Skip to content

MuggleNet

  • Site
    • Contact Us & FAQ
    • History
    • Meet the Team
    • MuggleNet Live!
    • Press
    • Publications
    • Special Projects
    • Volunteer with Us!
    • Year in Review
  • Podcasts
    • Alohomora!
    • Full Circle
    • LITHAPPENS
    • Potterversity
    • Promptly Potter
    • SpeakBeasty
  • Harry Potter
    • Book Quotes
    • Book Series
    • Coloring Books
    • Film Companions
    • Film Series
    • Hogwarts Library
    • Little Things
    • Music
    • Video Games
  • Fantastic Beasts
    • Book
    • Coloring Books
    • Film Companions
    • Fantastic Beasts Film Quotes
    • Film Series
    • Little Things
    • Music
    • Video Games
  • The Quibbler
    • Owl Post
    • Bathilda’s Notebook
    • The Department of MYTHteries
    • The Dirigible Plum
    • Into the Floo
    • Muggle Studies
    • The Pensieve Papers
    • The Three Broomsticks
    • April Fools’
    • The Quibbler Vault
  • The Daily Prophet
    • Book Trolley
    • Editorials
    • Event Reports
    • Exclusive Interviews
    • Features
    • Giveaways
    • Listicles
    • Merchandise Reviews
    • Movie Reviews
    • Television Reviews
    • Theater Reviews
    • Wizolympics
  • Muggle World
    • Charity
    • Exhibitions
    • J.K. Rowling
    • MinaLima
    • Quadball
    • Studio Tours
    • Theatrical Play
    • Theme Parks
    • Wizarding World Digital
  • Fans & Fun
    • Crazy Caption Contest
    • Fan Focus
    • Fandom
    • Fandom Sortings
    • Fandom Timeline
    • Fun Lists
    • Games and Trivia
    • GNOMEs
    • Potter DIY
    • Potter Weddings
    • #PotterItForward
    • Rosmerta’s Recipes
    • Song Parodies
    • Wizard Rock
    • Wizarding Wordle
  • Site
    • Contact Us & FAQ
    • History
    • Meet the Team
    • MuggleNet Live!
    • Press
    • Publications
    • Special Projects
    • Volunteer with Us!
    • Year in Review
  • Podcasts
    • Alohomora!
    • Full Circle
    • LITHAPPENS
    • Potterversity
    • Promptly Potter
    • SpeakBeasty
  • Harry Potter
    • Book Quotes
    • Book Series
    • Coloring Books
    • Film Companions
    • Film Series
    • Hogwarts Library
    • Little Things
    • Music
    • Video Games
  • Fantastic Beasts
    • Book
    • Coloring Books
    • Film Companions
    • Fantastic Beasts Film Quotes
    • Film Series
    • Little Things
    • Music
    • Video Games
  • The Quibbler
    • Owl Post
    • Bathilda’s Notebook
    • The Department of MYTHteries
    • The Dirigible Plum
    • Into the Floo
    • Muggle Studies
    • The Pensieve Papers
    • The Three Broomsticks
    • April Fools’
    • The Quibbler Vault
  • The Daily Prophet
    • Book Trolley
    • Editorials
    • Event Reports
    • Exclusive Interviews
    • Features
    • Giveaways
    • Listicles
    • Merchandise Reviews
    • Movie Reviews
    • Television Reviews
    • Theater Reviews
    • Wizolympics
  • Muggle World
    • Charity
    • Exhibitions
    • J.K. Rowling
    • MinaLima
    • Quadball
    • Studio Tours
    • Theatrical Play
    • Theme Parks
    • Wizarding World Digital
  • Fans & Fun
    • Crazy Caption Contest
    • Fan Focus
    • Fandom
    • Fandom Sortings
    • Fandom Timeline
    • Fun Lists
    • Games and Trivia
    • GNOMEs
    • Potter DIY
    • Potter Weddings
    • #PotterItForward
    • Rosmerta’s Recipes
    • Song Parodies
    • Wizard Rock
    • Wizarding Wordle
  • Features / The Daily Prophet

Can the Sorting Hat Predict the Future?

by Lindsay Docken · January 23, 2019

The Hogwarts Sorting Hat holds one of the most important tasks in all of Hogwarts: Sorting generations of students. Despite this, no one knows all that much about the mysterious accessory. In Harry Potter’s first ever Sorting, the Sorting Hat claims that Godric Gryffindor took the hat right off his head and bewitched it. Since its creation, there has long been a debate about the ethics and practicality of Sorting children into single-character-trait-based Houses while they are at such a young and impressionable age. Many believe that Sorting students into what is essentially “good,” “evil,” “smart,” and “kind” will only propagate these stereotypes. There is certainly a myriad of research to suggest that remaining around only like-minded people can increase the shared mentality in the participants. However, what really interested me is the thought that perhaps instead of the Sorting Hat basing its decision on the children’s 11-year-old attributes, the Sorting Hat can actually see the wearer’s future.

