If you can't see where it keeps its brain...

[KathyK]

No: HPFGUIDX 74838

--- In HPforGrownups at yahoogroups.com, "ratalman" <ratalman at y...> 
wrote:
> In CoS, Arthur Weasley upon hearing of Tom Riddle's diary, tells 
> Ginny:  "Never trust anything that can think for itself if you 
can't 
> see where it keeps its brain!"  The problem is that this same 
> description aptly fits two other prominent magical entities:  the 
> sorting hat and the marauders map.  As we know (presumably) 
> that these are not the handiwork of dark wizards, I don't think 
that 
> we should fear them, but I wonder if JKR is hinting that all is not 
> as it seems with one or the other.
> 
> Robyn

Arthur Weasley is just giving a general rule to live by.  Ginny 
didn't know anything about the diary when it began writing back to 
her.  She shouldn't have trusted it.
The Sorting Hat, on the other hand, has a 1000 year history with 
Hogwarts and as far as we know hasn't done anything that shows it to 
be untrustworthy.  Presumably a headmaster would remove it from its 
duties if it did (can it "do" things?) or said something 
questionable.  That being said, I read a thread at some point (not 
exactly sure when but not too long ago) about the possibility of an 
Evil!Sorting Hat.  I rather liked the idea, so I'm not saying that 
the hat is completely exempt from Mr. Weasley's statement.  But I'll 
bet he'd see it as an exception to his rule.
The Marauder's Map is different.  When Harry first encounters the 
Map, a gift from Fred and George, he recalls Mr. Weasley's words 
regarding Riddle's Diary and thinks of it as a dangerous magical 
object (PoA 194, US).  Thus far it has not been dangerous but he 
didn't know that.  He used his knowledge that Fred and George had 
been using it for years without any sort of danger, so he dismissed 
it.  He's lucky that it didn't turn out to be evil like the diary.  
So it would seem then this would be another exception to the general 
rule about thinking objects with hidden brains.  
I agree that this general rule could easily be a hint about the Hat, 
the Map, or some other future object Harry will encounter.

Hopefully, I haven't babbled too much.