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Oh, yes, Bellatrix. And Lucius, and Narcissa, and Snape, and freakin' Tom Riddle. Yeah, awesome people. Just in general.

I think Ollivander was a Ravenclaw. Obviously, wandmaking is a very difficult career, and takes someone with depth and intelligence to do it; he's also very appreciative of intelligence and power (like that one part where he says how great Voldemort was)/

Great question Yuudai, I am going to have to generalize here, because every single school I have been to have either had three or four houses that the students are split up in. Obviously, if they did have houses they would not be named the same as Hogwarts.

The schools I went to based the names on a variety of different sources, one school had Australian sports legends, another one was native aboriginal words. So, going by the fact that all the schools I have been to have had houses, I would say that Durmstrang and Beauxbatons would have them too, but it would probably be too hard to say what the houses would be named after.

As a guess though, I like to think that Beauxbatons is all about look and name, so the houses may be named after past students who became world famous for advances in magic. But Durmstrang would not have that though, because even if they left Grindlewald out of the house names, people would still be reminded of him and his deeds. Perhaps place names or powerful spells? But really, the list of possible sources is so vast I could go all night theorizing.

That question has in no way been answered satisfactorily.
Who do you think would become the headmaster of Hogwarts after Snape, as McGonagall would probably retire.

This is great people! All very good ideas! I never thought about Filch in any of the houses. I think we need more information to truly base everything on what his house would be. I would love Flitwick as the new headmaster! Considering that after the war Kingsley became the prime minister, I should hope under his guidance that the ministry did not interfere at Hogwarts. I'd like to think that Neville would eventually become the new Headmaster in the future.

Here's a new question: Do you think the hat sorts people at too young of an age? Do you think that an eleven year old really fully comes into their personality at such young an age? Psychologically speaking, people develop morally, emotionally and their personalities change in some aspects throughout their lives. Traits almost always stay constant but actions never do. What about Snape? Do you believe he as he got older deserved to be in Gryffindor because he in actuality turned out to be very brave? What's your opinion?

I think it's pretty darn obvious that they sort the students much too early seeing how they haven't even hit puberty and their minds haven't finished developing yet. Even Dumbledore admitted it to Snape that he thought he'd make a better Gryffindor than Slytherin, which Snape was obviously shocked by. At least that was the impression I got when I read one of the chapters the last book.

This is a pretty odd question, but what exactly was it with the veil Sirius fell through? I always thought that since he died so uniquely compared to the other victims in the books, there would be revealed something more about it. And unless I have a bad memory, we didn't find anything more about the thing after the fifth book. Perhaps Rowling tried to show some sort of methaphor using it? I am not sure. confused Hope I don't ask something too silly.

Filch loves to actually torture rule-breaking students, and I don't recall sadism being a trait for any house! mrgreen Although, most Death Eaters like it, and the majority of them come from Slytherin, though that's not information to go on for me to Sort Filch.

Agreed! exclaim Ollivander is definitely a Ravenclaw. He learns everything about his wands not because he needs the information, but because he genuinely enjoys knowing it. Very Ravenclaw-sh. 3nodding His fascination with Voldemort's powers isn't Slytherin-like since Ollivander doesn't want power for himself. He's just so interested with what Voldemort can do, like a scientist that wants to combine certain chemicals even though he knows the result could be toxic he can't curb his curiosity.

I definitely agree with Ghoul; Sorting doesn't occur too early. A persons' internal traits, like capacity for intelligence or courage, is something he's born with. True, experiences can determine if they reach their potential or change their opinion of certain things, but the cores of people are decided from birth. 3nodding For example, Remus' experiences made his boggart the full moon, but that doesn't change who he is, or what House he should be in. Also, Sirius was exposed to the same things as the rest of the Black children, but his very spirit was different from that of his relatives, making him a Gryffindor.

The veil and Ron and Hermione's relationship? Do those topics belong in this thread? Oh well, doesn't matter. Lots of fan fictions have the veil lead to alternate universes. Personally, I think it leads to a Limbo in-between sort of place, but I don't doubt that Sirius got to Heaven rather quickly. I don't know if you lot have heard this before, but...

Sirius Black:
Defied Family
Escaped Azkaban
Defeated Dementors
Evaded Ministry
Killed by Drapery

Amusing in a sad way, isn't it? Anyway, I think Hermione could do much better than Ron and I hate the fact that they're together. evil However, honestly, because there has been attraction *gag* between them for so long I believe it would be easy to adjust to being lovers since it must be a relief to finally be rid of the tension.

Getting back to the Sorting, I'm surprised nobody brought up Tonks yet. She's a fairly popular character, though I don't like her. As much as I loathe admitting it, she was probably in Gryffindor. I don't want a clumsy girl that has awful hair by choice (I hate spiky hair. I hate short hair on a girl. I hate the colour pink. See my problem with her hair?) and actually prefers things to be messy in my House! scream I guess I'll get over it. Besides, I'm a big girl and I can confess my biggest issue with her is that she's with Remus when he's supposed to be with Sirius. No one will ever convince me otherwise. Even though she's in my House it's not as if she's in my year, right? smile

How about Amelia Bones? She's certainly hard-working and loyal to her principles over her career ambition. Hufflepuff is my vote, but Gryffindor is a possibility.

