[HPforGrownups] ontongeny recapitulates philogeny?

[sistermagpie]

No: HPFGUIDX 170395

Bart:
I have two theories; the second is based on the first.

The first theory, better backed in canon, is based on Harry's 
experiences with the Sorting Hat, and Dumbledore's comments. The Sorting
Hat APPEARED to want to sort Harry into Slytherin (at least it made a
half-hearted attempt to convince Harry), but ultimately went with 
Harry's choice. My conclusion from the evidence is that, among the 
factors the Sorting Hat considers, the student's preference is one. More 
precisely, if the student has a strong preference, and there is no 
reason NOT to put the student into the house (for example, Hermione in 
Slytherin, or Neville in Ravenclaw), they get put into their house of 
choice. This would also explain why Cedric got into Hufflepuff; he 
probably would have been a Gryffindor, but had some reason to choose 
Hufflepuff (maybe his father told him, "I hope you get into Hufflepuff, 
son; that will give you an opportunity to really stand out!").

The second theory has to do with Hermione, in particular. As was 
pointed out, all told, she seemed to be more of a Ravenclaw type than a 
Gryffindor type. Mind you, she is certainly brave enough, but she has a 
belief in studying, learning, THEN acting; having a plan before going 
ahead, and that is more of a Ravenclaw trait as we know it than the 
foolhardy Gryffindors. 

Magpie:
I think the real answer is more straightforward. As JKR said, the hat is
never wrong, meaning there are different types correctly Sorted--it's not
just about what you want. Hermione has never struck me as anything other
than a Gryffindor. The fact that she's clever and likes to do well in all
her classes and learn things doesn't make her a Ravenclaw in itself--those
are, imo, abilities rather than choices (as Dumbledore says). For her
choice, I don't think it's so much "she chooses Gryffindor" as that her
priorities are clearly in that house rather than Ravenclaw. She's totally
motivated by doing practical things in the world with her knowledge. And
Harry's motivated by, as we've heard, a "saving people" thing. He's got a
Slytherin side to him, as everyone does (since everyone has all four sides
to them), but he mostly fits into the Gryffindor slot, just as both his
parents did (and almost everyone he's close to as well).

JKR didn't choose to divide people by abilities so that Hermione was
Harry's Ravenclaw friend and Ron his Hufflepuff friend and Draco his
Slytherin enemy. She put most of the heroes in Gryffindor because they have
the values of that house, and also allowed other people in different houses
to be impressive people. Cedric, for instance, seems completely Hufflepuff
to me just based on the little we know of that group, with the way he acts
to Harry in different contexts. Hermione doesn't seem to much fit in with
the students who are in Ravenclaw. (I've actually always felt Ravenclaw was
slightly dodgy in JKR's scheme of things--it's hard to explain exactly why,
but let's just say that I wasn't surprised the minor villain in OotP was a
Ravenclaw.)

So really I think Terry Boot's (or whoever it was) asking Hermione why she
wasn't in Ravenclaw because she could do impressive magic to make the coins
before NEWT level didn't say anything about Hermione, it just showed Terry
didn't get it. Hermione isn't in Ravenclaw for the same reason Cedric
wasn't in Gryffindor, because Ravenclaw isn't defined by being smart (Draco
made his own coins at the beginning of the next year and he seems totally
Slytherin) and Gryffindor isn't defined by being brave. It's more about
approaching the world from a certain perspective with certain priorities.
(Neville, btw, doesn't seem particularly Hufflepuff to me; that is, I think
he fits fine in Gryffindor.) 

We've seen through Peter that one can be a cowardly Gryffindor. I think you
could be a stupid Ravenclaw too. (I tend to think of Lockhart as a
Gryffindor myself.)

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