Lack of sorting hat scenes in CoS & PoA

[sbursztynski]

No: HPFGUIDX 115685


--- In HPforGrownups at yahoogroups.com, "cubfanbudwoman" 
<susiequsie23 at s...> wrote:
> 
> Is there a reason (something plot-related? something sinister?) why 
> there are no Sorting Hat scenes in books 2 & 3?  Is there something 
> about the Sorting those years that Harry [and/or we] aren't supposed 
> to see or hear?
> 
> The CoS one is fairly understandable, given the brouhaha over the 
> Ford Anglia in the Whomping Willow which needed to be dealt with, 
> and which took some time to sort out [pardon the pun], but 
> the "excuse" for missing it in PoA -- McG talking to Harry to make 
> sure he's OK after the Dementor-induced faint and chatting briefly 
> w/ Hermione about her "course schedule" -- feels a little contrived 
> *and* would have taken a much shorter time.  Would it really have 
> equated to the entire Sorting?  
> 
> Does anybody think there could be something to this?  Or was JKR 
> just having trouble coming up with a new Sorting Hat song for every 
> single year?  

Sue:

Or it might just have been that there was no special reason to put in a Sorting 
Hat scene?  For purposes of tight writing, perhaps? There was certainly a 
reason to have the scene in OOTP, because the Hat was warning of the 
problems of disunity. But why have it in POA when there were  more 
important issues? And variety, too - it can start to be monotonous if every 
novel starts with the Dursleys being idiots, a train-ride to Hogwarts and the 
Sorting Hat scene, etc.
> 
> Siriusly Snapey Susan