Nature versus nurture
Author's note: hey guys! Sorry for any mistakes I made. Don't hesitate to point the out so I'll do better next time :).
Disclamer: I do not own anything except my ideas. Harry Potter is J.K. Rowling's.
Albus Dumbledore strode out of the fireplace with practiced ease. the wizard determinately entered the headmaster's office before taking a quick look around. The many metal baubles he had collected over the years swirled in soothing patterns that very few people understood. He soon laid eyes on the tattered old hat on a shelf. He lifted gently before placing it on stool. Dumbledore sat down in his chair and watched the sorting hat come to life in fascination. He would never get tired of seeing the transformation of an inanimate object to an animate one.
For a few seconds, he mentally prepared himself for the discussion to come. He had already ensured that the boy would be introduced to the right sort of people as soon his introduction to the wizarding world. Now the only contingency he had to take care of was the sorting. His plans to nudge the boy in the right direction would go much more smoothly if the boy was in gryffindor. Being surrounded by people who looked up to him in an almost reverential fashion certainly wouldn't do any harm. Now he only had to make the sorting hat agree with him.
"Hello headmaster, isn't it a few days before the children's sorting? Why are you waking me up now?" The hat said pleasantly.
"My old friend, I awakened you because I am in need of your help. I was wondering if you could grant me a simple request." Albus announced as he flashed the hat a gentle smile.
"I will do what I can, within reason." The hat replied seriously as it straightened itself.
Albus gently stroked his beard for a few moments before replying.
"Young Harry Potter will be enrolling in hogwarts this year, and I would like to have a guarantee that he sorted in gryffindor."
"I cannot guarantee that the boy will not be more suited to another house, Albus. I cannot put him in a house where he would not thrive. What you are suggesting is against protocol." The sorting hat declared stiffly.
"I think that every student has the potential for bravery, thirst for knowledge, ambition or loyalty given the right situation. I'm simply asking you to consider the situation and sort him accordingly. You must understand what is at stake if he is influenced by peers who will follow the dark lord." Albus replied.
"It is true that I usually have many options when it comes to sorting a student. The Human character changes and evolves constantly, especially when the students in question are still developing their character. My decision is very important because will influence who the student will interact with, how he or she will be judged by their peers, which values the student will favor, and so on and so forth. That is why the sorting must be taken seriously and must proceed without foul play." The hat explained.
"I agree that the sorting is a very important" Albus acknowledged, "But Harry will eventually save our race. He must be prepared when the time comes. He will learn to face dangerous situations with a level head if he sorted into gryffindor. I do not want any of my students to die prematurely. You would also be preventing him from his family legacy. Surely you want young Potter to be in the same house as his parents?"
"If you manipulate the boy's every move, you are stripping him of his free will!" The hat exclaimed. "Why do you think I was created? If the sorting was not done by a neutral third party, the students would never reveal their full personality and people like you would place the students in houses that they share no compatibility with because of political machinations! As for his family, he does not need to be in the house of lions to learn about his family. You know he will eventually discover people who will be willing to talk about them. I do not sort the children according to their family. Sirius Black is living proof of that."
"Harry makes his choices willingly, I only make sure that the circumstances are favourable for the defeat of Voldemort." Albus calmly countered. "You must understand that the fate of the entire wizarding world rest on Potter's young shoulders. If he started having doubts, we would all be doomed. Furthermore, Sirius has become a criminal and is further proof that the dark families should be sorted into slytherin." He offered the hat a grandfatherly smile.
"If you put young Harry in slytherin, you will ruin any chance he has to be treated fairly by the light side. They will scrutinize his every movement because they will all believe he is the next dark lord. He will be ostracized by most of the school because of what the slytherin house represents. Surely you will not let such a horrible thing happen?"
"Albus, why does it seem as if you are convinced the child will be in the house of snakes?" The sorting hat asked. "Besides, it is the responsibility of the staff to make sure that the students are not bullied. You will be in grave trouble with the board of governors if you do not take action."
"No matter how omniscient I seem, there will always be situations that I cannot detect or intervene. I am but an old man." Dumbledore said sadly.
"That does not excuse the fact that you are manipulating an innocent child. I refuse to bend to your foolish whims. Even if Potter has some courage in him, I do not need to put him in gryffindor. I will judge the potter heir by his personality and his personal preference." The sorting hat replied.
Albus let out a long sigh and looked at the hat sadly.
"It seems that we will not come to an agreement, my old friend. I am terribly sorry for this."
As the sorting hat started demanding what the headmaster was planning, Dumbledore pulled out the elder wand out of his beard and aimed it at the magical object.
"It's for the greater good, my friend." Albus said. "For the greater good."
"Confundus"
As the first year came into the great hall single file, the chatter came to an end. The new students were looking at the enchanted ceiling in undisguised wonder. Their attention focused on professor Mcgonagall when she dragged out a three-legged stool. When the deputy headmistress placed a tattered old hat on the seat, the first years appeared confused. But the mystery was soon solved when the hat began singing about the qualities the four founders had valued in their house.
When the hat was finished with its song, professor Mcgonagall pulled out a piece of parchment and started calling out names alphabetically. As most of the students were sorted, the air of excitement in the room increased. Every student was craning their necks to get a glimpse of the famous (or infamous) boy-who-lived. Thankfully, Harry potter's name was soon called out. As the small boy walked to the stool, Albus gazed at him intently. The sorting hat was soon placed on Harry's head. As time dragged on, Albus became steadily more nervous. While Dumbledore doubted that he had performed a mistake in his spell casting, he still worried it had gone wrong.
Fortunately, the hat soon bellowed out "gryffindor!"
Dumbledore made sure that his announcements would attract curious gryffindors to a certain forbidden third floor corridor and began the welcoming feast. As he sat down, he stole one last glance at the future saviour of the wizarding world. They locked gazes for a few moments. Albus raised his cup in welcome and tried to make sure that his smile did not turn into a pleased grin.
The things I do for the greater good. He thought before starting to eat his dinner.
End
Author's note: this was inspired by the triwizard tournament. Apparently, Barty Crouch Junior cast a confundus on the triwizard cup to enter Harry in the tournament. When I remembered that the sorting hat was also a sentient magical object, the inspiration came quickly.
I personally find it terrifying that the kids in Harry Potter are sorted into different houses by personality. I think it would creates unnecessary prejudice, favoritism and stereotypes. Imagine being denied a job because of your "personality" when you were eleven. Teachers and older wizards would have favoritism towards any students in their previous house. I also find kind of surprising that some families have been going to the same house for generations. It makes you start to wonder if it's how they raise their kids or if the hat is really sorting by bloodline. If so, don't you think the hat is being hypocritical? Hence, nature vs. nurture.
Albus also has a lot potential as a villan because most people would never suspect him.
Thank you so much for reading. Please review.
Poochiemay
P.s. My colleague is writing stories in French on this account. If you liked my story, I recommend reading them. Though they may seem similar to my stories, the story content is completely different.