Sorting hat
The Sorting Hat is a pointed hat that once belonged to Godric Gryffindor, one of the founders of Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry. Each of the founders selected students for their faculty based on certain qualities. But one day they started thinking: who will distribute students after our death? And then Gryffindor tore his hat off his head and offered to entrust the selection to the faculties to her. The four magicians enchanted the hat, endowing it with the ability to recognize character traits, weigh the pros and cons, and direct the student to the faculty where his character will be fully revealed.
Since then, every year, on the first day, the first of September, the Hat tells newcomers which faculty they will study at. To do this, you just need to put the Hat on your head. With some students everything becomes clear right away, but with others you have to think about the distribution. In this case, everything can be decided by the desire of the student. The hat will definitely take it into account. The student’s desire to study at a certain faculty usually outweighs all other arguments. For example, at the request of Hermione Granger, the Hat sent her to Gryffindor instead of Ravenclaw. And Harry Potter, at his request, into Gryffindor instead of Slytherin.
There are disputes regarding some characters that they were in the wrong house, judging by their behavior and character. For example, Peter Pettigrew is described as a "trembling nonentity" who betrayed his best friends by revealing their location to the Dark Lord, all out of fear for his own skin. In the third book, Peter tells Sirius Black and Remus Lupin that he could not do otherwise, because he was tortured. Although it later turns out that Peter Pettigrew had been an agent of the Dark Lord in the Order of the Phoenix for a long time, and knew about the planned death of the Potters at least 2 months in advance. He went to visit the Potters, and was, as Lily put it, “a little sad,” but his long friendship with Lily and James did not stop the traitor. Many readers have a question: how did Peter Pettigrew get into Gryffindor? After all, lies, betrayal and cowardice are the antipodes of those qualities thanks to which they get into this faculty. As you know, the Hat is never wrong, so what’s the matter then? It can be assumed that Peter Pettigrew also wished to study in Gryffindor, and the Hat took into account his desire, thanks to which James Potter received such a “faithful admirer and friend.”
The question of Sirius Black is not so pressing, but still, the entire “Noble and Most Ancient Family of Blacks” did not study in the Slytherin house. On his first ride on the Hogwarts Express, Black says that he would like to be in Gryffindor, regardless of his family. It is logical to assume that the Hat took into account his desire too. Although Sirius's antics at school weren't always fun good jokes. For example, he sent Severus Snape to the screaming hut, knowing that Remus Lupine, transformed into a werewolf, was there.
Severus Snow is the most controversial character. There is a lot of everything mixed in it. Numerous fans, having taken a liking to Severus, begin to claim that Slytherin is a wonderful house, and Snape is proof of this. Snape possessed such qualities as courage and timidity, the ability to truly love and strongly hate, sincerity and duplicity... One must think that the Hat had to resolve the issue of Snow for a very long time. However, she did not hesitate to place Severus in Slytherin. Dumbledore expressed his guess on this matter as follows: “... it seems to me that we are making the distribution too early...”. May be, great wizard was it right? It is likely that at eleven years old a child cannot yet be confident in his views on life. Everything can change and the Hat, which never makes mistakes, sometimes sends students to the wrong department...
The rest of the time, the Sorting Hat is in the headmaster's office, so she is usually aware of many of the events taking place in magical world. At the beginning of each academic year, before the distribution, the hat sings a song about the history of the founding of Hogwarts (each time a new one), about the qualities that the founders demanded from their faculties, about its role in the distribution... But if danger hangs over the school, it sings something different, it warns students, and always says the same thing: unite, forget about your division into faculties, be the fingers of one hand, or rather, one fist (Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix).
In the second part of the Potter series, the Hat saved Harry Potter's life: in a moment of danger, he pulled out the Gryffindor sword from it. This is another property of the Hat: only a true Gryffindor can remove the sword from the Hat if he desperately needs it.
In the seventh part, Voldemort tried to burn the Hat, right on the head of Neville Longbottom, so that no one else could assign students to faculties. And there was only one house left for everyone - Slytherin. Neville, like a true Gryffindor, took the Gryffindor sword from the Hat and cut off the head of Nagini (Voldemort's snake), which was also a Horcrux. An interesting fact is that in pre-war times the Hat itself did not want to distribute the students, thereby making them rivals, calling on them to unite, regardless of the faculty. The Dark Lord wanted the same thing, but only for completely different purposes. This is yet another proof that any magical item, even the most harmless one, can be used for completely opposite purposes.
The further fate of the hat is not indicated, but, judging by last chapter seventh book, the Hat still survived. Harry's son Albus Severus is afraid of being sorted, and Harry tells him that the Hat took into account his desire to be sorted into Gryffindor. And if Albus asks, the Hat will distribute him wherever he wants. Therefore, the Hat still sorts Hogwarts students by house.
Songs of the Hat known to us.
1 COURSE (Harry Potter)
Maybe I'm ugly to look at
But don't judge me harshly.
After all, you can’t find a smarter hat than me,
What are you not saying?
Hats, top hats and bowlers
More beautiful than me, no doubt.
But if they were smarter than me,
I would eat myself for lunch.
I see right through all your thoughts,
Don't hide anything from me.
Put me on and I'll let you know
Who are you destined to teach with?
Perhaps Gryffindor, the glorious one, awaits you
What brave men learn there.
Their hearts are full of courage and strength,
Besides, they are noble.
Or maybe Hufflepuff is your destiny,
Where no one is afraid of work,
Where everyone is loyal and faithful,
And full of patience and perseverance.
And if your brain is fine,
You have been drawn to knowledge for a long time.
There is humor and strength to gnaw granite sciences,
Then your path is to the Ravenclaw table.
Perhaps you are destined to be in Slytherin
Find your best friends.
There the cunning people go towards their goal,
No hesitating ways.
Don't be afraid of me, wear it boldly,
And I will predict your fate more accurately,
Than someone else will do it.
You are in good hands,
Even if I am a buzruk, alas,
But I'm proud of myself.
COURSE 4 (Harry Potter)
Probably a thousand years ago, in other times,
I was young, newly sewn.
Wizards ruled here - 4 sorcerers.
Their names are still famous today.
And the first Godric Griffinlore is a desperate brave man,
Master of the wild northern plain.
Candida Ravenclaw is a model of intelligence and honor,
The Sorceress from Sun Valley.
Little Penny Hufflepuff was kinder than them all,
She was raised by Sleepy Hollow.
And there was no more insidious, cunning and stronger
Lords of the Marshes by Sally Slytherin.
They had an idea, a plan, a dream, after all,
Without any trick or crime,
Gather talented young people from all over Britain,
Capable of witchcraft and sorcery.
And educate students in your own special way,
Your own leaven, your own grinding.
This is how Hogwarts was created, a thousand years ago,
This is how Hogwarts School began.
And each one carefully selected his students,
Not according to merit, height and figure,
And according to his spiritual properties and rationality he began,
Which he valued in human nature.
I recruited the brave, Gryffindor - those who are not cowardly in trouble.
For Ravenclaw - the smartest addiction.
For Penelope, Hufflepuff means hard work.
For Slytherin - greedy for power.
Everything was going great, but the question began to torment them all,
He gave no rest to the authorities:
“Now we’re going to die, and well, who then should we distribute?
Students from our faculties?
But Gryffindor tore me from my wild head here,
My time has come, and I entered the game.
“We’ll trust her,” he said, our views on the selection,
She is not afraid of either time or the grave.
The four founders carried out the process,
I didn't really feel anything.
Just two swings of the wand, and then they entered me
Their intelligence and magical power.
Now, my friend, I want you to put me deeper,
I will see everything - I can’t make a mistake.
How hardworking, cunning, smart and brave you are -
And I will answer where you should study.
COURSE 5 (Harry Potter)
In the old days when I was new
Those with a good and beautiful purpose
The four of us laid the foundations of this school,
They wanted to live in clear harmony.
They had a common idea - to create a school,
Yes, one that has never happened before,
To pass on my knowledge to the young,
So that the magic does not dry out.
“Together we will build, work, teach!” -
This is what my friends, the sorcerers, decided,
They didn’t think of reaping any other way,
A quarrel is the death of a common idea.
Slytherin and Gryffindor - those were friends!
Hufflepuff, Ravenclaw - these are friends!
This united family flourished,
And the merits of the magicians were equal.
How could love be replaced by disagreement?
How did their commonwealth deteriorate?
I’ll tell you this - because I was there.
Listen to how it happened.
Slytherin says: “I will only take those
Who has noble ancestors?
Ravenclaw says: “I will train those,
Who are intelligent and inquisitive and accurate.”
Gryffindor says: “I need brave men,
The deed is important, but the name is just a word.”
Hufflepuff says: “Everyone is close to me anyway,
I’m ready to take everyone under my wing.”
The differences did not initially cause quarrels,
Because every magician
There was complete freedom in our faculty.
Gryffindor, whose motto was courage.
Accepted only brave men for study,
Daring in battle, work and word.
Slytherin took cunning people like him,
Impeccable by blood, too.
Ravenclaw - insight, strength of mind,
Hufflepuff is everyone else.
