And then was the House of Malfoy. Ruthless they were, and famed for their beauty. Originally an average lord whose lands lay within the county of Slytherin, the tenth Earl Malfoy (a certain Nicholas Malfoy) crowned himself King of All Hogwarts and placed the Sorting Hat upon his head to seal his claim. Thus the Royal House of Malfoy ruled Hogwarts for many years, with the Sorting Hat being passed from father to son.