Chapter 7: The Sorting Hat

[durinsbane2244]

The door swung open at once. A tall, black-haired witch in emerald-green robes stood there. She had a very stern face, and Harry's first thought was that this was not someone to cross.

With the opening of chapter 7, we enter Hogwarts at last. We immediately get re-introduced to Professor McGonagall through Harry's eyes. The new students then follow her through a gigantic entrance hall, made of stone and marble, into a small side-chamber.

The students are now welcomed into Hogwarts, and we learn, along with them, of the five houses and that they shall be sorted into them. We also learn of the point system at Hogwarts. She then leaves the students until the ceremony is ready.

We then get a lovely bit of speculation and nervousness from Harry as to how they shall be "sorted", and what manner of "test" it may be. Then, in the middle of his spiffy memories of blue wigs, in come the ghosts.

As they pass through, they are discussing the problem of peeves, and how to deal with it. They greet the students with surprise, and in walks McGonagall, who sends them right off.

We are then led into the Great Hall, a "strange and splendid place". Hermione does a bit of her know-it-all show about the ceiling, and then the hat is brought out. As Harry ponders on rabbit-removal, the song begins.

It sings about how its shabby appearence doesn't count, and how it can see everything in your head. It then explains the values of each house and encourages them to try it on, "For I'm a Thinking Cap!"

The story then progresses to sort a few characters who play roles in later stories, but of whom we now know nothing. Hermione and Ron are Gryphs, and then comes Harry. Of course, the whisper of "the Harry Potter?". We then get a dandy mental exchange between Harry and the Hat.

Harry is in Gryffindor.

AND THE CROWD GOES WILD!!

Harry recognized Albus and Quirrel, and the feast is begun, only AFTER Albus gives a splendid speech of "Nitwit! Blubber! Oddment! Tweak!", and then begins the food proper. We are given a list of food that makes me hungry every time I read it, and thus shall be omited from this summary.

We are then introduced to Sir Nicholas de Mimsy-Porpington...Nearly Headless Nick, of course! And we learn that ghosts cannot eat...poor little blighters...and then get a lovely neck show from Nick. Enter Bloody Baron, initiate gapes and gasps, exit Bloody Baron. And no, Nick's never asked how he got the bloodstains...

Then they eat their dessert, and Harry, of course, takes treacle tart, which I have yet to discover what it is. We are then given Neville's history, and Hermione and Percy hit it right off about lessons. Harry then gets his jab of scar-pain from Snape...or so he thinks...and we are introduced, through Percy, to Severus.

Dumbledore then explains some ground rules to the students, and general announcements are made. Then, the students are forbidden to enter the 3rd-floor corrider on the right hand side, for which no reason is goven. Only that it is out of bounds to those who do not wish to die a very painful death...charming, yeah...

Then they sing the Hogwarts song to their own tunes, and the twins end their funeral march with Albus's conductions. Then they are led to their dorms by ol' Perc.

Enter Peeves. The Poltergeist bothers, bugs, and babbles, until threatened with the Bloody Baron. He then promptly vanishes.

They arrive at the painting, and the Fat Lady lets them in with the password of "Caput Draconis". They then enter their rooms, get lovely beds, and go to sleep.

Well then well then!

It would appear time to put some questions...righto!

-What do you think of the Sorting Hat?
-What do you think of the House values?
-Is Hogwarts more Hoggy, or more Warty?
-Should characters be judged by their house?
-Where did those bloodstains come from?
-Do you think the Baron will have a part to play in the future?
-Same question for Peeves.
-Why do you think Dumbledore was so blunt about that corridor?
-Why present Albus as a nutter?
-"Nitwit, blubber, oddment tweak"? Hidden meaning?
-Why did the concealed Voldemort have to be facing Harry to hurt him?
-Are heads really full of dead flies and bits of fluff?

[jammi567]

Well done, for doing such a great job on it (i know i say that every time, but i feel i have to).

