Harry's Sorting (Was:Re: Blood and Artifice (was The Sorting Hat))

[Simon Crowe]

No: HPFGUIDX 78755

--- In HPforGrownups at yahoogroups.com, "annemehr" <annemehr at y...> 
wrote:
 
> Annemehr:
(large snip)
> 
> I think it's quite clear from the books by now that many students 
> have quite a mix of qualities, Harry included, of what suits a 
> student for any of the houses.  Harry himself also carries 
> some "Slytherinliness" that was transferred to him from LV.  
> However, at heart Harry is all Gryffindor, and I believe the hat 
> would have discerned that in the end anyway.
> 
> Of course, I'm perfectly aware that, as Harry seems to interrupt 
the 
> hat at every crucial moment, the opinion that the hat really wanted 
> to put Harry in Slytherin remains perfectly valid.
> 
> Annemehr
> who continues to think, despite that last paragraph, that 
everything 
> else points to Harry belonging in Gryffindor...

Simon:
I agree that everything points to Harry belonging in Gryffindor 
except the Slytherinly (I like that word) qualities he acquired from 
Voldemort (according, at least, to DD).  I don't think the Sorting 
Hat would have ever actually placed HP in Slytherin -- too many 
qualities that Slytherins don't possess.  I think this is 
demonstrated by HP's almost immediate conflict with an archetypal 
Slytherin -- Draco.  Furthermore, the Sorting Hat is supposed to be 
the very hat worn by GG himself.  This does bring up an interesting 
point -- at least for me.  The Sorting Hat placed Tom Riddle in 
Slytherin despite the fact that he was muggle-conceived (sorry, 
backing up to my original point when this thread was "The Sorting 
Hat").  Even if the Hat could sense his half-muggle genes, it seems 
that Riddle  apparently possessed enough Slytherinly "qualities" to 
override them, compelling the Hat to place him in Slytherin.  This is 
consistent with what seems to be the overwhelming majority's 
conclusion that the Hat's decisions are based (perhaps) entirely on a 
student's "qualities" (character?) as opposed to traits with which 
s/he might have been born -- like physical constitution, remarkable 
good looks, the ability to speak to snakes... ?

Simon