They lived peacefully, building their houses,
Just like brothers and sisters.
So happy several years passed,
There were many gratifying successes.
But then quietly discord crept in
Into the gaps of our annoying weaknesses.
Faculties that are a powerful four pillars,
The school was once firmly held,
Now, having started an ardent dispute about primacy,
They have shaken their balance.
And it seemed that an evil fate awaited Hogwarts,
That there will be no return to the past.
This is what a quarrel was going on, what a struggle,
This is how brother turned against brother.
And then came that sad morning when,
Slytherin separated himself swaggeringly,
And, although the fierce hostility has subsided,
It became hard and sad for us.
There were four - three left. And no,
Since then I have been completely happy.
This is how our school lived for many years,
In half-hearted, fragile agreement.
Now the ancient Hat has come to you again,
To all the newcomers to this school,
For study and living places, indicate -
This is my sad lot.
But today I'll tell you what, friends,
And let no one judge me:
At least I have to share you, I think,
That there will be no benefit from this.
Every year the sorting goes on, every year...
Tormented by remorse,
I'm afraid this will bring you
An unenviable, difficult fate.
History gives us a gloomy sign,
I sense the spirit of danger in the air.
Hogwarts School is threatened by an external, rabid enemy,
You can't win a big battle apart.
To survive, unite - otherwise collapse,
And we won’t buy salvation with anything.
I told you everything. Those who are not deaf listened.
Now let's start sorting.
Source of songs: CJSC "Rosman-Press", edition in Russian.
The door swung open. Behind her stood a tall, black-haired sorceress in emerald green robes. Her face was very stern, and Harry immediately thought that it was better not to argue with such a person and in general it was better to stay away from her.
"Professor McGonagall, here are the first years," Hagrid told her.
“Thank you, Hagrid,” the sorceress nodded to him. - I'm taking them.
She turned and walked forward, ordering the first years to follow her. They found themselves in a huge hall - so huge that the Dursleys' house could easily fit there. There were torches burning on the stone walls - just like in Gringotts, the ceiling was lost somewhere above, and a beautiful marble staircase led to the upper floors.
They followed Professor McGonagall across the cobblestone floor. Passing by closed door to his right, Harry heard the noise of hundreds of voices - the whole school must have already gathered there.
But Professor McGonagall led them in the wrong direction, and into a small, empty hall. The crowd of first-years was cramped here, and they huddled together, breathing down each other’s necks and looking around restlessly.
“Welcome to Hogwarts,” Professor McGonagall finally greeted them. - The banquet to mark the beginning of the school year will begin soon, but before you sit down at the tables, you will be divided into faculties. Selection is a very serious procedure, because today and before you graduate, your faculty will become your second family. You will study together, sleep in the same bedroom and spend free time in a room specially designated for your department.
There are four faculties in the school - Gryffindor, Hufflepuff, Ravenclaw and Slytherin. Each of them has their own ancient history, and each produced outstanding wizards and sorceresses. While you are studying at Hogwarts, your success will earn your house bonus points, and points will be deducted for each violation of the routine. At the end of the year, the house with the most points wins the inter-house competition, which is a huge honor. I hope each of you will be a worthy member of your family.
The selection ceremony will begin in a few minutes in the presence of the entire school. In the meantime, you have some time, I advise you to gather your thoughts.
Her eyes lingered on Neville's robe, which was bunched up so that the clasp was under his left ear, and then on Ron's dirty nose. Harry tried to smooth his unruly hair with a trembling hand.
“I will return here when everyone is ready to meet you,” said Professor McGonagall.
and went to the door. Before leaving, she turned around. - Please be quiet. Harry sucked in his breath.
How will this selection take place? - he asked Ron.
“We’ll probably have to go through some tests,” he replied. - Fred said it hurt a lot, but I think he was joking, as always.
Harry felt his heart pounding. Tests? In front of the whole school? But he is not familiar with magic. And what will he do in this case? To be honest, he did not expect at all that something like this would await him immediately upon arriving here. He looked around uneasily and noticed that the others were also scared. Everyone was silent, except for Hermione Granger, who stood next to Harry and whispered to everyone around her about what spells she had already learned, and wondered out loud which one she would need at the selection ceremony.
Harry tried not to listen to her. He had never been so nervous in his life - not even when the Dursleys received a letter from his school. And the letter, by the way, said that Harry had a direct connection to the fact that his teacher’s wig somehow changed color and turned from black to blue. He had felt bad then, but now he felt much worse. Harry stared at the floor, trying to muster up the courage to face the challenge ahead. After all, Professor McGonagall could return at any second and lead him to the Last Judgment.
Suddenly, heart-rending screams cut through the air and Harry even jumped in surprise.
What?.. - he began, but stopped short when he saw what was the matter, and opened his mouth wide. Just like everyone else.
Ghosts were seeping into the room through the wall opposite the door - there were probably about twenty of them. Pearl-white, translucent, they glided around the room, talking among themselves and, it seems, not noticing the first-years at all or pretending not to notice. Apparently they were arguing.
“And I’m telling you that you need to forget about his sins and forgive him,” said one of them, looking like a fat little monk. - I think we simply have to give him another chance...
My dear Preacher, have we not given Peeves more chances than he deserves? He disgraces and insults us, and, in my opinion, he was never really a ghost...
The ghost in tights and a round puffy collar fell silent and stared at the freshmen as if he had just noticed them.
Hey, what are you doing here? Nobody answered.
Yes, these are new students! - exclaimed the Fat Preacher, smiling at the crowd. - Waiting for the selection, I assume?
Several people nodded uncertainly.
I hope you get into Hufflepuff! - The Preacher continued to smile - My favorite faculty, you know, I once studied there myself.
It is Professor McGonagall who has returned. She looked sternly at the ghosts, and they hastily began to seep through the wall and disappear one after another.
Line up,” the professor commanded, addressing the first-year students, “and follow me!”
Harry felt as if his legs were filled with lead. He stood behind the boy with blond hair, followed by Ron, and they left the small hall, crossed the hall they had already visited when entering the castle, and, passing through the double doors, found themselves in the Great Hall.
Harry could not even imagine that such a beautiful and such a strange place existed in the world. The hall was lit by thousands of candles floating in the air above four long tables where the older students sat. The tables were filled with glittering gold plates and goblets. At the other end of the hall, teachers sat at the same long table. Professor McGonagall led the first years to this table and ordered them to turn their backs to the teachers and face the older students.
Before Harry were hundreds of faces, pale in the semi-darkness, like dim lamps. Among the senior students, here and there, blurry silhouettes of ghosts flashed in silver. To avoid the glares directed at him, Harry looked up and saw a velvety black ceiling strewn with stars above him.
“They specially enchanted him so that he would look like the sky,” whispered Hermione, who was next to him again. - I read this in Hogwarts: A History.
It was hard to believe that this was actually the ceiling. Harry felt as if the Great Hall was open air.
Harry heard a sound and, looking down at the ceiling, saw that Professor McGonagall had placed a very ordinary-looking stool in front of the line of first-year students and had placed a pointed Wizard's hat on the seat. The hat was covered in patches, worn and terribly dirty. Aunt Petunia would immediately throw this one in the trash.
“I wonder why she’s here? - thought Harry. Hundreds of thoughts immediately jumped into his head. “Maybe we should try to get a rabbit out of it, like magicians do in the circus?”
He looked around, noticing that everyone gathered was constantly looking at the Hat, and he also began to carefully examine it. For a few seconds there was complete silence in the hall. And then the Hat moved. The next moment, a hole resembling a mouth appeared in it, and it began to sing:
Maybe I'm ugly to look at
But don't judge me harshly.
After all, you can’t find a smarter hat than me,
Whatever you say.
Hats, top hats and bowlers
More beautiful than me, no doubt.
But if they were smarter than me,
I would eat myself for lunch.
I see right through all your thoughts,
Don't hide anything from me.
Put me on and I'll let you know
Who are you destined to study with?
Perhaps it's waiting for you
Gryffindor, glorious
What brave men learn there.
Their hearts are full of courage and strength,
Besides, they are noble.
Or maybe
Hufflepuff is your destiny,
Where no one is afraid of work,
Where everyone is devoted and faithful,
And full of patience and perseverance.
And if your brain is fine,
You have been drawn to knowledge for a long time,
There is humor and strength to gnaw granite sciences,
Then your path is to the Ravenclaw table.
Perhaps you are destined to be in Slytherin
Find your best friends.
There the cunning people go towards their goal,
No hesitating ways.
Don't be afraid of me, wear it boldly,
And I will predict your fate more accurately,
Than someone else will do it.
You are in good hands,
Even if I am armless, alas,
But I'm proud of myself.
As soon as the song ended, the entire hall unanimously applauded. The hat bowed to all four tables. Her mouth disappeared, she fell silent and froze.
So, each of us will only need to try it on? - Ron whispered. “I’ll kill that liar Fred, because he told me that we would have to fight the troll.”
