I was recently rereading chapter 7 of Harry Potter and the Philosopher's Stone. In this chapter, the Sorting Hat lists off the virtues associated with each House:

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> *You might belong in Gryffindor,*
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> *Where dwell the brave at heart,*
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> *Their daring, nerve, and chivalry*
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> *Set Gryffindors apart;*
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> *You might belong in Hufflepuff,*
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> *Where they are just and loyal,*
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> *Those patient Hufflepuffs are true*
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> *And unafraid of toil;*
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> *Or yet in wise old Ravenclaw,*
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> *If you’ve a ready mind,*
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> *Where those of wit and learning,*
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> *Will always find their kind;*
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> *Or perhaps in Slytherin*
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> *You’ll make your real friends,*
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> *Those cunning folk use any means*
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> *To achieve their ends.*
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> 

Shortly after hearing this, Harry jokingly points out that he's not feeling "*brave or quick-witted or any of it at the moment*". This got me thinking - **this far in to the book, when has he shown any of the virtues of the House that he eventually got sorted in to?**

I can confidently say that he's not shown off any of Ravenclaw's and he quite clearly rejects Slytherin, but from what the reader's read this far, I can't see what makes him stand out as brave, daring, having nerve, or chivalrous. Most of his character moments appear to have been acting out of fear and desperation (vs the Dursleys) or politeness (following Hagrid around). The only standout moments that I've seen, namely his encounters with Malfoy and Ron, frankly seem to put him more in the "just and loyal" category than the others. There's nothing brave about trading food or politely declining a questionable offer of help. What have I missed? The only brave moment that I can recall is when he made a clever joke about Dudley making the toilet sick.

Note: Answers are expected to refer only to content found in Harry Potter and the Philosopher's Stone and only content prior to the moment that the Sorting Hat declares "*Well, if you’re sure — better be GRYFFINDOR!*". In particular, I don't care much about the author's intent. I just want to see things that are entirely internal to the story.