The Sorting Process

[Hillman, Lee]

No: HPFGUIDX 23528

Luke had a great post about the nature of the Sorting Hat and how we must
consider the choices of the original founders along with all those great
distinctions between characteristics, aspirations, priorities, morality, and
choice that Dave provided when he started this thread.

I think it is a combination of all these factors. That is, the hat looks at
things from the perspectives of the founders, but _considers_ all five other
aspects from the POV of the candidate as well. The trick is finding the
right fit--the house in which character, aspiration, priority, morality,
choice, and the founder's opinions all converge.

I also think it's possible for a student's will to override the hat, and
that's part of the basis of my fanfic (which those of you who read fanfic
can find at www.Schnoogle.com--advertisement off).

Truly, I think the hat might Sort someone who is a pure Gryffindor: her
character is that of a Gryffindor, she aspires to be a Gryffindor, her
priorities are those of a Gryffindor, she has the moral fibre of a
Gryffindor, and she wishes to be in Gryffindor; and Godric's "brain" in the
Sorting Hat would agree, no one else would object. That's an easy
choice--the hat barely touches the kid before the decision is made.

But what about someone who is more conflicted? Say there's a child whose
character best resembles that of a Hufflepuff, but who aspires to be a
Gryffindor, whose priorities will align best with Ravenclaw, whose moral
fibre is more Slytherin-ish in nature, who _thinks_ he will be lucky if he
winds up as a Hufflepuff, but who really _wants_ to be a Gryffindor. Yikes!
I mean, this would take a while to sort out. The founders (i.e., the hat)
may decide that a middle-road policy is best--when pressed, he will be
Ravenclaw in his priorities, so that's where he goes. OR, depending on how
strongly the child desires to be among the Gryffs, the hat may bend to that
willpower. It really is up to the child, I think. How best to choose a fit?

I think these are the kids who take a long time with the hat on, like
Neville. There's conflict in every person, but the hat conscientiously tries
to make the best decision. Personally, I think the hat was goading Harry
with the whole Slytherin thing to see what he'd do with it. There have been
some good scenes in fanfics where certain characters argue with the hat to
be put into a particular house, and I think that has a lot to do with it. A
child who will stand up for the house of choice probably deserves a shot
there. Neville probably expected to be Hufflepuff, but something inside him
might have _demanded_ that he go to Gryffindor.


Gwendolyn Grace