Harry forced a smile out of himself. Yes, of course, trying on the Hat was much easier than demonstrating his knowledge of magic, but he was embarrassed that so many people would look at him. And besides, the Hat demanded too much from him - now Harry did not feel smart, witty, or even brave. If the Hat had said that one of the houses was exclusively for those who get sick from excitement, Harry would have immediately realized that this was his house.
Professor McGonagall stepped forward, holding a long scroll of parchment in her hands.
When I call your name, you will put on the Hat and sit on the stool,” she said. - Let's start. Abbott, Hannah!
A girl with white pigtails and a face that had turned pink either from embarrassment or fright, stumbled out of the line, walked up to the stool, took the Hat and sat down. The hat, apparently, was large size, because, once on Hannah’s head, it covered not only her forehead, but even her eyes. And a moment later...
Hufflepuff! - the Hat shouted loudly. Those sitting at the far right table burst into applause. Hannah got up, went to this table and sat down on free space. Harry noticed that the Fat Preacher, who was hanging around the table, waved his hand at her in a friendly manner.
Bones, Susan!
Hufflepuff! - the Hat shouted again, and Susan hurriedly scurried over to her table, sitting down next to Hannah. - Booth, Terry!
Ravenclaw!
There was now applause from the second table from the left, and several of the older students rose from their seats to shake hands with Terry, who had joined them.
Mandy Brocklehurst also went to the Ravenclaw table, and Lavender Brown became the first new member of Gryffindor house. The table on the far left erupted in cheers, and Harry saw the red-haired twins among the screaming.
Millicent Bulstrode was sorted into Slytherin. Perhaps it was just his imagination, but after what Harry had heard about Slytherin, everyone who went there and who sat at their table seemed to him to be unpleasant individuals.
Harry started to feel really bad. He remembered how it was in his old school in physical education classes, when the teacher appointed team captains for playing football or basketball. And they chose their own players. Harry was always chosen last, not because he was physically undeveloped, but because no one wanted to quarrel with Dudley.
Finch-Fletchley, Justin! -Hufflepuff!
Harry noticed that sometimes the Hat, as soon as it was on the head of another first-year or first-year student, almost immediately named the faculty, and sometimes it became thoughtful. So, Seamus Finnigan, the fair-haired boy standing in the line in front of Harry, sat on the stool for almost a minute until the Hat sent him to the Gryffindor table.
Hermione Granger!
Apparently, Hermione, unlike Harry, was looking forward to her turn and had no doubt of success. Hearing her name, she almost ran to the stool and in the blink of an eye put the Hat on her head
GRYFFINDOR! - shouted the Hat.
Ron groaned - apparently, despite all his doubts, he believed that he would end up where they were his brothers, and he clearly didn’t want to study with the persistent and all-knowing Hermione.
Harry's mind was suddenly struck by a terrible thought, one of those that always appears when you are too nervous.
“What if the Hat decides that I’m not suitable for any of the houses?” - he thought.
Harry suddenly imagined himself sitting on a stool with a hat on his head, how a minute passed, then another, and then ten and twenty, and it seemed like an eternity had already passed, and the Hat was still silent. Silent until those until Professor McGonagall rips it off Harry's head and tells him that there appears to be a mistake and he'd better take the train back to London.
True, it wasn't just Harry who was nervous. When Neville Longbottom, the same boy who kept losing his toad, was called, he managed to trip and fall before even reaching the stool.
The hat thought seriously before shouting "GRYFFINDOR." Neville, hearing his verdict, jumped up from his chair and rushed to the table at which the faculty students were sitting, forgetting to take off his Hat. The whole hall laughed deafeningly, and Neville, having come to his senses, turned around and ran back to hand the Hat to Morag MacDougal.
When Malfoy was called, he emerged from the line with a terrible important look, and his dream came true in the blink of an eye - the Hat, barely touching his head, immediately shouted:
SLYTHERIN!
Malfoy joined his friends Crabbe and Goyle, who had previously been selected for the same house, and looked unusually pleased with himself.
There were fewer and fewer freshmen who did not pass the selection.
Moon, Nott, Parkinson, the Patil twin girls, then Sally-Ann Perke and finally...
Potter, Harry!
Harry took a step forward, and sparks of surprise flashed throughout the hall, accompanied by loud whispers.
Did she say Potter?
The same Harry Potter?
The last thing Harry saw before the Hat. What fell into his eyes was a huge hall filled with people, each of whom leaned forward to get a better look at him. And then a black wall appeared before my eyes.
Hmmm,” a quiet voice said thoughtfully directly into his ear. - Not an easy question. Very difficult. A lot of courage, I see that. And the mind is quite good. And there is enough talent - oh yes, my God, it is so - and there is a very commendable desire to prove yourself, this is also curious... So where should I place you?
Harry gripped the seat of the stool tightly with both hands.
“Not in Slytherin,” he thought. “Not in Slytherin.”
Yeah, so not in Slytherin? - asked a quiet voice. - You are sure? You know, you can become great, you have all the makings, I see it, and Slytherin will help you achieve greatness, that’s for sure... So, don’t you want to? Well, if you're so sure of it... Well, then... GRYFFINDOR!
It seemed to Harry that the Hat shouted this verdict much louder than the previous ones. He took off his Hat and, feeling his legs trembling, slowly walked towards his desk. He was so relieved that he had been chosen and that he was not in Slytherin that he did not even notice that he was applauded more vigorously and longer than the others. The red-haired prefect, Percy, jumped up from his chair, grabbed Harry's hand and began to shake it, while the twins Fred and George screamed at the top of their voices:
Potter is with us! Potter is with us!
After shaking hands with everyone, Harry plopped down on an empty chair, finding himself directly opposite the ghost in tights, whom he had seen before the ceremony began. The ghost patted his hand, and Harry suddenly experienced a very unpleasant, frightening sensation - it seemed to him that he had put his hand in a bucket of ice water.
Now he finally had the opportunity to see the main table where the teachers sat. In the very
sitting in the corner was Hagrid, who, catching Harry's eye, showed him thumb, and Harry smiled back. And in the center of the table was a large golden chair, reminiscent of a throne, on which Albus Dumbledore sat. Harry recognized it immediately - it was the same as the one on the Chocolate Frog insert card. Dumbledore's silver hair shone brighter than the ghosts, brighter than anything in the hall.
Harry also noticed Professor Quirrell looking nervous young man, whom he met at the Leaky Cauldron. Quirrell now wore a large purple turban on his head, making the professor look even stranger than before.
The ceremony was coming to an end, and only three freshmen remained. Lisa Turpin was accepted into Ravenclaw, and now it was Ron's turn. Harry saw that he even turned green with fear. Harry crossed his fingers under the table, and a second later the Hat screamed loudly:
GRYFFINDOR!
Harry cheered loudly along with the others until Ron plopped down next to him.
Excellent, Ron, simply excellent,” Percy Weasley praised him with an important look, while the last one on the list, Blaise Zabini, was already heading to the Slytherin table. Professor McGonagall rolled up her scroll and carried the Wizard's hat out of the room.
Harry looked at the empty golden plate in front of him. He only now realized that he was insanely hungry. It seemed that he had eaten the sweets he bought on the train not a few hours ago, but several centuries ago. Albus Dumbledore rose from his throne and spread his arms wide. A radiant smile played on his face. He looked as if nothing in the world could please him more than the students of his school sitting in front of him.
Welcome! - he said. “Welcome to Hogwarts!” Before we begin our banquet, I would like to say a few words. These are the words: Berk! Bubble! Remainder! Trick! That's it, thank you everyone!
Dumbledore sat down in his seat. The hall burst into joyful shouts and applause. Harry sat there and didn't know whether to laugh or not.
Is he... is he a little crazy? - Harry asked uncertainly, turning to Percy, who was sitting to his left.
Abnormal? - Percy asked absentmindedly, but immediately caught himself. - He's a genius! The best wizard in the world! But overall, you're right, he's a little crazy. How about some fries, Harry?
Harry looked at the table and froze in amazement. The plates on the table were filled to the brim with food. Harry had never seen so many of his favorite dishes on one table: roast beef, fried chicken, pork and lamb chops, sausages, bacon and steaks, boiled potatoes, fried potatoes, chips, Yorkshire pudding, peas, carrots, meat gravies, ketchup and it’s unclear how and why mint candies ended up here.
It must be admitted that the Dursleys never starved Harry, but they also never let him eat as much as he wanted. And Dudley always ate what Harry especially liked, even if it made him sick. But now Harry was not in the Dursley's house. He put a little bit of everything on his plate - except for the mints - and pounced on I'm going. She was absolutely amazing.
Looks good,” the ghost in tights remarked sadly, watching Harry eat a steak.
Do you want... - Harry began, but the ghost shook his head.
I haven't eaten for almost four hundred years. I have no need for food, but to tell the truth, I miss it. By the way, I don't think I introduced myself. Sir Nicholas de Mimsey-Delphington, at your service. A ghost who lives in Gryffindor Tower.
I know who you are! - Ron suddenly blurted out. - My brothers talked about you - you're Almost Headless Nick!
