Ron Weasley for Prefect

Ron Weasley deserved to be prefect more than Harry Potter, whatever JK Rowling, Hermione and Dumbledore think.

"I feel I owe you another explanation, Harry," said Dumbledore hesitantly. "You may, perhaps, have wondered why I never chose you as a prefect? I must confess... that I rather thought... you had enough responsibility to be going on with."

Harry looked up at him and saw a tear trickling down Dumbledore's face into his long silver beard.

(OotP, ch. 37, p. 844)

It displeases me that Dumbledore explains away his prefect decision to Harry the way he does. It is not fair to Ron.

Poor Harry is in terrible moods during Order of the Phoenix. At many times, he feels entitled to something and we can agree that he is entitled to it. Freedom, speech, outside contact, knowledge. We see why he deserves these things. The position of Gryffindor prefect, however? No, that is not for him.

JK Rowling, Hermione, and Dumbledore all seem to believe that Harry is the one who should have been Prefect. Ron is the unlikely choice that Dumbledore chose because he did not want to pressure Harry. Nonsense! While I personally think that Dean Thomas should have been a Gryffindor prefect, Ron Weasley is a sounder pick than Harry Potter. I ♥ Harry, but consider:

Prefects are supposed to be disiplinarians. To place Harry in that position would have been hypocritical because Harry is such a rule breaker. More so than Ron, you ask? Yes! Harry has wandered the halls past hours without Ron or Hermione. He has entered the Forbidden Forest once more than Ron. More importantly, he has been caught. He has been awarded more detentions by Filch and Snape. Whether they were fair is not the issue. Harry has been in trouble more than either of his friends. If he were made prefect, would the other students take him seriously?

Prefects are supposed to be the models for good students. Harry not only breaks rules -- people let him! Harry is made seeker in his first year although first years are not even supposed to have their own broomsticks. Harry is picked as a Hogwarts champion in his fourth year (although not with his consent) and Dumbledore lets him compete. He marches off to face Voldemort twice before his fifth year. Harry is special, true, but is someone who has been allowed to break so many rules the best choice for prefect?

Harry has qualities that would make him a good prefect -- particularly excellent leadership skills -- but his rule-breaking and special treatment outweighs this.

Ron might not have been the best choice for prefect either, willing rule-breaker that he often is, but he certainly had more right to the position than Harry. We have to admit that, however much we love The Boy Who Lived.