Sorting Hat: question and nitpick leading to Calvinism

[dfrankiswork at netscape.net]

No: HPFGUIDX 23783

"Milz" <absinthe at mad.scientist.com> wrote:

>The Sorting Hat looks into a person and places that person into the 
>house that most closely matches his characteristics. Harry is an 
>exception because he persuaded the Sorting Hat to do otherwise.

To me, this is one of the crucial questions: is Harry an exception here?  Are most students passive, or does the SH always somehow provoke a debate leading to a negotiated choice?

>But 
>the Sorting Hat picked up on Harry's Slytherin-like qualities first.
>
Amanda has already pointed out that it was *Harry* who started by saying 'Not Slytherin'. (You are not alone, Amanda, I started this before reading your rant and so am now able to de-rant this.  Thank you.)

The Hat's apparent indecision illuminates the Calvinism debate, too.  It could just be pretending, for the sake of Harry's education, knowing all along it was going to put him in Gryffindor.  Or it could be offering him a genuine choice - by thinking out loud, it provokes him into expressing a preference, and it would, after questioning that preference to make sure it's strongly held or well-founded, follow it.

If the opportunity to join Slytherin was genuine, how would it have played out?  There's a fanfic here: Harry and Draco not only defeat Quirrell/Voldemort at the end of their first year, but they destroy V as well, and the rest of their time at Hogwarts is spent combating the evil schemes of the Dark Ravenclaw witch Hermione Granger.

David, in Arminian mode


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