“I would prefer that you call me Sir Nicholas de Mimsey,” the ghost began in a stern tone, but Seamus Finnigan beat him to it. The same blonde boy who stood in front of Harry
in a line.
Almost headless? How can you be almost headless?
Sir Nicholas looked a little dissatisfied, as if the conversation was not going where he would have liked.
“And so,” he answered irritably, tugging at his left ear.
The head separated from the neck and fell onto the shoulder, as if supported by a spring and activated by pressing on the ear. Obviously, someone tried to behead him, but did not complete the job. The head of Almost Headless Nick, lying on his shoulder, smiled contentedly, watching the expressions on the faces of the freshmen. Then he pulled his right ear and his head clicked into place. The ghost cleared his throat.
So, here's to the new students of the Gryffindor house! I hope you can help us win the inter-house competition this year? Gryffindor had never gone so long without a reward. For six years in a row, the victory has gone to Slytherin. The Bloody Baron - the ghost of Slytherin cellars - has become almost unbearable.
Harry looked towards the Slytherin table and saw a creepy-looking ghost with bulging empty eyes, a long, bony face, and clothes stained with silver blood. The Baron sat next to Malfoy, who, as Harry happily noted, was not at all delighted with such company.
How did it happen that he was covered in blood? - Seamus blurted out, who for some reason was very interested in this question.
“I never asked,” Nearly Headless Nick said delicately.
When everyone had eaten - in the sense that they had eaten as much as they could eat - the plates suddenly became empty, becoming perfectly clean again and sparkling so brightly in the candle flames, as if there was no food on them. But literally a moment later sweets appeared on them. Ice cream of every kind imaginable, apple pies, fruit cakes, chocolate eclairs and jam donuts, biscuits, strawberries, jelly, rice puddings...
As Harry filled his plate with a variety of desserts, the table began to talk about families.
Personally, I’m half and half,” admitted Seamus. - My dad is a Muggle, and my mom is a wizard. Mom didn't tell him anything until they got married. I understand that he was not at all happy when he found out the truth.
Everyone laughed.
What about you, Neville? - Ron will ask.
“I... Well, I was raised by my grandmother, she’s a sorceress,” Neville began. “But my whole family was sure that I was a real Muggle.” My great uncle Algie was always trying to catch me off guard so that I would perform some miracle. He really wanted me to be a wizard. So, one day he sneaked up on me while I was standing on the pier and pushed me into the water. And I almost drowned. In general, I was very ordinary - until I was eight years old. When I was eight, Algie came over for tea, caught me and stuck me out the window. I was hanging there upside down and he was holding my ankles. And then my great aunt Enid offered him a cake, and he accidentally unclenched his hands. I flew from the second floor, but did not crash - it was as if I had turned into a ball, bounced off the ground and jumped down the path. They were all delighted, and my grandmother even burst into tears of happiness. You should have seen their faces when I received a letter from Hogwarts - they were afraid that they would not send it to me, that I was not quite a wizard. My great-uncle Algie gave me a toad at the Joys.
Then Harry listened to what Percy and Hermione, sitting to his left, were talking about. However, he could have guessed: Hermione, naturally, was talking about classes
I really hope we start studying right now. We have so much to learn. Personally, I'm most interested in transfiguration, you know, the art of turning something into something else. Although, of course, this is considered a very difficult matter.
Don't count on much. You will start with small things, you will turn matches into needles, something like this.
Harry felt warm and soft and felt his eyes begin to close. In order not to fall asleep, he stared at them and began to stare around, finally burying his gaze at the teacher's desk. Hagrid was drinking something from a large goblet, Professor McGonagall was talking with Professor Dumbledore, and Professor Quirrell, who still had his stupid turban on, was talking with a teacher Harry didn’t know with greasy black hair, a hooked nose and yellowish, sickly skin.
Everything happened completely suddenly. Hook-nose suddenly looked straight at Harry - and Harry's head was pierced sharp pain. It seemed to him that his lightning-like scar glowed white hot for a moment.
Oh! - Harry slapped his hand to his forehead.
What's happened? - asked Percy.
N-n-nothing,” Harry squeezed out with difficulty. The pain went away as quickly as it came. But the feeling that Harry had when he caught the hook-nosed man's gaze - the feeling that this teacher really didn't like Harry Potter - remained.
Who's that talking to Professor Quirrell? - he asked Percy.
Oh, do you already know Quirrell? I don’t wonder why he’s so nervous - you get nervous here when Professor Snape is sitting next to you. He teaches how to mix magic potions, but they say that he doesn’t like it at all. Everyone knows that he wants to take Professor Quirrell's place. He is a great specialist in the Dark Arts, this Snape.
Harry watched Snape for a moment, but Snape didn't look at him anymore.
When everyone had had their fill of dessert, the sweets disappeared from the plates and Professor Dumbledore rose from his throne again. Everyone fell silent.
Hmmmm! - Dumbledore cleared his throat loudly. - Now that we are all full, I would like to say a few more words. Before the semester starts, there are a few things you need to learn. First-year students must remember that all students are prohibited from entering the forest located on school grounds. Some seniors should also remember this for their own good...
Dumbledore's shining eyes rested for a moment on the red heads of the Weasley twins.
At the request of Mr. Filch, our school caretaker, I remind you that you should not perform miracles during recess. Now about Quidditch practice - it starts in a week. Anyone who would like to play for the teams of their faculties should contact Madame Trick. Finally, I must inform you that this school year the right side of the corridor on the third floor is closed to anyone who does not want to die a painful death.
Harry laughed, but there were very few people as funny as him.
He's joking, isn't he? Harry muttered, turning to Percy.
Maybe,” Percy answered, frowning at Dumbledore. - It's strange because he usually explains why we can't go somewhere. For example, everything is clear about the forest - there are dangerous animals there, everyone knows this. And here he should have explained everything, but he is silent. I think he should have at least let us elders know about it.
Now, before we go to bed, let's sing the school anthem! - Dumbledore shouted.
Harry noticed that all the teachers had strange smiles on their faces.
Dumbledore shook his wand as if chasing away a fly that had landed on its end. A long golden ribbon burst out of the wand, which began to rise above the tables, and then crumbled into words hanging in the air.
“Everyone sings to their favorite tune,” said Dumbledore. - So, let's start!
Hogwarts, Hogwarts, our beloved Hogwarts, Teach us something. Young and old, bald and shaggy, Age is not important, but only the essence is important.
The wind is blowing in our heads now, They are empty and dull, and there are heaps of dead flies, But there is always a place for knowledge in them, So teach us at least something.
If we forget something, you remind us,
And if we don’t know, you explain to us.
Do your best, our beloved Hogwarts,
And we will try not to let you down.
Everyone sang as they wanted - some quietly, some loudly, some cheerfully, some sadly, some slowly, some quickly. And naturally, everyone finished singing at different times. Everyone had already fallen silent, but the Weasley twins still continued to sing the school anthem - slowly and solemnly, like a funeral march. Dumbledore began to conduct, waving his wand, and when they finally finished singing, he was the one who clapped loudest.
Oh, music! - he exclaimed, wiping his eyes: it looked like Dumbledore had shed tears of emotion. “Her magic eclipses what we do here.” Now go to sleep. Trot - march!
The first years, led by Percy, walked past the upper years still chatting at their tables, exited the Great Hall and walked up the marble stairs.
Harry's legs felt like lead again, only this time not from excitement, but from fatigue and satiety. He was very sleepy and was not even surprised that the people depicted in the portraits hanging in the corridors were whispering among themselves and pointing fingers at the freshmen. And he took it for granted that Percy led them through two secret doors - one hidden behind sliding panels, and the second hidden behind a long tapestry hanging from the ceiling. Yawning and moving their legs with difficulty, they climbed one staircase and then another. Harry kept asking himself when they would get there and then Percy suddenly stopped.
Crutches floated in the air in front of them. As soon as Percy took a step forward, the crutches turned menacingly towards him and began to attack. But they did not hit, but stopped a few centimeters away, as if saying that he should leave.
This is Peeves, our poltergeist,” Percy whispered, turning to the first years. And then he raised his voice: “Peeves, show yourself!”
The answer was a drawn-out and rather indecent sound - in best case scenario similar to the sound of air leaving a balloon.
Do you want me to go to the Bloody Baron and tell him what's going on here?
A pop was heard, and a small man with unpleasant black eyes and a large mouth appeared in the air. He hung cross-legged between the floor and the ceiling, pretending to lean on crutches that he clearly didn't need.
Oooh! - he drawled, giggling maliciously. - Little freshmen! Now we're going to have some fun.
A man hanging in the air suddenly dived at them, and everyone ducked their heads in unison.
Get out of here, Peeves, or the Baron will find out about this, I'm not kidding! - Percy said in a harsh tone.
Peeves stuck out his tongue and disappeared, dropping his crutches on Neville's head. They heard him moving away from them, knocking something on the knight's armor displayed in the corridor out of spite.
You should watch out for him,” Percy warned as they moved on. - The only one who can control him is the Bloody Baron, and Peeves doesn’t even listen to us, the elders. Here we are.