1) I think that the hat is cool, but that i has a dark secret to it......in that it could contain a part of the 4 founders within it! not a horcrux, but something that helps it to make the right decisions when sorting new students.
2) They seem to be cool and ok. (i haven't got the book in front of me, so from memory).
3) Is that a proper qestion? i think not.
4) No, of couse not. i mean, look at nevill. How many people before the 5th book came out thought he was meant to be put into Hufflepuff. Common now, don't be shy, because i thought he should be.
5) Maybe it's he's blood from his death in ghost form. Or maybe it's unicorns blood....
6) Probally not. i mean, when was the last time we saw him?
7) See above.
8) Because there at people that wouldn't have believed him, gone there, and would've got killed. Simple.
9) He's not a nutter, it's because he's being care-free and not full of worry, because he knows that the stone's safe, and no-one's going to get it any time soon.
10) Just random, fun words because he's in a good mood.
11) Because in a room full of comparactivly good people, he's the only evil thing, plus, he's powers are weak, and until he gets much stronger, he needs that direct connection to hurt harry.
12) Certainly in one person's head i know (he's american, and happens to be president of the USA).

[durinsbane2244]

HA! good to see you've lightened up since your joining...i can recall a certain rash young jammi who would've scorned my humourous questions...

[jammi567]

Yes, and i have the posts to prove it.

[Serenoli]

What do you think of the Sorting Hat?
I like him. Pretty simple answer.

Is Hogwarts more Hoggy, or more Warty?
Hmm... I would say, more Hoggy. But only by a head.

Should characters be judged by their house?
Not really. As far as I can tell, the same house can have a very wide variety of people, sharing one or two common chracterisitics. I mean, compare Luna and Cho, or even the Trio who are all in Gryffindor, and have so many differences.

Where did those bloodstains come from?
The Baron had a very violent death... hence all the blood splattered across him.

Why present Albus as a nutter?
I disagree with 'nutter'... but, yeah, we do get an impression that he's less uptight and strict than your ordinary teacher, and that (and the fact that after the Dursleys, he's the first character we meet) meant I liked him from the very first moment of reading him.

"Nitwit, blubber, oddment tweak"? Hidden meaning?
Try no meaning.

RE: the Hogwarts food. I'm fasting today, which means a passing reference to it such as you gave has got me weak at the knees... They do sound amazingly delicious.... wish I had a house-elf to cook for me!

Okay, okay, I'll give him wages and pension, Hermione!

[Nurvingiel]

What do you think of the Sorting Hat?
I love the Sorting Hat. This is one of the wonderful, creative characters of Rowling's books that make them so appealing.

I agree with Jammi that there's more to the Sorting Hat than we see at first. Maybe not dark, but the Hat is certainly one hell of a charm.

What do you think of the House values?
I think they're kind of stupid. How can you possibly sort people based on two simplistic qualities? They

My opinion is coloured by the fact that I think having Houses, wether in a real British school or a fictitious wizarding school, is a needlessly divisive idea.

Is Hogwarts more Hoggy, or more Warty?
Hoggy. Definitely more Hoggy.

Should characters be judged by their house?
No. Dumbledore seems to judge people solely by their actions, and I agree with him.

Where did those bloodstains come from?
Given that you can draw a sword (not a letter-opener, as the Chamber of Secrets movie might suggest) from the Hat if you're a loyal Gryffindor, I think someone obtained the sword, used it in a battle, and got blood on the Hat from said battle.

Do you think the Baron will have a part to play in the future?
I don't think he'll play a major role.

Same question for Peeves.
See above.

Why do you think Dumbledore was so blunt about that corridor?
Because Dumbledore does not waste time, especially on matters of student safety.

Why present Albus as a nutter?
He doesn't care what other people think of him, and he's quirky. Call that being a nutter if you will.

"Nitwit, blubber, oddment tweak"? Hidden meaning?
Best start-of-term speech ever. No hidden meaning other than the sheer awesomeness of D-dore.

Why did the concealed Voldemort have to be facing Harry to hurt him?
Perhaps a direct connection between his "eyes" and Harry's scar?

Are heads really full of dead flies and bits of fluff?
After the summer, mine is full of dried moss and twigs.