Does the sorting hat sort?

[justcarol67]

No: HPFGUIDX 84830

Hermowninny 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.>>


 Roo wrote: 
> 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.> 


Probably it's a combination of the two factors. Draco belongs in
Slytherin, not just because he wants to be there or because of his
family history but because he's cunning rather than book-smart
(Ravenclaw) and he certainly isn't brave (Gryffindor). The hat would
have had no need to take into account his disdain for Hufflepuff
because the placement would have been obvious. With Crabbe and Goyle,
who are dumb as rocks, the hat may have taken family history into
account, but it probably put them in Slytherin because they expected
to go there. They may not have any ambition, but they certainly don't
qualify as loyal, hard-working Hufflepuffs, so Slytherin is the only
option. And Neville probably hoped, as Harry did, that he simply would
be placed in any house other than Slytherin and not sent home. I very
much doubt that he dared to hope for Gryffindor. But the hat saw
something in him that he didn't know was there and (rightly) placed
him in Gryffindor rather than Hufflepuff. I think it really "knows"
where a student belongs and takes the student's wishes into account
only when he or she would be suitable for more than one house.

But if the Sorting Hat has "never yet been wrong," how did Percy get
into Gryffindor? I hope he shows some true courage in the next two books.

Carol