Sorting Hat Prediction & Will Harry Go to Slytherin?

[mmemalkin]

No: HPFGUIDX 58566

Digging through the archives, I found some discussion of the 
possibility that the Sorting Hat has precognitive ability.  The 
posts were about the mechanics of Sorting the students and how the 
numbers in each house could be kept even (assuming they are even.)  
The theory was that the Hat did a sort of pre-scan of the kids, so 
for example, it wouldn't fill up the quota of Gryffindors before 
reaching "Weasley" in the alphabet.

I think the Hat's precognitive ability goes way beyond the Sorting 
itself.  I'm intrigued by the its comments to Harry during his 
Sorting (PS/SS The Sorting Hat).  It tells him, "You could be great 
you know, it's all here in your head, and Slytherin will help you on 
the way to greatness, no doubt about that-"  Also, in CoS (The 
Polyjuice Potion) it says, "Yes... you were particularly difficult 
to place, but I stand by what I said before... you *would* have done 
well in Slytherin-" (emphasis JKR's.)

Most of what the Hat says in in conditional tense (would, could), 
but it tells Harry that Slytherin *will* help him, no doubt about 
it.  The Hat seems to be predicting that, Sorting aside, Harry will 
have dealings with the house, or its members, or even with old 
Salazar himself(?) at some point. And something about that 
interaction will help Harry on his way to greatness.  (Huh, the Hat 
sounds an awful lot like Ollivander here...)

Even if you buy the notion that the Slytherins' personality traits 
make them predisposed to be Dark, it still seems suspicious that all 
(or at least most) of the wizards and witches who go bad come from 
that one house.  One scenario would have Harry trying to find out 
just why so many Slytherins turn Dark, leading him to uncover some 
legacy of evil lurking there that he then destoys.  From this he 
gets additional fame, personal growth, knowledge he can use, or the 
formation of friendships that come into play in the final battle 
with LV.

Or what seems even more likely - Since the series centers around 
Hogwarts, it's logical to assume the final battle with LV will 
happen there, too.  Harry could be drawn to Slytherin just because 
it's the intersection point between the two camps. 

Can anyone think of any canon, pro or con? Other thoughts?
Meanwhile, I think I like this as an idea for a fic...;-)

~Diane