Does the sorting hat sort?

[Steve]

No: HPFGUIDX 84832

--- In HPforGrownups at yahoogroups.com, "The Kirk" <pmah4600 at m...> wrote:
>  <hermowninny719 at y...> wrote:
> 
> > Perhaps the sorting hat simply puts you into the house you really 
> > want to go in. 
> > 
> > Draco obviously *really* wanted to be in Slytherin. .... Ron 
> > *really* wanted to be put in Gryffindor.  ....  
> > 
> > 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 
> 
> 
> Roo


bboy_mn:

Sorry, but I take exactly the opposite view. It said in the book that
there are 4 houses and that the Sorting Hat puts students into house
based on personality characteristics. There is no reason to assume
that the most obvious method is wrong.

I think the Sorting Hat uses personal preference as a 'tie-breaker';
as the last thing considered when making it's decision. The had seemed
to want to put Harry in Slytherin, but as it evaluated Harry, it spoke
as if it saw characteristics of all the houses in him. When Harry said
he didn't want Slytherin, the hat argued for the advantages and
benefits of Slytherin. Harry insisted 'not Slytherin', at no time did
Harry specifically ask for Gryfindor.

So the hat considered Harry's desire, but didn't us it as the sole
bases for it's decision.

Just my opinion.

bboy_mn