They stood at the end of the corridor in front of a portrait of a very fat woman in a pink silk dress.
Password? - the woman asked sternly.
- Kaput draconis,- Percy answered, and the portrait moved to the side, revealing a round hole in the wall.
Everyone made their way through on their own, only the clumsy Neville had to be pushed. The round, cozy Gryffindor Common Room was filled with deep, soft armchairs.
Percy showed the girls the door to their bedroom, the boys entered through another door. They climbed the spiral staircase - apparently the room was in one of the turrets - and finally found themselves in the bedroom. There were five large four-poster beds, covered with dark red velvet curtains. The beds were already made. Everyone was too tired to talk about anything else, so they silently pulled on their pajamas and climbed into bed.
Had a great meal, didn't we? - Harry heard Ron mutter, hidden from him by the heavy curtains. - Get out of here, Scabbers! Can you imagine, Harry, she's chewing my sheets!
Harry wanted to ask Ron which sweet he liked best, but he didn't have time - he fell asleep as soon as his head hit the pillow.
Maybe, strange dream, Harry's dream was explained by the fact that he ate too much. In the dream, he walked around in Professor Quirrell's turban, and the turban talked to him, convincing him that he should move to the Slytherin House, since this was destined for him by fate.
Harry categorically told the turban that he would never move into Slytherin. The turban became heavier and heavier, and Harry tried to take it off, but it shrank, painfully squeezing his head. Malfoy stood nearby and laughed at the futility of Harry's attempts. And then Malfoy turned into a hook-nosed teacher named Snape, who laughed a loud, chilling laugh. Then the green light flashed brightly and Harry woke up, sweating and shaking.
Harry rolled over and went back to sleep. And when he woke up the next morning, he couldn’t even remember what he had dreamed.
Book 1. Chapter 7. The Sorting Hat
Chapter text
The door immediately opened. A tall, black-haired witch in an emerald green robe stood on the threshold. She had a very stern face, and Harry immediately realized that she was not one to contradict.
Thank you, Hagrid. I'll take them.
She opened the door wide. The entrance hall was so large that it could easily have housed the entire Dursley house. Stone walls illuminated by flaming torches, like at Gringotts, the ceiling was so high that it was not visible, and a majestic marble staircase in front led to the upper floors.
They followed Professor McGonagall across the flagstone floor. Harry could hear the muffled hum of hundreds of voices from behind the doors to his right - the whole school must have already gathered there - but Professor McGonagall led the first years into a small, empty room off the entrance hall. They crowded together, standing closer to each other than they would have stood in any other situation, and looked around fearfully.
It was hard to believe that there was a ceiling at all, and that the Great Hall was not directly in the open air.
Harry quickly lowered his head as Professor McGonagall silently placed a four-legged stool in front of the first years. She placed a pointed witch's hat on top. The hat was covered in patches, tattered and terribly dirty. Aunt Petunia would never agree to keep one of these in the house.
“Maybe we should try to get the rabbit out of it?” - Harry thought with horror. Noticing that everyone in the room was now looking at the hat, he also stared at it. For several seconds there was complete silence. Then the hat twitched. The slit near its brim opened wide like a mouth... and the hat began to sing:
You don't judge by patches,
I know, having lived hundreds of years,
(Ready to eat myself for breakfast)
There is no smarter hat in the world.
Let your pot not be stained,
And let the cylinder without patches,
Sorting hat -
This is my name, I am a real treasure.
I see thoughts and secrets
In your heads without embellishment.
Try me on for an answer,
Which House to send you to?
Perhaps your home is in Gryffindor,
Where the brave at heart live,
Courage, chivalry, enthusiasm
It’s not for nothing that they expect from Gryffindors.
Or is Hufflepuff your place?
Where honesty and perseverance are respected,
There are tough people there,
They are not afraid of hard work.
Ravenclaw is waiting for you, he won’t wait,
Since you were given an inquisitive mind.
Who strives for wisdom and knowledge,
He will find his calling there.
Or maybe in the cunning Slytherin
You will find your friends.
They go to any lengths even now,
To move towards your goal.
So put it on without fear
Me on your head.
I am not a punishment, I am not on the chopping block.
That's what I think and stand by.
The hall burst into applause when the hat finished its song. She bowed to each of the four tables and fell silent again.
So we should just put on our hat! - Ron whispered to Harry. - I'll kill Fred - he was talking about the fight with the troll.
Harry smiled weakly. Yes, it is much better to try on a hat than to do magic, but he still wanted this to not happen in front of everyone. It seemed to him that the hat made too many demands. Harry didn't feel brave or smart or anything else. at the moment. If the hat had mentioned Home for Nausea, it would have been just that.
And then Professor McGonagall stepped forward, holding a long scroll of parchment in front of her.
When I call your name, put on your hat and sit on the stool to be sorted,” she said. - Abbott, Hannah!
A pink-cheeked girl with blonde pigtails stumbled forward, put on her hat, which immediately slid down over her eyes, and sat down. A second pause...
HUFFLEPUFF! - the hat shouted.
The kids at the table to the right cheered and clapped their hands as Hannah sat down at the Hufflepuff table. Harry saw the Fat Monk waving cheerfully at her.
HUFFLEPUFF! - the hat shouted again, and Susan hurried to sit next to Hannah.
RAVENCLOW!
This time they applauded at the second table from the left. As Terry approached them, several Ravenclaws stood up to shake his hand.
HUFFLEPUFF!
Harry noticed that sometimes the hat called out the name of the House right away, and sometimes it took a while to make a decision. "Finnigan, Seamus," the blond boy standing in the line next to Harry, sat on his chair for almost a full minute before the hat sorted him into Gryffindor.
Granger, Hermione!
Hermione practically ran to the stool and enthusiastically pulled the hat onto her head.
GRYFFINDOR! - the hat shouted. Ron groaned.
Harry suddenly had a terrible thought, the way terrible thoughts always do when you're very nervous. What if it is not distributed at all? What if he just sat there with his hat over his eyes until Professor McGonagall ripped it off him and told him there must have been some mistake and he'd better get back on the train?
There aren't many people left.
“I would prefer to be called Sir Nicholas de Mimzy...” the ghost began tensely, but the fair-haired Seamus Finnigan interrupted him.
Almost Headless? How can you be almost headless?
Sir Nicholas looked extremely offended, as if the conversation had not gone where he would have liked.
“And so,” he said irritably. He grabbed his left ear and pulled. His head separated from his neck and fell back onto his shoulder, as if being held on hinges. Obviously, someone tried to behead him, but did not complete the job. Clearly pleased that everyone was stunned, Nearly Headless Nick brought his head back, cleared his throat and said:
So, new Gryffindors! I hope you can help us win the inter-House competition this year. Gryffindor had never gone so long without winning. The cup has gone to Slytherin for six years in a row. The Bloody Baron becomes completely unbearable... it's the ghost of Slytherin.
Harry looked towards the Slytherin table and saw a creepy ghost there with empty, staring eyes, a gloomy face and a robe covered with silver blood stains. He was sitting right next to Malfoy, and Harry noticed, not without pleasure, that the latter was not happy about such proximity.
How did it happen that he was covered in blood? - Seamus asked with great interest.
“I never asked him,” Nearly Headless Nick answered delicately.
When everyone had eaten their fill, the remnants of food disappeared from the plates, and the dishes remained as shiny as before. A moment later, dessert arrived: mountains of ice cream in every flavor imaginable, apple pies, molasses tarts, chocolate eclairs, jam donuts, creamed biscuits, jelly, strawberries, rice pudding...
While Harry was helping himself to treacle tarts, the conversation turned to his family.
“I’m fifty-fifty,” Seamus said. - My dad is a Muggle. Mom didn't tell him she was a witch until after they got married. He wasn't very happy about this.
Everyone laughed.
What about you, Neville? - asked Ron.
“Well, I was raised by my grandmother, and she’s a wizard,” Neville said, “but the whole family always thought I was a real Muggle.” My great-uncle Algie kept trying to catch me off guard to get some magic out of me - he once pushed me off the Blackpool Pier and I nearly drowned - but nothing worked until I was eight. Grandfather Algie came over for tea and stuck me out of the window on the top floor, holding me by the ankles. And then my great-aunt Enid offered meringues to my grandfather, and he accidentally let me out. But I jumped off the ground and galloped across the entire garden all the way to the road. They were all very happy, and grandma burst into tears - she was so happy. And you should have seen their faces when I arrived here. They thought that maybe I didn't have enough magic to study here. Grandpa Elgie gave me a toad to celebrate.
On the other side of Harry, Percy Weasley and Hermione were talking about lessons (I really hope classes start right away, there's so much to learn. I'm especially interested in Transfiguration, you know, turning something into something else, of course, it must be very difficult...; - You will start with small things - turning matches into needles, for example...).
Harry felt tired and began to feel sleepy. He looked back at the Head Table. Hagrid tipped back his goblet and drank its contents. Professor McGonagall was talking with Professor Dumbledore. Professor Quirrell, wearing his ridiculous turban, was talking to a teacher with greasy black hair, a hooked nose, and yellowish skin.
