The Sorting Hat

[Simon Crowe]

No: HPFGUIDX 78345

Greetings!  I'm new to the list and have been lurking and soaking up 
info.  Many excellent posts!  I have several questions that I hope 
are not so old as to have already been answered many times over.  The 
first, and subject of this post, regards the Sorting Hat and the 
ongoing pureblood vs. muggle-born/'mudblood' story.  I know this 
could get very complex, so I suppose I'd like to stick strictly to 
this magic/non-magic question. It struck me that the Sorting Hat 
appears to determine a new student's suitability for a house based on 
attributes that to be acquired.  Without delving too deeply 
into the nature vs. nurture debate, is it aware, for example, of 
whether a new student is muggle-born or pureblood?  If it is aware of 
this, then given Salazar Slytherin's prejudice against muggle-borns, 
why would the Sorting Hat place one in Slytherin House where there 
seem to an abundance of muggle haters?  Of course, I'm aware that Tom 
Riddle was muggle-born.  But he was also the heir.  Would the Sorting 
Hat place only haters of the muggle-born in Slytherin regardless of 
their heritage?  If it did, wouldn't it be perpetuating an already 
undesirable situation?  Or is it the case that Hagrid's right and the 
distinction merely codswallop?  Is it true that there's no wizard or 
witch out there that isn't half-blood or less?  I think this one's a 
bit of a poser.  Any takers?  Thanks in advance for your help!