucius Malfoy is still a powerful figure even without being a school govenor. Dumbledore probably didn't want one more thing to deal with on top of the heaping pile of things he had to do.

Thrown in point form for organization... I don't mean to come across as terse. :)

Reasons to make Draco prefect:
* The Snape angle: Snape appears to favour Draco, and this help's cover Snape's work for Dumbledore by ingratiating him further with the Malfoys.

* Draco has little to no subtlety. Put him in a position of power, and he'll abuse that power instead of sneaking and plotting. There's a trade off between his visibility and his abuse of power.

* Dumbledore probably expected that he'd be around to curb any excesses that Draco might get up to.

* Draco would seem to be a default leader among the Slytherins; it makes sense when one considers his family's position and wealth, and the status that grants among certain members of the wizarding community. If another Slytherin had been put in a leadership position, how long until Draco used his influence to undermine (and possibly harm) that student? Slytherin is an ambitious house: best not to set such students against each other.

Perhaps it was an instance of Dumbledore testing Draco's character by giving him a bit of power. After all, we don't see behind the scenes, and we don't really know exactly what Draco is doing when he's not around Harry.

Shauna

Well not many other sytherin males are mentioned and it's a good story line if draco gets made prefect

Dumbledore was drugged by Lucius at the time of choosing prefects.

original post by hermeeownninny
I think being a prefect is a character-building experience, and Dumbledore probably thought Draco could benefit from it.

I agree. It is often the philosophy of teachers/authority figures to give more responsibility to a student who is walking that fine line between success & failure (and I don't necessarily mean academically).

Dumbledore is not the type to presume he definitely knows what a student will be like when they grow up. It would not be in his nature to condemn Draco as though he was a Death Eater already, when Draco may never choose to go down that path. What are the chances right? But Dumbledore is just and fair and doesn't jump to conclusions. Draco's future isn't set in stone and Dumbledore is wise enough to realize this.

Students are sorted into houses according to certain personality traits and as undesirable as some Slytherin traits are to many people, Draco possesses these characteristics in abundance and therefore represents the spirit of a Slytherin very well.

Like Dumbledore always says, it is our choices that make us who we are and perhaps he wants to give Draco the opportunity to choose to use his Slytherin traits for good not evil. Chances are, knowing Draco, he will choose to use them for evil, but Dumbledore is not one to deprive a student of an opportunity on the assumption that the student will make a the wrong choice. This would be depriving a student of the chance to learn.

Well, we haven't a clue to what extent Dumbledore knows about Draco and his sleaze, have we? Thus, Dumbledore must regard of him higher than his fellow Slytherins. Honestly, I think making him the most famous Slytherin in the books makes him the Prefect by default. It really drives the story to have him and his posse be in Harry's way. There is the pre-DoM in OotP to attest to this. He was one of Umbridge's prefects who caught Harry and his peers "red-handed." Anyway, there's also the Malfoy name recognition. I suppose he's coming from a long line of former prefects and head boys of Hogwarts. After all, isn't Phineas his great-great-great-grandfather from his mother's side of the family?(Sirius was Phineas great-great-grandson; Narcissa, Draco's mom, his sister).

Honestly, I think making him the most famous Slytherin in the books makes him the Prefect by default. There is the pre-DoM in OotP to attest to this. He was one of Umbridge's prefects...the Malfoy name....Phineas his great-great-great-grandfather from his mother's side of the family Not sure what you mean by the Pre-Defense of Ministry in the order because Dumbledore appointed him a prefect before Umbridge appointed him her special prefect. I assume that he is the most famous Slytherin of Harry's group that we know. While it is true that Ron became a Prefect I don’t see any chances of Goyle or Crabble becoming one. Draco is smart and while corrupted would be a good role model by following the rules and breaking them too but no one said that a prefect had to be perfect. I think Phineas would be his great-several great granduncle.

well he does seem to have a brain and maybe he is the smartest of the slytherins,no offence meant to slytherins!

Juts becuase Draco has good grades doesnt mean he'd make a good prefect, I'm sure he gets in quite a bit of trouble, and just becuase we dont know about the bit of trouyble doesnt mean its not there.

