Why wasn't Hermione a Ravenclaw? Why wasn't Peter Pettigrew a Slytherin? Hermione had all the qualities of a Ravenclaw and Pettigrew, well... was he really brave? If we didn't know better, no one would say he was a Gryffindor. So why these weird choices? How does the Sorting Hat work and why does it seem to be wrong at times?
I thought about this for a long time and I think I might have an answer. It might not be right, it's definitely not canon, but this is what I like to believe. The Sorting Had never admitted it was wrong. Why? Is it too proud to admit it was wrong? It seems to have a personality, so it might be too proud. But I don't think it was ever wrong. Let's not forget that four of the greatest wizards at that time invented it. It might even have a bit of their own personalities and traits. So why does it look like the Sorting Hat has made some mistakes?
I think there were no mistakes, just a misundersating of the sorting process. My theory is that the house you're sorted in does not reflect the traits you own, but the traits you value the most. It explains why Hermione and Peter went to Gryffindor. They valued bravery, a trait they were lacking on. We always want what we don't have, don't we?
What do you think? Do you agree with my theory? Do you love Harry Potter as much as I do? Leave a comment and let me know :)
(Photos from pottermore.com)