I've been reading each thread, each post over the past 24 hours... yes, every single one...

One of the topics I see touched on, but not truely discussed was how did the Sword end up in the sorting hat?

To me, this was obvious when I read DH... The sorting hat has the same sort of magic that the Room of Requirement does... it provides what is needed when help is asked... I think added with the fact that the Sword truly didn't belong to the current barer...

Just a thought...

i wondered that also..but was there ever any other instance that we saw in any of the books where the hat provided something , like an object, that someone needed, to help? if there is i can't really remember

I do not believe the Hat has the same magic as the Room of Requirement. The Sorting Hat belong to Godric Gryffindor and therefore would only and has only given the Sword of Godric Gryffindor to those who need it. I do not think that anything else would come out of the Hat, only the Sword.

Also, along these lines: The only other time we see the sorting hat produce something was in the Chamber when Harry showed undying loyalty to Dumbledore. Harry was able to produce the sword. Same thing with Neville. Neville showed undying bravery and loyalty to Harry . . . and as a result of his determination and might, he was able to pull the sword out at the moment he needed it most.

And like DD told Harry when he had pulled the sword out of the Sorting Hat, it took a true Gryffindor to pull it out. Neville was finally living up to his Gryffindor status. I was quite proud of him.

Also, JKR said that the founders were speaking through the Hat, it would make sense that GG (or his essence) would be able to summon his sword through the Hat at the time a true Gryffindor would need it most. Neville showed true bravery and the heart of a Gryffindor in his stand against LV, had an overwhelming urge to need something to kill Nagini (much the same way I'm sure Harry felt when he needed to kill the basilisk), the sword appeared, Neville grabbed it, and killed Nagini.

Anyways, I don't see the connection with the RoR. I think it has to do with the Hat's connection to the founders, especially GG since it was originally his Hat. I wonder, if a member of another house was in true need of something, could they pull out their founder's object? But that's another thread.

There is a connection between the two, the founders of Hogwarts. They each put something into the Castle and into the Hat. The same magic? Who knows.

I was surprised to Neville pull the sword from the hat, when for all intents it was lost to Griphook. As with the RoR, which anyone can use. what would have happened if a member of one of the other houses had reached in, would a Ravenclaw been able to withdraw the Tiara, or Hufflepuff the Cup, etc.

I don't think someone from the other houses, would necessarily be able to pull the items out. There never seems to be a time to have a real need for them. Well, maybe the diadem. If it was some desprate time, I bet a Ravenclaw could have pulled out the diadem for more wisdom. I don't think it is exacly like the room of requirement, because you have to physically need it, not just want it.

ok, this is the answer, the sorting hat, which i belive was created by or for Godric Gryfindor, and the sword which was also created by or for Godric had certain enchantments on it which in times of stress and need would make the two objects come togeter but only for true Gryfindors, like Harry in the chamber of secrets and also Neville. This is my opinion

The RoR reminds in a way of boggarts. Just like those creatures, noone can tell how RoR looks like really, because it is always affected by one's desire at the moment. Just like the boggarts, it changes shape instantly reading the wizard's mind. In boggarts' case, it reads one's biggest fear, and in RoR's case, it reads one's biggest desire at the present. I don't see any resemblance with the Sorting Hat however. Two totally diffeent types of magic made those. The SH has a mind on its own, it speaks, it creates, and communicates. The RoR just changes shape. Plus, the SH can only create a sword. Or, if we believe that the SH was created by all four founders, then it can make four different objects appear. However, this is not implied anywhere, cause Dumbledore would have mentioned it when the topic of Horcruxes came up. This is the biggest difference in my opinion between the two. The SH can create four objects, whereas the RoR can create million of different objects inside a certain room.

I can see where you're coming from thinking that the RoR and SH have the same type of magic, but I don't think it's that accurate. The hat is a lot more noble - about living up to the name of one of the house founders and managing to find something of theirs at a time of great need. Like Neville and Harry both did.
The Room of Requirement is far less noble, however. We see in the sixth book that Malfoy uses the room of requirement as a means to get Death Eaters into Hogwarts, and we also see in the fourth book that it turned into a toilet for Dumbledore.
Some might think that bursting for the toilet is a time of great need, but i'm pretty sure a chamber pot wouldn't fall out of the hat if you stuffed it onto your head when you needed the loo