Well it may have been becasue Dumbledore really had no choice. Dumbledore isn't really the type to let people bully him into giving them what they want so I doubt that Draco became a prefect becasue Lucius wanted him to. It's like Dumbledore and the DADA job, he just takes whoever he can get. I think that Dumbledore chose Malfoy becasue:
-despite how spoiled and mean he can be the Slytherins seem to look up to and respect Draco.
-He's not stupid, so let's face it. The kid does have some brains
-Who else was Dumbledore going to pick? Crabbe or Goyle? Not very smart or social for that matter. Nott? He rarely seems to talk and seems to also distnace himelf from the other Slyhtherins.

Draco was the most obvious choice.

I think they chose prefect's based on grades and responsibility, by the head of house. And then Dumbledore decide's if they can be prefects or not. Besides I don't think that there is anyone better in their 5th year that we have meant so far.

only jk can answer really!

true tyler true

We've yet to see any Slytherin who can top Draco. He is, admittedly, the best kid in his year in his house.

I agree with Magi...do we really think that Crabbe or Goyle would've been better at the job? Their main occupation seems to be grunting and eating, or flexing their muscles and generally looking menacing.

As we all know, Dumbledor often does things without an immediately clear explanation. Could his posting of Malfoy be part of a larger scheme of things, or is this tied into Fudge's ability to overrule policy at Hogwarts (via Lucious's deep pockets)? I'm not so concerned about Pansy's achieving Prefect - at present, we're only led to believe that she's a self centered, jealous little git (perhaps she too will have a larger role in books 6 and 7...we'll see). But what about Malfoy, any thoughts? Could this be step one in the unification of the Houses? After seeing how Umbridge treated "Inquisitorial Squad" and dear old Daddy imprisoned - could Malfoy become an ally in the fight against moldy Voldy? :huh:

I hadn't really thought about Dumbledore giving Malfoy the prefect badge to unite the houses. However, it is a possiblity. I just thought he did it because Malfoy was the most qualified Slytherin in his year. And I was under the impression that the most qualified is the one who gets to be the prefect (this was not the case with Harry and Ron, but it was under certain circumstances). I don't see Malfoy helping out the good guys. I mean, we don't really know his relationship with his father, but I am going to assume they are pretty close. And if his dad is in with Voldemort I would suspect that he would want to go over to Voldemorts side as well once he is old enough.

I think the Malfoy-as-prefect thing was because he's probably the most prominent of the Slytherin boys in his year (after all, who else do we know of in Malfoy's year, besides Nott, Crabbe, and Goyle?) Plus, it made narrative sense - Malfoy is Harry's adversary, and to put him in a position of power made sense for furthering that adversarial relationship.
I don't think that Fudge had any say in the appointment of prefects. DD at least had his say in appointing Gryffindor prefects, and I don't see why Fudge would have any more reason to interfere with the other Houses.
I think you'll want to discuss your Malfoy/ally theory in Divination Studies, in the thread entitled "Malfoy...on the Good Side?" I'm sure a moderator will come and post a link to the appropriate threads.

I think it's tied to Dumbledore's statement of "It's our choices that make us what we are". We don't know how Draco will act when given certain choices (but we certainly can guess, given his past actions! Grrrr !). Draco may be tied to the need to have Houses cooperate more with each other, and to work better together. Since he was one of the first wizards Harry ever meets, and has been part of every book, I think it's safe to assume he will continue to play a fairly large role in the final two books, along with his family.
And yes, Cousin Weasley, I think you make a good point about the final actions in OoP - the lovely DU wasn't exactly helpful to young Malfoy, and his father is certainly in a pickle at this point! What effect will that have on Draco? Crabbe and Goyle? And their future choices?

I'm guessing that the head of houses have a say in who gets to become a
prefect. And we know that Snape favors Draco.
Draco might be one of the smartest Slytherins. We don't know much about the other Slytherins in Harry's year (besides Crabbe and Goyle who probably can't spell prefect).
Dumbledore also might have thought that making Draco a prefect might teach him some responsibility...

I agree that the heads of house probably play a large role in whose chosen as prefects. In that respect it makes a lot of sense that Draco was chosen.

Dumbldore could have several reasons but i dont think mr malfoy is capeable of bribing dumbldore. I think jk put him as prefect to make harrys life at school a little harder he will have to fight voldemort and if he is used to defending himself it will be greatly helpful

I thought the house heads pick the prefects

I thought the house heads pick the prefects

No DD told Harry why he decided to make Ron prefect instead of Harry, so he definantly makes the decision. The house heads probably have a say in it though. Perhaps DD can override the house heads dicisions if he fells it's necessary.

but remember how Fudge was able to over ride various policies at Hogwarts via Dolores Umbridge? I'm wondering if the same route was used in Draco becoming prefect...that's what I meant (not that Dumbledore would take a bribe, never!).