I think Andromeda was a Hufflepuff. I'm not too sure--I might be confusing her with Nymphadora.
I think sorting comes too early...though a lot of people are 'born with' their traits, or have them ingrained from their childhood, people change. And especially in Harry Potter where nasty events happen every single year (though that's probably not the case normally) people will be greatly affected and their personalities might change. And even without major events in life, priorities shift...which might change the House a person would belong in. I don't really think there is a capacity for intelligence or courage. It's limitless, as long as you think it's limitless. Though the amount of mental work (haha) a person might have to put behind that characteristic will vary, due to upbringing. Using the same examples, Remus was bitten at age four, right? So he must have developed some kind of bravery to stand up against his peers and the people who were prejudiced against him. However, Remus seems like more of a Hufflepuff (he is not very assertive and seems to let James and Sirius take the lead) and if he hadn't been bitten until, say, second year, he might have been sorted wrong. And I don't think Sirius was born light. He must have had some experiences that were different from the rest of his family. And Regulus, his younger brother, discovered that Voldemort wasn't the best person to follow--just a bit too late. And Regulus stood up against Voldemort (I imagine that takes quite a bit of bravery) but he was a Slytherin in school. Some people, like Draco, are definitely sorted into the right house. But Hermione probably wouldn't be much of a Gryffindor if she had never met Harry and Ron, and had to journey through the difficult tasks that filled Harry's stoy. I don't see where Snape is power hungry...I interpreted his sorting in to Slytherin as his ambition to prove himself beyond his half-blood and unhappy household. His love for Lily changes him to show Gryffindor traits for a Slytherin reason--though a lot of things are done for Slytherin reasons, but the people who do those things aren't Slytherins. (Then I get lost and off on a bird walk about what the houses really mean). People don't really mature to a point at all--throughout a lifetime, anything can cause a change in personality that might make them want to change houses. So Sorting is, in a way, too early...but it can't be helped, because it's never late enough for Sorting to be completely accurate. But then, most people don't end up changing.
I'm not too sure about the veil, but this is how I understand it...dead people go behind it into wherever-it-is. Sirius wasn't actually killed by the veil--Bellatrix hit him with the Avada Kedavra before he went in. So Sirius was actually dead beforehand. I think normally the physical dead bodies stay in normal-land but because the force of the curse pushed Sirius' body through, he just went poof and disappeared.

Tonks wasn't in my House? YES! *dances* dramallama No offense; I know almost everyone else likes her.

Nope, I stand by the sorting not being done too early. Don't you know most seriel killers IRL torture animals when they're children, and eventually upgrade to people as adults? question By nature, children either love or fear animals, but psychopaths have something screwed up in their brains. They're born that way, and not even the best parents in the world can fix it. Ever hear of David, the Child Called 'It,' the boy that was terribly abused by his mother for years? It's sooo sad crying and disturbing, but he grew up to be a "normal" man even though children abused not as badly as himself wound up dead (due to drugs and various things) or abusive themselves because something in him was strong enough to overcome it. 3nodding Psychology is my college major, so I study all of this. I'm not trying to change anyone's opinion; just putting the information out there.

Bellatrix hit Sirius with a jet of red light, not green, so it wasn't Avada Kedavra. Stunning Spells are red, so many people assume it was that. Others think it was a Dark Hex of some sort, but it wasn't the Killing Curse.

Wow, this is fun.
This hits upon the whole nature vs. nuture thing.
Though genetics definitely plays a large role in development, as it is in charge of which proteins are floating around in your head, I think the conditions you are raised in causes the suppression or special expressing of certain traits.
For example, identical twins that are separated at birth generally have very different interests if they are raised in very different households. And even if identical twins are raised in the same household, sometimes they end up different (due to different influences outside of the family).
Oh, I thought Bellatrix hit Sirius with the killing curse. -scratches head- That's good to know. Oh well, he's still gone. XD
Some people are definitely screwed up in their brains, but it is often a result of childhood trauma. Yes, some people are born that way, but that's a rare exception.
Whatever causes people to be the way they are, I still think it's too early for the Sorting Hat. If you look carefully at the Houses, the lines between houses are very fine. A single event or the influence of a friend could cause a person to shift in personality enough to place them in a different house. Of course, I'm not talking about sudden bloodthirstyness, or an influx of sympathy--I mean little things.
For example, let's begin with a Ravenclaw who has a nice, wealthy, pureblood background. This Ravenclaw holds studying as important, because s/he believes that that is the path for his/her future. Suddenly, his/her family is totally trashed and falls from their high position because of some random mean person. With the support and aid of friends, the Ravenclaw might become a Hufflepuff in his/her undying loyalty to his/her family. Without, or with other circumstances, the Ravenclaw might become a Slytherin with ambitions to gain back the status s/he had before the familial fall.