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As long as I remember, it is implied that only Gryffindors (and not all of them) may get the sword out of the Sorting Hat. As far as this goes, the rules are pretty clear.

However, the fact that you can choose your house makes matters way more complicated. If Harry had not insisted in being cast as a Gryffindor and went to Slytherin, would he still be able to find the sword?

What about someone who would be placed in Gryffindor, but insisted in Ravenclaw (or any other House)?

Even more complicated, what about people who never got sorted into any house? (foreigners such as Krum and Delacour, muggles, homeschooled wizards, etc)

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    I've cleaned up some of the less necessary tags :)
    – Edlothiad
    Dec 19, 2017 at 22:58
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    Anyone with reasonable drawing skills and a Sorting Hat with enough ink.
    – amflare
    Dec 19, 2017 at 23:12
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    @amflare It would appear you are correct: i.stack.imgur.com/GIaMG.jpg
    – DqwertyC
    Dec 20, 2017 at 0:53

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This quote is directly from Chamber of Secrets.

"If you want proof, Harry, that you belong in Gryffindor, I suggest you look more closely at this." Dumbledore reached across to Professor McGonagall's desk, picked up the blood-stained silver sword, and handed it to Harry. Dully, Harry turned it over, the rubies blazing in the firelight. And then he saw the name engraved just below the hilt. Godric Gryffindor. "Only a true Gryffindor could have pulled that out of the hat, Harry," said Dumbledore simply.

~Chapter: Dobby's Reward

As per Harry Potter Wiki on the topic of sorting hat and sword of Gryffindor:

" The Sorting Hat originally belonged to Godric Gryffindor, one of the founders of Hogwarts. The Sorting Hat was sewn roughly one thousand years ago and was merely a normal hat belonging to Godric Gryffindor. When Gryffindor, along with Salazar Slytherin, Rowena Ravenclaw and Helga Hufflepuff, wondered how they would continue to sort the students when the four were dead, Gryffindor pulled his hat off of his head and, with the other founders, enchanted it with brains and some amount of personality. Godric Gryffindor's Sword, one of the founder's only other known relics, can be magically pulled out of the hat by any Gryffindor considered worthy, no matter how secure the sword's location."

So even if any student posses qualities "worthy of Gryffindor" (so to speak), they will not be able to draw the sword from the Hat as they do not belong to Gryffindor house.

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    Thanks for the answer, but this does not solve the problems regarding people who never got sorted or possibly chose to not get sorted in Gryffindor. Also, it turns drawing the sword into an act of labels, not "being worthy", something I find somewhat troubling. If we find no answer for this is canon (and I sincerelly think we won't, HP is hardly equipped to deal with this kind of thing), than I'll have to accept that being able to wield a magical sword is based not on your worthy personality, but on the fact you like red over green. Bummer.
    – FFN
    Dec 20, 2017 at 12:18
  • People who never got sorted or chose not to be in Gryffindor cannot draw the sword simply because they do not belong to the house to which the relic belongs. That doesn't mean that they are unworthy. Also, being "worthy" or not here was getting decided by only the sorting hat which is the collective brain of all 4 Hogwarts founders and its perception of a person which can be and has been wrong at some occasions.
    – dobby
    Dec 20, 2017 at 12:42
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    I think Dumbledore is saying, "You're a worthy Gryffindor because you pulled the sword out of the hat". Not necessarily, "Only Gryffindors are able to pull the sword out of the hat". True enough, it only happens twice and both the people who do it are Gryffindors. I'm not sure that's enough to prove the rule though.
    – The Dark Lord
    Dec 21, 2017 at 10:48
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    Maybe Ravenclaw, Hufflepuff and Slytherin will pull out some relic related to founder of their own houses. Why does it have to be about the sword at all? Although this is pure speculation, I have not yet been able to find anything online related to this.
    – dobby
    Dec 21, 2017 at 11:35

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