:blush:

Maybe Draco Malfoy was just the most qualified Slytherin. Maybe he was only one who could be Prefect because he was only one with good enough grades. We really don't know much about the other Slytherin boys except we've heard that Goyle and Crabbe is dumb and they can't concentrate.

Another option is maybe Dumbledore wanted to see how he would use his power. Maybe Dumbledore wanted to give him power for him to see what it feels like. And maybe he was interested to see how he would use it. Dumbledore's well aware of what goes on at Hogwarts, I'm sure he had a good reason for making Malfoy Prefect.

i think that heads of houses picked the prefects and that dumbledore simply carries weight, especialy if it's mcgonogal. however if he was in charge of picking prefects... i have no idea

dumbledore has always been a big one for giving second chances--why not malfoy, too?

besides, a little tension always makes life interesting . . .

I think J.K. made Malfoy prefect because she wanted to create tension (he has some authority and abuses it to the annoyance of the other characters)

I think it's more likely that Snape nominated him and then Dumbledore approved it. Really though, he's no better or worse than anyone else in Slytherin.

There's an old saying:
"Keep your allies close, but your enemies closer."
Since Dumbledore isn't stupid and probably knows that Lucious Malfoy is passing on the love of Dark Arts to Draco, he might have made him a prefect in order to keep a closer eye on him. No matter who nominated him to be a prefect, it's certain that they would have to report to teachers and have additional responsibilities. That in a way protects Harry from Draco. After all, if Malfoy's cursing Harry in the halls or something then he's not likely to stay a prefect. And it's obvious that Malfoy enjoys power so he's probably more likely to watch his step.
As to his being the most qualified, I'm not so sure. After all, in CoS his father seemed unhappy about his grades while they were in Knockturn Alley.

There is an old saying - keep your friends close and your enemies closer. Malfoy as prefect allows Dumbledore and co. to keep him occupied and in close tabs. I also think it ties in with Snape. Snape 'loves' Malfoy - is it to ensure that the message gets back to daddy that Snape is 'on their side'? Dumbledore is very cunning. This may be a necessary evil for his plan to proceed. Lucious Malfoy is one of the more powerful Death Eaters. Manipulating him through his boy might be at hand. Narcissa becomes a more prominent character in HBP. Perhaps now that daddy is gone (for now) Draco is used to manipulate mom - I guess we shall see, but this is becoming more divination.

gwendolyn0227:

you beat me by a hair!

(guess we were channeling the same quote on that one)

Lol, what a coincidence...!

Well, I was thinking along those lines as well, but... If Heads of House had a say in choosing prefects, would McGonagall really choose Ron? But I suppose she has to respect Dumbledore's choice...

I think the most logical answer to this thread would be that Malfoy is the most capable in Slytherin. He's got brains, he has physical abilities and his marks can't be that bad because Dumbledore won't give responsibilities to someone who can't even take care of himself! Anyway, given a choice between Crabbe, Noyle and Nott - who would Dumbledore choose?

I don't think that Dumbledore was bribed by the MoM - very unlikely. I also don't think he was bribed by Lucius, or any other parents for that matter, because Dumbledore is just above that. He's a honourable man, though sometimes not always with the best judgement.

malfoy is a evil child and he will do anything to be more popular than Harry................
Of course he'll never accomplish that but still i think he will do anything to do so..........
He would probably join forces with Voldemort :scared:
So, Dumbledore should just give up..
Draco will never change.....
Face it........ :p

leadership material is required to be a prefect.The role is meant to mold you to a leader of your peers.Draco is the perfect role model and leader for his House. Ron on the other hand....

I think Dumbledore, would have put Malfoy as a prefect purely because he seems to be the best in slytherin house in that year. However he could have had other motives, maybe to make Draco feel that his family was still respected and that though they knew voldemort was back that they didn't his father was a Death Eater.

I agree with many others and think no matter how much we all hate Malfoy he was the wizard best suited to the job.

leadership material is required to be a prefect.The role is meant to mold you to a leader of your peers.

I agree, this is probably why Dumbledore made Malfoy prefect, than say, Crabbe or Goyle. All they do is agree with Malfoy and follow him around. Anyway, it's not as if Malfoy's worst of all Slytherins, just in Harry's view.

