The Sorting Hat is a sentient Hogwarts artifact which magically determines to which of the four school Houses each new student is to be assigned. These four Houses are Gryffindor, Hufflepuff, Ravenclaw and Slytherin.
The Sorting Hat originally belonged to Godric Gryffindor, one of the founders of Hogwarts. It is normally stored in the Headmaster's office until it is needed; Harry Potter tried on the Sorting Hat for the second time when he was sent to Dumbledore's office for the first time in his second year.
During the opening banquet at the beginning of each school year, the first-year students are lined up and their names read aloud alphabetically. Each then takes a seat on a stool and the hat is placed on their head. After a moment of consideration, the hat announces its choice aloud for all to hear, and the student joins the selected house. The moment of consideration varies in length, from nearly a minute to less than a second. Judging from Harry's own account of his Sorting, and a brief comment made by Hermione, the hat may sometimes speak to the student while they're being Sorted.
The Sorting Hat Songs
Before sorting the students each year, the hat recites a new introductory song. These songs vary in length and content. Ron Weasley expressed the opinion that the Hat spends the entire school year making up its next song.
They also occasionally warn of danger to come, as in the 1995 song, though it's not known exactly how the Hat is aware of upcoming events. Although it was suggested it picks up information from Albus Dumbledore, it's not known much it would have done it before such an influential figure in the wider wizarding world was in office.
1991 Song
Oh you may not think me 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.
The Sorting Hat, stored in the Headmaster's Office.
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!
1994 Song
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 favorites 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!
1995 Song
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 dueling 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 fulfill 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.
The Sorting Hat and Harry Potter
Harry Potter being sorted
The Sorting Hat appeared to have a difficult time in Sorting Harry Potter. It suggested great fame and glory would be found through joining Slytherin House, but Harry requested specifically and emphatically to be spared that fate. It was this choice that prompted the Hat to instead place him into Gryffindor, where in both his parents had also been Sorted. When Harry tried the Hat on for the second time, it repeated its earlier declarations- that Harry was particularly hard to sort, and that he would have done well in Slytherin House.
In Harry's second year at Hogwarts, the Hat also played a critical role in Harry's success against the Basilisk. Fawkes valiantly brought the Sorting Hat to Harry's aid in the Chamber of Secrets, which provided him with Godric Gryffindor's Sword. The sword and hat together are the two known relics of that wizard.
In 1998 at Hogwarts, Lord Voldemort attempted to destroy the Hat by setting it on fire while it was atop Neville Longbottom's head. Neville was able to draw from it the Sword of Godric Gryffindor, which he then courageously used to behead Nagini. However it is unclear if any damage was done to the Hat because of Harry's earlier sacrifice, which prevented Voldemort's spells from harming those Harry cared about.
Almost two decades after the Battle of Hogwarts, Albus Severus Potter expresses worry over his own Sorting, indicating that the Sorting Hat might had been repaired or survived unharmed.
The Sorting Hat and Hermione Granger
The Sorting Hat also appeared to have had a disagreement in the sorting of Hermione Granger, as her expansive intelligence and future of being the best student in her year saw her as being well suited for Ravenclaw. This is a fact that is brought up in 1995 by several Ravenclaw students during the formation of Dumbledore's Army. However, it can be argued that Hermione saw a greater challenge in herself in becoming bold and courageous, some of the traits of Gryffindor House.
The Sorting Hat and Ron Weasley
- "Ah, another Weasley. Well, I know just what to do with you. GRYFFINDOR!"
- — Ron sorted into Gryffindor house[src]
It was not hard for the Sorting Hat to place Ron Weasley, as all the Weasley family have been placed into Gryffindor House. Ron was afraid that he would be the only Weasley not to make it into Gryffindor.
The Sorting Hat and Draco Malfoy
The second the Sorting Hat touched Draco Malfoy's head, the hat instantaneously said "Slytherin!" Malfoy is a pure-blood, like most Slytherins, and most of his family was sorted into that house, including his parents Lucius and Narcissa Malfoy, and his aunt Bellatrix Lestrange.
The Sorting Hat and Neville Longbottom
The Sorting Hat considered placing Neville Longbottom in Hufflepuff, but selected Gryffindor instead.[1]
Behind the scenes
Sorting Hat Lego
- In the first two Harry Potter movies, he is voiced by actor Leslie Phillips.
- Songs are featured in all the books with the exception of book two and seven.
- Harry was not physically present for the Sorting Hat's songs in books two, three and six. Harry was, however, present for the song and Sorting ceremony in the third movie.
- In the American edition of Harry Potter and the Philosopher's Stone, Harry saw that "there were only three people left to be sorted," but then Professor McGonagall read off four more names (Dean Thomas, Lisa Turpin, Ron Weasley and Blaise Zabini). Dean Thomas didn't appear in the British edition.
- A Lego version of the Sorting Hat was released, entitled 4701 Sorting Hat.
Appearances
- Harry Potter and the Philosopher's Stone (First appearance)
- Harry Potter and the Philosopher's Stone (film)
- Harry Potter and the Philosopher's Stone (video game) (Voice only)
- Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets
- Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets (film)
- Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets (video game)
- Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban (Mentioned only)
- Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire
- Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire (film)
- Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix
- Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix (film)
- Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix (video game) (Mentioned only)
- Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince (Mentioned only)
- Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince (film)
- Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince (video game) (Mentioned only)
- Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows