After the Sorting Hat was forced to swallow Dolores Umbridge's ghost by mistake, then changed its voice and said some very rude things, the whole Hogwarts Great Hall erupted. The older students were generally excited by the discoveries that the Sorting Hat "could eat ghosts" and had become a "cutesy-voiced hat," while the first-years seeing it for the first time let their imaginations wander in stranger directions.
"Ha, did you see that clearly? The Sorting Hat's mouth actually opened that wide! I heard a really loud ripping sound, too. Oh-I know why it made that noise. Look, haven't a few of the patches on its brim burst off?" The first-years closest to the three-legged stool were the most excited-because they had seen it most clearly.
"Wow, you're right! A few really did burst off! Hmm, I think this could be a good opportunity. Mum put a sewing kit in my trunk. Do you think I could offer to 'sew you up' and get the Sorting Hat to put me straight into the house I want?"
"Wow, I think that would work. You're a genius! Which house do you want? Ravenclaw? Ha, I knew it! Ravenclaw's great. My sister, who graduated last year, was in Ravenclaw House. But rather than Ravenclaw,
"I want to go to Gryffindor. My sister said Gryffindor not only won the Quidditch championship last year, but the House Cup too. What's Quidditch, you ask? Oh, haha, then I'd better tell you all about it-"
"Hey, don't waste your breath. He looks like he's from a Muggle family. He probably doesn't even know what a Quaffle is. Besides, what's there to explain about Quidditch? Just take him to see a match, and he'll understand everything! Oh,
"did you just say your sister graduated last year? Then she really