A Prefect at Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry is a student entrusted with special authority and responsibilities. Each year, one male and one female student from each of the four Houses are chosen from the incoming fifth-year class to serve. The selection is ultimately made by the Headmaster, though the recommendations of the Heads of House carry significant weight. For example, Minerva McGonagall stated she would be recommending candidates to Albus Dumbledore for Gryffindor house. Prefects are expected to serve as role models for other students and to enforce school rules. Their primary duties include:
In recognition of their status and to aid in their duties, prefects are granted several exclusive privileges:
The following is a list of known characters who served as prefects, organized by their approximate time at Hogwarts.
The position of prefect serves as a significant element of character development and plot throughout the series. Percy Weasley's pride in being a prefect illustrates his ambitious and rule-abiding nature, which later contributes to his estrangement from his family. In Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix, Ron Weasley's unexpected appointment as prefect over Harry Potter is a crucial moment. It serves to boost Ron's self-esteem, allowing him to step out of Harry's shadow, while also forcing Harry to grapple with feelings of being overlooked by Albus Dumbledore. Hermione Granger's selection was widely expected and fits her diligent, intelligent, and responsible personality perfectly. In contrast, Draco Malfoy uses his prefect status not to maintain order, but as a tool to bully and antagonize Harry and his friends, highlighting the potential for abuse of power. The backstory of the Marauders reveals that Dumbledore appointed Remus Lupin as a prefect in the hope that he could exert a positive influence on his friends, James Potter and Sirius Black.