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The hat became motionless once more; applause broke out, though it was punctured, for the first time in Harry's memory, with muttering and whispers. All across the Great Hall students were exchanging remarks with their neighbors, and Harry, clapping along with everyone else, knew exactly what they were talking about.

"Branched out a bit this year, hasn't it?" said Ron, his eyebrows raised.

"Too right it has," said Harry.

The Sorting Hat usually confined itself to describing the different qualities looked for by each of the four Hogwarts houses and its own role in Sorting them. ...

Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix

I don't quite understand "Too right it has" both semantically and grammatically. Is it an idiom? I guess it means: the hat is too right. But it should be written as: "too right it is" instead. How should we understand it here?

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  • I think Harry is saying that Ron is "too right" (in the statement he just made.)
    – Lorel C.
    Jan 29, 2019 at 7:23
  • @LorelC. That should be "Too right you have" or "Too right you are", in my opinion.
    – dan
    Jan 29, 2019 at 7:30
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    "This is too right, it has branched out this year!"
    – CowperKettle
    Jan 29, 2019 at 7:52
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    It is comparable to "Darn right it has (branched out)!" or "You can say that again!" Compare "Too true!" The truth of the matter is something to be rued, something regrettable. It is rather like a wish that it wasn't true: If only that statement were not so true!
    – TimR
    Jan 29, 2019 at 10:10

1 Answer 1

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Notice that the previous phrase from Ron contains a question tag

(The Sorting Hat has) Branched out a bit this year, hasn't it?

Harry's answer is:

Too right it has

It could have been just:

Yes, it has

But he replaced "yes" by "too right" adding emphasis

According to the Cambridge Dictionary

too right UK INFORMAL

said when you agree completely

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