"We shall say that Fawkes carried the sorting hat too you - something he has done before - and that that is how it came to be within your possession. They do not need to know about the ring or the part it played, and the invisibility cloak is easily explained away. For the rest, we shall stick to the truth, I think. The less lies we weave, the less there remains to trip us up, wouldn’t you agree?" Draco nodded just as the clock chimed again, ringing six times as the hour changed, "Ah," Dumbledore said with a sigh, "I do believe it may be time to open the flood gates, don’t you Severus?"  