Why did everyone think that Harry would become prefect?

[giwdeh]

Mods: I've searched, but only found a thread discussing why Draco was choosen as prefect.

I'm rereading Ootp, and stumbled upon the part where Ron gets his badge.
I understand that nobody expected Ron to become prefect, but everyone thinks that Harry would be first choice.
But would Harry really had been the most capable prefect?
And would Ron be second best?
What about Seamus, Dean and Neville?
Ok, I wouldn't choose Neville either, but I don't see why Seamus and Dean should be out of question.
Harry and Ron aren't the best students, not the best rule-followers and not that authoritative, so why was it so clear that it should be Harry?

[HPcrazy]

I think it might just have been because of all he has done for the wizarding world.

[muggle_born1]

Harry has saved the wizarding community many times. The stone, the basilisk, from evil Sirius Black, from Voldemort, and many more. One of those would be enough to give a kid prefect, let alone all of them. Harry has done more for the school than any other kid in it.

[witchygurl]

Because he fought Voldemort three times during his years at hogwarts, discovered the innocence of sirius black, helped rescue him, and follows all behavioral rules (he doesn't start fights). he has done more than many adult wizards could ever dream of doing. so that is why everyone thinks he should have been prefect, and why he thinks he should have been. I think seamus and dean would have been ok candidates, but there is nothing particularly special about them. ron is a good candidate, but he is not as polite as harry (kicking the first years out of chairs) and hasn't gone through some of the severe trauma that harry has, nor displayed some of the absolute courage that he has.

[giwdeh]

Of course Harry had done a lot for the wizarding world, but I don't see becoming a prefect as a reward for heroic deeds.
It's about what works best for the school and what works best for the students.

[unconvinced]

Also Dumbledore chose the prefects and it was obvious even before he admitted it that Harry was his favourite also have the other students in his house really the prefect type. None of them would really have done a great job, as Ron clearly shows.

[Tonks]

I think that Harry would have made a fine prefect. He had the leadership skills (as evidenced by the DA) and the respect of the other students. I think that it was natural to expect Harry to be prefect. Especially after his heroic deeds and acts of bravery illustrated in the years before.

[Queen_Princess]

Harry has a habit of breaking rules and I don't think that is a type of person to be a Prefect. Dumbledore had known that most of Ron's brothers have been Captin,Head Boy or Prefect. I guess in a way he wanted Ron to also enjoy that glory.And since Hermione is also a prefect Dumbledore expected Hermione to help him with prefect Duties.

And why the **** is Draco picked to be a prefect?

Also another reason is that Harry had have a lot going on. Oh, and people forgot about the Fudge vs Dumbledore thing in Book 5 when Fudge was agaist Dumbledore and calling him names and saying he was wrong.Also they were targeting Harry because he is really close to Dumbledore.So if Harry made prefect, it would actracct to much attention and all that seeing half the people belive Fudge

[hagrids_wench]

In OotP Dumbledore said that he thought that Harry had "enough to be going on with" Dumbledore said this in regards to why he had not chosen Harry to be a Prefect. I wish I could give you page numbers but it is in the chapter on Horcuxes I believe. I don't have my book with me.
That being said I think that Dumbledore just thought Harry had enough on his plate. I guess I didn't think Harry would be prefect. It seems too 'normal' and Harry's life isn't normal.

[WMLizard]

I think the real reason it was expected is that the books are about Harry-therefore the "important" things in the book should happen to Harry. Yes, if you think about it in terms of rule-breaking, Harry's not the best choice. That same criteria excludes Ron. Seamus has always seemed a bit slow-trying weird experiments on himself that end up blowing up. Neville, well, he's Neville. That leaves Dean. And would anyone really care if Dean made prefect?

[Lisa_Turpin]

Originally Posted by WMLizard

I think the real reason it was expected is that the books are about Harry-therefore the "important" things in the book should happen to Harry. Yes, if you think about it in terms of rule-breaking, Harry's not the best choice. That same criteria excludes Ron. Seamus has always seemed a bit slow-trying weird experiments on himself that end up blowing up. Neville, well, he's Neville. That leaves Dean. And would anyone really care if Dean made prefect?

I think for Seamus you are thinking of the movies more than the books; Seamus is not nearly as clumsy or destructive in the books as the movies.

I agree that most people would have thought Harry to be the prefect is because everything sort of happens to him. He is the central character of the story so we need to see things through his eyes to understand what is happening in a way. Also, I don't think Harry would have been a bad prefect by any means. He is respectful of all people and is a great leader, which is what a prefect should be. It doesn't necessarily have everything to do with whether or not a person is a rule breaker. Harry doesn't break rules for the sake of it, in general; usually there is some reason behind it, which Dumbledore understands.

Harry would have been a good prefect, I think, but the story still works with him on the sidelines.

[Gandalf_Shaw]

Originally Posted by witchygurl

Because he fought Voldemort three times during his years at hogwarts, discovered the innocence of sirius black, helped rescue him, and follows all behavioral rules (he doesn't start fights). he has done more than many adult wizards could ever dream of doing. so that is why everyone thinks he should have been prefect, and why he thinks he should have been. I think seamus and dean would have been ok candidates, but there is nothing particularly special about them. ron is a good candidate, but he is not as polite as harry (kicking the first years out of chairs) and hasn't gone through some of the severe trauma that harry has, nor displayed some of the absolute courage that he has.

