Sorting Hat / bit of etc.

[horridporrid03]

No: HPFGUIDX 157923

> >>Betsy Hp:
> > <snip>
> > But you can have the Houses and just sort students *randomly*    
> > into them.  That way being a Gryffindor doesn't mean anything   
> > more than the color of your school tie.  It doesn't say anything 
> > about your personality.
> > So you still have the logistical sense of the Houses without the 
> > psychological test that in many ways justifies cut-throat House 
> > rivalry.  It's win, win! <g>

> >>Alla:
> The solution you just gave I find very cool, in a sense that      
> indeed random sorting would not put students of the same          
> personalities together, and they will have a chance to socialise   
> with those whose values are truly different from theirs, learn the 
> best, get rid of the worst, etc.
> To make a long story short, I love it, but the question to you is 
> why would you want it? I mean, you seem to like House system, but 
> wouldn't the Houses be truly houses anymore?
> Would you just prefer for the names to be there? What if the 
> students be just sorting in four different dormitories with no 
> names? What is the significance left in House system?
> <snip>

Betsy Hp:
I went to a college with a house system, and I quite liked it.  As 
Shaun and Wynnleaf pointed out, it's a nice way to give incoming 
students a group they can belong to.  It's also a nice way to give 
students a chance to interact with different age groups.  And it's 
good for them to have an adult or two that stays with them 
throughout their school career.  As McGonagall said, your House 
becomes your home away from home.  I'd hate for Hogwarts to lose 
that.

So yeah, random sorting with probably a bit of tweaking to make sure 
half-bloods, Muggle-born and purebloods are evenly spread 
throughout.  As Shaun pointed out, the Houses would probably develop 
personalities based on Heads of House or possibly an exceptionally 
charismatic student (or students).  But I think there'd be a natural 
ebb and flow to the whole thing.  Heads don't stay the same forever 
(see the difference between Snape and Slughorn) and I doubt any 
House would be branded "evil".  Certainly not with any seriousness.

And yeah, there'd probably be rivalries, but that's human nature.  
But with a house system the adults can at least moniter the rivalry 
and make sure it doesn't get out of hand.  That can be harder, I 
think, with private cliques.

Anyway, that's the way I can see throwing out the bathwater without 
troubling the baby.

> >>Julie:
> I clicked on the HBP page and haven't gotten past the capsule
> biographies of the characters yet. But I almost died laughing
> (er, pardon the pun) when I saw the picture of the little boy
> crying in front of Dumbledore's headstone. I don't know why,
> it stuck me as funny. Maybe I'm just a mean person ;-)
>
> Snape's bio is pretty funny too. Really if you don't read anything
> else, go read those biographies. (And I'm sure Mike means them
> in good fun. Pretty sure anyway...)

Betsy Hp:
Wait until you hit the bit on Dumbledore using the facilities at 
Slughorn's.  *I* nearly peed. :-D

Betsy Hp