It happened suddenly. The hook-nosed teacher looked past Quirrell's turban and straight into Harry's eyes... and a sharp, burning pain pierced the scar on Harry's forehead.
Oh! - Harry pressed his hand to his forehead.
What's happened? - asked Percy.
N-nothing.
The pain disappeared as quickly as it appeared. It was harder to get rid of the feeling that remained after the teacher's look - the feeling that he didn't like Harry at all.
Who's that talking to Professor Quirrell? - he asked Percy.
Oh, you already know Quirrell? No wonder he's so nervous. This is Professor Snape. He teaches Potions, but doesn't want to - everyone knows that he wants to get Quirrell's place. He knows an awful lot about the Dark Arts, this Snape.
Harry watched Snape for a moment, but Snape never looked at him again.
Finally the dessert disappeared and Professor Dumbledore stood up again. There was silence in the hall.
Hmm... now that we're all fed and drunk, I'll say a few more words. I have a few announcements for you before the start of the school year.
First-year students should take note that all students are prohibited from visiting the forest on school grounds. It would be nice if some of our older students did not forget this too.
Dumbledore glanced quickly with his sparkling eyes at the Weasley twins.
Finally, I must inform you that this year the corridor in the right wing on the third floor is closed to anyone who does not want to die a very painful death.
Harry laughed, but he was one of the few.
He's not serious, is he? - he asked Percy in a whisper.
"Must be serious," Percy frowned, looking at Dumbledore. - It’s strange, he usually gives the reason why we are not allowed to go anywhere - the forest is full of dangerous creatures, everyone knows about it. I believe that at least we, the Prefects, should have been told.
“Now, before we go to bed, let’s sing the school anthem,” Dumbledore announced. Harry noticed how the smiles on the other teachers' faces became strained.
Dumbledore shook his wand lightly, as if driving away a fly that had settled on its end, and a long golden ribbon came out of the wand. She rose high above the tables and, wriggling like a snake, formed words.
Choose your favorite motif each,” said Dumbledore. - And they started!
Hogwarts, Hogwarts, good old Hogwarts,
Give us knowledge.
To unkempt tomboys, or gray-haired old men -
We should all fill our heads
It's high time
Otherwise they are completely empty
The winds blow through them.
First, they forgot
And then everything in a row
You push us, teach us, come on,
Until your brains boil.
Everyone finished singing at different times. In the end, only the Weasley twins continued to sing the anthem to the tune of a very slow funeral march. Dumbledore conducted them with his wand for the last few lines, and when they finished, he was one of those who clapped loudest.
“Oh, music,” he said, wiping his eyes. - Her magic is much higher than anything we do here! And now - sleep. Run - march!
The first years of Gryffindor followed Percy through the buzzing crowd, exited the Great Hall and began to climb up the marble stairs. Harry's legs felt like lead again, but this time it was only because he was so full and tired. He was so sleepy that he wasn't even surprised that the people in the portraits along the corridors were whispering and pointing at passing students, or that Percy twice led them through doors hidden behind sliding panels and hanging tapestries. Yawning and dragging their feet, they climbed up the stairs and, just when Harry began to wonder how much longer they had to go, they suddenly stopped.
Several canes were floating in the air in front of them, and as soon as Percy took a step in their direction, they began to throw themselves at him.
This is Peeves,” Percy whispered to the first years. - Poltergeist. - Then he raised his voice. - Peeves, show yourself!
The answer was a loud, obscene sound, similar to the sound with which air escapes from a balloon.
Do you want me to go to the Bloody Baron?
There was a bang, and a small man with evil dark eyes and a wide mouth appeared. He hung in the air, legs crossed cross-legged and with canes in his hands.
Oooooh! - he said, chuckling evilly. - Little first-graders! What fun!
Suddenly he dived straight at them. Everyone ducked down.
Get out, Peeves, or I promise the Baron will find out about this! - Percy barked.
Peeves stuck out his tongue and disappeared, dropping the canes on Neville's head. They heard the poltergeist rushing away, shaking the knight's armor along the way.
"You better watch out for Peeves," Percy said as they moved on. - The Bloody Baron is the only one who has control over him. He doesn't even listen to us, the Prefects. Well, here we are.
At the very end of the corridor hung a portrait of a very fat woman in a pink silk dress.
“Password,” she said.
“Kaput Draconis,” answered Percy, and the portrait, like a door, opened outward. Behind him was a round hole in the wall. They climbed through it - Neville needed help - and found themselves in the Gryffindor common room - a cozy round room filled with soft armchairs.
Percy directed the girls to one door, behind which was their bedroom, and the boys to another. Climbing the spiral staircase - apparently they were in one of the towers - they finally saw the beds: five beds under curtains of dark red velvet. Their suitcases were already here. Too tired to talk much, they pulled on their pajamas and plopped down in bed.
It was a nice dinner, right? - Ron muttered from behind the curtain. - Leave me alone, Scabbers! He's chewing my sheet.
Harry was going to ask Ron if he had tried the treacle tart, but he fell asleep almost immediately.
Harry must have eaten a little too much because he had a strange dream. He was wearing Professor Quirrell's turban. And this turban talked to Harry all the time, saying that he should immediately transfer to Slytherin, because this is his destiny. Harry answered the turban that he did not want to be a Slytherin, and he became heavier and heavier; Harry tried to take it off, but it shrank, painfully squeezing his head... Malfoy appeared, he laughed, watching Harry struggle with the turban... Malfoy turned into a teacher with a hooked nose, Snape, whose laugh became high and cold... a flash of green light, and Harry woke up shaking and covered in sweat.
He turned over and fell asleep again, and when he woke up the next day, he did not remember this dream at all.
The Sorting Hat in the Harry Potter books doesn't just decide which house at Hogwarts School of Magic to send a student to. Before making a choice, she analyzes the character, hobbies and inclinations of each person and weighs the pros and cons.
For those preparing for the main school exam
The only question is whether any psychological test help not to make a mistake with a choice at this age. Or does the sorting hat simplify the idea of personality typology and reduce everything to pseudoscience? Lifehacker spoke with Ali Mattu, clinical psychologist, Harry Potter fan and YouTube channel host The Psych Show, about what the sorting hat can do in real life.
I have nothing against the idea of the sorting hat. I'm all for a sentient hat that, using the Legilimens mind-reading spell, can determine the values and desires of the school's first-year students. The Sorting Hat fits perfectly into the psychology of Hogwarts, along with the Imperius Curse, which can be used to control consciousness, and the Pensieve.
The brain, values and personality itself change with age. Hogwarts first-year students are only 10-12 years old. At this age, it is impossible to predict whether a teenager will always be brave like a Gryffindor, loyal like a Hufflepuff, wise like a Ravenclaw, or cunning like a Slytherin. I think the hat would place shy and quiet 12-year-old me in Hufflepuff, and confident 20-year-old me most likely in Gryffindor. And now? With my career ambitions - definitely Slytherin.
The ceremony of sorting Hogwarts first-year students into houses carries a rather dangerous message: your place is predetermined.
The reality is that you can and should work on yourself, and with certain conditions everything can be changed. This is called a personal growth mindset.
The Sorting Hat seems to say: “Here you are, this is who you will be - so be with people like you.” A child with reading problems who is sorted into Gryffindor instead of Ravenclaw may decide that he will never succeed academically and the only way out is physical labor.
Apart from this, the distribution ceremony is a kind of self-fulfilling prophecy. There are studies that prove that circumstances greatly influence us, and we try to live up to expectations. Following this logic, Slytherins should only be more cunning - such is their nature. Gryffindors will continue to take risks because that is the way it is in their house (and it is encouraged). This is probably why Neville Longbottom turned from a timid Gryffindor freshman in the seventh book into the brave commander of Dumbledore's army. This also explains the success of business students in entrepreneurship, the attentiveness of lawyers to detail, and the accuracy of therapists in making diagnoses.
This division of students reduces creativity, Ali Mattu is convinced. We know that the most successful teams consist of people with different knowledge and skills, they are more productive when there is someone to argue with. The hat leads students to the same type of thinking.
If I were the headmaster of a school of magic, I would ask the sorting hat to make sure that each house had students with the qualities that would help them succeed in life.
As for the test that was recently published in TIME magazine, the Big Five model is great for determining personality type here and now. Personality changes over the course of life, and the idea of assignment to faculties based on this test (regardless of its accuracy) is wrong. Another problem is adjusting your answers to get one result or another. If you look at the test, it is not difficult to guess which answer options correspond to which faculty.
Photo: stills from the film “Harry Potter”
Communication
Enchanted coins
Thunderbroadcaster
Thunderbroadcaster(another translation " Screamer") is a special magical letter that cannot be ignored: if the received red envelope is not opened within two or three minutes, it will explode and the contents of the message will be brought to the attention of everyone around with a thunderous voice. However, if you open the letter, you will only be spared an explosion. “Voice mail” with the power of a good airplane engine will read the message so loudly that it will drown out all other sounds. It is noteworthy, however, that outside the room in which the “thundercaster” was received, no one hears anything. The neighbors didn't come running to the Dursleys when Aunt Petunia received a red envelope from Dumbledore!
