I was unbelievably touched at the sheer number of reviews I got. Whoever reviewed, THANK YOU. SO MUCH. I had a not so great day, and the reviews honestly made it completely awesome.

So awesome I decided to make you a bonus chapter.

Not that this story is ending! No, no. It's just that this chapter is very different from the usual. For one, it doesn't Sort anyone. No, this is the

BONUS CHAPTER:
HOW THE SORTING HAT CAME TO BE

It's how exactly Gryffindor got his hands on it, and why and how he turned it smart. :) ENJOY!

An eleven year old Godric Gryffindor tore open his birthday presents, one after another.

"Oh, boy, Salaazar!" he shrieked ecstatically. "OH, BOY!"

On the table in front of the excitable young boy lay a hat.

It was brand new, obviously. It was made of very fine, polished black leather and had a wide brim. When Godric slipped it on, it fell far over his eyes, almost onto his nose.

He pulled it off, set it carefully in front of him, and ran his hands around it lovingly.

Salaazar Slytherin, Godric's best friend, suppressed a laugh. "It's just a hat, Godric! It hardly cost me anything. I have your bigger present." He brandished a long, oddly shaped package.

"Yeah," said snooty smart Rowena Ravenclaw, who Godric had definitely not wanted to invite, but Salaazar had a mad crush on the snobby thing, so he had reluctantly let him tell her that he said that he could tell her to come along, under his (Slytherin's) begging. (He wanted to make it very clear that he did not want Rowena over.) "It's not even pretty."

"Yeah," piped up tagalong Helga Hufflepuff, who was actually fairly nice. "Um..yeah."

Godric looked at his friends in mock pity. "You idiots," he said. "It's a wizards hat."

Godric's mother clamped a hand over his mouth while his dad frantically urged down the curtains. "Godric," admonished Mrs. Gryffindor, "what have we told you about saying that in public?"

"Salem Witch Burnings, yeah, yeah, yeah, Iknow," said Godric impatiently. "But Mum, look at it! It's so wizardy!"

Salaazar looked closely at it. "It is pretty cool," he agreed. "Now open the big one I brought you. Come on!"

Gryffindor undid the paper of the gift in front of him, and nearly fainted.

In front of him, emblazoned with his name, was a ruby-encrusted sword.

* * *

Some dozens of years later, just five minutes after Slytherin leaves the school:

Godric Gryffindor, now a founder of Hogwarts, sat with his head in his hands in his study. His best friend, Salaazar Slytherin, was no longer his best friend, no longer even his close friend. He was gone. Forever.

He's left me.

No. I chased him away.

Gryffindor suddenly realized something. There had to still be a Slytherin house—because none of the others would take the shrew people into their house. But how now would students be selected for it?

He leaned his head far forward and his hat, now worn down after so many years, fell into his hands.

Slytherin had given him that Hat.

So maybe..

If he had all four founders..

But then he'd need a bit of Slytherin..

"WAIT!" he shrieked, sprinting down the stairs. "SALAAZAR!"

"What do you want?"

Godric shook his head and spun around. There, emerging from a girls' toilet, for some reason, was his former best friend.

Godric pointed his wand as quickly as possible at Salaazar. "Pensievus!" he yelled.

"WHAT THE—WHAT ARE YOU DOING?" Salaazar yelled as silvery gas seemed to flow from his head to an outstretched hat.

When enough had come in, Godric flipped the hat back upside down and muttered Pensievus again, to himself this time. His own memories—of what he wanted in a Gryffindor, of how he chose Gryffindors—now flowed in.

"Slytherin house must live on," said Godric solemnly, "and the only way to do that is to preserve his memory."

Salaazar's gaze softened slightly, but hardened quickly. "I'm still leaving."

Godric smiled slightly. "I'd expect nothing less," he said quietly. "Goodbye..my friend."

Salaazar gave him a long stare.

"Goodbye."

And he was gone.

* * *

After collecting the girls' memories and making the hat—now the Sorting Hat—clever as possible, Godric had an epiphany.

He picked up the ruby encrusted sword from his desk, and muttered a few charms.

It was to spite Slytherin.

But it was also so his memory would live on.

That Hat would chose now, not only where people went..

..but a true Gryffindor, who in his time of need, would pull the sword from that hat.

And that, my dear readers, is how the Sorting Hat, and the Sword, came to be.

Kind of a dumb ending, but I am..somewhat proud of this little thingy. Oh, and by the way, Gryffindor was saying the spell for what I personally think you say to transfer your thoughts to a Pensieve. :D You never know. Oh, and when Slytherin was coming out from the bathroom..why, he was building the Chamber, of course! And I don't know why Godric wasn't suspicious. Leave the poor guy alone! He's going through a lot. :D Oh, and I probably made them all way to modern, as they should have been saying thee and thou and all, but I just wanted to write this. So, please overlook the little things :D.

Next up will probably be a next gen. :