If you’re constantly creating new goals for yourself… you’d be Percy Weasley
Do you wake up in a cold sweat because you’re worried about what life path you should take next? Are you constantly thinking of new job ideas, new directions, new ways to make it to the top? Are you secretly terrified of getting anything wrong in case everything falls apart around you? Ah, this is extreme Percy Weasley energy. Ron’s older brother was our first proper introduction into the lifestyle of the Hogwarts prefect, and didn’t let us forget about it, wearing his extra-polished pin as a badge of honour.
Percy was a natural source of authority at Hogwarts, always watching for bad behaviour like a hawk and asserting his influence. It is true, though, that Percy maybe took his responsibilities a little too seriously, to the point it started bugging people. But we’re sure you wouldn’t be like that. Although we suspect you might be tempted to obsessively polish your prefect badge a little too often too.
If you simply take life in your stride… you’d be Cedric Diggory
While Percy was hyper-conscious of his prefect status, there were certain students who took to the role like a duck to water, such as young Cedric Diggory. Yes, the Triwizard Champion and Hufflepuff Quidditch captain just seemed good at everything: handsome, charming and, most infuriatingly of all, always carrying himself so effortlessly. If you relate to Cedric – quite frankly – we are jealous of you! But what we liked about Cedric is that he never used to go on about his successes, he was quite matter-of-fact about the whole thing.
And he even shared the perks that come with being a prefect, telling Harry the password to the bathroom so he could enjoy the world’s most luxurious bubble bath while figuring out a Triwizard clue. We love that Cedric must have enjoyed having a lovely soak at the end of a long day being so perfect.
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If you’re kinda just winging it... you’d be Ron Weasley
No offence to Ron, but it was something of a surprise when he was picked to be Gryffindor prefect along with Hermione, with even his own mum not able to contain her shock. And Harry, in particular, took it as a personal insult at the time. But although Ron was more likely to be found sinking his teeth into the Hogwarts feast rather than buried in the latest textbook, his appointment as prefect seemed to give him a boost of self-confidence, something he often struggled with. And really, if every single Prefect was like Percy, Hogwarts wouldn’t exactly be the most fun place to be. Ron’s sense of humour and loyalty to his friends actually sound like great prefect credentials to us.
So, are you like Ron? Maybe not trying the hardest in life, but happy to give things a bash if you get the opportunity? If only we all had a Dumbledore-esque figure in our lives to give us that lift. Make sure to tell yourself that you are worth it, every now and then, and be your own Dumbledore. Because look at how well Ron flourished with a bit of encouragement!
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If you’re constantly worried about doing the right thing…you’d be Hermione Granger
Right from the first moment we met Hermione, she was already citing every book she’d read, frantically trying to get ahead of the game for her first term of Hogwarts. And when it came to following the rules, doing well in her studies and completing homework, Hermione excelled in all of it. Really, if Hermione hadn’t been made a prefect, we would’ve thrown our Harry Potter books into the sea in protest.
But unlike Cedric, who seemed to find things so easy, Hermione worked really, really hard to get to where she was. True, she had natural intelligence and excellent logic, but as a Muggle-born, she was likely under more pressure to prove herself. Perhaps you feel like this too – always extra-anxious about being the best version of yourself you can be. Well, don’t be too hard on yourself (and definitely don’t try and get hold of a Time-Turner to fit in extra activities...) but try and hone your talents to inspire others, like Hermione did during her time as a prefect. It wasn’t just about following the rules – it was about having a big heart and wanting others to do just as well as yourself.
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If you want to cause absolute chaos... you’d be Draco Malfoy
With great power comes great responsibility... but also with great power comes the ability to just be really annoying. Draco’s tenure as Prefect was as chaotic as you might expect, with the haughty Slytherin simply using it as an opportunity to take house points off people he didn’t like – and eventually went one step further by buddying up with Dolores Umbridge to create the world’s worst fraternity we can think of, The Inquisitorial Squad. Suffice to say, if you would use your Prefect duties to just be an absolute nuisance, we’re equating you with Draco Malfoy. Do you really want to be here?
If you don’t like making a big fuss about yourself... you’d be Remus Lupin
Although the Marauders were known as the mischief-makers of Hogwarts, there was still a sensible member of the group: lovely Remus Lupin. Much like the Hermione of his era, Remus was often to be found buried in a book, while Sirius and James would be the ones engaging in high jinks. But although we often saw flashes of cheekiness within Remus, he definitely didn’t like to show off, preferring to lead with calm intelligence and serenity. Perhaps this is something to do with being a werewolf – Remus certainly didn’t like to draw attention to himself. Even as a teacher, Remus was often cool and composed rather than strict like McGonagall, and gained respect from his students thanks to his unflappable nature that came with no bells and whistles.
Perhaps you can relate to Remus, then, preferring to show, not tell. After all, a badge is just a badge. You just want to do a good job and let your natural talents do the talking.