He was the only person in sltherin that we know well enough

The person doesn't have to be well-known. Like i said in an earlier post, Dumbledore probably put Draco as a PREFECT because he was the best candidate from slytherin. Crabbe and Goyle have scraped passes every year, since they arrived and have never been a real success in any lessons.
Nott seems to be drawn-back from the crowd, an un-sociable child, so i doubt he liked performing in classes so thats why we don't see him as a prefect.


JKR always puts things of importance containing major characters in the books for a reason,this aids the plot. Afterall it wouldn't be as good if Crabbe or Goyle was prefect as neither seem to talk, in fact have we ever heard them talk. They only seem to grunt, guffaw, and flex their muscles.

I think JKR wants there to be some tension between the characters especially at such a crucial stage. And plus he can make life very hard on Harry so more emotions and drama will be revealed. Also because he is the most ambitious of Slytherins in his year.

Hello, I've never even thought of that as strange. Malfoy may be evil, but he's still smart. They can't put a wool-head like Goyle as a prefect, and they need at least two prefects from each house every year. By the way, Dumbledore is supposed not to jugde of what he thinks personally. Malfoy gets good grades (I think), he is kind of smart, it doesn't matter that everyone hates him (for a reason!) and if Dumbledore thought of Lucius when he put Draco as a prefect, I'll eat my hat. (Okay, I don't have a hat. But I can eat my caps. If I find it. Well, this isn't important... is it?)

i still dont understand how the prefect system works. do they choose new ones each year? why do they do it in 5th year? are there more than two per house? i just dont get it. its one of those crazy british things that i don't understand.

well, i don't really understand why dumbledore made him a prefect. Dumbledore knows people better than anyone else. Maybe he thought Draco could redeem himself if he was given more responsibility. who knows..
anyways, some people have mentioned that his grades are quite good...where does it say that in the hp books? as far as i know, theres no mention of his grades being good or average or anything..theres no mention of his grades at all. maybe i'm forgetting something..could someone please let me know if i am?

Another option is that Dumbledore doesn't have a biased oipinion. He knows Draco
isn't the best person, but he represents his house, and he has good grades and Snape likes him.

I agree with Lepus. At first I thought that maybe Lucious Malfoy may have had some, er, "say" in the matter, but then I realized that Dumbledore wouldn't have submitted to bribery or anything. So I guess it is based on the fact that Malfoy gets decent grades... I mean, imagine Crabbe and Goyle as prefects!

Perhaps more goes into choosing prefects than looking at the personalities and qualifications of the House members. Dumbledore probably made Draco prefect based on House dynamics. Even if someone else would have been fairer or was otherwise more qualified, Draco appears to lead the Slytherins of his year and has some influence with the older members. I believe that if Dumbledore had chosen anyone else, the consequences would have been terrible for this person. He would be deeply resented by Draco, who could probably turn much of the House against him. Even if he was someone close to Draco, like Crabbe or Goyle, then that person would probably end up simply as Draco's puppet, making the end result roughly the same.

Other than that, yeah, JKR just did it for plotting purposes.

I agree with Oceana, Draco was the most popular in the house. It may also be that snape was involved some how, as he is the house warden....

I think it is based on recommendations from Heads of Houses, and we know that Snape likes Draco.
And I think another influential fator is grades.
I ABSOLUTELY HATE TO ADMIT THIS: Malfoy, as much as we hate him, seems to be quite clever. And his Potions mark is probably a really high one.

But is it because what you said, Snape likes Draco?

I think the Heads of Houses pick the prefects, and that's why Pansy and Draco were chosen. Because of Snape. Not because Dumbledore thinks he'll have a 'change of heart'.

but DD told harry "i didn't choose you"

Draco as a prefect is nothing compared to Draco as a member of the High Inquisitorial Squad. When Umbridge became Headmaster she gave Filch and the Slytherins way too much power to go and do evil things to other students. So setting Draco as a prefect is nothing compared to him being part of that squad.

It seems Draco as prefect is great for plot more than anything but out of the other Slytherins he is the one who we always hear speaking out in classes (care of magical creatures & potions) therefore it is asumed he is the most confident & a natural leader. Also Dumbledore probably relies on the advice of his heads of houses before making the final decision therefore Snape would have had a say.

