CHAP. DISCUSSION: CHAP 11 The Sorting Hat's New Song

[dumbledore11214]

No: HPFGUIDX 90825

--- In HPforGrownups at yahoogroups.com, "kiricat2001" <Zarleycat at a...> 
wrote:
> 
> Questions:
> 1.	How *does* the Hat get its information?  Is it unbiased or is 
> it a Headmaster mouthpiece?

I can offer no other explanation on how Hat gets its information 
except the obvious one (it means it will definitely end up being the 
wrong one :o)) - it reads students' minds, or maybe to formulate it a 
little differently - reads into their magical essense.


I don't think that Hat is biased in the sense that its a Headmaster 
mouthpiece. I don't buy the idea that Sorting is predecided and Harry 
for example was bound to end up in Gryffindor.

I think that Hat is somehow magically forced to do what founders 
wanted, but at the same time it can shake off such spell. I mean if 
Hat can wonder whether dividing Students in the different Houses is 
wrong during the dark times, surely at some point in the future books 
it may decide to do something about it.


> 2.	Would there be greater unity within Hogwarts of the tradition 
> of sorting students into houses was abolished?


Not necessarily, although I strongly suspect that JKR may go that 
road a the end.

After all, Hat does sing that:

"The Houses that, like pillars four,
Had once held up our school.."

So, I think that it is possible to achieve inner unity within 
Hogwarts without abolishment of the Houses



Alla