Personally, I would have picked Harry easily. He is respected, admired and has good overall qualities required for a authoritative role. He wouldn't abuse his position and has enough of a personality not to make it seem like a position of power in the first place.

[SIRIUSlyawesome]

Originally Posted by giwdeh

Mods: I've searched, but only found a thread discussing why Draco was choosen as prefect.

I'm rereading Ootp, and stumbled upon the part where Ron gets his badge.
I understand that nobody expected Ron to become prefect, but everyone thinks that Harry would be first choice.
But would Harry really had been the most capable prefect?
And would Ron be second best?
What about Seamus, Dean and Neville?
Ok, I wouldn't choose Neville either, but I don't see why Seamus and Dean should be out of question.
Harry and Ron aren't the best students, not the best rule-followers and not that authoritative, so why was it so clear that it should be Harry?

Neither are Dean and Seamus. And they dont have Hermione helping them, dont have her lending then her notes. And everyone expected Harry for the most obvious reasons! Dumbeldore favors him the most, you cannot deny that. He has faced Voldemort COUNTLESS times, and has not managed to die once! That shows that he has talent.

His marks are not bad. Better than Ron's anyway. And he is better at even HERMIONE in something; DADA.

[stunnedtina]

I think everyone thought that Harry would be Prefect because of his status in the wizarding world. All that he has done and his fighting Voldemort and being famous and all that mess.

[Rowena]

Because people think of him as "The chosen one" and
he defeated Voldemort like many times, so obviously he must be good at spells and defense thingers
and he's Dumbledore's favorite student

[giwdeh]

Originally Posted by unconvinced

Also Dumbledore chose the prefects and it was obvious even before he admitted it that Harry was his favourite

It shoudn't be about connections and favour, should it? Dumbledore is fair, he'd concider all candidates.
Does Dumbledore choose them at all? It would mean that he had to know every single student personally. I'd rather think the heads of the houses make the choice and discuss it with DD.

Originally Posted by unconvinced

also have the other students in his house really the prefect type. None of them would really have done a great job, as Ron clearly shows.

Ron wouldn't have been my second choice for sure

Originally Posted by hagrids_wench

In OotP Dumbledore said that he thought that Harry had "enough to be going on with" Dumbledore said this in regards to why he had not chosen Harry to be a Prefect. I wish I could give you page numbers but it is in the chapter on Horcuxes I believe. I don't have my book with me.
That being said I think that Dumbledore just thought Harry had enough on his plate.

But making his two best friends prefect, why he feels unmated when they both are on duty, and making his biggest enemy among the students prefect, so he can bully him even more, is a great way to make things easier for Harry ?

Originally Posted by WMLizard

I think the real reason it was expected is that the books are about Harry

This is what I thought, too. But I wouldn't mind if in this case Harry wouldn't be the "choosen one" for everyone, I don't see it THAT clearly.

Originally Posted by Lisa_Turpin

Also, I don't think Harry would have been a bad prefect by any means. He is respectful of all people and is a great leader, which is what a prefect should be. It doesn't necessarily have everything to do with whether or not a person is a rule breaker. Harry doesn't break rules for the sake of it, in general; usually there is some reason behind it, which Dumbledore understands.

I didn't want to say that Harry would have been a bad prefect, but not everyone who said that Harry should have been even knows all candidates.

Originally Posted by Gandalf_Shaw

He is respected, admired

Is he? During first part of GOF it didn't look like that. And at beginning of Ootp either. Many don't belief him that Voldemort is back, and that's not only due to the Daily Prophet.

Originally Posted by SIRIUSlyawesome

And everyone expected Harry for the most obvious reasons! Dumbeldore favors him the most, you cannot deny that. He has faced Voldemort COUNTLESS times, and has not managed to die once! That shows that he has talent.

Are that criteria of a good prefect ?

[alyssareiner]

because harry had been through so much in his life, and he saved lots of people and items. That kind of thing, plus, he was DD's favorite student and everyone knew it.

[iwuvgampa1925]

everyone wanted to think that because everyone wanted him to be one..but i mean with everything that happens to him it makes sense that he wasnt one..and i wasnt surprised that ron and hermione did become prefects.

[sticky]

to be honest i think that people thought he was going to be the prefect because he is the main charcter....and also because he has done so many things that could have earned him it..he is loyal, and has battled many obstacles over the years that has showed his true potential, however i wasn't that suprised myself when ron was made prefect... i thought he would be made it. i think that as dd says harry has enough to be getting on with in his life, and i think it wass nice to give ron a bit of the glory this time......

[xhanax315]

To be honest, I wasn't at all surprised that Harry had become perfect. I didn't think that Dumbledore would appoint him with that responsiblity, I wouldn't say because he's not so smart or whatever, I just didn't think he needed it. When I found out it was Ron, it was a little shocking, but it was good because then at least Ron had something to feel proud of himself for.