why did the sorting hat want harry potter in slytherin?

Question

in the philosopher's stone when harry said "not slytherin" the sorting hat responded " not slytherin you could be great you know it is all hear in your head and slytherin can lead you to greatness, are sure ok gryffindor" why would slytherin lead him to greatness. the hat told harry ARE YOU SURE of this choice like he was going to make a mistake. book 2 he said i stand by what i said last year. what did slytherin have that other houses didn't? i need the best answers you can think not something at the top of your head. p.s. i know that students in the ceremony can make there own choices. but what about slytherin that the sorting needed harry to be in it.

Answer 1

well this really depends on whether you've read the entire series. if you have'nt (dont worry no spoilers) its coz of the same reason that he can talk to snakes and the same reason he has a scar that hurts, and a lot of other significant things that connect him to Lord Voldemort. please read the rest of the books otherwise you're going to get a lot of spoilers out of the 'anwerers' on here. hope that helped even a little bit.

Answer 2

The reason the sorting hat believed Harry would have done well in Slytherin was because Harry is a horcrux for Voldemort. A part of Voldemort is in Harry. The sorting hat realized that and thought that if he wanted to take the same path as the dark lord, Harry should be in the Slytherin house. By Harry choosing the Gryffindor house he was showing that he was not going to be controlled by what could have been set before him. Slytherins are great... but they tend to follow the wrong path. They care for only their own hide. Gryffindors are great, brave and care for others before themselves. In book 2, had Harry not cut off the sorting hat when it was explaining that he would have done well in Slytherin, he probably would have found out a bit more information about how he had chosen Gryffindor and that being the right choice. The sorting hat didn't need Harry to be in Slytherin... it only sensed the Voldemort within Harry that made him believe he would do well.

Answer 3

The sorting hat didn't want Harry in Slytherin. If it really did, Harry would have been IN Slytherin. THe Sorting Hat said at that Harry was "Difficult" to place, becuase he has strong powers and thirst to prove himself... The hat only said "not slytherin you could be great...etc" becaause Harry thought to himself "Not Slytherin" first!!.



Harry is NOT a pure blood. While James Potter comes from a long line of Wizards (one of whom is Perevell) Lily Evans Potter was Full Muggle Born...



In Book 2, The Sorting Hat stands by what he said... and he said "Gryffindor" - thats what the Hat yelled out to the crowd... Harry took off the Hat before the Hat could finish his sentence. If you notice, Harry pulled out the Sword of Godric Gryffindor and per Dumbledore, only a TRUE Gryffindor could pull that out of the hat meaning the Hat did NOT make a mistake.!!!

Answer 4

The Hat From Harry Potter

Answer 5

Slytherin Hat

Answer 6

Harry had Voldemort's soul inside of him. Voldemort was in Slytherin, so that part of Harry was Slytherin. The rest was Gryffindor. Harry was a true Gryffindor, though, being brave and showing that Dumbledore will always be at the school to those who needed him. The sword showed up because Harry was indeed a Gryffindor.

Answer 7

I believe the Sorting Hat felt Harry belonged in Slytherin because of the part of Voldemort that was in him. Probably the Sorting Hat felt that part of Harry's as well. And while Voldemort's soul didn't change Harry character, it sure influenced him in many ways. The most significant would be Harry being able to speak to snakes. And as we know, that's only Salazar Slytherin possessed and after him, his heir.

I doubt there's more about Slytherin leading him to greatness line. Probably the Sorting Hat felt Harry like some sort of heir of Slytherin. Like Voldemort was.

Answer 8

SLYTHERIN was the house of over achievers and students who go on to do great things. Harry Potter's personality, though suppressed from being raised with the Dursleys, was equivalent to the SLYTHERIN value system.



Yet Harry Potter wanted nothing to do with the members of SLYTHERIN whom he met and quickly disliked.



YET the sorting hat did make the correct initial choice of SLYTHERIN but was overruled by Harry's wishful thinking about GRYFFINDOR.

Answer 9

As we find out in the 7th book, a part of Voldemort's soul was in Harry. As Voldemort is a direct descendent of Slytherin himself, Voldemort had the qualities Slytherin prized. The sorting hat saw this part of Voldemort in Harry's head, and saw that Harry had some Slytherin qualities. Since Harry had several of them, the hat tried to place him in Slytherin. However, Harry chose not to be placed in Slytherin. And, as Dumbledore says in book 6, it is our choices that define us.

Answer 10

Warning: This is a spoiler if you haven't read the seventh book.

















Because Harry has a bit of Voldemort's soul in him: powers that a lot of Slytherins would die for.

Answer 11

because, in book two he finds out he is a parsel mouth.



He also shares a connection with Voldemort, (his scar) Plus Parsel Mouths are the sign of a dark lord.



Any way, he stands by my choice because in book seven, and others he proves to be more courageous than Voldemort ever was. The sorting hat knew this, but he also sensed the power, that was why the hat had a hard time with harry.

Answer 12

That is a VERY good question. I never thought of that. Maybe it is because he was a parselmouth so he could speak to snakes which was also a characteristic of Lord Voldemort who was a slytherin.

Answer 13

cuz harry is parseltongue like voldie n he's powerful,sorting hat thought harry would be good in slytherin except harry had strong gryffindor traits too. so dumbledore toast to harry when he chose gryffindor.

Answer 14

He can speak Parseltongue, a Pureblood and he is cunning, brave and willing to break the rules and that's what Salazar wanted.