transfers possible? And other Hat thoughts

[Zarleycat at aol.com]

No: HPFGUIDX 28263

--- In HPforGrownups at y..., "Alexandra Y. Kwan" <litalex at y...> wrote:
> Hello,
> 
> Someone on my list (hpslash) asked a pretty interesting question 
and I just 
> wanted to know if anyone has the answer.
> 
> On p. 143 of PS, Harry had a dream where Quirell's turban kept 
telling him 
> to transfer to Slytherin, etc.  My list member wants to ask: since 
the 
> Sorting Hat is the one that decides, are transfers possible at all?
> 
> little Alex


Well, the Hat also seems to allow the students to have some level of 
input, judging from Harry's experience.  I wonder if there could be 
special cases where a student is allowed to transfer, particularly if 
the Hat thought the student would do equally well in either of two 
houses.  But, I think we're supposed to accept that the Hat's magic 
is such that it makes the right placement, and thus, there would be 
no need for a student to transfer.  

It certainly seems from canon that the Hat's decisions stand.  But, 
that leads to other questions.  It seems that the students are sorted 
fairly evenly into the four houses.  I don't think we've seen any 
Sorting where the percentage of students that were sorted into any 
one house was much greater than the other houses.  Does that make 
sense?  What if 50 percent of the incoming students were truly 
Ravenclaws?  Would the Hat send them all into that house, or is the 
Hat also striving to keep a fairly balanced number of students in 
each of the four houses? 

And, is the Hat working completely independently, or does it get some 
input from the Headmaster/mistress?  I've always thought that 
whatever "discussions" the Hat has with a student can be magically 
heard by Dumbledore.  If I was the head of the school, I'd like to 
have a little advance warning of what my new students are like.  I'd 
be at least somewhat prepared for the antics of Fred and George 
Weasley.

Marianne, always hatless