I agree with you , pansy.... I doubt it would be DD's shoice even though malfoy is the popular one in Slytherin. I mean, if you exclude harry, even then do you think ron is the most popular among griff(sorry, ron fans!). It wouldn't be completely based on that, would it?

He probably has the highest grades in Slytherin and acts more mature than the other Slytherins we know. Better Draco than Grabbe and Goyle (imagine them trying to figure out how many points to deduct :lol:). And is Pansy a prefect? I don't think so, but I might be wrong.
He's also probably a prefect since (other than Grabbe and Goyle) he's the only other Slytherin boy we know. He was also probably made Prefect to make the plot more interesting with interactions between Draco/Harry and other Gryffindors vs. Slytherins - of course this isn't why Dumbledore picked Draco, but why JKR picked Draco.

dumbledore elected draco as a prefect based on his performance in school,not on his family..dumbledore is being fair,u know.... :eyebrows:

:). too fair!

But seriously....what other Slytherins have we been introduced to other than Crabbe, Goyle, Malfoy and Parkinson? why would Jo nominate an unknown to the role of prefect?

Who else would Dumbledore have picked. JK made it that way for the book. She knew it would get readers mad but also intriuged because now the enemy can inforce things upon harry.

other than Draco being a pain....Jo has not really shown how he is during class...other than maybe the suggestion that Snape prefers him. So far in the series I see no merit for Draco to be a prefect...just like there is lack of mention of Hufflepuff and to a slightly lesser extend Ravenclaw.

But seriously....what other Slytherins have we been introduced to other than Crabbe, Goyle, Malfoy and Parkinson? why would Jo nominate an unknown to the role of prefect?

I agree. I think only important characters are opted.

My guess is JKR chose Draco as a prefect because it could add to the tension of the book and it would also make angsty!Harry more believable. Give Harry more reason to mistrust Dumbledore and his peers give him more reason to lash out.

Perhaps more goes into choosing prefects than looking at the personalities and qualifications of the House members. Dumbledore probably made Draco prefect based on House dynamics. Even if someone else would have been fairer or was otherwise more qualified, Draco appears to lead the Slytherins of his year and has some influence with the older members. I believe that if Dumbledore had chosen anyone else, the consequences would have been terrible for this person. He would be deeply resented by Draco, who could probably turn much of the House against him. Even if he was someone close to Draco, like Crabbe or Goyle, then that person would probably end up simply as Draco's puppet, making the end result roughly the same.

Other than that, yeah, JKR just did it for plotting purposes.I agree with this. If Draco was not chosen Prefect, then the person who was would be in big trouble. Or Draco could just manipulate them into doing what he would do. So basically I think 1) He gets good grades, 2) He has a big influence on Slytherin, 3) It would be dangerous not to make him one, 4) Snape probably recommended him, 5) Who else could JKR have chosen? 6) Creates a more interesting story.

I think Dumbledore chose Malfoy because, unlike most who would pick their favorite student or the one most like themselves, he is a very fair man. He recognizes Malfoy's ability to lead (which is a very important trait for prefects) and can appreciate the fact that he is the strongest Slytherin personality in his year.

I believe in Dumbledore's wisdom in these matters, he always seems to see deeper that the surface of any issue. While Draco has shown himself to be his father's son (a miserable Slytherin Death-Eater in training) there is a possiblility of his rehabilitation. Remember how harshly his father treats him in Knockturn Alley, it's just possible that Draco's home life is quite severe.

By granting him Prefect status, Dumbledore shows him that there is a place for him on the lighter side of the upcoming conflict. And while Draco seems to show nothing but contempt for Hermione, that's probably the result of a repressed desire to be closer to her and have better friends than the ignorant Crabbe and Goyle.

I believe Draco, like Professor Snape will turn out to be surprising allies in the final conflict.

I see no rehab for Draco. He's was probably chosen prefect because he represents everything his House stands for. If Draco was to grow into a noble soul and display more virtuous attributes, he would misrepresent the meaning of Slytherin.

Yes I agree with AurorSlayer... Draco is undoubtably a gifted young man, just because he is fairly spoilt, elitist, snobby etc. Doesn't mean he doesn't have the right to be a prefect - afterall, who else would represent Slytherin? Crabbe? Goyle? :rotfl:

Why did Dumbledore make Draco a Prefect? Am I missing something? He knows Lucius is a Death Eater.

