Sorting and House System / Sorting "too soon"

[marika_thestral]

No: HPFGUIDX 173424

--- In HPforGrownups at yahoogroups.com, "verosomm" <verosomm at ...> wrote:

Veronica says:

keep the four houses... as part of the History of
Magic curriculum (and please, get someone INTERESTING to teach it!).
The four houses should be used to teach the kids that hard work and
loyalty (Hufflepuff), intelligence (Ravenclaw), bravery and chivalry
(Gryffindor), and ambition (Slytherin) are all qualities that can hold
positive and negative tendencies in their possessors, which is why
uniting these elements, which every human has to some extent, ends up
with the possessor being a well-rounded, well-adjusted individual
(because please let's not make it a goal for Hogwarts to turn out
another Voldy).

Marika agrees and adds some of her thoughts (some of them have already
been expressed by others):

I see a little boy who is excited about having a friend, a muggleborn
friend who he wants to stay friends with - best friends. He's hoping
for them to end up in the same House, not aware that Slytherin is not
for her. To him Slytherin represents a place for the brainy, and
nothing in canon tells us that he wants to be grouped with people
who'll despise his best friend. His choice is not based upon cruelty
or prejudice. The Sorting Hat sees that the boy - who most likely is
both ambitious and cunning- could do well in Slytherin, and
accomplishes his wish. 

I see another little boy, who doesn't know much about the world he's
about to enter, or which House he wants to be placed in. By
coincidence he meets a dislikable boy who is to be sorted into
Sltyerin. Based upon this he asks the hat to pick another house for
himself. The hat believes the boy could do well in Slytherin, but
places him somewhere else, because of the boys request.

What if the first boy had pictured Slytherin House a a threat to his
best friend, and instead pictured Ravenclaw as a place for the
brainy??? Would he have made a different choice? Would he have made
friends with other muggleborns as well? Had his friendship with his
best friend lasted? Had he not been a target to bullies? Had he grown
up to become a likable person?

What if the second boy had  heard good things about Slytherin, or
nothing at all? What if he never had asked the hat to be placed in
another House? Is it possible that the hat had placed him there???
Maybe not, but who knows?

These two boys stories are already written, but what about the next
generation? What about the next child who chooses Slytherin for
another reason than prejudice? What if this child is also capable of
cruel acts, but initially not interested in developing this side, but
will now be pushed in this direction by the pressure from his
surrounding and because the child at this point in life not strong
enought to stand up against it? Without the sorting system this child
would not have to be exposed to only one kind of people, and would not
have to be judged upon  his/her wishes, qualities and experience at
the age of 11.