prefect

The Role of a Prefect

Role Information

  • Type: Position of Student Authority
  • Appointer(s): Headmaster (on the recommendation of a Head of House)
  • Term of Office: Two years, beginning in the student's fifth year at Hogwarts.

Selection and Responsibilities

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:

  • Patrolling the corridors of the Hogwarts Express during the journey to and from Hogwarts.
  • Guiding the first-year students from the Great Hall to their respective House common rooms after the Sorting Ceremony.
  • Patrolling the school's corridors at designated times, including at night, to ensure students are not out of bed after hours.
  • Maintaining order and discipline among younger students. Prefects have the authority to dock House Points from students in any house (except from other prefects).

Privileges

In recognition of their status and to aid in their duties, prefects are granted several exclusive privileges:

  • Prefects' Bathroom: Prefects have sole access to a special, luxurious bathroom located on the fifth floor, behind a portrait of Boris the Bewildered. The password is required for entry (it was “pine fresh” during Harry's fourth year). This bathroom features a large, swimming-pool-sized bathtub with numerous enchanted taps that produce different types of magical bubble bath.
  • Authority: They hold a position of leadership and authority over the general student body, which is a significant mark of honor and trust from the Hogwarts staff.
  • The Prefect Badge: Prefects are distinguished by a silver badge, featuring the letter 'P' over their House crest, which they are expected to wear on their robes. For instance, the Gryffindor badge is scarlet and gold, while the Slytherin badge is green and silver.

Known Prefects

The following is a list of known characters who served as prefects, organized by their approximate time at Hogwarts.

Role in the Story

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.

Behind the Scenes

  • It is a common misconception, partly due to the film adaptations, that James Potter was a prefect. The novels state clearly that Remus Lupin was the Gryffindor prefect from their year. James Potter was, however, made Head Boy in their seventh year.
  • In the film adaptation of Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix, Albus Dumbledore tells Harry he did not make him a prefect because he felt Harry already had “enough responsibility to be going on with.” This is a simplification of the book's narrative, where Dumbledore was deliberately distancing himself from Harry.
  • J.K. Rowling has stated that she made Ron Weasley a prefect because he needed the confidence boost and to show his maturation as a character. (J.K. Rowling interview)