Ok, total crack theory time.
The hat was made by Sylar, from Heroes. He hitched a ride when Hiro was time traveling, and they landed somewhere they shouldn’t have. (The distant past in a parallel universe.) LOL!
Because the hat does what Sylar does. (Only with less blood.) SFG
Headcanon: accepted.
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"He was a lot of things to me" "The only conclusion was love"