11 things the Harry Potter movies actually did right

Harry’s First Sorting Ceremony

The task of visualizing the Sorting Hat was made much easier once the films were created. Harry’s first sorting ceremony bears many similarities to its book counterpart. The only thing that is excluded, sadly, is the hat’s song, which offers a colorful description of each Hogwarts house. The film makers decided to explain these attributes through dialogue instead.

The song aside, the scene impeccably captures the anxiety of the first-years, none of whom know how the sorting works. They crowd into the Great Hall, shivering and wearing nervous expressions, as Professor McGonagall calls them up. The Transfiguration teacher does little to alleviate their worries, another detail that remains true to the books.

The film also demonstrates the hat’s struggle in deciding where to place Harry. The hat’s dialogue is nearly identical to the dialogue in the books. It recognizes courage, intelligence, and ambition in Harry. But after Harry pleads “Not Slytherin,” the hat reluctantly decides to place him in Gryffindor.

The feast that follows the sorting unfolds as it does in the books. Harry is introduced to the other Gryffindors, including Ron’s eldest brother, Seamus, Neville, and Dean. Sir Nicholas even comes in to show off his ghostly talents. And viewers get their first taste of Dumbledore’s eccentricity. All in all, Harry’s first night at Hogwarts lives up to the book.