======The Sorting Ceremony======
=====Object Information=====
  * **Type:** School Tradition; Student Placement Ceremony
  * **Key Component:** [[Sorting Hat]]
  * **Maker:** The concept was created by the four founders of [[Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry]]; the [[Sorting Hat]] itself was enchanted by [[Godric Gryffindor]], [[Helga Hufflepuff]], [[Rowena Ravenclaw]], and [[Salazar Slytherin]].
=====Description and Appearance=====
The [[Sorting Ceremony]] is an annual tradition that takes place at the beginning of every school year at [[Hogwarts]]. It is held in the [[Great Hall]] before the start-of-term feast. The new [[first-year students]] are led into the Hall after the rest of the student body and staff have taken their seats at the four long [[House]] tables.
At the head of the Hall, before the staff table, a three-legged stool is placed. Professor [[Minerva McGonagall]], in her capacity as Deputy Headmistress, traditionally places the ancient [[Sorting Hat]] upon this stool. The [[Hat]] appears tattered, patched, and frayed. The ceremony begins when the rip near the brim of the [[Hat]] opens like a mouth and it sings a song. After the song, Professor [[McGonagall]] reads the names of the first-years from a long roll of parchment.
=====Magical Properties and Usage=====
The core purpose of the [[Sorting Ceremony]] is to assign each new student to one of the four [[Hogwarts Houses]]: [[Gryffindor]], [[Hufflepuff]], [[Ravenclaw]], or [[Slytherin]].
  * **The Sorting Hat's Song:** Each year, the [[Sorting Hat]] composes and sings a new song. The song's lyrics typically describe the founding of [[Hogwarts]], the distinct qualities valued by each [[House]], and sometimes contains cryptic advice or warnings about the current state of the wizarding world.
  * **The Sorting Process:** Students are called forward one by one in alphabetical order. The student sits on the stool, and the [[Sorting Hat]] is placed on their head, often falling over their eyes. The [[Hat]] uses a form of [[Legilimency]] to delve into the student's mind, assessing their personality, values, and potential. It looks for qualities such as courage ([[Gryffindor]]), loyalty and fairness ([[Hufflepuff]]), intelligence and wit ([[Ravenclaw]]), or ambition and cunning ([[Slytherin]]).
  * **Student's Choice:** The [[Hat]] can engage in a mental conversation with the wearer. Crucially, the student's own choice is taken into account. This was a pivotal factor in [[Harry Potter]]'s Sorting, where he pleaded not to be placed in [[Slytherin]], leading the [[Hat]] to place him in [[Gryffindor]]. [[Albus Dumbledore]] later confirmed the significance of this, stating, "//It is our choices, Harry, that show what we truly are, far more than our abilities.//"
  * **Hatstalls:** On rare occasions, the [[Hat]] takes longer than five minutes to decide on a student's [[House]]. Such an event is known as a [[Hatstall]].
Once the decision is made, the [[Hat]] loudly proclaims the name of the chosen [[House]]. The student then removes the [[Hat]], and their new [[House]] table erupts in applause as they go to join their housemates. The ceremony concludes once the last student has been sorted.
=====History=====
The [[Sorting Ceremony]] was devised by the four founders of [[Hogwarts]] a thousand years ago. Concerned about how students would be sorted into their respective houses after their deaths, [[Godric Gryffindor]] provided his own hat. All four founders imbued it with their intelligence and criteria, creating the sentient [[Sorting Hat]] to carry on the task for them. The ceremony has been the first official act for every incoming student at [[Hogwarts]] ever since, marking their formal induction into the school.
=====Role in the Story=====
The [[Sorting Ceremony]] is a significant recurring event in the series.
  * In //Harry Potter and the Philosopher's Stone//, it serves as [[Harry Potter]]'s and the reader's first true introduction to the [[Hogwarts House]] system. Harry's internal struggle and his choice to reject [[Slytherin]] establishes a core theme of choice over innate talent.
  * In //Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets//, [[Dumbledore]] uses Harry's Sorting to reassure him that he is a true [[Gryffindor]], despite his ability to speak [[Parseltongue]].
  * In //Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix//, the [[Sorting Hat]]'s song is unusually long and contains a direct warning, urging the four houses to unite against an external threat, foreshadowing the gravity of [[Lord Voldemort]]'s return.
  * In //Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows//, the ceremony is brutally interrupted by [[Voldemort]]. He attempts to destroy the [[Sorting Hat]] and abolish the [[House]] system. However, the [[Hat]] later plays a vital role in the [[Battle of Hogwarts]] by presenting the [[Sword of Gryffindor]] to [[Neville Longbottom]], who uses it to destroy [[Nagini]], Voldemort's final [[Horcrux]].
=====Behind the Scenes=====
  * J.K. Rowling has revealed on the Wizarding World website that true [[Hatstall]]s are exceptionally rare, happening only about once every fifty years. She identified [[Minerva McGonagall]] (who the [[Hat]] debated placing in [[Ravenclaw]]) and [[Peter Pettigrew]] (who the [[Hat]] debated placing in [[Slytherin]]) as famous [[Hatstall]]s from the books' era. (Pottermore)
  * In the film adaptations, the [[Sorting Hat]]'s annual song is largely omitted for pacing. While a song was written and recorded for the film version of //Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire//, it was cut from the final theatrical release. (film)
  * The official Wizarding World website (formerly Pottermore) features a Sorting quiz, written by J.K. Rowling, that allows fans to participate in their own version of the [[Sorting Ceremony]] to discover their [[Hogwarts House]]. (Pottermore)