Opposite of Gryffindor? - Nature of Sorting

[vmonte]

No: HPFGUIDX 125553


Magda wrote:
And I don't believe the Sorting Hat lets you ask where you want to
go. What would be the point of the Sorting Hat in the first place,
then?

vmonte responds:
I don't think it asks you either. I do, however, think that what you 
value is a strong indicator of where you will go. So, even if the hat 
believes that Harry would do well in Slytherin, in the end it puts 
Harry where his values are. 

I think that Hermione pretty much tells us what she values in SS/PS.

Page 287, U.S. edition:

"Books! And cleverness! There are more important things--friendship 
and bravery and--"

So, even though Hermione is at first glance a "Ravenclaw type," she 
values bravery more. The hat, therefore, puts her in Gryffindor.  
Besides, putting Hermione in Ravenclaw would not foster the right 
atmosphere to help her grow into a more rounded person.

I think a similar thing is happening with Luna, but in reverse. Luna 
is just as brave as a Gryffindor, but she probably values 
intelligence. The hat knows that to make Luna a more rounded person, 
she needs to temper her emotion driven personality by hanging around 
people who are more logic driven. (It may actually do Hermione and 
Luna some good to hang around each other more by the way. I bet Luna 
could help Hermione with the elf movement.) 

So, if the hat sorts you into the house that brings out the best in 
you, it will put you where you can meet your full potential.

I'm hoping that the hat saw something latent in Percy, and that is 
why it put him in Gryffindor. Perhaps Percy will remember what his 
family and house stand for.

Vivian