Prefect Duties

[Alice I]

I am putting this question under theories because it seemed like the best place.

So what exactly ARE the Prefect Duties that keep Hermione and Ron so busy?
I mean outside of giving Fred and Geroge grief about testing new products on first years and leading them (first years) up to the domatory the first night of school.
The books say that Ron and Hermione are being kept very busy with Prefect Duties and DD tells Harry that he had enough to deal with already without adding Prefect Duties to his plate; but just what is keeping them (Ron and Hermione) so busy isn't really stated.

What are your theories about these mysterious duties that earn Prefects a huge sunken bath tub with 100 taps of different sented soaps etc...?

[Evil Wizard Petting Zoo]

Well, to agree with whoever said that Ron and Hermione were secretly dating in OoTP, I'd say they were using that excuse of "prefect duties" to spend time alone. rrrrrr

[Groo]

going offtopic first, i dont think that Ron and Hermione were secretely dating, they wouldnt leave Harry sullen and forlorn and go off to enjoy. also there are several incidences to oppose this, one being Ron persisting her to divulge about Krum and, well, this is going a bit TOO offtopic.

as for the Prefect duties, i imagine they have to monitor the students' behaviour and report it, bring discipline within the school campus, organise students and their lists during Hogsmeade trips, do errands for teachers, manage Quidditch practise timings and preparations before the matches.
and of course, try to impress the proffesors in order to be elected Headboy

[Emma'I'm a real witch']

And they were in charge of decorating the castle at Christmas.

[Aberforth]

In CoS film we see Percy patrolling near the Slytherin common room, as part of his duties to catch any students out after curfew. They are also responsible for the behaviour of their house in the common room - McGonagall was disappointed that Percy had allowed a party to continue so late into the night in one of the books (can't remember which).

[Nobby]

must have been the 3rd after the quidditch truimph!!!

i suppose they could also be keeping an eye on peeves or they might have to supervise detentions- i doubt that teachers take them all!

they might help out poppy as well

[Athena Appleton]

Umm... I think I read about this somewhere... wish I could remember where...

Prefects basically help out the staff in whatever needs to be done to keep the school running smoothly. They are a bit like RA's in college dorms, in that they are partially responsible for the people in their houses... they also are capable of giving merits or demerits (or house points), but apparently the Hogwarts prefects have some restrictions and they can only award or take away house points from their fellow housemates. If the teachers need help with something (decorating for Christmas, patrolling the halls, etc.) the prefects are the ones called on.

[Barry Trotter]

when i left school i got a ROA ( record of achievement,) and people who were prefects had a sheet saying that they had been and it was very favourably looked upon by future emplpoyers, do prefects get these?
and also, if a prefect neglected to do their duties or twisted the rules to suit themselves would they be stripped of the honour?

[Athena Appleton]

I would think so...

Here's what I don't get. In Hogwarts, prefects start at fifteen, and apparently they continue to be prefects for the rest of the time they're in school (wasn't Percy a prefect still in CoS? So Hermione and Ron should still be prefects next year), so technically, there should be at least four other Gryffindor prefects (two for sixth year, two for seventh year) in OotP, but they make it seem like Ron and Hermione are the only ones. very odd...

[Alice I]

This is an inconsistancy that always bothered me as well.

The other prefects may be sort of refered to if you think about the Prefect bathroom. Why would only four boys need such a big bathroom?

Maybe it is because Harry and co. don't really hang around with the older Prefects and as the story is told through Harry's eyes then these other Prefects are not spoken of.

[Athena Appleton]

Okay...

Well, I have a list of things I'm going to ask God when I see him (HOW did he come up with the plan of how to grow watermelons??? Tiny seed makes huge watermelon that makes tons of tiny seeds... Genius!)

I also have a list of things to ask Rowling when I meet her (I plan on meeting her sometime... haven't worked out the details yet, though )

One of those questions is the prefect question. The other is why Fred and George never bragged about getting to go to Hogsmeade, or why Dumbledore never made the announcements about Hogsmeade, or why you never, in fact, ever hear anything about Hogsmeade, until Harry gets to go.