Neville, Seamus, and the Sorting Hat

[gelite67]

No: HPFGUIDX 132591

--- In HPforGrownups at yahoogroups.com, "Chys Lattes" 
<maliksthong at y...> wrote:
> 
> > 
> > bboyminn:
> >
> > 
> > This open the opportunity for me to make a general comment on the
> > nature of the Sorting Hat. Others have speculated that the 
Sorting 
> Hat
> >  gives great weight to what the student wants, or what the student
> > asks for. Of course, I will immediately point out that Harry never
> > asked for Gryffindor, he simply said 'not Slytherin'. 
> > 
> 
> Chys:
> 
> You know, your decision making can affect your future and change 
who 
> you are or are to become. The person you are 6 months from now is 
> completely different from the person you were 6 months ago, based 
on 
> your decisions and how you react to the decisions of others, so 
> asking a student their opinion is a good way to guess what may 
> happen, in that potential.
> 
> 
> Angie again:

Few of us see ourselves as others do, but who sees us as we really 
are?  The Sorting Hat, apparently.  It says something like there is 
nothing in your head that it can't see  -- that to me says the SH 
sees potential or undeveloped traits as well as those that are 
developed (Neville's bravery is a prime example).  Maybe the SH does 
consider a student's preference, but that cannot be the decisive 
factor.  Wonder if the Sorting Hat takes into consideration the other 
students it has placed during a given Sorting -- a dynamic or 
relative consideration?   Draco had already been placed in Slytherin 
before Harry was placed in Gryffindor.

I've always been bothered that Harry believed that the 
SH "considered" putting him in Slytherin.  Harry mentioned Slytherin 
first, not the SH. If Harry hadn't asked "not Slytherin", the SH may 
very well have just said, "Gryffindor."  We'll never know (and yes, I 
do understand why that scene was so necessary for COS).