 

 

When you think about it, the Sorting Hat seeing the future is not entirely out of the realm of possibility. We know that Godric Gryffindor was a talented wizard and he imbued the hat with not only his power but also the knowledge and requests of the other three founders. He seems to have given the hat Legilimency skills and perhaps even brought it to life all in order to keep Sorting after the passing of the founders. In addition, when not in use, the Sorting Hat resides in the Headmaster’s office. After centuries of listening in and learning from all of the powerful witches and wizards who have held the office, who is to say that the Sorting Hat has not developed powers of its own?

 

 

The biggest issue here, though, is what would the hat do with the ability to see the wearer’s future? My thought is that instead of the Sorting Hat’s decision shaping the student’s future, the wearer’s future shapes the decision.

Confused? Let me explain.

Instead of a student being Sorted into Gryffindor and then becoming brave, the hat runs through various scenarios in which the new pupil is Sorted into different Houses and makes the decision based on what it sees. There is already a precedent in the Harry Potter series to suggest that fate can greatly affect decisions. Most notably, the prophecy given by Professor Trelawny to Dumbledore works on the idea of fate, with some leeway given to account for the fact that the child who would bring about Voldemort’s demise could be either Neville Longbottom or Harry Potter. In the end, regardless of which child Voldemort attacked, the point was that he would select one of the boys. In doing so, Voldemort ensured his own downfall.

 

 

Furthermore, in Harry Potter and the Cursed Child, it is suggested that Neville is fated to kill Nagini, just as Cedric Diggory is fated to die in Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire. In this case, perhaps the Sorting Hat knew that Neville was to destroy Voldemort’s final Horcrux. Because of that, the hat placed Neville in Gryffindor not because it saw that young Neville had “daring, nerve, and chivalry,” but because it knew that in Gryffindor, he would develop his brave heart. The hat knew that being in Gryffindor would give Neville the push he needed to eventually accomplish his fearless goal.

So what do you think? Do you believe that the Sorting Hat is just a hat that is really good at guessing? Or perhaps that hat really does have something up its sleeve (“though [they] have none”)?

Social:

  • Next story Katherine Waterston Talks “Fantastic Beasts” and Her Latest Movie Role
  • Previous story Warner Bros. Studio Tour London Teases Newest Addition

MuggleNet Archive

Important Dates

July 2025

Mon, Jul 7

Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows - Part 2 movie (London premiere)
Recurs yearly

2011

Tue, Jul 8

Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire book
Recurs yearly

2000

Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban book (UK)
Recurs yearly

1999

WWoHP Diagon Alley at Universal Orlando's anniversary
Recurs yearly

2014

Wed, Jul 9

David O'Hara's birthday
Recurs yearly

Albert Runcorn

Thu, Jul 10

Fiona Shaw's birthday
Recurs yearly

Petunia Dursley

Fri, Jul 11

Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix movie (US)
Recurs yearly

2007

Sat, Jul 12

Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix movie (UK)
Recurs yearly

2007

Harry and Dumbledore travel to get Slughorn
Recurs yearly

1996

Harry officially learns he inherited Grimmauld Place and Kreacher
Recurs yearly

1996

MuggleNet podcasts are sponsored in part by Secretlab.

Thanks to its research-backed ergonomic design, including a proprietary 4-way adaptive lumbar support system, the Secretlab TITAN Evo Harry Potter Edition will comfortably support you even when you’re up to no good.

Did You Know

Aunt Marge’s “lift-off” effect in “Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban” was achieved using a combination of inflatable body parts, prosthetic makeup, air tubes, and wire harness.

Potter History

December 4, 2008 – The Tales of Beedle the Bard is released in the United States and the United Kingdom. To the dismay of some Harry Potter fans, many bookstores did not hold midnight release parties as they did for other books in the Harry Potter series.

Potter Quote

“The Elder Wand cannot serve me properly, Severus, because I am not its true master. The Elder Wand belongs to the wizard who killed its last owner. You killed Albus Dumbledore. While you live, Severus, the Elder Wand cannot be truly mine.”

MuggleNet is an unofficial Harry Potter fansite.
Please email us if you have any questions or concerns.
© 1999–2025 MuggleNet.com. All rights reserved.
Privacy Policy | COPPA Policy | Terms of Use | Feedback


MuggleNet is a participant in the Amazon Services LLC Associates Program and Bookshop.org's affiliate program, affiliate advertising programs designed to provide a means for sites to earn advertising fees by advertising and linking to amazon.com and bookshop.org.