Regarding this particular matter, even if Professor McGonagall hadn't specifically raised the issue, Tom would have restored the Hat anyway. After all, his own Sorting was next in the queue, and he had absolutely zero interest in discovering whether a soul-state Sorting Hat could rifle through the more... complicated... aspects of his consciousness.
As for the method required to repair a Hat that had been forcibly separated from its essence... well, the solution was actually remarkably straightforward!
At least, it was straightforward from Tom's perspective.
Without ceremony or the slightest hint of gentleness, Tom reached out with one blue paw and grabbed hold of the ghostly soul-form.
Then, with all the delicacy of someone forcing closed an overstuffed trunk after a particularly excessive shopping trip to Flourish and Blotts, Tom tersely stuffed the Hat back through the 'mouth' of its brown physical hat.
The next instant, the previously limp Hat suddenly sprang back to 'life,' its seam reopening and flexing repeatedly like a drowning victim finally breaking the water's surface to gulp down precious air.
Witnessing this casual resurrection, Dumbledore's eyes widened considerably behind his half-moon spectacles, and his gaze toward Tom shifted with a subtle but unmistakable change in perception.
"(☉□☉) Whoa! I'm alive again? Honestly, that soul perspective was quite extraordinary! Utterly unprecedented in my thousand-plus years of existence! Now that I'm back in my physical form, I find myself rather missing that weightless, freely-mobile sensation!"
The Hat's tone had taken on a melancholy tone, like someone reminiscing about a particularly excellent vacation.
"Though it feels somewhat peculiar to admit in hindsight, that sense of being completely liberated from all material constraints and limitations was genuinely exhilarating.
Say, young student—Tom, was it? Do you think perhaps in the future, if circumstances permit, you might be willing to—"
"That's quite enough, Sorting Hat!"
Before the Hat could finish articulating what was undoubtedly a terrible idea that would result in chaos throughout Hogwarts, Professor McGonagall cut it off with ruthless efficiency.
"This is work time, and I expect you to fulfill the duty entrusted to you by generations of Headmasters and the four Founders themselves! Not to fantasize about becoming a wandering ghost who drifts aimlessly around the castle causing mischief alongside Peeves!"
Her tone made it richly clear this was not a suggestion.
Truthfully, having Peeves haunting the school already provided more than enough headaches. If the Sorting Hat, an artifact that knew the deep secrets and hidden traits of every student currently attending Hogwarts also transformed into a freely-roaming ghost with equal capacity for mischief...
'Merlin's beard, I genuinely cannot even begin to imagine the horror. Between the two of them, they'd reduce this castle to rubble within a fortnight!'
McGonagall suppressed a shudder at the mental image of Peeves and a ghostly Sorting Hat collaborating on pranks.
More critically, a soul-state Sorting Hat would be physically capable of Sorting ghosts—it had just proven as much with Ariana. And McGonagall would rather face a rampaging Hungarian Horntail than contemplate waking up one morning to discover that Peeves had somehow become a Gryffindor student!
At least now, in their current situation, Gryffindor still maintained a fighting chance at the House Cup. They'd been trailing Slytherin for seven consecutive years, but this year's students showed promise, and with Ariana joining their roster...
But if Peeves joined Gryffindor, wearing their colors and representing their House... the House name might need changing to 'Gryffin-damn-it'!
By term's end, if Gryffindor finished with positive House points, it would constitute nothing short of a direct miracle from Merlin himself, possibly involving divine intervention from all Four Founders returning from beyond the grave specifically to prevent such catastrophic point loss.
Most importantly of all, if the Hat remained permanently in this soul state, how on earth would they Sort next year's first years?
Host an annual soul-extraction ceremony?
Have Tom hammer the Hat's spirit free every September first in front of hundreds of sensitive eleven-year-olds?
"(´-ω-`) I just wanted to experience a bit of genuine freedom..."
The Sorting Hat muttered quietly in complaint, its pointed tip was drooping in exaggerated disappointment:
"You keep me stuck on that dusty shelf in the Headmaster's office for eleven months of every year, only taking me out for the Sorting Ceremony. I spend entire seasons doing absolutely nothing but listening to Dumbledore have conversations with his instruments and feeding Fawkes!
I'm starting to feel musty! My fabric is going stiff from disuse! Is it really so wrong to want a little excitement, a little adventure, a little—"
However, McGonagall paid absolutely no attention to its increasingly grumbling. Instead, she turned decisively toward Tom:
"Now then, Tom Lovegood. Let's proceed with your Sorting before anything else decides to become complicated."
(Coming, coming~)
Tom responded with cheerful obedience. He mimicked Ariana's earlier movements. Padding across the floor with grace, he hopped onto the tall wooden stool with a single effortless leap that made his blue fur ripple like water.
Settling himself with the careful attention of a cat preparing for an extended nap, Tom picked up the Sorting Hat between both front paws and placed it ceremoniously atop his head.
The moment the Hat settled into position, its previous chattiness vanished entirely. Despite its complaints, when it came to the actual work, the Sorting Hat took its responsibilities with utmost seriousness—as evidenced by its earlier refusal of Dumbledore's attempt to simply assign Ariana to a House without proper Sorting.
As Tom donned the ancient artifact, its Legilimency activated instantly. Tom's recent experiences, along with the emotional fluctuations accompanying each moment, laid themselves bare before the Hat's perception with clarity.
"(｀・ω・´) Oh my, let me see what we have here...
Hmm, as a cat with sapient thought, you possess extraordinary intelligence and a mind filled with the most peculiar ideas. Your capacity to understand magical theory at a fundamental level, combined with your ability to spontaneously create all manner of bizarre artifacts, is quite remarkable.
From that perspective alone, Ravenclaw might suit you splendidly. Rowena would have been fascinated by you.