Since “thundercasters” most often send angry tirades, these letters are not too long, but they bring much more trouble than multi-page epistolaries...
Concealers
Invisibility Cloak
“The Third Deathly Hallow is not a simple invisibility cloak! That is, it is not an ordinary travel cloak, saturated with disillusionment charms or charmed to avert eyes - at first it successfully hides its owner, but over the years the spell is depleted and the mantle becomes cloudy. No, this is what we are talking about about a true miracle - the Mantle, which makes its owner completely invisible for an unlimited time, and it cannot be detected by any spells!.."
Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets
Used to travel to Hagrid.
Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban
Harry began using the robe for trips to Hogsmeade.
Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire
Harry, wearing his Invisibility Cloak to the prefects' bath, learns that some magical objects allow him to see through the Invisibility Cloak. For example, Alastor Moody's artificial eye has this property.
Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix
Previously, all three friends could easily fit under the mantle, but after the 5th year this was no longer the case, the guys grew up a lot, especially Ron.
Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince
A feature of the wand, in addition to its exceptional strength, is its intelligibility (based on logic) in choosing the owner. Only in his hands does the wand exhibit its exceptional properties, nevertheless remaining a very powerful wand in the hands of any qualified wizard. In order to become the owner of the wand, the new owner must defeat the previous owner in a duel. There is some contradiction in this, since the Elder Wand is considered invincible in fights. How exactly Dumbledore defeated Grindelwald is unknown, but further changes in the owner’s wand go like this: Draco Malfoy defeats the unresisting Dumbledore (finished off a moment later by Snape), and then Harry Potter defeats Draco Malfoy, while the wand itself in this fight is in no way participates, but, nevertheless, knows about this fact and takes it into account. This somewhat confused logic causes the death of both Snape and Voldemort. Snape was killed by Voldemort because Voldemort longed to be the new master, and believed (wrongly) Snape to be the former master after he killed Dumbledore. Voldemort dies in a duel with Potter, because he mistakenly considers himself to be the master, while Potter is the master after the duel with Malfoy (in which the wand did not participate in any way). Probably, the fact that Potter entered the last duel with the wand of Malfoy, whom he had defeated, also played a role.
The invincibility of the wand is also called into question by the draw result of Dumbledore's duel with Voldemort within the walls of the Ministry of Magic in the book Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix.
Subsequently, Harry Potter was able to use the Elder Wand to repair his broken wand, and after that returned the Elder Wand to Dumbledore's tomb. The reason for this was the hope that Potter would pass away peacefully (and the wand would lose its power due to the death of its owner), thereby stopping the bloody path of the wand, which had previously very often changed its owners through murder.
In the Russian translation, the play on words intended by the author completely disappeared: Elder- in English this is both elderberry and elder. The wand is both elder - in material, and older - in essence, age and capabilities. In the original in one in a simple word two different concepts merged. This play on words is important, for example, the phrases “Dumbledore is the master of the elder wand” and “Dumbledore is the master of the elder wand” sound completely different. The difficulty is also in translating the word master, meaning chosen by the wand of its true owner - the words master, owner, owner do not convey the shades of meaning completely.
Resurrection Stone
The stone has the property of resurrecting the dead, but those resurrected can no longer return to normal life, but remain half-ghosts. Only the one who called them can see them, and they can also become a replacement for the Patronus. The Resurrection Stone was passed down among the Peverell descendants through the middle brother, being inserted into the family ring. Voldemort, having obtained it from the Glooms, made a horcrux from the stone. This same ring, or rather, the spell cast on it, served the real reason death of Albus Dumbledore. The stone was given to Potter by Dumbledore as a bequest in the Enchanted Snitch, and was later used by Potter for protection as he went to his death at Voldemort's headquarters in the Forbidden Forest. Near the location of the headquarters, Potter dropped a stone. Subsequently, talking to the portrait of Dumbledore in the headmaster's office, Harry said that he did not remember the place where he dropped the stone and was not going to look for it. Dumbledore approved of this decision.
Invisibility Cloak
This is an invisibility cloak of exceptional, unattainable quality - it hides reliably, does not wear out, and the person wearing it cannot be detected by any spells. Received by Harry Potter as his father's inheritance from Dumbledore. Appears in the very first book. The fact that this is the Deathly Hallow, which belonged to Ignotus Peverell, is revealed only in the seventh and final book.
Games
Quidditch
Magic chess
Throughout subsequent books, the sword appears as a detail in the interior of Professor Dumbledore's office.
Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows
The sword of Gryffindor takes on more significance in this book. In his will, Dumbledore left it to Harry, but Minister Rufus Scrimgeour refused to give the sword to Harry, since the sword was not Dumbledore's property. Previously, the sword came into contact with basilisk venom, a substance capable of destroying horcruxes. Later, Harry finds the sword at the bottom of an icy lake, and Ron destroys one of the Horcruxes, Slytherin's locket, with a blow of the sword.
In addition, the heroes learn that the Death Eaters are storing a fake Gryffindor sword in the Gringotts bank, although the Death Eaters are sure that it is real. When Harry, Ron and Hermione are captured by Fenrir's gang of werewolves and taken to the Malfoy mansion, Bellatrix Lestrange is horrified to see the sword in their possession and tortures Hermione to find out where they got it, but the heroes manage to convince her that it is a fake.
In exchange for the sword, the goblin Griphook agrees to help the heroes rob Gringotts. During the robbery, he grabs a sword and runs away.
It turns out that it was with the sword of Gryffindor that Dumbledore destroyed another Horcrux, Marvolo's ring.
Peculiarities
The main difference between the Mirror of Erised and ordinary mirrors is that the one who looks into it sees not his own appearance, but the desires of his heart and soul; The inscription on the frame of the mirror reads: “It is not your face that I show, but your deepest desire,” if you read it backwards and ignore the spaces. Dumbledore says that the mirror reveals "the deepest and most desperate desires of our hearts."
According to Dumbledore, many wizards, watching their reflection in the mirror of Erised, lost touch with real world and were lost in dreams. This almost happened to Harry, but Dumbledore warned him in time.
The Mirror of Erised and the characters of the Harry Potter books
Harry saw his parents in the Mirror of Erised
In the Mirror of Erised, Harry sees himself next to his parents and numerous relatives whom he has never seen alive, and Ron sees himself as captain of the Quidditch team, holding the winner's cup and other school awards. Dumbledore claimed that he saw himself in the mirror holding a pair of socks. “You can never have enough socks,” says Dumbledore. Presumably he saw himself with his family: his parents, brother Aberforth and sister Ariana, since in last book mentioned that in his younger years he behaved unreasonably towards them and would like to correct his misdeeds and ask for their forgiveness.
The role of the mirror in the book
After explaining the harm of the mirror to Harry, Dumbledore hid the philosopher's stone in it, and the mirror was placed in a room "locked with seven locks." Voldemort planned to get the stone from the mirror, but only Harry was given the stone (since he only wanted to get the stone and not use it. According to Dumbledore, this was one of his most brilliant ideas). Professor Quirrell was destroyed by Harry, and Lord Voldemort, who used his body, was again defeated and was forced to hide in the forests for 2 years.
Mirror of Sirius
Mirror of Sirius(aka " see-through mirror") is a magical object consisting of two interconnected mirrors. Serves for auditory and visual contact at any distance. To do this, the owner of one mirror must clearly state the name of the owner of the other mirror. The properties of mirrors are preserved even if the mirrors have been mechanically damaged.
It is not known how the Through Mirror got to Sirius, but he used it while studying at: Sirius and James, who were serving their punishment in different rooms after lessons, talked with the help of the Mirror.
Much later, Sirius gave one of the mirrors to Harry Potter, without having time (or not wanting to explain in front of witnesses) what it was and how to use it. If Harry had not shoved an incomprehensible package from his godfather deep into his suitcase, if he had known what it was and how to use it, the ending of the fifth book would have been completely different. Harry would have been guaranteed to contact Sirius, make sure that everything was okay with him, would not have climbed into Dolores Umbridge's fireplace, would not have been caught there by surprise, would not have gotten rid of the General Inspector with the help of Hermione, would not have dragged his friends to the Ministry magic, would not have gotten involved in a meaningless shootout with the Death Eaters, would not have lost Sirius... But on the other hand, I would not have learned (at least on that day) about the Prophecy and my destined fate, and would not have encountered Voldemort again and, full of love for his lost godfather, would not have shown the Dark Lord how dangerous it was for him to climb into the body of Harry Potter...
The potion is very complex in composition, and not every second-year student can handle it. The process of preparing it takes about a month. It contains dried lacewings, algae collected during the full moon, leeches, knotweed, and in addition - grated bicorn horn, boomslang skin and particles of the one they want to turn into (most often they use hair). Hermione stole the skin of a boomslang and a bicorn horn from Professor Snape's personal supplies when Harry, at her request, caused a commotion in a potions lesson.
