The Sorting Hat first appeared in J.K. Rowling's Harry Potter and the Philosopher's Stone novel from 1997 and made its film debut in Harry Potter and the Sorcerer's Stone in 2001, where its weathered voice sorts first-years into Gryffindor, Hufflepuff, Ravenclaw or Slytherin. The sorting ceremony became one of the franchise's most quoted rituals, fueling endless online house quizzes and TikTok sorting trends. Creators still use the audio because the house call is instantly recognizable and turns any group, fandom or personality reveal into a shared Hogwarts moment.