| Re the Sorting Hat: After mulling it over, what I think is that the Hat is not a character, but, rather, a magical object. If the Hat is a character, why not the Sword of Gryffindor? Although the Hat has lines, and Hedwig and Crookshanks do not, the Hat can act only on command of a wizard, whereas the animals, although incapable of speech, can and do act independently in ways that affect the events of the story. |