During Bill and Fleur's wedding, in order to avoid detection, Harry drank a polyjuice potion from one of the Weasleys' neighbors and called himself Barney Weasley, Ron's cousin. Before the wedding, Hermione put it in her handbag large number polyjuice potion, which she borrowed from Mad-Eye, and after hastily fleeing the wedding, the trio ended up with a fair amount of it.
Truth Serum
- Truth Serum- a colorless, odorless drink that forces the drinker to answer truthfully to everything questions asked. Obviously, a drunk cannot even simply keep silent about something. Preparing this potion is apparently not too difficult, except that some ingredients take a long time to infuse. However, in school course The study of serum is not included for obvious reasons. It is also not clear whether special permission is required for the use of this drug: in the novel it is used only by persons vested with certain powers (Director Albus Dumbledore and Hogwarts Inspector General Dolores Umbridge). Professor Snape's threat to put the serum in Harry Potter's drink may have been a simple bluff.
Enlargement Potion
- Enlargement Potion- causes living objects to increase in volume. It is possible to enlarge only some parts of the body. So, an exploding cauldron with a ready-made enlargement potion splashed Harry Potter's fellow students, and while Snape was returning the swollen noses, hands and lips of the students to their original form, Hermione stole some boomslang skin from Snape's own supplies.
Shrinking Potion
- Shrinking Potion- a potion that makes the drinker become smaller, or return to childhood. So, having dropped a potion brewed by Neville Longbottom onto his toad Trevor to test it, Severus Snape turned the toad into a tadpole for a few minutes.
Calming Balm
- Calming Balm- a calming potion that helps fight anxiety and fear.
Felix Felicitis
Felix Felicitis (also called simply "Felix" or "Luck Potion") - V highest degree The drink is complex in composition and preparation. Properly brewed, it brings good luck to the drinker in all endeavors. The dosage is calculated depending on the weight of the drinker and the time for which he wants to stock up on luck. The potion is prohibited for use during sports competitions, exams and elections. The slightest deviation in a recipe or preparation can lead to very unpleasant consequences.
Storage vessels
Alastor Moody's Chest
Pensieve of memory
Dumbledore next to the pensieve in the film Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire.
The Pensieve can store human thoughts and memories, and anyone can subsequently view the thoughts of the Pensieve's owner.
To get a thought or memory, the wizard touches his temple with the tip of a magic wand, takes out his thought from there, which looks like a silver thread, and transfers it to the Pool.
You can view memories in two ways: either immerse your head in the Whirlpool and see everything as if you were inside the memory, or observe it on the surface of the Whirlpool and call up images from it using a magic wand.
The English name of the Pensieve is pension, composed from fr. - penser (think) and English - sieve (sieve).
Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire
Harry discovers the Pensieve in Dumbledore's office, looks into it and sees the headmaster's memories of the stages of the Death Eater trial.
Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix
Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows
Harry views various memories of Severus Snape, and as a result, realizes that Snape remained loyal to Albus Dumbledore.
Hermione's handbag
Hermione's small beaded handbag
Hermione used an Undetectable Expansion Charm on her handbag, which contains almost everything they need when they transgenerate from Bill and Fleur's wedding reception.
Transport
Flying brooms
flying broom
Nimbus 2000
Nimbus 2001
Brooms are a widely used type of magical transport in the world of Harry Potter. A man sits astride a broom, pushes off and takes off. Usually one person uses the broom, sometimes two people sit on the broom, and in critical situations three people can sit on the broom (it won’t lift more). If necessary, special straps can be used to attach a not too heavy load. It is never mentioned that any broom can fly. Obviously, a certain technology is used to make flying brooms. Broom manufacturers are constantly improving their products. There are family-grade, sports, racing and toy brooms.
- Family brooms - convenience and safety come to the fore.
- Sports - maneuverability and speed.
- Toys - fly very low from the ground (up to a meter), develop a very low speed.
You don't need any special spells to fly on a broom. And the fact that even one-year-old children can use toy brooms suggests that the magic lies in the broom itself (the first manifestations of magical abilities occur at the age of five or six). Brooms have their own models. Simple models are almost no different from ordinary brooms for cleaning. More best models They have a beautiful and comfortable shaft, the rods are connected and form a single tail.
Types of brooms
- Dubruch-79(1879) - a beautiful broom with a very thin oak handle. It is designed for long flights and can be used even in strong wind. Clumsy for sharp turns at high speed, so it was not used for Quidditch. Creator: Elias Grimston.
- Moonscraper(1901) - broom with ash handle. The main advantage of this broom over others at that time was that it could rise to greater heights than was possible before and maintain controllability at them. Creator: Gladys Buzbee.
- Silver Arrow(1902) - predecessor of the speed broom. Speeds up to 70 mph with a tailwind, which is faster than Moonscraper And Dubrucha. Creator: Leonard Jevkins.
- Chistyulya-1(1926) - a high-speed broom designed specifically for competitions. Was released in a huge number, which has not happened before. Could cut corners when turning. Creators: brothers Bob, Bill and Barnaby Ollerton (Cleany company).
- Comet-140(1929) - competitor Clean, has a braking spell. Creators: Randolph Keitch and Vasily Horton (Comet Company).
- Chistyulya-2 (1934)
- Chistyulya-3 (1937)
- Comet-180 (1938)
- Powder(1940) - a very elastic broom, although it could not reach speeds Comets or Clean. .
- Bystrica(1952) - faster broom than Powder, but lost power when climbing. Creator: Ellerbee and Spudmo company.
- Meteor(1965) - the cheapest speed broom at that time. After some time, it became clear that during long-term operation its speed and altitude characteristics deteriorated. Creator: Universal Brooms Company
- Nimbus-100(1967) - speed up to 100 miles per hour, could turn 360 degrees at any point in space, combined reliability Dubrucha-79 and ease of management Comets And Clean. Creator: Nimbus Speed Brooms Company.
- Nimbus-1001
- Nimbus-1500
- Nimbus-1700
- Ost-Hvorer-90(1990) - carefully finished, has a number of devices, such as a built-in warning whistle, self-straightening rods. Deforms at high speeds. Creators: Fleet and Barker.
- Comet 260- not a very fast broom, but it has some properties.
- Nimbus 2000(1991) - high-speed broom, the best at that time. Fast, maneuverable.
- Nimbus 2001(1992) - a high-speed black broom, similar to Nimbus 2000, but faster.
- Lightning(1993) - professional level broom, very fast, very sensitive, equipped with an auto-brake.
- blue fly- a broom for the whole family, safe, reliable, with a built-in anti-theft alarm.
Ford "England"
Ford "England"
Ford Anglia car- originally an ordinary Muggle car, which was magically “improved” by Mr. Weasley. Now the car could fly and become invisible. Using such a car was illegal and Arthur promised Molly that he would disassemble the Ford. But he kept dragging his feet on fulfilling the promise...
Ron and Harry were lucky enough to meet Fordik again: he saved them from a flock of acromantula spiders living in the Forbidden Forest.
Floo powder
Operating principle of Floo powder
You need to take a pinch of flying powder, throw the gunpowder into the fire and step into the fireplace. The flame in the fireplace turns emerald green and increases several times, it stops burning the skin and seems to the magician just a warm breeze. At this moment, you must say the name of the required place. You need to pronounce it clearly so as not to make the wrong address, because Harry Potter, traveling this way for the first time, mistakenly ended up in Knockturn Alley instead of Diagon Alley. After the wizard pronounces the name of the place, a fiery whirlwind begins to swirl him and takes him up or down, depending on the destination (“Above us and below us there are many magical fireplaces - exits to the streets”). After this, the wizard can only watch the fireplace grates that appear in front of him and exit when he sees the right one.
You can also communicate using floo powder without moving completely. To do this, after throwing in a pinch of gunpowder and calling the required address, you need to lower your head into the fireplace. Thus, the wizard himself will remain in the original place, and his head will appear in the desired fireplace.
Fireplace network
The fireplaces of most magical houses are interconnected into a single network, which allows wizards to quickly travel throughout the country. This transport is public, even children can use it.
Almost any fireplace can be connected to or disconnected from the fireplace network. For example, Arthur Weasley in Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire briefly energized the Dursley's fireplace to take Harry to the Quidditch World Cup.
Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix
Sirius Black's motorcycle
Sirius Black's motorcycle- Sirius had a flying motorcycle, which he left with Hagrid, Hagrid takes Harry on it after the death of his parents to Privet Drive, and ferries Harry out of the Dursleys' house.
Portal
The time turner cannot make fundamental changes in the course of events. For example, a flywheel cannot restore life to a murdered person. But with its help you can do probable real. But be careful! If the one who uses the flywheel meets his prototype in the past, this will lead to unpredictable consequences.
Vanishing wardrobe
Harry Potter and Hermione using a time turner
Other objects
Boiler
Boiler- a magical vessel in which potions are brewed. They come in different sizes and materials. Hogwarts students can purchase cauldrons from the shop of the same name in Diagon Alley.
Marauders Map
Marauders Map in Spanish.
Marauder's Map in the film "Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban".
Marauders Map- a special map that shows the location of any visitor