Sorting Hat

The **Sorting Hat** is a character in the *Harry Potter book series*. It is a sentient hat which sorts students of Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry into one of four school Houses, Gryffindor, Slytherin, Ravenclaw or Hufflepuff.

## Biography

### Invention

Legend says the Sorting Hat was invented by Godric Gryffindor when it was a normal hat. The founders of Hogwarts School needed a new way of sorting new students in their houses when they were long dead, and Gryffindor came up with the idea of using a hat he was wearing.

The Hat was kept in the Headteacher's room until the next Start-of-Term Feast. At the feast, the Hat will sing a story of the founding of Hogwarts in front of the Great Hall, and it was capable of placing warnings in the lyrics when it feels it needed to. The Hat able to let the Sword of Gryffindor be pulled from the Hat when it thinks it found anyone worthy.

### Philosopher's Stone

In 1991, the Hat sorted Harry Potter. He found Harry's mind very interesting, and very tough to understand. It thought he had talent and a need to prove himself and when Harry told it not to place him in Slytherin, the Hat told him Slytherin would help him achieve fame and glory. However it may have noticed the piece of Voldemort's soul which was latched onto Harry. It then took Harry's hope to heart, and placed him in Gryffindor.

The Hat took one second to decide Ronald Weasley was a Gryffindor. It took longer for Hermione Granger because she well suited for Ravenclaw, then understood she would favour friendship and bravery over books and intelligence, so she was placed in Gryffindor instead.

The Hat took no time in placing Draco Malfoy in Slytherin, then nearly caused a Hatstall for Neville Longbottom. Neville hoped to he placed in Hufflepuff and fought the Hat who thought he would do well in Gryffindor. Neville was intimidated by Gryffindor's reputation. He lost the fight and was placed in Gryffindor. It later proved to be the right choice, with the Sword of Gryffindor finding Neville to be worthy too.

In 1991, the lyrics for the Hat's introduction were:

Oh you may not think I'm pretty,

But don't judge on what you see,

I'll eat myself if you can find

A smarter hat than me.

You can keep your bowlers black,

Your top hats sleek and tall,

For I'm the Hogwarts Sorting Hat

And I can cap them all.

There's nothing hidden in your head

The Sorting Hat can't see,

So try me on and I will tell you

Where you ought to be.

You might belong in Gryffindor,

Where dwell the brave at heart,

Their daring, nerve, and chivalry

Set Gryffindors apart;

You might belong in Hufflepuff,

Where they are just and loyal,

Those patient Hufflepuffs are true

And unafraid of toil;

Or yet in wise old Ravenclaw,

if you've a ready mind,

Where those of wit and learning,

Will always find their kind;

Or perhaps in Slytherin

You'll make your real friends,

Those cunning folks use any means

To achieve their ends.

So put me on! Don't be afraid!

And don't get in a flap!

You're in safe hands (though I have none)

For I'm a Thinking Cap!

### Chamber of Secrets

In 1992, Harry Potter went to find the Headteacher and while he was waiting for him, he noticed the Hat in the room and thought about asking whether the Hat placed him in the right house. Harry had found out he could speak Parseltongue and the school thought he was the Heir of Slytherin. He went to ask the Hat but it knew what Harry wanted to say and told him it was right - he would have done well in Slytherin. Harry then told the Hat it was wrong.

In May 1993, Harry found the Chamber of Secrets and the young Tom Riddle preserved by Tom Riddle's Diary was planning to kill Harry. Fawkes took the Sorting Hat to help Harry in the Chamber but Tom laughed when he saw the old Hat and thought it was useless. However, the Basilisk's tail made the Hat fall into Harry's lap. The Hat was Harry's only hope and he placed it on his head, asking it to help him. The next thing he knew, there was a thud which hurt him and when he looked in the Hat, he found the Sword of Gryffindor which helped Harry win the fight.

Harry later took the Hat back to the Headteacher, placing it on the table. He later found out why the Hat placed him in Gryffindor, for the Hat takes choices into account.

### Triwizard Tournament

When Harry Potter, who was attending the first Start-of-Term Feast since he started, wondered why the Hat was singing with new lyrics, Ron said it invents a new one every year and probably spent each school year thinking of what to sing next September. In 1994, the lyrics for the Hat's introduction were:

A thousand years or more ago

When I was newly sewn,

There lived four wizards of renown,

Whose names are still well known:

Bold Gryffindor, from wild moor,

Fair Ravenclaw, from glen,

Sweet Hufflepuff, from valley broad,

Shrewd Slytherin, from fen.

They shared a wish, a hope, a dream,

They hatched a daring plan

To educate young sorcerers

Thus Hogwarts School began.

Now each of these four founders

Formed their own house, for each

Did value different virtues

In the ones they had to teach.

