The Sorting Hat and Houses, with a side-helping of Salazar and the Founders

[Juliet <lilpurplealdy@netscape.net>]

No: HPFGUIDX 52954

Andrea:
>>As far as Slytherin in the Chamber of Secrets, two things. :) One, 
there
really wasn't TIME for him to make comments to Harry there, even if he
wanted to. As I remember it, Hat goes on Harry's head, Harry 
shouts "help
me, help me!", sword drops out and Hat comes off. Not a lot of time 
for
conversation. >>

I should have made myself clearer, I apologize, but that wasn't the 
kind of talking I was referring to.  The Hat can speak without 
someone on it's head, and I thought that was maybe what you were 
speculating- that a Founder could take control of the Hat and speak
(using it's "mouth").  I think that scenario could be possible, but 
only after a spell or two.  As for a Founder being able to speak 
through the Hat when the Hat is on someone's head(this type of 
speaking being the kind only the wearer of the hat can hear), I'm 
still leaning towards that being spell-induced, as well. 

Andrea:
>>Two, just because Tom was Slytherin's Heir doesn't mean
Slytherin would necessarily being saying NICE words down there. How 
many
people have disagreements with what their SON does, much less their
great-great-great-great-great-etc-grandson who they've never even 
spoken
to? ;) >>

You do make a good point, but as there really isn't enough canon on 
Salazar(and any I've read, I've always taken to think of him as the 
mold from which Voldemort cast himself, so to speak, but that's 
another discussion), I think it's a rather moot point to argue(but if 
you want to take it up, I'll be glad to continue on in another 
post ;).

Andrea:
>>*nods* Since this theory really doesn't have anything in the way of 
canon
support, it could just as easily go either way. :) >>   

And it could also go no way, too.  IOW, there aren't any Founder 
essences in the Hat and the Hat makes it's decisions on it's own, 
based on the information the Founders stored in it.  But that isn't 
nearly as fun to wrap your mind around, now is it? :)    

Andrea:
>>I think it's VERY likely that there are other magical relics inside 
the
Hat, whether it was part of the spell originally or not. >>

Yes, I too think there are probably other such relics left by the 
other Founders in the Hat.  I merely suggested them being placed 
there for Spell purposes to answer the question of WHY Godric 
Gryffindor would stick a perfectly good, not to mention ruby-
encrusted, sword up a hat?  He had to have had some reason for doing 
that, I think.

~Aldrea, who has now read all three of your fanfics.