Why does it say in the first book that Lilly and James Potter were head boy and girl at Hogwarts and in the fifth book it says James was never a prefect

A Head Boy or Head Girl is a seventh-year student who has authority over prefects at Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry. Every year, new prefects get nominated by their Head of House, as does to Head Boy and Headgirl. On the Hogwarts Express, the Head Boy or Headgirl of their house has to go through all the things that is needed to know to be a prefect. Most Head Boys and Head Girls were once prefects, although that is not a necessity; examples being James and Lily Potter. (Harry Potter Wikipedia)

In 5th year Remus was Prefect. According to Sirius the purpose was to keep James and Sirius in line. Events like the Werewolf Prank demonstrated, however, that Remus was ineffectual in that intended goal. OTOH James was improving. Starting from the saving of Snape (and Remus, and Sirius), and then somewhere in 6th year he abandoned pranks because of what Lily said when he tormented Snape. By the end of 6th year he must have become responsible enough. Also, if Dumbledore wanted Lily as Head Girl he may have decided James was the student in her year that was most likely to work well with her.

Being a Prefect and being a head girl/boy are different. Being a Prefect dosent mean you will neccessarily be a Head Girl and Vice versa. Im sorry I cant really explain it better.

that's because you can be Head boy or Girl even if you weren't a prefect. Simple, right?

???

they say this because James wasent a perfect until 7th year they were talking about his fifth year then

because students are Head boy and girl in 7th year and prefects in there 5th year but you don't need to be a prefect to be head boy or girl because in your 5 year you could be a bad student but 3 years lter you could be better and more metur

Because ya don't exactly have to be a prefect to be a Head Boy/Girl.

Being a prefect is not a prerequisite to becoming Head Boy.

because a they r both differant things, by the time they were old enough to be heads, james was good and lily, well, she was always good.

You don't really have to be a perfect to be Head Girl or Boy

Maybe James was great then but dropped his grades over the years that can happen you know.

that's a good question,really! I think the information we got in the first book might be wrong because Hagrid might've mistakenly said that.

Because james was exceptional,,he headed straight on becoming a head boy because he has a pure talent for it unlike on other wizard7/witch,who needs to be a prefect first before becoming a head boy

You can become Head boy without previously being a Prefect.

j.k.rowling probably forgot she wrote that

nana

James was kind of an idiot in his fifth year, so he wasn't prefect, but I guess he shaped up and earned Head Boy later.