By Gryffindor, the bravest were

Prized far beyond the rest;

For Ravenclaw, the cleverest

Would always be the best;

For Hufflepuff, hard workers were

Most worthy of admission;

And power-hungry Slytherin

Loved those of great ambition.

While still alive they did divide

Their favourites from the throng,

Yet how to pick the worthy ones

When they were dead and gone?

Twas Gryffindor who found the way,

He whipped me off his head

The founders put some brains in me

So I could choose instead!

Now slip me snug about your ears,

I've never yet been wrong,

I'll have a look inside your mind

And tell where you belong!

### Order of the Phoenix

In 1995, the Hat placed a warning in it's introduction for students of every house to work together now Hogwarts was in danger, for Voldemort and the Death Eaters were back. It told the tale of the broken friendship between Gryffindor and Slytherin, and how important it was to not crumble from within and fight together. Nearly Headless Nick told the students the Hat placed warnings in the introduction before. The lyrics were:

In times of old, when I was new,

And Hogwarts barely started,

The founders of our noble school

Thought never to be parted.

United by a common goal,

They had the selfsame yearning

To make the world's best magic school

And pass along their learning.

"Together we will build and teach"

The four good friends decided.

And never did they dream that they

Might some day be divided.

For were there such friends anywhere

As Slytherin and Gryffindor?

Unless it was the second pair

Of Hufflepuff and Ravenclaw,

So how could it have gone so wrong?

How could such friendships fail?

Why, I was there, so I can tell

The whole sad, sorry tale.

Said Slytherin, "We'll teach just those

Whose ancestry's purest."

Said Ravenclaw, "We'll teach those whose

Intelligence is surest."

Said Gryffindor, "We'll teach all those

With brave deeds to their name."

Said Hufflepuff, "I'll teach the lot

And treat them just the same."

These differences caused little strife

When first they came to light.

For each of the four founders had

A house in which they might

Take only those they wanted, so,

For instance, Slytherin

Took only pure-blood wizards

Of great cunning just like him.

And only those of sharpest mind

Were taught by Ravenclaw

While the bravest and the boldest

Went to daring Gryffindor.

Good Hufflepuff, she took the rest

and taught them all she knew,

Thus, the houses and their founders

Maintained friendships firm and true.

So Hogwarts worked in harmony

for several happy years,

but then discord crept among us

feeding on our faults and fears.

The Houses that, like pillars four

had once held up our school

now turned upon each other and

divided, sought to rule.

And for a while it seemed the school

must meet an early end.
what with duelling and with fighting

and the clash of friend on friend.

And at last there came a morning

when old Slytherin departed

and though the fighting then died out

he left us quite downhearted.

And never since the founders four

were whittled down to three

have the Houses been united

as they once were meant to be.

And now the Sorting Hat is here

and you all know the score:

I sort you into Houses

because that is what I'm for.

But this year I'll go further,

listen closely to my song:

though condemned I am to split you

still I worry that it's wrong,

Though I must fulfil my duty

and must quarter every year

still I wonder whether sorting

may not bring the end I fear.

Oh, know the perils, read the signs,

the warning history shows,

for our Hogwarts is in danger

from external, deadly foes

And we must unite inside her

or we'll crumble from within

I have told you, I have warned you...

let the Sorting now begin.

### Deathly Hallows

The Hat appeared in the Battle of Hogwarts when Voldemort brought it to the courtyard in a standoff with Neville Longbottom. He told everyone there would be no need for a Hat in the future, because Slytherin would be the only House needed at Hogwarts. He put Neville in a Full Body-Bind Curse, placed the Hat on Neville's head and put it in flames.

Neville broke free of the Body-Bind Curse and the Sword of Gryffindor appeared in the Hat for him. The Hat would have continued sorting new students into houses when the Second Wizarding War was over.

## Appearance

The Hat looks very old and is patched and frayed. There is a tear along the brim which opens up like a mouth, from where it speaks in a timid voice. It also screams the house it chooses for the entire school to hear.

## Trivia

* The Sorting Hat is not in the early drafts of the *Harry Potter book series*. Rowling tried several different other ways of sorting students into their houses first. She realised her idea of a magic machine is very complicated. One in which statues of the four founders chose students in the Entrance Hall needed improving. She wrote down standard ways of choosing things, including picking names out of a hat which led her to the idea of the Sorting Hat.

## Notes and sources

1. ↑ 1.0 1.1 *Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire*, Chapter 12
2. ↑ 2.0 2.1 *Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets*, Chapter 17
3. ↑ 3.0 3.1 3.2 3.3 3.4 *Harry Potter and the Philosopher's Stone*, Chapter 7
4. ↑ *Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets*, Chapter 12
5. ↑ *Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets*, Chapter 18
6. ↑ *Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix*, Chapter 11
7. ↑ 7.0 7.1 *Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows*, Chapter 36
8. ↑ *Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows*, Nineteen Years Later