Unless Draco will have a change of heart. After the OWL exams, James was still a jerk. So there is still time for Draco to change.
maybe cause malfoy it's like the most knowed boy in slytherin.. besides his goods looks :love: :drool: :D naah.. it's cause of the influence of lucius.. i think :cool: XD

Well, Im sure Dumbledore has his own reason. Maybe Draco is the best candidate for Prefect in Slytherin. Maybe no one else in his year is good enough, or like the general believe in here that whoever else gets to be Prefect, Draco might hurt him in any way possible. We do know he is capable of that.

And yeah, who else? JKR will have to explain more if someone else get to be Prefect. We will all be wondering who is this person? Is he going to be major character later on? I mean look how much effort Harry's fan put on this Mark Evans... :p

Its good that Draco gets to be Prefect, I really want to see how he will react when Harry gets to be the Head Boy (notice when, not if). With all this Prefect things get to his head, I'm sure Draco will have full confidence that only he is good enough to be the Head Boy. Yeah, we'll see boy....nice ferret.... :rotfl:

I think it is snapes desicion.

He knows Draco
isn't the best person, but he represents his house, and he has good grades and Snape likes him.

I agree. Prefect is about representing your house qualities. Draco does possess a certain wit and cunning.

AND...I love your sig by the way. Potter Puppet Pals is hilarious.

I think that first: it would be wierd for some random person to be a prefect..and second: I'm sure Dumbledore has his reasons that we may find out later... hmm...ponder that, I will... :huh:

I think that first: it would be wierd for some random person to be a prefect..and second: I'm sure Dumbledore has his reasons that we may find out later... hmm...ponder that, I will... :huh:


Thats interesting, as is the post about James having been a jerk when he was Draco's age.
Draco is a powerful wizard, he holds all Slytherin principles well (especialy the cowardly bit).
As well as this though, perhaps Dumbledore sees a use for Draco in later books?
But at the end of the day, why would JKR make Crabbe or Goyle a Prefect? Draco is THE Slytherin of Harrys year as far as Harry is concerned and therefore he wouldn't miss out on important roles like this otherwise we'd have to remember yet another character :)

But Harry is THE Gryffindor of the year, and he isnt a prefect.

I believe that Dumbledore has no say in prefects being chosen, but that it rests with the Heads Of Houses to choose prefects.

I believe Dumbledore chooses the Head boy and girl respectively, each house submits 1 boy and 1 girl candidate and he chooses the most suited or most deserving.

wands_r_us - I agree with you. I have seen no suggestion that Ferret is a capable student or a strong wizard.

During his OWLS he was having trouble, he was paying attention to what was going on around him, instead of concentrating on his practical exercise. Both Ginny (in Toad's Office) and Harry (when Ferret threatened him because of his dad going to Azkaban) beat him "magically". Ginny with a hex, when Ferret already had a wand in hand and Harry had his wand out before Ferret even reached his hand into his pocket.

Draco seems to spend more time looking around to see what mischief he can create, than paying attention in class. Snape says he is a good potion maker, but can we believe him? He is really biased toward the Slytherin students. Of course, we only see Ferret in the few classes he has with Harry. I'd like to see Ferret in McGonagall's class or DADA, to see if he really can do anything. Maybe JKR will tell us how many OWLS he receives and we will know "for once and for all" if the Ferret is a real student or just one who has been sliding by, living on Lucius' reputation.

I don't see that Draco has learned anything from his year as a prefect, except to be even more bullying than before.

I see no rehab for Draco. He's was probably chosen prefect because he represents everything his House stands for. If Draco was to grow into a noble soul and display more virtuous attributes, he would misrepresent the meaning of Slytherin.

If Draco were to stop being ambitious and cunning, that would misrepresent the meaning of Slytherin. There's no rule saying Slytherins must be bad people, just as it's not a given that Gryffindors are good people (look at Peter Pettigrew, and maybe Percy Weasley). Draco could, and indeed does, have good qualities too: he seems quite clever, he's loyal, he's a good leader. If he were to have a sudden epiphany and change into a textbook Gryffindor, that would misrepresent him, not his house.

He does seem to be a pretty typical Slytherin - pureblood, Dark leanings, Slytherin family - but I don't think that's a reason to make him Prefect. I think, as others have said, that he was chosen Prefect for a variety of reasons:

(a) he's a favourite of Snape's, and Snape wants to stay in with Lucious, who is high-up in Voldemort's administration.
(b) he's the leader of his year; he has the strongest personality, from what we've seen, and can exert his influence over his peers. Of course, this is a gamble, since that influence could be for evil as well as for good.