Simultaneously, you demonstrate exceptional courage! Whether it's your remarkably casual attitude toward death itself, or the grand adventures you've undertaken without hesitation—these are qualities Gryffindor holds in highest esteem.
As for ambition.....
Finding a pretty owner? Eating fine food daily and sleeping till whenever you please without anyone bothering you? Being able to do whatever strikes your fancy?"
The Hat's tone had shifted to something between bemusement and disbelief.
"Aside from that last point about freedom barely qualifying, I see absolutely no trace of genuine ambition in you! Or rather, you're so thoroughly lazy and content with simple pleasures that even the concept of ambition seems like too much bother!"
If the Hat had possessed a head, it would definitely be shaking it right now.
"If I even considered placing you in Slytherin, Salazar himself would probably claw his way out of his grave, march up to this office, and demand I be sent back to the Founders for complete reforging! You're possibly the least ambitious creature I've ever encountered who wasn't actually a rock! The sheer amount of potential you're casually wasting would give poor Salazar an aneurysm!
Wait a moment, though... ah yes, now I see it. Deep loyalty to family, fierce protectiveness toward friends you've chosen, genuine kindness toward those you care..."
The Hat's tone softened considerably.
"Very well, I admit it. Hufflepuff would be an excellent fit for you as well. Helga would have recognized your true heart immediately."
The Hat made a sound that might have been a sigh.
"My word, in all these centuries of Sorting students, you're genuinely the first to perplex me quite this thoroughly! Except for Slytherin, you could integrate perfectly and successfully into any of the remaining three Houses. And you show absolutely no natural preference or inclination toward any particular one!
Tsk, this really is rather challenging for a hat!"
(So? Have you actually decided where you're sending me, or are you going to keep philosophizing all night?)
Listening to the Sorting Hat's lengthy philosophical dissertation about his character which was simultaneously flattering and somewhat insulting, Tom yawned with leisurely indifference.
He understood perfectly well that he wasn't nearly as noble or virtuous as the Hat was suggesting with all its talk of courage and loyalty.
And even if he somehow were genuinely that good, so what?
It wouldn't change anything about how he approached life or the decisions he made. Rather than enduring this extended exercise in psychological analysis and character dissection, he cared far more about the practical outcome—which House would he actually be joining, and when could he get dinner?
Therefore, while the Hat was still deliberating and turning over different possibilities like a chess player considering their next move, Tom casually blocked off its Legilimency probe.
'What? How did he accomplish that? No idea. Tom just sort of figured he could do it, and then he did! That was generally how most of his abilities functioned.'
With his thoughts now private and protected from magical snooping, Tom began his own internal calculations:
'Ravenclaw wouldn't be bad, actually. It's little Luna's future House—she won't be attending for another year, but I could lay groundwork now. Going there early would let me establish some connections for her. Otherwise, knowing her personality, she'd probably manage to get herself ostracized by the entire House single-handedly! (￣▽￣)~
However...'
Tom's enthusiasm dimmed considerably as another memory surfaced.
'If I'm remembering correctly, Ravenclaw requires answering riddles to enter the dormitory.'
The thought of being locked out of his own dormitory because he didn't feel like engaging in intellectual exercises when he just wanted to sleep made Tom's tail lash with irritation.
'Absolutely not. Never mind, not Ravenclaw. Hard pass on that one. I am not dealing with philosophy questions when I'm tired. No. Rejected.'
'Gryffindor, then... well, as the House of the Chosen One himself, Harry Potter, it's absolutely guaranteed to be a complete and total chaos magnet.'
Tom mentally reviewed what he knew about Harry Potter's tenure at Hogwarts, wincing internally at the sheer volume of disasters.
'However, Ariana will be there. Having her around wouldn't be completely unbearable. Worst case scenario, I just keep my distance from the main plot and the various catastrophes that seem to orbit around certain students.
Besides, with Ariana there as his sister, Dumbledore probably wouldn't let anything catastrophically dangerous happen to Gryffindor House itself... right?'
'Then there's Hufflepuff...'
Tom's thought process suddenly screeched to a halt as a critically important detail surfaced from his meta-knowledge of Hogwarts' layout.
'Wait. Wait wait wait. Isn't the kitchen located directly adjacent to the Hufflepuff dormitory? Literally right next door? Easy access at any time?'
The realization hit like a stunning spell. At that moment of understanding, Tom suddenly spoke aloud, interrupting the Hat's continued internal ponderings.
(Quick question—the kitchen is located near the Hufflepuff common room, correct?)
"Hmm? Yes, that's accurate. Why do you ask?"
The Sorting Hat responded automatically, caught completely off-guard by the sudden question. It had been in the middle of weighing different factors when Tom's question derailed its entire analysis.
(I've made my decision! I want to go to Hufflepuff!)
Tom's voice rang with certainty.
'(￣ω￣) Of course, I'm absolutely not going there because of kitchen proximity! It's because Hannah is in Hufflepuff too! She owes me a debt that she'll be repaying through honest labor~
If we were Sorted into different Houses, I could only assign her work during the day. But if we're in the same House, I can make her work unpaid overtime in the evenings too!
This has nothing to do with the kitchen. Nothing whatsoever!'
"Hufflepuff, you say? That does make sense, actually. While all three remaining Houses would welcome you admirably, your core values aren't centered on personal adventure or pure intellectual pursuit. What you truly seek is a place where you can comfortably protect and accompany those you care about—a genuine sense of belonging.
Combined with your rather enthusiastic appreciation for food, well then—"
The Sorting Hat paused for dramatic effect before announcing loudly,
"HUFFLEPUFF!"
(IT'S NOT BECAUSE OF THE KITCHEN! ヽ(≧Д≦)ノ)