The Sorting Hat chooses students’ Hogwarts houses in J. K. Rowling’s Harry Potter series.
The enchanted hat is placed on a new student’s head during the Sorting Ceremony. It assesses the student and announces one of four houses: Gryffindor, Hufflepuff, Ravenclaw, or Slytherin. The ceremony is one of the earliest important traditions Harry encounters at Hogwarts.
The Sorting Hat originally belonged to Godric Gryffindor and was enchanted by the four founders to continue assigning students after their lifetimes. It can speak, sing songs, and perceive aspects of a student’s character and potential.
The hat is not the same object as the Marauder’s Map, which reveals Hogwarts passages, or the Mirror of Erised, which shows a person’s deepest desire. Harry’s fear of Slytherin and the hat’s attention to his preference demonstrate that personal choice can influence the sorting process.