(c) Dumbledore and/or Snape may well think that the responsibility will be good for him; it should make him more mature, more responsible in his words and actions, more self-aware, more conscious of how power can be used and abused. He may learn these things by mistreating younger students, but the lessons he learns will possibly benefit him in later life, as he comes to understand more about Voldemort, Dumbledore, and what it means to be on either side.

(d) From the author's point of view, it's an added gripe for Harry that not only his best friends, but also his enemy, become Prefects and are thus, he thinks, chosen by the staff as "better" than him in some way. The idea is stronger since Harry is much more competitive against Draco than against Ron.

I think it is because he was actually the 'best man' for the job. I mean, look at the rest of the bunch of Slytherins (that we know of): Crabbe and Goyle, who are totally idiotic, and Theodore Nott, who is 'stringy'. Draco is very intelligent, quick on his feet, and, yes, even fairly well behaved (he hasn't gotten into trouble more often than Ron, at least). :)

I think it is because he was actually the 'best man' for the job. I mean, look at the rest of the bunch of Slytherins (that we know of): Crabbe and Goyle, who are totally idiotic, and Theodore Nott, who is 'stringy'. Draco is very intelligent, quick on his feet, and, yes, even fairly well behaved (he hasn't gotten into trouble more often than Ron, at least). :)


I agree, he may be a 'slimy git', a coward and a spoilt little brat, but he's still better than all of the other Slytherin boys for the job. Says a lot about the others, doesn't it?


Oh, and I LOVE your signature werefrog!

I agree, he may be a 'slimy git', a coward and a spoilt little brat, but he's still better than all of the other Slytherin boys for the job. Says a lot about the others, doesn't it?


We must assume he was the best for the job, since he must have got it for a reason, but we don't know why Theodore Nott or Blaise Zabini shouldn't have got it. We don't know anything about them except that they're in Slytherin in Harry's year, Nott can see Thestrals, and that they don't impinge much on Harry's consciousness - they're not his friends or enemies, or in any way remarkable to him, which isn't to say they wouldn't be worth the reader's notice. For all we know they are good, law-abiding, decent students, and though they're not friends with Harry they're not directly antagonistic as Draco Malfoy is; this suggests they are more mature and sensible.

Perhaps another issue, which I didn't mention in my post above, is teamwork; Draco and Pansy were picked because they're already friends and would work well together, like Ron and Hermione. Presumably it's more important for the two house prefects to get on with each other than with those from other houses?

I think being a prefect might change Draco, might make him grow up a bit and stop being such a "spoilt brat", and I think that would be one of the aims of the staff in choosig him. Time will tell whether this works...

We must assume he was the best for the job, since he must have got it for a reason, but we don't know why Theodore Nott or Blaise Zabini shouldn't have got it. We don't know anything about them except that they're in Slytherin in Harry's year, Nott can see Thestrals, and that they don't impinge much on Harry's consciousness - they're not his friends or enemies, or in any way remarkable to him, which isn't to say they wouldn't be worth the reader's notice. For all we know they are good, law-abiding, decent students, and though they're not friends with Harry they're not directly antagonistic as Draco Malfoy is; this suggests they are more mature and sensible.

Perhaps another issue, which I didn't mention in my post above, is teamwork; Draco and Pansy were picked because they're already friends and would work well together, like Ron and Hermione. Presumably it's more important for the two house prefects to get on with each other than with those from other houses?

I think being a prefect might change Draco, might make him grow up a bit and stop being such a "spoilt brat", and I think that would be one of the aims of the staff in choosig him. Time will tell whether this works...


I'd doubt he will grow up, remember when he was given special privilages by Umbridge in OotP? He abused them straight away, taking away house points for no reason. I think giving Draco power will just send him on a big power trip, that's the kind of person he is.

Hey, thanks Bill, that's the 2nd compliment I've gotten about it in 5 minutes! :) If you like it that much, you can use it if you feel like it.

What year is Blaise Zabini in, anyways?

I think that, yeah he was a jerk, but he is sort of smart and does have power. Or I do like that idea of him changing. Ha yeah, werefrog, I like your sig, I've thought that before, I'm not sure if I ever said anything though. :D

Yay! Third compliment of the day! I feel so special. I like yours too, Hermione, it's a cute picture! Do you know what year Blaise Zabini is in?