Does the sorting hat sort?

[The Kirk]

No: HPFGUIDX 84783

 <hermowninny719 at y...> wrote:

> Perhaps the sorting hat simply puts you into the house you really 
> want to go in.  From the mirror of erised, we see that it is 
possible 
> for inanimate object to detect what you want.
> 
> Draco obviously *really* wanted to be in Slytherin.  He was put 
> there.  Ron *really* wanted to be put in Gryffindor.  He was put 
> there.  
> 
> Perhaps the conversation the sorting hat had with Harry was just 
the 
> hat's way of making sure that Harry was certain where he wanted to 
go.

I  think that when it comes to Sorting, the Hat does make its 
decision strongly on the desires of the student that's wearing it- it 
listened to Harry, and I bet when it "heard" Draco's wishes to be put 
in Slytherin, it complied.

I think that it probably only ever makes its choice on something 
deeper when either the student really doesn't have much of a 
preference (perhaps someone like Luna?), or when they're Muggle-born, 
and don't know enough about the houses.

Other times, I imagine it would very rarely go against the wishes of 
the person wearing it. This ties in with the theme of choice 
determining who you are, but also gives the Sorting Hat something to 
do, other than grant people wishes.

Roo