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harry potter - Can prefects take points from houses?


In Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets, Percy argues with Ron when he catches Ron and Harry in a corridor at night, and tells him, "Five points from Gryffindor." However, in Order of the Phoenix, it states that members of the Inquisitorial Squad, "unlike prefects," can take points from the houses.


Was Percy bluffing? Or is this just a small inconsistency in the books? I prefer to think that Percy just wanted to pretend, since he loved the feeling of power and authority, but I don't know of any other explanation.



Answer



J.K. Rowling web site's official FAQ #40




Q: Can prefects take points or not? A prefect took points from Gryffindor in the Chamber of Secrets, and then there was a reference to prefects not being allowed to dock points. What are the rules?


Answer: Ron got it wrong in 'Phoenix', from which we deduce that he hasn't been a very authoritarian prefect thus far; he clearly hasn't been taking points from anybody.



http://harrypotter.wikia.com/wiki/Prefect "Behind the scenes" section states:



There was some confusion about the point-taking ability of prefects after the original release of Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix. It had previously been stated in Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets that prefects could dock points, but in a scene in the first printing of Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix Ron Weasley, Ernie Macmillan, and Draco Malfoy all either state outright or imply that prefects are not allowed to take points. This was pointed out as a mistake, and subsequent printings had a slightly different version of the dialogue, making it clear that prefects can take points, just not from other prefects.



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