Choice: The Sorting Hat (Random Thought)
Time for a bit of a ramble. I love the idea of the sorting hat in Harry Potter, but not in that it chooses which house you belong in. The amazing facet of Hogwarts, and any setting with its own distinct houses, guilds, factions or whatever, is how those let the audience choose what they want to align with. Legend of the Five Rings seem crafted just for that, same as Game of Thrones. People love having a faction they feel aligned with. The audience chooses a faction or group that aligns with their own personality. They get to personalize the setting a bit more. But here's a dealio: the idea that the Sorting Hat is a choice, and not something up to chance. No, my headcanon is that everyone who goes to Hogwarts gets to choose. The idea that it's chance seems less interesting. If the Sorting Hat itself asks each student which house they want to be in, that seems boring. It picks the two most relevant houses, and the student choose...